Dot Dot Dot 🍓 Anon Back Again

(OC) Dr. Liebe

TRIP 08

Happy Maid Day! ft. Eichi

[TL] BIOHAZARD/Chapter 5

[ This post uses Ois~su ♪ ]

Time: That night

Location: In living quarters of the AIIE experiment grounds

Rei: Uwaa, we’re having a sleepover with all of UNDEAD~♪

Fufu. The SS preliminaries was the perfect opportunity for one, but Kaoru-kun was thrown into a desert and separated from us.

I’m happy that the four of us can have a sleepover together peacefully– gah!?

Koga: ...

Rei: Koga? Don’t throw an omanjuu at me? Is this your way of telling me you want to play?

Koga: Stop bein’ so happy-go-lucky, vampire bastard. The hell you mean, pajama party.

Rei: Oya, how nostalgic. Could this be that you want me to call you ‘wanko’ for the first time in a while?

Koga: I ain’t callin’ you that for nostalgia purposes, I’m insultin' you.

Rei: How troubling. Please don’t take your frustrations out on me.

We’ve all given our consent to take part in this experiment.

We can’t complain now, can we?

Koga: We was basically forced to? If it hadn’t been us, it woulda been like, Ra*bits who haven’t done nothin’ wrong.

Then we’d hafta live with the knowledge that them lot are now the victims whilst we watch from the sidelines.

It’s better for our own mental health to just do it for real, right?

‘Cos I don’t like this at all. Don’t forget that.

Kaoru: Ahaha. It’s definitely a little off putting and shady sounding, but it makes for an interesting story, right?

AI idols and stuff– no, technology and science in general has come a long way. Really, it’s like an old sci-fi movie.

If this was just a movie, or even just someone else’s problem, I think it could have been a lot of fun.

Adonis: I also don’t feel great about this but I am interested in terms of the development of science and technology.

This is the future we thought of when we learnt about Voc*loid and drawing AIs, and it’s becoming a reality right in front of our eyes.

We’re now living in a near sci-fi world that people from the past could only imagine.

It’s like a dream, whether that’s a good or a bad thing.

I’m excited.

Kaoru: Ahaha. That totally has the vibe of a boyish heroic novel.

I don’t particularly like that sort of thing either. At the end of the day, I’m still the son of an academic who reached for the sea in search of romance and mystery.

Adonis: I also dislike jumping into areas I don’t know about.

Rei: If we think realistically, if we had refused to take part, there was the likelihood of RhythmLink turning their backs on us.

I suspect they would be rather unpleasant in the matter.

This is a necessary step so we are not thrown to the side. The compensation is rather impressive, and, in simple terms, profitable for us.

Well, we made quite the sum of money during the SS, so we have some to spare.

If an experiment such as ‘AI idols’ is successful, implemented, and announced to the world, won’t they look to us as we were the test subjects? Doesn’t that make this all worth it?

Koga: But this doesn’t solve the problem we’re havin’. They’re just killin’ time, it literally has nothin’ t’do with our situation.

This better not turn into a goose chase, wastin’ time runnin’ ‘round lookin’ stupid.

Rei: Umu. We should all brainstorm some ideas in order to solve the root of the problem, as Koga said. Fortunately, we have been blessed with plenty of time to do so.

Kaoru: Mmm… I was kinda on guard when they said experiment, but if they’re just asking us to stay the night here?

Rei: Umu. We will be given medicine, which will cause us to sleep for about half a day. In that time, via the devices connected to our heads, data will be collected and compiled.

During the time we are not asleep, we will exercise to prevent our bodies from weakening, and eat to keep up our energy levels. Let’s all get on, the four of us.

The testing period will last approximately one week. During this time, any other forms of work are banned, as the extra stimulus may skew the results.

Our phones will be confiscated, and we will be separated from the outside world.

Kaoru: Kinda feels like being a prisoner or a hospital patient… Welp, this’ll be easy money if all we’ve got to do is laze around.

Rei: Umu. I suppose we can take it easy. We will be paid regardless as to whether the experiment produces useful results or not, so it’s not a complete waste of time.

Fortunately, this location is better than a hospital or a prison.

Look, there are some cards and board games we can use to kill time. Let’s play until it’s time for us to sleep.

Koga: Ain’t you bein’ too relaxed ‘bout this whole thing?

