#so. sorry to any japanese speakers who may see this.

[wutaijiemei]

english tl from amis/japanese ❤️

o nani cowaay kita? where have we come from? nani tira i kahadakan no cidal from the place where the sun rises tatalacowa kita? micelemayto ko cidal where are we going? the sun has already set malingad to kita! we are setting off! pasiwali kita heading all the way east

a~a taiyō ni se o mukete katana o futte with the sun behind me, i will carve my path forward michi o terashite kureta hachibōsei as the eight-pointed star¹ guides my way yoru no tobari ga orita kuroku nure night falls and slowly dyes the sky black “sonata wa doko ni mukau?” “where are you going?” oshiete please tell me

awaay ma’araw ako ko soda i ca’ang no kilang. we may know nothing of snow-covered branches awaay ma’araw iso ko taneng niyam. but you know nothing of our wisdom latek cowa kafana’ kako to kararoman no miso. perhaps i am simply unable to understand your struggles kaorira i, caay ka patadoen ako kiso a malalo’od. but i will not fight your battles

tatalacowa kita? micelemayto ko cidal. where are we going? the sun has already set minokay to kita! we’re going home!

a~a higashi ni mukatte yama o koete to the east, past the mountains mimimoto de sasayaite ita hachibōsei the eight-pointed star whispers in my ear and guides my way boya no kiri ni daka reta aoku nure the fog of night surrounds us and slowly dyes the world blue “sonata wa nanto yoba reru?” “what is your name?” oshiete please tell me

a~a kyokujitsu ga iranai ya jū o sutete abandon the rising sun, lay down your guns hirahara ni shizunde ita hachibōsei as the eight-pointed star sinks beneath the plains akatsuki ga akete kita akaku nure day breaks and slowly dyes the sky red darenimo nozoki koma renai yukusue and we reach the end of our journey, safe from prying eyes

¹reference to an important amis/pangcah cultural symbol, visible in the cover art in the center of the soldier's hat. i could not find the actual word for it in amis and, interestingly, it only appears in the japanese sections of the song. will edit the post if i find it T-T

this song is the story lead singer (and lyricist on this song) Natsuko once heard from her father about her grandfather's experience as an amis volunteer soldier during the final days of WWII. full translation of the portion of the interview that talks about this particular song in very great depth here. brief excerpt for basic contexts:

In 1945, the US military began bombing Taiwan, and Japan was on the verge of facing the reality of their imminent loss. A group of young Amis men were at the Takasago volunteer military camp in Taichung, witnessing the chaos firsthand and fearing deployment under such circumstances. They resolved not to fight any more on another nation’s behalf, and a number of them decided to desert and return to Taitung on foot. Natsuko’s grandfather was among them.

[rinelica]

Yuki and Mai illustrated character analysis

I finally finished this way too long analysis! Sorry for the wait and thanks to everyone who showed interest in this!

I did my best for it to be readable and not too boring, it should be just fine on phone, but on PC you may want to open the pics in another tab to be able to zoom.

Clarifications :

Procreate didn't want me to add too much layers so I wrote some things by hand. I sure hope my handwriting is readable, if not, I'll try to fix this.

This is illustrated with some doodles I coloured, so I took some liberties I can take in my art, like not using pure black/white (this is especially obvious on a pure white background). Don't mind me calling pink and dark red "black and white".

I draw Yuki and Mai as young adults but this is just my take. Like a lot of characters, there's no canon clues about what their physical age is.

I wrote every speculations in red, I don't want to pass these as facts. The last parts (end of part III, parts IV and V) are especially speculative. You can ignore these, I just wanted to elaborate on why I think Mai isn't that bad.

All the game dialogues I put are read from the Japanese version.

I'm not a native English speaker, nor a Japanese one and this is the first time I write that much in a foreign language. I reread myself a lot to be sure I didn't make mistakes, but if you see any major mistake, please notify me!

Bubble dialogues are to read right to left!

THIS IS A SUPER LONG POST! Pics take place.

[tachiguin]

hi, english is not my native language, so sorry for any mistakes... you know about the songs of bsd characters? I really love your analyzes and theories, it seems like there was nothing about songs among them, maybe there are any thoughts about them?

Hello there, Anon! I'm happy to hear that you like my posts :) And thank you so much for asking; as it happens, I do know about the songs. Though if I'm being honest, the only one I listen to semi-regularly is Tanizaki's "Bewitching Screens" (usually when I'm roleplaying/writing fanfiction with him and need the inspiration).

I do have some thoughts, though I think the reason I never posted anything about the song is because I feel like the lyrics are kind of self-explanatory anyhow, but they do reinforce my interpretation/meta of Tanizaki.

Rambles under the cut :)

His song has a very low key, chill vibe, but only at first. It goes from carefree and casual, to something with a darker, more aggressive undertone, then finally, the ending, (which I will touch on later in this post). It's representative of who Tanizaki is as a character-- the deceptive "softboy" energy he has normally, which belies his proclivity towards violence and darker psyche.

Also, it's worth noting that the lyrics kinda just come out and confirm that Tanizaki has "secrets [he doesn't] want to tell anyone", particularly in regards to "[his] existence". The song is essentially him singing about himself, repeating the usual narrative:

Maybe that’s why miscellaneous odd jobs is sort of my specialty My social status is so-so Even getting carried away is fine,

My redeeming quality is probably my diligence I don’t even want to shed blood As far as myself is concerned

But these verses always end on a darker note:

But there is only one thing I cannot forgive

But don’t cross over the forbidden territory.

Of course, I think the other reason why I never really talked much about the character songs is because I wasn't sure how much of an input Asagiri actually had in their lyrics/composition. Like sure, there's definitely some reading between the lines to be done, but at the end of the day, I felt like it didn't really tell me anything new about Tanizaki, it's just a song about what can already be deduced based on his actions in the series.

BUT! One thing I always found interesting was that his character song ends with "Sayonara" (goodbye), WHICH could be interpreted as just a melodramatic thing thrown in there for the aesthetic, but… I guess it wouldn't be me if I didn't read too deeply into things that probably aren't that deep. I do recall reading a comment once (which I cannot find atm, if you think you're the person who originally made this connection then lmk and I'll mention you if you want) that Dazai and Tanizaki's character songs both end on the "goodbye", though now that I'm actually looking into it, it's completely different, because Dazai says "goodbye" in English (a.k.a. its another "Guddo Bai" reference, which is a completely different meta that I'm certain someone else has already written)

The thing is that there's multiple different ways to say "bye" in Japanese, and "sayonara" has a certain sentimental connotation, therefore, its really awkward and a dead giveaway that you're not a native speaker if you use it in casual conversation. The correct way to say 'goodbye' to a friend would be some variant of "Jaa mata ne" (see you later then), though notably this is pretty informal and should not be used with a coworker or teacher or senior-- but I digress! The point is that "sayonara" has the implication that you may not see the other party for a long time, possibly forever.

Okay the other element here is that, assumably, he's singing to Naomi, due to this verse:

I want to protect you (I want to be here) I want to protect you (I cannot forgive this) I want to protect (the incorruptible) everything “you” are –

Which, combined with the "sayonara", really kinda makes me wonder. I think the easy interpretation to get out of this is further reinforcement of the "Naomi is actually an ability construct and her real self died in Middle School" theory, which is valid, but also, consider that the rest of the song is about who Tanizaki is. In the chorus, he asks the listener:

Slowly…look, at the illusionary screen Tell me, what do you see?

To me, it sounds like Tanizaki is asking "do you see the real me, hidden behind this facade of ordinariness?". And when he wants "to protect the incorruptible"-- he doesn't want "you" (Naomi?) to know about this darker side to him. Again, that's just what I'm getting from the song lyrics, which weren't necessarily written with Asagiri's manga canon in mind (still unsure?). But, this interpretation is supported by the fact that Tanizaki only ever snaps when Naomi is in danger, therefore unconscious, and ignorant to Tanizaki's actions following her being harmed.

Personally, I think it's a disservice to Naomi's character to think she's completely unaware of Tanizaki's darker psyche, the side of him who would literally burn the world down if it meant keeping Naomi safe, but… BSD never claimed to write women with agency :,) On the other hand, as much as Naomi acts airheaded and oblivious, we also frequently see a much more perceptive side of her, usually, when Tanizaki isn't in the picture. It's canonically stated that Naomi is, in fact, smarter and more observant than her brother, but, just like Tanizaki, this "hidden" side of her only emerges when Tanizaki isn't around to witness it.

Anyway, that was kind of off topic from the character song, but what I was getting at was that the "sayonara" means that Tanizaki has revealed his "true self" to "you"/Naomi, therefore, he's saying farewell to the peaceful illusion he had built between them— of himself, as just a "normal guy", and of their relationship, just an innocent sibling pair that used to be high-schoolers.

Hopefully my rambles satisfied your curiosity, Anon! It's a good song, and it's pretty validating for my headcanons/metas.

[wegog]

sorry for this random question... but did you get the whole shika's plan at the end of the new chapter? because firstly when i was reading some fan's translation of the chapter he planned to separate the team into two groups or sm... like he wanted to accompany hima. but in the official translation he said that hima needs to be with them all. so then i don't understant the whole point.

Okay, Anon... I'm actually quite intrigued by your ask.

But I'm afraid that I can't help you here, because there are certain subtleties of translation. And I only speak Japanese in my dreams.

But I tried to figure this issue out! And this is what I have...

There're 3 different translations (only what I was able to find)

The first one that can count as an official, I suppose (or just of good quality)

Translation #1

(by Mari Morimoto)

And also I found a very similar translation that was made before

Translation #2

(by SALADSANDBOLTS)

And I suppose I understand what is bothering you... Like Shikadai told: "As long as Himawari with us... They probably won't unleash this attack again"

So, it actually doesn't make any sense... Because Jūra already attacked them. And he clearly reported them that InoShikaCho won't be an obstacle. Unfortinatelly, by this time, the team 10 isn't able to protect Hima and themselves (that's why Himawari will rescue them). What about another translation... My guess is that the person who did this may have used Google translate (or something like that because their translation is more literal). And when I used it I got a similar result.

Translation #3

(that was on https://ww9.readnaruto.com/, but right now I can't find the author, I'm sorry)

Despite that, I agree that the whole idea with a division souds more logical. Because if they'll become two different groups, there will be more opportunity to throw Jūra off the scent. Thus he will think that Hima flew away on a bird, for example, while she will go in opposite direction with Shikadai.

After all this question is not so trivial...

That's why I decided to check the original text and ascertained if I can understand something (a spoiler: I can't)

 I used G-translate and I think I found a part you noticed when you read the translation #3

Honestly, I was trying to find a context in which the speakers can use this (and there's only one thing that almost what he said, but with る instead of り at the end. And we can translate it as 'I'm next to you' or 'I'm beside you')

I translated remaining text. I tried to analyze every Hiragana character and their compatibility. But it didn't help me to understand exactly if Shikadai was talking about a group of him and Himawari or about the whole team. Maybe, if enyone who speaks Japanese read this, they can give us their comments and interpretation. However, it's still possible the kids will follow Shikadai's strategy and we will see what he really meant.

Also I believe skilled translators see all necessary details and there's a reason why they transmitted it as Shikadai's talking about the whole team 10. Yet it still can be misunderstanding.

Anyway, if is it important for the story? I'm not sure. I'm just a weird language nerd who would like to analyze as many details related to Hima as possible.

Thanks for this random question!

[xamaxenta]

Thinking abt Ace back in his airforce days with some of his japanese friends (Deuce, Cornelia, Banshee) , they’re waiting to hear who’s gonna be picked for the new jaeger program they’re launching in Europe, apparently twenty of them will get to go down to Southampton and enlist in said program, to see which pair will pilot the newly built MKIII mecha, currently unnamed.

They’re idling about the common area waiting to see who the lucky twenty would be, chatting when Sabo walks by and Banshee and Cornelia snicker cuz the way Ace would always stare at the guy was pretty funny, and then deny that he’d ever been staring in the first place

“Just talk to him. Your English is so good now.” Cornelia nudges his friend encouragingly, sighing when Ace scoffs and rolls his eyes. Predictably though, his gaze settles and there, never leaves the broad expanse of Sabo’s shoulders as he searches through his locker at the opposite end of the room.

“And make a fool of myself? No thanks.” Ace snorts, shaking his head and slumps further against the wall.

“Cmon dude, this may be your last chance, we all know he’s gonna be selected for the jaeger program.” Cornelia begins to state his case, but doesn’t get very far when Ace squints at him and prods at him in the sternum.

“And you think I won’t be?” Ace challenges, poking at the taller man just a little but harder, incensed that his friend might be insinuating something.

“Relax. You’re probably their second choice, after Sabo.” Deuce cuts over them both and squats heavily on the balls of his feet, his voice breaking on a long, ragged yawn. Ace exhales sharply, even sharper retort on the tip of his tongue when the speakers crackle to life.

“Portgas, Ace-“ the PA system announces and Ace pushes up off the wall, unable to hide the smug smirk curving up the corner of his mouth.

“You were saying?” He goads his friends who all theatrically hang their heads and groan in defeat, Banshee waves him off and Deuce flips him the bird.

“Getting called first doesn’t mean you’re the best.” Cornelia crosses his arms with a huff, voice taking on a kind of childish whine. Ace has yet to mention it but he would be pretty excited if any of his mates made it into the program. The only problem was, was his performace scores overall were drastically different when compared.

