♥ Yamazaki Ayunee ♥

OOC: Random Takasugi info - Noyama prison

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 16:18:01 GMT

(x-posted elsewhere blah blah blah)

On May 10, 1863, the Choshu began bombarding foreign ships at Shimonoseki according to both court and Bakufu instructions to expel westerners. The French retaliate, and on 6/5/1863, Choshu decided to restore Takasugi to an official capacity to Shimonoseki, where he was supposed to lead military countermeasures.

Takasugi arrived on 6/6 in Shimonoseki and by 6/15 had organized men from Kusaka’s Komyoji party and other men into the Western-style rifle company, the Kihitei. Takasugi’s efforts were recognized by the han government and on 9/15/1863 he was raised to an office at the policymaking level, and awarded a 160 koku stipend (beyond his father’s stipend).

In October of that year, he left the daily business of the Kihitei to his lieutenants and went to Yamaguchi to assume his new post. One of the tasks Takasugi had to undertake was to dissuade Kijima Matabei, the commander of the Yugekitai, from leading troops back to Kyoto. (Kijima was threatening to go anyways if permission wasn’t granted.)

Takasugi went to Mitajiri on 1/24/64 to meet Kijima, who only agreed to confer with Kusaka, Kido and Shishido Kurobe in Kyoto before making a decision.

At this point, Takasugi should have reported back to the han government in Yamaguchi, but he instead accompanied Kijima to Kyoto, where the others would dissuade Kijima from his plans. As it turned out, Kusaka, Kido and Shishido did dissuade him, but as neither Kijima or Takasugi had traveling orders, these two were in considerable trouble. Takasugi – by doing so – had set a bad example for not only Kijima but as a government official. Also, the situation had apparently worsened – not only were the Yugekitai defecting to Kyoto, but other Choshu corps were also leaving for Kyoto.

This event led to Takasugi’s imprisonment in Noyama when he returned to Yamaguchi on 3/29/64 with Kusaka. He was ordered to Noyama for “fleeing the han” (dappan) but likely was being punished for issues with Kijima.

Takasugi’s stint in prison involved a lot of reading. He kept a daily record during the fourth and fifth months of 1864. This activity baffled the others. As Noyama was viewed as a last stop for terminal prisoners – to devote oneself to reading was considered a wasted activity.

In this time, Yoshida Shoin was not far from the thought of Takasugi. When asked by another prisoner why he bothered, Takasugi responded with the story of a teacher who had taught him “the principle of thought and action” (“Twenty-One Times a Valiant Samurai”) and had foreseen imprisonment and counseled Takasugi to read “and refine the spirit.”

“If you are executed in prison, today’s study will become as last night’s dreams,” the prisoner is said to have responded.

Takasugi’s response purportedly was, “Why should a man who still lives speak of death?”

Sufu Masunosuke also was not far from Takasugi. Apparently frustrated by his colleagues’ increasing wishes to march on Kyoto, Sufu recalled that the only member of the Sonjuku in Hagi who also opposed the march was in prison, decided to seek him out.

The incident was noted as such –

Sufu drew his sword and shoulted that the gates be open. Startled at the sight of the high official, the guards complied and Sufu rode into the courtyard and shouted, “Shinsaku, where are you?”

Takasugi, hearing the greeting thrust his head out of the bars to see what was going on.

Sufu, having seen him, declared, “You have come to this because you scorned your superiors, so while you are in prison, even if for three years, you must study and become an outstanding personality,” before turning his horse around and galloping away.

Encouraged, Takasugi composed the following verse the next day in Sufu’s honor:

“My friend still does not forget righteousness, and

Yesterday he asked my name of the gatekeeper.”

Sufu, due to his actions of drawing a sword in public for something other than official reasons and finding his way into the prison was placed under house arrest for fifty days. (This was unfortunate as he could not intervene in what would become the Battle at Hamaguri Gate.)

On June 21, due to Takasugi’s fathers interventions, Takasugi himself was released to house arrest in his family’s custody.

In the seventh month, news of the incident at Hamaguri began filtering into Hagi, as well as the news that four Sonjuku students had died, including Kusaka Genzui.

