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Meet the Writer - LunaOrlha

Luna-Orlha Bio: Author of stories for Harukanaru Toki no Naka De, Twelve Kingdoms, Fullmetal Alchemist, Doctor Who, Sherlock, James Bond, Captain America, Avengers, Naruto, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

AO3 ~ FF ~ Ko-fi

Meet the Writer

KSW: What was the first fanfic you read and loved?

LunaOrlha: I started way back before shippuden, where I was completely unsatisfied with how little screen time Neji and Tenten had. I was a kid back then and thought Neji was the coolest character ever (and quite possibly other dubious selections). “Behind the Killer’s Eyes” by Mechalich was my favourite then but after my decade long hiatus from the fandom, the fic that got me back into it really was “Of the River and the Sea” by Aleycat4eva.  Although, if we’re not talking about Naruto fandom, “Angelus Errare” by Kuti was my first fanfic and favourite, which is a Chrono Cross fic.

KSW: Choose one of your fics and tell us what you edited out of it.

LunaOrlha: This question… is quite difficult, because most of the time when I edit works, my edits are actually adding stuff into it. I tend to compress my writings I think… Which is why a lot of my writings are really short. *sweat* “Bones beneath her feet” which is about Kakashi and his sister, an OC, has a whole interlude chp edited out which features POVs from characters that weren’t the main characters. It didn’t fit the narration I wanted and my then-beta agreed with me, so off it went.

KSW: Is there anything being published right now that you are really into?

LunaOrlha: Oh god, yes. In no particular order… XD “Retrograde Motion” by Crunchysunrises (I love Crunchysunrises so much, it’s ridiculous) and “War happened” by bluepencils, “Samsaric” by JJGrace42. PLEASE I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.

KSW: Which of your fics is your favorite – or – which fic of yours would you prefer people choose to read first?

LunaOrlha:  I’d honestly say that “The Road of Hearts” is my favourite because I love the part when Sakura runs away and runs until she hits the ocean and screams. I feel it’s so visceral and kind of grabs you.

KSW: What’s the last thing you read that isn’t fandom-related?

LunaOrlha:  (Are we talking about secret indulgences like those porn books *COUGH*) I mean my totally above the board last read was “A thousand miles of wind, The sky at dawn” by Fuyumi Ono. Which is great and is like the 3rd book of the series. Also I read it at least 20 times.

Fanfics featuring Kakashi Hatake by LunaOrlha:

Early Summer Rain

Pairing: Gen, KakaSaku - Rated: M - Trigger Warnings: Bad childhood, child abuse, depression, mental health issues, Angst

Read on: AO3

Bones Beneath her Feet

Pairing: Gen, OCxKaka - Rated: T - Trigger Warnings: Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Read on: AO3

Ballad of the Future

Pairing: KakaSaku - Rated: T - Trigger Warnings: Referenced Suicide, depression, angst

Read on: AO3

A Great Life

Pairing: KakaSaku (slight) - Rated: T - Trigger Warnings: Angst

Read on: AO3

Well That Didn’t go as Planned

Pairing: KakaSaku - Rated: G - Trigger Warnings: None

Read on: AO3

La Naissance

Pairing: KakaSaku - Rated: T - Trigger Warnings: Angst, Character Death, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort

Read on: AO3

House of Secrets

Pairing: KakaSaku - Rated: T - Trigger Warnings: None

Read on: AO3

A Thousand Times Good Night

Pairing: KakaSaku - Rated: M - Trigger Warnings: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Depression

Read on: AO3

Memories

Pairing: KakaSaku - Rated: M - Trigger Warnings: Darkfic, Angst, Psyhological

Read on: AO3

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KakaSaku 4A please!

Here it is! Double version, double fun! 

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Euphemisms

Particularly….genital euphemisms.

What are your favorites? I want to make a master list of acceptable words that writers can use. Vagina and penis is boring if used over and over and in discord, a lot of fellow writers like myself ask for help with ways to describe both Male and female bits.

So I’m asking for your help, dear followers! Send me your favorites and your not so favorites. I’ll compile a list in the next couple of days for us all to share :)

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Genma appreciation post passing on your timeline

Mechanic Genma

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The Old Double Whammy, Part 3

Part 3 – The Old Three-Ring Circus Read on FF.net | Read on AO3

Excerpt:

Kakashi cocked his head to the side, as if debating whether to answer, and then finally admitted, “Before I started leading Team 7, I had a mission where I had to go undercover as a dance teacher. I used the Sharingan to copy a lot of different styles.”

