quel charme ou quel poison en a tari la source

ilu heath ledger :(

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 19:58:33 GMT

I'm kind of here! And I just want to register my disappointment at the news that making out with Jake Gyllenhaal will apparently not make you immortal. :(

Hope all's well otherwise on the internet!

<3

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 23:09:37 GMT

I saw Juno last night. SPOILER ALERT!: I hate teenage girls. No, really, I HATE teenage girls. When I wasn't busy gagging on Juno's snappy, biting dialogue, I was resisting the urge to step several times on her face, but everyone else in the movie (JASON BATEMAN ♥) was shockingly lovely. This might be the monthly fluctuating hormones talking, but I think Jennifer Garner was trying EXTRA hard to make me cry. She is a pretty lady.

I also saw Alvin and the Chipmunks. Hahaha. To my credit, I had company in the form of 7 year old boys, and according to them, it was an Oscar-worthy masterpiece. One of them was literally sitting at the edge of his seat, gripping the seat in front of him. What do I know, anyway?

So this is my holiday post before I get on a plane for France! I'll maybe make time to stand in another creative spot in the apartment to catch enough WiFi for Tsubasa when it's out (I AM SO MISSING HOLIC), but if not, I hope everyone has a safe and warm and wonderful non-denominational holiday fun time! ♥

Hi!

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 04:21:02 GMT

If I sit in THIS EXACT SPOT AND DON'T MOVE, I pick up a wireless signal that lasts for about 30 seconds out of every minute. Which is 9 bajillion times better than 56k, in my opinion.

Started watching Veronica Mars to pick myself back up from the utter suck that was TV this season, excluding those 2 episodes of Grey's Anatomy with Gale Harold, which also sucked, but: Gale Harold. So far, so good, though! Kristin Bell's amazingly cute, and yum, atmosphere. :9

I'M GONNA READ REBORN. I'M GONNA. Shonen crap fluff subtext fun time, here I come!

ALSO: OH MY GOD, Stephen Colbert's ice cream is SO GOOD, HOLY CRAP.

Holic - 147

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 18:10:44 GMT

I just bought a ticket - I'm going to France over X-mas break! Yay!

xxxHOLiC - Chapter 147

01
HIMAWARI: "Kohane-chan's been on TV a lot, lately. Almost every single day. She's been way off, though."

HIMAWARI: "But she's still been on every day."

HIMAWARI: "She was on this show about finding ghosts, looking for some woman who went missing, but she couldn't find her...."

02
HIMAWARI: "The woman's mother got upset and started hitting Kohane-chan."

HIMAWARI: "But nobody working on the show tried to stop her."

HIMAWARI: "Kohane-chan didn't even cry, but...."

HIMAWARI: "But...."

03
KOHANE'S HOUSE: "FRAUD", "LIAR", "EVIL", etc.

WATANUKI: "Kohane-chan! Kohane-chan!!"

04
DOUMEKI: Didn't look like they'd moved, either, but it seems like it'd be better for them to stay away from that house, all things considered.

WATANUKI: ....But where is she? Kohane-chan..

DOUMEKI: She's been on TV, right? Every day?

DOUMEKI: Kunogi said she was on that ghost finding show, and that must've been a live broadcast. If you can find out what channel it was on, you should be able to track her down.

05
WATANUKI: That's....right.

WATANUKI: I've been so worried..that I'm not thinking straight.

WATANUKI: Y'know, you can come in pretty handy, sometimes.

DOUMEKI: ....You really did hit your head, didn't you? Must've been hard, too.

WATANUKI: (Hmph...) Are you trying to pick a fight?

WATANUKI: First I've got to find out what time the show was on.
DOUMEKI: ....I'm going with you.

06
DOUMEKI: Her mother'll be with her, right?

WATANUKI: ....Probably.

07
WATANUKI: If she starts a fight with me, who knows what she might do to Kohane-chan? Look after her.

DOUMEKI: What will you do?

WATANUKI: I'll run, this time.

08
WATANUKI: I won't do anything that'll upset someone for my sake. Not anymore.

09
KOHANE: "...It's delicious."

10
WATANUKI: ..I'll bring a bentou.

WATANUKI: Kohane-chan said she liked my tamago-yaki, last time.

DOUMEKI: She seemed to like everything else, too.

WATANUKI: ....Yeah.

11
WATANUKI: /Kohane-chan./

Oh my goodness, what a boring chapter to come back to. Nice to see Watanuki being sane, though, and Doumeki is very cute when he eats. *hungry*

I usually don't watch the commentary on NBC.com when the people involved are, like, the music ladies. But for "Powerless", how could I NOT at least flip through? Anyway, MY GOD, Petrelli reunion hug?
Wendy Melvoin: "Wow. They always look like they're gonna kiss each other."
Allan Arkush: "Yeah... Well, they did in the..earlier cut."
Wendy: "Yeah. Oh."
Lisa Coleman: "They love each other."
Wendy: "They do love- Oh!"
Arkush: "Yeah. A brotherly thing. But, uh... *subject change*"
WHERE IS MY KISS?

Spoilers...

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 03:14:23 GMT

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

Nathan can't, like, actually be dead? Right? Because Peter can just, like...bleed into his open wounds or some shit? This has been the stupidest season of anything I've ever watched in my life, my goodness.

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:00:29 GMT

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrated it! To those who didn't, happy last Thursday that you probably didn't spend gaining 18 million pounds, like me. :D

Unfortunately, Thanksgiving = 56k connection and "family time", which is why the long absence. If I could've handled being on the internet for more than two minutes without wanting to rip my phone line out of the wall in frustration, I would've made a note of it.

Anyway, have a French paper due tomorrow, so once that's cleared out, we'll return to your regularly scheduled translating/inane commenting/mooching off of other people schedule. ♥

Yes, I watch Dancing w/the Stars!

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:04:45 GMT

DAMN YOU, MARIE OSMOND! D:

Tsubasa - 173

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:34:39 GMT

00
"Pieces of the dream begin to scatter, never even knowing if the dream will come to an end, someday."

Chapter 173 - A Wish That Can't Be Undone

01/02
---

03
TOMOYO: No. That's not quite it. Rather, he wishes for this because reason is falling away.

TOMOYO: Fei Wong Reed's wish.

TOMOYO: Yes.

TOMOYO: It's something that countless others have also wished for.

04
TOMOYO: But this is one bit of reason that I'm afraid nobody can undo.

FAY: ....It's the same as my wish, isn't it?

05
FAY: He wants to bring someone back from the dead.

06
---

07
EVERYONE: ?!

08
MOKONA: Sakura's feather!!

SEISHIROU: My. That was a pretty close call.

09
SYAORAN: Give it back!

10
SYAORAN & TOMOYO: !!

11-15
---

16
FAY: Syaoran-kun!

17
SYAORAN: I'll come back! I'll come back with Princess Sakura!

18
---

19
FAY: With Sakura-chan....?

KUROGANE: Where'd the kid go!?
TOMOYO: He's been drawn inside of the dream.

20
FAY: ....I get it. That feather was able to turn Outo from virtual reality into actual reality.

FAY: It must've turned this sacred tree into an entrance to the dream.

KUROGANE: He wants to bring the princess' soul back?

21
TAG: "A nightmare in the world of dreams? Who's approaching the princess? Does that hand belong to evil, or someone else!?"
---------
Whaaaaaaat? Where's Seishirou! *whine* D:

At any rate, thought the layout here was very cinematic at times, really nicely done. Except for the fact that I can't tell what the hell just happened. At all. Nice black octopus of dream-suckage, but did Seishirou just go invisible, or is he in there, too? Those are the most incoherent swirly black lines I've ever seen in my life.

