Wednesday: 8-15-01 ~ Hump Day

Hump Day aka Wednesday. Why? It's the day in the middle of the week, if the weekend is the valley, the Monday-Friday is the hill. Anyway...

Stephen: just wanted to let you know your letter arrived. Deja vu, indeed!

I've not been sleeping well lately... and I LOATHE that. Making matters worse, I'm working double shifts most of this week and next. I'm so bone wearily exhausted and drained to the dregs. Bleh.

On a side note I have updated my anime list, as well as my wish list. As a reminder to everyone, my birthday is little over a month away, specifically September 29th. I expect *SOMETHING* from you. If you cannot afford anything, I expect a biurthday card, and there are a number of sites that allow you to send free greeting cards. You have *NO* excuse. For those of you that can afford to get me something, the wish list will help. If you can't find any of those said items, I always appreciate money. Let's face it, what broke college student, DOES NOT appreciate money? Alternatives: I could use a spool of 100 CD-R's at 800 M, OR a CD wallet that can hold 200 or more CD's. I'd rather not have a repeat of last year where I cried myself to sleep, and only one person wished me Happy Birthday *ON* my Birthday. I felt like I had fallen through the cracks or something. >_<



Monday: 8-13-01 ~ I hate Mondays...

A grumpy, grouchy, glowering, grum, glum, gloaming, grouty, grim WMC...

*wmc is slightly impressed by her alliteration..... especially at 8am*

I get up at 7am and take my shower, get dressed, yank out a few more grey hairs that have materialized overnight *AGAIN*, grabbed a breakfast en route to work and went in... only to discover the employee I was covering a shift for goes... NO... my vacation starts tomorrow....

*wmc glances to the calendar behind him*

You marked off today that you needed it cover....

*he looks... then looks sleepish*

Sorry.

*wmc gnashes and gnaws and grieves and grumbles and groans at the vexation and frustration of it all*

But.... But.... I got up.... *BEFORE* noon, hell before the butt-crack of dawn when the birds aren't even up yet!

*stupid smile plastered on fellow employees face*

Wmc thinks about bludgeoning the baka as she leaves back to home and her bed.... problem... she's WIDE awake now with irritation, ire, and incensement.

Yasushi and Tenshin share a glance... leave out strawberries and cream in the kitchen, and head for the oak tree... until she mellows and calms down.



Saturday: 8-11-01 ~ Art of Life

WOOHOO! I finally found the lyrics to X-Japan's 35 minute song Art of Life. I can finally understand what it is he's singing in English! I love their stuff, it's so poetic. Crucify My Love is still my favorite X-Japan song, however. I'm putting this up here, more for my own reference, but also to share it with others :)

Desert Rose
Why do you live alone
If you are sad
I'll make you leave this life
Are you white blue or bloody red
All I see is drowning in cold grey sand

The winds of time
You knock me to the ground
I'm dying of thirst
I wanna run away
I dont know how to set me free to live
My mind cries out feeling pain

I've been roaming to find myself
How long have I been feeling endless hurt
Falling down rain flows into my heart
In the pain I'm waiting for you
Cant go back
No place to go back to
Life is lost. Flowers fall
If its all dreams
Now wake me up
If its all real
Just kill me

I'm making the wall inside my heart
I dont wanna let my emotions get out
It scares me to look at the world
Dont wanna find myself lost in your eyes
I've tried to drown my past in grey
I never wanna feel more pain
Run away from you with out saying any words
What I dont wanna lose is love

Through my eyes time goes by like tears
My emotions losing the color of life
Kill my heart
Release all my pain
I'm shouting out loud
Insanity takes hold over of me

Turning away from the wall
Nothing I can see
The scream deep inside
reflecting another person in my heart
He calls me from within
"All existance you see before you must be wiped out :
Dream, Reality, Memories,
and yourself"

I begin to lose control of myself
My lust is so blind, destroys my mind
Nobody can stop my turning to madness
No matter how you try to hold me in your heart
Why do you wanna raise these walls
I dont know the meaning of hatred
My brain gets blown away hearing the words of lies
I only want to hold your love

Stab the dolls filled with hate
Wash your self in their blood
Drive to the raging current of time
Swing your murderous weapon into the belly
"the earth"
Shout and start creating confusion
Shed your blood for pleasure
And what? For love?
What am I supossed to do?