“Whatever, see ya later nerds.” Ace shoves his hands into his nice deep jacket pockets and makes his way down from the common area to main admin where he would wait for his interview. Entering the small waiting room, he’s directed by some bored member of staff to take a seat, his number as it turns out is indeed 1, his friends could suck it.

“Outlook—“ the PA system announces the second name not long after his own and Ace, too absored in his thoughts doesn’t realise who had been called until they’ve sat down beside him, a bold printed 2 pinned to their shirt just over their left breast.

“Congratulations.”

Ace glances up from his own printed number, the paper crinkling up in his hand when he finally deciphers that he’s being addressed in Japanese. Glancing at the person beside him he flusters slightly to realise the second candidate was unironically, Sabo Outlook.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear.” Sabo gingerly gestures between them both, “—your friends thought I would be the first choice.” He pauses seemingly searching for the right words.

“I think they’re wrong and it’s good to know I’m right.” Sabo smiles, lopsided in that charming way that leave Ace all warm inside.

“Your japanese is shit.” Ace replies after a moment of awkward silence and Sabo gapes at him, blue eyes wide with surprise before they squint shut and then he’s laughing, soft and its a little nasal but Ace thinks its pretty cute of him, if he’s being honest.

“I thought you might say that. I’ve been trying to learn during my free time so I could talk to you. But I’ve never been good at self study.” Sabo explains and Ace cocks his head, trying to find the meaning behind a foreigner going through such a task, all so he could talk, to him?

“You wanted to speak to me?” Ace repeats, baffled that this had been Sabo’s only goal.

“Yes,”

“Why?” Ace demands, and fists the numbered paper into a twisted wisp between his fingers, the creases hot and sticky from his sudden, sweaty palms.

“Because I think you’re cute and I wanted to ask you out on a date.” Sabo replies nervous at being scrutinised so directly by the man he’s had a crush on for the past year.

“Are you serious?“ Ace doesn’t know why he wants more answers when he knows this must be the truth, Sabo doesn’t look like he’s capable of lying, but there’s a lot of people stationed at this military base, people with more compatibility with Sabo than he does. What he means to say is, there’s better options.

“Very.” Sabo replies almost immediately with a kind of sincerity that he hadn’t been expecting. Stunned by the honesty of his confession, and unable to reciprocate in the same way, Ace looks away distractedly as the door to their waiting room reopens. Third and fourth walk in and take their seats opposite to them, chattering animatedly between themselves and Ace realises they’re twins.

“Huh.” Sabo utters softly, also clearly surprised at the pair opposite to them. Fifth and sixth show up not that long after and Ace recalls that these two, happen to be dating.

He’s not very knowledgeable about the jaeger program or piloting process in general, but what he does know is that the chances of drift compatability is much higher if there happens to be a previously established bond prior. Family, siblings and couples were sought after purely for this particular bond.

Seventh and Eight arrive, an older couple from the base and Ace knows it for sure that they’ve all been scouted in pairs now. And that all of the pairs currently in the room made sense, aside from his own.

Clearly his partner thinks the same because Sabo sits back against his chair and crosses his arms, tight shirt pulling attractively against his musculature, “—wonder if they picked us is because I’ve got a crush on you.”

“And what makes you think I feel the same way?” Ace replies in English, and hates that he’s even indulged him because the moment Sabo looks at him again, he feels the way his cheeks heat up incriminatingly. He hides behind a curtain of his own hair, wishing they would just call their names and get this over with so he can get out and pretend nothing ever happened. Whoever thought of Sabo and himself being drift compatible? Absurd.

“I don’t know, but…” Sabo grins charmingly, gently reaches out to brush the hair out of Ace’s face slowly. And much to both their surprise, Ace allows it, even leans into the touch slightly. When was the last time he’s even let someone close like this?

“I trust in our commander’s judgement.” Sabo murmurs, his tone softer than ever and Ace realises he might be in trouble, they, he—he was going to have to drift with this man soon. How he would survive it, he’s not sure.

They’re broken apart by the sound of their numbers being called, Ace exhales sharply when he realises just how close they’d gotten, how easily Sabo had slipped past all of his carefully built defenses.

“Hey, Ace?” Sabo turns to him as he holds open the door to the office beyond, ever the gentleman as always.

“I’m glad it’s you,”

[minimomoe]

How to Train your Demon

Pairing: trueform! Sukuna x Fem Reader

Summary: Life has all kinds of wins and losses. You don't know which category to put your new demon husband in though.

Tags: MDNI!, red string of fate trope, true form sukuna, librarian reader, soul mates, reincarnation, accidental summoning, love at first sight (buti it's one-sided (until it's not)), Sukuna is demon, but he's v much in love, smut and stuff eventually i guess....

Song inspo: E.V.O.L- MARINA

Part I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X.

Rule no. 1: Don't show fear

It was a mistake. A comical, nonsensical, monumental mistake, but a mistake nonetheless. You didn’t mean to create a soul tie with a demon . All you did was read a torn up book from the library. Was it an occult book about spiritual practices in the Japanese Heian era? Yes… but it doesn’t warrant an eldritch horror being your life partner. 

Actually, according to the demon, you didn’t create the soul tie, he has been waiting for you all his life. Cute, but it didn’t make the situation any better. Damn your natural inclination to catch the old and withered items thrown into the donation boxes of the library you worked at. It just pained your heart to see pages falling out of books, and the ominous leather bound grimoire was no exception. 

Restoration was one of your favorite things to do. Knowledge is always worth saving, no matter how old it may be. Books were your life. You found yourself lost in them, enchanted, terrified, taught. You had no genre as your favorite. Everything was welcomed, nothing was off limits. You knew a little bit of every culture, every study, every block buster fantasy. If you could, you’d build a machine that would let you live inside of a book and experience the scene yourself. 

Technically you could ask your all powerful demon to do that, but you didn’t want to deal with him right now.

You still weren’t all too sure on how it happened. First you were glueing the pages back to the spine of the book, running your fingers over the deckled edges when you opened a page that was stuck together. You carefully peeled it apart, a task that took ten minutes to do to avoid any additional tears, and opened up to a page that was different from the rest. The words were written in a rush, the strokes of the characters dragging much longer than it should. You only knew a tiny bit of Japanese (but much more of Latin, Russian, Yoruba, and French from having just an abundance of time on your hands), but this time you could make out some of the words. 

You muttered the ones you knew for sure, used context clues for the ones that were beyond reading. It didn’t make a lick of sense to you. You closed the book with a clamp so that the glue would set and decided to come back to it tomorrow since it was closing time. There was no rush of wind, flash of lightning, or eerie sounds. Just you and the screech of a thousand cicadas as soon as you stepped outside to walk to your car. A normal Thursday night.

Until it wasn’t. 

You shuffled around your house with a new arc from your favorite novelist in one hand, a glass of wine in the other, and the largest frame of glasses known to man perched on your nose. Jazz music quietly spilled out from your hidden speakers, preventing the house from getting a little too quiet as you lived alone with your cat. It was a total boring cliche, you were well aware, but you were happy with your life. You had friends who you trusted, a great relationship with your parents, and just recently got out of a relationship with someone who you didn’t hate, you just grew apart. There was no chaotic, negative energy to feast on in your household and you liked it that way. 

You thought you heard your cat clawing on the door when you were snuggled away in your bed. You flipped the covers over and went to let her in to snuggle with you. 

“I’m so sorry, Cleo. I thought you were already in here with me,” you said, scooping her up from the floor. The ragdoll cat begrudgingly accepted your kisses of apology. You set her down on the bed, watching her find a good spot to curl up in and smiled. You went to reach for your wine glass you knew that you set on your nightstand, but there was nothing in the glass. You were sure that you didn’t finish it. You paced yourself well enough for it to last until at least chapter five, but there wasn’t a drop of alcohol left. 

“The quality of sake has diminished over the years, I see.” 

The voice came from all around the room but also deep in your chest. Cleo hissed, making a run for it out of your door, leaving you wildly spinning around for the intruder. You lunged for the heavy duty taser you kept in your nightstand, but when you turned around there was nobody there.

“What is that?” 

The bone chilling voice spoke again. Was it one person or many, you couldn’t tell. 

“I— I have a weapon!” You tried to steady your voice but it was hopeless. You were terrified. There was nobody there but you could feel a heavy presence in the room. 

“You call that a weapon?” The voice laughed. “The only weapon my wife needs is me.”

The statement made you falter. “Wife? Who are you?”

You turned around once again and nearly jumped out of your skin. A man, or a close approximation of one, sat on your bed flicking through your book. It was impossible, but he had twice as many limbs on his top half than he should, and double the amount of eyes. They were bright and red when scanning through your novel. “What language is this?” 

“F-french,” you whispered. You were dreaming. You had to be. That was the only way this could be happening. Still, dream or not, you had to protect yourself. You pressed your taser and watched the prongs leap out and touch his bare skin. He looked unbothered, merely looking down at his stomach where the taser landed and moved his arm to reveal a mouth on his abdomen. A tongue flopped out and licked the prongs, dragging it back to the mouth and the taser was slowly dragged out of your hands and into the mouth. You watched in horror as the hard plastic was crushed to pieces in front of your very eyes. 

“Useless weapon,” he reiterated, this time looking directly at you. “Don’t insult me again.” 

“Pl—please don’t hurt me.” There was nothing left to do but beg. You already punched yourself till blood was drawn. This was not a dream, you were looking at a real, evil monster who didn’t know French and ate high voltage tasers. 

He rose from your bed. You crawled away as much as you could until you bumped into a wall and still you wanted to move through it. He stood before you, looking over your trembling frame and called out for you. 

“Rise.” 

You rose, unsure if you really had a choice in the matter. One of his many hands cupped the side of your face. A clawed thumb brushed away the tear that fell on your cheek.

“Why do you weep?”

“Um… well… I don’t really know who you are,” you said honestly. You were still pinned to the wall, unable to flee and he took up your entire frame of sight. He nodded, removing his hand from your face and raising it in the air. You thought he was going to strike you and you flinched. When you opened your eyes again he was multiple steps away from you, still raising his palm.

“Time has faded your memory of me. You are my wife, and I am your husband. The string of fate proves that we are mates.” 

He stated it so matter of factly. You are my wife, and I am your husband. My wife, your husband. Mates. Forget dreaming, you have officially lost your mind. 

“I don’t… remember agreeing to that,” you said carefully. The words “husband” and “wife” bounced in your head in a crazy echo. You slumped to the floor, your body suddenly very tired. A laugh bubbled up your throat and escaped your mouth. So much for your boring life.

“Do you not feel the connection? The string is tied from my last finger to yours.” You looked at your hand, not seeing any supposed string and shook your head. 

He frowned. “You do not agree to it. It has been decided.” He crouched in front of you, inspecting your face earnestly. One side of his face was strange, not normal skin, instead inhuman, bumpy and shades darker. 

“You look the same after all this time,” he murmured. “I will make you remember.” 

“Let’s not do that,” you said quickly. “I don’t even know your name and I am not married. I’m a librarian and I have a cat. And I have never, ever met you before.”

“I am known as Sukuna, among other names,” he responded to one of your distresses. “What title is a librarian?”

This time you laughed. An deranged laugh, loud and unbecoming. Sukuna waited as impatiently as he could for you to be finished, but you kept on cackling. Once out of breath, you wiped the tears out of your eyes and leaned against the wall. It finally dawned on you how this happened. The drying grimoire that was locked up in the library was responsible for this strange turn of events.

“It’s not a title, at least, not in the way you’re thinking. It’s my job, one that I love very much. Was I ever a common worker before?”

Sukuna bristled at the thought. Even his tummy mouth frowned. “You were a queen. You wanted nothing because you had everything.”

“Interesting,” you mused. “I’m so not your girl.”

“I’m not interested in little girls.”

“Kudos to you. I think I’m going to sleep now. I’m clearly much more tired than I think I am.”

“We have things to discuss,” Sukuna protested, but you already slipped under the sheets. If I force myself to sleep he will go away, you thought. 

Instead you felt the dip of the other side of your bed and flung your eyes open. Sukuna was in bed, with you, staring your down with his four eyes. He was much too close for your liking. 

You looked at him wildly. “What are you doing?” 

“Resting with you.” 

“Get out of my bed!”

“Are you no longer tired?” 

“I am tired. Extremely tired, but that doesn’t mean I want you on my bed! Stay on the floor or something!”

Sukuna rolled his eyes at you and turned on his back, his arms crossed in two sets on his chest. 

“You were always particular with your sleeping habits. I see that hasn’t changed either.”

“Stop acting like you know me!”

Sukuna got off the bed to sit on the floor like you asked. The only problem is that you could feel his gaze prickling your skin, making it impossible to ignore him. You didn’t feel bad about kicking him out, he certainly didn’t have a pout on his face because of it, but something needed to be done. 

“Face the door instead of me,” you mumbled. 

His eyes twitched. “Commanding me like footmen,” he grumbled, yet he still turned away. You wondered if his obedience had something to do with the book. Sukuna had the aura of someone who doesn’t listen to anyone, yet he’s been more than understanding with you. Maybe you really were his wife. Maybe you were having a very elaborate and maladaptive daydream. You thought of “maybe’s” until the sun came up, still staring at the back of his pink, spiky hair. 

