Finally...

I finished the fic.  Go!  Read!  Be merry!  Fluff and smut?  Double your pleasure!

Shukudai-kun was a let down.  That doesn't mean I won't download it when it gets uploaded.  The drawing was hilarious but I was all pumped for paper hats after browsing The Television magazine.  I guess those are out-take photos?  But... Leader and Jun... wearing paper hats.  Sob sob.

How did it get to be 2am already?  Drinking three cups of coffee today probably had something to do with it.  Tomorrow is laundry day with my new machine.  :D  It's lame on a spectacular level how excited that makes me.

Mapo Eggplant recipe

A week or so ago, I attempted to make Leader's Spicy Eggplant recipe but didn't have all the ingredients so I made some subs and alterations but it came out DELICIOUS. I hope I can remember all the changes I made.

2 eggplant, chopped into chunks and soaked in water
1 clove of garlic, grated
¼ tsp doubanjiang
2 tsp sasame oil
200g ground chicken
100ml water
1/2 cube chicken stock (I think? Maybe it was a whole one.), dissolved in the 100ml water
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sake
2 tsp tianmianjiang
1 tsp potato starch
1 tbsp water

1. Dry the eggplant with paper towel and fry in a little oil. (The first time I did it, I cooked them until they were starting to go transparent, but then they turned mushy when I added them to the rest so you don't really need to fry them at the start. Unless you do it like Ohno and deep-fry the shit out of them.)
2. In a frying pan, over low heat, fry garlic and doubanjiang in the sesame oil. When the garlic starts to brown, add the chicken and cook through.
3. When the meat is browned, add water, sugar, soy sauce, sake and tianmianjiang. Mix well and bring to a boil. Add the eggplant back to the frying pan.
4.  Dissolve the potato starch in the 1 tbsp of water.  Add to the frying pan while stirring the contents continuously.  Mix well.  Turn into a serving dish, or spoon over cooked rice.

I think that's what I did... whatever I did, it turned out amazing.

I got wonderful comments on my fic this morning.  :)  Happy dance!  I'm doing laundry now, one load down!  Happy dance!  It's a wonderful warm sunny day.  Happy happy dance!  I should go out to the grocery store and run errands but I'll wait until after this load is done.  I don't want wet clothes sitting in the machine for too long or they'll start to smell funky.  Maybe I'll translate a song while I wait.

Naked Lyrics + Translation

Because I couldn't stand it anymore trying to figure out what he was trying to say in English.  After doing the translation, it's actually a pretty hot song.  If only someone else was singing it...  Leader? :D

Naked
Vocals: 松本潤 / Matsumoto Jun

もっと　もっと…　もっとNaked…
Motto  motto...  Motto Naked...
More, more... More, Naked...
もっと　もっと…　もっとNaked…
Motto  motto...  Motto Naked...
More, more... More, Naked...

すれ違うだけのシグナル　声が聞きたいけど
Sure chigau dake no shigunaru  Koe ga kikitai kedo
At the signal where we only just missed each other,  I want to hear your voice
会えない夜に　君からのメッセージ
Aenai yoru ni  Kimi kara no messe--ji
During the night we didn't meet, I got a message from you

一番欲しい言葉　知っているように
Ichiban hoshii kotoba  Shitteiru you ni
The words I want the most, I know them because
いつも　君を感じる
Itsumo  Kimi wo kanjiru
Always, I feel you

※Take off Take off
夜を越えて　もっと自由に
Yoru wo koete  Motto jiyuu ni
The night is passing,  more freely
君に会いたい…
Kimi ni aitai...
I want to see you...
Naked Naked
何も言わず　抱き合うだけ…
Nani mo iwazu  Dakiau dake...
Without saying anything, just embrace each other...
それだけでいい　君と※
Sore dake de ii  Kimi to
With you, just that is enough

強気で嫌みばかりで　不機嫌にさせるけど
Tsuyoki de iyami bakari de  Fukigen ni saseru kedo
Stubbornly hating for no reason, you just pout to make me do something
不器用なだけ　ウソよりかわいいさ
Bukiyou na dake  Uso yori kawaii sa
It's just awkward, it's much cuter than your lies

孤独な僕らは　傷つけあって
Kodoku na bokura wa  Kizutsuke atte
Our solitary selves damage each other
痛み感じ　生きてく
Itami kanji  Ikiteku
I feel the pain, it's so fresh

Deeply Deeply
もっとそばで　声を聞かせて
Motto soba de  Koe wo kikasete
I can hear your voice by my side more
話しをしよう…
Hanashi wo shiyou
Let's talk...
Naked Naked
何もいらない　キスをしようよ…
Nani mo iranai  Kisu wo shiyou yo
We don't need anything else,  let's kiss...
やわらかい時間君と
Yawarakai toki kimi to
Soft time with you

光を消したら、この手を握っていて
Hikari wo keshitara  Kono te wo nigitteite
If light were to disappear, take hold of this hand
終わりの無い愛、今だけ信じさせて…
Owari no nai ai  Ima dake shinjisasete...
An neverending love, only now I am made to believe it...