Rei: That’s a good thing, is it not? I’ve been acting unusually mature since my youth, so I do not have many experiences like this. Such as having a sleepover with friends of the same age—

That’s why. I can’t be sure of the future, but I know I am very happy right now ♪

[ ☆ ]

Chapter 4

Seven Bridges - Epilogue 4

Location: Tanabata Stage Characters: Tsukasa, Adonis, Kouga, Ritsu & Arashi

Kouga: Looks like you guys have your own hands full with your issues, huh, “Knights”. We don’t have any new members, so we don’t have any particularly big problems.

But our goals and our senior’s goals are the exact opposites, so it feels like we’re gonna be split in half.

“If you gain victory in all of the seven stages during ‘Tanabata Fest’...”

“...I’ll acknowledge your skills and stand on stage with you.” Is what he told me, actin’ like a master or somethin’.

Honestly, I’m super pissed. I bet he just said that to make us motivated, but I know exactly what he’s up to.

…I’m seriously annoyed at the fact that he still treats us like we’re a bunch of immature kids who he’s gotta guide through in life.

Adonis: Hehe. That’s why we went past all the rest of the stages and arrived at this stage – our meeting place – far ahead of the time we were supposed to meet our upperclassmen.

They should be able to see us in a new light now.

Kouga: That ain’t good enough, Adonis. We’ve gotta really shove it in their faces and show ‘em what we’re really made of.

We’ve gotta beat ’em to a pulp and make ‘em grovel in front of us!

Ritsu: I see you’ve got quite the hot temper, corgi.

Kouga: I don’t wanna hear that from you, Ricchi. Since you’re from a warring place that always gets into fights!

Arashi: We’ve been pretty peaceful lately, you know?

Tsukasa: That’s right. But, although it’s embarrassing, our opponent is the “Peace Party” this time. We always feel alive when we’re fighting with someone.

Quite frankly, I’m having a lot of fun right now ♪

Arashi: You’re definitely a member of “Knights”.

I could never get used to that. Not then, not now.

…I wanted to live without making waves as best as I could.

I hated conspiracies and fighting. Honestly, my time as a kids model was full of those things and I was sick of it all.

It feels like I was contaminated and no longer pure thanks to that bloody era.

I hate my past self. I hated how I kicked people down and stood on top of them, how I wanted everyone to love me and how I used to struggle in such an unsightly way. I hate it so much.

That’s a past I want to pretend never happened. Just like the cenotaph at Yumenosaki.

That’s why I also understand how the people felt when they wanted to get rid of it. It’s only natural – everyone wants to live cleanly in an uncontaminated world.

But I decided to throw away my past self and enrolled into Yumenosaki to start anew – I put on glasses and did my best not to stand out.

But someone found me and they fell in love with me.

Adonis: …………

Arashi: He loved composing, just like Leo-kun.

He was terrible at it and couldn’t come close to that genius. Frankly, the songs he made me listen to were awful.

The melody he made while thinking of me still remains within my ears – within my heart.

It rings loud and clear, even now. Even when he’s no longer alive and he’s turned into a star in the sky.

But I was so frivolous and flippant back then and would throw things away once I was bored with it. I was selfish.

I decided I didn’t need the “kids model Arashi Narukami” which was created by hurting others and desperately tried to throw it away.

Say, how long do you think the me back then could keep holding on to that person’s song without throwing it away?

It’s fine now, I still remember it. When I wanted to be alone, I used to visit that cenotaph often to talk to that person.

That person passed away along with his feelings for me, so he won’t hurt me like a living human would.

I projected my ideal image of him in my head, told him my worries and had him spoil and love me.

That terrible song would always pop into my head during those times.

But the cenotaph would be destroyed. The stone monument with his name carved into it that everyone else had already forgotten would be destroyed.

I’m someone who doesn’t want to do unnecessary things, so I’m sure I won’t be going to that place much in the future. Even if I did, there would be nothing there.

His footsteps would get even further from me and I’ll start to remember his name less and less…

Then, I’d have most definitely forgotten his song. His face, the words he’d say – everything.

The remnants of his kind character who lessened my burdens. I’d have forgotten it all.

That scares me. It frightens me. So much that it makes me tremble.

I hate myself for the fact that I’ll someday forget about him. I was embarrassed and hated seeing myself turning into that.

I didn’t know what I should do. That’s why I’m acting weird and causing everyone to worry about me.

It’s pathetic, isn’t it? Since I’m always pretending to be a big sister that everyone can rely on.

Adonis: Narukami.

Arashi: Oh, sorry. That was a strange topic. We’re right in the middle of a performance, so we shouldn’t be chatting away like this.

I’ve got to show everyone that came to see us today that I’m a perfect and beautiful idol.

Adonis: I see. So that’s your pride, Narukami.

Your wish is to be someone you can continue to love.

Arashi: You have a problem with that? We were brought into this world to love and be loved, you know?