Your alarm chirped for you to get ready for work. You groaned. You didn’t get a second of sleep. You were too afraid of being eaten by the demon you accidentally summoned. You reached out to shut off the ringing clock as quietly as you could, but Sukuna touched it first. 

“How strange,” he said, turning the clock around in his hand. He brought it up to his ear, shook his head, tapped the glass. Then he crushed it. It was made of plastic, but the shards bent and broke to the floor left his hand unscratched. You gaped at the mess he made as he let the remains fall to the floor. “It was making a wretched sound.”

“Yeah…” you sighed. “It was pretty noisy.”

You had to find out how to get rid of him. Fast. 

Thanks for reading loves!! lemme know what ya think xx

Part: I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X.

M.list || Twitter || Ao3

[straycatboogie]

2024/01/13 English

BGM: The Beatles - The Long And Winding Road

Sometimes I am asked as this - "how many years have you been learning English?" TBH, now I am 49, and I started learning it at 13, when I was a junior high school student (in Japan, the people who belong to our generation usually started learning English like that.) And after the high school period, I went to a university to study English literature (especially American literature as Beatniks etc.) From 13 to 49… Therefore I have learned English for over 35 years. But, during that long period I have some "blanks". At that "blanks", I literally had done nothing but drinking. So I can't be proud of it.

Recently, someone asked to others like this - "I'd like to master English to enjoy the daily conversation!". I guess… although (I wish this wouldn't sound ironic) I have learned English for such a long time, I couldn't do order a cup of coffee at any coffee shops like Starbucks by using English. I won't tell any lies about this. At the daily conversation, any small talks, I need a certain skill of listening, speaking, and remembering various pieces of knowledge.

Then, how can I afford the person as any actual, useful advice? I can't see… But, I might be able to say this. As you can see, I am never a fluent speaker. Even in Japanese, I am never good at doing communication (my stories often go really complicated/difficult in the end.) But, I try to have a certain will to enjoy the conversation with an open mind. How can I enjoy the talking to the precious, great other people? With that open mind, I let myself into the flood of words with having great pieces of The Beatles philosophy - "Let It Be" and "All You Need Is Love."

But as a reader who reads Ludwig Wittgenstein, even now I have been haunted by this idea. "Really? My English is really easy for others to accept? What if all I have written can be just a kind of gobbledygook?" Oh, what a silly idea. "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"… I'm sorry! Like that, today I have thought that kind of stupid things as a tiny pupil/disciple of philosophy.

[yokohamabeans]

Guesstimate: Some Kakucho Observations

For my own fic-writing reference and the fun of it, here are some observations about our boy Kaku based on what has been shown in the manga / official Twitter by Wakui-sensei. 

(Chapter numbers are indicated in the screenshots.)

3 points to cover here today: Kakucho’s name and surname (it’s not Hittou, I don’t think), his fighting style and his fashion preferences. I’ve already done posts about his scarred eye and the place he got beat up at (lmao) if you wanna check those out!

1. Kakucho’s Name & Surname

Interestingly, unlike most other characters, Kakucho is only introduced / announced by his first name. 

The emphasis on his first name is to probably signify his devotion to Izana. As Izana commanded him to, he has put his family behind in the past and therefore shed his surname. 

I know that the TR wiki and translations state his full name as ‘Hittou Kakucho’ based on his declaration to Takemichi in Chapter 164, and that ‘Hittou’ is widely accepted by at least the English-speaking fandom as his surname (it is also something I initially went along with) but I do not think that his surname is actually ‘Hittou’.

Hittou (筆頭) can mean either (1) the head of a calligraphy brush/pen; or (2) an affix to indicate the top of a list (i.e. first author, first fighter etc.). If we go by (1), then, while uncommon, it should be his surname. But if we go by (2), it could simply mean that he’s putting himself as Tenjiku’s first / top Heavenly King, which makes sense considering his position as Izana’s right-hand man. 

The case is stronger for (2), IMO. Firstly, Kakucho has only been referred to by a singular first name in the manga. And in Wakui’s official twitter, ‘Hittou Kakucho 筆頭 鶴蝶’ is separated with a period (or whatever it is), which is not done for names. (This is also not done with the full names of the other characters, btw.) 

Highlighted text can be read as ‘Tenjiku’s First Heavenly King, Kakuchou’

Therefore, sorry to drop this fellas, but ‘Hittou’ is likely not his surname.

(My grasp of Japanese is not 100% though, so if there are any fluent Japanese speakers with a good understanding of its nuances here who wanna help out, please share your thoughts!)

Edit: It’s been confirmed that Kakucho has no surname in Chapter 255.

2. Kakucho’s Fighting Style

Tenjiku’s Strongest seems to favour wide-swung, impactful, one-shot blows/punches. No idea what kind of style it’s inspired by however.

We also see some high-kick influence from Izana, when he fought Smiley.

Which is totally natural; Kakucho and Izana would most definitely have trained and fought together. It’s cool that Wakui has these little subtle details when drawing his characters!

Edit: CharaBook 3 confirms that Kakucho’s special skill is a full-swing hook from a blind spot.

3. Kakucho’s Fashion Style (?)

Kakucho seems to favour slip-on shoes...

...and structured/hemmed jackets (Idk what this style is called):

Also, like quite a few other TR characters, he dons the sarashi (i.e. bandages around torso/abdomen) in his thugfit:

Sarashi is often worn by Japanese gangsters as an indication of toughness, inspired by a kind of protective garment from old Japan.

Kakucho’s overall character design seems to centre around toughness (i.e. sarashi, stern expression, buzzcut, badass scar)—to match his reputation as an incredibly strong fighter I suppose!

And of course, as we all know, he loves having his chest exposed to show off those gleaming abs:

That’s all I have for now. Hope you fellow Kakucho fans enjoyed this!

(I may make a meta post or two about him, or maybe just explore it all in my fic haha.)

[shunkani]

Chapter 132 Levi/Hange Analysis

Summary: An attempt to explain the sentence in chapter 132

Levi: I see your one sided love with Titans still goes unrequited, four-eyes.

Hange: ...We’ll be getting along soon enough.　（…すぐに仲良くなるさ）

Disclaimer: this is just interpretation and not meant to be taken as official proof of romance between Levi and Hange in Attack on Titan. This is theory and nothing else. I’ve read multiple tweets and essays to compile my own thoughts.

I personally do not have any qualms with other ships, and this essay doesn’t discredit other Hange or Levi CP’s. Also, sorry but this essay has no pictures. 

Lesson_____

A quick Japanese lesson (and language comprehension); I will try to make it painless. I make no assumption on the reader’s Japanese level/English grammar understanding and will be talking about it as is.

When は is combined with another particle, it puts emphasis in a way such as English has intonation. Since Japanese does not stress tone (like how one says the words sarcastically/meaningfully/sadly/cheekily) it uses particles to do this job.

So, when Levi says, “相変わらず巨人とは片思いのままだったなクソメガネ“

It means literally, “As always, still an unrequited love with Titans, four-eyes.”

Naturally, “Your love for Titans is one-sided, as usual, four-eyes.”

In Japanese, using には or とは creates a third, invisible option that is outside of the realm of the sentence.

When you use に or と or even は by itself, it creates a one dimensional statement. When used with other particles combined with は it creates another, outside dimension to the sentence. A third suggestion or comparison. は can be used as a comparative or stress particle as well as a topic marker.

quick example.

I didn’t go to the library with him. ->彼と図書館に行かなかった.（ Forward statement. It is as it is. ）

I didn’t go to the library with him. ->彼とは図書館に行かなかった （Implying I went there with someone else, but not him. ）

Just like you’d expect, English speakers understand the implications of stressing “him.” Just as Japanese speakers understand the implications of とは etc. If we stressed library(図書館には）instead of “boy” (彼とは）then it’s implication is that we didn’t go to the library with him, but maybe somewhere else. I hope this is clear. 

____

Okay, on with the analyses. Just a note again, but I’ve naturalized any Japanese so that it’s not literal, but the meaning is the same so it’s easier to comprehend for native English speakers. I’ve changed “I” to “we” considering I formatted to fit essays.

From  ストリキーネさん’s essay

Like others have said, Levi’s words feel like his true confession. Whether it’s romantic or not, it’s up in the air, but while making small talk and commenting about his long time comrade in arms, it seems like this comment is loaded with unlabeled feelings, like “You gross me out, but I feel something special for you and I get you.”

It feels natural to say “You still have unrequited love for Titans.” right after the banter of Hange and Pieck’s exchange.  {note: 巨人に片思いのままだな is using に here, not とは, so it feels natural to say に）

So why did he use “とは” and not ”に”？

If there’s official announcement that say’s there’s no meaning to it, or that it’ll be corrected in the official volume, then this sentence will be meaningless. But if it’s intentional or even unconscious decision, we get the impression that he is recalling a third person (”me” ie Levi) among Hange and the Titans. 

 Moreover, hearing “four eyes” was unexpected and we can only imagine it was surprising for Hange too. Since we might have never expected that we’d hear “four eyes” in the original manga again, it’s perplexing, but feels filled with something like nostalgia. 

With Hange taking over as commander and the world rapidly changing, we get the feeling that there’s a distance between them, at least from what is shown to us from the story. 

Because of this short exchange about Titans, all at once we are brought back to “An eccentric, Titan-loving section commander,” and “Captain who’s fond of four-eyes,” and it’s moving. 

There’s a little pause (note: talking about the “...” before Hange starts talking) at the end of Levi’s lines and the start of Hange’s dialogue. One wonders if it couldn’t be a mix between surprise and relief on Hange’s end. 

Also, as many others have said, Levi is answering Hange’s “I’d prefer if we live here together,” from the forest, to the best that he can. There was no reason to look back at that scene in relation to this because Levi seemed to have brushed off Hange’s shocking statement, but since everyone was referencing that scene, a second re-examination was in order. (Note, the author actually said something a little more personal, so I condensed it to match a more essay-like statement)

Levi could have been surprised.

Someone who he’s known for a long time, and supported each other, and can admit that (Hange) can be troublesome sometimes, but also they hit it off well, yet each of their own responsibilities have become heavier and the world is in this state... in a situation like this, when suddenly alone together in a quiet forest, he might think Hange has stopped thinking if seriously suggesting to run away and saying things like “let’s live together.”

Under circumstances like this, if it were us, we’d likely want to do it, but remember we have responsibilities, maybe we don’t know what the other person feels, perhaps we’d rather we never heard it, so we pretend not to. In Levi’s case, perhaps pretend to sleep (pretending to not be able to hear it) or when he wakes up, change the subject completely.  

It’s unlikely that Levi could give an answer on the spot, and would want time to figure it out. 

(There’s more to the essay but it’s thoughts on relationships between people and some other things that don’t apply to the quote)

ーーーーー

Notes concluded from various twitter surfing:

Many JP fans think Levi’s statement alluded to the forest scene. It’s like his clumsy answer to Hange’s proposal, since he didn’t give a direct answer. Actually the essay above felt his answer was cold and ignored Hange. But Hange doesn’t seem displeased about it. 

As many have said, Hange and Levi are definitely “adults” in this world. They both understand it’s not feasible to do the things they want to do, because their duties supersede that. Hange carries the immense duty of commander, and both hold the responsibility to stop Eren or fight for humanity as a whole. 

It’s rather evident to me, even as an ordinary reader, that Levi did not want Hange to go. In fact, Hange says, 行かせて, “let me go.” and anticipated Levi would try to stop Hange. Mind you, it’s not “release me” but “I have to do this, so don’t stop me.” It took him three panels, focused on his dead-like eyes to finally say “Dedicate your heart,” something he’s apparently never said before. To me, “Dedicate your heart” is a self-sacrificing quote when applied to the Survey Corps. Pretty much “go in bravely, and don’t expect to come back.” Levi is a “Live and come back’ type. The strange thing is that Levi puts his hand on Hange and says it.. in Hange’s place..? It’s a salute before battle, but here it feels like a gentle sentence. Why it was delivered that way? I hope that Isayama will answer these questions in future interviews. 

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

Another thing, Levi says みててくれ to Hange, a now deceased person. Levi has never asked anything from the dead. He’s mentioned fulfilling his promise to Erwin about killing Zeke, but some have found it strange for Levi to ask Hange to “Watch me (kill Zeke.”) (edit: the point is that Levi asked Hange to keep watching him, so it seems that his promises and goals may have changed)

One user said something pretty sad. “For Levi, I think Hange is treated as a MIA. Even if there’s no chance of survival, if Levi looks at Hange’s death, Hange has ended for him right there. So since Hange hasn’t ended, he said “ watch out for me.” That’s the reason why Levi, who’s looked at dead soldiers in the eye, didn’t look at Hange.”

It’s simply, Levi didn’t say “Rest in peace,” or “Goodnight.” but “See ya, Hange. Keep looking out for me.” 

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

Going back to the quote about Titans, the summary is, that in Japanese, Levi’s speech seems incredibly nuanced because he uses language that suggests that Hange and him have come to a mutual feeling, and it’s simply by stating “with Titans” (but there’s a mutual love with me). That’s why the above essay questions if this isn’t a misprint or mistake, or perhaps it’s nothing at all. (I want to point out, that one user suggested it could refer to Eren, but it seems unlikely) 

This is his “answer.” And Hange says...”...We’ll get along soon enough.” 

