Month: May 2024

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Well… I did not expect that.

Haruka’s been in a bit of a funk since the wedding.  She’s still working hard and everything but you can tell she’s a little… off.  After lunch she’ll go off and walk for a little while… I think she went to the konbini today and got a chocolate shake.

I finally asked her what’s wrong, and she just kind of stood there, looking at me, and it looked like her eyes were going to brim over…. then she ran up to the room and hid in a futon.

Of course I followed her.

When I got up there she was crying.

Of course I didn’t know why, Japanese people don’t usually ugly-cry, but she kinda was.  So I just kind of held her until she could get a coherent word out…

She’s lonely.  Not homesick, but lonely.

She’s in her early twenties and has never had a boyfriend, and kind of is starting to feel left out.

Awww.

It’s funny how people that are adored by so many other people can be so alone.

Anyway, I guess she just needed to get it out…  I told her if she wants a boyfriend, she should go about finding a boyfriend.  She said it’s not that easy, I said there are about thirty million people in Tokyo, there should be at least one who wants to take her to bed…

She swatted me and laughed.

“That’s not a problem,” she said.  “There are thousands of otaku, some of which actually even smell good, that would jump at the chance.  But I want a boyfriend“.  You know, someone who’ll put a ring on me and wed me and put a baby in me and… you know.  All that stuff.”

Yeah, I understand.

“What’s yours like?”, she asked.

So…  I told her.  Everything.  Stuff I haven’t even told you.  I told her how I met him, and how we fell in love, and how we’re having some difficulties lately, and…  well, I ended up crying a little too.

Sometimes you don’t know what you have until you’re around someone who doesn’t have it.

Isn’t that how it always work.s…

She’s a little better now.  We don’t usually girl-pile, Japanese people aren’t really all that into it (who am I kidding, many Americans aren’t either, I’m just weird) but I offered tonight…  she might even take me up on it.

I’m not a boyfriend and I don’t swing that way, but I am a warm body and maybe she needs that right now.

Otherwise…  it was a pretty quiet day.  Everything’s going as it should.

For now.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Well, Anathema’s wedding was yesterday.  She’s married now.

The wedding was nice.  Not ostentatious or anything.  We all went to the shop, which was “closed for a private event”.  The pastor officiated, and lots of family and friends showed up.  It wasn’t anything tearjerking with roses and trellises and professions of undying love – it was a simple affair.  Well.. mostly.

Joe went off script.

They weren’t going to do their own vows, and they repeated after the pastor what he asked them to say.  But then, just before the vows, Joe opened up.  And he told Anathema exactly how he felt about her.

Apparently he hadn’t done that before, not that way, because Anathema started sniffling, and so did most of the women in the audience.  He told her how beautiful she is, and how much he admired her for turning her life around and respecting her baby, and how much he looked forward to spending his life with her and the baby.  He told her he’d give his life to protect her if necessary, and that he’d thought his life was fulfilled with the military until he met her.  She then just forgot herself and hugged him tightly, and, well, everyone clapped.  That wasn’t agreed on so she didn’t have anything prepared, but no one seemed to mind, not least Joe.

Then the pastor cleared his throat.  He had a ceremony to finish.  They looked embarrassed, and very soon, they were married.

And the reception began.

Crystal’s band had set up to do a few songs, and they did, and then the idols came up, and Crystal’s band had prepared something for them too (they actually worked a lot faster than I thought they would).  Everyone was dancing around and waving glowsticks and all that.  After that Sabby brought out a huge cake and they fed each other (of course Joe smushed cake in her face and she laughed, and promised to get him back that night, and he gulped…) and after they opened their presents, they both went off to begin their honeymoon.

We partied more for the rest of the night.  Baker doesn’t usually make pizza, but she knows how, so she made us some pizzas, and after she was done cooking we had her join in the festivities.  She didn’t seem to know what to do with herself but everyone had a good time.

As promised, a few otaku were outside at the appointed time, and Yuki, Haruka, Suzuka, and I went out to sign autographs.  I’ll never get used to that, but I guess being “train onee-chan” has its privileges.  I’m not as famous as I was a few months ago, but people still know who I am, and apparently I have a fan club.

No idea when that started, but at least it’s for less embarrassing reasons than Mio.

I got a call from Anathema in the middle of the night.  She said she was very happy and having a good time.  I think I heard Joe in the background saying weakly “help me”, and the sound of a light smack and a groan.  Haha!!!

She said he was fine, she was just taking out her frustrations on him, and they agreed tonight was her night.  And she took full advantage.  Because of course she did, she’s Anathema.

I heard weakly, “yeah, she’s right, I’m okay” *light smacK* *grooooan* and then she said she had to go, it was time for round ten.

I heard the groan again.  Haha!!!!

Joe may be in the military and in great shape, but she’s had her own basic training…  and it mostly involves kegels… haha!!!

Oh wait, I’m not supposed to know what those are.  Pretend you didn’t hear it.  And don’t look it up!!!

Okay, so last night while everything was wrapping up, Jack and I had a talk.  A very long talk.  About things we’ve been kind of dancing around for the past few months.  About our future.

We didn’t break up.  But we’re both worried.  He’s going off to Toledo, I’m going off to Japan, and…  we’ll see each other again, but it’s going to be hard.  We got ourselves into a lot, and it’s scary.  It’s not so much “what am I going to do without him”, it’s “Four years is a long time and can we really say we’re with each other if we’re ten thousand miles away and only see each other a few times a year?”

We didn’t break up, but… I don’t know.  It felt like we came a lot closer to that than we’d ever been before.  Neither of us want to, but…

But we remembered our promise to each other, the one we made in Orlando two years ago, and…  that’s still important to us.  So we’re talking it out instead of, well, doing something else.

I love him.  I really love him.  I can’t imagine being with anyone else and I want to be with him and have come home and have little Jack/Lily babies running around… but how do we get here from there?  I don’t really know, and neither does he.  It seems so far away and so unachievable.  I mean, we spent time with each other, and we’ve seen each other in ways no one else has, not even our parents, and it’s so nice when he does stuff to with me that would make this a subscriber post if I told you, but… is that all there is?  There should be more.  There could be more.  Why isn’t there?

Is it just because we’re still not adults in a very real way?  Or is it because our relationship isn’t?

Anyway…  we’re still together.  He’s not going away, and neither am I.  But I wish I knew how long that would last.

Other news…  well, there really isn’t any.  There were storms again last night.  There seem to be so many lately, but I guess that’s May in Central Texas.  We went to church today, nothing really special happened there.  Crystal brought her band over to practice, and Sabby’s booked a slot for them in a few weeks.  Anathema called today kinda pouty that apparently she wore Joe out so badly he’s just slept all day, but I told her that that’s what happens, and she has the rest of her life to wear him out again.

Apparently tonight he gets to return the favor, and she was almost quivering with excitement.  That girl is insatiable!!!

Alright…  Enough of that I suppose.  I’m pushing the limits of PG. But that’s what happens with weddings, so…

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Well, Anathema’s wedding is tomorrow.  All the girls are over, tomorrow we’ll all get dressed and head over to the shop.

Today Yuki, Haruka, Suzuka and I went over to the symphony and did our rehearsals.  It actually went really well.  They kinda got into the whole “pop idol” thing, and they all apparently are going to wear school-like uniforms, like in Japan.  That’s hilarious!  Even the conductor!!!

Dunno why they’re getting into it like that, but it’s fun.

Well, I’m not going to talk too much tonight, we’re all going to head to the shop tonight and watch a couple of bands.  I’ll let you know how the wedding goes.

Oh…. I almost forgot.  Jack got accepted into the University of Toledo!!!

Seems like a small university in a kinda crappy town.  I asked why he decided to go there.  He said he misses Ohio, but doesn’t miss Columbus, and it seems like a pretty okay school.  Plus he did well enough to qualify for at least a partial scholarship, so there’s that.

I asked if it was his first choice.  He said no, but it wasn’t his last either, so he’s okay with it.

Yet another ending that turns into a beginning.  I guess.

Liz is still waiting to hear from her preferred college, but I bet she gets in.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

The bridal shower was tonight, and, well, yeah.  It was fun but a little embarrassing. You’d think it’d be corny games like “pin the tail on the husband” or something…  well.. no.  Let’s just say it was a “celebration of fertility” and leave it at that.

I’m glad none of the younger girls were invited.  They did not need to see that.  I did not need to see that.

But all the clothes stayed on and it was all in good fun, so there’s that. Anathema takes her impending marriage seriously.  And a few of her friends probably would have jumped at the chance to start, well…  licking things that should stay unlicked.

Usually the bride-to-be would go home with lots of gag gifts, but…  no one actually brought any “gag gift” she didn’t already have.  Streamer, hello?  But she says she could always use spares because she might wear them out with Joe…

Poor Joe.  It’s a good thing he’s in shape.  I don’t think less fit men would survive this.  Haha.

There was talk about having a “hen party” but we all decided against it.  There’s just too much to do, and the bridal shower was enough.

Joe’s off having a bachelor party.  Anathema told him “Have fun, but no strippers“, and he was actually a bit offended, because he doesn’t really like that kind of thing in the first place.  I guess it’s going to be a boring bachelor party as they go, but I guess they headed off to main event or something and are spending the evening bowling and competing with each other at silly arcade games.  Didn’t think he had it in him, but hey.  It works.

He wasn’t too offended, though.  That is a stereotypical thing to do.  But he is in the military and could get in some trouble if things get out of hand, and everyone knows better.  He did say if some woman buys him a drink he won’t refuse, but then he’ll drink it, tell her thanks, and move on.

Anathema understood.  Hey, free drinks.  Lord knows she’s had her share.

Joe’s actually pretty blunt and straightforward.  That’s a cool thing about him.  He’s the type who will come home, tell her exactly who hit on him, how, what he said, and her reaction when she realized he’s taken.  Anathema accepts that.  She trusts him enough to know that he’s not going to cheat on her.  She has a lot of hang-ups, but that’s not one.  Besides… I think she’d probably just consider it cosmic justice if he did.

That’s sad, really.

We actually had one or two otaku come up and offer money to go to the reception.  We refused, but told them we’d put the videos of the idols doing their dancy thing up after it’s over.  They seemed disappointed.  So Sabby said that if they are outside at a very specific time, she might be able to at least arrange a couple of autographs.  They seemed a lot happier.

Speaking of the idols, they are practicing so hard.  The costumes are done so they’re practicing in those, and you should see them when they get going.  The garage is a little cramped but they’re making do.  Crystal’s band is also coming over for a while in the evenings to practice too.  It’s a full house, but that’s pretty cool.

They asked if they could bring some of their friends over, and Anathema said no, it’s friends and family only.  But they get to eat some of the pastries that Baker is working really hard on, and they seem to think that’s a fair trade for how new the band is.

They had to come up with a name again, no one liked “Crystal’s Rocking Rockers” or the longer version, so they chose “Crystal Refractions”.  I actually love that name, it’s really beautiful, and it fits them.  I don’t know how long they’re going to keep it, but they seem happy with it.

Anyway…  maybe more storms tonight.  Last night was LOUD and Marie was really nervous (so was Liz, aww). So I’m going to bed.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Mayday!  Mayday!  Hahah!!!

It’s May!!! Yay May!!! May Yay!!! Ummm…  Yay!!!

So things have been, well, things.  Mrs. X asked for an invite to the wedding.  Not sure why, but I asked Anathema, and she said there’s no harm, so I guess she’s coming.  I think she worked with Joe a lot – he was on her security detail, so she feels like she should come.  Truthfully, none of us thought of that.  Not even Joe.  I feel a little bad, but not too bad, because it’s not like she gives us a whole lot of options to contact her.  I know she reads this, though, so it’s not like we have the world’s most ironclad excuse…

He took a couple of weeks of leave, I guess they’re going to go on a honeymoon next week.  I don’t know where they’re going, probably not some amazing tropical paradise… and knowing Anathema, he won’t be allowed to leave the room anyway.  Or…  knowing Anathema, maybe not even able.  I’ve heard stories…  She’s almost quivering with anticipation.  She’s been taking her changed life seriously, but apparently girl’s about at her limit.  I’m going to have to remind her that it’s “I do”, not “I MMMPHHH”.

Well, I’m sure they’ll be happy together.  It’s only a few more days.  We’re having a bridal shower tomorrow…  I have no idea what those are either, but from the stories they’re telling…. I’m not sure I’ll be able to tell you all much about it. Not because it’s personal, but because I might have to make it a subscriber only post.

I saw the flyer for the concert we’re all putting together… I guess their graphic designer is a weeb.  It’s a work of art, and only somewhat in a good way.  It’s designed a little like an otome introduction screen, with photographs of all of us (they found the old publicity photos for Yuki and friends, and they took the headshot from this site…  it’s cute enough), put a high-tech background to it, and introduced us like in one of those games.  I even have “CV: Nakamoto Yuriko” under my name (where did they even find that?)  Am I the biggest fan of that?  No.  It’s even a little annoying.  But, I can see why they did.  They’re branding it “Japanese Culture meets French music”, and, well..  I guess it works.  I guess.

Diana and team have been sewing and sewing and their costumes are almost done.  They’re really cute.  You know how Crystal is kind of a prodigy at guitar?  Well, Diana seems to be one at home ec.  She can cook, design and make clothing….  never seen anything like it.  These clothes are at least as good as the ones professional designers make for professional idols or cosplayers.  I’m impressed.

Anyway…  I guess that’s all for today.  I didn’t post yesterday.  No reason, I just didn’t want to.

Love you all!!! ❤️