Saturday, April 19, 2025

English - Japanese - Thoughts

@Hikari Fujimoto

Dormitory

XXXAkari hummed lightly as he headed down the steps leading to the dormitory, delivery in hand. It had been about a week since they arrived back at Mahoutokoro. Hogwarts had been... chaotic, to say the least. Fiery fire, indeed. He frowned. He should light a good ol' candle sometime soon. The staircases were just as lovely as his cousin had described over owl-- which was to say, not lovely at all, in her opinion. Akari thought they were wonderful.

✩ ~ start of flashback ~ ✩

XXXAll week, one conversation had dwelled in the back of his mind, occasionally floating to the surface during class. And now, he would finally be able to check it off of his mental to-do list! Akari had woken up that morning with the goal of finally fulfilling the offer he had made to Hikari at the Garden of Eden.

XXXHe had been most interested in trying to make lemon curd puff pastries, which both looked and sounded delicious. The recipe was... both weirdly short and also weirdly complex?

XXXHe didn't know what he was doing.

XXXAkari slipped into the kitchens a few hours after lunchtime. The ingredients problem was... apparently magically solved. Wow. The kitchens had a fascinating environment, one that he instantly liked. Do they actually have lemon curd? He peered at the jars of pale yellow, er... well, it looked a bit like butter. Was this even lemon curd? It would be disastrous if it turned out to be... like... whipped egg yolks or something. The glass surface was quite cold to the bare touch. He carefully unscrewed the jar. Yep, that was one lemony-lemon scent. Perfect! This definitely simplified the process.

XXXHonestly, when he had read the recipe, he had been confused at the ingredients list for the actual pastry sheet: butter, salt, water, and flour. Something had to be missing there. But nevertheless, Akari went on with it anyway. He set the lemon curd jar aside, found a large bowl, and started combining the ingredients according to the recipe. He was no expert at actually baking or cooking, but somehow, everything he made still turned out okay. Mediocre at worst, pretty good at best.

XXXAfter all of it turned into some sort of sandy-looking mess, Akari dumped it out onto a wooden cutting board. To his relief, when he compressed it together, it actually formed a lump of dough that looked like dough. He thought he might've accidentally messed up the ratio or something. Akari formed it into a ball before rolling it out into a fairly thin rectangular sheet of pastry dough. Now came the part where he had to improvise: the recipe's end product looked kind of boring. I mean, it's definitely acceptable, but it just looks low-effort... He tried to form a flower shape, setting half of the pastry sheet on the baking parchment. He carefully folded the dough into layers, twisting off each section and cutting off the ends. By the end, he had successfully created a rather blobby-looking flower.

XXXAkari contemplated the shape sitting in front of him, trying to think whether the dough would sink and become sad in the oven. Hmm.... it'll be fine! I can just eat the worse-looking one, anyway. He grabbed the jar of lemon curd, carefully scooping a dollop into the center. Then he covered it with a circle of dough before rolling some extra into little spheres to add on top. Hopefully it looked like the center of a flower and not... a dying hedgehog. On second thought, hedgehogs were so cute, they would never look like that. Not even a diseased one.

XXXHe preheated the oven up before attempting to recreate the same pastry with the other half of the dough sheet to the best of his ability. It came out slightly more lopsided, but they did still look edible. I mean, as an end product. Akari brushed both pastries with a layer of egg wash before sticking them in the oven for 15 minutes. While he waited, he cleaned up the dough bowl and cutting board of excess flour, along with the spoon he had used for the lemon curd. "Scourgify," Akari said, waving his wand in a practiced S-shape.

XXXWhen the pastries finally finished baking, he levitated the baking tray out with a quick "Wingardium Leviosa!" to avoid burning himself before setting it on the counter to cool down. They actually didn't look bad at all. Akari beamed, pleased with his success. It was basically a coin flip between whether it failed terribly or looked great. Once it was just above room temperature, Akari folded the first into a napkin, then stacked the other on top, accompanied with another napkin. Does this look suspicious? He squinted at the bundled-up package. Nah. True to his word, he had indeed avoided burning the school building down.

✩ ~ end of flashback ~ ✩

XXXAkari made his way to the first year boys' dormitory, knocked twice lightly and then waited, beaming. He wasn't even sure Hikari was in there, in which case... oops? He could wait for him to come back. Well, I could just walk in... but I like knocking!

~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~

Calming Presence is in effect

Reducio

but less perfect. obviously

As Hikari Fujimoto from Mahoutokoro ──────────────── 29th April, 2025 Saturday ──────────────── Dormitory ──────────────── Mentions: @ Akari Kabikimono ──────────────── Japanese -English - Thoughts

◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯

A knock on the door drew Hikari's attention away from the lines of his sketchbook.