There’s a “...” before Hange says that, indicating a pause, whether out of surprise by being called “four-eyes”, or carefully thinking on how to respond to “とは” 

Some other notes before I close this up, I thought this was a nice thought on LeviHan:

Hange was introduced while talking and having contact with Levi and Hange exited while talking and having contact with Levi. Really, Hange’s story started and ended with Levi. 

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

I apologize if this seems everywhere, I’m not particularly fond of writing, but for Hange’s last chapter, I feel like English speakers should get in on what Japanese levihan fans were saying. 

終わり

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Oh! What about a scenario where ENA and Senpai battle over Y/N's love? Like, the ENA mod from FNF. Y/N ultimately chooses ENA and the two of them have a cute little picnicn afterwars or something. <3 Y/N could be nb, by the way :)

“Well, this is quite puzzling..”

“Yeah.” Sitting on top of the speakers, you looked around to see where you were: inside a video game--more specifically a dating simulator of some kind. And you were both wearing Japanese school uniforms.

After getting a bearing on your surroundings, you noticed Senpai, the game’s main character, approach you two. “Has a new fair maiden come in search of true love?” He asked in a charming manner, holding a sparkly pink microphone.

“Sincerest apologies,” Ena tried to tell him. “But my heart has been taken by this lovely-”

“Ahaha..I see,” he cut her off. “But there’s only one way to prove where their beautiful heart shall reside--a serenade between peers!”

“He intewwupted me, [y/n]..” She turned back to you, her face appearing sad. “H-How wude..what now?! He wants to take you away fwom me!!!”

“He’s just trying to intimidate you, Ena.” You explained, giving her an encouraging smile. “You got this. I know you can win.”

Her face turned back to normal as she nodded. “You preach true, honest words, my dear! I will win this for you!” Then she spun around to face Senpai once more, determined. “Sorry, my friend, but you can’t have them. And I will prove that their heart is in the right place.”

Her opponent only responded with a smug grin. And with that, the rap-battle had begun. 

Ena did falter at a few points, making her flicker between emotional states that caught Senpai and the schoolgirls that were witnessing the battle off-guard. But that seemed to help her recover and eventually gain the upper hand.

Though once she won, Senpai’s whole demeanor changed as he sneered at her.

“Not bad..for a PS1-looking blockhead,” he growled. “But this time you’ll be a blubbering wreck right after your next terrible performance!”

“..hm, such harsh words coming from someone with a.....a personality equivalent to a wobbly table!” Ena huffed right back, although the insult left him, herself, and you all confused at the same time.

It didn’t make much sense, but Senpai goaded her into another round of singing, and she accepted the challenge. You just bopped your head to the music, cheering on your girlfriend as she sang to her heart’s content.

Unfortunately Senpai didn’t take this second loss so well--as he turned out to be the “blubbering wreck” instead. He dropped to his knees in defeat, his face contorted with distraught.

“What..b-but..I never lose!!!” He whined, gritting his teeth as he looked up, seeing you now off the speakers and hugging Ena. “Y-You there..what do you see in that..that THING?!!”

Your smile immediately fell as you scowled darkly at him, making him tense up with fear. “Excuse me? Ena is not a “thing”. She’s my girlfriend and nothing will change that.”

Approaching him, you knelt down and grabbed his tie, forcing him to look at you “You may have good looks, but you got a bad personality...try to work on that first, you ugly worm.”

“....U-UGLY WORM?!!!” He cried, his face turning blue.

“Come now, [y/n]. That’s..a little extreme, wouldn’t you agree?”

You glanced up at Ena and sighed, letting go of his tie. “For calling you a “thing”, I don’t think so. But I’m done. My heart is with you and you alone.”

“Wonderful!” She chuckled. “Let us depart.” Then she briefly looked at Senpai, who was still blubbering about the insulting name you gave him. “I do hope this causes no rift between us, Senpai. If it’s any help, you were quite the formidable challenger, and fairly polite about it at first. Thank you for the lovely match, and farewell!”

Afterwards, you two began heading elsewhere, passing by the schoolgirls who flocked over to comfort the man they admired.

"Say, do you think turron exists in this world?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Awh...I alweady miss the taste of it...”

“Once we find a way out, I’ll buy you all the turron you want as a celebration. How’s that?”

“That would be most appreciated, [y/n]! This is why I adore you with all my heart!”

“I adore you, too, Ena.”

[thevegetablewhichnoonedaresname]

Ranking The Japanese Accents In Nancy Drew: Shadow At The Water's Edge

because this is the content you all followed me for. I just need to rant.

disclaimer: I am a born and raised American who has never left the country, I've just been studying Japanese for two years so I know how it works on a base level and I've spent a reasonable amount of (read: too much) time listening to native Japanese speakers on YouTube, in anime, and my teacher in class. If anyone sees this and has corrections or criticisms, they are welcome.

Also, I'm not going to go after Her Interactive for intentional racism because it's not a super huge company and they tend to butcher accents indiscriminately (Scottish, Southern American... heck, there's an Aussie in this game who's like "this haunting bisniss wood nevah fly in Sydney!" and then storms out. anyway). And voice acting is hard. Accents are hard. I'd probably do a worse job myself (with one exception... we'll get to that). With that in mind, let's go.

1. Miwako (younger daughter, works at Ryokan Hiei)

Okay, we’re starting off strong. I can’t find any information on the actors for most of these characters, but her voice actress is the only one of the cast with a Japanese name and I wouldn’t be surprised if her accent is natural. All the characters speak English with the occasional Japanese word thrown in when necessary. Miwako does not have a very strong accent, so most of the things that make me think her accent is real are in the way she pronounces Japanese words and her general consistency of pronunciation in both (we’re gonna be talking about consistency a lot). She mostly pronounces Rs like you would in English, but when she says “ryokan”, for instance, she uses the Japanese R sound. Her pronunciation of that word also has the correct Japanese pitch accent.

2. Rentaro (Miwako’s boyfriend, handyman)

Don’t let the fact that he’s number two on the list fool you, there is a very big drop in quality between the first and second places here. This is a bad accent. Still, it could be worse. Japanese accents are as varied as the people who have them, and some of his lines sound like accents I’ve heard before? Still, he rolls his Rs sometimes and occasionally strays into weirdly Scottish-sounding territory. It also comes off a bit stereotypical at times and he can’t pronounce Japanese words. Points for him: he opts to skip Rs when they happen in the middle or end of a word, like a British accent (cah instead of car), he’s mostly consistent with whatever the heck it is he’s doing, and he may have actually listened to people speaking English with Japanese accents.

3. Takae (Yumi and Miwako’s grandmother, works at the ryokan)

Here’s where I start to get mad. I *think* this character is supposed to be less comfortable speaking English, but all this means is that She. Talks. Extremely. Slowly. And. Pauses. Between. Every. Word. Also. She. Addas. In. Retters. That. Are. Not. Supposed. To. Be. There. and does that stupid stereotypical “flied lice” thing where she mixes up Ls and Rs. I will rant more about this later. This is a very dialogue heavy game. It is positively excruciating to sit through her horrible, terrible accent at .5 speed. Later games have an option to skip through dialogue, but this one does not.

Now, stereotypical as the L and R thing and the adding in letters thing are, they are things people really do. A couple weeks ago my teacher told me directly that some Japanese people eat flied lice, but not him. (which is mostly true, but the day before, he’d said a verb was in the pleasant tense. this is reasonable and understandable. however, I will privately be referring to keigo as “the pleasant tense” from this day forward- a little language pun for you all. sorry, I’m getting sidetracked.) The reason why is super interesting, but I don’t want to get into it here. It’s pretty easy to find good YouTube videos on the topic. What is important is that it’s a lot more common to replace Rs with either Ls or Japanese Rs (which sound more like Ls) than it is to do it the other way around. Takae loves adding in that hard American R in places it doesn’t belong.

Also, yes, people with stronger Japanese accents will sometimes add vowel sounds. This is because in Japanese, almost every sound is either a vowel or a consonant-vowel pair. You can’t just do it willy-nilly, though, there are rules for which vowel sound goes where and when, and some sounds like “n” or “s” would almost certainly not be followed by a vowel sound. It also happens more at the end of the words than in the middle, and again, Takae tends to add the wrong vowels in the middle of words.

Bad out of 10. I don’t actually know how I feel about this character because her dialogue makes me suffer too much. If Rentaro sounds like he’s possibly basing this off of listening to someone with an actual accent, Takae sounds like someone who knew nothing tried to spell out an accent in a book and she’s just reading it.

4. Yumi (Miwako’s sister, a free spirit. works at a bento stand in a convention center I guess.)

Awful as Takae is, I think Yumi annoys me more. She also mixes up the Ls and Rs badly and wrongly. I think that’s pretty much my only nitpick (it’s been a second since I played the game). So why is it so much worse than when Takae does it??

Because. BECAUSE. Around 95% of the time, I wish I was exaggerating, she has a straight up plain old vanilla news reporter American English accent. So much so that I legitimately kept forgetting she was supposed to have a Japanese accent at all. And then, out of the blue, she’ll just toss in an “Oh yes! A bento is a RUNCHBOX” out of nowhere and it makes me want to cringe out of my skin.

The worst part is they didn’t even have to give her an accent anyway. First, her sister hardly has one, and everyone in her family already has a fluent level of English proficiency. Second, they have a perfect in-story way out of this. The girl’s mother spoke some English, and she had friends in the United States and would take her daughters to visit every once in a while. This is canon. It’s also canon that Yumi is the most outgoing and non-traditional member of the family, that’s a big part of the plot! Just say she’s kept up her mom’s connections, spent some time in the U.S., and lost the accent! If your actress cannot and will not do the stinking accent without sounding racist and bad, take your easy in-story route and just don’t give the darn character an accent! I promise we will not forget that a Japanese character with a Japanese name whose family runs a Japanese bath house in Japan is Japanese if she doesn’t sound like a bad caricature.

Agh.

Anyway, thank you for reading this, and again, any feedback is welcome.

[chocolatepancakes]

Mixer Romantic ending.