I believe in the madness called "Now"
Past and future prison my heart
Time is Blind
But I wanna trace my love
on the walls of time over pain in my heart

Art of life
Insane blade stabbing dreams
Try to break the truth now
But I cant heal this broken heart in pain
Cannot start to live, Cannot end my life
Keep on crying

Close my Eyes
Time breathes I can hear
All love and sadness melt in my heart
Dry my tears
Wipe my bloody face
I wanna feel me living my life outside my walls

You cant drive of yesterday, so
You're painting your heart with your blood
You cant say "No"
Only turning the wheel of time
with a rope around your neck
You build a wall of mortality and take a breath
from between the bricks
You make up imaginary enemies and are chased by them
Yor're trying to commit suicide
You're satisfied with your prologue
Now your painting your first chapter black
You are putting the scraps of life together
and trying to make an asylum for yourself
You're hitting a bell at the edge of the stage and
You are trying to kill me

I beleive in the madness called "Now"
Time goes flowing, breaking my heart
Wanna live
Cant let my heart kill myself
Still I haven't found what I'm looking for

Art of life
I try to stop myself
But my heart goes to destroying the truth
Tell me why
I want the meaning of my life
Do I try to live, Do I try to love
in my dream


I'm breaking the wall inside my heart
I just wanna let my emotions get out
Nobody can stop
I'm running to freedom
No matter how you try to hold me in your world
Like a doll carried by the flow of time
I sacraficed the present moment for the future
I was inchains of memory half-blinded
Losing my heart, walking in the sea of dreams

Close my eyes
Rose breathes I can hear
All love and sadness melt in my heart
Dry my tears
Wipe my bloody face
I wanna feel me living my life
outside my mind

Dreams can make me mad
I can't leave my dream
I can't stop myself
Don't know what I am
What lies are truth?
What truths are lies?

I believe in the madness called "Now"
Time goes flowing breaking my heart
Wanna live
Cant let my heart kill myself
Still I havent found what I'm looking for

Art of life
I try to stop myself
But my heart goes to destroying the truth
Tell me why
I want the meaning of my life
Do I try to live, Do I try to love

Art of life
An Eternal Bleeding heart
You never wanna breath you last
Wanna live
Can't let my heat kill myself
Still I'm felling for
A Rose is breathing love
in my life

© by Yoshiki

Thursday: 8-9-01 ~ The Female of the Species...

OOOh, I found some fascinating historical facts! Seems there was an entire unit of female samurai during the bakumatsu. A website, has some more and general information, which points to a few specific historical women and events, and references a couple of other potential sources.



Thursday: 8-9-01 ~ Heart of Sword

WOOHOO! This just in from the SASSE ML where a member posted a url at the Japanese Sony's website and another member translated the information found there. The long and the short of it... there will be 2 new Rurouni Kenshin OVA's! The following is the quoted post:

Tatsuko wrote: Check it out .

It looks like they are using the same art style as the Tsuioku Hen OAV. They've done a whole site "renewal" for the new Seisou Hen OVA announcement. From what I can tell, it's about Kenshin coming to terms with atoning for his past (as expected, I guess).

A few more details (and a nice pic) on the new OVA from the subpage.

It's to be a 2 episode series. Episode 1 released 19 December 2001, episode 2 in the end of February 2002. Soundtrack to be release at the end of January 2002.

DVD
5,600 yen (excluding tax) Catalogue numbers SVWB-1307, SVWB-1308 Contents will be about 50 minutes, with the episode itself about 35 minutes Single layer, 16:9 (Vista) aspect ratio, linear PCM, stereo First pressing comes with sticker, dual-sided colour jacket and picture label disc Extras on the disc are staff and cast comment, character designs and other items (I'm going to make an order right after this post ^_^ )

VHS
6,600 yen (excluding tax) Catalogue numbers SVWV-1307, SVWV-1308 Contents about 35 minutes Widescreen (Vista), stereo hifi First pressing comes with sticker

CD
2,913 yen (excluding tax) Catalogue number SVWC-1010 First pressing comes with sticker and picture label disc

I note that in the credits, Watsuki is credited with the original work (as usual), but the script is by a Yoshida Reiko.

Ah, this news *JUST* made my day. Now if only they'd animate the Chichiri novel, and give me more Arslan OVA's, I'd be a very happy WMC na no da.

Tuesday: 8-7-01 ~ A Secret Admirer???

*blinks* I was quite surprised to receive an e-mail stating that someone listed me as their secret crush. Seems there is a website out there that keeps track of people, their "crush lists," and e-addys of members and their crushes. If a person has someone marked as a crush and that "crush" has that person also marked as a crush the site will notify you. In a way I guess it's amusing, but it's just not a service I'm interested in. So *IF* the e-mail was indeed correct and not some clever little marketing ploy, 'fess up the old way. I don't care nor like to play guessing games.