He hadn't meant to end up there, having initially sat down to study. But after reading the same line for the fifth time, with his mind looping back to the fire from a few days ago, he had relented. Sketchbook had replaced textbook, his quill had been replaced by his box of pencils.

Now, that the shock and fear involved with the incident had passed, unraveling with distance and time, and all that was left was the cold clarity of reflection.

Looking down at his half-finished sketch of the fire-burnt Hogwarts gardens, flames liking the sides of his page as they had in reality, he felt a quiet sting of embarrassment. He had panicked. He could imagine his father's face, expressionless, not cruel, not angry, just disappointed, although he couldn't tell if he would be disappointed that he panicked or that he had let someone that close to him.

It would probably be the former. His father had never explicitly told him against making friends. In fact, under his mom's influence, he didn't seem to have anything against his kids making friends. But he had told Hikari many times to keep his emotions aside.

He wasn't sure when Akari had crossed that line.

He hadn't told his father about Akari; there had been no need to, since his letters mostly involved his education, and recently, his development of his metamorphmagus. His mom though, had gushed about him having a friend in school, and had embarrassingly sent him a questionnaire. What did he look like? Was he older? Younger? Did he snore? Did he like cats?

Half of said questionnaire was still blank.

His eyes drifted back to the sketch. There was something unearthly about it, especially the image that had been imprinted in his mind. The fire had had a ghastly sort of beauty. Dangerous but stunning. The type that drew you in anyway, even as it promised to burn. He didn't like how it reminded him of a certain someone.

The strange events, he hadn't forgotten them. It had seemed too elaborate to be a prank, and considering some of the students had caught fire... He had heard a name, whispered in the halls of Mahoutokoro, Ernest Hemingway. It was a foreign name, and Hikari had found it listed under muggle literature in the Mahoutokoro library. He had a book called "The Garden of Eden". Coincidence? Unlikely.

He had filed the book away under "To be read", adding it to the growing pile of things he wouldn't have time for.

Hikari stepped out of the bed, setting the book down and headed over to the door.

Speak of the devil.

Outside stood Akari Kabukimono, all smiles and happiness, and Hikari felt the bad feeling settle somewhere in his stomach. He stepped aside to let the boy in anyway, "Why are you here?"

Reducio

This just less perfect and more um..unfinished-

◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯

Saturday, April 19, 2025

English - Japanese - Thoughts

@Hikari Fujimoto

Dormitory

XXXAkari waited patiently for the door to open, waving at Hikari when it did. "Hello!" he said, entering and sitting down on his own bed. "What, am I not allowed to visit my own dormitory?" His gaze swept around the room. The other beds were in varying degrees of orderliness, some looking completely uninhabited and others rather messy. Hikari's had his sketchbook and another book on it. Akari wondered if he had interrupted something important. Luckily, no one else was there at the time.

XXXHe held up the napkin-wrapped bundle towards Hikari. "I come bearing gifts, my dear friend! Remember what I said in the Garden?" Akari smiled, hoping he would understand what he meant and not think of anything else he had said at the Garden. ...particularly that one rather nasty sentence he had uttered while under the influence of the spiked drink. Out of context, it didn't seem too bad, but the connotation was still there.

XXX"I mean, it's not really anything special, but I did my best, okay? Hopefully it's more to your liking than the ones at Hogwarts!" Akari unwrapped the bundle, suddenly met with the question of where to put it down. Should he put it on his bed? It would probably get messy. He definitely wasn't putting it on the floor- that was rather unsanitary, even with the napkin underneath. Of course, Akari wouldn't have cared about eating on the floor, but he wasn't sure if putting it on the floor would ruin it for Hikari. Eventually, he settled for placing it on the small table between the beds. "Lemon curd puff pastry!" He finished with a bright smile.

XXXHikari hadn't seemed all that enthusiastic to see him when he'd opened the door-- though he never really did. Akari wondered if this was a bad time to offer up desserts. Perhaps he just wanted alone time instead? The pastries looked a little better than they did when first coming out of the oven, a little crispy on top. ...oh, I forgot to sprinkle the crystallized sugar on top. But it's fine! Akari tugged the green dragon plush from its seating next to his pillows, putting it on his lap and tucking his arms around it. He glanced up at Hikari, waiting for him to say something.