(Y/N) laid on her couch staring up at the ceiling. It was the middle of July and she was hot, bored, and sweaty. She sat up and reached for the remote, just to be caught off guard by a text notification. Selever. She opened the app. [Selever] Hey Roachy! [Selever] my friends and I are going to the mixer [Selever] come with to even out the numbers (Y/N) looked at her screen. A mixer huh? Cool beans. It’s not like she had anything to do over the summer. She typed quickly as she replied. [Y/N] cool lemme in [Selever] lmao you’re actually gonna come? [Selever] okay, well, meet at 401 Dragon Rock Ave. [Y/N] there’s a bar there?? [Selever] lol who said we’re going to a bar [Selever] we gon be going to kareoke b#### [Y/N] OK [Y/N] what time [Selever] idk, around 8. [Y/N] K see ya [Selever] ciao (Y/N) looked at the clock. 6pm. She had about two hours to get ready. She set a 50 minute timer and turned on the TV. She had time to burn. So the time came. (Y/N) ran out her house with her purse in hand. She slid into her car and started it up. Streetlights passed as she turned left and right. A call rang. She picked it up. “Hello, who is it?” She asked. “Hello, I called to talk about your car’s extended warranty,” Selever replied. Snickering could be heard. (Y/N) laughed. Why did he always start a call like that? “Hi Sel,” she said. “Where you at right now?” “I’m only like, a hundred meters from the place.” “Ha, sure you are.” “Oh hey! I see you! Okay, imma hang up!” She closed off the call and pulled her car into a parking slot. Selever stood waiting for her. He was wearing something pretty different from his normal attire. He had a magenta dress shirt on, and a black suit vest over it. A complimentary black tie and dark dress pants completed his look. “Woah I didn’t think you’d actually come,” Selever smirked. “Getting desperate?” He asked. “Ha, no. Just doing my job as the number-even-outter.” (Y/N) replied, getting out of her car. “Really? Cause you seem pretty dressed up for someone who’s just evening out the numbers.” He was right. (Y/N) had dressed up a bit for this occasion. She wore a blue one piece with a flower on the head of its belt. She wore a white cardigan, and two strands of her (H/C) hair, tied in braids, met at the back of her head. She wore knee high socks, and Mary Janes completed the outfit. “Yes really, now let’s go in! I wanna destroy everyone’s eardrums!” (Y/N) grabbed his hand and entered the building. This one seemed to be slightly different from other bars. Like a Japanese kareoke place? There was a reception area, and you’d go into a room to sing. They ran past the reception and straight to the room at the end of the hall. Selever opened up the door. “THE LAST LADY’S HERE!” He yelled. In the room were two other guys, and two other girls. Starting with the girls, there was one with blue hair, which was tied back in her pony tail. She had pink eyes and wore a grey turtleneck with a long skirt. The other girl had black hair, which covered her left eye. Red eyes. She wore a beanie, as well as a black shirt. She wore jeans, giving off a relaxed vibe. As for the two guys, a grey cat was among them. His hair? Fur? Was tied back in a ponytail. He wore a yellow hoodie over a suit, she assumed. He wore black pants and wore brown sneakers. Last one was a skull of… a goat? Moose? A demon? He wore a white dress shirt, and brown dress pants. His body and limbs seemed to be invisible, as his head and hand floated in the air. (Y/N) cautiously entered the room. “Hello…. I’m (Y/N).” The girl with blue hair waved. “Hi!! I’m Sky!” She held some cards in her hand. “Wanna play Uno with us?” “Sure,” (Y/N) said, sitting down. Selever also sat at the boys’ side. A round passed. Then two. Then an an hour, as they ate and sang. “Kay! Uhhh (Y/N!) It’s your turn!” The cat man said, taking the input pad and handing it over to her. “Sorry Kapi, I’m not too good at singing,” she denied. “You sure? You haven’t sang all hour.” “Mmm maybe one song.” She took the pad and scrolled through the songs. Bingo. She entered the code as a upbeat tune started playing. She held up the mic, slightly embarrassed she was singing this. Selever gave her a thumbs up and smiled. She took a breath and sang. The others watched her as she hit every note. When the song finished, she put down the mic and quickly returned to her seat. They clapped for a moment or two. “Woah. You’re pretty good (Y/N)!” Sky said. “I’m really not,” (Y/N) said. “Oh for f###’s sake, just accept it,” Selever rebutted. “You’re good and you know it.” Kapi stretched. “Okay, I think we’re all warmed up.” Warmed up?! That was warming up?! For what?! (Y/N) confusedly looked around the room. “Tabi, where’d you put the spinner?” Kapi asked. “It should be with the chips.” Seriously what were they bouta do?! Kapi took out a spinner. On each slice was each of their names. Tabi, Annie, Kapi, Sky, Selever, (Y/N), all of them. Kapi flicked the arrow. Landed on his name. “I GO FIRST!” He said, grabbing his phone. He fiddling with it, he got something to play on the screen. His own song. He took a deep breath and started to sing. Annie cheered him on. (Y/N) looked in shock. He was singing his own song. This probably means the others have their own too. Goddammit, no! She prayed for the wheel to never land on her, she didn’t have one yet! Kapi’s song finished, and the screen read, “Beathoven.mp4 - unknown”.  “Oh yeah! That felt great! Okay, who’s next?” He spun the wheel again. “Uh… Annie! Ya gonna go?” Annie took out her phone. “Hell yeah I am.” She took a swig of her drink and got up. After fiddling with her phone, a new song started playing. She bopped her head a few times, until she also started to sing. (Y/N) leaned over to Selever. “You know I don’t have a song! What do I do?!” She whispered. Selever leaned back. “It’s fine. I can cover you if it lands anyway. Just get one of your weeb songs to play if I can’t.” As Annie’s song finished, she spun the wheel. Sky Same routine. She got up, fiddled around, and sang. (Y/N) paid no attention to it. She was only thinking about what would happen when her turn came. What does he mean he can cover her?! What does he mean play a weeb song?! Did he mean vocaloid? Before she knew it, Sky’s turn was over. Kapi spun the spinner. Oh god damn it. “(Y/N)! It’s your turn!” He slid the pad to her. She looked at it in fear. “Um- a-” she was cut off. Selever picked up the pad. “M'kay. I’m bored. My turn motherfruskas!” Nobody stopped him. Just sighed and shook their heads. He tapped his phone. A steady beat came out of the speakers. Selever smirked at (Y/N) as he began to sing. It was upbeat. Pretty steady, until 30 seconds in. A sudden tempo change. His song was upbeat. And somewhat fast. As the song finished he put the mic back down on the table. “You had a song?? Wh- why is it so chaotic?! HOW’D YOU EVEN HIT THAT?!” Sky questioned as she, and the others clapped. Selever leaned back with his hands behind his head. “It’s was made to fit me, and me specifically. Of course it’s chaotic.” Kapi put away the wheel. “Okay, since there’s only Tabi and (Y/N) left now, I’m gonna flip a coin. Tabs, heads or tails?” He flipped it into the air. “Tails.” Tabi replied. Kapi caught, and shielded the coin from view. (Y/N) prayed it was tails. He revealed the coin to be… “Tails! ‘Kay Tabi, you’re up!” He handed the pad to the floating skull, as a new song started to play. (Y/N) let out a sigh of relief. At least now she could think of which song to sing herself. I mean, Aishite was pretty good, but dark. PoPiPo sounded too idiotic. She could sing partners in crime…. if she had a partner. “So, be honest (Y/N),” Annie said, still keeping her eyes on Tabi. “You don’t have a song, do you?” (Y/N) jumped. “I uh…” “It’s fine. I didn’t really expect someone like you to have one anyway.” Someone like me? The hell does that mean?! (Y/N)’s pettiness rose up. She still didn’t have a song, but she sure as hell knew which one she wanted to sing. Just as Tabi’s song finished, she snatched the pad and connected her phone. She looked up at the screen. Beeps played as she stood up, grabbed the mic, and waited for the first notes to come. She took a deep breath, turned to look at everyone and sang. “EVERSINCEIWASBORNFROMTHATDAYIHADKNOWNTHATIAMNOTHINGMORETHANASIMULATIONBUTI'LLKEEPLIVINGUNTILLDESTROYED, LIVINGFOREVERYESIAMAVOCALOID. IFFOREXAMPLESINGINGWASJUSTATOYTHATWOULDSINGBACKTHETUNESYOUGAVETOTHEMIDTHINKTHATWASALRIGHT, WHILEILOOKATTHESKY, BITETHISLEEK, WATCHTHESOUPPOURINGFROMMYEYES. BUTEVENSOI'LLDISAPPEARTHATIKNOWAPERSONALITYCHANGINGWITHEACHSONG, EVERYTHINGIWASBUILTONWASN'TSOSTRONG, ALLOFTHEPLACESIKNEWAREALREADYGONE, EVERYONETHATIKNEW, THEYDON'TREMEMBERME. HEARTORSOULIHAVENOTHINGLEFTINSIDEOFMEICANSEETHECENTEROFTHEVOID, YES I AM A VOCALOID!” She huffed as the intro stopped. The others looked at her wide eyed. She smiled. She may have regained a bit of confidence. As the vocals continued, she did too. Hitting every note perfectly as the song went on. At the end, she set down her mic. Selever clapped for her, and the others joined him. Tabi looked at the clock. Holy crap. 2 am. “Okay, I have to go, I have work,” he said, getting up. “Actually, we should probably all go now. The time’s almost up anyway,” Sky pointed out. (Y/N) picked up her purse. They were right. She didn’t have anything to do over the summer, but it was getting late. They all walked out to the parking lot, and said their goodbyes. Only Selever and (Y/N) was left now. “So, got anyone you put your eyes on?” Selever asked. (Y/N) sighed. “They were nice, but not really my type, ya know? Would go drink with tho 100%.” She smiled. “Besides, I don’t think any of the guys really liked me.”

“Do I not count as a guy for you then?” Selever snarked. (Y/N) looked at him with wide eyes. “You like me?” She asked. Selever flushed, being caught off guard. “What?! No! I didn’t- No! I just eurrgggggg” he buried his face in his hands and groaned. (Y/N) giggled. “Shut uuuup….” “No, it’s not that,” she replied, trying to force the giggles to stop. “It’s just funny how you like me too.” They stood in silence looking into each other. (Y/N) smiled as she left Sel for her car. “M'kay! Bye! Sel! See ya next time!” She said, as she drove off. Selever stood in front of the building. Hoooooly crap. She likes me. She… likes me? Why? What is there to like? He laughed at himself as he walked in the direction of the church. At least she liked him. That’s was all that mattered.

[remuswriting]

hello !! can i request some hcs or one-shot for kageyama (or any character you want ) with a foreigner (canadian maybe ? i'm from canada !) bf ? i love your work, thank youuu !!!! •//v//•

Summary: Transfer student L/N Y/N meets Karasuno volleyball team through tutoring and Yachi

Pairing: N/A

Format: Heacanons

Warnings: None

Notes: I decided to do just Karasuno in general because I was struggling slightly with this (I have no idea why I struggled so much).  I’m not the proudest of this but I hope you like it.  Also, the language thing may not apply to everyone because I’m going based off my own experiences with learning Spanish and being around those who either don’t know English or know very little.

*****

You had just moved to Japan and even though you had been studying Japanese since your parents said you guys were having to move there; you struggled to talk to people.

The teachers were nice to you about it, understood how Japanese was one of the hardest languages for native English speakers to learn, and tried to find you a tutor.

Yachi appeared in your life like a ray of sunshine because she was one of the few at Karasuno that was pretty good with English, but she was so shy and anxious that it was hard to talk to her at first.

She’s tutoring you every other day and then she becomes the manager for the volleyball club and switched to only studying on the weekends.

That’s when you meet Kageyama and Hinata, who are struggling in English and Japanese kind of like you are (except you’re really good in English).

You join the study group easily, you and Hinata help each other with Japanese and English while Kageyama is writing down the answers you’re giving them.

When the study session is over, Yachi makes the comment that you didn’t stop to ask what someone had said once, which meant you were getting better with Japanese.

“Of course, I am.  I have the best tutor ever,” you said as he ruffled her hair and she gets all flustered at the contact.

Then she says she may not be able to tutor you anymore because of becoming the team manager and you start begging because she was the only first year that understood English good enough to talk to you.

“You could always convince Kageyama and Hinata to study with you, even though they may struggle to talk with you sometimes.”

It’s an idea that you don’t explore until you start really struggling with your summer homework.

You call Yachi, desperate for help and you can hear her sigh on the other line before she agrees.

Kageyama and Hinata are there too and they are telling you how smart you are because you’re so good at English.

“I was born in Canada.  English is my first language.”

The look on their faces and Hinata is then amazed at your Japanese while Kageyama just stares at you in awe.

“What’s volleyball like in English?” Kageyama asked and you laugh a little.

“I’ve actually never actually seen a volleyball match and only girls played it at my school,” you said and both Hinata and Kageyama just can’t believe it.

Instead of studying, you’re being bombarded with reasons why you should either watch a game or join the team.  Yachi is trying to calm them down.

“Hey, he could be busy!  Stop harassing him!” Yachi exclaims and is throwing her hands around all over the place.

“Don’t worry, Yachi.  It’s kind of adorable,” you said and neither of the freak duo understood what you just said because it was in English (which was on purpose).

One day after studying, Kageyama asks to speak to you and you are kind of excited but not because your Japanese isn’t the best outside of study sessions.

You blame your parents for only speaking English at home for the reason of struggling with Japanese when at school and attempting to make friends.

“L/N-san, you should come to one our practices,” Kageyama said and you just stare at him because it was unexpected.

“I can try, I just know nothing about volleyball.”

“I will teach you everything you need to know about volleyball,” Kageyama said and you just nod because you’re pretty sure it doesn’t matter if you said yes or no at this point.

You go to one of their practices after they get to move on to the November tournament and it’s kind of stressful in a way.  You’re impressed though.

You somehow get roped into going to practices nearly everyday with the promise of tutoring afterwards.

“Do you remember what that was called?” Kageyama asked and you just nod even though you kind of can but can’t say it aloud.

It’s like all those moments when you know what you want to say but you just can’t verbalize it.  This time it’s literally just the word ‘receive’

“Kageyama, stop harassing Y/N and get back to practicing,” Sugawara said and of course, Tobio listens.

You’re about to go over to Yachi when Suga stops you and you just look at him kind of scared and confused.

“I’m sorry about Kageyama.  You don’t have to come to practices for him though, no one will be upset.”

You would definitely stop going if you weren’t learning more slang Japanese from Tanaka and Noya or having Tsukishima correct you in a way kinder than you expected.

“It’s actually pretty cool watching you guys play,” you said with a smile and Suga chuckled before he walked off.

Noya suggests you become a manager because “you come to practice every day anyways.”

“He may not be comfortable with that because everyone we go against only speaks Japanese,” Tsukishima said nonchalantly. “Also, he probably doesn’t want to deal with your screaming.”

Tsukishima is right about being hesitant to join due to maybe not knowing enough Japanese to understand what’s going on all the time  You were pretty sure that you’d know what was going on at least 75% of the time.

“Y/N!  You came to practice again?” Kiyoko asked and you nodded, trying to figure out what you wanted to say.

“I really like the team.” There was more you wanted to say and you were getting nervous. “I don’t know some words in Japanese.”

“Oh, maybe try to explain them?  I’ll try to help.”

Kiyoko is a literal angel.

“You and Yachi.”

“Managers?” She asked with a weird look and you nodded.

“Manager is what I want to be.”

That was such a choppy sentence and you want to die from embarrassment. You want to tell her that you really are better with words.

“You want to join the team?” She asked and that was what you were trying to say but your brain wasn’t processing.

“Yes, that!”

Takeda doesn’t necessarily try to talk you out of it but tries to make you aware.

He explains how everyone around you may speak Japanese you understand and you can’t always ask what they mean, which you knew.  You didn’t grocery shop alone when you first got to Japan for that reason.

He also explains how late in the season it is to join, but you could if you really wanted to.

“You obviously know the best option for you and I can’t stop you from making that.”

Everyone on the team pretty happy you joined and Tanaka and Noya make sure to make a big deal out of the fact they’ll help you whenever you get confused.

Ennoshita then makes the comment that they would have to actually good at formal Japanese and English to really be of help, which deflates the two starters.

Surprisingly, enough Tsukishima is one that helps you most because he can tell when you’re trying to figure something out when others can’t.

Tanaka screams out “maji de” and looks frustrated, so you know he’s upset but you don’t know what to say to help if you don’t really know what he said.

“He said ‘seriously’ aka majime,” Tsukishima said as he took a drink out of his water bottle. “He’s pissed about something; I didn’t see what.”

You had never heard Tsukishima speak English until then and Hinata had once said he was a terrible tutor, but you’d disagree.

