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tuiccim · 4 years ago

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Terrigenisis (Part 1)

Pairing: Avengers X Inhuman!Reader

Words: 3870

Summary: Your life is torn apart after undergoing terrigenisis unwillingly your life is turned upside down when you are deemed too dangerous to return to civilian life. You are put with the Avengers team to train and rebuild your life.

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“Charlie, the car’s packed. Are you ready?” You called. Your first vacation in two years ahead. A rock climbing trip to Arizona.

“Almost. Come here.” Charlie called from the apartment kitchen.

“What’s up?” You smile as you walk into the kitchen and see Charlie holding out a small medicine cup. “What am I taking today?” You smile at your husband who is currently on a vitamin kick.

“Magnesium, fish oil, vitamin d, and a multi.” He smiles as he picks up his own cup and clinks it together with yours.

You both take the vitamins and then you lean in for a quick kiss. “Okay, good lookin’, vacation time.”

You turn to head for the door but Charlie’s voice brings you back around, “What’s happening?” he says in a panicked voice, “(Y/N)!” You turn to see his body being covered by rocks.

“Charlie!” You reach out for him.

“Don’t touch me!” He yells, but then you feel something strange yourself. Looking down you see the rocks beginning to cover you, too.

“Charlie!” You yell again.

“I love you!” He says just before the rocks cover him completely.

“I love you!” You cry and then are overtaken.

Fourteen months later.

“So, you’re just gonna spring me on them?” You look at Nicky Fury as he drives to the Avenger’s compound.

“Not like we had a lot of time. Coulson's team had to move. This will be the safest place for you and you can be trained as an Avenger here.” Fury states.

You roll your eyes. Not like you hadn’t been training for the last six months with Coulson’s team, but apparently you can’t even tell anyone about them. Now, you’re supposed to join this team and everything will be all better. You put your earbuds in.

You’re brought into the conference room and face the Avengers team. Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Wanda Maximoff, Vision, Sam Wilson, and Bucky Barnes.

“Avengers, meet your newest trainee.” Fury states.

You keep your gaze down not wanting to see the anger on everyone’s faces.

“What is this, Fury?” Captain Rogers is the first to speak.

“Look, we need a place for her to train and become mission ready. Right now, here is the safest place for that. I’ll let you get acquainted.” With that, Fury leaves.

You stare after him as he leaves you to the team’s mercy. You turn to look at Captain Rogers, apprehension clear on your face. He seems to take some pity on you.

“You’re an agent?” He asks.

“Fury didn’t give you my file?” You ask quietly.

“What he just said is what he gave me on you.” Captain says, not unkindly.

“Great.” Your quiet, sarcastic reply.

“Why don’t you sit down and we can figure this all out?” Captain Rogers motions to the chair at the head of the table. You felt like you were sitting in front of a jury.

You looked around the table slowly at each solemn face. Miss Maximoff offers you a small smile and it bolsters a bit of courage in you.

“Okay. What’s your deal, then?” Mr. Stark questions.

“I guess it’d just be best to lay it all out for you from the beginning, huh?” You look to Captain Rogers.

“That would make things easier.” Agent Romanoff says.

You look at her and nod. “Fourteen months ago, I underwent terrigenesis.”

“Where did you get a terrigen crystal?” Dr. Banner asks.

“My husband, Charlie, handed me our morning vitamins. One was a new fish oil we were trying.” You say.

“Oh my god. You were one of the accidentally exposed?” Miss Maximoff says sadly.

“Yes.” You nod.

“Your husband?” She asks.

“He was not an Inhuman.” You look away for a minute to compose yourself. The loss of Charlie was still painful. You swallow and continue, “I, however, am. I emerged from the chrysalis with the ability to understand any vocal communication.”

“You mean verbal communication?” Dr. Banner says.

“No, I mean vocal. A dog barks and I know what it’s communicating, not exact words but the meaning. Eventually after hearing any human language for a time I can speak it also. I was fluent in English and Spanish before, but since I’ve become fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, and I have working knowledge of a few others. I’m basically a universal translator.”

Agent Romanoff speaks then in Russian “You can understand anything said to you even if you don’t know the language?”

“That’s correct. I actually don’t know any Russian. If you could speak it to me when we talk I’ll pick it up eventually. If any of you know other languages, it would be helpful for me to learn to speak them.”

“I would be happy to help you with Sokovian.” Miss Maximoff says in her language.

“Thank you. I’m grateful for whatever I can learn.” You smile at her.

“And that’s it? You can’t go back to your life because you can understand what everyone says?” Mr. Stark snarks.

“No. With being Inhuman comes additional strength and stamina, my gifts also include increased hearing and I can, um, warg for lack of a better term.” You give a half shrug.

“Warg? Like embody animals?” Agent Barton says.

“Yes. I can see, hear, feel through them. I have a Red-tailed Hawk who I’ve built a relationship with. I use her often to train.”

“Where is she?” Agent Barton asks.

You warg into her for a moment turning your eyes yellow as the hawks. “She’s in a dogwood tree on the north side of the compound.”

“Did you just…?” Agent Barton raises his eyebrows.

“Yes.” Turning back to Mr. Stark you say, “To answer your questions, Mr. Stark, the combination of my Inhuman abilities with the fact that I am a black belt in Krav Maga and Karate, an expert level climber, and a computer programmer put me in the threat category.”

“Programmer?” Mr. Stark smirks, “You mean hacker?”

“No. I mean programmer. I was not a part of anything clandestine… Until SHIELD.” you roll your eyes and a few of the team chuckled. “I could already kill someone with my bare hands, add in extra strength.” You shrug again. “Anyway, I’ve spent the last six months training with another Inhuman to hone my skills. They needed the full team to be field ready and Fury decided to move me here.”

“What are you lacking for field readiness?” Captain Rogers asks.

“Firearms training mostly.” You reply. “I have control of my abilities. My hand to hand is more than sufficient.”

“Do you have any experience with firearms?” Sergeant Barnes asks.

“Kinda why I got a black belt in Krav Maga and Karate was hoping to never need one. And if I do, I’ll take one.”

“Family?” Captain Rogers asks.

You shake your head, “My mom died when I was three. My dad raised me. He was a Coast Guard pilot. Died five years ago in a helicopter crash.”

“I’m sorry.” He says sincerely.

“Thanks. Any other questions? Anybody?” You look around the table.

“I think you’ve given us enough for now. Do you have bags or boxes we can help you move into a room?” Captain Rogers asks.

“Just those two. I’ve got them.” You pick up the large duffle and backpack.

“Why don’t you take an hour to settle in and then we’ll meet to start training.”

You nod, a little surprised he wants to start training so soon.

“I’ll show you to your room.” Miss Maximoff says. “Where’s she going?” she asks the Captain.

You see a cloud come over Captain Roger’s face for a moment before he says, “There’s a free room on my end.”

You realize he was trying to figure out where to put you and decided to keep the newbie nearby. You didn’t mind.

“Thank you.” You say to Captain Rogers and you nod to the rest of the team before you follow Miss Maximoff. “Thank you for showing me to the room, Miss Maximoff.”

Wanda giggles, “You can call me Wanda.”

“Thanks. Please call me (Y/N). And I thought you were gonna speak Sokovian to me?” You give her a small smile as you walk to the elevator.

“Oh, of course.” She says in Sokovian while hitting the elevator button.

“I wonder how good her hearing is.” You hear the whisper in the conference room.

“Good enough I can hear you from out here, Agent Barton.” You call back and grin at Wanda.

“Thanks!” He calls back.

“Not so loud! Geez” You and Wanda giggle together as you get on the elevator.

“What did he say? I couldn’t hear anything from where we were.” Wanda asks.

“Oh, he just wondered how good my hearing is.”

“Is it really sensitive?”

“Yeah. I have to sleep with earplugs and I wear headphones a lot to block some of it out. It’s taken a while to get used to it. At first, it was super overwhelming.”

“I understand. It was very brave the way you told everyone what happened to you.”