PS: The descriptions of Noyama prison are interesting. Also, note that the Choshu were still largely cooperating in 1863 with various Bakufu and court directives. Quite possibly, the events in 1863 arose out ofwhat I refer to as "male stupidity." The sentiments of those marching on Kyoto were that of "rescuing the Emperor" and likely came about because a> the Emperor was wishy-washy (various texts indicate no reasons for his sudden dismissal of the Choshu, often pinning it on various court intrigue) and b> the Choshu corps were hot-headed, headstrong and sometimes impatient. The march on Kyoto was not advised by many prominent liberals/reformists, but unfortunately, the cooler heads could not prevail. Whether Ikedaya has any bearing on reasons for or against the march, I can't determine. If anything, Kido (having survived) continued to urge against this march.

PPS: found a funny reference indicating that the person who later informed the other Choshu of Kido's whereabouts once he went into hiding after these events was Matsu. .

Late 1864 or Early 1865, Matsu apparently showed up one day in Hagi (I believe) after the conservatives had been overthrown (pushed out of power or whatever nice euphemism you want to use) and informed the others that a> he was alive and b> in Osaka (at that point). Kido was rapidly summoned and put into power.

Mind you - this woman was traveling alone on his behalf. Rather spunky, I think.

Mmm.

Sun, 11 Jun 2006 16:21:56 GMT

I somehow missed this post on the conclusion of volume four of PMK ~~which may never be released by ADV~~ .

This touches briefly on Akesato and Suzu as well as poor Ryoma's fate.

(And now I remembered something I need to get started on.)

OOC: Knowing Me, Knowing You (?)

Thu, 25 May 2006 22:42:46 GMT

> basics <
+ What's your character's name? +
Yamazaki Ayu. (But at the moment, what does that mean?)

+ How old is he? +
36.

+ Is your OC a boy or girl? +
Female.

+ What's his/her race? +
Japanese.

> appearance <

+ If this character were to suddenly become part of the 3D world, and ended up in a heavily-populated area, how many stares would he/she get? +
Hm. She's okay enough to get maybe a second glance, but I don't really know if that is something she would strive for depending on what the circumstances are.

+ Is your character considered normal in his/her own world? +
Yes. Way more normal than all those Kenshin characters (snerk).

+ What would be his most recognizable feature(s)? +
It was her hair. But it's gone.

+ Would you consider your OC as attractive? +
I think she's very cute. I suppose so, although for some reason I think she doesn't really care.

> personality <

+ Temper? +
No. At least anger isn't something I associate with her all that much.

+ Does your character ever get depressed? +
A lot.

+ Leader or Follower? +
Follower.

+ What is the main aspect of their personality? +
Quietness. Perhaps sadness. Regret?

> history <

+ Does your OC have a family of any sort? If so, are they still alive? +
A brother who is who knows where. A son. His father should be considered family, although I'm not sure how to answer that given the current situation.

+ Has he encountered any traumatizing events? +
She has had some personal difficulties along the way, and skirted a nervous breakdown at least once. The current events are due to another traumatic incident and she has sustained some physical and psychological trauma.

+ What was probably the best time in his life so far? +
The years in Hagi with Takasugi Shinsaku. The few years with her brother as a child.

> romance <

+ Single? +
She is unmarried.

+ Has your OC developed any romantic relationships? +
Hm. At least twice in her life she has formed strong attachments to men. I'm not so sure if they were really romantic relationships or not. The first one was very short and traumatic. The second was longer in duration, and also ended somewhat traumatically.

+ Virgin? +
Duh. No.

+ Does your character like flirting? +
I don't think she thinks all that much about it. Flirting can be a precursor to seduction, which is something that she might have had to employ as a shinobi.

> symbolism <

+ What animal would you accociate your OC with? (Sorry, no creatures of myth and legend allowed!) +
Ugh. No creatures of myth and legend? That pretty much screws with what I did associate her with. Alrighty. Then, how about a duck? (As in waddling, following, and occassionally dumb.)
Quack.

+ Musical Instument? +
None.

+ Element? +
Water. Ruled by mood and tides and at the same time, sort of a little more pliant and likely to wander.

+ Planet? +
Earth (Gaia). She has a strong maternal streak//mothering tendency. I see her as a nurturer if allowed to serve in that role.

