Birthday • 1965-06-05 Gender •
Female Location • The Edge of Sanity Member Since • 2004-05-11 Occupation • Freestyle lunacy Real Name • Secret, but I'll give you a hint: it has 2 A's & 2 N's in it.
Personal
Achievements • a couple college degrees; MOS Certification; CIW Associate & Professional certification; Master CIW Designer certification Anime Fan Since • the 20th century Favorite Anime • FullMetal Alchemist, Trigun, Rurouni Kenshin, InuYasha, Cowboy Bebop, Ranma 1/2 Goals • Getting a job that will support my bad anime/manga and latte habits! Hobbies • Drawing, writing, learning Ancient Greek, learning Japanese, panicking Talents • Multitasking at a cosmic level. Can sing along with the 4th Movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony...in German!
myOtaku.com: KitsuneTsuki
Welcome to my site archives. 10 posts are listed per page.
Hikaru sat on a rock down at the beach, watching the tide flow out. The letter from his grandfather weighed on his mind. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. Part of him wanted to pretend the letter never came, and the other part was curious to meet the man. All he knew about his grandfather was what he had been told by Takeda, and sensei may not have been objective in his description of the man.
The sun was beginning to rise and the fishermen were beginning their day. A few saw Hikaru and waved. Hikaru waved back and decided he should get back to the house. He had gone out after Takeda had gone to bed and hadn’t told him he was going.
Hikaru walked back to the house, lost in thought. He hoped that Takeda would not be too angry with him for leaving. He also hoped Sam-san would come and fly the kite with him. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt better when she was around. He didn’t want to ask Takeda about either Sam-san or his grandfather just yet.
Takeda was waiting at the door when Hikaru walked up. There was a look of disappointment on his face. He didn’t say a thing as Hikaru entered.
“Sorry,” Hikaru muttered. “I needed to get some air and think. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
Takeda sighed and shook his head. “Next time could you please leave me a note?” he said.
Hikaru turned to look at Takeda. “You’re not angry?”
“No, not angry. Disappointed, yes. I woke to find you gone again and worried something had happened. I thought we cleared the air about your wandering about at night.”
Hikaru smiled. “I am sorry, sensei. I’ll leave a note next time.”
Takeda smiled in return. He was finding it hard to stay angry with the boy. He also realized that Hikaru was growing up and would become more independent as time passed. He said, “The bath is ready if you’re interested.”
“Thank you. That does sound nice,” Hikaru said and started back to the bathroom. He washed up and sat in the tub for a while, contemplating the letter from his grandfather. He would have to reply, but he wanted to think about what to say.
After he had finished his bath and gotten dressed, Hikaru went to his room to get something to read. He found Takeda doing some cleaning at the front of the house. “I’ll be in back reading, sensei,” he said.
“All right,” Takeda answered. “Is your laundry ready to go? I’ll be doing that later.”
“It’s in my room; do you want me to bring it out?”
“No, I’ll get it when I’m ready to start. Go enjoy your book. I’ll be fine.”
“Thank you, sensei,” Hikaru said and went to the backyard to enjoy his book.
***
The night after Hikaru’s birthday party, Samantha again had the dream about walking on the edge of the sword. It had become more vivid and caused her to lose sleep after it was over. She managed to keep from screaming, but the next morning it showed on her face. She tried hard not to let on that something was wrong, but it wasn’t easy. She got dressed in her old clothes from Boston. It was time to do laundry. She gathered her clothes and left her room to find Midori.
Midori was in the dining room talking to the innkeeper’s wife. They looked up as Samantha came in and both could tell it had been a fitful night. “Ohayô, Sam-chan,” Midori said. “How are you this morning?”
“Good morning,” Sam replied with a yawn. “I’m fine. I brought my laundry.” She set the bundle of clothes on the floor next to a table and sat down. “I’m hungry.”
The other women exchanged glances and the innkeeper’s wife went to get breakfast. Midori sat across from Sam. “Sam-chan, are you all right?” she asked earnestly. “You look tired.”