“Seemed fair. I got the chance to read all of your files, so I know about everyone else.”

“Here we are. Do you want help unpacking? I can stick around for a little bit.”

“It’s okay. You don’t need to do that. I’ll see you at training?”

“Yes, I’ll be there. If you need anything ask FRIDAY she can direct you where you need to go and answer your questions.” Wanda waves as she leaves you alone in the room.

The room is nicer than what you expected. A queen bed, desk, bookshelves, tv, walk in closet, and your own bathroom. You would definitely need to go to a store soon to pick up a few things. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be a problem with Captain Rogers. You empty your duffle bag, put your clothes away, and place your toiletries in the bathroom. You unwrap the two framed pictures and place them on your desk. One is you and Charlie smiling in a waterfall grotto after a long hike. The other is your wedding day, you in a short lace dress, him in a white button down and khaki pants, with the sun setting behind you on the beach just after you said your vows. You gently touch the photo, “Love you, Charlie.” you whisper.

You decide to change and head to wherever training would be. You stop at the panel by your door, "Uh, FRI...FRIDAY?"

"How may I be of assistance, Ms. (L/N)?"

"Where would I go to meet the others for training?"

"The training room is located on the first floor." She says as she flashes a map up.

"Thank you." You feel kind of sheepish talking to the AI.

Once in the training room you look around at the well equipped room. Every type of weights, machines, a boxing ring, mats, weapon lockers, and even a rock climbing wall you saw with excitement. Looking up at the ceiling you see it's criss crossed with beams and you get a wicked idea. You grab a climbing rope hanging down at one end of the room and shimmy up it quickly. You're able to swing yourself to the beam fairly easily from there and then walk the beams towards the entrance to the room. You take a seat with your back to a joist and stretch your legs out in front of you. It's not long before Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes come in together.

"Wonder if she’s as skilled as it sounds.” Sergeant Barnes says.

“Black belts in karate and krav maga? I’m sure she has some skills but getting her to Avenger status may be a challenge.” Captain Rogers says.

“Guess the question is, is she up for it?” Sergeant Barnes scoffs.

“I certainly plan to try, Sergeant.” You say from your perch.

“What the hell?” Sergeant Barnes looks up at you and you give a little wave.

“What are you doing up there, (Y/N)?” Captain Rogers says.

“Waiting.” You say simply.

“You felt the need to do that twenty feet in the air?” Captain Rogers scoffs.

You shrug, “Felt like climbing.” Getting up, you walk along the beams.

“Can you come down, please?” Sergeant Barnes says.

“Sure.” You walk back towards the climbing rope, once close enough you jump to it, and slide down.

Sergeant Barnes is right next to you when you turn around, “What would have happened if you’d fallen?”

“It’d hurt,” you say and look up to the beams, “A lot.”

“Might want to reconsider using the beams as a waiting room.” He snarks.

“Nah, I like being up high. I’m pretty sure-footed.” You look back to his face and he is scowling down at you. “What?”

“Nothing.” He says, “I’ll take that to mean you're warmed up. Let’s do some sparring and see how you do.”

“Okay.”

You follow him to the mat. Captain Rogers is standing to the side watching. You take stance and Sergeant Barnes begins. You can tell he is holding back and you go harder at him. After sparring with Melinda May for months you weren’t about to let him patronize you. You were holding your own and noticed the rest of the team filtering in and watching. He grabbed your arm and you used the leverage to jump up, throw your legs around his neck, and throw him to the ground. He rolled to his feet immediately and came right back at you. After a few more minutes, Captain Rogers called out, “Alright. Let’s switch it up.” You stopped but kept your eyes on Sergeant Barnes until he retreated.

“Not bad.” Sergeant Barnes says to Captain.

“Natasha.” Captain Rogers looks at her and she nods.

“Agent Romanoff.” You incline your head to her as she approaches.

“Natasha’s fine.” She smiles.

“(Y/N). Thanks.” You smile back and Natasha throws the first punch. You manage to hold your own for a while but in the end Natasha managed to pin you to the mat.

“Well done.” Natasha says.

“Not well enough.” You say with a mirthless chuckle.

“Who or what is next, Captain?” You say looking at the super soldier.

He looks over to Sergeant Barnes, “Bucky, can you take her to the range and gauge her abilities there?”

“Sure.” He eyes you and then makes a motion for you to follow.

As you walk out of the training room and turn down a hallway towards the range, you say to him, “I don’t have a lot of experience with guns, Sergeant Barnes.”

“Bucky.”

“What?”

“Call me Bucky.”

“Okay. I don’t have a lot of experience with guns, Bucky. I’ve shot a few times, but the last year has really been about my abilities and honing hand to hand.”

“Well, we’ll see what we have to work with and go from there.” Bucky says as he holds the door to the range open for you. You slip in past him and watch as he goes to the locker and pulls out a Glock, a clip, and a box of ammo. He then sets it all down in front of you with protective gear and stands back with arms crossed.

You reign in a smirk at his demeanor. He really is testing you. You pick up the clip, add the ammo, load and cock the gun. Clicking the safety into place, you put the protective gear on, pick the gun back up, and move to aim at the target. You take the safety off, aim, and fire. When you’ve emptied the clip, you set the gun down and turn to Bucky while removing the headphones. “It’s still loud even through these things.”

Bucky actually chuckles and hits the button to bring the target up for inspection. “You at least know how to load and shoot, but your aim needs work.”

While you had hit the target with each bullet, the rounds were dispersed throughout the torso. Yeah, your aim was lacking.

"Yup. Want me to go again?"

"No, just trying to get an idea." He gives you a tight smile that you return.

When you return to the training room, Captain Rogers takes you through a workout and then brings you a bottle of water. "Good work today."

"Thanks, Captain. I know it was awkward having me sprung on you."

"You can call me Steve. We all go by first names around here." He says.

"My, uh, my dad always required I called people by their title until invited otherwise. Old habits." You shrug.

"Yeah, I get it. Go get some rest and I'll show you around later."

"That would be great. Thanks."

An hour later you had showered and changed. You went to the common room to see if Captain Rogers, erm, Steve was around for the tour he had offered. Sam Wilson looked up from the couch.

“Hey, newbie.” He smiles.

“Hello.”

”I’m Sam. So, you have a hawk friend? What’s its name?”

“Doesn’t really have an English translation. It’s kind of a mix between a squawk and screech so I just call her Redtail.” You say.

“I’m trying to figure out if you're kidding.” Sam eyes you.

“The first part, yeah. But I really do call her Redtail.” You smirk.

“So, you can… what did you call it?”

“Warg. Warging.” You say.

“You can warg into her anytime you want?”

“Generally. I try to be respectful of her. She’s not a pet. She’s a companion that has chosen to befriend me and allow me to use her. Would you like to meet her later?”

“Yeah. That would be cool.” Sam smiles.

“(Y/N).” Steve strides into the room.

“Captain. Sorry. Steve.” You give him a small smile.

“Ready to take a tour?” He asks.

“Yes, thank you. Would you care to join us, Sam?”

“I’m good, but don’t forget about introducing me to Redtail.” Sam says from his spot on the couch.

“You got it.” You say as you go to follow Steve.

“Redtail?” Steve asks.

“The hawk I mentioned.” You say.

Steve shows you around the compound, explains FRIDAY’s functions, and talks a little bit about the team. He’s very kind through the whole process but you can tell he has some concerns about you becoming part of the team.

“Steve, can I ask you something?” You finally work up the courage to say.

“Yeah.” He turns to look at you.

“How does everyone feel about me being dropped on you? There’s bound to be some resentment.”

“I wouldn’t say resentment. Everyone’s just a bit guarded when it comes to new people. You must have done something right for Fury to put you here, though. Most of them know that.”

“Any helpful hints?”

“They’re all good people. Just give them time. They’ll warm up. And, seriously, don’t ever steal Natasha’s cookies.” He says.

You laugh. “I’ll keep that in mind. Would you like to meet Redtail?”