Tuesday: 8-07-01 ~ Blue...

Ah yes the toilet water is blue... and soon the toilet will not be working as they rip up the floor and repair it... hence why I'm working a double shift today, even if I were to go home there'd be construction and strange men, and flooring everywhere...

Blue is the color of depression and I am a bit down in the dumps. I didn't get the scholarship I was hoping for... and the financial aid office screwed up my paperwork and delayed my funds by a month while I straighten it out for the 6th year in a row. If they were a car they'd be a lemon.

Speaking of lemons... Circuit City, after trying to wheedle out of their policy/word has finally replaced my lemon VCR, the buggers.

Hmmm, I'm annoyed cause I finsihed the next part of Telling Price except for edits and finding where I should isnert the next lyric snippet... saved it to come back to it later. Went back to it later and the file was corrupted! *cusses like a sailor* I am not amused.

I'm also vaguely annoyed by how Quasi automatically speaks for me in regards to an Ushicon meeting we have this upcoming weekend that *I* wasn't even aware of. I only found out from Usagi when she mentioned it in passing to me during her visit.

I enjoyed my visit with her... she kept going to drool at my framed Chichiri cel, I molested her tickle spots ^_~ and we giggled like a bunch of fangirls about bishounen, and griped about scummy men in general, and loved the kitties, and played with jigglypuff, and went to see Princess Diaries, which was an enjoyable though low-brain movie.



Thursday: 8-02-01 ~ Best Things in Life Aren't

I am worth exactly: $2,070,230.00 according to Human For Sale. Maybe I've known it all along... it may explain why I won't sell myself short... and yes I was 100% truthful on all my responses. I'm worth more than Evil Congly, but less than Seimei. *pouts*

Thursday: 8-2-01 ~ Need Sleep...

Three weeks of little to no sleep because of 1) staying up late and visiting with Heart-sib as she visited 2) due to lack of proper cooling for the air conditioner and 3) of not achieving REM sleep makes me into a very tired, very cranky, WMC.

An irony perhaps is that following my Heart-sib's visit, Usagi will be coming to visit this weekend. The two of them share the same real name, with a small spelling difference. Heart-sib's name is spelled with an 'i' whereas Usagi's is spelled with an 'e' Usagi said for me to tell Heart-sib that the evil 'i' visited me first... Heart-sib says to Usagi, evil begins with 'e.' Now, now ladies, there's more than enough of me to go around :P

Usagi will be staying with me at my parents... they're replacing the air conditioner unit at my apartment, as well as ripping up the floor in the bathroom because the toilet is sinking. Not to mention that way Usagi can get prime kitty loving time with my 3 nekos.

I've been asked by Rence to become a reviewer for an online publication she's starting. It's really easy write a review of any anime or manga series (not previously covered) complete with a basic synopsis/premise, your personal opinions on the work, a couple of images from the series, and volumes, isbn's numbers, # of episodes, etc. In other words other relevant information to help interested fans possibly track down the series. In addition to this I'm working with Evil Congly on some articles on Berserk and Ayashi no Ceres for Protoculture Addicts. I used to be an entertainment critic, and art and literary editor for several publications. It's nice to be able to return to some of my journalistic roots. I miss writing in this capacity.

In other news... I have adopted a pair of Bishounen from lady Dororthy's school. (Website forthcoming). So what does this mean? Well the school is a refuge for bishounen... and Lady D trains them in: Self-defense, Seduction, Meditation, Music and Court Etiquette classes. Plus other classes befitting their capabilites and interests. In my case, my two bishounen Yasushi (a long black haired bishounen and black bat-like wings) and Tenshin (a curly brown haired bishounen with brown angel like wings) sought refuge at the school because the world where the pair originated viewed Yasushi's demon-like wings as an abomination and were attempting to kill him. Yasushi was a Sentinel, meaning he has heightened perceptions. He can hear and feel the twitch of a muscle from 100 yards away, but because of his heightened perceptions he has a tendency to get wrapped up in them and loose focus on the larger picture. Thus he was paired with a Guide, someone with empathy to help ground him. The guide of course being Tenshin. The two of them are settling in nicely. They're quite protective of me, and Yasushi gives the best back massages!

*WMC sighs happily*

Tuesday: 7-31-01 ~ Is this burning an Eternal Flame

Ah as you can tell I have Bangal's music stuck in my head again. :) It sorta fits too in many ways. My Heart-sib is currently down visiting me (one of many reasons I've been negligent in posting the last few days). It's very hot outside, and my air conditioner refuses to function properly. bleh.