Samantha started to say that it was nothing, but tears filled her eyes and she said, “It’s that dream again.”
“The one from the other night? I thought talking about it would make it stop.”
“So did I. I don’t know what it means, but it’s more vivid and frightening.”
“Would you like to talk about it? You said it always helps to tell about the dreams.”
Sam waited as Satsuo came out with breakfast. He smiled at her and said, “Ohayô,” as he set the dishes on the table. He seemed to have gotten over his shock of seeing her dressed like a girl the other day. “Arigatô,” Sam said. She sighed and began to tell of the dream again. “It begins the same as I told you the other night and continues to where Hikaru puts his hand on my shoulder and says my name. But this time when I open my eyes and look up at him, his expression is hard to read. At first he seems to be concerned, but his expression slowly changes and his grip on my shoulder tightens.”
Midori gave Sam a chance to wipe away the tears. “Is he still covered in blood?”
Sam nodded and continued, “I can’t quite tell how much of it is his and how much is someone else’s. But as he grabs my shoulder, he drops the sword and falls to his knees. I feel so helpless because he’s bleeding and I can’t do anything to stop it. Midori, I don’t like feeling so helpless.” She began to cry again.
Midori moved around to the other side of the table to sit next to Sam. She put her arm around the girl and held her close while she cried. “It’s all right,” Midori said. “Let’s go over to Hikaru-kun’s house. Then you can see that he’s all right. Would that help you out?”
Samantha sobbed and nodded. “Yes, I’d like that,” she said and wiped away the tears.
They got up, leaving their breakfast untouched on the table. Midori saw the innkeeper as they left and apologized for leaving without eating. When he saw that Sam was clearly upset about something, he said it was all right. Midori also asked if someone could do their laundry. The innkeeper smiled and said it would be done.
As they walked to the little house, Samantha calmed down somewhat, but she was still upset by the dream. “Midori-san?”
“Yes, Sam-chan?”
“Thank you.”
Midori was mildly confused. “For what?”
Sam looked up at the sky. “Listening. Helping. Caring. I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here to help me.”
That brought a smile to Midori’s face. “You’re welcome, Sam-chan. I’m happy to be of help to you. Ah, we’re almost there.”
Hikaru’s little house was just within sight and they could see Takeda sweeping the step. He looked up and waved as the two women approached. “Ohayô, Midori-san, Sam-chan. How are you two this morning?”
Samantha replied in Japanese. “I’m fine, thank you, Takeda-sensei,” and bowed.
“Very good, Sam-chan,” Takeda said, returning the bow. “Hikaru-kun is in the backyard.” He indicated around the house.
Sam looked to Midori, who translated the last part, and then went around to the backyard.
Hikaru was sitting on the bench at the back of the house reading. He looked up as Samantha came into view. “Ohayô,” he said, smiling.
His smile took Sam by surprise, but she still managed to return his greeting in Japanese.
“Dôka shimashita ka.” he asked. He noticed that she had been crying.
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”
Hikaru stood and walked over to Sam. He touched her cheek where the tracks of her tears still remained. “Namida desu. Naze naite imasu ka.”
Even though she didn’t understand what he said, the tears welled up in her eyes again, and she began to tell him about her dream and how worried she was about him. However, she was speaking English and Hikaru understood none of it. She threw her arms around his neck and cried on his shoulder.
Not knowing what else to do, he let her cry and began to stroke her hair.
They were still standing together when Midori and Takeda came around the house. Hikaru backed away from Sam and started to blush. Sam looked over her shoulder at the others and wiped away some of the tears.
Takeda wasn’t angry at all, but had a kind smile. He told Hikaru not to worry. He had done nothing wrong. Midori told Sam that she had told Takeda about the dreams.
“Hikaru-kun, could you help me in the house, please?” Takeda said.
“What? Oh… yes, sensei,” Hikaru said and followed his teacher into the house.
Takeda went to the pantry and started to put together a little breakfast. “I suppose you’re wondering why Sam-chan was crying,” he said.
Hikaru found a tray and answered, “Yes, I could tell she had been crying, but she started to tell me why in English. Then she grabbed me.”
Takeda chuckled at that. “It’s all right. Don’t be embarrassed. Midori-san told me what made Sam-chan cry.”
“I didn’t do anything!” Hikaru blurted.
Takeda laughed. “No, Hikaru-kun, it’s nothing you did. Well, nothing directly. You see, Sam-chan has a gift. She is a seer. She’s been having dreams about you.”
Hikaru blushed again. “About me? Why?”
“Well, that’s the mystery. And they’re really not dreams so much as nightmares. Sometimes her dreams tell the future. Midori-san said that it was a series of dreams that led Sam-chan to Japan from America. Led her to you. She saw you in the garden at the dojo speaking to me under the full moon.”
Hikaru thought about that night in the garden. “The night of the shadows,” he said quietly.
“What was that?” Takeda paused in his breakfast preparations.
Hikaru looked at his teacher. “Sensei, the night you discovered me in the garden was the first time I saw Sam-san. It was a full moon and the shadows around the garden were frightening me. I sat in the open on the bench so I could watch them. You came out to the garden and saw me there. Sam-san came out of the shadows behind you. I turned to talk to her, but she screamed and vanished.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”
“I don’t know. I forgot about it until now. Then, when she found me at the shore, she wasn’t afraid. She could see me in the daylight and touch me. Sensei, what does this mean?
“That is beyond my knowledge, Hikaru-kun,” Takeda said seriously. “But I do know this; there is something about that girl.”
“Something bad?” Hikaru frowned.
“No, something good.” Takeda smiled at Hikaru’s reaction. He handed over the tray of food. “Now, take this out to our guests.”
Hikaru took the tray and headed to the backyard. He paused and said, “I’m glad it’s nothing bad. I like having her around.”
Takeda smiled again. His intuition about the girl was turning out to be correct. And if Sam-chan stayed around, perhaps Midori-san would stay also. He sighed and went to join the three in the yard for breakfast.
After they had eaten breakfast, Hikaru went to the house and got the kite Samantha had given him. With Midori’s help, he asked Sam if she wanted to fly it with him. Much to his surprise, she said she would.
They all walked down to the shore where there was more space for them to fly the kite. Hikaru and Sam led the way. They were pointing things out to each other and saying what they were in their respective languages. Takeda and Midori brought up the rear.
Midori noticed Takeda’s smile and asked him what he was thinking.
Takeda glanced over at Midori and said, “I was just thinking of how happy Hikaru-kun is when Sam-chan is here. He’s been through so much recently, and she seems to calm him. Actually, I don’t remember him laughing or smiling so much, even before his father left.”
“I see. I’ve spoken to Akiko-san at the inn. She says he’s always been so serious. Even as a small child when playing with her son, he hardly smiled or laughed.”
“I know. His early childhood wasn’t happy. His father and I were called to battle when Hikaru-kun was three years old. Shortly after that his mother disappeared.”
“What happened to her?”
“We don’t know. Akiko-san said she went to the dojo so the boys could play and found Hikaru-kun crying in the courtyard. There was nothing to show where Shizuyo had gone. Akiko-san and her husband took him in after that and raised him with Satsuo-kun until we returned.”
They arrived at the beach and found a place to sit while Hikaru and Sam went to fly the kite. Midori spread the blanket out and sat down. “How long were you gone?” she asked.
“Over two years,” Takeda said as he sat next to her. “By the time we returned, Hikaru-kun had forgotten who we were. It was hard for his father to accept what had happened. It took some time for them to get to know each other again. It was not a pleasant time for any of us.”
Midori watched as Hikaru helped Sam with the kite. “They seem so natural together,” she said quietly.
Takeda watched Midori for a moment, and then looked away quickly when she turned to him. “Do you think Sam-chan would want to stay here? Will she stay in Japan?” he asked.
Midori thought about Takeda’s questions for a moment. She watched as Sam and Hikaru ran laughing on the beach. “Yes, I think she will stay here,” she answered.
Takeda then asked a question that took them both by surprise. “Will you stay, too?”
Midori turned to face him. Their eyes met briefly before he looked down at his hands. She was very flattered by the question and answered, “I will stay with Sam-chan as long as she needs me.” She reached over and took his hand. “And I will stay with you as well, Takeda-san.”
A rainy Sunday. I'm stuck at work. My brain and body are saying it's only 6:30, but the clock says different. This switch to Daylight Savings Time has truly messed with my mind. I went to bed at 2:00/3:00 this morning, the time when the hour disappeared. I woke up at 11:00. My brain said it was only 10:00!
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I hear a train! There's a crossing about a block away from the motel. I wonder who's driving the train....
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Today is rainy. Has been all day. It's the type of day where I'd like to stay inside with a good book and a warm blanket. Doesn't that sound like a plan?
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Well, I think that's about it for me. I got a few more guestbook signatures. I am seriously thinking of going offline and finding something else to do. I'm supposed to go check 5 rooms to see if the housekeepers are doing their jobs correctly. I better go do that. Yippee. *falls over from boredom*
It's damn near 3 o'clock in the morning! What the hell am I doing still awake at this time? Well, I was watching a bunch of old movies on Turner Classic Movies. After Jason and the Argonauts, it was The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and then Cape Fear with Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. Great movies one and all.
Also, I was going through my guestbook. So... out of 28 pages of signatures, I got through all of them except for "Page 1." I'm saving that one for after I get out of bed. So, there's a lot of people out there that got hits from me tonight! Whee.
Now I'm gonna go lose consciousness for at least 6 hours. I gotta work tonight. Blah....
It's Thursday night. We've had more thunderstorms today. There was a tornado touch down about a mile east of Sioux City. Eek.
My excitement for the day included getting 50 minutes of airtime added to my cellphone and trying not to fall asleep at odd times of the day. *yawns* Like now.
Last night I went to bed a little after 11 and slept until 9:45 this morning! I needed that. I feel a little better, but still have sinus issues. It's gonna be a long Spring...
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I'm watching a fun old movie right now. Jason and the Argonauts is on TCM. Fun stuff! The stop-motion animation is quite amazing for the time the movie was made. It's from 1963. I think there's another one of these type of movies on after this one. Yay!
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Well, I will give you all a break from the Peeps today. Mainly because I ran out of Peeps stuff to post. But I will leave you with this:
Well, it's Wednesday night. I was online earlier this afternoon, but a thunderstorm went through and I got offline. First one of the spring season! Whee!!
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One thing the rainy weather has done to me is make my sinuses go wonky. I have a headache again... or yet. Take your pick. If the rain is doing this to me now, it's gonna be a real joy when the trees start to bloom. My allergies will kick in big time then.
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Time for today's Peeps! It's the back of the box in yesterday's Micro Peeps picture.
Well, it's about 1:30 in the morning now. I should be in bed trying to sleep or at least reading some manga to try to relax to fall asleep, but here I am instead.
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I suppose I should explain my subject line. It's a comfort food thing. When I was working at the mall and had a particularly nasty night, I would stop at a convenience store and buy a bottle of Welch's Grape Soda and a small bag of Cheetohs. Yes, that truly odd combination is one of my comfort foods! Monday night at work was beyond "particularly nasty" and approached "reprehensibly nasty." I stopped at HyVee and found a bag of Cheetohs. No grape soda was to be seen. *sigh*
Here's a small amount of what happened at work tonight. We've got a contract with one of the local trucking firms that their trainees and drivers get a good rate on rooms in the old north building. Well, all of the reservations were for non-smoking rooms and most of the guys wanted smoking rooms. I tried to move them to smoking rooms and it turned out that the keys just plain wouldn't work on the rooms, so I moved them back to the rooms they were originally assigned. Not a big deal. However, one of the truckers decided to hit the bar for a while and ended up a little confused. First he couldn't find his room in the main building. Ummm... hello?!?!?! His room was in the north building. He got to his room and was unable to figure out how to turn on the heat. I told him the thermostat was back by the bathroom and he was okay with that. Later he calls and complains about how cold it is in his room. I offer to move him and he declines. Ten minutes later he calls back and wants to be moved! The night auditor (my brother) goes over to check the room I picked for him and to help move him. He knocks on the door and the guy says, "You got the wrong room." So...I don't know what has happened with the guy since then, but I do know that if I had gone over to try to move him, I'd probably have punched him in the face.
