Author Archives: Confanity

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About Confanity

I love the written word more than anything else I've had the chance to work with. I'm back in the States from Japan for grad school, but still studying Japanese with the hope of becoming a translator -- or writer, or even teacher -- as long as it's something language-related.

Magic Monday – God-eaters – The Progenitor

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Confanity

The Progenitor (Mother; the Black Fish of the Woods with Eight Billion Young) Description: The Progenitor is a mottled, sticky mass of dark colors shot through with streaks of red and pale yellow. It rolls through the woods at a … Continue reading →

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Life finds a way

Posted on November 27, 2016 by Confanity

炒り豆に花が咲く ((I)rimame ni hana ga saku; “Flowers growing from roasted beans”) Definition: An example of something that had declined, failed, or withered flourishing again beyond all expectations. By extension, an impossible event. Something happening that’s about as likely as roasted … Continue reading →

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It never rains but it tiny stones

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Confanity

Sometimes you hit a run of bad luck. Sometimes, the bad luck is extremely specific. This is the story of such an occurrence. I ride my bicycle a lot. It’s my preferred mode of transportation, weather permitting, and I’ve been … Continue reading →

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A rank fragrance

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Confanity

位階勲等 (i).kai.kun.tou Literally: rank – stair / story – meritorious deed – quality / (first) class Alternately: Court rank; honors; accolades. Decorations and rank awarded by the government in return for achievement or service. 位階 refers to ranks within the … Continue reading →

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Magic Monday – God-eaters – Id

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Confanity

Id (Old Man Fear; The Orb of Serenity, The Black Mirror) Description: The Black Mirror is an utterly immobile sphere of a hard, translucent-black material, shot through in its depths with faint suggestions of color. It floats at about chest-height … Continue reading →

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A lost art?

Posted on November 20, 2016 by Confanity

和して同ぜず (Washite douzezu; “harmonize but not agree”) Definition: Cooperating, but only within reason. Making a point of getting along with others – but not when doing so would be at the cost of reason, truth, one’s individuality, or other important … Continue reading →

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What we could all use a little more of

Posted on November 16, 2016 by Confanity

和気藹藹 wa.ki.ai.ai Literally: harmony – spirit / mood – harmonize / flourishing – harmonize / flourishing Alternately: Full of serenity and stillness. Overflowing with tranquility. Congenial. People getting along well together. Notes: 和気 is a feeling of harmony; 藹藹 is … Continue reading →

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But what does it all MEAN?

Posted on November 13, 2016 by Confanity

論語読みの論語知らず (Rongo yomi no rongo shirazu; “A reader of Confucius; doesn’t know Confucius”) Definition: Use this when someone technically knows the words of a field of knowledge but doesn’t understand the meaning of the words and is unable to act … Continue reading →

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The natural phrasing for a cat to use

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Confanity

老若男女 rou.nyaku.nan.nyo Literally: old – young – man – woman Alternately: All people. Absolutely everybody, regardless of age or sex. Notes: While it is not entirely wrong to read this phrase with the more standard character pronunciations rou.jaku.dan.jo, the all-Ns … Continue reading →

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Magic Monday – God-eaters – The Fourth King

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Confanity

The Fourth King (Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, the Ancient) Description: Many human households across the land engage in ancestor-worship. Whole communities may venerate a likeness of a particularly influential figure from their area’s history even when there is no family connection. Most such … Continue reading →

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