I've had fun corrupting her to many more anime. It's ncie to finally find someone who is as addicted to Rose of Versailles as I am! Lady Oscar (horrid name though) is the strongest most well-developed female character I think I've ever come across in either anime or manga. I've also addicted her to Omishi Magical Theatre, Noir, Super Gals, Maho Tsukai Tai, Glass Mask, etc.

On top of which my roomie has been addicted to Sailor Stars... I'm cackling over this one after suffering snarls and odd looks from her whenever I mentioned the series or watched it. There's a line in one of the episodes where Seiya is rehearsing for a musical, where the director says that she "is burning herself perfectly" between her roles as both Nun/Teacher, and Director (think day and night jobs). That she commits all of her energies to both and is not negligent or recalcitrant in her duties.

That line is strangely apt for my own life... although I haven't quite got the blanace of burning myself perfectly down yet... I'm slowly but surely working on it. My greatest enemy is my constant exhaustion though.



Wednesday: 7-25-01 ~ Hot Damn ... Damn Hot

My roomie and I now know what it must feel like in the infamous Hell. Despite the fact that our air conditioner is in fact blowing out cold air... our rooms are unbearably hot, humid, stuffy, and oppressive. I don't think either one of us got a wink of sleep last night. It's the school's fault, ever since they upgraded the air conditioning unit and cleaned the ducts we have been having more problems. I've lived in this apartment for 2 years, now starting the third year of habitation, and it has never been like this before. In the past we could get the apartment to ice box levels if we wanted too. Angie gave up trying to sleep in her room, moved her fan into my room with my fan, and helped herself to my bed. We arranged the fans around the bed (my bed is bigger than hers) and put a cold pack in between us. The cold seeped into our backs and helped. I tossed and turned so much that it only aggravated my neck injury from several days ago, and my back pain from being stuck in the ER chairs for so long. BLEH.

Now I get to try to stay awake on the pain killers I'm on *AND* lack of sleep as I pull a double shift at work. Gadzooks.

I did manage to get some of my cleaning done for my guest. I thoroughly scrubbed the bathroom. After removing all the stuff from the back top of the toilet (caboodle like kit and misc toiletries) I realized the toilet is listing to the side... and the floor is sorta sunken and buckling a bit underneath it.... um -_- that's not good. So I called into maintenance with another work order to take a look at that when they come out to figure out what is wrong with the blasted a/c.

To add insult to injury... I discovered that *I* will *NOT* be getting the IRS tax refund since I'm a dependent on my parent's IRS forms. Damn, if I could claim myself as a dependent I'd be able to get grant money for school that I wouldn't have to pay back. But if I did that I lose any semblance of insurance coverage for at least medical, possibly auto as well (not sure how that works). And my parents do help me out here and there when rent is tight, they always pay for my groceries, new clothes, etc. But I really hate having to take out loans to pay for school. I hate having to put myself into a position where I have several thousand dollars of debt to pay back 6 months after I get out of school.

Tuesday: 7-24-01 ~ E.R.

UGH. I came home to the apartment from my parents house after my dental appointment only to find one very sick roomie. I ended up driving her in her car to the Emergency Room. We spent around 5 hours in chairs, and 4 hours in a room in the ER going through test results, medications, etc. I really did *NOT* want to see another sunrise again. *BLEH* To add insult to injury, the air conditioning is being uncooperative. It's hot, humid, and muggy in the apartment. The damndest thing of all is cool air is coming out of the vents. *FUMES* I swear ever since the school replaced the a/c we've had MORE problems.

My roomie will survive, my back however feels like it went through a cattle stampede. Those ER chairs were the most uncomfortable things! They hit my back in all the wrong places. The only good thing out of the whole experience is I finally managed to read The Book of Tea. It was *REALLY* good. It looks at the Zen meditation principles and belief's and how it affects the Japanese Tea Ceremony. It's beautifully eloquent in it's flowing poetic descriptions.



Monday: 7-23-01 ~ It's Another Manic... Monday.

*wmc sings* "WHoooa... Whooooa... wish it was Sunday..... that's my fun day.... whoooa whoooa, I don't have to run day.... it's just another manic monday...."

Granted... the lyrics are... elementary, but 80's music, is just fun! ^+^

Anyway, I had my dental check-up today. You know it must so suck to be a dentist, can you imagine having to go every day to work to see sores... cavities, stained teeeth, endure bad breath.. etc? Added to the fact that *NO* one wants to see you? Almost makes you feel sorry for the Dentists... so long as it's not a Dentist who likes Little Shop of Horrors. ^_~ Anyway I was relieved to not only get a clean bill of health, but to know that for once in my life the dentist didn't have to mess with tartar build up.