ずっとずっと…泣いて笑って
Zutto zutto... Naiite waratte
Always always,  crying because of laughter
素顔のままを　僕に見せてよ
Sugao no mama wo  Boku ni misete yo
I want you to show me your unpainted face
そっとそっと…耳をあてる
Sotto sotto... Mimi wo ateru
Softly, softly... it reaches my ears
君のメロディー　僕だけのもの
Kimi no merodi--  Boku dake no mono
Your melody is something only for me
ずっと
Zutto
Always

(※Repeat)

もっと　もっと…　もっとNaked…
Motto  motto...  Motto Naked...
More, more... More, Naked...
もっと　もっと…　もっとNaked…
Motto  motto...  Motto Naked...
More, more... More, Naked...

Gimmick Game Lyrics + Translation

I've seen a couple translations of this floating around, so I thought I'd give it a stab. I love bitter!Nino. He's so fun.

Gimmick Game
Vocals: 二宮和也 / Ninomiya Kazunari

どうしてだろうあなたの指がワタシだけには汚く見えてるの。
Doushite darou anata no yubi ga watashi dake ni wa kitanaku meieteru no
Why is it that your fingers look so dirty only to me?
だからお願いそのキタナイ指で私のカラダそんなになでないで。
Dakara onegai sono kitanai yubi de watashi no karada sonna ni na de nai de
So please, don't touch me like that with those dirty fingers.
(ナンデダヨ) そりゃそうでしょ。だって
(Nande dayo) Sorya sou desho. Datte
(Why) It's like that isn't it. But
(ドウシタンダヨ？) その言葉、あなたにあげるわ。
(Doushitandayo?) Sono kotoba, anata ni ageru wa
(What went wrong?) Those words, I'm giving them back to you.

また違う世界で自分だけ満足して
Mata chigau sekai de jibun dake manzokushite
In another different world, you only satisfy yourself
それでなんで知らぬ顔で私を愛せるの?
Sore de nande shiranu kao de watashi wo aiseru no?
So then why am I loved by someone who plays dumb?
あなたは今日もまた"愛してる"が腐ってる　
Anata wa kyou mo mata "aishiteru" ga kusatteru
Your "I love you"s are still rotting today
だって…（オマエシカアイセナイヨ）
Datte... (Omae shika aisenai yo)
But... (Only you can love me)
あなたの首筋、ホラ、嘘が見えた
Anata no kubisuji, hora, usa ga mieta
On the back of your neck, look, I can see a lie

真面目な顔してその気はあるのになんでしてくれないの? 悲しい顔
Majime na kao shite sono ki wa aru no ni nande shite kurenai no? Kanashii kao
That feeling is there so why can't you do it with a serious face? Sad face...
お望みならば涙ぐらいならばナガシテモイイヨ。なんかそれっぽいでしょ？
Onozomi naraba namida gurai naraba nagashite mo ii yo. Nanka sore ppoi desho?
If you wish, it's alright if you cry a few tears. It's kind of like that, right?
(ナカナイデ）あなたもそうなの
(Nakanaide) Anata mo sou nano
(Don't cry) You're like that too
(ホラ、ワラッテ）終わりには優しいフリばかり
(Hora, waratte) Owari ni wa yasashii furi bakari
(Hey, smile) In the end, it was nothing but a kind pretence

出て行くのもいいけど, ねぇ、持って行ってよ
Date iku no mo ii kedo nee, motte itte yo
It's fine if you want to get out but, hey, take these with you
何もかも全て全部思い出もゼンブ
Nani mo kamo subete zenbu omoida mo zenbu
Anything and everything, entirely, all the memories, all of them
あなたがいらないのは私もいらないの
Anata ga iranai no wa watashi mo iranai no　
Whatever you don't need, I don't need either
だって…（モウヤメニシヨウナ）
Datte... (mou yamenishiyou na)
Because... (Let's just stop this already)
わたしの首筋にも嘘はあるの
Watashi no kubisuji ni mo usa wa aru no
On the back of my neck there are lies too

壊れた時間に戻れるなら今なら全て分かるのかなそのコトバ・シグサ・アイ
Kowareta jikan ni modoreru nara ima nara subete wakaruno kana sono kotoba, shigusa, ai
If I could return to that broken time, would I understand everything now? Those words, actions, love

