reflect

hinata haruno, shsl nohyakusha. they/them pronouns. status: alive. affiliated with semester of desolation 2.

[matialonsorphoto]

completo.

by matialonsor

[activeoblivion-deactivated20210]

…but giving up is hard to do

[floralls]

Wissembourg, France by  ohlovelylies

[floralls]

by  i.Anton ☂

[floralls]

F l o t s a m (autumn - winter), 2015 by lisasorgini

[activeoblivion-deactivated20210]

our role is clear never stray far from the path

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day Friday 5 August 2016

The flower covered Aesculus parviflora (dwarf buckeye, bottlebrush buckeye) looks like a fluffy white cloud. This multi-stemmed large suckering deciduous shrub has palmate leaves which open bronze, then dark green, eventually turning yellow in autumn. The erect panicles of white flowers have prominent stamens, and are sometimes followed by smooth fruits. I really loved the secret green room within the canopy.

Jill Raggett

[taishou-kun]

Hello Kitty ハローキティ Doujouji 道成寺 Noh 能 play tatebanko 立版古 - Japan - 2009

[shsl-meridian]

|Chapter 2| Hey It's Ya Boy | Ken | Normdays [Attn: Hinata]

[shsl-iaidoka-blog]

Kushinada- really?

If he thought that he was the one with poor jokes, he was clearly mistaken. It seemed that Hinata was the one that wanted to outdo him in that regard. Outdo them they did. Not to his surprise. Not even remotely. Kenichi crossed his arms.

“…If you are Orochi, that makes me Susanoo.” 

He was the one with the sword, after all.

As if to place emphasis on this, he leaned back, his arm instinctively reaching for the bag with his shinai. Ken dragged it ever so slightly forward, until the tip was about an inch away from the edge of the little cove he was hiding in. He wasn’t seriously about to pull a weapon on them, but… Well.

“Rest assured I do not need sake to finish you.”

Did they even drink sake? He doubted that.

“But if it amuses you, you can finish your sentence.”

[shslmaskfox-blog]

They couldn’t help but take a step backward – metaphorically, of course. They were still sitting, after all.

But no, Hinata responded to the words – and the following gesture – by tilting their head forward, and making no other additional movements. There was enough light to cast the proper shadows, making it look like they were smiling. They might have been. 

“Consider the assurance well-rested... but I think you would make a lovely comb.”

They raised their chin, finally exhaling – had they been holding it?

“Correct as you may be, Susanoo did not become an eternal legend from sword alone.”

There was the amused tone in their voice, and they spoke... like an elder teaching a child about a lesson. And they were! Or maybe not. They were probably just being cheeky.  Hinata bowed as low as they could without having to stand or leaning forward enough to tip themself off the rock and into the water.

“Thank you, though. I was going to say: my condition is: Grant me passage into your shelter.”

How anticlimactic, considering the whole reference. Still, the waterfall thing was getting pretty old – or at least, it didn’t make for very good conversationing. A good topic, but trying to focus on something while having water continually poured on you wasn’t as enjoyable.

They seemed to think the best way to denote this was with a single, additional statement.

“It is very wet.”

[shsl-meridian]

|Chapter 2| Hey It's Ya Boy | Ken | Normdays [Attn: Hinata]

[shsl-iaidoka-blog]

A smile? That was new.

“…I wasn’t aware that was how it worked.”

A joke. It was a joke.

Perhaps meditation did more than simply stir him. It certainly made him ever so slightly livelier. Enough that he had made an actual, real life joke. Would he smile? Grin? Chuckle? The world may never know. Instead of any of that, Ken was more than satisfied to just continue staring at them. He had been staring at them for as long as he had noticed them, anyways.

What were they doing there anyways? It was weird to see them sitting there enjoying something, especially the cold water. Weirder still that they were actively pursuing a position before them. Today was a strange day in general, wasn’t it?

“I’m unable to meditate with you… Staring. Will conversation sate you instead?”

Sate. That was an interesting word. Perhaps not used correctly, but interesting nonetheless. 

It wasn’t like he was meditating properly, anyways. Surely he’d be able to meditate with them staring. How different could it be? Different enough? Maybe. He wasn’t about to find out, anyways. Now that he had spoken, he may as well continue with the conversation.

[shslmaskfox-blog]

Hinata perked up. Again, he’d been the one invite conversation... granted, this time it was due to their own willing intrusion. That was fine. 

“Only when one allows it.”

The joke was... something. An arguably not-joke, considering Kenichi had done little to signify it as such, but he wasn’t the most expressive person anyway -- and neither were they. Considering the nature of their past interaction, they figured if they were overstepping their bounds, it was likely he’d be upfront about it anyway. Either way, they sensed no hostility.

So they continued on, after he’d spoken up once more.

“Sate?”

It looks like Hinata had the same idea: it was an odd word to use.

“Am I to assume that you are offering yourself as the sacrifice, then?”