Adonis: You’re right. My mother said something similar.

I think I now know why I felt a certain sense of affinity with you when we first met.

Arashi: Oh? Did I remind you of your mother? There, there. You can think of me as your mother and depend on me ♪

Adonis: Don’t make fun of me. That’s a bad habit of yours, Narukami. Talking about important matters seriously isn’t something to be embarrassed about. 

Arashi: …………

Adonis: But you said something very good just now.

Arashi: What? Maybe it’s cause you tend to speak in a simple manner, but sometimes, you say things that I can’t understand.

Adonis: I apologise. I’ll work hard to make sure my feelings are conveyed properly.

But, instead, I’ll convey my feelings to you right now by using the nonverbal communication that my mother loved.

I’ll convey them by doing what I’m good at – in the form of a performance.

“♪~♪~♪”

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

AI defenders will make it seem as if art is this gatekept pastime that only the most elite can partake in and they’re making it possible for the “normies” to create meanwhile one of the most memorable pieces of recent art I’ve ever seen is “My son’s drawing of safe”

A small but very interesting observation. Rei's character trait, which makes him please people, is partly a consequence of his upbringing in his family. Judging by the words of Rei himself, the Sakuma clan was oppressed and persecuted in the distant past (probably during the witch hunt) because of its vampire characteristics of the body. And the condition by which the Sakuma could live among people was "to be harmless and useful". So this model of upbringing, which arose from the desire of the Sakuma family to survive, has become just a tradition and a feature of the character of all representatives of this family. Therefore, both Rei, and partly Ritsu, and most likely everyone else from the Sakuma clan have a tendency to want to be useful to others. That's such an interesting thing.

"Because we are harmless and useful, my family was allowed to exist in this world."

"Even in our modern era, when strange things have disappeared, it is difficult to change the way of life that was imprinted in my soul and genes and was fixed thanks to my education."

So these problems of Rei are not only related to his angelic personality (although that too).

She’s 6 years old, crowded around her mother with her three sisters. Their newest sibling has just been born and they’re all curious about the baby. What gender is it, one asks. What’s it’s name, says another. There’s a lot of chatter and her head is ringing as their mother finally speaks. It’s a boy, the first boy born to their family in several generations, and his existence must be kept a secret, she says, but we will name him Kohaku. 

Kohaku Oukawa is born in a room full of life, with four older sisters taking turns holding him and letting him grab at their fingers, cooing over his features as their mother rests. The midwife is cleaning up from the afterbirth and the men are conversing in the corner, but for the second eldest daughter, she feels a special connection with the little boy in her arms. He has the same bright pink hair as her and she’d swear that they both had their mother’s eyes. She bounces him in her arms and for a moment, the entire world is just him in her arms. 

The years go by and it's hard not to remark on the similarities between her and her brother. Kohaku is a spitting image of her to the point that it’s almost uncanny. As soon as Kohaku could walk, she had been told that she would begin training as his body double. It was obvious that despite being 6 years older than the toddler, they were remarkably similar in every way, down to the way they spoke and picked at their fingers. She was to be his protector, taking his place should the Suou family discover him.  

By the time she was 14 and he was 8, the two of them had become practically inseparable. Despite his isolation, she would always find a way to sneak in toys and books for him and spend time playing with him. They trained together of course, she was often his sparring partner as well, but the moments where he’s alone in the room and she’s picked the lock again and they’re laughing at something stupid in a magazine were her favorite moments. It was important for him, too, to have some sort of connection to the outside world like that. 

Despite the large age gap, the two almost always got along. She had more life experience and helped Kohaku with his homework and reading. He always had a listening ear to her problems, though he didn’t understand the plight of being a teenage girl, he could at least offer his presence. Both of them constantly fought with their parents about Kohaku’s isolation as well. She knew that it was for his safety, but he deserved to make some friends. She had even gone out of her way to disguise herself as him like she was taught and talk with the young head of the Suou family and see if he would be a suitable friend for the youngest Oukawa. Soon after, she began to stay in the room for Kohaku as he went out to play with the young Suou boy, talking about eating bugs like kids their age should be. 

He tells her about his time with the young Suou when he comes back, talking about how stupid the other boy is, how arrogant, but always with an air of friendly teasing to his remarks. She thinks that it’s great how the two of them have gotten along so well and she’s already planning for when she can cover for him again the next week. 

Despite being their youngest sibling, none of her other sisters spend nearly as much time with him as she does. They’d taken turns babysitting him when the family was out, especially before he could walk and eat solid foods, but as he grew older that time with him decreased. As she is his body double, she spends more time with him than just about anyone else, and her sisters have a lot to ask her about. How’s he doing, is he learning his kanji okay, how does he spend his free time locked up like that. She answers them as best as she can, but she knows some things are better left in the dark. 

The one day they do all get to spend time with Kohaku is on his birthday. Those chilly February days are always filled with laughter and celebration as everyone catches up with each other and Kohaku gets to see more of his sisters. They always tease him and poke at him, but never too much, just enough to make him flustered. How were his studies going, they’d ask. Why you’re getting so big, the eldest exclaimed, picking him up and squeezing him. He would blush and stutter out a response, which only led to more teasing from the sisters.

The second eldest took part in this too, though to a lesser extent, as she got her fill during the rest of the year. She’d tease him about his clothes getting too small or being too big for him to fill out properly, how he still couldn’t quite beat her in a fight despite all of his blustering that he could. He was six years younger than her, it was to be expected that at least for a while he would be weaker than she was by default after all. 

On his thirteenth birthday, when she was nineteen, he finally managed to flip her onto the ground. She told him it was only because he had taken her by surprise, but he held it over her head for the rest of the day and for once, the brunt of the teasing was on her. At the end of the party, she returned the favor and flipped Kohaku clean over her shoulder onto the floor and stuck her tongue out cheekily at him. 

That year was also the year she snuck him his first electronic device. It wouldn’t be easy to hide a laptop at all, and a phone would be noticed if it was on their plan suddenly and without explanation, so she gave him a tablet instead. Big enough for him to type easily with his fingers and see text clearly, small enough to stuff under a pillow quickly if someone walked in on him with it out. She set up an email and some social media accounts under fake names and aliases for him, as well as some parental controls just to make sure he didn’t spend too much time on it and neglect his studies. Even he deserved to have some connection to the outside world besides through the young head of the Suou family. 

After a few months she began to hear about a new friend he had met through Twitter, someone who went by the name of LoveSwan, or simply Love for short. Kohaku seemed completely enamored with his newfound friend and talked extensively about the other boy and how they just seemed to… click. She was just happy he was able to find someone else to talk to besides his family. 

Kohaku was also quickly approaching her height, and might even grow to be taller than her, though there were still a few centimeters between them. It really was like looking into a mirror, looking at him. His youthfulness and his innocence (or what innocence he could have in a family like theirs) reflecting her own childhood that had, in a sense, been taken from her. She wasn’t jealous by any means of her brother, who had his own hardships, having been locked up for his entire adolescence, but she was almost jealous of how he hadn’t quite lost his childhood spark. He was beginning to go through his rebellious phase, especially as the young master of the Suou family had begun talking about joining a high school for idols next year. 

He wanted to be free, to see the outside world and walk around without fear of the Suou family hurting him. She told him she would talk with their family, though it wasn’t guaranteed to happen right away, as he was still two years away from being high school aged and able to enroll in any sort of academy. She ruffled his hair and put him in a headlock, laughing as he tried to escape, one last little moment before she left. 

It was almost a year before she saw Kohaku again. She had been sent out on a mission halfway across the country that took longer than expected, but it would be worth it if her parents held up their end of the bargain. She peeled her bloodstained gloves from her hands and tossed them in the fire. There would be no trace of her involvement if she could help it, but the deed had been done. 

And she could finally see her brother again soon, hopefully with good news. She would never tell him what she had agreed to do in order to secure his freedom, but she would never regret it either. 

When she returned she prostrated herself before her parents, asking that they uphold their end of the deal and allow Kohaku to be free when he turned 15. It would still be another year before he gained his freedom, but he would be able to enroll in a high school and follow in the young master Suou’s footsteps as an idol. He had his whole life ahead of him in the light and she wanted him to be able to embrace it however he saw fit. 

As she sat, forehead on the ground before her parents, they commended her efforts in the last mission and agreed that Kohaku would be able to leave the confines of their home. While his existence was still messy and complicated, it would be more difficult for the Suou family to eliminate him if he had a life on the outside. She agreed, sitting upright and smiling wide, excited to tell her brother the good news. Just one more year in purgatory and he would finally be able to leave and begin his life. 

For the next year, she began preparing Kohaku for his entry into the real world, bringing in more magazines and books and telling him about the different types of people that were out there and how to protect himself from bad actors. She was almost certainly being overbearing, but she wanted her brother to be as ready as possible for the real world, a place she had been free to roam since she was a child. 