なんてかわいいフリしてウソを着てあるいて
Nante kawaii furishite uso wo kite aruite
Despite the cute pretence, you're wearing your lies
なんでだろう街の色がキレイに見えるの
Nande darou machi no iro ga kirei ni meieru no
Why is it that the colours in the streets look beautiful
それは私が汚れているから？なの？
Sore wa watashi ga kitanareteiru kara? Nano?
Is it because I am becoming dirty? Is it?
でもその世界でしか生き方知らないの
Demo sono sekai deshika ikikata shiranai no
But in that world, I don't know anything but this way of life

さびしいフリしてすぐに涙ながすの
Sabishii furishite sugu ni namida nagasu no
With that a sad pretence soon you shed tears
すればほらきた。次の世界がまた
Sureba hora kita. Tsugi no sekai ga mata
If you do that, look, it's here. The next world
(ソンナニナクナヨモウ）
(Sonna ni nakunayo mou)
(Don't cry like that anymore)
君の首筋、ほら、唾をつけた
Kimi no kubisuji, hora, tsuba wo tsuketa (*)
The back of your neck, look, I've staked my claim


(*) Literally "I've spat on your neck" but that's not very sexy. Actually my nifty translator popped out "I put dibs on it". Apparently, "tsuba wo tsuketa" in Japanese means something along the lines of placing ownership on something/someone. Like dogs marking their territory? I suppose.

My laze amazes me.

Well, I got 3 loads of laundry done so I wouldn't say today was especially unproductive.  And OMFG its so much easier with your own machineee.  Why did I not get around to getting one before now?  BECAUSE I AM STUPID.  It makes weird clunking noises when it starts the spin cycle, but its 10 years old and it works.  And was free.  I am not complaining.  I translated Gimmick Game and Naked today as well.  Naked was easy and Gimmick Game was fun (it helped that I had read other people's translations so I just had to put it in my own words... sort of).  I love bitter Nino.  XD 

I'm hungry but have no food.  This is a problem.  I am going to go out and return Heroes (and rent the 2nd disc, of course) and get some groceries.  Maybe I'll try Leader's eggplant thing again.  With tofu?  Tofu is yummy and oh so good for you!  And maybe a salad.  I'm severely lacking in the fibre department as of late.  I am also going to try cabonara some time this week as well.  I need a lightbulb for the kitchen but I have a feeling I have to go to a seperate store for that.  What ever happened to one-stop-shopping?  Oh right, they don't have that in Japan.

Spaghetti Carbonara Attempt #1

1 serving of spaghetti, boiled for 5 minutes
3 slices of bacon, sliced into 1/2" strips
1 egg (room temp)
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (room temp)
2 tbsp heavy cream (room temp)
1 glove garlic, grated
3~4 tbsp olive oil
Parsley flakes

1.  Bring salted water to boil.  Cook spagetti for 5~7 minutes.  Pasta should be al dente.  Drain water, set aside.
2.  While pasta is cooking, beat the egg in a bowl.  Add cheese and cream and mix well.  Set aside.
3.  Heat oil over medium heat in a frying pan.  Fry garlic until brown.  Add bacon and fry until crisp.
4.  Add pasta to frying pan, coating well with oil mixture.  Cook for a few minutes until heated through.
5.  Turn pasta into a bowl and pour egg mixture over the hot pasta.  Toss well.  The heat of the oil and pasta will cook the egg through just enough.  Arrange on a plate, garnish with parsley.  Serves 1.

It looks pretty damn good in the picture, doesn't it?  It was surprisingly easy!  I finally found a recipe that didn't require a pre-heated dish (because I don't even have a toaster oven) but it might have been better because in the 5 minutes it took to take the picture, it was already getting cold.  It was really cheesey and heavy.  I would eat twice that much if it was meat sauce or tomato sauce.  Next time I will only use 2 tbsp of cheese and 1 tbsp of cream and see how it goes.  I could have laid off the oil a little bit and cooked the bacon longer and used the bacon fat instead; it would have given it a nice flavour.  But for a first attempt, I'm rather impressed.  And so far, I'm not feeling ill so that's a plus.  I was so full after that I didn't even eat the salad I bought.

It's only 7 so I'm going to settle in for a Heroes marathon.  Mohinder, my foxy love!  I'm coming!  I'm feeling sleepy already, damn that heavy pasta, but I'm going to soldier on and maybe even write a bit later.  I got back into my groove.  Maybe I'll write another minor pairing (though the lack of comments makes me cry), like Aiba/Ohno or Aiba/Nino.  I guess Aiba is a monogomist of sorts: he's usually paired with Sho or Jun.  I haven't seen many other variations.