They leaned back with a small hum, looking Kenichi over. To… anyone watching, it might have seemed like they were checking him out. Instead, they were just playing up the theatrics. What theatrics, you might ask?

It was a few moments later that they finally let up on their examination, letting out a sigh. The action of sighing itself was an exaggeration -- Hinata hardly ever sighed. Otherwise it was... a pretty normal-sounding one.

“Alas, the preparations are incomplete. You are no Kushinada, and there is no sake present. Nevertheless, I will accept your offer... on one condition.”

They’re a nerd.

[taishou-kun]

Burt Glinn (1925-2008)

Noh actor Iwaho Kungo with his masks, Miyajima 宮島, Japan - 1961

Source : Magnum photos

[shsl-meridian]

|Chapter 2| Hey It's Ya Boy | Ken | Normdays [Attn: Hinata]

[shsl-iaidoka-blog]

Silence.

First came the silence.

Then came the wind, in all of its glory. It was thunderous, angry, powerful- it commanded his attention. All at once, and yet at the same time to give into its whims would defeat its purpose. So Ken stilled himself, mentally, and allowed the wind to pass.

Then came the rain, a prickling reminder. Gentle ticks evolved into the sounds of heavy splashes. Footsteps. Movement. There was something wrong. A memory- his memory. Running, walking, laughing. A warmth in his chest, a familiar feeling, a pleasant feeling.

“Do you think we’ll find a home…?”

“We don’t need to find one- we’ll make one.”

The warmth in his heart grew.

Replaced by a fire, and with that came-

Kenichi opened his eyes.

Now aware of his visitor, the iaidoka did little but stay still. His eyes faltered for a second- almost as if he didn’t want to keep them open. Yet there he was. Sitting there, water occasionally hitting his face from the downpour of the waterfall, staring at Hinata. 

Were they a friend?

Kenichi narrowed his eyes. His limbs were- well, limbered. He felt a certain level of energy, like he could suddenly climb the rock wall with the water pouring onto him, straight up, for several hours. Meditation never seemed to calm him, didn’t it?

Oh well.

[shslmaskfox-blog]

To any other person, it might have seemed dreadfully boring, sitting under the waterfall and watching some dude meditate. But it was fascinating to them – especially when he noticed them. He seemed more awake now... kind of.

Regardless, they stared back at him. Tried to maintain the same stillness he had accomplished in his little nook – and succeeded, for the most part. Sitting on the rock certainly made it less of a burden to carry the water their clothes held. It was uncomfortable, but after a point you stopped feeling the cold and the weight.

They had better things to focus on, anyway.

Ten minutes of solid staring – at the least – had passed before Hinata finally spoke.

“Apologies. Please, do not let me interrupt your meditation.”

… they were kind of sincere. If his inner peace was disturbed by their presence, then that was a shame.

But they were also amused; the way they leaned forward slightly, their expression soft enough to almost warrant a smile... it said it all.

What? Their splashing around had put them in a good mood – good enough to make jokes, it seemed. Or... whatever that was. Thanks.

[sleepyberry]

[shsl-meridian]

|Chapter 2| Hey It's Ya Boy | Ken | Normdays [Attn: Hinata]

Kenichi certainly had not expected to find a place like this. When the area was described as a waterfall, he had expected it to be rougher. Ken had expected the water to come crashing down with a certain level of intensity. He had expected it to be far, far rougher than it actually was. 

Not that it was a bad thing, at least. The fact that the water came down at a calm pace gave him plenty of opportunities to use it as a meditation spot! It had been a few weeks at least since he had a good spot to simply sit and rest, and even fewer that gave him such a wonderful view.

Wasn’t it a bit cliche to meditate under a waterfall?

Whatever.

It was a double blessing that the waterfall was left mostly to its own devices. It gave Ken a sense of security knowing that he was the only person there, and it even if he wasn’t, the cover of the waterfall would be enough to let him settle down.

The iaidoka took off his jacket and shirt, changing out of his usual stuffy school attire into a simple pair of swim trunks. He usually meditated while clothed, but hey, he wasn’t keen on getting his clothes wet. 

Behind the waterfall was an easy to reach ledge, which happened to lead to a relatively small nook. It wasn’t much, but it had enough space for him to sit comfortably and meditate. The waterfall would still be able to strike him, but he was far enough from the brunt of it.

Besides, it would make for an interesting challenge.

Now that he had pulled himself onto the ledge, Kenichi set his bag towards the back of the nook and took a seat. With a deep breath and shut eyes, he allowed his body to relax and his mind to settle…

For now.

[shslmaskfox-blog]

That was a lot of water.

For the initial few minutes, Hinata was perfectly content with just standing there and watching the water crash down into the pond… lake? It was much bigger than the spring, and didn’t look as pristine… but that was fine, really! It only added to their fascination, even if it was hard to see anything past the leaf-covered surface. 