Also: Crazy Beard wants to make a zombie Clow? Is the point of the manga? *headache*

Outside of that, I discovered just the other day that Le Petit Prince, one of my top two all time favorite books, was actually written on Long Island, where I'm from. Which is SUPER swell, because my other favorite is Catch-22 and guess where Joseph Heller was from? Go, Long Island, go!

Anyway, this has put me in a very literary mood - rec me your favorite book(s)? ♥

Holic - 145

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 18:44:15 GMT

Holic is TODAY!? Eeeeee!

01
TAG: "The illusion grows deeper, and the mystery thickens. Where will Watanuki's future lead him!?"

02
"What you've experienced will make you stronger...."

"He wants to grant Yuuko's wish. That's what Watanuki was wishing for!!"

Chapter 145

03
"Will his heart become stronger than destiny itself!?
Will his heart be able to change his dreams into reality!?"

04
---

05
WATANUKI: ....Good morning.

YUUKO: ....Good morning.

06
WATANUKI: Okay. Time to make breakfast.
MOKONA: Fukyu~!

WATANUKI: Oops, sorry!
MOKONA: Watanuki! You're so mean! I can't believe I wanted to sleep with you!

WATANUKI: Here. I'll make whatever you want for breakfast to make up for it.
MOKONA: Mmm, banana pancakes!
WATANUKI: I'm on it.

WATANUKI: What do you want to eat, Yuuko-san?

YUUKO: Beer~ ♥

07
WATANUKI: That's not breakfast! That's not even food!! (Come on!)
YUUKO: (Ahahaha!)

WATANUKI: No alcohol this early in the morning! Absolutely not!
MOKONA: Whaaat? How come?

WATANUKI: /I know this is a dream, but it's just like another day to me. An important day. They all are./

WATANUKI: /Yuuko-san said that if I wish for it hard enough, this'll all become real. ....And I trust her./

08
---

09
WATANUKI: ....I've got a shadow and everything.

DOUMEKI: I'd hope so.

WATANUKI: ....I just mean that I'm human, is all I'm saying. (Hmph.)
DOUMEKI: Huh?

DOUMEKI: "....Go home right now. Go home and go straight to bed."

10
WATANUKI: You're not gonna force me to go back home today, too? ....Or is today not connected to that day?
DOUMEKI: (?) What're you, still half-asleep?

WATANUKI: ....Even if I am, I'm going to do things my way from now on.

WATANUKI: (Besides, you're the one who always looks spaced out, not me!)

DOUMEKI: 'S this lunch?

WATANUKI: Doumeki.
DOUMEKI: What?

11
WATANUKI: Is the food that I make good?

DOUMEKI: Yeah.

12
WATANUKI: Really? Good. That's fine, then.

DOUMEKI: ....Maybe you should go back home.
WATANUKI: Excuse me?

DOUMEKI: If you're not half-asleep, you must've hit your head or something. Hard. (*sigh*)
WATANUKI: (Gah!) Do you ALWAYS have to be so rude!?!?!
HIMAWARI: Getting along well this morning, too?

13
TANPOPO: Pi!
WATANUKI: Himawari-chan!

HIMAWARI: Are you feeling alright, Watanuki-kun?

WATANUKI: Huh? What? Why do you ask?

HIMAWARI: It's just that you're not freaking out. (And when I say that the two of you are getting along, you usually say, "NO WE'RE NOT!" and get a little...)
KITTY WATANUKI: *MEOW MEOW MEOW!*

WATANUKI: Actually.

14
WATANUKI: I realized that just because I usually see you here like this doesn't make it a sure thing. I just.... I don't want to take anything for granted anymore.

WATANUKI: Which is why I'm so happy to see you this morning.

HIMAWARI: ....Watanuki-kun.

15
HIMAWARI: Me too.

WATANUKI: I made crab cream croquettes for lunch today. (Tada!)
HIMAWARI: Ooh, I love cream croquettes! *clap, clap, clap*

DOUMEKI: What about my ebi fry?*

WATANUKI: IT'S IN THERE TOO!
HIMAWARI: Yup! They're definitely getting along well today.
WATANUKI: (But just because I made it doesn't mean you have the right to act like I'm always supposed to make it! Who do you think you are, you bastard!?)

16
DOUMEKI: There's an extra in here.

WATANUKI: Hands off! (Geeze! I can't turn my back on you for a second!)

WATANUKI: That's for Kohane-chan.

17
---

18
TAG: "All of a sudden, Sakura appears!! What destiny will this hand, piercing through the darkness, bring to Watanuki and his friends!?"

--------
NOTES:
*Deep fried shrimp.
--------

Holy crap, I love Holic. I love the art, I love the...the story, I love everything. I love Watanuki's resolution, and I would kill to know how Himawari and Doumeki exist when Watanuki isn't dreaming. I love that face on page 16. OH HOLIC. ♥

EDIT: H... How many pillows does Watanuki need, what the hell?

Also: Happy Meme tagged by chibiyuuto. ♥
Rules:

The rules are easy, just post 10 things that recently made you happy! Then tag 10 people and force them to post this meme on their LJs. Because it is good. Everyone needs a little happiness once in a while.

01. This chapter of Holic, finally (and page 11 in particular)!
02. Snow~
03. Having my tickets to go home for Thanksgiving.
04. Heroes will probably not suck tomorrow!
05. Having spent a work-free week (if only it were class-free, too).
06. The hot cup of tea I'm about to make myself.
07. The fact that I actually like my French lit classes again.
08. Watching the movie Sky High last night (SHH I AM A SUCKER).
09. November ~~almost~~ justifies my listening to Christmas music (SHHHHHH).
10. Probably *crosses fingers* going to France over winter break!

I tag everyone who's happy. :D

:D

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 02:43:47 GMT

Snow! ...Well. Almost! Hail! :D

Tokyo Babylon - Subaru Interview - CLAMP News 7

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 20:56:34 GMT

jjblue1 is the best ever, and sent me scans of a CLAMP News "interview" with the top ranked character that issue - Subaru! Eeee! ♥♥♥

First place! An interview with Sumeragi Subaru-kun!
CLAMP Newspaper's Character Top Ten

INTERVIEWER ("I"): First of all, congratulations on winning first place in "CLAMP Newspaper's Character Top Ten"!
SUBARU: T-Thank you very much.
I: How did you feel when you found out that you'd won?
SUBARU: U-Um... W-Well, I was. Um, I was happy.
I: Anything else?
SUBARU: A-Acutally, I, um... I wasn't sure if I should really accept it or not.
I: Humble as ever! Winning the illustrious number one spot meant that you were offered the opportunity to be on the front cover of this issue of CLAMP Newspaper. What was it like to take that picture?
SUBARU: The bouquet that they gave me to hold was really heavy.
I: We've got a question about your outfits. Do you pick out your own clothes?
SUBARU: No, that's all Hokuto-chan.
I: You don't buy your own clothing?
SUBARU: Hokuto-chan takes care of all of that.
I: Well then! We hope you won't mind answering a few more personal questions now. What's your favorite food?
SUBARU: There's nothing in particular that I really love or hate. Oh, but everything that Hokuto-chan makes is always really good.
I: Your favorite color?
SUBARU: Again, I don't really have a favorite...
I: What do you like to do on your days off?
SUBARU: Actually, I like to read, when I have the chance.
I: And how is school?
SUBARU: Good. I try to go as often as possible, but I work a lot, so I'm absent pretty often.
I: Which school do you attend?
SUBARU: I go to CLAMP Campus Academy High School, with Hokuto-chan.
I: What's your best subject?
SUBARU: Oh, I, I don't really have one...
I: Any special talents?
SUBARU: Er, no, nothing I'd really consider a special talent, either...
I: There's nothing that makes you think, "Wow, I'm proud of how well I can do this."?
SUBARU: What? No...! Of course not.
I: .......You really are very modest, aren't you?
SUBARU: Me? N-No, not especially. I mean...
I: Alright, we're down to our last question. Once and for all, can you explain to us what exactly your relationship is with Sakurazuka Seishirou-san?!
SUBARU: Um, well. We're neighbors...
I: There you have it, ladies and gentlemen! "CLAMP Newspaper's Character Top Ten" first place winner, Sumeragi Subaru-kun, has no talents that he's especially proud of, is very humble, doesn't really have any likes or dislikes, and is kind of an airhead!

