u/RealAdamzX

(MAN THIS STILL MAKES ME MELT)

What is the first lesson in life that we learned?

To be kind-hearted? To be active and explore the world? To help and respect others? To not be a jerk towards others? To recognize wrongdoing?

Most of us would probably struggle to remember.

Yet, regardless of what it is, there's one fact we cannot deny: It is almost certain that life has taught us about this more than once.

We learn the value of kindness, then relearn it when a sweet girl brews us a pleasant cup of tea.

We learn the essence of discipline, then relearn it when we wish to improve some aspects of our lives.

Hell, we learn to treasure love, then relearn it when we discover that being understood is just as precious as being adored.

It feels like a hassle at times, yes, but that is what makes us beautifully human. These lessons fundamentally don't alter much, but the way we utilize them in our lives does. What was once seen as simple, glittering rays of sunshine and dust gradually take shape, gain color and become more complex as life goes on.

Perhaps, that is what builds wisdom.

We do not merely learn it. We revisit it.

Again. And again. And again.

And in every iteration, we feel our sight becoming a little clearer than before.

That's all!

Have a fruitful and joyful Monday y'all!

(rin and hisao walking in the soothing rain together)

When we look at the boundless horizon above our heads, what comes into our minds?

A blue atmosphere? A divine being? A celestial ambassador? Or... a human?

It may sound a little strange at first, but we have very often treated it as one.

We look at rain and think of sorrow.

We look at sunshine and think of joy.

We look at storms and think of turmoil.

Hell, seeing the sky turning red could give us a thought of it being angry.

Regardless of whether we interpret them as something human-like or not, and connect its visuals with our intrinsic, unfettered imagination, there is something scintillating about how we view the sky.

Not once have we seen the sky speak, smile, laugh, irritate or vex before, and yet, we continue to read emotions from it as though it does.

Perhaps, the sky isn't expressing any emotions at all.

Perhaps, we are looking at the fragments of ourselves being reflected within it.

This thought crossed my mind while I was looking at the raining sky after weeks of intense heat. Even though it looked grey, the euphoric scent of petrichor gave me a strong sense of release, making it much less depressing, and much more merciful, surprisingly enough.

That's all!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

(let natural joy course through your veins!)

In life, there are times when we feel a little heavier in our thoughts. Times when our energy runs thin, our thoughts feel sluggish, and even the simplest things feel like a hassle.

But who said that a cheeky laugh couldn't sneak its way into our day?

A goofy joke could land at some strange moment perfectly! A few hilarious shenanigans could appear in the council! Heck! Even an absolutely comical memory could present itself like a tiptoeing dancer!

Either way, when it occurs, we crack up and let out our stress both physically and mentally.

Laughter may not solve every problem or deadline that steadily approaches, but it sure does make the journey a great adventure!

So! What are we waiting for?

Wherever we are in our lives, either in great joy or rough trenches, enjoy yourself a little! Share a laugh with a friend, tell a silly joke, or simply smile at life's absurd little moments! You never know when one might appear!

That's all!

HAVE A DAY FULL OF LAUGHTER! WAHAHA~!

(rin wandering with hisao)

What moments in life do we wish to have? Deep? Lovely? Intimate? Casual?

Either way, it doesn't matter all the time, as there are some genuinely out of our hands.

Not all memories are intentionally created by us. Instead, they could appear one day out of the blue, and we would experience it, whether it was light or intense.

You could be having remarkably hilarious and friendly banter with your co-workers during your free time. You could be looking at a few hundred white storks while trying to figure out how to cook the most delicious lunch ever. Oh, if you are an artist, you could be spending 73 hours wondering what color to paint your magnum opus and conclude: "Ah, it's Prussian blue."

If these potential recollections had a voice, they would say one thing: We don't require intention to exist. Yes, you absolutely are permitted to create your own everlasting memories, but not all will come as you expect. After all, they can take the form of entropic strokes in life's canvas, and we do not know who's behind them.

They simply exist, in ways that we may not always be able to define.

And perhaps that is enough.

That's all!

Bonne journée, tout le monde!

 

(une belle grue en papier)

Imagine yourself in this situation: You just woke up from a groggy slumber as a regular 9-5 employee, and your mind feels reluctant to leave the comfort of sleep. What shall you do? Brew coffee? Stretch your body? Go for a walk in the park? Who knows. But there is one thing they have in common:

They are all remarkably ordinary.

They inherently do not have the capability to finish the impending deadlines in our jobs, nor can it magically cast a wand to untangle any worries that have perplexed our minds for hours, days or even weeks. In essence, an espresso is just an espresso. A diamond push-up is just a diamond push-up. And you feeding birds is just feeding birds. These moments seem nearly trivial at first sight.

Yet, strikingly enough, we have a profoundly fundamental desire to seek them, because they grant us strength to face negativity.

Perhaps ordinary moments grant us a wider perspective on life. The world may seem amplified with gloominess, but it is not composed entirely of that. The folding of a crane in the morning horizon, the hilarious bantering in the public, or even the gentle, passionate writing of an unfinished envelope for an ol’ friend of a man in the park reminds us that there are still things worth appreciating amidst life's difficulties. There will be days that our lives seem down, or even depressing at times, but they do not control entirely how we view our today.

That is why these ordinary moments are far more valuable than we often give them credit for. They do not require insane confetti whenever they happen, nor does it show itself off like a grand milestone or substantial achievement. And despite that, they accompany us throughout our lives, like flowing reminders that in the midst of entropy, challenges and stress, there is still room for warmth, laughter and beauty.

In a fascinating way, strength is not expressed through overcoming negativity, but rather the acknowledgement that negativity is not the only thing that exists in life.

And yes, this absolutely does not exempt us from occasional humorous teasing in life.

That’s all!

Au revoir, tout le monde~!

(Hanako being best sleeping girl to me =]])

There's an odd attraction that sleep has in our lives: It never seems to ask us to be more than what we already are.

It is a place where we feel the immense relaxation of our bed, the natural fluffiness of our pillow, and where you can do or create whatever the hell you want. We can choose it to be the most high-quality tea time in the remarkable silence of nature's wind, or transform into a dragon with a journey towards friendship and love. That is why sleep time is so strongly sought in our usual clockwork: Not only does it act as a biological necessity, but also the greatest dream space we naturally possess. And besides, who cares if you decide to curl up in your blanket to temporarily put yourself in a soft bubble?

Perhaps, what makes sleep so unconditionally comforting is not that it permits us to become everything, but rather it allows us to stop becoming for a little while. During the day, there is always a task that demands our attention to be completed, and that is just one of many. Beyond that, there are others that also appear naturally, and not doing them would either be slightly inconsequential or leave us with a lingering feeling that something is unfinished. Sleep soothes that seemingly never-ending cycle. She never argues with even the most devout individuals that dare to defy her since, at some point, their bodies will gradually become honest enough to stop, and softly embrace her like a quiet companion.

I'm not sure what came to my mind while I was writing this, but it felt just oddly peaceful to do so.

That's all!

Have a wonderfully soft day (or sleep), everyone!

(new title format yey)

Being able to create prominent results and excel in leadership are some of the most highly valued traits a person can have in modern society. No matter what background they have or any challenges they resolve, they often are still judged first by what they can produce, lead or control.

In many ways, modern civilization rewards not just one's natural capability, but also how that capability is commonly perceived.

That is why Shizune is the president of The Student Council (peak) and the current class representative of Class 3-3: Just like how Hisao described her (and Misha), they are remarkably productive and efficient in what they do. She has excellent focus on her work, demands precision, and would willingly push past midnight to accomplish her tasks. Essentially, she's a skillful workaholic, and many parts of her work ethic are, indeed, strongly desired nowadays. Perhaps we could learn a thing or two from Shizune when it comes to working efficiently.