~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~

Calming Presence is in effect

Reducio

As Hikari Fujimoto from Mahoutokoro ──────────────── 29th April, 2025 Saturday ──────────────── Dormitory ──────────────── Mentions: @ Akari Kabukimono ──────────────── Japanese -English - Thoughts

◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯

Hikari watched as Akari waltzed into the room like he owned it, which ideally he did, bringing a whole change in energy with him. It still didn't erase the feeling of being intruded upon even as he knew better.

He had been hopeful for a quiet afternoon.

Akari made a beeline for his bed, and Hikari eyed the wrapped bundle in his hands. "That's not what I meant." He muttered, "You don't stay inside the school building unless it's classes or after sunset. You practically live in the Mahoutokoro grounds."

His next words called a twitch in his eyebrows which was probably visible. He opened his mouth to say something, probably something along the lines of how they were in a school and not a historical drama, but nothing came out. His eyes narrowed further as Akari extended the bundle to him, and set it down on the table beside his bed.

Then came the explanation. "Remember what I said in the garden?"

Hikari didn't remind him that he had said a lot of stuff at the Garden, considering he never stopped talking, especially under the influence of the drink. From the size of the bundle, though, he had a suspicion about which conversation he meant.

It made something shift in his chest.

"Lemon curd puff pastry." Akari announced proudly, voice bright, hopeful. His eyes sparkled with the kind of childish pleasure he had seen on Hayato during Christmas mornings, and for a second, Hikari felt utterly unworthy of it.

He didn't say anything yet, opening the box and taking a look at the sweet inside. They looked... good. Not just edible... good. It smelled sweet and a little citrusy, not like the sweets back at Hogwarts had seemed. The edges were golden and crisp and....

"You forgot the sugar on top." he deadpanned.

Then after a beat, "....but it smells good."

He picked up the one on the top of the pile and bit into it, the familiar tangy taste filling his senses. His expression didn't change, but his shoulders eased.

He felt the shift in the air briefly, the lightest shift of his features, and his curls shifted slightly, color bleeding into a light amber.

"Thank you."

Reducio

This just less perfect and more um..unfinished-

◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯

Saturday, April 19, 2025

English - Japanese - Thoughts

@Hikari Fujimoto

Dormitory

XXX"You practically live in the Mahoutokoro grounds," Hikari commented. Akari blinked at him, wondering if he was supposed to be offended.

XXX"I'm not a wild animal," he quipped. "I do not live in the grounds. But I stay there for wonderful reasons! The gray thrushes are coming back." He sighed dramatically, laying down on his bed and propping his head on his hands. Among others, of course. Akari turned his head to watch Hikari open the bundle, waiting with a hopeful anticipation.

XXXAkari sputtered. "Wha- how do you know the recipe?" He sat up with a pout, a little miffed that his bluff had been revealed instantly. How did he know there was supposed to be sugar on top? "Oh, good," he nodded. It would have been worrisome if it didn't smell good.

XXXHe had been watching Hikari's face, trying to decipher his reaction, but his attention was soon snatched away by Hikari's hair, which seemed to have shifted slightly. Akari squinted slightly, trying to blink a few times. That was definitely a different color... right? A light orange tint, maybe?

XXX"You're welcome!" he said absentmindedly, trying to think back to Hikari's hair a few moments before. It absolutely is different. Subtly. It seemed like he had done enough of jumping around in excitement at the Garden, so while Hikari's ability to change his appearance was still fascinating as ever, he decided to remain sitting this time. They were here to eat pastries, not listen to more of his excitable nonsense.

XXX"I'm glad it turned out well," he expressed with satisfaction. Success! He set the dragon plush aside so it wouldn't get dirty before leaning over to take the other pastry and taking a small bite off of one of the 'petals.' It was indeed tasty. Akari would have to bake some more over the summer for his parents. "What's your favorite dessert?" He inquired curiously.

~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~

Calming Presence is in effect

Reducio

As Hikari Fujimoto from Mahoutokoro ──────────────── 29th April, 2025 Saturday ──────────────── Dormitory ──────────────── Mentions: @ Akari Kabukimono ──────────────── Japanese -English - Thoughts

◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯

"I do not live in the grounds. But I stay there for wonderful reasons! The gray thrushes are coming back." Hikari nodded in quiet agreement. He hadn't forgotten the fact. Those birds would be yet another addition to his sketchbook, yet another reason to keep his pencils close.

Hikari was not a fan of the outdoors. Too noisy, too bright, way too many people. But nature was different. It didn't ask anything of him. It was always something he was willing to look at, honest and full of life, and always provided him with something worth capturing. It was due to this that he had strategically chosen his bed— right next to the window. It provided a clear view of the gardens below, and he could stay inside, undisturbed and easily sketch whenever he wanted.