“That’d be great.”

“FRIDAY, will you let Sam know to meet us at the North entrance?”

“Getting used to FRIDAY already, huh?” Steve smiles.

“I can see how useful she is.”

A few minutes later Sam appears with Bucky following behind.

“Hey Buck.” Steve greets, “Wanted to meet Redtail, too?”

“Uh, yeah, if that’s okay, (Y/N)?” Bucky asks.

“Sure.” You give a small smile and head outside. “Gimme about 15 feet of space, guys. Don’t want to scare her.”

The guys move back as asked and you put your hands around your mouth and let out a loud “CAW CAW!” You look back at the bewildered expressions of the three and start laughing. “Just kidding. Sorry I couldn’t resist.” They all chuckle.

You reach in your back pocket and pull out a falconry glove. Slipping it on, you warg into Redtail turning your eyes yellow and ask her to come to you. Redtail makes a graceful arc from the dogwood tree she had been resting in and landed on your upheld hand. “Hello there, sweet girl. How do you like your new spot?” Redtail looks at you tilting her head.

“Does she understand you?” Sam asks.

“No, we can communicate when I warg, but it’s more like an exchange of images than it is talking.” You warg for a moment to ask Redtail if she can bring her closer to the three curious men and once you receive her consent you release the warg. “I’m going to bring her closer but please keep your hands down, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” Steve says.

“So, she’s your pet?” Bucky asks as you walk closer.

“No, I don't take care of her. She’s not my pet. She’s my companion, my friend.” You say petting the bird's chest. “Would you like to pet her?”

Bucky nods and you take his right hand in yours and bring it up to Redtail’s chest allowing him to pet her. She makes a small chittering sound and you smile at Bucky, “She likes you.” He smiles sweetly.

You move to Sam next and Redtail immediately starts chittering again. You take Sam’s hand and bring it up to her chest like you did with Bucky. Redtail leans into Sam’s hand and tilts her head back and forth studying him. She starts to reach a claw out to move to his hand but you warg to her and show her her talons tearing his skin. “Wow, she really likes you. I guess she sees a fellow bird.” You laugh.

“I do have a way with the ladies.” Sam grins.

You move to Steve last and allow him to pet Redtail. When you look at him he’s grinning and you can’t help but smile at the reactions each of the guys had to her. You look at Redtail, “Thank you, my friend.” You lift your arm in the air and she takes flight.

“She’s beautiful.” Steve says.

“Yeah, she is. I’m so grateful for how she’s stuck with me. I try to always give her the respect she deserves.” You say.

“So, you warg into her just whenever you want?” Bucky asks.

“I can. I usually warg into her and ask her permission. She’s rarely denied me. She was always curious about humans and she feels safe with me, but she’s still a wild animal and I don’t want her to lose that. I want her to always be free, ya know?”

“Yeah, I get it.” Bucky says with a smile.

“Why don’t we head in and find some dinner?” Steve suggests.

“Sounds good to me. I’m starving.” Sam says.

As you walk in, you remember you have no food here and need to go to a store. “Hey Steve. Is there a vehicle I can use?”

“What for?” He asks.

“My grand escape plan.” You deadpan, “I’d like to go to a store and pick up a few things. Or am I confined to the compound?”

“No, of course not. You can use the SUV in the garage. Keys are in the locker. Scan your thumb to access it.” Steve says.

“Great. Thanks. You guys need anything?”

A round of no’s from them, you head to the store to pick up some essentials and food. The rest of the night is spent settling in.

Part 2

Masterlist

#marvel #marvel fanfic #inhuman #inhuman fanfic #avengers #avengers fanfic #bucky #steve #captain america #fanfic #terrigenisis #x you #x reader #reader insert #bucky barnes #steve rogers

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astrofireworks · 7 years ago

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ALL OR AT LEAST ONES THAY HAVENT BEEN ANSWERED I LOVE U

WHEEZES OH MY GOD WORM OKAY HAHAHAH under the cut!!!!

1. favourite place in your country?

anywhere with wifi and aircon wheezes but i like the west aye

2. do you prefer spending your holidays in your country or travel abroad?

i’ve had the privilege of going abroad!!! singapore is boring wheezes in new york you get to pick any direction and just walk and you’d end up somewhere with things to do and things to see but in singapore you can’t even walk like 20 minutes without melting into the pavement

3. does your country have access to sea?

yeet

4. favourite dish specific for your country?

WAH HOW TO CHOOSE SIA listen singapore has so much food and like 80% of them aren’t even local they’re just stolen from malaysia or india or china and then modified to fit whatever ingredients we have

5. favourite song in your native language? answered!

6. most hated song in your native language?

i’m taking this to refer to national day songs and i hate this song and i never want to hear it again thank u

7. three words from your native language that you like the most? answered!

8. do you get confused with other nationalities? if so, which ones and by whom?

malaysian and taiwanese! singaporean english accents sounds a lot like malaysian accents, and our chinese accents sound like taiwan’s so i can see the confusion. it’s mostly us three confusing ourselves with each other asjdfkajasd

but also white people have just called me all sorts of variations of asian and i’ve given up on correcting them

9. which of your neighbouring countries would you like to visit most/know best?

singapore is hella close to johor bahru so a lot of singaporeans drive up to shop or eat or just hang out!! so i guess i’m most familiar with jb?

10. most enjoyable swear word in your native language?

WAHHAAH OKAY i’m technically the teochew branch of ‘chinese’ but for some reason singaporeans curse more in hokkien so here’s a list because i don’t want to type them out wheezes

11. favourite native writer/poet?

okay so it’s a tossup between stella kon (who wrote emily of emerald hill, a one-woman play about a nyonya matriarch and peranakan culture in 1930s singapore!!) and jean tay (who wrote everything but the brain, a play about physics and family and i ?????? love it so much heck)

12. what do you think about English translations of your favourite native prose/poem?

ah it’s all in english, we good

13. does your country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions that might seem strange to outsiders?

oKAY SO I DIDN’T KNOW THIS UNTIL I CAME TO NEW YORK but apparently ‘lo hei’ is something only south east asian chinese people do??? so ‘lo hei’ is this thing during lunar new year where everyone holds a little container of ingredients like shredded radish or carrot or deep fried crackers or raw fish or peanuts and then as they add their ingredients to a tray in the centre of the table they say wishes for the new year!!

then when everyone adds it in they attack it with chopsticks and mix everything up :’) apparently the higher your toss the stuff the more luck you’ll have in the new year aye

lowkey sad nobody else does it in new york so i can’t do it when i’m here sighs

14. do you enjoy your country’s cinema and/or TV?

it’s actually terrible wheezes i can’t even name one good movie

15. a saying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get?

JASDHFJKASD OKAY THIS IS IT THIS IS MY FAVOURITE THING I WENT TO LOOK FOR IT AND LISTEN THIS ONE IS MY FAVE

THIS ONE MADE ME CRY BYE

16. which stereotype about your country you hate the most and which one you somewhat agree with?

wah okay the stereotype that we’re all “oppressed” by our government like ????? listen just because the government is less liberal about things and they have a tighter control on the concept of free speech doesn’t mean it’s reached the level of “oppressive” take your white ideas somewhere else thank you

but also the stereotype that we’re insanely competitive (kiasu: scared of losing) ajsdhlfksd it’s sometimes unhealthy how competitive everything is in singapore, especially the education system since it more or less forces you to be on top of your shit from the age of 9 wheezes

17. are you interested in your country’s history?

nah i’m not even interested in history in general ajdfhalsjkd i dropped history and geography so i could take literature wheezes in Y3

18. do you speak with a dialect of your native language?

teochew!! since my parents are teochew :’) but all singaporeans are forced to learn a second language and since i’m chinese i had to take mandarin so that’s what i use more often jskdfhaksjdf

19. do you like your country’s flag and/or emblem? what about the national anthem?

it’s fine,,,,,, i guess,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, idk i have no opinions about it HAHAHH it’s just Been There but also at some point in primary school i just stopped singing the national anthem out loud wheezes

20. which sport is The Sport in your country?

i don’t follow sports but wheezes i guess swimming????? since that’s what we’ve been winning medals for i think????

