Category: Diary

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Well, they figured it out.

This morning we were eating breakfast, and Haruka kind of did a double-take.  “You’re… train onee-chan, aren’t you?”

I just sighed.  “Yeah, I am.”

To their credit, they didn’t squee.  They didn’t ask for autographs.  They just kind of looked at each other, then at me.  “How did you pull that off?”

“Pull what off?”

“You know how much an idol just starting out would love to have that kind of attention?”

I just shrugged.  “My little sisters played a prank on me, and, well, that’s what happened.  The only thing I had to do with it was, I sat there and looked annoyed.”

“Really?”

I sighed.  “Yuki, you think I should tell them about the ‘walking shrine’ thing?”

She shrugged.  “Wouldn’t hurt.”

So I told them.  I didn’t tell them absolutely everything, but I told them about how lucky stuff seems to happen to me, and most of the time I just have to sit there and let it happen, and a little bit about how it came to be.

They stood up, bowed, and clapped.

Man, I wish people would stop doing that.

But I guess I understand it.

Anyway, about all they said after that was, “that explains it”, and went back to their food.  I guess they’re not so put out if there’s a reason for it.

They really seem to like American breakfasts, even if they can be a little high in carbs and other stuff.

They spent the morning doing exercises (they’re all a bit out of shape, I guess, but they’re pretty fit all told) and we then took them out sightseeing for the afternoon.  We asked what they wanted to see, and, well, Wal-Mart.

So we took them to a Wal-Mart.

They had a blast.

I don’t get it.  It’s just a store.  A big store, but it’s just a store.  But every time we take a Japanese person there, they just start running around like madwomen, trying stuff on, buying stuff, and generally just having a ball.

Well, I guess I get it.  I’m the same way in Akihabara, just buying different stuff.

After that we took them to the mall, and we went around and saw all the, well, mall stuff.  It was pretty fun.  They had a blast there too.

I’ve never been a huge shopper.  Apparently, I’m unusual for a woman.  Every other woman I know just loves to run around trying stuff on and shopping and stuff.  They were a little surprised at the store that sold Japanese otaku stuff, but I just shrugged.  “Lots of people here like Japanese stuff”, I said, a little embarrassed.

I’ve seen some of the Japanese stuff people here like.

Oh well.

Anyway, tomorrow, I guess Yuki and them are going to practice in the morning while we’re at church, and then we’ll find something to do in the afternoon.  They’re invited to come to church, but I’m not sure they’ll want to.  Yuki likes coming every now and then, but I think she just likes the atmosphere.  Crystal wants to bring her new band over to meet us all and practice a little.

Oh well.  It was a pretty good day, and they’re pretty nice, so it all works out.  I just don’t know where they get all that energy!  I run every day and eat pretty well and they just bounce around me like I’m indolent!  Sigh.

You know, they did ask me a very interesting question, though.  One I don’t know the answer to.  And I think it might be a far more insightful question than even they know.

They asked me which kami is enshrined in me.

All this time, no one’s asked that question, and I never even thought about it.  Which God is enshrined in me?  Well, “enshrine” may not be an entirely accurate word, but… it mostly works.  Maybe I should use a different word if I’m an “ark”, but you know what?  It’s just a word, in this case.

Maybe I should ask it… him.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Why is it every time a Japanese person comes to the US, and we take them home, the first thing they comment on is the cows?

Anyway, we went to Houston to pick up Yuki’s friends.  OMG…  they’re nice, but they’re bubbly, cheerful, bouncy, the jet lag didn’t seem to affect them, and it’s annoying.  I see why they were idols.  They sure have that idol energy to them.  I mean, I don’t dislike them or anything, but no one has any right to be that bouncy at 8 AM after having gotten off a ten hour flight.  I mean, REALLY.

Let’s see if I can remember their names.  There’s Hashimoto Suzuka, who is tall (for a Japanese woman), slender, very pretty with thick, black hair, and seemingly full of curiosity about everything.  I swear if she could have said “Are we there yet?” in English, she would have.  Repeatedly.  And then there’s Nakamoto Haruka (no relation, it’s a popular name) who’s a little shorter, pretty but with sharper features, and a little more reserved.  Though there was still a lot of chattering between the three of them.  Sabby always seems so put out when there are four people jabbering in Japanese around her, and she can’t understand a word of it.