Kohaku was 15, ready to leave and she was 21 with tears in her eyes as they stood at the train station. The young master Suou had accompanied them and said he would make sure Kohaku would at least make it to the place he called Ensemble Square, and Kohaku agreed to be on his best behavior and not cause trouble. She gave him one last hug and ruffle of his hair before the two of them stepped on the train and pulled away from the station. 

She kept an eye on the news about Ensemble Square and eventually saw that her brother had joined a unit called Crazy:B, although their reputation seemed to be low among the public given how they had relentlessly attacked other units. She sighed and wondered what exactly had happened in the few months since Kohaku had left home that had already gotten him in trouble like this, but even she couldn’t help but notice that most of the news coverage of Crazy:B focused on their leader, one Amagi Rinne. Though she didn’t know much about him, he seemed to be shielding the other members from the spotlight. What articles that did focus on the other members scarcely seemed to mention Kohaku at all, instead focusing on the one known as HiMERU who also seemed to take a slightly more active role in their activities. 

It was only five months after their debut that Kohaku called her, asking if she’d be willing to help him out. He needed to visit the member of his other unit in another part of Japan, but the rules of the competition prevented him from traveling openly and he needed someone to step in. She agreed, of course, wanting to take this as an opportunity to make sure his unitmates in Crazy:B were treating him well. She would need to disguise herself as him for at least a few days and participate in idol activities with them, and while she hadn’t been trained to sing and dance, it wasn’t anything she couldn’t learn with a little bit of practice. He even told her that Rinne was on board with the whole thing and was excited to meet her. 

When she landed at the airport, she was greeted by three men that had been vaguely described by Kohaku but matched the rough image she had of them from photos and videos of their performances. She was picked up in a bear hug by the one called Rinne, whom she threw to the ground in a show of strength. Rinne just laughed it off and commented on how she really was Kohaku’s sister. The other two men were much more respectful of her, greeting her with a wave and offering her some food after her flight. She smiled and accepted the snack. 

The next few days, the three other members of Crazy:B had already made an impact on her. The way they talked about Kohaku told her that he trusted them with parts of himself that he often kept hidden from even some of their family members, and the four of them had shared many memories together. She was almost… jealous of the way that Kohaku had so easily made friends with these people and how they seemed ready to do anything for him, though they were easy to get along with and she had begun to tease them as well, she had to maintain her distance from them despite the nicknames and jokes. 

Even when Kohaku had returned and she was ready to step back and return to her duties as a member of the Oukawa family, after the Sudden Death match, Kohaku and Crazy:B still offered to take her out for one last hurrah to celebrate their accomplishments. She tried to decline, but was quickly dragged along by Niki to the restaurant they had picked out. The five of them ate and laughed well into the night and by the end of it she didn’t want to leave even though she had to. The warmth that radiated from Crazy:B was something she didn’t want to let go of quite yet. 

The four members of Crazy:B had tired themselves out when she finally slipped away, a sad smile on her face as she took one last look at the light of the restaurant. She would miss these men she had only known for a few days, but at least she knew her brother was in good hands, and that she could rest easier knowing he was safe with them. 

goths <3

I was asked why there's a zionist claim that the Palestininian identity is not legitimate. And I think it's important to understand why Palestinians as a whole are seen as a threat by Israel. To understand why it's not about Hamas.

The claim is that the Palestininian identity was made up in order to push us out. Palestinian existence is a threat to the legitimacy of Israel as a country.

I was taught in school that Palestine was empty when we got here. They used a Mark Twain quote. It was a barren land full of swamps and some nomadic people (Beduins) but as soon as we wanted to come here, the awful antisemitic Arabs sent people to settle here before we could to take up the space. I was in school in the settlements though. I was taught the most extreme version of this.

Another version of this is that Palestine was never its own thing, they're just Arabs the same as all Arabs from the surrounding countries. So they could just... scooch over and give us the space, please and thank you. In Israel no one uses the term Palestinian. If I do, people roll their eyes and dismissively go "Arab." An Arab is an Arab. It's a way to strip away their unique identity and blend them in with the rest to say they could always move to Jordan, or Syria, or Lebanon, and it's all the same to them.

It's a way to make Palestinian existence by itself into a malicious plot to deny us a homeland.

Because if Palestinians exist as a distinct group of people, we aren't the only ones with a connection to this land. And you don't create an ethnostate by sharing.

I see other forms of this mentality. Why won't all these Muslim countries take the people of Gaza as refugees? That's asking why they won't help Israel make its ethnic cleansing more neat and convenient. Yes, refugees should be taken in and given shelter. But this question shifts responsibility away from Israel. Palestinians shouldn't be forced suffer either ethnic cleansing that leaves them as refugees, or a genocide.