I ran lots of errands today, got a pedicure... and guys *SO* don't know what they are missing there. The place I go to has a vibrating chair with a tub and spa jets at the base for your feet. So your back get's vibrated, and they work on your feet. Getting rid of build up skin, calluses, corns, ingrown toe-nails, they massage up to your knees and thoroughly make each and every bone in your foot feel like it's not shoved together with the rest. The fingernail polish is fun too. This time around I got silver polish, with white flowers with rhinestones in the middle of them and blue/green leaves on my big toes. And yes guys, you can have a men's pedicure, you get everything *BUT* the fingernail polish. My dad started doing it a couple of years ago cause the doctor recommended periodic visits will eliminate the problem he was having with ingrown toe-nails, and the doctor was right :P Dad is so shameless, he just falls to sleep while the pedicurist works on him.

After my indulgence, I mailed off all my recent E-bay bids, as well as Stephen's and Truth's fun anime packages. So you two should be getting those soon!

After my dental appointment I went grocery shopping. My Heart-sib will be here at week's end for a visit! And grocery shopping was driving me crazy. I *LOVE* cheese, she gets ill at the sight/smell/or taste of it. So I had to think of foods I could cook that we would both like without cheese. The grocery clerks were looking at me oddly for all the times I circled the store. But I got a good mix. Sandwiches, fruit, salads, pasta, asian, and mexican (she can have fajitas sans cheese, I can have them with!). I can't wait till she is here. I've missed her!

Sunday: 7-22-01 ~ Plot bunnies and Charlie Horses.

UGH. I've managed to do soemthing quite nasty to my neck. I woke up with a cramped and pulled muscle in my neck so that it hurts to turn it, and it hurts to hold it upright without something to give it support. *Bleh*

On the upside... a friend of mine is writing some Weib Kreuz fanfiction. She's having some problems with a particular sequence. I said oh.. having plot holes... she said no smut holes.

MWAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA! I have been teasing her mercilessly about that ever since... look at the innuendo :P Anyway, I'm off to take some pain killers and then to bed.

Saturday: 7-21-01 ~ Futility...

*MWAHAHAHHAHAHA* Those misanthropic moronic fools didn't set *SHIT* up right. So, after waking up *EARLY* on a Saturday morning and coming into work... they tell us "sorry, so bad, go home." At least the next text will be a hard copy exam, multiple choice, unlimited time, with the manual.

I deserve hazard pay for having to deal with disgruntled employees who want to be asleep. Angie's particularly grumpy :P She says she wants to put aluminum foil up in her window to block out the sun. I told her it wouldn't be effective at blocking the alien's communication waves, and our fellow anime officer and employee Adam said it was for pot... Ah... the college life.



Saturday: 7-21-01 ~ From Test Hell

I'm killing time at the computer lab waiting for these incompetant dolts to set thigns up for this waste of our time exam. Our performance on said exam is grounds for our employment status to be terminated, and over 90% of the exam doesn't deal with me or any of my lab employees. I love how they forget they actually have a 100% Macintosh lab as one of there facilities.

ARGH!



Thursday: 7-19-01 ~ Fruit of the Loom

The following is some random e-mail silliness from Stephen.

> what don't you think kids as onre as me, and with floofy hair and da'ing like chichiri would be KAWAII?

Umm...it'd probably be my bane.

I can just picture the scene.

{An air conditioned laboratory...somewhere...sometime in the future. A young researcher is sitting at the bench planning his next experiment. In the background, he hears a sound which is initially faint but grows louder. It sounds like a chorus of high-pitched "Da"s.}

A female voice: "Here he is"

{The researcher looks up only to be swarmed by gaggle of little kids with fluffy hair who keep Da'ing}

The researcher: "Oh god no. Not this...anything but this. Damn the security services here"

{random explosion sounds}

The researcher: "Hey! Put that down...that's explosive...don't drink that...it's poisonous. Hey!! Definitely don't drink that one...it's my secret stash of alcohol. Keep away from that fridge...no...don't open that...oh s*** ...that was a radioactive isotope that's now over everything."

{the researcher breaks down crying while the female who was leading the kids comes in and starts laughing at the entire mess}



Thursday: 7-19-01 ~ Congly's Chinese Fairy Tales

Once upon a time....there was a kawaii girl.

Now..she really liked a certain monk who she saw every day working out and training in the fields bareshirted.

She admired his body from a far and hoped that one day...she could get a chance to meet him in person.