“Sorry, I won’t be at practice today I have to go to the doctor,” you said and Hinata got all wide eyed, even though everyone went to the doctor constantly in Japan.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I just have to go for the.” The words were there and you knew them because your mom had told you them yesterday but what were they again?

“He’s going for his yearly checkup.”

Tsukishima saves the day again when Hinata would have probably just stared at you.

Yachi helps you understand the rules to the game better than if you would have tried to research it yourself and she even helps you make a notebook of the English terms (you had to look some of them up or ask your parents) to Japanese, which made it easier for you to learn.

[sisterspooky1013]

Damsels, Chapter Four: First Day

By SisterSpooky1013 / Read Previous chapters here

Rated E / Tagging @today-in-fic

Angel leads Scully out of Ricky’s office and back down the hall, pointing to various doors.

“Here are the customer bathrooms, we don’t use these. That’s the exit to the lobby, but we have our own door in the back. Through here is the floor.”

Angel makes no mention of the other, unmarked doors in the hall. She pushes the “Enter Here to be Dominated” door open and they walk into a large room with the floors and ceiling painted black. To the left, there's a long bar that covers nearly the entire wall with at least twenty stools butting up to it. Directly across from the bar on the right wall, there’s a small round stage with a gold pole erected in the center. A shallow counter, just wide enough to set a cup, runs along the entire perimeter of the stage with chairs neatly pushed in against it. A mental image of herself on the stage while men look on flashes in her mind and she shakes her head gently, forcing it away. Along the back wall are several small partitions; little rooms constructed out of dark red curtains that are currently pinned open to reveal a loveseat and table in each one. The rest of the room is filled with small black tables and chairs, and can probably seat upwards of 100 people. Angel leads Scully to the left, approaching the bar.

“Back here is the bar, obviously, and this is Queenie, our lead bartender. Queenie, this is Diane, Ricky just hired her,” Angel continues.

A tall Asian woman stands from behind the counter holding a case of Jack Daniels. She has wide, round eyes and a diamond-cut chin, her full lips painted dark red and her black hair tied into a high bun.

“Hey,” she replies, “is Diane your stage name? You’re getting soft, Angel,” she teases, casting Angel a flirtatious smile.

“Oh, no, we actually haven’t gotten that far yet,” Angel replies before turning to Scully, resting one elbow on the bar top. “So while you’re waitressing, you’ll talk to Queenie a lot. She can make any drink under the sun. Tip her out twenty percent of whatever you make.”

Scully nods and wishes she had something to write all this down. Between the new terminology and rules, she's already getting confused and is bound to make a mistake. Angel leads her to the other side of the room and climbs gingerly up onto the stage.

“This is the stage, duh, and this is the pole. We call him Paul, the pin to make it spin or stationary is down here,” she leans and points to a small pin at the base of the pole.

“Oh!” Scully exclaims, “I guess never realized the pole spins.”

“Common misconception,” Angel goes on, wrapping her knee and elbow around the pole and spinning a couple slow rotations as she speaks. “But that’s why you don’t want to put oil or anything slippery on your legs or arms. You need to be able to get a good grip, especially while the pole is spinning. We’ll talk more about that later, come up here.”

Scully baulks and looks around, but climbs onto a chair, then the drink rail before finally getting to the stage itself. The room looks even bigger from up here.

“So, just from a Bird's Eye view up here,” Angel continues, “those seats against the wall back there at the end of the bar we call the rock section. Dudes just grab a seat and order a soda and then nurse it all night. Never pay for dances, never come to the tip rail, nothin’. Just sit there like a damn rock. It can be a fun challenge when you’re waitressing to try to get them to buy more drinks, if you’re into that kind of thing.”

“Tip rail?” Scully asks, sensing that this will be something she has to do a lot.

“Right, these seats right here,” Angel points to the seats that are lined up along the perimeter of the stage, “are the tip rail. You have to sit here or be close to it in order to tip stage dances, hence the name. Something else you’ll hear is doing a mini-lap, which is just when you let a guy at the tip rail motorboat you or put his face in your ass or whatever. Usually you’d do that when they give you a really fat tip.”

“I thought Ricky said the men aren’t allowed to touch you?” Scully clarifies, subconsciously rounding her shoulders and crossing her arms protectively.

“Ah, important distinction. WE can touch THEM, but they can’t touch us. So like, I can rub my tits on a guy's face, but if he grabs them, he’s toast. There are some limits to that I’ll tell you about later, but you can’t give a good lap dance without touching so we definitely touch, it’s just always us who does it, not them.”

Scully is impressed by the degree to which Ricky seems to embrace the “women in control” model, but she’s curious to see whether it’s all talk.

“So that middle part with lots of small tables,” Angel is now pointing to the middle of the room, in front of the rock section, “that’s usually where the whales sit, like Mr. Keane. They’re too classy to sit at the rail but you can still see pretty good from there. And lastly, over there,” she now points to her right to the small curtained rooms, “those are the VIP rooms. We’ll talk more about those later too when we talk about the rules, but they’re basically where customers can take a girl for a private dance.”

Scully feels a pit in her stomach. No matter what rules they have in place, there is no way she can be safe behind a curtain with a man who is paying to access her body. Her distress is interrupted by music suddenly pouring from the speakers at an obscene volume, making them both jump. It cuts off as quickly as it started, and Angel turns to look at a small raised booth behind and to the right of the stage.

“What the fuck, Ben?!” she shouts, raising her arms in an angry gesture.

“Sorry, Angel, my bad!” A thin Asian man with a narrow face and a goatee waves down to them apologetically.

“That’s Ben, the DJ. He’s not usually so obnoxious,” Angel says to Scully, then turns and shouts up to Ben. “This is the new girl, Diane!”

“What the fuck kind of stage name is Diane?” He calls back down. “Also, hi, I’m Ben,” he adds, waving again. Scully smiles warmly and waves back.

“We haven’t picked her name yet!” Angel shouts back. “We really need to pick your name, girl, this is getting old fast,” she says to Scully.

“Um, this may be a strange question,” Scully starts, “but, is everyone who works here Asian?”

Angel looks off into space for a moment, lost in thought. “No, but everyone here right now is, huh?! That’s a weird coincidence. Anyway, Asian is a big group. Denny out front is Samoan, which is actually Pacific Islander. Queenie is Vietnamese, and Ben is Japanese. And Ricky is white as fuck,” she bursts into a fit of giggles at her own joke.

“And what about you?” Scully asks her.

Angel turns and starts to walk away from her, casting a coy glance over her shoulder. “I’m whoever you want me to be, Baby,” she says with a flirty lilt in her voice, before adding “come on, I’ll show you the back.”

“The back,” accessible by a door just behind the stage, is a long hallway with restrooms, a staff locker room, a break room with a kitchen, and a dressing room for the dancers.

“So, I’m gonna show you the dancer’s room now, just so you have an idea what you’re working towards, but just FYI that they really don’t let the waitresses come back here. After this I’d keep your ass out if you don’t want to get torn a new one,” Angel advises her.

The dancer’s room is modest in size with mirrored stations set up along two walls and a small bank of four more in the middle of the room. Each station is slightly different, but most have a makeup kit, hair products, and a box that locks with a code to store cash tips. Three of the stations sit empty. Along the back wall are four doors, and along the left wall is a double-height clothes rack full of straps, sequins, lace, and mesh of all colors. While the floor had smelled like cleaner on top of stale beer and sweat, the dancer’s room is sweet and perfumed with hints of vanilla and cinnamon.

“What’s through those doors?” Scully asks casually.

“The second one on the left will take you outside, that’s the one we can use to come and go without having to go by the customers,” Angel answers. “There’s another one of those at the end of the hall out there you can use while you’re waitressing. The door on the far right is a single stall bathroom. The other ones are storage or something, I don’t know. They’re locked.”

Scully gives no reaction to this information but makes a mental note of it for later. After they look at the general staff locker room and the kitchen, Angel plops down at a table near the fridge and Scully follows suit, taking the seat across from her.

“So, before we go grab lunch, let’s figure out your stage name so we can introduce you to people properly,” Angel begins. “There’s kind of a tradition here that your stage name starts with the same first letter as your real name. I don’t know why, and people will say it’s not a ‘rule’ per se, but if you don’t do it it will probably seem weird.”

“What’s your real name, if that’s okay to ask?” Scully inquires nervously. Not having real names will make this whole investigation a lot harder.

“Oh no, it’s fine. They aren’t a secret or anything, we just don’t like the customers to know our real names. My name is Ann. So Ann/Angel, both A’s. Queenie’s real name is Quyen. You can ask any of the girls and they’ll tell you their real name if you want. Except maybe Lexie, she’s a stuck up bitch. So I’ll just tell you now, her real name is Leanne.”

Scully laughs good-naturedly, though she has the passing thought that a lot of people may describe her as a stuck up bitch too.

“So, something that starts with a D, what suits your fancy?” Angel asks. Seeing the worried look on Scully’s face, she makes some suggestions. “You could go with a classic, like Diamond. Something a little more stereotypical like Destiny. Oh, what about Desiree, that’s really pretty, and it suits you.”

Scully considers it for a moment. Who she’d really like to be is Dana, on her way home from this insanity. Given that isn’t an available option, Desiree isn’t so bad.

“Yeah, I think I like that,” she says with a shy smile.

“Great, can I call you Desi?” Angel asks excitedly.

“Sure,” Scully responds, and then follows a very spirited Angel out into the afternoon sunlight in search of something to eat.

They end up at a little Mexican restaurant a short walk from the club. It’s the kind of hole in the wall place that only locals know exists, with tacky pink paint on the booths and dusty Cinco De Mayo flags criss-crossing the ceiling.

“So, Angel, how’d you end up working at Damsels?” Scully asks as she drags a tortilla chip through the watery salsa. She’s highly motivated to solve this case and get the hell out of here, so there’s no sense in wasting time.

“Oh, I just met Ricky through mutual friends and he told me about his club. I was a dancer at a total shithole before, so coming here was such a huge relief.” She stabs at the ice in her drink with a straw, breaking it up into smaller pieces.

“Are you working towards something else, or is there something else you’re hoping to do?” Scully asks next.

“I might ask you the same, Desi,” Angel returns with a slight cock of her head, and Scully realizes that was a rude question.

“Sorry, I guess I still have a lot to learn about the social nuances of this job.”

Angel shakes her head dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just a question you get asked a lot as a dancer, as you’ll find out. Everyone thinks you’re just stopping here on the way to something better, something more legit. God forbid your life plan is to show your ass for cash, right? I mean, that is true for some of the girls; Tibet is getting her masters and Magenta has a day job as a therapist, but I honestly just like it.”

Scully is more careful with the wording on her next question. “What do you like about it?”

“Well,” Angel takes a bite of a chip and chews thoughtfully, “I grew up with really judgmental, uptight parents who basically made me feel like I was dirty and disgusting for existing, and for being female. I was always really ashamed of my body and when men looked at me, I thought I was doing something wrong to bring it on myself. After I moved out, my friend took me to a strip club and I was totally blown away by the confidence the women had with their bodies. Men were looking at them, but not like they were gross and sinful, just like they were…beautiful. And they looked so powerful up there commanding all that attention. And I just wanted to be up there like that, celebrating my body and deciding what happened with and to it. And here I am.”

Scully sits quietly, absorbing an answer that she wasn’t expecting to hear. She thinks about her own upbringing and the “good girls don’t” mentality that tainted her early sexual exploration. Even as a fully grown adult in consensual, committed relationships, she couldn’t shake the underlying guilt that she was worldly and sinful for desiring and having sex outside of marriage. It bleeds over into her relationship with Mulder, she knows. She can accept any physical attention he bestows upon her, and in fact wants it desperately, but for her to initiate it would mean…something. Something she isn’t ready to admit, even to herself.

Angel speaks again, interrupting her thought. “What about you, Desi, what brings you here? I showed you mine, you show me yours…or whatever.”

“Oh,” Scully says, scrambling to bring her cover story forward. “Um, I, uh, I got divorced recently, or I’m legally separated, anyway. I just got my own place after living with my husband for seven years and I haven’t really worked that whole time, I just supported his work. So, I don’t really have any marketable skills.”

Angel smiles. “Shoot, that ass is a marketable skill, girl! Those titties are hella marketable.”

Scully blushes, unused to anyone talking about her that way, and is surprised by how flattered she feels by such a crass compliment. Their server arrives and sets their plates down, and Angel’s demeanor shifts a bit as they dig into their meal.

“Okay, so down to the nitty gritty. Like I said, there are rules for us as dancers, and for waitresses too. Ricky mentioned his feelings about heroin and meth, right?”

“Yep, that will not be an issue,” Scully says confidently, spearing a bell pepper with her fork.

“Good, so also don’t get, like, super drunk or super high while on shift. A little to take the edge off is okay, but a drunk stripper is just pathetic. Like I said, the men can’t touch us, but it’s okay for us to touch them, EXCEPT we do NOT do extras at Damsels. No hand jobs, no blow jobs, and definitely no fucking, not even in VIP. Not in their car outside, not behind the dumpster, it’s a very hard and fast rule, no pun intended. Ricky will fire even his best girl in a heartbeat if he finds out she’s doing extras. Oh, and no kissing.”