> showing the Love <

+ Do you draw your character? +
I have done a few pieces. Two or three, I believe.

+ Do you write about him? +
No.

+ Do you use him in any rpgs? +
Hello.

+ What other ways have you appreciated your OC? +
None other. I guess I feel differently about her. Since she was largely unknown to me prior to playing her, I haven't done much appreciation. And it feels awkward to me to go in that direction. Something about her character or in her character would not like it.

> RANDOMIZE! <

+ Is your character wanted for anything? +
She was wanted for a time by a number of shinobi with some past link to her. Hopefully no longer.

+ What are three weaknesses in him/her? +
-She will not ask for what she wants.
-She will not save herself if it came down to it. Shinobi are trained to die.
-Relationally speaking, I think she's really passive. Maybe even a bit of a doormat.

+ Strengths? +
-Her ability to love is pretty out there. People (I would hope) generally like her.
-She is a domestic goddess. (At least in the kitchen, she happens to be a goddess.)
-She can defend herself against most normal sorts of dangers, but the RK world is probably not normal.

+ Does your OC drink or smoke (ect.)? +
No.

+ What's one quirk about your him? +
She's curious. Insatiably curious. She is really easy to entertain, and in some ways is very childlike in her dealings with men. I don't know why she is that way, other than that maybe I am associating kindness with a kind of innocence in my mind.

+ Does your character have any phobias? +
Losing her child.
Abandonment.

+ What could you do to get him into a blind rage? +
Honestly, I don't know. I can't conceive of a blind rage where she is able to really think through what she's doing. I can see her killing in the heat of anger, but the only thing that could put her there is a threat against those she loves.

+ Does your OC like chickens? +
Why wouldn't she?

> The Final Question <

+ What would you consider your relationship with your character to be like? +
It's a tough one. I suppose I feel like her caretaker and mom. I feel very guilty about the things I have generated for her, and regret putting through her a lot of personal pain, particularly with no guarantee of an outcome that will be good. I really need to treat her better."

Ayu summary for Shinsengumi players

Sun, 02 Apr 2006 05:48:21 GMT

This is to help out our entering Shinsengumi character

History
-------
The background we are working with (agreed upon both players of Susumu and Ayu) is that their father was a doctor (but he is the person with the link to their clan), and their mother wasn't exactly specified.
(This is still to be resolved in game. Part of development thread here.)

For the sake of refreshing folks memories, Ayu disappeared from the compound for unknown reasons late spring, well before the events of Ikedaya. To date, we have been playing that Saitou and Okita don't know why, although they may have various suspicions. (See these journals for a partial explanation.)

What the Shinsengumi should know about Ayu are the basics: she cooked for them, and her food was generally considered very good :D. Den-mother describes her fairly well.

What I could not gather from PMK is how well people understood her "real job." I think most did, although it was never discussed openly as Tetsunosuke was not clued in until much later. (Tatsunosuke did realize it fairly early on, when Ayu dressed Tetsu's scratches.)

Hobbies and interests:
---------------------
Her hobbies and likes: Less so from PMK, but just things that I think most observant Shinsengumi would have noticed.

She ~~likes~~ loves children, likes animals, flowers, artistic artifacts, asking questions, looking at things, and is generally inquisitive, although sometimes won't express her questions.

Enjoys stories, being taught various things, tends towards medicinal applications sometimes (although that might have been more due to the fact that she was one of the few women around).

Ask away, Miburo-players, if there is anything else you need or want to know.

Nudge

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 07:40:30 GMT

http://www.livejournal.com/friends/nudge.bml

The week count isn't wholly accurate, as I think it doesn't quite know what to do about community vs. journal posts, but for those who got the nudges, consider yourself nudged.

You can get back at Ayu later.

Sahohime: The Empress Keeps Her Promise by Death

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 03:52:39 GMT

This version from "We Japanese" Combined edition.

"Which do you love better, your brother or your husband?" Prince Sahohiko asked his sister, Sahohime, in 26 B.C. She was the consort of the Emperor Suinin (the 11th) and had a baby-prince. She had little idea what her brother had in mind, and so innocently expressed her preference for her brother.