The Sakura blossoms were in full bloom now.

Cherry blossoms were, perhaps, the only part of spring Hikari genuinely liked. He much preferred the hush of winter, the quiet lull of the rainy days. Rain and snow, natural and untouched by men, were gentle, soft. Easier to absorb.

Prettier to draw.

"I don't know the recipe." he responded quietly, finishing the last of his pastry. His eyes drifted, despite himself, back to the bundle. Should I have another? Maybe not... "My mom used to make those at home. Hayato... Hayato loves them. Like he loves any kind of sweet dish."

"My favorite dessert?" Hikari considered the question. He wasn't sure if he had a favorite dessert. His mom would often experiment in the kitchen back at home, and that extended to sweet-dishes too, but he had never pondered on which ones he liked more than the others. "Well... I guess I like dango? Mochi too, maybe" He hesitated, almost uncertain. Then softly, "Well, what about you?"

Reducio

This just less perfect and more um..unfinished-

◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯

Saturday, April 19, 2025

English - Japanese - Thoughts

@Hikari Fujimoto

Dormitory

XXXAkari watched as Hikari seemed to enter a momentary lapse of thought at his words, observing his facial expression curiously. Well, there wasn’t much to observe, but he still tried. Akari pouted slightly before lighting up again. “Aw, that’s sweet! Who’s Hayato?” He questioned, pausing for a moment.

XXX“Hmm… between these and the ones that your mother makes, which would you say is better?” he inquired. Akari doubted his what-am-I-doing pastries were better than homemade pastries, especially with the missing sugar and the slightly misshapen appearance, but he was just curious about Hikari’s thoughts. A contender for best pastry maker!

XXXHe nodded thoughtfully as Hikari talked, sitting up straighter and taking an appropriate pause before replying. “Dango and mochi are quite tasty, but the glutinous rice dough can be…” Akari hesitated, trying to find the right word for the sensation. “…dense?” No, that couldn’t be right. “Too thick, and, well… sticky. Obviously.” He waved his hand slightly. “The texture just doesn’t agree with me. I prefer taiyaki, particularly anko-filled taiyaki. It’s an easy choice, but delicious.” The fish-shaped cakes— could they really be called cakes?— were a classic, possibly even overrated dessert. But he liked it better than the feeling of glutinous rice, so there. The ones with crispy edges but soft dough were the best. Akari smiled, relaxing again. His gaze caught on the sketchbook that still laid open on the bed beside Hikari.

XXXThe paper’s surface was covered in the marks of pencils, the complexity of it indicating a rather intricate and detailed drawing. Akari’s interest was instantly piqued. From where he was sitting, the paper was at the kind of angle where most of its features were warped, so he couldn’t tell what it was. “What did you draw there?” He asked curiously, gesturing to the sketchbook. Akari didn’t even know what it actually looked like yet, but what little of it he could see seemed pretty awesome! I don’t know what that shape is… a tree? He tried to squint at it, but failed rather miserably at deciphering the shape. Akari didn’t really want to stand up and take a step closer to see it before Hikari said it was okay. Right, people have privacy! Yep.

~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~

Calming Presence is in effect

So sorry for lateness, I forgot you replied already

As Hikari Fujimoto from Mahoutokoro ──────────────── 29th April, 2025 Saturday ──────────────── Dormitory ──────────────── Mentions: @ Akari Kabukimono ──────────────── Japanese -English - Thoughts

◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯

Hikari blinked at Akari's question, startled out of his thoughts, before realising- of course, Akari did not know he had siblings. "He's my younger brother." He paused for a moment, eyes dropping to the edge of the bed as his fingers brushed against the soft corner of the sketchbook, "He's... not like me. He's outgoing, loud, a complete troublemaker and always does twenty things all at once. Or at least attempts to do so without blowing us all up." He shook his head, remembering the time he had set the kitchen on fire. Hikari had nearly had a panic attack attempting to handle him and Takeo and Tomoe at the same time. The twins had been much younger then.

Hikari raised his eyebrows at Akari's question, amusement flickering in his eyes. "My mom's." He said blankly, "At least when it comes to it's taste. Yours... would be more thoughtful." He glanced down at the half-eaten piece in his hand, the golden, sugarless top, the lopsided shape that was probably meant to be symmetrical, "They look like you tried to make someone smile. That always counts for something, I suppose."