21. if you could send two things from your country into space, what would they be?

sambal belacan (shrimp paste, lime juice and ground chili) that shit is great i love it !!!!! also kaya (pandan coconut jam) i would eat it out of the jar if i could

22. what makes you proud about your country? what makes you ashamed?

wow okay i guess i like that we’re really clean??? there’s little to no trash on the streets?? you can get arrested if you get caught littering fun fact !!

also that we’re really really homophobic fun fact it’s illegal in singapore to have gay sex you can get arrested too woop also singapore tries to have this gay pride thing every year but religious organisations always kick up a huge homophobic fuss and i always want to tear my hair out and scream and long story short that’s why i’m in new york gay capital of the world

23. which alcoholic beverage is the favoured one in your country?

probably beer HAHAH idk i don’t really know much about drinking culture

24. what other nation is joked about most often in your country?

wow uh china or malaysia probably i’m not sure

25. would you like to come from another place, be born in another country?

nah i like being singaporean we don’t have to apply for a lot of visas since our passport is approved in a lot of different countries so that saves a lot of money!!! also fun fact we’re allowed in north korea

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal?

if you’ve ever heard of crazy rich asians, it does NOT represent all of singapore all it shows is the chinese privileged part (since it was meant to be a satire) and it’s nothing like the heartlands so really fuck the people taking it seriously

27. favourite national celebrity?

wow uh okay JJLin what a guy good ass emo songs HAHAH but also i think ?? benjamin kheng is p good looking i don’t really follow singaporean celebrities because honestly,,,, they’re not really,,,, that good,,,,,,,,,, so

28. does your country have a lot of lakes, mountains, rivers? do you have favourites?

nah HAHAH we have one (1) river and it’s called the singapore river for obvious reasons wheezes we don’t have mountains either i believe we only have hills jdhfakjs

29. does your region/city have a beef with another place in your country?

singapore is one country/island thing so nah we don’t have regions to fight with!! also nah i think we’re pretty chill since singapore is really small so the moment we have beef with other countries we’re more or less guaranteed to die so yeet

30. do you have people of different nationalities in your family?

my maternal grandpa is from shanghai (so my mum speaks english, chinese, teochew, cantonese, hokkien and shanghainese wheezes she’s amazing) and my paternal grandma is from malaysia!

WEW THAT WAS A RIDE WORM but now i want to know your responses too ;0;

#WEW #there we go #this is the most i've thought about singapore since freshman year when everyone was like ???#where the fuck is singapore what the fuck is it #so in case yall wnt to know about more asian countries outside of korea #here we are #singapore a small ass bitch in south east asia #chicken-fetus #vivi answers stuff #worm

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wanderbitesbybobbie · 5 years ago

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HONG KONG: NIGHT MARKET STORIES AND FINDING PANDAS

WARNING: If you are looking for a HONG KONG FOOD AND TRAVEL GUIDE AND ITINERARY, THIS IS NOT IT. That’s in another post, but, this narrative will definitely take you to the side streets of Hong Kong and offer some laughter along the way. I promise. 🙂

The immigration officer at NAIA took our passports, did a quick background check, and suddenly stared at me and my 20-something-year-old niece, Melissa. I only had a few hours sleep the night before. As this flight via Philippine Airlines, was an early morning flight, I finished packing at around 12 midnight and woke up at 3:00 AM to catch this flight. I blinked at the Immigration Officer. “Are you traveling alone?”, he asked. It was Melissa’s first time traveling around Asia without her parents, and for some reason I felt responsible for her. But this particular immigration officer probably thought we were domestic workers, trying to enter Hong Kong without proper working permits. I mean, it was really a thing during that time. Young women, about our age, twenty-something or older, disguised as tourists travelers, entering Hong Kong and then overstaying. These women were very prone to human trafficking, so immigration officers tend to be extra stricter when it comes to Filipino women travelers. We felt judged, but luckily we weren’t alone that time. “No. We are traveling with my Mom.”, I quickly replied and pointed to my Mom standing next to us beyond the Yellow Line. She then stepped forward, handed her passport, got our passports stamped, and the IO finally let us through. Whew!

Melissa and I planned this Hong Kong Trip together. This wasn’t my first trip to Hong Kong, but out of the many travels I took there, this was one of the most memorable. M and I are both fond travelers. We travel around the Philippines either together, with our families, or with our own sets of friends. We spend our weekends by the beach, getting tan lines and grilling sea foods with the ocean as our back drop. But this time, we wanted to upgrade our travels and spend some time overseas. She asked her Dad if she could go and he said yes to one condition, ONLY IF MY MOM WAS COMING WITH US. Her Dad (my cousin-in-law), automatically called my Mom and asked her if she could “chaperon” us because he was in Singapore that time. “Auntie, the two are planning to travel to Hong Kong. I told M I would allow her only if you are with them.”, that was her Dad’s request, to which my Mom pleasantly obliged.

Both our families and our friends know that we somehow create “mischief” when we are together, let alone traveling overseas by ourselves together. It’s not the serious type of trouble that we “accidentally” create, but mostly something our friends just usually laugh off. SO, NO. There was no way our families would allow us to go by ourselves. But, that was back then. Solo traveling is a different story for us now.

Anyhow, my Mom loves Hong Kong, so every time you would ask her if she wants to go, she would say yes. Not only because she loves the food there, but because Hong Kong is a familiar place to her. She lived there for a couple of months for work, and she would always tell me stories of how it was to reside there.

Fine. We were going with Mom. It’s settled. So through Mom’s trusted travel agent, we booked our tickets, planned our budget and itineraries, packed our bags, and took that flight. It was me, Mom, and M this time. It was probably my third or fourth time to Hong Kong, but each travel is way different from the other.

THE TRANSPORT

Traveling around Hong Kong can be complicated if you don’t know exactly where you are going. There is always the Tourist Octopus Card which costs about $39 HKD ($8 AUD, P250 Php). It is similar to Sydney’s Opal Card, which you can use to pay for your bus rides, trains, and ferries. But HK Octopus Card can also be swiped for dining, shopping, and other activities. Another means of transport is the ever dependable taxis hovering around the usually busy streets just waiting to be flagged down. But note that taxis just like in any cosmopolitan city can be very expensive in Hong Kong. But if you are going somewhere really far from your hotel, riding a taxi can possibly be the most convenient way. The drivers usually speak and understand English well, and they are honest, compared to taxi drivers from other Asian countries.

Anyway, since our hotel is in the middle of Mongkok, we usually just walk around town to get where we want to go. Except if we are joining some group tours, then we have to ride the tourist bus with around 10 to 15 other people in the tour group. On this particular trip, we head out early even if we have no scheduled tours for the day. We grab breakfast which is complementary from our hotel, and walk to check out nearby streets and markets. I did experience strolling around Hong Kong without a tour group, but that would be in another post.