Um, Subaru is pretty much the cutest thing ever? D: ~~Scans to come!~~

EDIT: Scans at MF and SS. Page 1's the interview, and 0's a picture of Subaru with the bouquet that he mentions. Not translating page 1, since it's just fan comments about how adorable the kid is (and we can all supply that sort of thing ourselves).

Tsubasa - 172

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 17:11:30 GMT

I love Seishirou to pieces, but it is lunch time. Tell me if you find glaring errors!

00
"Even if we're very far apart, it just means that we understand each other better. Because neither one of us will change."

Chapter 172 - Reason Begins to Fall Apart

01
MOKONA: Is it over?

FUUMA: No.

KUROGANE: ......

02
SEISHIROU: ....You know everything that I've taught Syaoran-kun then, don't you?

FUUMA: Looks like nii-san's finally getting serious.
MOKONA: And what happens if Seishirou gets serious?

03
FUUMA: Things start to get a little scary.

SYAORAN: !

04-06
---

07
MOKONA: SYAORAN!!

08
AMATERASU, KUROGANE, SOUMA, MOKONA: !!

TOMOYO: Those of us who can see the future are very limited. All we can do is read what lies ahead.

TOMOYO: And so we spend our time hoping that the people we love will be able to walk down happier paths.

TOMOYO: Even though we can do so little to help them.

09
TOMOYO: Just like your king.

FAY: ....You knew Ashura-ou?

TOMOYO: All dreams are connected. If a dreamseer is dreaming, reading the future, he can sense the presence of others with his gift.

10
FAY: His majesty knew what was going to happen, then?
TOMOYO: *nod*

TOMOYO: He saw what was to come, and he sought long and hard for a way to help you. Even as he himself was falling to pieces.

11
TOMOYO: But it's a very difficult thing to change the future. The slightest word. Action. Emotion. Each of these can drastically change the path before us.

TOMOYO: Like ripples on a pool of water.

12
TOMOYO: Which explains Princess Sakura's behavior.

TOMOYO: She was likely aware of this as well, and so she chose not to tell any of you what she knew.

FAY: ......

FAY: ....There were so many things that the king did. So many things. It's so hard to imagine that they each had a reason.

TOMOYO: Yes. That's because....

13
TOMOYO: Reason itself has begun to fall apart. And all for the sake of Fei Wong Reed's dream.

14
MOKONA: Syaoran! Syaoran!!

FUUMA: Careful!
MOKONA: But! But! Syaoran, he's-!

15
SEISHIROU: Well, then. I'll be on my way.

16
SYAORAN: ...Wait.

17
SYAORAN: This isn't..over yet.

SEISHIROU: Apparently not.

18
SEISHIROU: You really are identical.

SYAORAN: I'm going to get that feather back.... No matter what.

19
SYAORAN: RAITEI!

20
SYAORAN: SHOURAI!!!

Tokyo Babylon - Shoten 6

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 19:33:23 GMT

Okay, anyone who knows me knows that I am the least punctual person on the planet. I am so, so, so terrible at making deadlines of any sort, and I procrastinate like it's my job. Remember when it took me like 2 years to translate Soel and Larg? Right. Yeah.

So when jjblue1 sent me scans from Shoten 6 of a Tokyo Babylon short story, I went "LKSFJLSKJSL!" because Tobabi is hands down my favorite manga ever ever ever. And I went to translate it. And here we are, maybe 3 months later, and I'm finally going to post it. Honestly, it's a miracle any CnL release ever gets out on time.

Behind the cut, then, I have a few preliminary notes and the translation. The scans (thank you, thank you, thank you, jjblue1 for finding/sharing, you are wonderful! ♥♥♥♥♥) were mostly words, but included a few pictures, so you can head over to MU, MF, or SS to snag them.

So I finished this translation ages ago, meant to post it maybe 3 weekends back, and realized that, oops, copious notes really needed to be made to the darn thing. Anyway, anything with a [#] stuck to the end of it has a matching note following the translation.

Another thing I want to address really quickly: I would've loved to use the past tense here! Believe it or not, I don't actually aspire to sound like I'm writing a crappy role-playing session. Unfortunately, while the action could have been written in the past, except the narration could really only be done in the present, and switching back and forth between the two sounded awful. Sorry about that.

Lastly, I formatted the text to make grammatical sense in English, in terms of paragraphs and stuff. I did not hit enter every time the original text broke onto a new line. We would have all gone crazy if I did, trust me.

Anyway, that's it! Enjoy, and make sure to thank jjblue1 for being unendingly patient (or at least for not yelling at me, when she definitely had cause to) and amazingly generous for tracking down such rare stuff for us! :D

***********************

BABYLON

Ancient capital of Mesopotamia.
In the 18th century B.C., Hamurabi, ruler of the kingdom of Babylonia, claimed it as such, and the city prospered, as a thriving political and cultural center. In time, however, the people of the city began to grow proud of this prosperity, and challenged God's authority, building a tower called "Babel" that would reach up to Heaven. Unable to forgive this indiscretion, God struck the tower down, and with it, destroyed the common language of the people.

People are now doomed to repeat themselves constantly, a mark of their foolish act against God.

Woe to Babylon,
City that suffered the wrath of God.

"He seemed pretty cool, didn't he?" Hokuto muses, sipping happily on Subaru's iced cafe au lait.

Subaru isn't quite sure what Hokuto's talking about. He tilts his head. "Who?"

"Sei-chan."

"Oh. Seishirou-san."

Hokuto's already started calling Seishirou "Sei-chan". It took her all of three hours after first meeting him, but then, she's a little more...friendly than most. [1]

This is Heinesen [2], in Shinjuku's Kabukichou. [3] Not exactly the first neighborhood you'd recommend to anyone as a nice place to live, but it's still got its fair share of quality apartment complexes. All of them with very good security systems, of course.

And our hero is Subaru Sumeragi. He's 163 cm tall [4], 16 years old, and he's just been accepted into his first year at CLAMP Campus Academy's high school. He has one sibling: a twin sister, Hokuto Sumeragi, who's currently lounging on the sofa across from him, with a smile.

Like some of you might already know (after reading Shoten 5), Subaru-kun goes to school and "works" at the same time. He's an onmyouji. Lately, his profession has gotten lots of attention from newspapers and magazines, and a lot of people have heard about what onmyouji do. They're well-versed in astronomy and study the calendar very closely, in order to perform fortune tellings, and other special spiritual rituals.

In fact, people like Subaru-kun have started to show up everywhere in popular media, lately. [5] It seems like everybody has read "Kujaku-ou" [6] or seen "Teito Monogatari" [7], and they've noticed these characters who have incredible power. Abilities beyond what any normal human being can do.

Sumeragi Subaru-kun is one of these onmyouji. As a matter of fact, they're growing increasingly rare in our day. So much so that, if he let it, publicity would completely overwhelm his life.