Then there was the Mexican construction worker I mentioned at my 9:00 add on to yesterday's post.... I still don't know what he wanted. I don't speak Spanish and I won't even say "I don't speak Spanish" in Spanish, even though I know what it is!
So...needless to say, I have a headache, and I'm tired. I should really try to get to sleep soon.
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However, before I go, since it seems to be Peeps Week. Here you go....
The box of Peeps my brother & I are sending to our Mom. She loves the real things, but is diabetic and can't eat them anymore. I gotta wrap the box up in plastic wrap so it looks like the real ones.
Hey... whatever.... don't mind me... *falls off chair*
It's Monday afternoon... just past 1:00 pm. I'm bored. I should go to the post office, but it's rainy out there. That's really no excuse, eh?
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So, how was my Sunday? Blah. My brother & I went to LeMars to Walmart and HyVee. Yay! Didn't do much but grocery shopping. Then we came home and talked for a while before he went to take a nap and I had to go to work.
I was kept pretty busy at work last night. I didn't even pull out the laptop! I spent about 3 of the first 4 hours of my shift in the van. Not all at once, but still it was about 3 hours of driving around. After I got back, I had to go check rooms. That and running stuff to guests kept me busy for another couple hours. Then, back to the desk area to "do the box." That's checking the box of reg cards against the list of who's in the hotel. Then I filed three days worth of old reg cards. Another van run after that and I was left with about 45 minutes of my shift. Pretty busy, eh? Tonight I get to be desk person, so no running around for me until after 11. I don't like being the only one that knows how to do stuff at the desk sometimes.
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Well, since you liked my Mega Peep yesterday, I had to go and share this with you.
It's affected my brain cell to the point that I yell out "Mortal Peep Fight!!" in the stores when I pass the Peeps. I want Peeps, but my teeth hurt just thinking about them...
Laters!
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Now it's just past 9 pm...I'm at work and it's not been very much fun. I had a headache when I came to work and it's not going away! It was exasperated by the Mexican construction worker that spoke no English and couldn't understand me when I told him I speak no Spanish. *pounds head on counter*
Saturday night's game was rather high scoring! We won 8 to 5! It was a rather exciting game. I got a couple keychains and a t-shirt. Well, the t-shirt should actually be my brother's 'cause it landed in his seat... but I grabbed it. XD
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Well, since it's just past 1:00 in the morning and I'm starting to lose focus, I leave you with this:
Well, it is actually Saturday now, isn't it? So... let me tell you about my Friday night. I went to a hockey game!!!!
Now for the stupid people: the batch of puck bunnies that left the game when there was 2.5 minutes left because we were behind 2 to nothing! We tied the game up in the last 2 minutes and won it in overtime.
Unfortunately, the win means little to us. We don't get to go to the playoffs. But it was a sweet victory. If the teams for the playoffs were picked the way they used to do it, we'd be seeded something like #5 in the league. But they changed it to be the top 4 teams in each division and we just missed it. *sigh*
Well, that's about it for me. I have another hockey game tonight, and then the season is over. *sigh* Hockey withdrawals will go into effect shortly...
A day best suited for sleep... 
Play the best song in the world, or I'll eat your souls... 
WTF?!?!?!?! 
More thunder-boomies! 
Thunderboomies! 
Dang. No grape soda!!! 
Hey... whatever.... don't mind me... *falls off chair* 
The final score for the weekend.... 