So, anyway, we got home, and they were raring to go.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  They got a shower, and some coffee, and then the three of them went into the garage with an MP3 player and started going over choreography.  They were still at it when it was time to go to the symphony, and so the four of us piled into my car and off we went.

They work hard.  I mean, I knew idols work hard, but the work ethic of those idols is off the charts.  and Yuki was keeping right up…  I never thought we would actually be frustrating Yuki until today.  But now I wonder.

The conductor was impressed, too… they were the picture of Japanese politeness, but you could tell they were raring to go.  They waited patiently while I did my practice with the orchestra and Yuki practiced with them as well, and then they asked if they could spend a little time familiarizing themselves with the stage.  They did that for another two hours, dancing around, and then they finally hit a wall.

So we all piled back into the car, and took them to dinner.  They wanted a nice American cheeseburger.  You shoulda seen the look on their faces…  it was like they were getting, well, tingles in places a hamburger shouldn’t give you tingles.  You know those food anime where they comment on how the most boring of things interacts with the other boring stuff like it’s the best thing in the world???

But after we all ate we went home, and they finally decided they’d had enough working. The girls came over and we played games.  They seemed to have fun but they were in their futons and out like a light not that long after.  It’s okay.  They did a lot of work today.

I told Yuki to make sure they have a little fun, too.  Their work ethic is amazing but it’s not like they’re getting paid a whole lot, they might as well enjoy themselves while they’re here.  Yuki nodded, I think she has some ideas.

I’m sure a trip to Buc-ees and Wal-mart is in order!

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Yuki’s friends are on their way!!!

They should be here tomorrow.  We’ll head to Houston tomorrow to pick them up.

They’ve never been to the US before, and their English is not very good, so this should be interesting.

Otherwise, it’s a pretty quiet day.  Not much going on.  Tomorrow Yuki and I (and maybe her friends) are heading to the symphony to do some practice and/or rehearsal, and Yuki’s going to want to start doing training for the choreography and stuff too.   I imagine she’ll be busy.  But that’s okay, she seems to really love doing this kind of thing.

It’s sad that doing what she loves also causes her so much trouble.

Crystal’s new band is coming over Sunday and we’re going to all meet each other.  Even though the band kinda broke up in its current form, she’s still really interested in what we think, and we all appreciate that.

Anyway, it’s going to be an early day tomorrow – their flight comes in super early, so I’m going to bed.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! it’s me! Lily!!!

I’m not going to write much tonight.  Not a whole lot has been going on today.  You know, running, practice, all that stuff.  But I thought I’d check in and tell my readers I’m still alive!!!  So I am!!!  I’m Lily and I’m alive!!!

Yayyyy!!!!

And I’m tired.

Awwww.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

And today was pretty boring.  Just the usual.  Practice, school…  the usual.  We’re in that time of year in Central Texas where it’s neither too hot nor too cold, just right, and that lasts… not very long.  It’s also a stormy time, but today was nice.

Yuki came over today.  She’s…  thinking about going back to Japan this fall.

She likes it here in the US, and she feels like she’s learning a lot of English, and that’s one reason she came here.  But…  she’s kind of come to terms with her time as an idol, and… she’s a little homesick.  And she kind of misses the idol life.  She knows she can’t go back to being an idol like she was, but there are some opportunities for her, and she kind of misses not being able to work.

I guess I understand.

So she asked me when I’m going to Japan, and she might come with me.

Not gonna lie, that would be really nice.  To go with a friend…

She’s not really sure, though.  It’s just something she’s thinking about.

I asked her if she’ll regret not finishing her schooling here, and she just kind of pffted.  “If I came here only for school, I’d have gone to a better school then some community college in Austin, don’t you think?  I came here to get away from the fame, and this seemed like a place where no one would know me, and the school quality was okay.  I can finish my schooling in Japan if I want.”