Sakura perked up as she imagined Kakashi doing different kinds of dance styles. “Which ones? Can you do ballet?”

“Sure,” Kakashi answered easily, eyelids creasing in a smile above his mask.

“Really?” she asked excitedly, imagining pliés and leaps and tights. “Are you any good at it?”

“Sakura,” Kakashi began, leaning slightly toward her, the gleam in his eye belying his serious tone. “I’m good at everything.”

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Inspired by @moderndayportia fic Twelve Days of Kakasaku- Day 3: Hens

go read, is so good!!

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Loanwords 外来語

General term for all loanwords is 借用語「しゃくようご」 外来語「がいらいご」 is a term for words borrowed mostly from western countries (so loanwords from Chinese, Korean, Ainu, Okinawan languages, etc. usually aren’t included).「×」 Below is a list with some curious words borrowed from languages other than English.

Dutch オランダ語 🇳🇱 ランドセル​ Ransel, backpack ゴム Gom, gum, rubber​ メス Mes, scalpel, surgical knife ペンキ Pek, paint​ スコップ Schop, shovel, spade ピント Brandpunt, focus; focal point​ モルモット Marmot, guinea pig おてんば Ontembaar, tomboy

French フランス語 🇫🇷 ズボン Jupon, pants デッサン Dessin, rough sketch​ サブレ Sablé, shortbread クレープ Crêpe​ , pancake ピーマン Piment, bell pepper オブジェ Objet d’art, artwork, object サボる Sabotage, to be idle, to skip school

German ドイツ語 🇩🇪 アルバイト Arbeit, part-time job メッセ Messe, trade fair; exhibition center テーゼ These, thesis メルヘン Maerchen, fairy tale​ シュプール Spur, trace (e.g. from skis) ゲレンデ Gelände, ski slope​

Portuguese ポルトガル語 🇵🇹 パン Pão, bread, pastry タバコ Tabaco, tobacco, cigarettes ボタン Botão, button カルタ Carta​ , playing cards カッパ Capa, raincoat ジョウロ Jorro, watering can コンペイトー Confeito, small colorful sugar candies ブランコ Balanço, swing, trapeze​ シャボン玉 Sabao, soap bubble​s

Russian ロシア語 🇷🇺 ピロシキ Пирожки, piroshki, baked buns stuffed with various fillings イクラ Икра, salted salmon roe アジト Агитпункт, hideout, secret base カンパ Кампания, campaign, esp. fund raising ノルマ Норма, quota, assignment インテリ Интеллигенция, intellectual, intelligentsia​

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Moderately Interesting Japanese Ep. 1: Unusual Last Names

Above: awesome name stamps Japanese people use in lieu of a signature on documents. I really want the laser beam Buddha.

So, I’ve been living in Japan for almost five years now (!!! Where has the time gone?!) and I’ve been working full-time as a Japanese-English translator for a big corporate machine for two years counting. It’s pretty fun despite working for The Man, and I’ve picked up lots of quirky little Japanese expressions, words, and unusual surnames along the way. I thought I’d share some of them here from time to time with you. I’m kinda toying with the format still, so bear with me haha. 

I’m a big fan of Japanese names and the kanji they use for them. The more unusual, the more I love it! Here’s a collection of intriguing last names I’ve encountered during my stay here. 

又吉 Matayoshi, a.k.a. “Lucky Again” 

Apparently the mata (again) used to mean “crossroads,” and yoshi is a common character to put in a last name. It has its roots in Okinawa.

Number of people with this last name: ~9,800

剣持 Kenmochi, a.k.a. “Possesses a Sword”

SO COOL. This surname comes from a powerful noble family from current-day Okayama and Yamanashi Prefectures. 

Number of people with this last name: ~5,200

蘇武 Sobu, a.k.a. “Reborn Warrior” 

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more metal than “Possesses a Sword.” This name is just badass. It also originates from Miyagi Prefecture, but that’s all that I could find about its etymology. 

Number of people with this last name: ~1,000

大学 Daigaku, a.k.a. “University” 

This name probably was given to people who lived near a large school in Miyagi Prefecture back in the day. 

