i've decided, i'm eating all of the figs

and not letting a single one go to rot ❊ sincerely creating and sincerely appreciating others' creations (just as intended) ❊

[esmenthe]

Knee-Deep in a Sea of Love Letters

Summary:

Love is in the air. But for one militant hothead, an anonymous confession of love might as well be a declaration of war.

There's still ~20 min left of Haruka's birthday where I live, and what better way to honor it than to throw her into some shenanigans with her favorite person in every universe?? 🤭

Chapter 1 up!

[esmenthe]

Stelvio Cipriani - "Quel pomeriggio maledetto - Seq. 11" (1977)

[bawlsjet]

[fujinoism-blog]

I will always think of Iku Nanazuki’s Doropanda Tours as being the official manga of Mai HiME.

[esmenthe]

dear ------,

I've found it.

A little corner in the ancient city, a short walk away from the cathedral. Tucked in the histories of centuries-old masonry is a fairly modern café, a universal solution for the seaborne wanderers. You never see the same people twice, save for the impassive waiter who only works Fridays and Sundays, and the owner's niece who clocks out on mid-week afternoons with fresh-picked flowers tucked under her arm.

Would you believe me if I said that I was searching for such a place? Here, where time is measured by a sliver of descending sunlight that glares from between the tall buildings across the street, falling over my closed eyes for a few precious minutes before retreating behind the stone. Here, in this place where I can place an order for some delightfully bitter coffee, and quietly enjoy the people-watching until it becomes sweet against my gums.

Would you believe that I laid my careful plans to travel across the globe, just so that I could drink coffee by sunset and listen to the heavy bells toll for me and every other wanderer drawn to this city?

You would, darling, chime in to say that I'm not exactly a wanderer, since my intent and purpose had been declared long before I set foot amongst esteemed artists. I would say that you're right, that my curricula is such that I always end up where the next lesson shall take place. My studies inspire me to live, and life inspires me to study. I can camouflage myself well amongst the vagabonds when it pleases me, though I'd much rather situate myself within the chapel frescoes that tell stories beyond time's measure.

I would entreat you to come and pay me a visit and experience the slow commencement of evening at my side, but by the time you receive this letter and make your plans, the sun's position will have shifted, and the warm light of day's end will have abandoned its path between the tall old edifices. Your face would end up cold, as would mine, but I would find a way to shoo away the chill from your cheeks.

It might be time for me to seek a new café, as well.

Awaiting you eagerly,

-----

[darusen]

Serial Kisser Mina Hazuki

[esmenthe]

wait

I'm not sure what possessed me to have this thought as I write fic for totally unrelated characters (pun intended, just wait)--

But since Mikoto was a HiME, if she was theoretically the last one standing, would she have to marry Reito?

No, right?? Please say no.

[lookcloverthere]

[esmenthe]

i'm rewatching mai-otome, and the first episode is every bit the fever dream that it was the first time it graced my eyes. i love it.

this quasi-mahou shoujo au is truly a treat. it's such fun to see new(er) characters join in the antics, too, of course. i'm finding that, for me, arika is growing on me with her very genki attitude much like mai did over the course of the og series. i think i'll reserve making a fuller comparison once i've worked a decent way through the rewatch-- so i'll just close this with saying that i like the nod to mai and natsuki's dynamic through arika and nina :)

a tiny confession: aside from wanting to sink into the nostalgia of this era in anime, my (other) main purpose for giving this a rewatch is research. world-building stuff, mostly, but i also want to watch my faves living it up again in an au, haha

another confession (tho is it really?): 'more shiznat' is all anyone needs to say to lure me in like a plankton to sunlight. it's really that simple. their dynamic is fun here, too-- and, oh my gosh, i love a shizuru that delights in showing off how capable she is. this feels very 'tendou maya' of her, but i'm also getting 'juri without the gay grief' vibes, big time. i know i know, shizuru is smack dab in the middle of these two queens, but i think what really matters is my taste in class president-types, yes?