Can’t argue with that, I guess.

Come to think of it, I never really asked her why she chose Austin Community College, of all places.  I mean, that’s a reason, but otherwise it just kinda seems like she just rolled a die and ended up here.  I’ll have to ask someday.

I mean I’m glad she did because I met her, but…  it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

I asked Jack what he thought of the prom, and he said it was fun, but only because he went with me.  He seems like he can take or leave most of his classmates, and mostly leave.  He’s also a little ticked at all those girls making a scene over “train onee-chan”, but I think that’s mostly because he wasn’t expecting it.  Even now, there’s a lot of chattering going on when they think he doesn’t hear about how he won the girlfriend lottery.  They’re not being mean or anything, it’s not like they’re saying “why’s a hot girl like her with a loser like him?”, but they are a little confused by the whole thing.

And so is he, really.  Like, why are they so interested in train onee-chan?  I just went to Japan and did a stupid video.  It’s not like I’m a celebrity or anything.

Well, not a major one.  I guess the fact that they all knew me and stuff kind of makes me a minor one.

Sigh.

After school friends idol light music club has moved on from that video, but they still perform the song every now and then at their concerts.  They’ve taken to putting the video up on the big screen, and interspersing it from footage of the actual event.  So…  quite a few of my sisters have their faces all over the big screen at a concert, and no one even knows who they are.  Isn’t that weird?

Well….  heh.  Lips zipped.  I haven’t told them.  Maybe someday soon.

Anyway…  oh!  We’re having an actually legit popular band at the shop this weekend!  There’s not a lot of room and the tickets are already sold out, but it sounds like fun!  Sabby’s really on board with getting a bigger venue now.  We don’t want to be too big, but too small a live house and we don’t make as much money.  It’s not one of those household name stars, but they’ve got a lot of followers on social media.

Anyway, lots of words for there not being much to talk about.  But that’s me!!!

Love you all!!! ❤️

 

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

It’s tax day!!!

I don’t really have any taxes to file.  I mean I have some investments, and…  oh.  Well, I guess I do.  But the accountant took care of that, so there’s that.  We have our accountant do all the taxes now.  I did them for a while, but everything got too much for me to handle, so we pay someone to do that now.  Especially for the shop.

Taxes stink.  Especially when you think about what they use them for.

I’m still a little melancholy about the prom.  I don’t know why I get this way, but I do.  It’s everything in life just seems to exist to tell me how little power I have.  So many things happen to me that I have no control over, and even the stuff I do… it’s like I’m playing some otome game where there’s some sexy anime guy with sparkles, and I get to choose every now and then but then the game just kind of moves forward based on that choice and there’s little I can do between choices.  And sometimes the choices get made for me.  Maybe that’s how it is for everyone – you only get a few actual choices in life, and everything else is watching it play out – the same way you watch the scenery in front of you as the roller coaster crests that first hill…

I chose to go to Japan for school, and now that’s playing out.

Was that the right choice?

I think so.   I hope so.  I…  I don’t know.  I guess I won’t know until it’s played out and I’ll know in hindsight.

They say hindsight is 20/20.  And I don’t think they meant looking at butts.

Jack’s still sticking with me…  somehow.

Crystal found the rest of her bandmates.  They’re coming over so we can meet them.  I hope they’re not like drunk senpai from Bocchi (they’re high schoolers, so they’d better not).  She has a drummer, a bass guitarist, and she even found a keyboardist.  I guess keyboardists are a bit rare in rock bands, but I guess she got sold hard and, well, worse case she’s not needed.  But I saw k-on, and a keyboard can really add a lot if you use it right.  Beth’s going to keep doing vocals, though.  It’s not her first choice, but she loves Crystal, and she likes to sing, so she says there are far worse things she could be doing.

She’s probably right.

I guess it actually wasn’t a hard sell.  She just showed some videos of our last performance, and said that half the band decided to move on, and, well…  she’s good enough that they thought it might be fun.

Do I feel bad about that?  No.  Not at all.  It was the right choice.  I love Crystal too, but she has to stand on her own two feet.