HONG KONG NIGHT MARKET STORIES

One night, we spent our time to shop at Mongkok. This has always been our favorite shopping destination. We booked at Prudential Hotel, just across Chatham Road. Mom is very familiar in this area and our hotel is not too far from the night market, so we walked our way through. We passed by a wide array of street food. It smelled like typical Chinese food. You know, something like grilled fish balls dipped with chilies and star anise. There were stalls selling colorful T-Shirts with “I Heart Hong Kong” printed on them, also stalls selling key chains and other kinds of souvenirs. It was vibrant. Lights were everywhere. LED lights flashing on every store we passed by. Everything was there, apparel, cheap tech-stuff, shoes, hair accessories, bags. I can remember the loud exchange of Cantonese and English. We were not looking for anything in particular, we just walked and looked around. “Aaaahh Filipines. Ganda (Pretty), come here! Come here! Mura mura! (Cheap cheap!)” One of the lady vendors called us. She was selling pocket mirrors. With some Tagalog words, she lured us over. We excitedly walked to her stall and the lady smiled at us. “I know Filipines,” she said proudly. But we knew she definitely meant “Philippines”, just mispronounced it a bit. “Wow! What else do you know?” I asked her. M and Mom were busy checking out her stall. “Boracay!” She answered eagerly. She was mentioning a very famous tourist island back in the Philippines. I was amused and pretty much got engaged to this conversation. “Pili lang.” She told M, which means “Just choose” in English. “Wow! Your Tagalog is good!”, I replied to her. M was laughing, and then she went to ask, “Do you know libre?” (“Free?”) The lady vendor looked at her, puzzled, “What’s libre?”, she asked. I explained, “It means FREE!”. The lady vendor boisterously laughed. “Hahahaha. No. No. Mura mura only. I give you 2 free.” I quickly tried to recall what “Thank You” was in Chinese. I said, “Xie xie!” This was the time when Mom’s basic Cantonese comes in handy. She instantly corrected me, “It’s Do-jeh in Cantonese”, she said.

Speaking a little bit of another language can get you elsewhere. At this moment, we ‘hoarded’ pocket mirrors, not just because they were really nice-looking, but because the seller was also very sociable. She said, “Salamat!” (“Thank You!), and handed us our bags of dainty mirrors. We were amused up to the end because it’s either three of the following: 1. She learned it from A LOT of Filipino travelers shopping in this particular market in Hong Kong. 2. She loves languages and did her research. 3. She simply loves the Filipino language. The next people that came after us were of Caucasian decent, and the lady seller tried to guess. She was suddenly speaking in multiple languages saying her Hellos to the Caucasian group. Again, she drew them in, and it was fun watching how she sold her stuff. So for that, we’ll go with Number 2. Lady vendor knows her languages and is very good at sales too!

We went on with our night market escapade. At this point, we already had several bags in our hands, but we still continued to look around. In one of the well-lit streets of Mongkok stood an eye-catching shoe shop. If there’s something the three of us had in common, it was the love for shoes and our love for big red tags saying “SALE”. So, we went inside. We all picked out our own styles, sandals, closed walking shoes, formal shoes and whatever kind of shoes we could possibly stash away. We asked for our sizes. The prices for each pair were remarkably cheap, so each of us bought two to three pairs for ourselves. One pair can cost you as cheap as HKD $50 ($10 AUD / P350 pesos), and if you’re good at bargaining, you can definitely score items for less. It took us a lot of time to choose, probably more than an hour in that specific store. We realized that after we shopped from them, it was already closing time. So we had to wrap it up and head back to the hotel.

At that time, internet was already a thing, but using it for GPS was not yet in. Internet data was mainly used to access chat apps like BBM or WhatsApp or Line. Moreover, we never thought of buying a local SIM and we never dared using our mobile data overseas, afraid of paying unreasonable telecom charges when we get back home. Those were the days when people used to have a life outside of Social Media so internet data was not that on demand. So, GPS was out of the picture and we had to find our way back in the dark. M and I being totally useless when it comes to directions weren’t much of any help. So it was Mom who was doing the navigation since it was her turf. We walked down the streets, and while trying to remember every corner we turned from, I suddenly felt that someone was following us. I took a quick glance from behind, and I saw a guy, wearing denim pants, black baseball cap, and a collared shirt. It sounded like a scene from a thriller movie, except that this happened in real life. My heart started to race, as I saw this guy back in the shoe shop. I wasn’t sure if I was just being paranoid, or he actually managed to follow us for two blocks already. I was feeling a bit anxious, so I decided to warn everyone. We made another turn, and this guy was still on our tracks. We were all a bit panicking. On our next turn, there was a big Starbucks store which was luckily still open. It was already around 12:30 in the midnight by that time. We all agreed to stop by Starbucks and see if this guy would follow us. So we went inside, ordered non-caffeine drinks as it was already too late for coffee and sunk ourselves on the comfortable couches. It was a tiring night after all, just walking around the streets of Mongkok and carrying heavy shopping stuff. I pretended to scan some Starbucks mugs on the shelf, and took a momentary look outside. Boy was I right. The guy “who was allegedly” following us, was smoking outside Starbucks. I have never felt so unsafe like that in my life, and I worriedly told M and Mom. “Should we ride a taxi from here?” I asked them. Our hotel is only a few turns from where we were. The three of us started peering outside to check if that man was still there. I dunno, but he probably realized that we’ve noticed that he was tailing us. Our eyes met, and he slowly fixed his cap and tapped his cigarette on the trash bin. OK. We all felt in danger, so we have decided to spend a few HK$ for a short taxi ride.

Some of the streets were still crowded, however, we didn’t want to take the risk. We hailed a cab, and with just one turn, we were already at the doorstep of our hotel. We quickly grabbed our belongings from the trunk of the car and made sure that no one followed us there. Do not get me wrong. Hong Kong is pretty much a safe country for solo female travelers, but here’s a pro tip. Always follow your instincts especially when your gut tells you that it is not safe. And during that time, we all had the same gut-feel.

Moving on (I don’t want this to sound like a real-life horror story), we settled in our hotel. Thankfully, we were back safe and sound. As a routine, we took out the stuff we shopped for from their plastic bags so we can stow them in our luggage. It was nice to look at everything, but we failed to realize one thing. HOW WILL EVERYTHING FIT WITHOUT AN EXCESS BAGGAGE?

Sure the shopping part was enjoyable, but the packing part was a big challenge. These pairs of shoes does not include Mom’s yet and she was teasing us. We had to wear the bulkiest ones on our flight back, otherwise, we would have to pay for excess baggage which was not on the planned budget. M and I both asked ourselves, HOW IN THE WORLD WOULD EVERYTHING FIT IN OUR MEDIUM-SIZED LUGGAGE? And that’s just shoes. It doesn’t include the shirts, the mirrors, the other stuff we “kind-of” hoarded.

WE DIDN’T GO TO OCEAN PARK FOR OCEAN CREATURES

There were things we had yet to sort out, but it definitely did not ruin our stay in Hong Kong. We set out early for another quest, and this time it was really a part of the itinerary. A tourist bus picked us up from our hotel lobby. It is fairly convenient to book your activities nowadays, and maps and guides are readily available. If you opt not to join a a tourist bus, going to Ocean Park is pretty much straightforward. It depends where your accommodation is located in Hong Kong. But if you are going from Mongkok, the train is the easiest way to get there. From Mongkok Station, take the Tsuen Wan Line going to Central and get off at Admiralty Station. From Admiralty Station, take the South Island Line going towards South Horizon and get off at Ocean Park Station. It’s a 10 minute walk from Ocean Park Station to the entrance of the theme park. The train stations can be confusing, but maps are handily available in every station. Otherwise, Google Maps is your best friend. From Mongkok Station, it will take you around 30 to 40 mins. by train. Or, you can always ask your hotel if they have scheduled tour groups going to Ocean Park. That time, we opted to join the group to avoid the stress of getting lost in between stations.

Ocean Park Hong Kong is massive compared to the other Ocean Parks I’ve seen from different countries. But before you travel, make sure to search everything you need to know about it. An adult ticket can cost you HKD $498 ($101 AUD / P3,500 PHP), and if you have kids below 11 years old, the price would be HKD $249 ($50 AUD / P1600 PHP) but just like any other theme park, prices for some attractions may vary at a different cost.

I love everything about Ocean Park, it never disappoints. But my most favorite is the Giant Panda Habitat.

At that time, together with other pandas in captivity, there were 2 famous resident Giant Pandas at the habitat, Jia Jia and An An. These fluff balls were born in the Sichuan Province of China and rescued in Qingchuan County at the age of 2. They were Giant Pandas from China, and was being kept at Wolong National Nature Reserve before they were transferred to their Hong Kong habitat. Unfortunately, Jia Jia passed away in 2016, and during her time of death she was the oldest panda in captivity.