But they tried anyway, stepping closer to the water’s edge to take a look.

And boy, were they glad nobody was nearby because there were fish! And nobody would be able to see them lean down and swipe at the water, very much like a cat… were they trying to get the little minnows in the water or something?

The answer: … yes. Even if they didn’t mean to seriously catch anything or do anything with the minnows they caught; shoving your hands in water and doing a bit of light splashing is really fun.

But you know what else is fun?

They took off their shoes, placing them down somewhere off to the side of the pond, along with any of their belongings they didn’t want to get wet, and then walked right into the water. Yeah. With everything else on, mind you. 

It seemed like a good idea up until the water grew deep enough that they had to swim (rifp, 5′3″), and then they struggled… but only a little bit. The uneven, elevated rocks under the waterfall gave Hinata a place to clamber onto so they weren’t at risk of sinking if they weren’t constantly moving, so that was nice, at least. Gave them the opportunity to, uh... sit and be waterfall’d on.

But speaking of waterfalls…

They turned, facing what should be solid cliff wall. Instead, they were faced with… wait. There was something there, something that couldn’t have been spotted if you weren’t under the waterfall…

They scooted forward, as far onto the ledge of the rock as they could possibly manage without falling back into the water. There… wasn’t really much room to escape the waterfall, but at least they wouldn’t have it totally crashing down on their eyes. It was enough.

The nook might have prompted them to go closer to check it out, but there was one thing that stopped them.

Like... the shirtless Kenichi sitting there.

Nah, as amusing as it was, they weren’t actually hung up over the shirtless part; it was just… he seemed deep in meditation (probably) and did not want to disturb him. And whereas most people might have either said something or left the poor boy be, Hinata let their curiosity get the best of them – and stared.

[oni-fukucho]

Tsukioka Kogyo (1869 - 1927) Kazuraki One Hundred Noh Dramas, circa 1922 - 1926

Kogyo was born in Tokyo in 1869 and spent his life in the capital. His mother married the famous ukiyo-e printmaker Yoshitoshi and it was under Yoshitoshi’s influence that he became interested in woodblock printmaking and the Noh theater. Yoshitoshi was a fan of Noh and through this connection, and chance, Kogyo began to design Noh theater prints. His design style was perfect for Noh with its spare stage designs and lavish costumes.

[shsl-meridian]

chapter 2, normdays | hinata | destroy→self-sacrifice | re: execution

People were unbelievable. Sometimes, they hardly felt real.

Still, Hinata tried to understand. Tried to imagine what Kohaku was thinking – feeling – when they made their speech. And when Kimi waked into the picture… well, she was the recipient of their attention, even when she returned to her seat.

Up until Kohaku spoke again, and subsequently vanished into a hole in the ground…

… and reappeared up on a screen.

Hinata tensed up, leaning down and closer to their podium – as if that’d help them in any way. There was no physical danger to them: whatever happened on those screens was elsewhere. But then didn’t stop the anxiety sending electric chills up and down their back and arms.

( A kabuki stage… )

But in spite of that… they couldn’t stop watching. … and really, maybe it was because they knew what was going to happen, from the moment  the narrator uttered the first word. It was familiar.

Familiar.

There was something about seeing yourself in how someone gets… killed. The stories, the chanting; the strange, mesmerizing way in which the actors and shrine maiden swayed and stepped— ( The raw emotion of it all— ) 

It couldn’t be fake, they decided. An entirely flimsy reason to pile even more stress onto themself when some others probably thought this was all just some game— 

And sure enough, Ran broke out into applause.

“…”

And then there was that uncomfortable silence inside them again. A similar breed of feeling to the one they felt when they watched Matsukaze Ito – feeling as if something inside them had been disrupted. Not snapped, but… shaken. And it was worse now.

They tilted their head downwards slightly, eyes forward, never looking at anything but through it, their hands clasped together in front of them.

And they bowed. Once, for Kohaku, and then once more for Matsukaze. 

It felt wrong to just… leave, even if most of the other students were. Even if they’d left Matsukaze, though… they also didn’t watch them die just now.

Still, Hinata hesitantly turned and walked to the elevator – looking back at the screen only when they were at the door. They weren’t sure why they looked, really. They weren’t sure why they stared at the screen with a mixture of curiosity and wistfulness.

Because as horrible as it was, they wanted to see it again. Figure out why it made them feel the way it did. ( And maybe – somehow convince themself it was fake. Try to see it in the eyes of those who didn’t seem like they’d just witness a death on the screen. ) 

But it was obvious after a few minutes of silence that it wasn’t going to happen, and… … their eyes hurt, they realized.

It was time to go.

[tanuki-kimono]

First noh play of the year at Yasaka shrine, by Prado

For New year celebrations exist special noh plays, mixing dance and shinto rituals. The one pictures here is called Okina and represents a God’s blessing for the coming year.

(if you wish to learn more, Noh.com details Okina’s specific features)