lovedanime | government friends psl

Oh, oh... they're getting to us now!

[Mitarai is full of tentative anticipation! Golyadkin is the one with the seat closest to the entrance while Mitarai is second to last with his smaller arms that should bump into people less.]

One bowl of... tonkotsu ramen, please! And a— [He turns to Golyadkin.] What exactly did you want, again?

[It's one of those places where regardless of what Golyadkin says, because he's foreign the staffer will end up forcing Mitarai to say it again, "he wants the" whatever.]

[Golyadkin looks up - though his height gave him a good few inches over Mitarai, he had learned to keep his head as low as he could - and scrambles to give a response. Whatever he had in mind had left him in the rush of panic that comes with placing an order.]

Ah! Um - [He stammers and looks over to Mitarai pleadingly.] What- whatever you would reccomend, Mitarai-san!

[Mitarai looks very uncomfortable at first like he wants to bite his own index finger. He turns his head back over to the staff though.]

And one bowl of shio ramen.

[Heaving a little sigh as soon as the stranger's back is turned, he looks at his friend again, eyes relaxing into a shy smile.]

I hope you don't mind it being a little plain... I figured then you would know better what to try later!

[Golyadkin offers a nervous, but sincere, smile in return.]

It's okay! [He squeaks, that came out with far more force than he intended.] I don't mind plain...I don't want to get too adventurous and end up wasting it, after all.

[It was a safe choice, and Golyadkin was all about safe choices.]

T-thank you again, Mitarai-san, for agreeing to come here with me. Even after the mess I made of work today...

[He was already going red after thanking him, but the embarrassment seizes him fully as he hands his head in shame.]

Great, then!

[Mitarai is sincerely relieved that Golyadkin seemed to really like the order! He didn't assert himself too much, did he? Being thanked makes him blush too.]

It's my pleasure, Golyadkin-kun! And besides, one of the good things about our place of work is the paycheck. [This is a bit dangerously close to "if there's one good thing about our place of work, it's the paycheck". Not the deep levels of ideological loyalty he'd maintain around a superior.] An opportunity like this is no trouble at all.

[Perhaps unlike whatever happened to Golyadkin today... Mitarai gives a wincing smile and tilts his head in close listening. So that crash and muffled shout he heard a few floors below might have been related to this.]

Do you want to talk about it? Whatever it was, I'm sure you can try your best again tomorrow!

Edited 2018-12-11 20:23 (UTC)

[At the sight of Mitarai's blush, Golyadkin in turn gives a smile, one perhaps a bit too bright for such a meek individual. At the question, though, he immediately snaps back into shyness, hanging his head as low as he can.]

I-I-I....

[He wishes the food had arrived for some kind of distraction, to be able to poke and prod and swirl something around as he chokes the word out.]

I, um, well...I embarrassed him in a very important meeting.

Oh, I see...

[So that's what the crash he heard earlier was about. Mitarai winces at the memory. They work in the government, so even a relatively minor meeting can be pretty important. That also applies to departments less obviously involved with violent death prevention - famines and natural disasters are very serious business!

He highly doubt Tonan heeds any of those arguments, though.

Mitarai decides to disguise his wince as noticing a speck of dust on his hands, and he runs them over with his oshibori the second time this evening before looking at Golyadkin with folded hands.]

That must have been so stressful... I'm honestly glad you still came out to our plans at all after going through something like that! [He looks at that shy face, careful to not make directly forceful eye contact.] If you want to talk about it—not that I mean to pry, though, um...

Of course I would, Mitarai-san!

[It comes out a bit too enthusiastic, and Golyadkin shrinks back in embarrassment.]

I mean, um, the company of a f- favoured coworker is the perfect pick-me-up after a day like that.

[A strand of hair had fallen out of place in that entire ordeal, and he deftly tucks it behind an ear, right back into uniform place, with a small smile.]

Um...well...what happened is- you know - hot drinks in meetings are far more customary back home, you see. [Strike one.] So, I was there with my coffee- and- then, leaning over to get some papers Mr. Tonan asked me for I - oh, goodness - I- I knocked it over right into his lap!

[After recounting strike two and three, Golyadkin, feeling the urge of a wicked grin creep upon him, buries his face in his hands, hunching over in the appropriate amount of shame.]

Golyadkin-kun...

[He really considers him a favored coworker? That can't be right - is he making fun of Mitarai? A pit of anxiety gathers in his stomach as he considers the inevitable disappointment of daring to hope that his presence makes Golyadkin happier. No, he has enough commitment to his work that he can't run away altogether. Golyadkin must be... using flowery language! That's it! One of the foreigners linked to him in his past did that a lot! "Fine" gets dolled up into "perfect", that explains everything.]

That really does sound embarrassing, how unfortunate...

[To be quite honest, it would be much fairer for Tonan to take responsibility for maintaining composure, bearing the mantle of the department's public image. But he knows how well that would have gone over.]

Well, let's be thankful he wasn't seriously hurt!? [His pride was hurt; that's much worse. Should Mitarai pat him...? They're not friends, but this is an izakaya. He should probably go for it once Golyadkin cries. For now, come up with something else.] I've come at this p-problem from the other direction... the rounded cups we use more here, they can have a really different angle of approach required, but I'm sure you can figure it out someday!

[Golyadkin raises his face from his hands a little, and looks over to Mitarai blankly.

Be thankful that pig wasn't hurt? Hahaha-]

Y-yes. [Said rather flatly, and his hands slowly come to a rest on the table.] I suppose I can avoid it all if I just get all my work done in the daytime so I'm not up all night finishing it!