Sumeragi Subaru-kun is an onmyouji. He's adorable, still just a high school student, and he might not seem like the sharpest kid his age, but when it comes to onmyoujutsu [8], he's at the very top of his game.The 13th head of the Sumeragi family. It's a position that claims quite a bit of respect. But with that respect also comes its fair share of difficulties.

Subaru-kun keeps a smile on his face, but in a profession this uncommon, it's easy to feel spread thin. His line of work can be tough. And it is work for him; he gets paid for what he does, and because of that, he feels like he can't take on any case half-way. He has to go all out, every single time. Subaru-kun has come up against some pretty unpleasant situations, but he does his best to try not to let sort of thing affect him too much.

Which is easier said than done. Sometimes, he can get a little depressed, but we'll leave that for another time.

For now, something else entirely is bothering Subaru-kun. Something that has nothing to do with his job...or so he's trying to tell himself. Still, he can't help but wonder if...

"Hey, Subaru!"

If...

"Earth to Subaru! Hello~ooo? Subaru!!!"

Subaru looks up suddenly, to find Hokuto hovering over him.

"You were thinking again, weren't you? You're always doing that! Getting lost in thought, and shutting yourself off from the rest of the world... And I'd bet money you were just depressing yourself over it, too, whatever it was. Would you cut it out already?"

She looks down at him, and... Er, well. Subaru had thought she'd been hovering over him, but it turns out she's just sitting on his lap. "Here. Phone's for you." He hadn't even heard it ring.

Subaru thinks she might be right; he really doesn't pay enough attention to what's going on around him, and it could get him into trouble, one of these days. What if someone came into his room uninvited, and he didn't notice? Although he can't really imagine that anyone would want to. A thief, maybe? But it's not like that sort of thing happened very often, anyway, and...-

"The phone, I said! Geeze! You're totally impossible!"

Oops! There he goes again. He's really got to break that habit...

"Who is it?"

"Loverboy."

"L-Loverboy-san? Who's that?"

"You have got to be kidding me."

Subaru takes the receiver from Hokuto. "H-Hello? This is Sumeragi."

"Hello, there! This is Sakurazuka."

"Oh! Seishirou-san!"

Hokuto jumps up, spins around, and starts hopping in place excitedly. Energetic would be an understatement. Have you ever in your life seen twins with two more opposite personalities?

"I'm sorry that I kept you so long today."

"N-No, it's fine! I had fun."

"Well, there's something I forgot to give you when I dropped you off at your apartment."

"Huh?"

"Do you think you might be able to stop by the hospital on your way home from school tomorrow?"

"S-Sure..."

"Great. Be careful tonight. I know it's been really hot out, lately, but make sure you don't catch a cold from running the air conditioner, okay? [9] Have a good night."

"O-Oh, um! Okay! G-good night!"

Subaru sits blinking at the cordless in his hand. "So!? What did he say!? Tell me everything!"

"Um... He said there's...um, something he wants to give me..."

"Presents! Starting in with the fancy gifts already, in order to win over your affections! Ooh, he's good, he's very good!"

"I-I really don't think he's trying to 'win over my affections'..."

"But what on earth could Sei-chan be thinking!? He knows you're head of the Sumeragi family, and he's the Sakurazukamori!"

The Sakurazukamori is part of the Sakurazuka family, another famous omyouji clan, like the Sumeragi. Except...the history of the Sakurazuka family is a little less prestigious, and the Sakurazukamori doesn't exactly make his services known to the public. Supposedly, though, the Sakurazukamori considers himself above ordinary moral restrictions, and buries all of his victims in a grave called the "sakurazuka". [10] Basically, the Sakurazukamori acts as the Sakurazuka family assassin.

"We don't know that for sure! The Sakurazuka family is so mysterious that even other onmyouji can't tell the truth from legend, anymore. These days, anyone could be the Sakurazukamori. Just because Seishirou-san's last name is 'Sakurazuka' doesn't necessarily mean anything..."

"Well, we know that the current Sakurazukamori is a man! Obaa-chama told us so!" [11]

"But that doesn't mean that it's Seishirou-san!"

"He didn't exactly deny it, did he?"

"He didn't say yes, either!"

"Oh, come on, Subaru! What's wrong with you? It'd be so much more interesting if you were head of the Sumeragi and he was the Sakurazukamori!"

"...You're crazy..."

"You dummy! Don't you realize what you're doing here? Every single day, I turn on the TV, and what do I see? Perestroika, Kuwait, Iran, environmental pollution, water shortages... [12] But you know what? That's all fine, so long as girls like me can still have our fun! But will boys like you let us!? No! Instead, you have to go and ruin everything!"

"...If all girls think like you, then I'm a little scared..."

"Sorry to make you come out here like this." Seishirou bows low to Subaru from just inside the hospital. Subaru bows back. "But I had some business to attend to in Ikebukuro [13] today, so I stopped in at this little restaurant called Melos [14], and brought us back some tiramisu. Huh? Where's Hokuto-chan?"

"Oh, um, she said that Marui [15] was having a bargain sale today..."

"Aha. I understand. That definitely takes priority," Seishirou nods vigorously. "Well, let's not stand out here all day. Come on in and tell me how school was. Are you getting used to it?"

Subaru follows Seishirou into his examination room, where Seishirou sets out the tiramisu and some tea. "Yeah. There are so many new faces, but... But it's a lot of fun."

"Mmm. CLAMP Campus is a good school. Even if they do get a little carried away, from time to time."

"Where did you go to school, Seishirou-san?"

"Would you like some more tea?"

Seishirou changes the topic so smoothly that Subaru figures he must not have heard the question. "S-Sure. Thank you."

"Actually, I got this tea from Krishna-san. He went home to India to get married, and brought some back to Japan with him. He must have felt very nostalgic, visiting home for the first time in so long." [16]

"Have you lived in Tokyo your whole life, Seishirou-san? Or are you..."

"What wonderful weather we're having today, hmm?"

And then it dawns on Subaru: apparently, Seishirou doesn't want to answer his questions.

"So what did you learn about today at school?"

"Um. Well, actually, the evil Imonoyama Shopping District Secret Association showed up right in the middle of class, and then the CLAMP Campus Defenders Duklyon came in to chase after them, and things got a little crazy, and that was sort of the end of the lesson, right there." [17]

"Ahahahaha! As interesting as ever, then!" Seishirou laughs, long and hard, and Subaru starts to wonder if he really might be the Sakurazukamori, like Hokuto had said. After all, he seems to be avoiding Subaru's questions about his past...

For the briefest instant, Subaru feels his heart ache.

"What's the matter? Is the cake no good?"

"Huh!? Oh! No! I-It's delicious!"

"You looked so sad for a second there. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine! It's nothing, really! Honest!"

"Hmm. Alright, then. Although I have to admit, it's a little suspicious of you to deny it so strongly." Seishirou laughs again, and reaches to refill Subaru's cup. "Oh, that reminds me! How about we get to what I called you over for, hm?"

"O-Okay!"

Still smiling, Seishirou reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box, covered in red velvet.

"What's that?"

"Open it up and see for yourself."

Subaru flips the box open...and freezes. "Th-This is--!"

"A ring. The size should be fine, hopefully. I've got a knack for things like that."

"Wh-Who are you going to give it to?"

"Ahahahaha! Why, you, of course, Subaru-kun!"

"W-Wha-! You-! H-! Hold on!"

"Don't worry, I don't mean to tie you down with this. It's just that it seems like so many people have been getting married lately, doesn't it? Even at Iserlohn and Heinesen [18], I feel like I know at least 10 couples who've decided to tie the knot."

"Y-Yeah, I've been invited to a few of them too, but..."

"Veterinary hospitals might be hospitals, but they're still businesses! I started worrying that, one day, I might not be able to afford a ring anymore. So I went out and bought this for you yesterday, while I know for certain that I've got the money to."

"But I can't accept this! It's so expensive!"

"You won't take it because it's expensive, or because you don't want to?"

"What?"

"Because it really wasn't expensive it all, Subaru-kun. You believe me, don't you?"

"Well, I do...-"

"Then you'll take it!"

"Seishirou-san!"

"I promise I'll do everything I can to give you the wedding you deserve. And I'll be a devoted husband, day in and day out! You'll look after me, won't you, Subaru-kun?"

Looks like Subaru-kun doesn't have much of a say this time around! Don't worry, Subaru-kun! We're sure he'll make an honest bride out of you, soon! *laugh*

***********************

[1] A cursory note I'd rather ignore, but obviously, "chan" indicates a certain closeness that most people don't really feel they've achieved in 3 hours.
[2] Heinesen is a tricky one. It's a German name, but I found out that it was also used as a location in an '80s manga called Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu (in English, Legend of the Galactic Heroes), which is where CLAMP probably lifted it from. I think they mean it here to serve as the fictional building/complex that Subaru and Hokuto are living in.
[3] Like the text tells us, Kabukichou in Tokyo's Shinjuku district is...lively. It's well-known for being active at night, with its fair share of restaurants, love hotels, bars, etc. It wouldn't exactly be my first choice if I were looking for a place to live, either, but in with some of the seedier stuff are some really classy clubs and restaurants.
[4] 5'4", for those of you as metrically challenged as I am.
[5] Actually, Japan really did see a sort of pop-occult boom in the '90s. 1999 was coming up, for one, and young people especially started to really get into stuff like that. Think of the fortune telling and matchmaking and apocalypse fear that we see in Tokyo Babylon.
[6] Late '80s/early '90s manga (translates to Peacock King), with gods and demons and magic spells, and exorcisms, and all that sort of thing.
[7] '70s novel turned into late '80s/early '90s live action film and anime (translated as Doomed Megalopolis in the US). The main villain is an onmyouji.
[8] Onmyoujutsu is onmyouji magic, or "yin-yang magic".
[9] Okay. Korea is notorious for this sort of thing, and I met a girl from Brazil who believed it. I don't think I've come across any Americans who really believe this, but I could be wrong. Anyway, the idea is that an AC or fan, especially if left on overnight in a room that you're sleeping in, can make you sick. I... I mean, maybe if you set your AC to record low temperatures? I only make a note here since reading that line in English out of nowhere like that would probably make me think Seishirou's even stranger than I'd imagined.
[10] Literally, "cherry blossom grave".
[11] "Grandma", but I don't feel comfortable translating it as such, since the "chama" is distinctive. Think "chan" + "sama". Subaru simply uses "obaa-chan". And everyone in English has their own cute grandmother diminutive, anyway.
[12] As in depressing early '90s news. Perestroika refers to Gorbachev's doomed economic reforms, then we've got the Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm, the hole in the ozone layer, etc.
[13] Big, busy commercial district in Tokyo. Sunshine 60's there. Lots of department stores and activity.
[14] "Melos" might be the name of a real restaurant somewhere, but probably not in this case. If anything, I'd say CLAMP's throwing a quick nod to Hashire Melos! (Run, Melos!), an '80s anime movie, remade in the early '90s.
[15] Marui's a big, famous department store, well-known for women's fashion. The logo for the store reads "OIOI", but it's pronounced "marui"..."maru" for "zero" and "i" for "one".
[16] Seishirou's referring to Krishna, the CLAMP character who appears in some of their earlier stuff. He works at CLAMP Campus as a teacher (Takeshi and Kentarou's, in CLAMP Campus Defenders Duklyon, and his lover is Shiva, Utako's teacher in 20 Mensou ni Onegai (thank you jjblue1 and von_questenberg!).
[17] See CLAMP Campus Defenders Duklyon, if you haven't checked it out already. That's more or less the plot of every single chapter.
[18] Iserlohn seems to be another German name/location in Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu. See note #2. Here, it's an apartment building near Seishirou's office that Krishna lives in, along with 2 of the characters from Combination (thanks again, jjblue1 ^^).

Tsubasa - 171

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:04:06 GMT

00
"A past, glimpsed only by the sakura, floating at the water's surface, pointing out a single path."

Chapter 171 - A Beautiful Battlefield

01
TAG: "Syaoran's put himself and the feather on the line. But does he stand a chance!?"

AMATERASU: Wait.

02
AMATERASU: Shirasagi Castle will be destroyed, if you fight here. [1]

AMATERASU: If you insist on fighting, at least do so inside of a kekkai.

FAY: ......

03/04
---

05
SEISHIROU: A separate spatial plane.
Now that I think about it, the name does sound quite fitting. "Kekkai". [2]

SEISHIROU: With this, we can make as much of a mess as we want, and none of the damage will carry over to the spatial reality.

06
SEISHIROU: But if you're hurt here, that will carry over.

SEISHIROU: Shall we begin, then?

07
AMATERASU: I seem to remember having to shut you up in a kekkai more than once when you were misbehaving, Kurogane.
KUROGANE: (Pfft!) I don't like to waste my breath remembering crap like that.

KUROGANE: Where'd those other two go?

AMATERASU: She's the one who put up the kekkai. There's no sense in her getting involved in the fight.

08
TOMOYO: Kurogane, onee-sama and the others will make sure nothing goes wrong.

TOMOYO: After all, there's something you need to talk to me about, isn't there?

09
---

10
SYAORAN: !

AMATERASU: You're not going to help him?

11
KUROGANE: This is his fight. If he's not asking for help, I'm not giving him any.

AMATERASU: Yes, I'd say you've definitely improved.

12
AMATERASU: I wonder if it's something to do with Tsukuyomi. [3]

FAY: You're a dreamseer, aren't you? You see the future in your dreams?

FAY: It's strange, but ever since we came to Japan....

FAY: Ever since I met you....

13
TOMOYO: "It's alright."

14
TOMOYO: "Kurogane isn't going to die."

FAY: This whole time, I haven't been able to sense your power.

TOMOYO: That's because I'm just like you.

15
TOMOYO: I paid a price, too.

FAY: ....Then you were the one who....

16
YUUKO: "You must have something very important to say, for you to use your own magic to contact me."

FAY: "I've already used so much of my magic, anyway."

FAY: "The thing is, I don't think we'll make it of Celes without suffering casualties. But I'd like to make sure that the others go somewhere safer, afterwards."

YUUKO: "....The country after Celes? Hm. You do realize that 'safe' has many different meanings?"

FAY: "I just want them to go somewhere where they can treat their injuries, if they've got any. A world where they can rest."

FAY: "What's the price for that....?"
YUUKO: "If I'm going to let you pick the next destination for four people, I'm going to need payment from four people."

17
FAY: "But that's not what I....-"

YUUKO: "I'd need the chess tournament trophy, and something else. When you go to Celes, I need you to use your own magic to help get you there."

FAY: "....Alright."

18
YUUKO: "That's still not enough, but it looks like I've already got something to cover the extra."

FAY: "Huh?"

FAY: You gave your power up so that we could come to Japan after Celes?

FAY: She was talking about you?

FAY: Princess Tomoyo.

19
----

20
TAG: "A secret technique - flash! Will this be the end of the battle..!?"
------------
[1] "Shirasagi" means "white heron". In RG Veda, Karura-ou had a bird that sure as heck resembled a heron, if I remember correctly, though who knows if that's what CLAMP's getting at. There's also a castle in Japan, Himeji-jou, that's sometimes referred to with the same kanji. In that case, the correct reading is "Hakuro-jou", although people sometimes mistakenly call it "Shirasagi" - it's all white and very pretty.

[2] "Kekkai" means "barrier". It could literally be translated as such, but at this point, after X, it's such a fan-ism that I figure it's not worth changing.

[3] Literally, moon reading, but here, Tomoyo.

~~In a rush! Tell me if something's awfully wrong!~~

EDIT: Cleaned everything up, adding a few notes, and those tag-ish lines at the start and finish. :3

CnL Release!

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 23:32:38 GMT

Most of you have chibiyuuto on your f-list, I'm sure, but all the same, make sure to check out the newest Kobato scanlations up at CLAMP no Lumiere! As always, Alison and Alex are the best teammates a girl could hope for. ♥ :3

Kobato - 09

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:26:20 GMT

Translation of Kobato from the Japanese, which I did ages ago, and passed on to chibiyuuto for scanlations, which will be out eventually! :) But I assumed that, in my absence, someone had already posted translations. Apparently not.

Anyway, I saw that carcarcarrot posted translations from the Chinese, and it reminded me that I had mine. I definitely don't mean to step on toes, but Chinese and Japanese text can often read differently. In this case, not so much, but I figured I'd post mine anyway. XD

00
Exam. 09 - The Results of the Test Are...!?

"Will Kobato be able to find some beer for Ioryogi-san?"

01
KOBATO: Beer-san! Beer-san! ...I don't see Beer-san anywhere!

GIRLS: (Step right up!! It's free! And yummy!)

02
PRIMERA: That's right! Free samples!
RINGO: It's nice and cold!

KOBATO: *dash!*

KOBATO: Cold!? Is that B-
PRIMERA: Here you go! A sample of our brand new ice cream!*

KOBATO: ...eer-san... Oops.

03
GIRLS: How many would you like? (Ice cream! Try our brand new flavor!)
KOBATO: *sigh...*

OTHER GIRLS: Ice cold, delicious beer!!
KOBATO: (Huh!?)

TAMAYO: (Here you go!)

MISAKI: Are you sure it's okay for us to hand this stuff out, even though we're underage?
TAMAYO: Pfft. Of course it is! 'Sides, it's not like we're drinking it!

04
FUJIMOTO: We're running low. I'll go grab some more.
GIRLS: Okay! Thanks!

KOBATO: CANIHAVEONEPLEASE!!
MISAKI: AHHH! YES! HERE!!

05
KOBATO: Cold Beer-san! Finally!!

KOBATO: *bow* Thank you so, so much! Now Ioryogi-san'll be able to take care of his global warming problem!!

06
TAMAYO: Now isn't that nice? See? We're making people happy by giving this away!
MISAKI: Err. Well. Guess so!

FUJIMOTO: What's up?

MISAKI: Apparently, Ioryogi-san's going to use beer to stop global warming.

FUJIMOTO: Ioryogi?

07
KOBATO: Ioryogi-saaaaan!

KOBATO: Kyaaa!!

KOBATO: Hang in there, Ioryogi-san!

KOBATO: I brought you back some beer!!
IORYOGI: You did it, Kobato!!!

08
KOBATO: Here, I'll open it up for you!!

IORYOGI: WAIT!!

*fwishhhh!*

KOBATO: Kyaaaaa!!!!!

09
IORYOGI: *rummage*
KOBATO: *frozen stiff!*

IORYOGI: *fwip!*

KOBATO: Kyaaaaaaa!!!!!!

KOBATO: But! Oh! I've been trying so hard to earn those points! *sniffle!*

IORYOGI: ...Except you're trying to get somewhere. And you've got heart enough to put that aside, and run around like crazy in this heat just to bring me back a beer...

10
KOBATO: Thank you!!
IORYOGI: Well, then!

IORYOGI: Kobato Hanato.

KOBATO: Y-Yes!
IORYOGI: What is your true wish?

11
KOBATO: There's somewhere that I want to go.

IORYOGI: And what do you need to do to get there?

KOBATO: I have to fill a bottle with wounded hearts that I've collected.

IORYOGI: But before that?
KOBATO: I need the bottle...

12
KOBATO: Th... This is-

IORYOGI: You pass, Kobato.
KOBATO: Wha...

IORYOGI: What? You don't want it!? I don't have to give it to you!
KOBATO: N-N-No! I-I-I! I want it!!

KOBATO: If I fill up this bottle... Then I can go...

13
IORYOGI: Yeah, yeah. All this means is that you passed a test on common sense. Don't get too excited!
KOBATO: Okay!

IORYOGI: Now you can't exactly go around healing wounded hearts without a place to live, can you? We're gonna have to set up headquarters somewhere! (Which means you can't run around being all weird and suspicious! We need somewhere permanent to stay. I'm sick of camping out!)
KOBATO: Okay!

IORYOGI: Alright! Now that you've got your bottle, it's time for the real work to begin! Show me what you're made of, Kobato!
KOBATO: Okay! I'll try my best!!

TAG: "Congrats on passing, Kobato! "Kobato" is on break next time, but we'll have a special report for you all!!"
----------
*NOTE: These girls and the Angelic Layer girls on the next page might look weird, but in Japan, there are LOADS of girls in cute little outfits like those, handing out samples or advertising for a store. It isn't very out of the ordinary at all.

CROSS-OVER LIST: The first two girls selling ice cream are Primera (from Magic Knight Rayearth), and Ringo Seto (from Angelic Layer). The next two girls are also from Angelic Layer - our heroine, Misaki Suzuhara, and her best friend, Tamayo Kizaki. Cuties. And don't forget to look for Kazahaya Kudou and Rikuou Himura from Lawful Drug on page 4! :D

EDIT: Realizing it's been quite a while since these scans came out, I tracked down the link I used to download them. It's here, but member-locked, in the clamp2share community. The community's open to new members, though, so you should still be able to get at it without too much trouble. :)

CLAMP in Wonderland - Precious Songs

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 06:22:34 GMT

Looking at the CLAMP in Wonderland song booklet case thing, I swear, I thought Kazahaya and Rikuou were, I mean... I thought that was pie. Like, gay, drugstore pie. Not okonomiyaki. *shame*

Anyway, here are the two mini-comics, because why the heck not? :D

"Miyuki-chan in Number Two"
MIYUKI A: *pant, pant!*

MIYUKI A: Oh no, oh no, oh no!

MIYUKI B: No! I've got to get to Wonderland 2!

MIYUKI C: I'm gonna be laaate~! (Kyaaa!)

[She's got to make an appearance right now in every world of "Tsubasa" she's in... And she's very good at getting lost!]

[Poor Miyuki-chan! But don't worry!]
MIYUKI D: Waaah! Where am I~!?
[If you want to check up on her, just keep looking in on "Tsubasa"! ♥]
********************************
"Where's Ioryogi Going?!"
IORYOGI: Ahhh! I'm gonna be late!!

IORYOGI: No! I can't! With my driving skills, I can still make it, if I pull out all the stops!

"Looks like he made it in time for today's limited offer!"
SIGN: "Free Japanese item: soy sauce! One bottle per person."
BOTTLE: "Soy Sauce"

Not so funny, but I'll take what I can get, especially if it involves any Subaru as ridiculously adorable as the one they've got going on there. My goodness~ I'm going to go attempt to stave off Seishirou-like impulses to cuddle and break things.

Tsubasa - 170

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 06:01:32 GMT

First off, THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who helped me scrounge up resources for my project. You're all lovely and helpful and incredibly wonderful! Especially gekidasa , who I basically owe 8,000 cookies in the shape of naked Fuuma. ♥!!!