Now, there was a bit of a problem with this little plan.

Sadly, the mage was in a different social class than this girl...he was of a lower class.

In another day and age, this might not have mattered, and the two could have been together with no problems at all.

However, in this particular millieu, class mattered.

The girl pined from the distance....and one day, decided to ask her parents if she could meet this monk.

Her father became infuriated at the thought and cursed at her.

"NO DAUGHTER OF MINE WILL EVER MARRY SOMEONE BELOW THEM" the father bellowed.

The father then locked up the girl in a closet without food for even daring to suggest such a thing.

Now, this ordinarily might have been bad...except for the fact that the girl was very strong willed.

A locked door and angry father was not going to stop this kawaii girl from doing what she wanted to do. She did feel bad about disobeying her father's orders and the shame she would bring upon him for that.

The girl waited for the father to fall asleep and then broke out of the closet easily...using the pins in her hair; a trademark of her late mother.

She wrote a note for her father expressing her sorrow and then taking just a few of her belongings ran away from her family home, where she had spent her last 23 years.

The girl knew that really she had to disguise herself in order to meet this mystery man, but what was she to do?

More importantly, how exactly was she going to meet this monk?

Happily, there was a solution to both problems, all in one.

The strong standing girl took a deep breath, as she knew what she had to do.

The girl took the pair of scissors she had taken from home, and sheared her long hair, that she had been growing ever since she was a little girl.

The hair thudded on the ground after floating gently in the light summer nighttime breeze

{The author strokes out the word thudded and changes it to fell}

Tears of sorrow fell from the girl's forelorn face, as her hair had always been her pride, and her family's pride.

This hair was considered the best in the land...it was little wonder that her family and the girl was proud of it.

She knew that her father and late mother would have been disappointed at this, but she had no choice.

The girl continued on her preparations and took off her shift and shirt.

Taking some gentle silk that she had spirited away from her home, the girl bound her breasts tightly to her body.

It wasn't comfortable, but the girl knew that it was due to necessity.

The girl took a deep breath and then dressed again.

However, this time, instead of putting on her fine garments that she used to wear, she put on some of the boy servant's clothing.

The disguised girl then marched steadfastly to the temple, where she knew that she could find the person that she had admired from a far.

Walking to the temple gates, she collapsed in front of them, making a loud racket.

The head of the temple came outside to see what the matter was.

"What's the matter oh fair creature of this land?" the head asked, not realising the irony in his statement.

In a voice that the girl had never used before, except when playing with her elder sister, that had been married off, the girl gruffly responded "I have come to learn the way"

The temple head was glad to hear this, as he always liked new people to come in, for more than one reason.

Licking his lips lavaciously, the head asked "You wish to become a student of the way?" I can arrange it...but first, there is a price to pay.

The girl was scared now, as this man was giving her creepy sensations.

"A kiss is what I want from you good lad" the head stated.

The kawaii girl was disturbed and disgusted, as this man was not the epitome of great hygiene.

The head puckered his lips and approached the trembling girl....his breath reeked of sake.

Suddenly, the girl had to sneeze...and in this act, sneezed over the head.

Even though the head had poor hygiene, he didn't like getting sick.

{edit by the omnipotent author: over the head -->in the temple head's face}

"Oh...I'm sorry boy...this obviously isn't the time"...

"It must be that time of the month again, when everything goes all weird" the temple head said (again rather ironically). The temple head ran off into the temple flustered, and the disguised girl had nothing to do but follow.

The sun rose, just like it did any other time...but this time it was different to the father of our heroine.

He awoke, and was feeling guilty about locking his youngest daughter up all night without food, and was going to get the servant to make some food for him, and her.

En route to the servants' quarters, the father came across the girl's note.

The father read it....and then flew into a rage.

The reconciliary emotions that the father had had now evaporated into the heat of the morning sun.

"That bloody bitch thinks she can disobey my orders? I'll kill her myself, if its the last thing I do"

{I have no idea where this is going either...are you logging this?}

The father then realised that he hadn't eaten yet...and so sat down to nourish himself, and plan his course of action.

Back at the temple, the girl was tossing and turning in the random bunk she had been shown to by the temple's head...she didn't get much sleep; sadly, this was a common occurance for her.

{actually, I was thinking of Percy Spencer...from Kevin Spencer (kevinspencer.com) }

The first rays of the sun hit her eye...and then...

She heard a massed choir of men singing a holy song hoping that they would achieve success in their day's efforts.

The music was rather beautiful...and different from the sacred music that she was familiar with which had a more female tone.