"Love is often replaced by love, sister," Prince Sahohiko went on. "You enjoy the exclusive love of the Emperor but he has many other ladies with him. You little know that some day you will entirely lose his love and affection. If therefore you will kill your husband on my behalf and help me to the Throne, you shall enjoy peace and happiness during the rest of your life."

When, soon after this, the Emperor visited the Empress at the Kume Palace, he took a nap with his head resting on her lap. This was a good chance for her, but she felt that she could not commit regicide, yet neither could she disobey her brother. A tear trembled upon her eye-lids, and dropped upon the cheek of the sleeping Emperor.

"I had a queer dream," the Emperor said, waking up. "I had a small snake of brocade-colour about my neck and I was caught in a shower coming from the direction of Mt. Saho (after which Sahohiko and Sahohime were named.) I wonder what this dream portends."

"The small snake of brocade-colour, my lord, is the cords of the dagger I have , hidden here," the Empress replied, taking out the dagger her brother had handed her. "And the shower was my own tears." Then she went on to tell the Emperor all about the dark plot hatched by her brother, asking the Emperor to forgive him.

"You are innocent, so do not worry," the kind Emperor said to the Empress, but soon after he sent a punitive force against Sadohiko, who built a fort of rice-straw, which withstood the siege of the Imperial army for over a year.

"I shall be held responsible for the death of my brother," the Empress said to herself. "If my brother is killed, how can I avoid criticism and remain as Empress?"

Taking therefore her baby-prince, Sahohime ran into the straw-fort where her brother had entrenched himself, and no words of the Emperor could bring her out of it. At last the straw-fort was set on fire. Then the Empress, carrying the young prince in her arms, came out to the gate of the fort.

"I came into the fort," she said "in the hope that I might save my brother. But all is over now. I cannot outlive him, for I hold myself responsible for his death. The prince belongs to the Emperor, to whom he must be taken." "When I am gone," the Empress added after delivering the Prince, "I should like the Emperor to marry one of the five daughters of the governor of Tamba Province, who are all reputed for fidelity and truthfulness."

The fort was burned down and Sahohime , with her brother was burned to death. That was in the year of 24 B.C.

The Emperor Suinin, respecting the wish of his faithful lamented wife, married Princess Hisasuhime, daughter of the governor of Tamba Province. She was the mother of the Emperor Keiko (the 12th).

Alternate versions appear Here and here.

Notes on the winter cha-kaiseki

Sun, 26 Feb 2006 06:29:47 GMT

Adapted from Kateigaho International Edition, Winter 2006 issue, "Cha-kaiseki Winter cuisine - Appealing to the Five Senses" by Machico Yorozu

During the winter season, a hearth is set up in each teahouse, and seasonal tea presentations are performed. Yobanashi (tea ceremony conducted by candlelight from early evening until late at night) is a special ceremony conducted only at the coldest time of the year.

The ceremony proceeds as follows
-shoiri (the first tea ritual)
-zencha (starting tea)
-shozumi (the first of two procedures to add charcoal to the fire)
-kaiseki (the tea-ceremony meal)
-nakadachi (the recess between the kaiseki meal and the koicha service)
-koicha (thick tea)
-usucha (thin tea)
-nochizumi (the second of two procedures to add charcoal to the fire)

Careful planning goes into the planning of the kaiseki meal. The dishes served during the ceremony are set on individual trays used for the occassion. Food is light and easy on the stomach (such as simmered or grilled items), and the plates are often warmed out of consideration for the guests.

Kaiseki originally meant "breast stones," referring to the stones that Zen monks concelaed inside their robes to save off hunger pangs during their ascetic training. A special form of banquet cuisine, also called kaiseki but written with different characters, is served on auspicious occassions. Kaiseki-rori (kaiseki cuisine) is part of the formal tea ceremony, so it is sometimes called cha-kaiseki.

The meal is intended to satisfy the appetite of guests adequately so that they can appreciate the ensuing tea ceremony. It is a light meal consisting of basically of one kind of soup and three kinds of dishes. (Morning tea ceremonies features one soup and only two other dishes.)
Included in the meal are hashiarai ("rinsing the chopsticks") -- a clear soup to cleanse the palate - and hassun (two ingredients - one from teh sea, and one from the mountains), yuto (slightly salty hot water), and pickles. When selecting the menu, care is given to not serve food with strong smells or tastes.