Since then, it has been my dream to be a Panda Carer. I wanted to do it even just as a volunteer, but it never happened. My closest encounter with these adorable creatures was during our visit at Ocean Park.

That time, we knew we didn’t go to Ocean Park for the rides and for the Oceanarium. We went there to visit the pandas. It is really fascinating when you get to see these charming creatures up close. We didn’t need tourist guides to take us there. In fact, we did not join the guided tours. We went to search for the pandas by ourselves, navigating our way with the park maps.

Mom let us “kids” roam around Ocean Park. We headed to the gift shops while Mom cooled off with a cone of flavored ice under the shades. This was not our first time in Ocean Park, so Mom just allowed us to go wherever.

What’s nice about Hong Kong Ocean Park is that no two gift shop has the same items. Close to the Giant Panda Habitat, the gift shops sold stuffed Pandas and everything about Pandas. We ultimately enjoyed it and the thoughts of coming back (for the nth time) just came to the picture. Of course, we were clueless with our plans for the future at that time. We just wanted to travel. Those days, people traveled for experience and not for social media feeds. I was just fresh from college and M was still in the course of finishing her undergrad. We never knew that we would end up going separate ways several years after, her being in Canada, and me landing in Australia.

THE AFTERMATH

This Hong Kong Trip was a bliss. We somehow managed to fit our stuff inside our luggage without paying for extra. Our cameras were full, mine, mostly of streets, of food, and pandas. I was already blogging at that time at a different platform, and I didn’t have my own website then. We landed safely back in Manila without any trouble. I promised myself that if I was coming back, I wouldn’t be questioned again by immigration officers. I would just go smoothly.

It usually takes me around 2 to 3 days to unpack after a trip, but M has a different story. It just didn’t simply end there. The following day, I received a call from her. It was the most hilarious phone call I have ever received. One of the shoes she bought was dysfunctional. Why? THE PAIR WAS BOTH LEFT FOOT. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I burst out in laughter while she vented out her frustration over the phone. She wanted to exchange it, but how? We were thousands of miles away from Hong Kong already. I can’t believe she never noticed it the whole time we were there. She even took photos of the shoes we bought in all angles without even noticing it. She badly wanted to return it and have it swapped or even refunded. How? That was the question. All I could do was laugh at her mishap and let it slide. Besides, we won’t go as far as booking another plane ticket and accommodation just to have the pair replaced, right? Might as well just buy another pair locally with that money.

Hope you liked our little Hong Kong Trip! I would probably write a proper food and travel guide and itinerary in Hong Kong in another post. 🙂

LOTS OF LOVE FROM QUARANTINE,

HONG KONG: NIGHT MARKET STORIES AND FINDING PANDAS was originally published on WanderBitesByBobbie

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hey-i-wrote-a-story · 7 years ago

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Chapter 33 The Power Station

Stiles and Liam puttered around with Stiles’ jeep in the Stilinski’s garage, neither of them making any progress. The hood was up, and Stiles leaned over into the engine, looking it over for the umpteenth time, seeing nothing new and no clue as to why it wouldn’t run. Liam sat perched on the edge of the open hood, looking at his phone and smiling. Every now and then he made a soft snickering noise.

Stiles looked at the boy who was supposed to be helping him and said, “I didn’t know that online auto repair tips could be so funny. Because I hope that’s what you’re looking at as opposed to not being useful or anything.”

Liam looked up from his phone. “Huh? Oh, no, it’s not that. I’m just looking at this message Scott sent me last night from Kira’s phone.”

Stiles looked concerned. “About the monster? Is it back?”

“No. This is pretty good, though.” Liam was looking at his phone again, grinning like an idiot. Stiles moved to look over Liam’s shoulder for a better glance at the screen. There was a photo of Scott in his ridiculous farmer attire of the night before, bib overalls, boots and all, making a silly face that made him look mentally deficient. Above the photo he had typed in capital letters- THIS IS YOUR ALPHA.

“Oh my God”, Stiles moaned.

“These are great”, Liam said, swiping with his thumb.

“There’s more than one?”

“Yeah, he sent a bunch of them. Some are with Kira. This one looks like he’s dancing. Well, trying to. Ha!” Stiles was back under the hood, muttering under his breath. “I wonder if he’d let me borrow that hat”, Liam pondered. “The hat is cool.”

“Gaahhh”, Stiles shuddered. “Stop talking. Here, if you’re just gonna sit there, put the phone away and look through this.” Stiles tossed him the owner’s manual that came with the jeep. It was in remarkably good shape, considering the age of the vehicle. The pages felt stiff and crisp as Liam flipped through them.

“I’m guessing you don’t refer to this a whole lot”, Liam said. Stiles shot him a look and Liam stifled his grin as well as his remarks, stuffing the phone back in his pocket. There were a few moments of quiet as Liam paged through the owner’s manual. It may as well have been written in Cantonese for all the insight it yielded.

“There’s nothing in here of any help”, Liam said, stating the obvious.

“Look again”. Stiles said. He checked connections and wiggled parts to see if anything was amiss. Nothing was. He began to curse under his breath.

“You’re not gonna find anything”, Liam told him. “Going over it another zillion times isn’t going to make any difference.”

“You like scarves by any chance?”, Stiles asked.

“What? Why?”

“Because you’re kind of reminding me of somebody else I used to know who was also big on the not helping. He liked scarves. Nobody knows why. You’re really not helping, sort of like he did.” Liam tossed the manual onto the ground and rolled his eyes. Stiles emerged from under the hood still confounded by his beloved jeep’s inertia. “There is nothing wrong!”, he declared in exasperation.

“Apart from the whole not being able to start thing”, Liam interjected.

Stiles shot him a look. “Get a scarf.” Then back to the engine, he pondered aloud, “There is no reason that it shouldn’t be working. Nothing’s broken, nothing’s missing, nothing’s cracked.”

“Well, the problem’s got to be electrical”, Liam offered. “That…thing went through it with some kind of electrical charge. My guess is that it short-circuited the electrical systems or blew them all out. You’ll have to yank everything out and replace it—“

“But that’s just it”, Stiles countered, wiping his hands on a rag. “Nothing is blown. Spark plugs are as pristine as the day I bought ‘em. They work fine outside of the jeep. They go back in, they got nothing.” Liam opened his mouth to make another suggestion, but Stiles anticipated it. “New ones too. Replacement plugs end up the same way. They go in, they stop working. The battery’s not drained…there is no logical reason why it won’t fire up.”

“Maybe you need a magic battery”, Liam shrugged. “It did get fried by magic, so maybe you need new parts that defy logic.”

“It’s not fried—“

“You know what I mean.”

Stiles did, and he gestured for Liam to hop off so he could close the hood. He wasn’t going to give up, not on his baby, but he was willing to take a break. Time to think of other things and hope that an idea regarding his jeep would present itself while he was distracted.

“Okay, so let’s talk magic. This monster thing. What the hell is it doing here?”

Liam raised his eyebrows. “Um, well some dumb kids summoned it, and now it’s flying around doing monster stuff—“

Stiles pretended not to hear that remark and continued his train of thought. “Every other monster…or thing, or entity, or demon, or person had some kind of agenda. Matt and the Kanima, then Gerard and the Kanima, the Alpha pack, the Nogitsune, the Benefactor, Kate, Peter, they all had a goal; something they wanted to accomplish. So what does this thing want?”

“It doesn’t seem to want anything. I mean, does it even think like a person? Or a demon, or whatever? It seems more like a force of nature, you know? Almost like a wild—“

“A wild animal”, Stiles said, finishing his thought.

“Yeah.”

Stiles began to pace back and forth in front of his jeep. He was chewing on his thumbnail as he ran things over in his mind. “You may have just postponed your journey to scarfdom”, Stiles said.

“Gee, thanks.”

“So let’s say it is more basic, more primal. It doesn’t think like us, or anyone we’ve faced. It thinks like an animal. A smart animal, but an animal nevertheless. So what do animals in the wild want?”