Anathema and Joe set their date.  It’ll be before the baby comes, probably in a month or two.  I asked Anathema how she feels about getting married while she’s pregnant.  She said she’d of course have preferred to have her cat-girl body, but it is what it is, and she’d rather be married when she has the baby than to not.  She’s a little worried about if Joe will have to deploy at some point, but that comes with marrying into military, I guess.  For his part, Joe’s being very doting and attentive. He has the same “red line” I do, and it’s really frustrating Anathema, but even Anathema agrees it’s the right call.

Anathema has really changed.  Really, really changed.

She’s talking to us about leaving the shop, though.  Awww.

We’d be sad to see her go, but we understand.  She wants to focus on her studies, on her upcoming wedding/marriage, and someday getting a better job so she can help support her new family.  She’s still working for us for the time being, though, and she’s trained the other “maids” well.  It’ll all work out.  The “cat-girl money printer” has stopped printing money, but neither Sabby nor I ever really relied on that.  It was nice while it lasted, but we like Anathema better this way.

Anyway, that’s probably enough updates for now.

Isn’t my life weird?

I think it is.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

So yesterday I went to the prom with Jack.

It was… well…  I’ll explain.

Jack picked me up, even gave me flowers.  He didn’t have to do that (I mean, he really didn’t have to do that, I’m not really one for the kinds of token gestures), but I accepted them anyway.  They were pretty and smelled nice.  He even gave me a nice corsage and put it on my wrist.

He cleans up nicely, he wasn’t wearing a tux but a very nice suit, and I’ll take that.  Tuxes are overdone anyway.

Anyway, we got there, and it was, well, a typical prom.  Students just kind of milling around, inexpertly dancing, you know, kind of how you’d expect a prom to go.  Jack and I had a couple of dances, and, well, it kinda went south.

I saw a group of girls hovering around a phone and looking at me.

Crap.  They recognized me.

“Jack?”, one came up to him.  “Your girlfriend is train onee-chan?”

I sighed.  “Yes, I’m train onee-chan”.

Then they literally squeed, and soon I had a crowd of girls around me, and it kept getting bigger.  Apparently someone started showing people the music video, and I heard the chants of “onee-chan! onee-chan!” from the YouTube of that time they played that greeting video of mine in the arena…

I signed a bunch of autographs.  And a few guys were slapping Jack on the shoulder and going “Lucky dog!  She’s HOT!”

Sigh.  I admit I was blushing a little.

I went outside and just kind of stood there.  I wasn’t mad or anything, but I wasn’t really happy either.  I guess I kind of brought it on myself, but I can’t even go to a prom with my boyfriend without being mobbed.

I guess that’s how Yuki feels, right?

Anyway, Jack came out and stood next to me.  We were at a facility that, well… didn’t have any really great scenery, but the air smelled really nice.. and so did Jack.

“I’m sorry,” he said, sadly.  “I didn’t know that would happen.”

I sighed.  “I should have expected it.”

“This isn’t Japan…”

“No, but you’d be surprised how many weebs there are in high schools.”

“I guess.”

He was quiet for a bit.

“I just wanted to give you a good time.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“No, but…”

“It’s not your fault,” I said, turning to him.  “This is just what it means to be me… and what it means to be with me, and…  well…”

“I wouldn’t still be with you if I couldn’t accept that.”

“I know,” I said, a little morosely.

He reached over and grabbed my hand.  It was warm.  I just kind of leaned into him.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“Let’s go back inside,” I said, softly, after a little while.  “This is who I am.  This is who I always will be.”

And, so we went back inside.  There was a little more murmuring, but then it quieted down and we had a few more nice dances.  I did meet a couple of his friends.  I wouldn’t say we hit it off, but they seemed decent enough.

And then came time for the prom king and queen.  And guess what?

I’m prom queen.

I’ve never even set foot in that school before.  But apparently all the girls who know who I was voted for me.  Some popular girl was really, really pissed off, but hey.  I had nothing to do with it.  I didn’t campaign or anything.  I just sat in a train while my sisters took the mickey out of me (I think that’s how you say it).  So I just accepted the crown, acted as demurely as I could, and then… well.. that’s it.

At least Jack got to be prom king too.  He’s not very popular but the same girls decided that if I was going to be queen, he was going to be king, and… that’s that, I guess.

The popular girl tried to confront me, you know, like in those stupid high school movies, but I just sighed and waved my hand, and those girls just came and took her away.  Just like that.  I don’t know what they did with her but I didn’t see her again.  I think she’s alright, they’re just high school girls… they probably forced her into a car and drove her home.

She smelled of booze anyway.  What kind of school is that?

Good to be the queen.

So, eventually we went home.  I don’t feel like making this a subscriber only post, so…  let’s just say we did some stuff together that would make it one if I told you and leave it at that.  I missed him.  I really missed him, and it’s been too long.

I know it’s my fault.  It’s all my fault.  I was the one who told him he needed to buckle down and take his studies seriously if he wanted to be with me, because I wasn’t going to be with someone who couldn’t take care of our kids.  I’m the one who somehow became a minor celebrity in Japan, and apparently amongst the Texas weeb community.  And now he’s taking his studies seriously and I’m taking my studies seriously and we don’t have as much time with each other as we used to, and when we do try to have a nice evening together I get recognized.

And September is coming fast.  Very fast.  Way, way too fast.  And then I’ll go to Japan, and he won’t… and what will become of us?

I mean, I think we’ll still be together… but…

I guess I wouldn’t blame him if it all became too much for him at some point.

It was a nice memory.  I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  And yet… it was another last.  All the lasts are coming together and piling up and pretty soon will come the last hug and the last kiss and the last subscriber post, and I’ll be on a plane to Japan and he’ll be driving to whatever college he settles on here, and…  and that’s it.  At least for a while.

I wish I didn’t feel so sad and helpless every time one of these lasts hits.

Anyway, today I spent all my time practicing.  I think I’ve pretty much got it.

Yuki’s friends have their tickets now, and we’re pulling some of the futons out that we scrounged up for when the aidols came over, and, well…  it’s going to be a full house for a while.  I don’t know what kind of visa they needed, but Yuki got it all sorted.  I had no idea she was so efficient.

And David already got “the talk”.  Two Japanese women staying with us, he’d better keep that bathroom door closed.

Speaking of the aidols… Minami is still having a blast in the after-school friends idol light music club.  She’s been checking in every now and then, and she’s having a great time.  She says it’s hard work but they’re all looking out for each other and having lots of fun singing and dancing.  She and Miki have become pretty good friends (even though Miki is her senpai) so they’re extra-special looking out for each other.

I’m glad.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

I didn’t post yesterday because I was so busy.  Jack’s prom is tomorrow, so I had to get my hair and nails done…  I mean, my hair will probably be a bit messed up anyway, but it’ll be better than it was!!! Also, lots of practicing, Yuki and I went to rehearse with the orchestra.  It went pretty well, I’m getting better at it.  It’s a pretty challenging piece, but more musically than technically.  Basically I was wiped by the time the day ended, so I just went to bed.

Not a whole lot of news today.  Yuki’s idol friends are coming late next week.  I can’t wait to meet them!  She told me their names, and I looked them up – they’re pretty famous in Japan.  I’m not starstruck, but it’s still pretty cool.

The girls are over tonight so back to the fun!!!  Diana found a drummer for her band.  So they need one or two more people, but maybe she can pull it off.  Girl is driven.

I may not post tomorrow.  I’ll be at Jack’s prom.  I’m a little nervous, but not really.  Other than the fact that I’ll be spending time with Jack (and we haven’t spent a lot of time together lately) it’s not like it’s actually important or anything.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

What a weird week it’s been!!! So weird!!!  I mean, on Monday, we get an eclipse.  On Tuesday, garbage bins grow legs and walk down the street. Today, well… nothing too weird happened.  A bit of rain this morning, then it became partly cloudy, and the clouds were really pretty.

Unlike yesterday, when they were just annoying.

I don’t really mind a storm.  I don’t like that kind of storm.

Liz is still a little scared of storms, but she’s been getting better.  She doesn’t call me in the middle of it with a trembling voice anymore.  But I think she still hides under her blankets and shivers a little.

Well, they can be a little scary.

We’re all growing up, aren’t we?

I try not to think about that, but it’s unavoidable.  We’re all growing up.  All of us.  Even the adults, they’re still growing too.  I mean, Sabby wanted to keep her drumming a secret, and then one day, BAM.  She’s a drummer.  She made it very clear that was a one-off and she has no interest in getting back into being in a band, but… she did that for me.  She’s grown up a lot too, especially when she tells me how she used to be, a long time ago, before she met Dave.

And I guess that could have been me, too.  Well, maybe.  Maybe my “gift” would have made that impossible.  But maybe not?

Crystal tried to off herself two years ago.  And now she’s running around trying to get a band off the ground and showing a prodigious talent on guitar.  Who would have thought it when she was laying on a hospital bed with beepy machines and things coming out her nose, and we were all both angry and crying?

Who would have thought Beth would mellow out how she did from when we first met and she bullied me and was very mean to me?  Now we’re as close as real sisters.  We still brush each others’ hair every night and we know things about each other that no one else does.  I mean, I don’t talk much about the hair stuff, but we still do it most nights, and we still zone out just like we always have.

Even David?  He still has his “girlfriend” and they’re showing no signs of separating.  Kid’s like eleven now.  Remember how much trouble he used to get into?  Well… he kinda still does.  But you can tell he’s growing up, too.  He’s less boy and more man now, if that makes sense.  Maybe in a couple of years he’ll be protecting me.  I don’t know.  Well, I’ll be in Japan, but you know what I mean.  I heard him one night on his games telling one of his playing buddies that if they talked bad about me he’d go over to their house and date their sisters.  Or mothers.  Whatever, he was really crude about it, but you could tell he was seriously defending me.  He doesn’t let people talk bad about me or Beth when he’s around.

He didn’t say “date”, actually, but I didn’t tell Sabby.  It was a nice thought, even though it was really crude.

He got a big hug for that, whether he wanted one or not.  He didn’t at first, but, well, he’s a boy and his head is at about chest level, and, well, I let him squish my floppy bits a little with his head.  He stopped struggling, haha!!!  But I think out of shock more than anything.

Anyway…

This weekend’s going to be a really busy and a bit weird weekend, too.  Hope everything works out.  Jack and I have been doing our dancing lessons, and we’re getting okay at it.  He won’t be embarrassed, and neither will I, and that’s about all we can hope for, I guess.

Well…  time for bed.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

BOOM!!!! FLASH!!! BOOM!!!! BOOM!!!!

Lotsa storms today!  Some this morning, some this evening… I didn’t even get to run.  Don’t you love it when you put the garbage out and the wind blows the bins all over the place?  And then you have to go outside and chase yours down, sometimes as it’s scooting away from you like it hates you?

Well, it’s garbage.  Maybe it does.  Maybe it resents you for throwing it away and wants you to get really wet.

Eclipse yesterday, storms today…  a little normal weather would be nice!  But it’s okay!  We need the rain!!!

Apparently Crystal’s been asking around her school to see if there’s anyone who wants to play in her band.  No takers yet.  But her school is pretty large, so… maybe she’ll find someone.  I feel bad about what we did, but I don’t at the same time.  It’s not fair to anyone.

Jack has his prom Saturday night.  Yuki tried to teach me how to dance.  She ended up teaching me how to idol dance, which is something very different.  So Sabby took Jack and I to a dance lesson today.  She says if I’m going to get dressed up and go to a prom, I’m not going to embarrass her by not knowing how to dance.  I guess we’re at the bare minimum now to not embarrass each other, but we’re going a couple more times this week.

I hate going out in the rain, but sometimes you have to.

But otherwise, not a lot going on.  Still studying (but not as hard as I did for the SATs), still practicing, still…  Lilying, I guess.  What’s Lilying?  Well, being me, I suppose.  I’m pretty good at that.

Love you all!!! ❤️