On particularly auspicious occassions (i.e., the kuchikiri - ceremony for first tea of season), another side dish preceds the hassun -- the azuke-bachi or shiizakana and consists of pickled food or food with Japanese dressing.

Sample menu (contemporary menu-- for more ideas, consult list of links that go to other kaiseki pages at red-bird):
1. Rice, uzumi-dofu soup with miso and butterbur garnish. Side dish : Japanese scorpionfish and baby leek served with soy sauce flavored by Japanese hot peppers
2. Steam baked yuba
3. Salt-broiled yellowtail with pickles and mustard-flavored soysauce. Side dish of daikon radish with meat. Another side dish of crab, natto, and yam.
4. Salmon smoked, mushroom seasoned with soy sauce. Course of Hashiarai and peeled, pickled plum
5. Yuto in pitcher accompanies pickles of radish, red turnip and turnip leaves
6. The confection served at the end of the meal is called uzumibi. The reddish paste covers a ball of sweetened, mashed black bean paste.

For other notes, refer to http://int.kateigaho.com/aut04/kyoto-tea-ceremony.html and also http://red-bird.org/himuragumiplus/culture/index.html . More info hopefully available soon.

Wish list #1:

Tue, 21 Feb 2006 23:56:09 GMT

Ne, ne. Shinsaku, Susumu...can I have one of these?

That's Binchou-tan. Charcoal girl. Don't ask .

Hm?

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 16:44:28 GMT

Why is Ken-san's favorite color that sort of red/pink color?

I always thought he wore blue and black during the old days. Is this a Hiten-Mitsurugi thing? Hiko-san and his cloak are red.

If that is so, then does that mean any person who wants to train in that style must wear red too? Or pink? I wonder if that spikey-haired boy will start wearing red or pink too.

Hm.

Notes: Japanese Flora Calendar

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 03:46:58 GMT

From "We Japanese" Book 1, Written by Frederic de Garis, for H.S.K. Yamaguchi, Managing Direcotr, Fujiya Hotel, Ltd. Japan

Each month of the year has its favorite flower or tree, their blooming seasons varying a little according to latitude and location in Japan's long stretch from north to south.

January, the pine; February, plum; March, the peach and pear; April, cherry; May, azalea, the peony, and wistaria (sic); June, iris; July, morning-glory; August, lotus; September has the "seven grasses of Autumn"; October, the chrysanthemum; November, the maples; and December, the camellia. The "seven grasses" are the hagi (bush, or Japanese clover), susuki (pampas grass), kuzu (arrow-root), nadeshiko (wild carnation), ominaeshi (maiden-flower), fujibakama (Chinese agrimony), and hirugao (convolvulvus -- wild morning-glory).

At Miyanoshita the seasonal blossoms appear as follows:

Plum (ume), February and March. Peach (momo) and Pear (Nashi), March and April. Cherry (sakura) from April 10 to 30. Azalea (Tsutsuji), May and early June. Wisteria (Fuji), last half of May. Peony (Shakuyaku) and Tree-Peony (Botan), first half of May. Iris (Shobu), late May and early June. Morning-glory (Asagao), July to mid-September. Lotus (Hasu), late July to mid-August. Chrysanthemum (Kiku), October and November. Maples (Momiji), in full color from mid-October to the end of November.

The orchids and other flowers in our greenhouses, heated by natural hot-spring water, are worth seeing."

In a totally abstract reality...

Sun, 20 Nov 2005 06:09:25 GMT

Oh, there are so many children here! I look around the festival and I see a lot of little girls and boys playing at the fishing pond, and then at the candy stand, and then ohhh.... there is the neighbor who just had a baby.

And there is a puppy right there.

And there is a little girl with braids right there.

And...

Himuragumi 2005 Poll Results: The best threads, the best moments

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 03:06:48 GMT

Best Fight Scene

Funniest Thread

Most Surprising Moment

Best Sex Scene:
Megs and Aoshi get it on

Chou, all by himself and yet not alone

Best use of a prop – no contest – Enishi poking Aoshi with a stick!