Hikari's eyebrows furrowed as the dango/mochi debate continued. "Taiyaki." He echoed, clicking his tongue in quiet disapproval, "Not my type. I'm not a fan of fish." Rather inelegant, if you were to ask Hikari. It was a safe choice, predictable. Hikari had not met a single person, besides himself of course, who did not like the fish-shaped cakes. But then again, for Hikari it was more of the fact that they were fish-shaped than the taste itself. His mother had made them sunflower-shaped once and he had had it with no issues.

Akari's attention had shifted to his still-open sketchbook, and Hikari hesitated as he stared down at his unfinished drawing, before picking up the book and turning it towards Akari. For a second, he wondered if it would be too much, but his friend had asked, and Akari was always curious. "It's.. the fire that had broken out that day." He said, "At Hogwarts. In the Garden of Eden. I was trying to draw it, or whatever I remember of it."

He pushed the book gently towards Akari, "You're... free to look if you'd like."

Reducio

This just less perfect and more um..unfinished-

◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯

Saturday, April 19, 2025

English - Japanese - Thoughts

@Hikari Fujimoto

Dormitory

XXXAkari perked up at the mention of a younger brother, laughing slightly at the description. "He sounds like a very fun child." He didn't have any siblings, but he did think of his younger cousins in a sibling-like-manner. Akari liked watching Hikari's expressions change. It seemed that he had been slowly growing more expressive over the months, and while he would like to imagine it was because of him, his friend probably had other friends and things that were helping him grow more emotional in a good way.

XXXHikari's assessment of the pastries was to be expected, but the last comment had been unanticipated. "Wow," he mused, glancing down at the half-eaten pastry in his hand. "...I guess I did. Try to make you smile, I mean." A small smile of his own curved on his lips as he contemplated the sudden deepness of the conversation. Or... not deepness. Was it deep? Was it anything, really? What if it was just a passing comment? I like that. I like making other people smile.

XXXAkari was about to comment that it was totally fine to not like taiyaki, only for his jaw to drop at the end. "Because it's shaped like fish?! It doesn't taste anything like fish!" Unless the maker used fish oil, which would... taste horrible and be an abomination. He shuddered at the thought. "Maybe you should eat it with your eyes closed." He unconsciously mimed it with a frown, taking a bite of his lemon pastry. See, pun unintended, I have no idea what shape it is with my eyes closed. Well, except for the fact that I made it. Could I make a pastry with my eyes closed? Akari immediately brushed that idea off. If anything could end up with a kitchen in flames and more than a few burns, it would definitely be that.

XXXHe opened his eyes when Hikari handed his sketchbook to him, looking down at it curiously. Akari instantly quieted when he realized what the scene was. It was almost a perfect replica of that evening in the garden, albeit with unfinished strokes. For some reason, the absence of color made it even more horror-like, as if it was drawing his gaze into the center, where the gazebo sat in the center of the flames and smoke. The dusty quality of sketch pencils made the smoke floating in the air all too real. Akari wanted to say that it was a good drawing, because it really was. But the words stuck in his throat, and they wouldn't form properly.

~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~✩✩✩~

Calming Presence is in effect

Here for the weekend

As Hikari Fujimoto from Mahoutokoro ──────────────── 29th April, 2025 Saturday ──────────────── Dormitory ──────────────── Mentions: @ Akari Kabukimono ──────────────── Japanese -English - Thoughts

Hikari nodded, letting himself smile softly at the thought of his little brother. He missed Hayato a lot sometimes. He missed his mother even more. "I think you'd like him." he said quietly, "He's a bit like you."

And then the words, 'I guess I did. Try to make you smile, I mean.' Hikari didn't reply. Why do you try to do hard with someone like me? he had wondered about it before and the question stirred again. He still had no clue what the boy had seen in him that he was still hanging around. Most people would've grown tired by now. Hikari wasn't like his brother, bright and lively and an endless supply of energy. He just... was.

He did ask it aloud. He never did.

He shook his head softly, "I know it doesn't taste like fish. Just... well, presentation is always important." His next words caught his attention and Hikari frowned at how little sense it made. What's with the sudden lapse of better judgement? "If I closed my eyes would it magically change the shape?"

He watched the boy's actions with amusement, as he mimiced eating with his eyes closed and Hikari remarked, softly, "I feel like you'd end up with it in your nose."

Hikari didn't expect the silence that accompanied Akari as he set eyes on his drawings. Admittedly the sketch was different that the type he normally did. The lines were cleaner than his usual style, sharper, more measured, more raw. "Is it... too much?" he rubbed his neck, the pulse of unease manifesting in the sharp shift of his hair color to a bright purple.

He hated how vulnerable the question sounded in his ears, how much of himself had bled into the pages.

Reducio

This just less perfect and more um..unfinished-

◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