Next is this, which, WAH I LOVE SEISHIROU.

00
"A future, known only to the sakura, floating at the water's surface, leaving behind only traces of itself."

Chapter 170 - The Second Messenger

01
MOKONA: Seishirou!

02
SEISHIROU: My. It's been a while, hasn't it? At least, I'd think it has. Although I can't be sure how similar the flow of time has been for you and me.

MOKONA: That's exactly what Fuuma said! You must think alike, being brothers and all.
FUUMA: Yeah, well. I think it's a little more complicated than that.

FUUMA: You look well, as always, Seishirou nii-san.

SEISHIROU: You too, Fuuma.

SEISHIROU: Although you all seem a little worse for the wear.

03
SEISHIROU: You look like you've changed quite a bit, in fact. In more ways than one.

SEISHIROU: You've lost your magic, in exchange for a new power, haven't you?

04
SEISHIROU: In exchange for vampire's blood!

MOKONA: Fay!

05
SEISHIROU: That's Kamui's blood, isn't it?

FAY: And what if it is?

SEISHIROU: Where are they?

06
---

07
TOMOYO: That's your brother, then?
FUUMA: Yeah. He's very good at making trouble.

TOMOYO: Oh! Just like my sister....

AMATERASU: Excuse me? What exactly do you mean by that?

KUROGANE: Not very good at asking nicely, are you? (Quiet, back there!)
TOMOYO: (Ohohoho~)

08
FAY: You're one to talk. (Hahaha!)
KUROGANE: Shut it!

TOMOYO & AMATERASU: My, my, my.
MOKONA: You can say that again.

KUROGANE: QUIET, I SAID!!
FUUMA, TOMOYO, AMATERASU: ......

SEISHIROU: Pardon the interruption, but....may I continue?

SEISHIROU: You've met the vampire twins, haven't you?

09
FAY: Yes. In a different world. "Tokyo".

10
SEISHIROU: Are they still there?
FUUMA: Nope. They left just after these guys did.

SEISHIROU: Where did they go?

FUUMA: You don't honestly think they'd tell me, do you? I'm your little brother.

SEISHIROU: They say that hunters are drawn towards their prey....

11
SEISHIROU: But I can't seem to catch up with mine, no matter how much I might want to.

12
SEISHIROU: Well. On to the next world, then.

SYAORAN: WAIT!

13
SEISHIROU: ....You're Syaoran too, aren't you?

SYAORAN: Where's the feather?

SEISHIROU: I've got it right here.

SYAORAN: Give it back.
SEISHIROU: If you remember, I found it in Outo. Or rather, in Edonis, I should say.

14
SEISHIROU: Do you really you can just ask for it? That I'll say, "Go right ahead, it's yours"? That I'll willingly hand over something powerful enough to turn a fantasy world into reality?

SYAORAN: ....Give it back.

15
SEISHIROU: I take it we can't settle this through conversation, then?

SYAORAN: Don't think so. I've been watching you all this time and I know what sort of person you are.

SEISHIROU: Through the other you, you mean.. Right?

16
SEISHIROU: ....You're exactly like your father, in that respect. Although I suppose that's to be expected, if the two of you are truly father and son.

MOKONA: Who is he talking about? Syaoran's dad? The one he traveled with?

17
FAY: ....No. So far as we know, Syaoran-kun and Fujitaka-san aren't related by blood.

18
KUROGANE: !

KUROGANE: ........

SEISHIROU: ..Well then.

SEISHIROU: Shall we begin?

19
SEISHIROU: And to the winner, goes the feather.*

20
TAG: "After crossing through so many worlds, will Syaoran finally hold his own against his former master?"

*NOTE: COOL OKAY I LOVE SEISHIROU. He uses "kake" as in "bet" here - the feather is the wager, in a sense. Anyway, "kake" was obviously huge in Tokyo Babylon and, I mean, CLAMP, eee. That's got to just be a cute little nod! *Seishirou babbles* ♥♥♥♥♥

Help!

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 21:51:25 GMT

Haaaalp?

I'm doing a paper on popular Christianity in Japan. I think it's because I hate myself. I'm far from Christian, and way out of touch, but if you can think of anything you're into from Japan, J-pop, manga, J-dramas, anything, that's incorporated Christianity at all, could you pretty pretty please give me a heads up? I will cuddle with you several times over.

Thank you! :3

Tsubasa - 169

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:25:31 GMT

Hahaha. So. I was applying for a Fulbright and as such, was close to killing myself with school, etc. Go figure that I submit the application yesterday at 3 am, just in time for Tsubasa, and it turns out I haven't even missed a chapter.

I think you can expect to start seeing me again, especially because I've got stuff to post, but for now, here's this. :)

00
Chapter 169 - The Witch's Gift

"When the dawn shines on the princess, her feelings echo throughout the world, along with her search for beauty."

01
"What awaits our wounded heroes? The Japan arc begins!!"

02
MOKONA: It's Sakura!

03
TOMOYO: I took the liberty of looking after her injuries.

MOKONA: Thank you, Princess Tomoyo! But why's she up here in this tree?

04
TOMOYO: This tree is very special. It's lived longer than any other in Japan. She might not have a soul in her body right now, but this tree can still give her a little bit of life.

SYAORAN: ....A sakura tree. Same name as her.

05
AMATERASU: You're back, then, Kurogane?

KUROGANE: Yeah.

AMATERASU: Hm. You seem to have made some improvements since I saw you last.

06
KUROGANE: Huh?
AMATERASU: You and your friends are welcome to rest here in the castle for a while.

AMATERASU: And then you'll be continuing your journey, won't you?

AMATERASU: Which reminds me. We've got another guest, too, as a matter of fact.

07
MOKONA: Who, who?

MOKONA: FUUMA!
FUUMA: Hey, there! Long time, no see! At least I think it's been a while, but I guess time might've been passing differently for all of you.

08
MOKONA: Did you come here to find something?

FUUMA: Nope. I'm making a delivery, actually.

KUROGANE: The hell is that?

09
FUUMA: It's an artificial limb. There wasn't enough time to cover it in some sort of skin. Sorry about that.

FUUMA: But I figured you'd be needing it sooner rather than later.

10
KUROGANE: Why're you bringing it? Wait. First, how the hell did you even know?

FUUMA: Yuuko-san told me all about it.

FUUMA: This is part of Yuuko-san and my promise. Like I said in Tokyo.

FUUMA: "In exchange for the ability to cross into different dimensions, I run errands for Yuuko-san. I'm paying her off as I go, in a way."

FUUMA: "And then there's that other promise that we made...."

11
FUUMA: Anyway, I got this from a pretty amazing country where the technology is really advanced.

FUUMA: A place called Piffle.

12
KUROGANE: ....

KUROGANE: ....What do I owe you?

FUUMA: It's been covered. Yuuko-san already paid me.

KUROGANE: But I never gave anything to that witch.

13
FAY: I did. I promised her something while you were asleep.

14
MOKONA: Fay, your eyes....

15
MOKONA: They're golden....

FAY: My blue eyes are the source of my magic power.

FAY: Mokona, would you give this to the witch, please?

16
MOKONA: But....

FAY: Don't worry. I can still see just fine.

FAY: This is the very last of my magic.

MOKONA: No! You can't, Fay! Without your magic, you'll....!

FAY: It's okay, really. I'll survive.

17
FAY: After all, I've got vampire blood in me now. That'll keep me alive.

FAY: I wouldn't ever give up something that would cost me my life.

FAY: Not anymore.

18
MOKONA: ......Okay. I'll send it to Yuuko, then.

KUROGANE: Feels weird.