Continue Reading on AO3

[milkmateartist]

HEAVENS Black Garden English Translation 【 Main Story Pt. 1】

[ --- I do not own Black Garden, HEAVENS, Utapri, or any of the characters. This is a fan translation using a combination of google translate and my own japanese knowledge --- ]

// Translated by MilkmateArtist

-------------------------------------------------

▽ = Speaking / Speaker

A deep forest covers the clear sky.

The air here is a little cooler than what's normal for the seasonal temperature.

The surroundings are quiet with only the noise of the trees and my footsteps.

▽ You

Is it really this way?

The continuing trail ahead of me looked more like an animal trail. It would be uncomfortable to even call it a road.

Anxious, I dropped my eyes down to the letter.

A letter that arrived to me even though I had no relatives.

It stated that I had the right to inherit the legacy of a person who claimed to be my paternal grandfather.

I lost my parents early and didn't know my grandfather, let alone his relatives.

Invited by the letter, I was now visiting the land mentioned there.

It was a place rich in nature called the "Heavenly Forest".

Everything I saw was shining.

▽ You

Maybe that is it over there...?

In an open area, there appeared to be a beautifully made road and an iron gate.

The gate is locked.

(A) Give up and go home

(B) Try calling out

(C) Break the lock

(A) Give up and go home

▽ You

There is no sign of anyone around, and there is no way to ask.

I have no choice but to give up ...

I went back the way I came and returned to my usual life.

BAD END

(B) Call out

▽ You

I'm sorry! Is anyone there?

I shouted out loud. Behind the gath, the path led further back, and I could see a bit of the shadow of a house.

Maybe they will notice?. However, there was no reply.

CONTINUE

(C) Break the Lock

I picked up a stone that had fallen nearby and swung it down at the key.

▽ You

Eh……?

The stone rolled off the hand without hitting the key.

My head hurt like it was burning, and my vision went red.. I had no choice but to fall into the place without power.

BAD END

CONTINUE:

Next I tried to push the gate.

▽ You

It's no use, but I'll keep trying. I wonder what I should do now.

Suddenly, a loud noise came from a nearby tree.

A person jumped from the top of said tree.

▽ You

!! !!

▽ Hugo

Who are you? What business do you have at the mansion?

I could see that he's well trained from his large body and mannerisms,

▽ Hugo

Hey, answer my question.

▽ You

…… My name is (___). I got a letter and was invited here.

I answered frantically while under the pressure from his force.

▽ Hugo

(___) ?

▽ You

Yes....

He brought his face closer, staring at me with a sharp look.

▽ Hugo

Nope! I haven't heard of you. You're pretty suspicious..

▽ You

Eh?!

▽ Virgil

Hugo, calm down. This person is a client. Moreover, they should be treated politely.

A man came running up from behind and got in between us.

▽ Virgil

I'm sorry, I seem to have surprised you.

With a concerned expression on his face, he bowed his head politely.

▽ Virgil

Hugo's job is to keep an eye on the area around the building since he's the mansions gatekeeper. Don't think too bad of him.

▽ Hugo

……Hmph.. I'm going to go look around. Take it from here.

▽ Virgil

I'm Virgil, the coachman of this building. I was supposed to pick you up, but there seems to have been a bit of a misunderstanding.

▽ Virgil

I apologize for the inconvenience, but you allow me to escort you to the mansion?

He extended his elbows as if he were dealing with a lady.

I was nervous, but followed him..

▽ Virgil

We have a short way to walk until we reach the mansion. Even someone whose familiar with the place can get lost.

▽ You

It's a very large area.

Even after walking for a while, I couldn't see the whole view of the building. I feel that the world they live in is different from my own.

▽ Virgil

Especially at night, it's pitch black, so it's dangerous. It's rumored that *things* come out around then.

▽ You

!! !!

I gasped, involuntarily making a large gesture.

▽ Virgil

Ah, that's a good reaction. You're cute, so I can't help but play around a bit. It's just a rumor!

▽ You

…… Oh, okay.

But it was true that there were dark places, that were black even in the daytime.

It's no wonder that something could lurk inside it.

▽ Virgil

Ah, we arrived!

Passing through the stone gate, there was a large mansion towering over it.

▽ Mika

Oh~ You're here~.

A child popped out from the entrance. He came down the stairs and stopped in front of me.

▽ Mika

I will guide you from here! Now go away Virgil!

When I took my arm from Virgil, he double-took as though he wanted to hug me.

▽ Virgil

Mika is pushy as always. But as many times as I say it, it doesn't matter.

He shrugged and went on, still somehow cheery in his tone.

▽ Virgil

I'll leave the rest to you. I'm going to the stables to check on the horses. I'll see you later.

▽ Mika

By the way, again ... I'm Mika! I'm working here as a messenger boy.

▽ You

Messenger ... Boy?

I tilt my head, puzzled. It's a profession I'm not too familiar with.

▽ Mika

I take letters from my master and deliver them to other peoples residences, and vice versa. Also, I'm so cute, so I'll be asked to accompany people when I go out.

The owner of this building must be a fairly high-ranking person.

▽ Mika

Leave the area to me, let alone this mansion!! I'm very on top of things, so I know everything.

He probably has a lot of opportunities at his job to come into contact with a lot of different thing.

▽ Mika

Indeed, I even know about that letter you have! My master told me that I went out to the town.

▽ Mika

I'll call Abel, so wait a bit here!

That said, Mika disappeared into the front door.

Left behind, I stopped in front of the big door at the front entrance.. Looking closely, I was amazed at the size of it. .

(A) Observe the mansion

(B) Look into the window

(C) Wait as told

(A) Observe the mansion

I walked around the mansion, drawn to the splendor of the building.

▽ You

I've never seen such a nice house. I wonder if this is also in the inheritance of the heritage ...

When I gently touched the wall, the cool sensation seemed to tell me that this was not a dream.

▽ You

Oh, I want to know soon!

I was thrilled by the glorious life that would be waiting for me.

I thought I heard a loud noise, the next moment, a shock ran to my body.

A part of the dilapidated building collapsed and fell heavily on me.

I can't breathe and I can't move one finger. I feel like I heard someone's voice in the distance, but then I couldn't hear it anymore.

BAD END

(B) Look into the window

I turned to the large window above the front door.

▽ You

!! !!

What I saw for a moment through the gap in the curtain was a devil with a terrifying appearance.

An indescribable horror struck me and I fainted.

When I woke up, I was in a small dark room.

There is no way to know how much time has passed. I was paralyzed.

I was just helpless, wrapped in darkness and waiting for the last moment.

BAD END

(C) Wait as told

I did as I was told. While waiting, I heard an energetic voice from the other side of the door.

I don't know what they were talking about, but I recognized Mika's voice.

He was probably explaining my presence.

The door opened and showed his face, smiling.

▽ Mika

He said you can come in!

I nodded and stepped inside.

▽ Abel

You've arrived, (___). . I'm Abel. The person who is entrusted with this mansion.

▽ You

Nice to meet you…….

▽ Abel

The owner of the mansion wants to extend hospitality to you. Please think of this as your home and relax.

▽ You

Thank you. Um ... may I ask you something?

▽ Abel

Oh. I'll answer to any question.

▽ You

The letter said that the owner of the museum was my grandfather, but what was he like?

▽ Abel

Is that so? I'm sorry for this. There is no way he could have written that. He is still alive.

▽ You

Oh is that so ...!

▽ Abel

He is on a trip now and away from the building. He was very concerned about whether you would respond to the letter.

▽ Mika

He was worried that you wouldn't come to see him.. Because you haven't been in contact for a long time.

▽ You

Above all, I am glad that you have done your best for me. I want to meet him in person and talk.

▽ Abel

Its best to relax until the master returns. You can use this building freely.

Feel free to use this large mansion ... What a luxury! Just thinking about it made me excited.

▽ Abel

However ...

▽ Abel

Do not enter only in the garden at night. Absolutely ...

He spoke in a soft voice up to that point, and my spine froze.

▽ Mika

……Oh... Oh yeah, That's right. I'll go call Keith. See you.

Mika looked frightened and ran to the back of the house as though to escape from something.

▽ Abel

It's dark at night and it's dangerous because the beasts come out. Of course, it's not easy to get in.

Before I knew it, things had returned to the original calm atmosphere.

▽ Keith

...... I made you wait.

▽ Abel

You're here. This is (___).

▽ Keith

...... I'm Keith. ……Nice to meet you.

I waited for his next words, but apparently this was the end of his self-introduction. He seemed to be the quiet type.

▽ You

It's nice to meet you.

▽ Abel

Keith is a servant of the master. He is also an escort and is a very reliable man.

I wondered if the sword on his waist was for escort too..?

▽ Abel

Keith, could you please guide them through the mansion? I have office duties from now on.

▽ Keith

……Yeah..

He nodded, extending a hand to me and we started walking.

▽ Keith

…… where to.. ...... Is there a place you're interested in?

(A) Somewhere to relax

(B) Somewhere fun

(C) A secret place

(A) A place to relax

▽ You

Where does everyone go to relax?

▽ Keith

……this way..

There was an open space beyond the entrance, with a large sofa.

▽ Keith

……the hall. Here ... people often talk ...

The light came in and there was a warm atmosphere. When I tried sitting on the couch I sank in, feeling how high quality it was.

▽ You

I might just wind up telling a long story now

CONTINUE

(B) A place to enjoy

▽ You

What do you enjoy doing during your breaks?

▽ Keith

...... Enjoy, huh? Not much ... entertainment around but...

Thinking about it a bit, he stepped forward. There was a quiet place in the basement.

Opening the door revealed many books. inside.

▽ Keith

Doing research ..., reading aloud ... Besides books, there are also games.

▽ You

Wow! With all of this there will never be enough time

CONTINUE

(C) A secret place

▽ You

Since this is such a huge mansion, is there a secret place? It's like a room that doesn't open.

Without thinking I curiously asked. Keith's eyes glistened.

▽ Keith

There is…….

▽ You

……!

▽ Keith

...... no such room.

▽ You

Ah, I- I figured....

I then saw at the end of the corridor that there was dim passage.

As I approached, I saw a staircase leading upwards. It was dark, and I couldn't see how long it was.

Strangely anxious, I stepped up the stairs as though they were sucking me in.

▽ You

Ah-…….

I couldn't understand what was happening.. A red stain was spreading at the soles of my feet.

▽ You

W..Why…….

Those were my last words.

BAD END

CONTINUE:

I was guided through the hall. There were various rooms, all of which were luxuriously constructed.

▽ Keith

There are still more rooms ... But I must not.. tire you out.

▽ You

Is there still more! ?? From the looks of things I think I can go on..

▽ Keith

You don't have to rush ... There is a lot of time ...

He smiled as he looked at me with my eyes rounded. Seeing that smile made me happy we were getting more acquainted.

▽ You

Hey, that sword is pretty neat. Is it for self-defense?

What I had been worried about for a long time just kind of spilled out of my mouth.

▽ Keith

This ...?

He touched the sword that hung from his waist.

▽ You

Yeah, I'm asking about what it's used for....

I swallowed words on their way out. Acutely my body froze up and I couldn't move.

Keith's eyes became sharp and sparkled with a suspicious light.

▽ Keith

………….

I thought he was going to silently take out the sword from the sheath, but in an instant he thrust it at me.

▽ Keith

It's a cursed sword that seeks the blood of a young maiden. ...... Should I try it out?

He had a cold expression holding no emotion.

▽ You

Eek ...!

▽ Keith

……just kidding.

With that said, he rotated the handle of his heavy sword and put it back in its sheath.

▽ You

Ha, haha.... That was something.

The tension released at once, and I sighed loudly.

▽ Keith

I'm sorry ... I seem to have surprised you.

Seeing his clumsy smile, I understood this was his odd way of interacting with me.

▽ Eric

Hey, Keith. Can you taste the food for me? I think I did a good job!

A young man ran up with a smile.

▽ Eric

You are...! Could it be...

He corrected his posture, astonished when he noticed me.

▽ You

I'm ( ___ ), . The person who came here after receiving a letter.

▽ Eric

( ___ ), It's a nice name. I'm Eric. Nice to meet you.

A bit shy, his cheeks went pink and he bashfully looked down.

▽ Eric

About that, ... I was cooking for you. I hope you like it.

▽ You

Thank you!

▽ Eric

Ah, it's not a big deal at all. I was a little unsure because I made a special menu that I haven't all that often.

▽ Keith

Do not worry. Eric's food is ... always delicious.

▽ Eric

Is that so? I'm happy you say that. That's not all, I'm also in charge of cooking.

▽ Eric

Have you met everyone else yet?

▽ Keith

They have not met Simon....

▽ Eric

Simon should be in the garden at this time.

▽ Keith

Eric ... It would be good if you took them ... I will continue the cooking.

▽ Eric

Really ? I still have a lot of supper preparations left.

▽ Keith

It's fine……. You're able to convey the charm of the garden better as a gardener.

▽ Eric

All right. Thank you, Keith. Well then, let's go.

▽ Eric

It's better to go to the garden from outside the building. We will use the back road, it's a detour from where we are now.

Leaving the mansion, we walked side by side on the road leading to the garden.

▽ Eric

The roses are in full bloom this time of year, so I really recommend seeing them!

He spoke with an excited gesture. . I could tell he loved the garden from the bottom of his heart.

▽ Eric

It's breathtakingly beautiful. I see them everyday but I find myself visiting. I often have tea with my friends there.

▽ You

Friends……. What kind of relationship do you have with everyone? It's nice being close.