Best Insult – Hiko and Megumi

BEST THREADS!
Tie !

Himuragumi 2005 Poll Results: Our best supporting actors

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 03:04:35 GMT

Best Crossdresser

Sauciest Wench

Most perverted man

Best InsultER

Himuragumi 2005 poll results: Sexiest Man and Prettiest Woman

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 03:00:48 GMT

Sexiest man

Prettiest woman

What more can you ask for? Oh wait, don't answer that.

If you would like to display your banners in your userinfo page, please save them (if you can) to your own account. To add it to your userinfo page, log-in... go to "Manage" and then "Info." In the "About You" box, put in the following

< img src = "URL OF YOUR IMAGE"> That should cover it!.

Happy Halloween

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 18:37:59 GMT

*drapes sheet over head*

Ultimate ninja spy disguise! Form of... ghost!

whisper: check out my new layout too :)

>o

Wed, 26 Oct 2005 14:44:28 GMT

(In response to this thread)

Ayu wants to inform people that Shinsaku never behaved that way towards her when they were together!
Obviously Shinsaku secretly prefers women drunk and forward! ~~And as for not having been with her for ten years, he had his chance!~~

*sends her off to go ~~angst~~ make more violence*

Women only!

Sun, 23 Oct 2005 05:35:03 GMT

*takes out pot and beats up a stuffed scarecrow with a kimono on it*

:3 (OOC) Fanart

Sat, 22 Oct 2005 23:13:07 GMT

As usual not done until it's on Devart. (A few minor clean ups needed. ) Took me a few hours this afternoon. Now back to work :p.
If iconage is wanted, let me know.

(wahaha, *pokes Ayu*)

blink

Fri, 21 Oct 2005 14:12:53 GMT

http://www.livejournal.com/allpics.bml?user=squidboyno2

"Seduce?"

(The fanarts are from Gintama, which is a strange manga series that has Katsura, Takasugi, Okita and Hijikata.)

The adventures of the little boy who Ayu stole

Wed, 19 Oct 2005 16:44:28 GMT

(continuing from here!)

Morning comes and I snuggle the little boy next to me! I think it's time to wake up and have an adventure!

"Come on pumpkin," I throw off the futon covers and tickle his feet. "Let's go exploring!"

I then get up and wash up, putting out a bucket of water for the little ones to wash with, before heading to the kitchen to reboil the rice into something soft and soothing for their tummies.

"Today we are going to go ~~crashing~~ running around!"

This thread exists in no particular time or place. Feel free to drop in, spy from above, the side, underground, or be a disembodied voice, whila Ayu and Aoshi go exploring the AU worlds/friends section of the Gumi!

Obviously ... not busy posting (fanart)

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 05:48:02 GMT

For Kido-san and Takasugi// Historical notes

Mon, 17 Oct 2005 17:20:50 GMT

In response to this journal entry "controversy".

I spent part of Saturday slogging through Katsura's diaries. (I'm on 1871-2 at this point.)

The names Umenoshin/Umetaro/Umeto in these latest entries are being used interchangeably. The son of Takasugi is referred first to as "Tani Ume*" . He took this young man along with him on excursions where Shojiro, who was his adopted son (Son of deceased sister), was present.

These entries occurred days/ weeks prior to his adopted son Shojiro's departure to England. He apparently took the boys around with him on various excursions. (As a side note, Shojiro was to be sent to Europe for a period of 8-10 years. He died of TB on a Dutch ship several years later. The journal entry regarding his hopes for Shojiro was a particularly interesting one which I will type up and upload in the next few weeks.)

The name usage is a bit strange, inconsistent. References to Takasugi's other family always includes the family name. One can speculate that there were reasons for these oblique references.

I'll let you know if the young Tani reappears later. It doesn't indicate whether he was generally part of the household or why, but Kido-san had a contingent of 20-30 , consisting of various family, friends and Choshu expats. He was quite active in fending for the orphaned sons of Choshu... I have noticed no other references to Takasugi's son prior to this, however.

...