With blurry eyes, the girl staggered to her feet, scratching herself and looked for the nearest place to wash up.

Suddenly...she smelt the place she was looking for. This was rather a strong shock to her olifactory system, as she was used to the facilities of a noble. This...was that of the commons.

Holding her breath....she advanced to the room trembling at the stench. She went down the halls, and then stumbled across her monk of particular interest...at a rather awkward time as he was voiding.

The monk had no qualms about this new individual walking in, as he was with ease with his body.

However, the kawaii girl...was not. This was the first time she'd ever seen anything below the waist of a man...and she was about to turn away to hide her reddening face...

"Hey...what's wrong there? You've got to be at ease with yourself and with others." the monk said.

The monk paused....and blinked once or twice.

"Hey...you must be that new fellow that fell on our steps last night. I hope you had a good night's sleep". The monk, finished up his activity, and put back on his pants.

"I hope that the temple head didn't scare you...you have to keep a watch out for him. He's not quite the most savoury individual...I stay here only to keep an eye on him, as he once took advantage of my younger brother...after that, I swore that no one else would have to suffer. I couldn't kill him though...that is against the way"

"By the way...what's your name? I am known as Chichiri"

The girl thought carefully on how to answer this question.

"I am Chereten" the girl said in a rather deep voice.

"I'm rather pleased to meet you Chereten" the monk replied. "You look to be a man of good character...although a bit tired. I'll show you around the place and introduce you to the people here"

So, the newly named Chereten and Chichiri set off on their tour of the temple.

While this tour was going on, the girl's father back at home was just finishing up the breaking of his fast.

"Damn that girl...she is just like her mother...not knowing when to listen"

The father got into his armour and strapped his sword around his waist. He had vengence on his mind, but he was a sharp fellow. He knew that he had to go and see the King before doing anything, so it would be nice and legal.

He had made such a pilgramage before, 5 years ago...he remembered it well with some regrets. At that time, he had felt the need to kill his wife for her lack of deference to him.

He forged a document saying that she was unfaithful, and managed to easily convince the simpleton king (for instance, he liked non-cute gluttons) to let him kill her.

The father never told either daughter about this...as he didn't want to upset them.

The father tied up his boots, and began making the long trip to see the King.

{whew...be impressed...I almost never ever write fiction}

After a non-eventful trip, the father of the kawaii girl made it to the court of the King. He had no problem getting passed the guards, as he was a distingushed Knight of the Realm.

The father walked past the nobles milling in the court, and went to see the King directly. There was no problem in this...as they were old friends...who went drinking and whoring in their youth).

"'Hori...I've got a bit of a problem that I need your help to deal with."

"Oh 'Home? What seems to be the problem? Something like with your dead wife...man...I miss her body"

The husband shuddered at the thought of his dead wife. "Yes...my daughter has chosen to dishonour the family name. Honour and the Code say that I must kill her"

The King looked bored. "Fine fine...go ahead and do what you must." However, before you kill her, bring her back to me...so I can give her a 'trip to paradise' before she dies.

However, by this time, the girl's father had already turned his back and was heading out...however, that parting comment sparked an idea and some physical responses in the father's mind and body.

The father headed back home...packed up his belongins that he would need for a man-hunt, and left his house.

On the door step, the father cut his wrist, and let a few drops fall onto the ground in front of the door. "I swear by my blood that either my daughter will die at my hands, or I will die trying."

The father set off on his journey in order to find his disobedient daughter.

{oi...my wrists are hurting now}

{keep your mind clean :P}

Back at the temple, the tour was continuing.

{was continuing --> was over}

The girl was somewhat confused still...and the confusion was augmented when Chichiri suddenly told the girl that "I will take you under my wing...you have impressed me that much already".

The girl was esctatic...but she managed to keep her composure well.

"Thank you....I'd be honoured"

Chichiri continued: "However, we'll have to share the same room...so that the mentoring can occur at the best level"

The girl turned away and blushed....this was getting to be too much for her innocent mind.

{see...a fairy tale XD}

By this time, the sun was almost ready to go down....and so it was time to rest. Chichiri led the girl to their shared room and offered her the choice sleeping spot...

Surprisingly, nothing happened that night.

The next day...the training began in earnest.

The girl meditated for hours, and began to learn the arcane arts of the Way.

These were secrets that no female was ever supposed to know...if anyone discovered that Cheretin was not a man, she would be killed.

Not just killed simply, but beaten, tortured and other unpleasant things before the end.

Many close calls occurred, especially in front of Chichiri, but she managed to escape every time and avoid detection.

The temple head still kept making advances towards Cheretin, but she was able to rebuff him. Unfortunately, this had the effect of angering the temple head....he didn't show it though, as he knew that he would face the wrath of Chichiri if he showed any anger.

However...the temple head wanted to get revenge in some way.

A year passed...

The father of the kawaii girl had wasted the last year of his life hunting down the girl (and drinking, and whoring, but those were mere diversions).

He had travelled the land far and wide looking for his estranged daughter, but had failed.

Finally, he just got tired, headed back home and decided to think...

"Revenge is mine...and I shall repay" he thought...not knowing what that meant.

The father decided to make a few inquiries in town to see if anyone knew where his daughter was.

The father was a powerful man...and commanded the attention of anyone in town....after some beatings of the commoners, he was directed to the temple head...as he often knew of travellers.

The father and the temple master had a meeting one late night...and came to talking, after a few rounds of sake. The temple master talked about the young boy who wouldn't respond to his advances....who had appeared at the temple one year earlier.

This got the father to thinking...this must be her...this must be my daughter.

The father and temple master worked out a deal...of which its details are too disturbing and revolting to tell about.

In another room, that exact night...Cheretin decided to go over and sleep right beside Chichiri, as she liked his scent.

She lay down beside him...and he rolled over and hugged her closely to him.

Chichiri whispered in her ear "I know your secret....but I'm not going to tell anyone. Over the past year...we have been very close...and I think I've fallen in love with you"

Cheretin was overwhelmed by this...and whispered back "I love you too." She removed her shirt and shift, and finally unbound her breasts. Chichiri took off his shirt, and the two made passionate love.

Little did the two lovers know what was coming for them...

While basking in the afterglow, the two heard a banging at the door and the screaming of the girl's father that she was going to die. The temple master was screaming that he was going to get his way with Cheretin no matter what sex she/he/it was.

The father and the master burst into the room...with swords in their hands (rope also in the case of the master) with death and lust in their eyes.

Chichiri rolled over and got up, protecting the girl as he did so. He grabbed his sword and starting fighting against the two men.

A long battle insued....at the end, only Chichiri and the girl were left alive.

Tears immediately began flowing from Chichiri's eyes. "I swore never to kill...but I've broken the way. I'm unworthy to live"

He took the still bloody sword in his hands, and was about to jab it into his stomach and commit ritual suicide, until the girl's hands grabbed his.

"Don't kill yourself. Don't waste your life...too many people have already died today."

"Death is the coward's way out...you can instead wander around trying to make up for the wrong you felt you have done. I'll follow you along this road, no matter what you do."

Chichiri looked up, with teary eyes...

"All right...but I am unworthy of your love, or your body...I swear, I will wonder this land, until the day I die trying to right wrongs to make up for these deaths. I swear, upon my life, that I will never again sleep with another woman as I have lost that right"

So...Chichiri and the girl began their wandering lifestyle...they passed all over the land, meeting many people. The girl was saddened that she could never again become intimate with Chichiri again, but she was willing to sacrifice this pleasure due to the love for hime. Many were helped...and the stories remember them well...they lived down throughout history...and it is through this, that I recount the story I was told by an elder.

The end--Stephen Congly 7/18/01

Wednesday: 7-18-01 ~ I'm Here Saying Nothing...

Well my jury duty service wasn't quite so bad. I was dismissed by 10 am. Now granted I was out the door by 6am... *GRUMBLES* so *THAT* is what a sunrise looks like? I never want to see another one again >_< . I was assigned to a case told to wait for questionaires to fill out before I leave, and I'd have to report back the next day at 9am. Luckily, fifteen minutes after I was told this and me and the others with my lot were waiting for said forms, we were notified the case was cancelled and we were free to go. YEAH!!!!!!!!!

I've been feeling quite poorly of late, I have NOT been sleeping well at all. I have managed to finish the next update to my Jukebox of cycling mainly anime MP3's. Currently list of stuff up: songs by Tomokazu Seki (1 J-Pop, the rest Chichiri character songs from Fushigi Yuugi), Kaitou Saint Tail, Outlaw Star, Infinite Ryvius, Detective Boy Conan, Digimon, Mononoke Hime, Gatchaman, Misa's Banzai (J-pop), Nurse Angel Ririka S.O.S., and forthcoming music from Angelic Layer. As always it's only up for around 2-3 weeks, so get what you want before it is gone.

DA... funny stuff: Engrish has real life examples of bad English used in Japanese marketing and products. Ongoing discussion about throbbing penises and quivering breasts between Clone-chan and Evil Congly. Sometimes, I'm scared by the people I know and the conversations we have.