KUROGANE: Not bad, though.

19/20
---

TAG: "He appears out of nowhere, in this beautiful country, dancing with sakura blossoms. He must be after.."

------------------
EEEEEE! Perfect timing! Smiley Fay + tall as all get out Fuuma and Seishirou is just about enough to counter Kurogane's freaky lizard arm. ♥ Oh! The scarf! It slays me!

Spam spam spam...

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 03:43:05 GMT

OKAY. So. This is homework catch-up time! But this weekend will be a Shoten post.

I LOVE HEROES. I love Mohinder's crappy French accent. I love that he is lovely when he sweats. I love Nathan's stupid, crazy man beard. RAHHHH. ♥♥♥♥♥

ANYWAY, THIS IS FOR pengiesama BECAUSE SHE'S PRETTY AND STUFF. She practically dared me - this is how she had me envisioning Tsubasa 168. The reality was more than a little lame in comparison.

If you can't tell that's Mokona carrying Kurogane off into the sunset on a horse, that is definitely entirely your fault, and not mine. Mokona is either flexing sexy-like, or about to punch Kurogane, and I will leave that choice up to you.

Over and out!

Tsubasa - 168

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 17:16:53 GMT

TOO LONG NO LIKE. D: Hoping we will finally get on with it very very soon!

I have so much to say and do and a TB Shoten story to share, but I've got a five-day weekend starting Thursday, so I'll restrain myself until then!

00
"Dreams that will come true, and dreams that won't. Both are are very precious to everyone..."

Chapter 168 - A Promise in a Dream

01
WATANUKI: Syaoran-kun....

WATANUKI: This is....

SYAORAN: Are we dreaming?

WATANUKI: You too, then?

02
WATANUKI: Are you here to say goodbye to me?

SYAORAN: Don't disappear.

03
WATANUKI: That's what you said before, too. "Don't disappear".

WATANUKI: And Yuuko-san told me that when I got hurt, you paid a price to help save me.

WATANUKI: Why?

WATANUKI: I hardly know you. We never even met before that first time outside Yuuko's shop....

SYAORAN: ......

04
WATANUKI: How are we connected, Syaoran-kun? Do you know what's going on?

SYAORAN: .....Yes. My parents explained it to me.

05
SYAORAN: But I can't explain it to you now.

SYAORAN: It isn't easy to change the future.
SAKURA: /The future is so hard to change./
SYAORAN: Just talking to you can make our path even more unstable.
SAKURA: /Just telling you about all this can make even more possible outcomes for us./

WATANUKI: Sakura-chan...told me the exact same thing.

SYAORAN: You met Sakura?

06
WATANUKI: In a dream.

WATANUKI: She told me she wanted to change the future she'd dreamed about. She said she hadn't told any of you about it, but it wasn't because she was trying to sacrifice herself to change things.

WATANUKI: It was just that she wanted to do everything she could to make sure you'd all survive.

07
SYAORAN: ....I see....

WATANUKI: She knew that by trying to change the future like this, she'd hurt you. She looked so upset about it.*

SYAORAN: Sakura isn't the kind of person who would hurt anyone on purpose. Next time, though, I want her to tell me the truth.

08
WATANUKI: That's exactly what I told her....

SYAORAN: That's because you and I are closer to each other than anyone else.*

WATANUKI: Closer....?

09
SYAORAN: Take care of Sakura for me until we can find her.*

10
*nod!*

11
MOKONA: (*yawn!*) ....Mokona had a weird dream. I met the other Mokona.

MOKONA: Did you dream too, Syaoran?

SYAORAN: Yeah....

12
SYAORAN: I saw someone very important to me.

LARG: (Nnm...)

LARG: ....Mokona and the others are in Japan. It looks like they've been resting up.

13
YUUKO: Yes. As promised, after they left Celes, they were sent to Japan.

YUUKO: The four of them made sure of that when they paid me in Infinity.

LARG: You mean the price they paid you wasn't just to go to Celes?
YUUKO: No.

YUUKO: It was very dangerous for Fay to use his magic, so what they gave me was enough for both.*

14
YUUKO: Besides, someone else paid for them, too.

YUUKO: Princess Tomoyo.

LARG: That princess knew that things would end up this way, didn't she?

YUUKO: Yes. But deep in her heart, she still hoped that maybe something would change. And she paid me a heavy price to ensure that the four of them would be able to go to Japan after Celes.

15
LARG: She knew this would happen. She dreamed about it, and she still couldn't stop it. It must have hurt her a lot.

YUUKO: Probably, yes.

YUUKO: But we can't just sit back and watch our nightmares come true.

16
YUUKO: Fei Wong and Clow both read into their futures. And they both began to take steps to make sure that things would transpire the way that they wished them to, each of them interfering with the other's plans. But they could only change their destinies up to a certain point, for the proper price, and not all of their actions played out as they might have wanted them to.*

17
YUUKO: After all, Fei Wong had no idea that Princess Sakura would choose to split her body and her soul.

YUUKO: And the same goes for their escape from Celes.

YUUKO: Fei Wong saw to it that the second curse was activated. Once it was, he hinted to Fay that he only had power enough for two people to escape.*

YUUKO: In Fei Wong's eyes, their journey was coming to its end, and the princess only needed one friend to stay by her side, be it Syaoran, Kurogane, or Fay.*

18
LARG: That's why he let Syaoran and Sakura go?
YUUKO: Right. It was Mokona's magic charm that opened a hole in the closed-off world, and let the other two escape.

YUUKO: But even the charm wasn't enough, because Fay himself was the source of the magic, there.

LARG: Did Fei Wong dream about that, too?

YUUKO: No.

YUUKO: All four of them have resisted every move that Fei Wong's made. They've been choosing their own futures. Fei Wong played his cards based on what he saw in his dreams, but they've thrown a wrench into all of his plotting, every step of the way.

19
YUUKO: All the same, though, things are turning out just as he dreamed they would.
LARG: ..Is he going to win?

YUUKO: I don't know. But I do know this.

YUUKO: Fei Wong's seen a future that has yet to come true. And people's wishes are far stronger than that.

EDIT: Just had a few questions in the comments, so I went back for a re-read, and clarified some of the lines, which I've marked with asterisks. It's a good thing I did, too, because there was a line on page 7 that was really strangely off. XD Hope this helps clear up confusion, but if you've got anything else to ask, feel free. ♥

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 02:06:59 GMT

ILU HEROES!!!!!!!

spam spam spam

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 04:22:22 GMT

FUUMA IN THOSE GLASSES IS SO HOT. I almost forgive CLAMP for writing arms falling off into Tsubasa, and still expecting us to take them seriously.

So. pengiesama sez to me, "I wonder why CLAMP didn't keep reusing that idea [of eating people, a la RG Veda]. Fuuma clearly likes Kamui's flavor; though whether he'd manage to get any meat off of those bones is questionable..." So I consider the whole cannibalism thing and I sez, "You know what, I will use that idea, darn it!"

So of course, those are obviously Kamui and Fuuma. Kamui is 100% a very sad stick figure in my mind.

In other news, my hair was elbow length, and now it's shorter than shoulder length weeee!

CLICK THIS

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:06:26 GMT

MY GOODNESS. Maximum Toyboy is a re-incarnation of "Flash Boyfriend", THE MOST FUN NOW-DEFUNCT WEBSITE EVER. You go on flash "dates" with this guy Max, who will email you to invite you on another between 1 and 3 days later, depending on how you respond to his questions during the date.

Play. It's stupid amounts of fun. It's like the whipped cream on the sundae of a week already topped with Kurogane's arms.