Other random nice things which I didn't tell our Matsu-player when I nerded out on IM.
-Katsura had many famous artists amongst his personal friends. If you want names, let me know so we can do some searches. He was a collector of swords too.
-I have a few more poems from him. They're okay. haha. He's no Basho, but he does tolerably okay.
-Katsura warms to Saigo during this time period. He talks much about his sincerity.

From Lesley Downer's book on geisha: She talked about the Ministry of Finance being really the real institution running the country for many years. Was Okubo Finance? One wonders...

I'm still amused that she talks about how women generally (once married) were relieved when their husbands went off to play. The concept of marriage is wholly different in Japanese culture, and decidedly unromantic. But it seems to really give the men something to enjoy. I mean seriously, multiple partners are like okay. As long as the man gives his wife deference for her position and he appropriately yields all financial elements, who cares if he goes off to see one of many mistresses? Ahahahahah.

>)

(*calms down Ayu, and tells Megs to stop laughing maniacally*)

Icons - Animated and Misc

Sun, 16 Oct 2005 01:50:09 GMT

Based on August Awards:

Hiko - irritated.

Happy Kenshin
(Kenshin slapping that sword around - From Kyoto arc)
Koryusen attack seen against Soujiro in second matchup
Hiko's attack against Fuji.

This one is not LJ okay:

And just random stuff.

(This is not LJ-friendly!)

Cred onigiri_chan please :D

Himuragumi Man Report #1

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 04:26:18 GMT

Saitou Hajime.
Time, or perhaps marriage, has seemed to mellow him out considerably. At the very least, he seems a little more sociable than when I last saw him so long ago. I wonder if he ever suspected that I liked him so much back then. I really would like to meet his wife! She must be a saint.

Takasugi Shinsaku
I don't remember him being so serious. I remember him working hard, but he used to encourage me more and make me laugh. Now I feel like there is a wall between us. I don't think he tells me things, nor can hear the things I want to tell him. And Yoshi and Sayuri... I wonder sometimes if they are his. I wouldn't mind it so much, other than what he told me about them being simply his students. In a way if they were, they would really be my children.

Susumu
Susumu seems sadder too than when I last saw him. Then to me, he just seemed angry when we were still in Kyoto. I don't think there is really much to be said, except that at least now I know he and I want the same things out of our relationship. I am worried about him though. He seems too inclined towards a particular temperment, much like me. I hope that he and I, together, can keep happy company.

Ken-san
He seems so different to me now. He's not that boy anymore that I met in Kyoto. He seems weary to me sometimes, and so very busy. I hope he is happier now. It would be nice to think that some of these old ones could be happy in this era.

Okita-san
I haven't talked much to him, and I am very curious as to what he is doing.   But I'm afraid to think that if he knew the truth he'd never forgive me. He loved them more than I did.   But they were unforgiving, and unbending.

Okina
He is much kinder than I would have expected. I feel very comfortable around him, and sometimes wish that he were my father. And if not him, then Ojiisan.

Oibore-san/Ojiisan
He tries to make everyone happy, and tries to give a kind word. I like him so much. I wonder whether he has any children anywhere.

Hiko-san
Potter-san loves Ken-san, I can tell. I am glad we have that in common. He is a quiet man, and that is a good thing sometimes. But he makes me feel shy.

Sagara-san
Sagara-san is actually less noisy than Harada-san! And he looks and sounds tough, but he always behaves whenever I see him. I wonder if he eats as much as Harada-san?

Shirojo-san
He is so curious! And tall! I wish I could talk to him, but after the trouble Susumu had ...

Shinomori-san
He hasn't changed much from what little I remember. I wish to trust him, but there is the matter that remains unresolved.

Cho-san
His hair is so tall! I think Shinichi was very amused by the hair.

That boy (Soujiro)
I am not sure that we met long enough to exchange names, but he was kind to Sayuri-chan. I hope if I go back to the store, he will come again.

Anji, Enishi, Dr. Gensai, Yutaro   have not met ayu. Ayu met Kama-chan but thinks Kama-chan is a lady :).

Spy files: Kaoru Okita

Wed, 28 Sep 2005 23:47:55 GMT

Okita Souji apparently had a daughter with a fox-demon creating

From Kidou Shinsengumi Moeyo Ken. :0