However, that is what made her not seen as comforting to talk to most of the time at school. It is not because she's cold, but rather because of the way she processes human interaction. Unlike many of her peers, she communicates through structure, not emotional pacing. While it definitely allows for more seamless workflow, it can also create subtle distance in casual conversations, where emotional nuance is usually not carried through clarity, but through hesitation, tone and softness. Even though a part of this is caused by Shizune's dependency on Misha's translation, it also highlights how much of emotional expression is tied not just to intent, but to delivery.

This pattern is similar to modern society nowadays: Emotional expression is often not valued as much as efficiency. Even though humanity certainly hasn't neglected emotions entirely, they are frequently viewed as secondary to outcomes that are immediately visible or measurable. It is why people who tend to communicate through structure and decisive intent, like Shizune, are sometimes perceived as less emotionally approachable, even if the person, by nature, is not empathetically hollow.

Perhaps, to navigate modern life, it is less about a lack of emotion, and more about how it is allowed to appear.

That's all!

Have a valiantly sharpened day, everyone!

(PS: istg witchanon's "Ώρα για λίπανση!" has been echoing in my mind lol. all this greek learning for this.)

This visual novel seemed to really show, even when barely on-screen, the profoundly deep and truthful values that one element of life expresses: family.

It is a painful reality to acknowledge that not all of us in the world had a good family, most notably when we were young, as they left either coldly or tragically. After all, so many of us have our own uniquely positive qualities, but losing or not knowing what our origins were can torment us greatly if left unchecked.

It is why Emi's route was so uplifting: From the relatively shallow intimacy she had with Hisao to finally recognizing the inevitability of letting go of an unending heartache, Emi balanced herself between her endearing passion for running, and the heartfelt recognition of a lovely but distant past. Emi treasured her father, her mother, and the warm atmosphere that lit her house so much that it constantly left her drained whenever she confronted the reality that it was gone.

It is why she was so afraid of moving on from it, and even sorely denied Hisao's love and willingness to do the same: She did not want to feel that level of pain all over again, and that is exactly what made her movement through life with a ground covered in rough mud and deep snow.

The same can somewhat be applied to all of us, in a way. When we lose a foundation that once greatly comforted us, then we would feel a strong sense of detachment, as if an essential part of our identity got buried alongside what we lost. Some choose to move on. Others dwell on the past without reconciliation. And some keep running endlessly, just so that they never have to stop and think about how what was once beautiful faded away.

That's why, even with the occasional sexual humor, jokes and gags, Emi's route teaches us a valuable lesson: Denying what painfully built us in the past may grant us temporary relief, but it harms how we live and communicate with others naturally.

You cannot catch your stride forward if you deny the ground you pushed off from.

That's all!

Have a day full of blasting motion, everyone!

Just saw this on FIFA's livestream for U17 World Cup's Draw.

How do you guys feel about our country's performance in this?

(chemical reaction: Emi + Misha = Energetic Explosion)

Too many times, strangely enough, whenever I revisit the game, there's an odd feeling of nostalgia that already lingers in just a few months. But not just the game, but something else as well.

What was it? Love? Connection? Or perhaps... just how natural the situations that occurred in the visual novel? Really. Whether it be Hisao watching Emi running on the track field with the pacing of a wild cheetah, or Misha casually joyfully chatting in the Shanghai, there is one element that definitely stands out: simplicity.

These moments quietly exist in nearly every moment in our lives, and they are what ground us in reality. Small conversations, familiar routines, regular habits, you name 'em. By itself, they don't mean much, but let it compound over time, and they practically become indispensible for what we go through on a daily basis.

However, as the world rapidly evolves, so is the advancement of technology nowadays. As hyper-connectivity and information overload gradually creeps into the modern world, we slowly feel less of the smaller things around us. It makes regular talks quicker and more shallow, current schedules a pain in the butt and meaningful moments go unnoticed.

Perhaps that's why the stories in Katawa Shoujo did not include constant mentions of technology; it's to show that life has remarkable moments beyond bits and digits, and we should cherish them as much as we can, even while struggling in the roughest trenches of our lives.

That's all!

Have a day full of hugs, y'all!

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the childhoods of Emi and Hanako, and how they reflect the different ways people grow from their past experiences.

Emi had an astonishingly wonderful time during her childhood: She created countless lovely memories with her father, and, perhaps (or definitely), gained the aspiration to become a great runner from him. Moreover, in spite of the deeply lingering pain that she endured after the accident, she still improved and strived to become the passionate and joyful runner her father genuinely wished his daughter to be, even when she did overshoot by trying to ignore it as much as she could. It's why she joyfully describes herself as the fastest thing on no legs, and honestly, there's something surprisingly admirable to have this kind of mindset, even when life becomes rough.

As for Hanako's childhood... well, to put it in two words, egregiously painful. The tragic loss of her beloved parents in the unexpected inferno, followed by the period of long-term isolation she endured at the children's home, even as she tried to speak and adapt normally in her environment, was intensely challenging. In a brutally ironic way, the pain she had from one past became what felt like a never-ending struggle against fear and alienation; it really made her stuck in expressing emotions, even in warmer moments. And yet, even within that painful upbringing, there were fleeting moments where her childlike self still surfaced. Those moments cannot erase what she went through, but they remained as quiet fragments of who she was before everything changed. Yet... that's what made her recovery over time so remarkably beautiful. Through Hisao and Lilly's guidance and love, she gradually returned back to a relatively normal pace, and that alone, even if imperfect, felt more than enough for her to be happy, especially toward Hisao. It was very awkward and extremely shy at first, but through gentle pacing and understanding, even in moments when it was a bit too much (especially that one gut-wrenching intimate scene), she came to rediscover what made life memorable for her: love. It's why it was significant to see her mask naturally being let go, and it's why her gift to Hisao, a gentle kiss in public, was truly... meaningful.

I guess I wrote this because I naturally felt that as more responsibilities in life come along, so is the nostalgic intensity of childhood memories. It can either bring back an immense amount of joy or grievance, and that's what makes them so special to our lives. From my own perspective, Hanako's recovery from traumatic experiences in her youth reminded me of how my own past isolation still leaves a quiet echo in my life. And, at the same time, Emi reminds me of a kind of energy I wish I had been able to express more freely in my own environment, but couldn’t at the time.

What do you think? Do you relate more to Emi, Hanako, both, or neither?

Have a cheerful and carefree day, y'all.

please help me lol

(boo!)

Initially, when I first played (or should I say, experienced) her route, I assumed her to be like the previous three (Emi, Hanako and Lilly). How naïve was I to have kept such a belief.

In the entire route, while I decided to voice their dialogue myself, there was an immense amount of tension I felt every moment that Rin and Hisao met one another, and I thought to myself: "Why does it feel like it's not going to be better any moment now?" Turns out, the primary reason for what seemed to be constant drama and conflicts was simply because Hisao tried to understand Rin in a straightforward and natural way. Rin’s thoughts were abstract and didn’t translate into words naturally. Yet, it is through Hisao's acceptance of Rin's ambiguity that the relationship finally feels, for the most part, free.

I'm writing this post because recently, I've been going through a maturing phase that feels relatively connected to this same acceptance of ambiguity. I thought that life would offer clear answers and clean conclusions, but that rarely happened. In fact, more than once did I witness myself moving on with my life with unresolved questions. It's a strange feeling that feels scary, but it gives a sense of peace and tranquility that feels... just right.

I’m curious how all of you see this. What do you think? Did your life go through a similar phase, or was it something else?

Have a wonderfully tranquil day, y'all.