“To survive”, Liam said.

“More than that”, Stiles said. “To thrive. To, I dunno, build a nest, make little monster babies. Orrrr…to surround itself with smaller workers that make it stronger.”

“You mean like a queen bee?”, Liam asked.

Stiles shrugged. “Could be.”

“Then why hasn’t it made more? Why hasn’t it been flying all over puking those energy puffballs on people to create more slave drones or whatever.”

“Minions”, Stiles corrected. “We’re calling them minions.”

Liam looked at him askance. “Are we married to that?”

Stiles waved the criticism away. “But it’s a fair point. Why hasn’t it? What does a primal creature need to do before it multiplies?”

The idea struck both of them simultaneously. Their eyes met and each young man’s expression bore the sudden surprise of realization. In unison, they spoke the conclusion at which they’d arrived.

“To feed.”

Now they were getting somewhere. “So what does a being composed of pure energy need to eat?”, Stiles asked.

The bare bulb that hung above them buzzed loudly, its light blinking, growing dim, then quite bright, then back to normal illumination. But the odd buzz it had developed continued. Stiles looked at Liam with wide eyes.

“I know where it is”, he said.

Liam’s phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and saw the Caller I.D. “It’s Kira.” Stiles was beside him in an instant, answering the phone as Liam leaned in to listen.

“Kira?”

“Stiles? I thought I was calling Liam!”

“You did”, Stiles said.

“I’m right here”, Liam said, speaking loud enough to be heard over the phone. Stiles put the call on speaker.

“I’m trying to reach Scott”, Kira told them. “With you not having your phones, I figured calling Liam was my best bet. I hoped you’d be together, or at least close by.”

“Kira, what’s going on?”, Stiles asked.

“I’ve been tracking the monster. I’ve been following its energy signature and it led me here. I’m at—“

“The power station”, Stiles said. “Yeah, we know.”

“How did you-??”, Kira started to say, incredulous. Liam looked no less surprised by Stiles’ deduction. “Never mind. I’m think I’m going to need some help here. Like right now.”

“Kira, is it there?”, Stiles asked. The concern was evident in his voice. “Is the monster there now?”

“I’m not sure”, she admitted. “But there’s something seriously wrong here. And if it is [crackle] I’m going to need all the [static] can get. Please find [static-snap-hiss-crackle].”

“Kira?”, Stiles said, raising his voice. “You’re breaking up. Say that again. Kira, can you hear us?”

The response came littered with more electrostatic noise. “[crackle-static] -an’t hear you [hissing-snapping] losing the call [static].” The crackling static increased in volume even as the sound of Kira’s voice faded.

Liam added his voice to Stiles’. “Kira! Are you still there?”

There was an agonizing few seconds of silence before Kira could be heard again. The two boys hoped that they would hear her say something like “I’m okay” or “I’m getting out of here”. What they got was far less definitive and considerably more alarming.

“Oh boy.”

“Oh boy??”, Stiles said. “’Oh boy’ what? Kira!”

There was more static and what sounded like an electrical charge dangerously close to the phone. They got two more words before the line went dead. “—send—“ and “—now!” And that was it.

“She’s gone”, Stiles said, quickly dialing the phone. “I’m calling my dad. She needs backup, I’m sending the whole damn sheriff’s department.”

“What about Scott?”, Liam asked.

“We have no way to reach Scott right now.”

“Your dad’s not going to get there in time”, Liam said. Stiles paused before tapping the last digit of the number to the sheriff’s station. He knew the young Beta was right. The sheriff’s station was too far away from the power station. Kira needed help now. Stiles looked up at Liam, his eyes hard.

“You go.”

“Wait, what?”

“Kira needs help and she needs it now. Right now. You go.”

Liam was taken aback. “You just said your jeep won’t run—“

“Then you run! You’re a werewolf, Liam! The power station’s like a couple miles from here. You can get there in two seconds!”

Liam held up his hands. “I’m not that fast.”

“I know how fast a werewolf can run.” Stiles pointed in the general direction of the power station. “It’s that way. Seconds, minutes, whatever—as fast as you can. Start running. ”

“I know where it is”, Liam said, shucking off his jacket and tossing it aside. He rubbed his palms together briskly, letting out a quick puff of breath as he psyched himself up for the fastest sprint of his life.

“I’m still calling my dad, so at least know he’s going to get there as fast as he can.”

“Right”, Liam said and started to launch himself forward.

“Wait!”, Stiles said. Liam stopped on his heels, and shot a look of bewilderment at his Alpha’s best friend.

“What?! First you tell me to run, then you tell me to wait—“

Stiles held up one finger, silencing the young Beta. Speaking quickly, he said, “You’re gonna need something.”

Kira had her back against the wall, literally. If not for the flash of light she spotted from the darkened area ahead seconds before the tremendous discharge of electricity, she would have been struck right in the chest by the searing bolt as it shot across the room. Although her powers as a kitsune gave her some control over electricity and her ability to withstand damage from it, she thought it best not to test either those limits or her immunity in this setting. As she paused for a moment to catch her breath, Kira glanced at her phone, hoping to reconnect with Stiles and Liam. No service. The highly-charged air was wreaking havoc with the phone signal. Until whatever help Stiles was sending arrived, she was on her own.

Kira looked around her cautiously. She saw the odd sparks and small lances of electricity popping and jolting all around the room, arcing off partitions, machinery, and the rafters. She hadn’t even gotten to the monster yet. But her newfound tracking skills had brought her this far, and she knew with certainty that if she continued on, she would come face to face with the thing soon enough. Kira was a powerful fighter, but that didn’t mean she was overeager about it. This is exactly how every bad horror movie starts killing off its characters, she thought. The stupid idiots don't wait for backup to arrive. Well, that waiting idea sounds dandy right about now. She moved quickly, back the way she’d come, planning to wait outside the building, at a safe distance, until help had arrived. Then she and whomever showed up (please let it be Scott) could devise a plan and enter fully on their guard. A solid idea.

The idea didn’t pan out, unfortunately, as within just a few dozen feet toward safety, something made Kira stop. Was that a groan? She heard it again. A man’s voice, weak and strained, groaning. The groan degenerated into soft sobbing and Kira knew she couldn’t leave now; not while there was someone within her reach who needed help. She didn’t waste any time cursing her bad luck. She turned around in an instant and moved quickly toward the source of the sound.

Kira rounded a corner to find a man dressed in some type of uniform—possibly a workman’s uniform or a security guard’s—but she couldn’t be sure because of how burnt and damaged it was. The man was held up against a chain-link fence separating different sections of the area. He was dazed but conscious, and judging by the state of his clothing and his exposed hands and face, had suffered severe electrical burns. “What happened to you?”, Kira asked, looking for a way to pry the man down from the fencing. The chain link had melted in a number of places and fused with his clothes. The man’s legs were limp and loose, his feet twisted at odd angles. Being fused to the fence was all that was holding him up. “Can you hear me?”, Kira asked. “What’s your name? How did you end up like this?”

The man’s only reply was more groans. His eyes were shut and the burns on his face might have sealed them that way. Kira didn’t need to ask any further questions about how the man had come to be burned and seared against a melting fence. She knew all too well what was responsible. She saw that despite his injuries, the man was still breathing. So her main concern was to keep him that way. Kira held his face gently and tried her best to communicate her intentions. “Just hold on, I’ll have you down in a second.” She took a step back and brandished her sword. “Don’t move”, she said, realizing how unnecessary the command was as soon as she said it and rolled her eyes. “Just, you know, don’t twitch or anything.” With as much speed as precision, Kira’s blade sliced through the chain link surrounding the wounded man like so much spoiled fruit. The man fell forward. Kira did her best to catch him, but he was heavier than he looked. As gently as she could manage, she lowered him to the ground. Once he was down safely, Kira checked his pulse. Still going. She was pondering how to drag the man out of harm’s way (which at this point seemed to include anywhere within a 5-mile radius) without causing him further damage or pain, when a loud crackling noise made her jump.