[There's a weak smile of relief, having broken the issue down and come to some kind of conclusion.]

Thank you, Mitarai-san...for listening to me. [That smile becomes something more genuine, but not to let it linger for too long, he starts looking around the room.] Um, how long does it take for the food to arrive?

[Mitarai nods heartily at this conclusion!] That is what I try to do. So I can stay up all night watching anime!

[But just before he can let himself laugh outright, his anxiety finds another hook to latch onto.]

Oh... Oh, no...! Please don't worry, it should only be a couple minutes longer! They need time to stew everything in the broth... [He clutches his temples, looking down hunched at the counter.] But you must be so hungry after doing all that work, I should have gotten us appetizers that would have come out sooner... I'm so sorry...

Oh!

[Golyadkin lets out a small gasp, and reaches weakly out to Mitarai, but before crossing much of the distance between them he shrinks back, curling each finger toward his palm.]

It's okay, Mitarai-san. [A tilt of the head, and he offers a reassuring smile.] The longer the build-up, the greater the payoff, after all.

[He catches himself, and begins to stammer.]

B-besides, it gives me time to ask you what it is you were watching last night! Um, if it's okay to pry, of course...

That's right...

[Mitarai is really on board with this delayed gratification thing for some reason, it has his eyes glinting.]

Well, it was actually Momo Gyun Sword from Project No.19.

[For the first time all night Mitarai turns in his seat with a remotely open posture towards Golyadkin.]

I picked up the 12-episode box set used. I can't say I would have bought it full price, but it certainly passed the time. The use of color was unusually consistent in the character designs and backgrounds, and the protagonist's expressions were charming, but none of the animation was memorable at all, let alone the music. I'm not really sure how I can feel about the story either... Of course the heroine uniting her friends to fight the oni is noble in theory, but when it's so directly based on Momotaro, I can't help but think of the Sea Eagles or Sacred Soldiers and feel guilty.

[The ramen arrives. Mitarai doesn't notice in the slightest.]

I can't see it as an apolitical decision, so I have to wonder what the studio was thinking, particularly in their rendition of Momo-ko as a well-endowed woman, in light of their other works that seriously courted obscenity charges—

O-Obscenity charges?!

[Golyadkin gasps, and almost knocks over the bowl in the process.]

That sounds, really, rather...um, culturally insensitive, if I can say so. [A shy glance towards the ramen. It's not really his position to judge, is it?] But I'm glad it wasn't all bad...though -

[A crack of chopsticks. Golyadkin looks down on the bowl as the steam rises, covering his lenses in an obscuring fog.]

- even if it was, that wouldn't really be a waste, would it?

[With a companionable indignation:] Obscenity charges!

[The ramen's here... Mitarai picks up his chopsticks and folds his hands. His itadakimasu doesn't reach past a whisper, so used to saying it with no one around.

This "bad anime" has him thinking, since there are so many different meanings of bad. He takes one long sip of the noodles before answering.] As long as it doesn't impinge on the freedom of people in the 3D world, such as by replicating the marginalization of a culture, I really think the limitless nature of the 2D world is the single most beautiful thing. It's a place where people should be free to succeed, fail, or do whatever else they want. Even bad anime... any mistake can be blotted out... there's always a way to start over...

[His chopsticks click multiple times around a piece of meat, seeming to coincide with Mitarai snapping out of it a little and speaking more lightly.]

You know, on the bluray release or something.

[Though it would be hard to tell behind those glasses, what Mitarai says certainly grabs Gokyadkin’s interest.

He tilts his head towards him, food no longer of any significance to him. No - it was all on his equally meek coworker now.]

You say it shouldn’t impinge on the freedom of those in the 3D world, but call the 2D world limitless.

[He’s careful to avoid a tone of judgement or criticism, speaking delicately and impartially, approaching the subject as tentatively as one would a deer in the woods.]

Do you not think a three-dimensional life can have that freedom?

[At first his eyes are accordingly deerlike but in the end he forces out an answer.]

The world would have to change drastically for that to happen... I think.

[Ah, maybe he was too direct.

Golyadkin stutters out a response, though it quickly smooths out into calmness.]

Y-yes...it would, wouldn't it?

[He remembers his food, and begins to swirl his chopsticks in the soup to provide distraction.]

Do you think it could? [A pause.] Ah, hypothetically, of course.

[This more indirect approach at least results in Mitarai chewing his bean sprouts thoughtfully.]

I suppose I believe in the potential for a kind of... well, the most apt way to put it in this context would actually be "cultural revolution"?

[He clamps a number of noodles, tightly.]

Unfortunately, we live in hard times, so I've begun to doubt the stars will line up soon enough. [He smiles - twitchy, now completely obvious in its forced quality compared to discussing anime.] I've just been focusing my efforts on protecting this country.

When the stars don't align, maybe you just have to push them.

[He pulls some noodles from the bowl, allowing them to cool in the air before doing anything about them.]

Ah, of course that's all just- it's just being poetic at this point. And I'm - I'm just a secretary. That's not my department.

[A light chuckle, and that delicately serious tone is dismissed. Golyadkin chews on his food, glasses starting to clear up.]

That's an important job, after all. Um, yours, I mean. I can't imagine having that responsibility.

government friends psl

the first part. I thought ahead and didnt make this content the body of the post

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

2/2

no subject

cw wwii japanese imperialism/racism

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject