Monthly Archives: June 2013

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okiya-subaru:

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Well, at least this kid didn’t hear about that case. Like how the age of the perpetrator was noticeably older than him. Still, he had to go with the story. “…It’s a little hard to enjoy wandering about the city or watching plays when people are constantly making comments about you.and wanting to call the police.”

He took a sip of his tea. “I’m preferably going there next time when they don’t have a serial killer running around that I fit a similar profile with.”

“Understandable. I really do hope that you get the chance. I’ve only been to New York City once, but I did enjoy my time there quite thoroughly." 

Really, Hakuba could understand the uncomfortable sensation of knowing that everyone around you is pointing fingers behind your back. It bothered him that it happened, in Japan or elsewhere, to anyone. But what could be done about it?

"So what university are you doing your – masters? doctorate? – at? If you don’t mind my asking, of course.”

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okiya-subaru:

Subaru glanced at the photo. This kid was a traveler. Here was to him not getting sucked into the quagmire he and a few others were trapped by. Either that, or he would be a fellow silver bullet and him not knowing would put him in danger. Hard to tell at this point, but how Hakuba and Kudou had similar styles in some ways, from what Subaru knew, made him really wonder.

“New York at night is a wonderful sight. It was a shame I couldn’t see more of it at the time of my visit. There was a serial killer loose when I went there who happened to have long hair and was Japanese. Believe it or not, I had my hair quite long for a time…” Omitting the hair color differences and how he was investigating it, naturally, he let the words hang there.

“Ah, I see… that truly is a shame.”  Hakuba frowned at the news, but nodded his head. “Crime never sleeps, though. There is always something, somewhere, going on… and you shouldn’t put off enjoying life just because of that." 

Spoken with true naivete. 

He nodded his head again, looking very stern as he looked Okiya over again. "So next time you’re in New York, try to enjoy it at least a little bit, long hair or not, ne?”

The teenager picked up his tea cup again, taking a long, happy sip. 

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Re: Homework

blackfeatherswhitedoves:

“This side of you is actually pretty amusing.  Are you making sure to dumb it down as much as possible?  Poor grammar might help avoid sounding too articulate as well.  … I kind of want to read this when you’re done.”

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“Ah, that gives me an idea! I ccould attach a photo of a similar theme… like this, perhaps: 

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"I dare say she wouldn’t be expecting that." 

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Re: Homework

phantom-thief-kid replied to your post: Re: Homework
“Here’s a suggestion. Like with Victor Hugo and his editor, just use either an exclamation point or question mark for the essay.”

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“Do you suppose it would have the same effect if I sent about thirty exclamation points? I feel that thirty is the appropriate amount regarding this teacher and the stylistic approach of the paragraph." 

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Go ahead

put a “<3” and i’ll tell you about someone i care about, without any names.

put a “</3” and i’ll tell you something that broke me.

put a “>:” and i’ll tell you something i dislike about myself.

put a “<:” and i’ll tell you something i like about myself.

Put a “>:c” and i’ll tell you something that pissed me off.

Put a “#” and i’ll tell you the last thing i lied about.

Put a “*” and i’ll tell you a secret

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Re: Homework

blackfeatherswhitedoves replied to your post: The Passive-Aggressive Requirements Unspecified in Japanese Institutions of Academia
“I would suggest rewriting the essay and only put one sentence, but I doubt you would.”

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“Thank you for that obvious insight… as if that weren’t what I was already doing… TWO CAN PLAY AT THIS GAME OF PASSIVE AGGRESSIVENESS! Just you wait, Sensei…! Prepare to receive the shortest short essay you have EVER BEFORE WITNESSED!”

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okiya-subaru:

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“Pinot gris is more a favorite of mine. It goes well with many foods, so it’s rather on the versatile side. Moscato is good, though, I will admit.” He scratched the back of his head.

“Unfortunately, I’ve never been. I was in the United States for a time. New York City, to be specific. So, have you been to Paris?” He picked up his tea and sipped it.

“Ah, yes, many times. If you ever have the opportunity to visit, I highly recommend it." 

Hakuba pulled out his phone and flipped it open, quickly scrolling through various applications, looking for photos. "Although, if you do visit France, make sure that you also see some parts other than Paris… such as Leon, to get the full experience. Ah, here we are.”

He turned his phone toward Okiya to show a photo of, surprise, the Eiffel Tower. 

“But Paris is the most beautiful city in all the world. Ah… sorry, I’m rambling. I suppose I got a little excited, thinking that you might have been there…” Blushing, he put the phone away. “New York, though… it’s lovely, too.”

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The Passive-Aggressive Requirements Unspecified in Japanese Institutions of Academia

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Today, I received the equivalent to a B- on an assignment. 

Yes, a B-. In English Language Studies, no less.

We were to translate a paragraph into English and then write a short essay on stylistic choices. This was a fairly simple task, as one would expect, and I had it finished and turned in before the end of the period. So you can easily imagine my shock and surprise – no, utter horror – when they were returned to us today with grades attached.

I spoke to the teacher after the class, politely and calmly requesting an explanation, and can you guess what she said?

She told me that she had requested a short essay and that mine was too verbose.  Apparently, I was not concise enough to meet the requirements of the assignment.

Sensei wanted me to be more succinct. As if that had ever been specified before. If she wanted a certain length, she should have assigned a word limit! 

Livid as I was, I found myself, for once, speechless. She offered the opportunity to redo the assignment, which I have agreed upon… but honestly… the nerve.

I suspect that the real problem here is that she didn’t want to have as much work to do. As if grading papers weren’t her job.

Today has been a very bad day. I don’t even have the heart to calculate the grade into the algorithm I wrote to determine how this will effect my percentage… Can I maintain my status at the top of the class at this rate?

Perhaps it’s time for tea.

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okiya-subaru:

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So he drank? Subaru supposed it made sense; the British Isles had a lower drinking age than Japan or America. He clasped his hands for a moment. “I favor white wines. As for yourself?”

“The same, though I have to admit that my favorite is a little self-indulgent… Moscato, an Italian dessert wine.”  Hakuba took another sip of tea, then shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not very dry as far as white wines go, but if you really want dry, there are better ways to get pissed.”

Clearly, the detective’s attachment to alcohol was in no way hampered by any sort of fear or connection to any sort of criminal organization.

“Where, overseas, did you travel? Any particular place that you favored? Paris, I hope."