(though, does maya count, there?? alas, i'm getting carried away, huh... )

anyway, arika is 1000% me, swooning over how beautiful shizuru is + picking our jaws up from the floor after watching her take out the monster of the day. i appreciate what an honestly exciting first ep it is, especially this time around. right, it's definitely a fever dream of a very delightful variety, and i'm honestly just here for the vibes while i work on some tactile projects. ('these costumes were sponsored by mai-hime/otome!' ...or something like that )

thanks for reading, catch you on the next ep!

[esmenthe]

I enjoy that the leitmotif over the last few days has been comprised of firecrackers and rainfall.

It's a good day for rain (I say, and this sentiment holds true for most rainy days that cross my path), and it's a better day for answering the invitation to burrow in just a bit deeper, away from the winter chill.

[detailedart]

Details: Design for The Magic Flute: The Hall of Stars in the Palace of the Queen of the Night, Act 1, Scene 6. 1847–49. By Karl Friedrich Schinkel.

[slut4margiela]

[esmenthe]

dear ---- ,

This gloomy February morning is witness to another bout of overthinking at the windowsill. I don't quite mind the bite of this coastal air, and mind it less and less as the years claim me. 'The discomforts of my youth have become my fortifications' -- doesn't that sound like something my father would say? Yet, of us both, he at least has the wherewithal to temper his mind once it has simmered for too long. In my hands, these thoughts are fragile scraps, paper confetti eager to be tossed over the dancing crowds below.

Let them cling to another soul. Let them be pressed into the rain-kissed earth with each rhythmic step. I wish to be rid of them, and I have rid myself of them for small pockets of time. It is the only way to divest yourself properly before letting the chants and cheers parade you away into the night.

Alas, the music has ceased with the dawn. It feels as though the world is quietly sobering up, hasty to rush back into its dying routine. Why can't we keep dancing? Why do the empty streets, with mud-soaked confetti clinging inside the grooves of the mortar, fill me with such regret?

Were you with me now, no doubt our feet would keep in time with the steps of a silent rhythm. We would be laughing over something warm as we watch the people hurrying along while nature still sleeps. I miss wordlessly slipping back into the flow of life alongside you, fortified by our beliefs in a future meant for us.

If we were together, even these clouds above would be an unblemished stretch of sky.

I must admit, I fear that the pain of our distance is still a discomfort that I have yet to alchemise into a strength. Please keep me in your thoughts, won't you? It is second-best to where I long to be, after all.

With love,

----

P.S. I've come to the conclusion that patience is simply a discomfort disguised as a virtue. A topic better left for when we are face-to-face once again.

[esmenthe]

Love you For God Love you For the Mother

[shizukais]

[esmenthe]

welcome, welcome

I guess this is as much a greeting to myself as it is to anyone else lol

I've been thinking fondly of the early blogging days, what this site was like when I first started using it ~15 years ago (and now I'm back after a verrry long break). Back in those days, I was posting my cosplay and making friends though that community. The creativity in the scene was so inspiring, and the series coming out at the time were pretty fun, too. The vibes of some of the stuff being released now are definitely interesting-- I think I just need to take more pictures this time around. Lots of things lost to time (or worse, lost to misplaced SD cards in cameras, or pilfered laptops).

Such is life, right?

And I could probably (absolutely) opine about the exuberant, carefree nature of those years, as well, but it's fine to honor the time capsule without wallowing in rose-tinted recollections.

Yes, yes, it's nice to look around oneself presently and be welcoming of even happier days ahead 😌

Anyway, I'm at a place where I both curiously wonder what I'm gonna use this blog for, and find relief that I'll be using it for exactly what I need. A fun place to be-- isn't it fun to be excited about things? It feels like a much-needed currency to graciously exchange for creativity. If there's anything I've learned over the past year, it's definitely that.

Take care, take care~

[stereobabe]

song of the day 11/5/25 - Who Be Lovin' Me (feat. ILOVEMAKONNEN) by Santigold.