[Filtered from Seto and Jounouchi]

It's... hard, going to one of the strongest people you know, to talk to them about something that leaves you feeling so weak.

*small smile* But I will. Because he asked me to. And after everything, he deserves that much, at the very least, from me.

They've just announced the location for the annual departmental vacation. We're going to Aomori for a whole week! We don't leave until Friday, because we drew a later time slot this year, but it doesn't matter to me. Aomori... apples and seafood, the mountains and the sea, Seiichiro... and it couldn't have come at a better time. I bet Hisoka's sorry he left me now! ^__^

Happy birthday, my dearest, dearest friend. ♥

Happy birthday, Darling! Spoil yourself for me today, ne? You deserve it! ♥

I'll be heading out on a mission tomorrow. My first with my new partner. Though I've known him for years, I'm still anxious about it. Watari is a good man, but he has a propensity for mischief. And I get into enough trouble on my own -_-;; It sounds like a fairly routine case though, so hopefully I won't be gone more than a day or two. And hopefully, he'll leave his bag of experiments at home...

From mr_kagetsukai. He gave them to me, I defined them as to what they mean to me. If you want some words, just let me know, ne? ^_^

Apple- Absolutely the best fruit in the world. Especially when made into pie. Or apple birds. But I've never had anything that had apple in it that I haven't liked.

Kyoto- The old capital of Japan. A gorgeous city, and filled with so many memories. *small smile* For the longest time, they were mostly sad, but now, I have some happier ones to remember.

Home- I live in Tokyo, but my true definition of home is wherever Seiichiro is. The saying 'home is where the heart is' is very true. Beyond that, I adore the little cottage the two of us call home. ^_^

Green- my favourite color! Granny Smith Apple Green, to be precise! But I love green for other reasons besides apples, too. It's such a living, vibrant color, and I think that's part of why I love gardening so much!

Hug- Hugs are wonderful things. They can say hello, or goodbye, I love you, I need you, I missed you... sometimes they don't say anything at all, but that doesn't make those ones less enjoyable. Sometimes, the best hug is one given or received for no reason. ^_^

From chefpiper. She assigns me five, and then I define what they mean to me. If you want to play, I'll see what I can come up with for you! ^__^

Gardening- My favorite past time. I've loved gardening ever since I was a young boy. There's something so rewarding and exciting about nurturing something to blossom and grow, and I think I'm fairly good at it, too! ^_^

Pie- One of the top five best desserts in the world. And if it's apple, then it is the best. The crust, the filling, the spices, the juices... and then you have the cream pies, with their rich, smooth filling, and either whipping cream or meringue on top... Yes, I like pie, very much. ^_^

Pasta- One of my most favorite foods. I adore pasta, and all the sauces that come with it. My favorite is Tatsumi's spaghetti with meat balls, and he makes the most lovely garlic bread to go with it! Like pie, I've not yet met a pasta I didn't like. ^_^

Amethyst- A pretty, purple stone. I've been told by many that my eye color reminds them of amethyst. Frankly, I think the stone is prettier than my eyes are, but I'm getting better about how I feel about their uniqueness.

Caring- Something that is just... a natural response to me. I've been told countless times throughout my life that I care too much, that caring makes me weak. But, even though it has gotten me into trouble more times than I can imagine, I can't seem to make myself stop. It's just... a part of who I am, I suppose.

It's been fairly quiet around the bureau as of late. *smile* Which is never a good sign. Usually when that happens, we're hit with something complicated or disastrous shortly afterward. Hopefully it won't this time- especially since I've yet to go on case with my new partner. *small smirk* Though something tells me Watari might benefit from a baptism of fire, as it were.

Anyway, the quiet around work has given Tatsumi and I time for some more leisurely things. Over the weekend, we went to Chang'an to help Hakkai and Sanzo take the chibis to the zoo. It was such fun! There was a delightful petting area, and we got to hold some of the babies and everything! And the children were so cute with the feed and bottles and things. It was a wonderful day, but then I always have a lovely time when I visit my friends- any of them! ^_^ The weekend before, we went to Piper's party, and that was a great deal of fun, too. Good music and dancing, wonderful drinks... If you've not had a chocolate monkey, I strongly suggest you try one. It's delicious! ^_^

The gardens are coming along nicely, too. I'm so proud of my plot in Tokyo. Any doubts I may have had about really having a green thumb are gone. The flowers have beautiful blossoms, and the vegetables are growing away. The new beds I put in at home are doing well, too. And it's so nice to be able to take tea beneath the sakuras again. I love this time of year. ^_^

( Bella's meme )

Well, I'm back to myself again, thank God. It's been the week from hell, and that's saying something coming from me. To be honest, Watari wasn't totally to blame. *small smile* No matter how I try to justify it, it was my own stupidity that got me into this last situation. I'm just glad the people who care about me most were willing to set that aside and help me get through this. Especially Tatsumi. *small smile* He's the one who suffered the most because of it. As usual. *sighs*

This week has been really yukky! First Hisoka was a big ol meanie and left and now I got turned little. And all because stupid Watari left some chocolates where I could get em. And he says it's all my fault, cause I shouldn't have eated them without asking him first. Well, what good are candies if you can't eat em is what I say! Not all if it's been yukky, I guess. Sei'chro took me to see the fishies and feed the duckies, and I got to play with lots of kids today and now I'm at Hakkai's house playing with Chibi and Hakru. And I get meatbuns for dinner! Yay! Only don't tell Hakkai I used his computer, 'cause I don't think little kids are posed to. so Shhhhhhhh!!!

I got my garden in today- the one in Tokyo. It was a lovely day, and poor Seiichiro had to work, so I went and got my planting done while he was busy. *smile* I'm quite pleased with it, if I do say so myself. I just hope that everything grows how I want it to. ^__^

The mission is completed- successfully- and I'm back home. *grin* Looks like I'll get to do my gardening after all! ^__^