Number of people with this last name: ~680

一 Ninomae, a.k.a. “One” 

The kanji 一 means “one” and is usually pronounced ichi or hitotsu. So why is it read ni no mae here? Ni is “two,” and no mae is “before.” So in other words, this last name translates to “before two,” which would have to be the number one, and so it is written as 一. Do you have a headache from reading that? lol

Number of people with this last name: ~380

鷹橋 Takanohashi, a.k.a.  “Hawk Bridge”

It’s a pretty interesting surname for a couple reasons. Firstly, there is a very common surname Takahashi that is usually written 高橋, which translates to “tall bridge,” so the hawk kanji is really out of left field for Japanese people. This surname is also unusual because it has its roots in Hokkaido, which was the last prefecture to be settled and doesn’t have much history compared to the main Japanese islands. Though it is written with the kanji for “bridge,” the meaning of hashi is actually “one who travels to distant lands,” which would have been fitting for a settler. 

Number of people with this last name: ~240

猫屋敷 Nekoyashiki, a.k.a. “Cat Mansion”

Well, imagine “mansion” as an estate that a wealthy lord would have lived on back in the day with servants and stuff. So does this mean that this person’s ancestors were rich cat ladies? Not necessarily. There is an expression “as narrow as a cat’s forehead” to indicate a cramped/small space, and the neko (cat) of Nekoyashiki implies that this person’s manor and grounds were small. 

Number of people with this last name: ~20

八丁目 Hacchoume, a.k.a. “Eighth Avenue” (about 20 people)

If you haven’t already noticed from this list, many Japanese last names denote geographical features of where their ancestors lived. Any last name with yama (mountain) or ta/da (rice paddy) is denoting geography, for example. However, it’s highly unusual for a last name to be a street like this. This last name has its roots in Fukushima.

Number of people with this last name: ~20 

Sources: 

Header images from left to right Laser Buddha: 邪悪なハンコ屋しにものぐるい Kanpai Kat: picstamp.net Wily fox: 工房HANZOU

Information on each surname: myoji-yurai.net

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Moderately Interesting Japanese Ep. 2: Onomatopoeia for Animals

It’s been a little over ten years since I started studying Japanese, and there are still quite a few facets of it that I find challenging. One of those is onomatopoeia. Japanese uses it much more than English, so much so that onomatopoeia is split into five classifications: 

擬声語 Giseigo Sounds that humans and animals make like “eek!” and “meow”

擬音語 Giongo Sounds that things make like the “creak” of a door or “ring” of a phone

擬態語 Gitaigo “Sounds” that describe the physical appearance of something, like “sparkly” or “curvy”

擬容語 Giyougo “Sounds” that illustrate a person’s appearance like “gangly” or “loitering”

擬情語 Gijougo “Sounds” that illustrate a person’s emotional state like “irritated” or “excited.”

I know that 3-5 might not be making a lot of sense right now, but I’m planning to make a post for each, so stay tuned! Today I’m just going to cover giseigo and provide you a few examples of each. 

★  コケコッコー Kokekokkou The sound a rooster makes, “cock-a-doodle-doo.”

★ ケロケロ Kero-kero The sound a frog makes, “Ribbit”

★ ミーンミーン Miin-miin The sound cicadas make

★ ガオ Gao The sound a lion or tiger makes, “Roar”

★ モー Mou The sound a cow makes, “Moo”

★ ニャー Nyaa The sound a cat makes, “Meow” Cats are sometimes referred to as “nyanko” because of this.

★ ワン Wan The sound a dog makes, “Woof”  Dogs are sometimes referred to as “wanko” because of this.

I find it really fascinating how the way we interpret a sound can be different based on our mother tongue! That’s all for today, but stay turned for next time when I talk about giongo!

Sources: 

Gif: Kiki’s Delivery Service

Onomatopoeia:  https://pj.ninjal.ac.jp/archives/Onomatope/column/nihongo_1.html

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A New Era! Goodbye Heisei, hello Reiwa!

The name of the new era is officially announced! 令和 (Reiwa)

Today at about 11:30 a.m. JST the name of the next era was announced. Many Japanese people stopped what they were doing to be a part of this momentous occasion. But what does this mean? What exactly is an era? Let’s dive into it!

What is an era?

Japan has been using their own unique method of counting years based on the reign of the emperor since 645 AD, adapted from the Chinese method of dating using dynasties. This method is called 元号 (gengou). To date, there has been a total of 248 eras. An era begins when a new emperor ascends to the throne and ends with his death (or, in rarer cases, abdication). This time, the emperor is elderly, has health issues, and has asked to step down from the throne. This is the first abdication since 1817. 

Currently, it is April 1st on the 31st year of the Heisei Era. That can be written like this:

平成３１年４月１日 (Heisei 31nen, shigatsu tsuitachi)

“Heisei 31” can be abbreviated like this:

平31

H31

What’s more commonly used in Japan, gengou or the western system?

On official documents, it is standard to use gengou. Also, all money uses it to denote the year it was minted. However, nine out of ten Japanese people will tell you that the western system (西暦 seireki) is easier to understand. For this reason, people will often choose to use seireki when talking or in non-official paperwork. You will often commonly see both side-by-side, with one or the other in parentheses. 

What are the eras up until now?

Lol I’m not gonna list all 248. Sorry. However, all Japanese people know all the eras from Meiji to present, so I’ll talk about those. The Meiji Era was kicked off by the Bakumatsu, in which the centuries-long system of an all-powerful shogun and largely ceremonial emperor was overthrown, and Japan opened itself up to trade with the rest of the world for the first time in over 200 years. The start of the Meiji Era marks the start of modern Japan, the beginning of a more traditional monarchy (according to western standards), and the adoption of Western technology, education, etc. 

明治 Meiji 

25 Jan 1868 – 30 Jul 1912

大正 Taisho

30 Jul 1912 – 25 Dec 1926

昭和 Showa

25 Dec 1926 - 7 Jan 1989

平成 Heisei

8 Jan 1989 – 30 Apr 2019

令和 Reiwa

1 May 2019 - ?

How are era names chosen?

This is actually really interesting. In centuries past, government officials would determine the gengou within 1-2 years of the emperor’s enthronement. The names were chosen using auspicious kanji like 明 (bright), 永 (eternity), 寿 (longevity), 和 (peace, Japan), etc. There were few rules, except that an era name could not be used more than once.

Nowadays, when these dates are used by all Japanese people on a daily basis instead of just by the select elite, several criteria have been established.

The meaning of the kanji must reflect the image of Japan and the way Japan wants to move forward in history. (Nothing negative or unlucky)

The kanji must be easy to write and pronounce. (The 嘉 of 嘉永 [Kaei Era, 1848 - 1855] wouldn’t stand muster today because it’s ridiculous to write.)

It can only be two characters. (In the past, there were some eras with four kanji.)

The starting letter cannot be M, T, S, or H. (This is because the gengou is commonly shortened to “H31" to mean Heisei 31, or 2019. If the next era used the same consonant, we wouldn’t know which era was being referred to. 

It cannot be a word already in use. It cannot be used in a surname, company name, or place name of any kind.

A small group of select historians, literary experts, and political scientists (I think this time it was 8 or 10?) sequester themselves away for several long months while they decide the new gengou. The gengou is of the utmost secrecy up until it is announced, so they are completely cut off from the outside world. No phones, no television, no radio, no contact with family, no internet until it is announced. Why is it so secret? Because Japan likes to be spooky and mysterious, I guess. lol I’m honestly not sure, but it’s probably just because that’s how it’s always been done. 

Since the emperor’s abdication is scheduled for April 30th, the new gengou was announced one month in advance, today. Because many computer programs and official government/business forms have been pre-made with “Hesei” on them (sort of like how we may sometimes make templates that have 20__ written on them), you can imagine how busy this change will make company and government employees. They will be spending this month creating new templates or getting rubber stamps with the new era on it and stamping over the obsolete Heisei. Poor guys. 

So what does Reiwa mean?

Let’s take a look at each kanji.

令 rei

orders, ancient laws, command, decree

和 wa

harmony, Japanese style, peace, soften, Japan 

When I first saw it, I thought it was something like “decree of peace,” which sounded very…militaristic? I mean, can you command that there be peace? Haha. But then I looked further, and it appears that this is taken from a line of poetry in the Man’yoshu, which is the oldest anthology of Japanese poetry. 

Classical: 于時、初春令月、氣淑風和、梅披鏡前之粉、蘭薫珮後之香。

Modern: 時、初春の令月にして、氣淑く風和ぎ、梅は鏡前の粉を披き、蘭は珮後の香を薫す。

Summary: 人々が美しく心を寄せ合う中で文化が生まれ育つ

English Summary: Culture blooms and grows through the beautiful cooperation of the people.

Okay, so it’s not as dour as I thought it was at first haha. It’s actually pretty! 

What do you think about the new name? Is it fitting? Do you have any other questions about eras?

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Meet the Writer - RavenShira

@ravenshira Bio: A bit about me and myself! Gender: Female Residence: somewhere in Germany Age: A secret makes a woman woman Workplace: A lab. Fear me. I like to draw, take photos and listen to Music. My favorite movies are mostly action and adventure ones, or Fantasy. I’m a big fan of Marvel, Sherlock Holmes, as well as several Manga and Anime (though I’m too lazy to list them all :P). I also like series of Criminal Investigators like NCIS. Other than that I read a lot, mostly on the Internet on fanfiction.net or AO3.

AO3 ~ FF

Meet the Writer

KSW: How many unpublished fics and WIPs do you have?

RaveShira: Ahahaha. Ha. Don’t call me out like that. I post as I write, so I only have WIP right now. If I finish a chapter, it gets uploaded quickly usually. I’m impatient. Naruto WIP:  21 (of which 7 are currently running stories and the rest either in the idea stage or unfinished chapters of new stories) I have more WIP in other fandoms too, though. Sooo… yeah, I’m quite busy with what I have, not that Muse will take the hint and stop giving me new ideas. Total count of WIP would be something around 35? 

KSW: Choose one of your fics and tell us what you edited out of it.

RavenShira: Uff. Apart from mistakes? I rarely delete scenes. I might move them into my idea corner, or shove them to a later chapter or adapt them, but I very, very rarely delete or edit out entire scenes. I feel like everything has a use, so if it doesn’t fit in the place I originally wanted it to be, where might be a later scene where I can adapt the happenings to fit. I guess I accidentally wrote a scene twice in Misplaced Reality. Because I thought I had written it, forgot I put it in my idea-corner, wrote it again and then found the previous one. In the end I decided to meld the scenes together.

KSW: Are you into any other fandoms or pairings?

RavenShira: Oh yes. I’m very into Marvel, The Lord of the Rings / The Hobbit, My Hero Academia (since like… a few days ago actually) and, due to nostalgic reasons: Detective Conan. I don’t write for all of them though. ヾ(〃ﾟーﾟ〃)ノ That would be crazy.

KSW: If you could have fanart of one scene you’ve written, which one would you choose?

RavenShira: You would make me choose?! ∑(O_O；) Gasp! I can’t choose! Don’t make me choose! There are a lot. I guess… I would like a picture of Kakashi’s mindscape in “Lost on the road of life” I know, I know. Maybe a picture of a scene Kakashi is in would be better, but in my mind his mindscape is a beautiful place, like a battlefield of old that nature has partly taken back, with deep waters and crumbling ruins. “Usually his mindscape resembled a clear, nearly endless stretching pond of water. In peaceful times, it’s surface was almost as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the blue sky up above. Structures old and new perforated the water surface, most of them familiar one way or another. There were weapons sticking out, some covered in rust and moss, others still clear and sharp as the day they were made, making it look like a battlefield of old, when nobody had bothered with the clean-up and nature had taken it upon itself to hide the destruction wrought years ago. Some of the more decayed buildings were looking more like tombstones than the homes they had once been. There were trees around, some healthy, others looking like they had been struck by lightning, bare yet still standing tall. Leaves swimming gently over the water surface, little memories drifting by and swirling merrily in an invisible breeze. Despite the destruction, it was a peaceful view… most of the time. “ If it was about a scene in that story, I would probably say when he either saved Rin or knocked her out to take her place.

KSW: How long have you been writing fanfiction?

RavenShira: Since the 1st November 2014. It’s been going downhill since then ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Fanfics featuring Kakashi Hatake by RavenShira:

Lost on the Road of Life

Pairing: Gen - Rated: T - Trigger Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence

Read on: AO3

All Bets Off

Pairing: KakaSaku - Rated: M - Trigger Warnings: Teacher/student (former)

Read on: AO3

Waking Ghosts

Pairing: Gen - Rated: T - Trigger Warnings: PTSD, Sleep Deprivation and Symptoms caused by it, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Major Character Death, Hallucinations

Read on: AO3

Side-Effects of Rebirth

Pairing: Gen - Rated: G - Trigger Warnings: Temporary Character Death

Read on: AO3

Forced Retirement Issues

Pairing: Gen - Rated: Not Rated - Trigger Warnings: Coping with loss

Read on: AO3

Memorial

Pairing: Gen - Rated: Not Rated - Trigger Warnings: Character Death, Five Stages of Grief

Read on: AO3

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i am.. crying

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海と戯れているティーダが一番好き

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Keep the good work <3

A WIP sketch of my good friend’s ‘sona, Ibui :3

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Some feet practice :3

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Hand practice :3

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Ch. 6 Fire is now up! Get ready for the angst.

Ao3