▽ Eric

I'm a colleague, but it's like we're a family. I've lived here together since forever and we're always by one anothers side.

I was very envious of that kind of family relationship since I had no relatives.

▽ Eric

Oh, Abel ... He's my real brother. So he's actually family.

Now that I think of it, it seems their hair and eye colors are similar. But their personality and energy are completely different.

▽ Eric

We'll arrive in the garden soon.

▽ You

Um……. I heard that you shouldn't enter the garden at night. Why is that?

I tossed out the words I've been contemplating for a while after asking Abel.

▽ Eric

...... Who, did you hear from?

Eric stopped.

▽ Eric

Who ...? Hey ...?

I was grabbed by my shoulder and interrogated. The energy he was giving off made it feel like he was a different person.

▽ You

…… M-, Mr. Abel.

▽ Eric

What my brother says is absolute. Don't go against it ... absolutely.

With a serious look, I nodded deeply.

▽ Eric

Haha. I thought you would understand. Well, we arrived.

After passing through the aisle, there was a grand "paradise".

The calm garden, full of flowers, praised the beauty of the world.

▽ You

Beautiful ...

▽ Eric

Right? I'm glad you liked it. But I can't find Simon.

I looked around, but there was no sign of anyone.

▽ Eric

He should be taking a nap somewhere in the garden, so let's split up and find search.

▽ You

Okay!

We split up and started looking for Simon.

(A) Search behind the tall hedge

(B) Search in the flower field

(C) Search the boundary between the forest and the garden

(A) Search Behind the tall Hedge

▽ You

Is it behind this hedge ...?

It was a good hiding spot since it was as tall as a person and provided good shade for a nap.

I looked behind, but no one was there.

CONTINUE

(B) Search in the Flower Field

▽ You

He must be in a flower field.

It felt like If I slept surrounded by these beautiful flowers, I'd have a good dream.

Pushing my way through the flowers, only butterflies took off and there was no harvest.

CONTINUE

(C) Search the boundary between the forest and the garden

▽ You

Maybe he's further out.

The back of the vast garden was adjacent to the forest. Maybe there was a good place to take a nap in the woods, like under the shade of a tree.

I went deeper and deeper in.

( -----JUMP TO SIMONS ROUTE------)

CONTINUE:

▽ You

Where are you ...

Distracted by the surroundings, I tripped in the grass.

▽ You

Kya!

Falling forward, I landed in a bush.

▽ You

This is…….

There was a small space in the bush that allowed me to get up, and in that place there also was a young man with transparent white skin.

▽ You

Are you Simon ...?

▽ Simon

Who are you ...? Why are you here ...

He curled up as if frightened, and bore the color of hostility in his eyes.

▽ You

I'm ( ___ ), I'm sorry to have surprised you.

▽ Simon

( ___ ) ……. The Lord's relative?

Most likely being explained to in advance, Simon looked relieved.

▽ You

This is a warm and comfortable place huh. It's very relaxing.

▽ Simon

Oh……. Do you understand too? A feeling of being gently wrapped in nature .... It seems to awaken a memory of before being born.

His expression was ecstatic and his eyes were shining. I could tell that he had a pure and straight heart.

▽ Simon

Oh ... what a wonderful day. I will once again enjoy the splendor while feeling the vibrations of the earth ....

Then he gently closed his eyelids.

▽ Simon

Zzzz …….

▽ You

Simon, don't sleep!

I grabbed his shoulders and shook him but it didn't help much.

▽ You

Eric was looking for you..

▽ Simon

...... Eric was ...?

▽ Eric

I found you! So you were here huh.

Eric looked into the bushes.

Suddenly, the low roar of thunder sounds.

A black rain cloud cast a shadow over the clear blue sky.

▽ Eric

The weather is going to change, so let's go back to the mansion.

We quickly left the garden.

---------------------------------------------------

Go to Black Garden English Translation Directory here for more routes.

[x0401x]

Jeweler Richard Fanbook Short Story #25

Feel free to message me about possible corrections, and please consider supporting the creators by purchasing digital copies of the official releases: Novel || Manga || Fanbook. In case anyone is feeling generous: Ko-fi | PayPal. ( ╹◡╹)っ’･*

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Sri Lanka Nakata Diary

 Title: I got to make some time all of a sudden.

Hello, this is Iggy.

Just as the title says, I suddenly managed to make some time for myself here in Sri Lanka. The guest who was supposed to come over had to go on a last-minute trip, so I wound up with almost an entire day off.

My boss told me that I should take it easy while I was at it and that studying was forbidden, so if you’d like, please give me suggestions. I think there aren’t many people living in Sri Lanka among the ones who are seeing this, so anything goes. Like your favorite ways to spend your leisure time, for example.

By the way, I like cooking when a senior acquaintance of mine comes over, but I noticed lately that I don’t cook much when I’m alone. Eating out is best when it’s Sri Lankan curry.

 Ely_03

Hi, Iggy. I always have fun reading your blog. I live in Greece. I have interest in Japanese people because my daughter is studying abroad in Japan, so I’m happy to have found this blog.

 1975Halleluja

Do they not have night clubs there? How about you try going to one? I’m reading you all the way from Egypt.

 BB_Typhoon

How about trying to clean up your room? It might be surprisingly messy.

 Archangel

Hello, nice to meet you, Iggy-san. If you are in Sri Lanka, apparently, there is a Sri Lankan massage called Ayurveda. You are finally having a day off, so isn’t it a good idea to relax in a way you have never experienced before? Take care of your body. I found the spa below. Not so bad, is it?

(This URL is only visible to the administrator.)

   Title: I went to do Ayurveda!

Hello, Iggy here. Thank you for your previous comments to my blog.

I went to the spa that Archangel-san introduced to me, and it was a series of first experiences, so I was very excited. Back in my country, I kind of imagined that women were the ones who get this kind of massage, but if my tired body would get better, I could keep getting it in the future too.

The owner of the spa was a Tamil speaker. It would have been great if I were more able to talk to them. Thanks to them, I experienced enrichment in many aspects.

Iggy out.

 Archangel

Iggy-san, it seems you had a fulfilling day and nothing makes me happier. I think that the most efficient way to study about languages ​​and gemstones is to proceed with the two paralleling each other like wheels. I hope your training will be fun.

 Punk_Of_England

When I read a blog from someone who’s having fun, I have fun too! If there were a ‘like’ button, I might have pressed it nonstop. Take care of your health. Man, anonymous sections sure are convenient.

   Title: Three-Wheeler

Hello, Iggy here. I had a question in one of my updates.

Do you remember that, last time, I wrote an article about purchasing a three-wheel bike called Three-Wheeler? I’ve been addicted to riding it around lately.

I did have a driver’s license in my motherland, but I was the kind who didn’t have a car or bicycle, so maybe my eyes opened up to the fun of driving a car when I came here.

This thing is like a bike with a hood, so it feels good when the wind hits my face. Finding waterfowl when I’m running around the man-made areas in the evening makes me feel satisfied.

I’m going to study now. After I’m done, I’ll go ride on the Three-Wheeler again. Looking forward to it.

 Archangel

Iggy-san, hello. It seems that you are enjoying your new vehicle. Although this is excessive concern, but if I may share my worries about the Three-Wheeler, while it does have a casual ride quality to it, is not appropriate for crime prevention. For example, there is no wall to protect your body if a thug happens to attack from the side of the vehicle while it is temporarily stopped. Your senior and boss have probably already told you not to carry valuables with you when you are riding. Please be careful.

 Iggy

>Archangel-san, thank you for always leaving comments. Indeed, I do recall my boss telling me that. I never take valuables with me when I use the Three-Wheeler, but I’ll make sure to take it to heart once again. Thank you very much.

 ilovestones

I went back to read the article about the Three-Wheeler. So cute! I don’t see bikes like that in my country at all. Must be fun to drive around one of those. I think this would come in very handy if you ever feel like renewing all the strata within a 20km radius of your house. I’m jealous.

 Punk_Of_England

This might be the anonymous section and all, but I think people’s quirks show in their text, so it’s hard to tell if they haven’t yet been discovered or if they’re just being let through...

   Title: Men in Skirts

Iggy here. Just as the title says, I’ve passed by several men who were wearing skirts. I wonder if it was traditional wear. But it also had a colorful and casual feel to it, so I’m slightly confused about what it was. I’m not very confident as to whether or not I was making a rude face when I looked at them. My apologies to them.

 Archangel

>Iggy-sama.

That is called sarong, which is a traditional wear in Sri Lanka. Please refer to the URL below.

(This URL is only visible to the administrator.)

I believe you understood that it is used as formal wear. Perhaps the fact that there were so many men wearing colorful sarongs means it was a wedding ceremony? Do not be so discouraged.

   Title: I was given a sarong!

Iggy here. For now, please take a look at this photo.

(The image is displayed only to accounts authorized by the administrator.)

I got a red and blue gingham check sarong! It’s comfy! Since it’s the locals who wear it, as expected, there’s lots of pros to it – it’s breathable, doesn’t bleach in the sunlight, and it’s easier to walk in than I had imagined.

As you can see in the picture, the length is down to the ankles. It’s longer than a Scottish skirt and that helps. It seems people put this on to go to wedding ceremonies. So cool. Above all, it suits the climate of Sri Lanka, so I think that’s better to wear than Bermuda shorts if you want to spend time here.

I received this from my neighbor, but it’s extremely comfortable, so I’m planning to buy one or two more for myself. I wonder if this can’t be worn every day.

 Shinghalion

I am a local. It makes me happy that you like my homeland’s clothes. This sort of garment also seems to be trending amongst Sri Lanka’s elite college students in the recent years, so if there are any places near you where college students hang out, then the boutiques next to them are where you should aim to go. Please have a pleasant life. By the way, it seems to me that someone is leaving several comments. Are you okay? If they are being a nuisance, it seems that there is also a block function here. Just my excessive concerns.

 Archangel

>Shinghalion

Pleased to meet you (just for the sake of it). Please do not say such outrageous things to someone you have never even met.

   Title: I ended up accumulating sweets.

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I made too many...

The picture is of coconut rolls, pudding and caramelized date. As one would expect, I can’t eat them all on my own, but when I tried to share with my neighbors, they told me that it’s bad for children’s teeth and got a bit angry, so things are awkward. What should I do?

   Title: My boss came over!

The sweets that I made in big quantity didn’t go to waste. Lucky me.

Weird coincidences do happen. I’m truly glad for that.

I wonder what I should make next time he comes. Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions. As for Sri Lankan sweets, I still only know about things like watalappan, and also the rolls, cream buns, and coconut dumplings sold at the station’s kiosk. But all of them are delicious, aren’t they? If you have any recommendations, please tell me.

 Archangel

>Iggy-sama, I saw your post with great interest. However, I do not think you should forget about the true feelings of the person in question. Please use every day to improve your own skills and promote your physical and mental health. In that respect, as expected, I think that the sweets you are supposed to make should have focus on your current specialties, but do you agree?

 Shinghalion

>Archangel, overprotection can be a bad habit if it goes too far. How about you realize that already?

 Archangel

>Shinghalion, Neither I nor you know each other at all. Please refrain from speculating and saying such things on your own accord.

 Punk_Of_England

Phew~! This is getting kinda interesting. I’ll be watching over the course of events.

 ilovestones

Hum, please leave it as that. This is Iggy-san’s blog. Aren’t you being a bother to him?

 Archangel

I resent my actions.

 Shinghalion

I apologize.

 Punk_Of_England

I’m sorry.

 Mura_Shimo

Heya, Iggy-san! It’s your well-acquainted H.S. I came to see your blog! It’s a fun one with lots of comments. Considering that you said you didn’t advertise it to anyone, that’s amazing! Natural virtues maybe?

I wanna see you again and talk! Do lots of updates~! I’ll do my best at guitar practice too~!

 Punk_Of_England

The possibility of toleration has disappeared, huh. A-san, you okay? Are you going to be silent for the rest of your life?

 Archangel

I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, but I am hesitating as well. Remaining silent might be the safest.

 Archangel_Of_Archangel

Hello, nice to meet you, Iggy-san.

I read your entire blog. You seem to be having lots of fun. That is a relief. I have experience with working in a country a bit farther to the southeast than Sri Lanka, so seeing you live a fun daily life reminds me of my youth, which makes me both cry and laugh. This is a very good blog where your daily life comes to mind in vivid colors.

Also, the way that so many people are looking after Iggy-san in the comment section made the corners of my eyes feel hot. Speaking of which, do the people who leave comments on this blog really have no relation to Iggy-san and just watch over him through this blog?

>Archangel-san, can we talk again?

   Mail account

 Sender: richard@xxx.uk

Destination: n_yasuhiro@xxx.jp

Message: I shall contact you through the usual phone number.

 Sender: n_yasuhiro@xxx.jp

Destination: richard@xxx.uk

Message: I will be waiting for it. Thank you for always taking care of my son.

   Title: The comments decreased?

Hello, Iggy here. Ever since the last update, I feel that the people who always send comments to the blog have gone quiet somehow. Have I written anything weird? It is weird for me to make such a request, but if there is no problem in particular, please be as dynamic as always. I mostly spend my time by myself, so I get encouragement when I read from you.

The city has become lively with the preparations for Perahera. It seems there will be many plans for the summer again, but will I be able to see it live? Iggy out!

 Archangel

>Iggy-sama, hello. I shall write a long comment in due time.