Kira turned to see light flashing at the end of the hallway, coming from around another corner. Because when facing imminent danger from an energy monster, you needed all the confusing corners you could get, she supposed, scowling. Her every instinct told her to get out, but now she had a man whose life depended on her. To take off now would leave him to whatever fate awaited him from whatever was lurking beyond that corner. Like it or not, he was now under her protection. Her sword drawn, Kira proceeded toward the crackling sounds and flashing lights.

Around the corner there was another hallway (of course there was) that led to the open room from where the sound and fury emanated. Kira approached with caution, her senses open and her nerves on edge. The sound of the overburdened electrical systems and the sparks they spewed from strained breakers was bad enough, but Kira could feel the electricity in the place running out of sync, being harnessed and manipulated for unnatural purposes. It was because of this input overload that she missed the lithe figure that leapt high above her head, crossing the length of the hallway in an instant. Kira did notice the fleeting shadow upon the floor for a split-second as it raced by. Kira whirled on her heel, blade up, eyes sharp, bracing for an attack. But the attack never came. Keeping her guard up, Kira quickly surveyed the hallway forward and behind and up and down. All clear. She resumed her original path and moved silently toward the room at the end of the hall, her heart thumping in her chest and her wits sharp.

Kira peered into the room around the corner, finding it empty. Carefully, she stepped inside to see that it was relatively small, compared to the other areas in the power station. The room was perhaps sixty feet by forty feet, at least up to the far side of it, where there was another chain link fence partition. The fence had a gated door leading to a large generator beyond. The generator had seen better days. Its cracked housing was lashed with scorch marks and scars. It sparked in places where Kira was sure it was not meant to spark, and it shook intermittently, rattling the chain link gate as a lingering rumble rippled across the floor.

A flood of light filled the room, casting long shadows and obscuring the bursts of sparks. It wasn’t coming from the generator. It was coming from well above and behind Kira. She whirled around to see Erin, or at the very least Erin’s body, hovering in the air alive with gleaming energy thistles, lightning radiating from the fingers of her outstretched hands, her entire body aglow. She looked down at Kira and laughed--a high-pitched, terrible sound--her face a twisted mask or amusement. Blank eyes of glowing orange stared unblinking at the young kitsune. Her hair a waving fright wig around her head, long coat flapping behind her like a witch’s cape, if Erin’s distorted features could be read, it looked as if she was having fun. Soundlessly, she floated over Kira’s head and drifted downward, to hover three feet above the ground before her heavy-soled boots came to rest on the concrete, which hissed and bubbled upon contact.

Kira swallowed hard, her sword at the ready. Erin responded by tilting her head harshly to one side, its movement making a hideous cracking sound. Her smile widened, and her head snapped back. Kira looked her young adversary up and down, wondering how after all this time the energy thistles had not consumed her. She immediately realized that it was Erin’s unique dress style, the heavy long coat, the sweaters, the belt, the clunky boots, that allowed it. The thistles were slowly burning their way through Erin’s clothing, but there was no telling how many layers there were between them and the girl herself.

That girl, if that’s what she could still be called, made a quick lunge toward Kira, causing the kitsune to bring her sword to bear, her legs braced in a fighting stance. But Erin had only jerked forward by a few feet. There was still plenty of room between them. A bully’s move. Kira’s eyes smoldered as she stared back at Erin with resentment. Taking no more time to revel in her teasing, Erin drifted back toward the generator and with outstretched hands, began drawing power from it. Massive arcs of electricity surged from the machine into Erin’s hands. Her arms came alive with light and fire as she filled herself up with enough raw energy to kill dozens of people in an instant. She seemed not to care. Erin threw her head back and vomited an enormous wave of lightning above her, which shattered the ceiling as it continued its path into the night sky. Kira barely got out of the way of the falling debris before any of it buried her. Erin’s body pulsed and spasmed as the energy stream kept shooting upwards. After several interminable moments, the generator spat out the last it had to offer, which passed through Erin’s body and then up through the hole in the ceiling. Erin let her head loll forward, her face a humorless grin, scorch marks around her lips, and the tips of her hair on fire. Her blank eyes didn’t convey much emotion beyond taunting, but Kira thought the glowing girl looked satisfied with her work.

High above the building, beyond the sounds of sparks and jolts and power-generating machinery breaking down, Kira thought she might have heard the beating of wings. Large, leathery wings that swiftly departed the area. The lights all around Kira and up and down the halls blinked and dimmed. Is this how the monster was doing it? Sending a human go-between to harvest the energy and then pass it on to him? Whatever the reason, the sound of wings was long gone, leaving Kira to face the glowing thing before her.

Just about every part of her wanted to turn and run. She would have done so, too, had that not exposed her to being killed from behind. Kira could move quickly, but even she couldn’t outrace a bolt of lightning. Erin hovered before her, electricity jolting form her fingertips and out the toes of her heavy boots. She emitted a terrible hiss, as something hot built up inside her throat that made her teeth glow from the inside. Slowly, Erin opened her jaw father than a human being should be able, bones cracking and splintering as she revealed what surged up within her gullet. Erin’s mouth was full to bursting with energy thistles. Her shoulders rolled backward, and it was clear that Erin was rearing back to exhale a torrent of them at Kira.

All thought of flight left Kira’s mind. She held her sword in an unbreakable grip, her legs planted in preparation for the onslaught. Kira’s eyes flared a blazing yellow and the spirit of the fox hovered briefly around her head before submerging back within her. Kira grit her teeth and locked eyes with the thing that once had been Erin. Come on, bitch.

Liam had never run faster. He burst through the doors of the power station, his feet pounding against the concrete floor. He was amazed that his breathing was still even, despite his furious pace. Scott had taught him well. The young werewolf’s footfalls were loud and clumsy, but he never slackened his pace. He paused for the briefest moment to catch Kira’s scent, working to single it out among the burning ozone, the acrid stench of objects ablaze and--he hoped he was wrong about this one--scorched flesh. Latching on to the scent of his mentor’s girlfriend, Liam began to run again. Frightened as he was about what lay ahead, he fought to keep his head clear by concentrating on his running. He knew that continual movement was the key, with his toes pushed forward as far as possible to keep from tripping himself up. Despite having no idea where he was going, he was making excellent time.

Kira’s scent was stronger now, coming in more distinct and clear. Also what was coming in clear was the sound of bursts of energy, explosions, and screams or shrieks or something equally unpleasant. He kept going all the same. Then Liam skidded to a stop as he rounded a corner. He saw something latched to the wall he was about to race past. Twin tanks were locked into a small wheeled dolly. Each had hoses attached that ended in trigger nozzles. The bright red tanks had warning labels plastered all over them with pictograms of lightning bolts of the kind found on superheroes’ uniforms. Liam took it all in as fast as he could, stopping when he reached a particular word. Purple. His eyes widened.

Erin spewed forth a swarm of energy thistles, each one bright, prickling, and spinning madly as they raced toward Kira. But Kira was not about to let the parasitic energy spores touch her. She sliced forward with her sword at blinding speed. Her blade cut through the thistles, each one exploding in a shower of sparks and glimmers of light. As she sliced through one after the other, the bisected thistles looked like the last fading embers of a firework that had burnt itself out and rained mere embers down to earth.

Erin looked furious that her attack was not working. She had anticipated that Kira would be covered in thistles by now, shrieking for help or mercy, and would either wind up another thrall of The Unspoken or a smoldering mass on the floor. Kira held her own and cut down the last of the thistles as Erin watched wide-eyed. With a sharp swipe that audibly cut the air, Kira brought the sword down to her side. A small, lingering cloud of miniature sparks showered down to the concrete floor, fading away before they reached it. Kira’s eyes tightened on Erin, her face projecting the question Is that all you got?

It was not. Erin rose higher above the ground and shot electricity from her hands. While nowhere near as formidable as the energy unleashed by the monster, the power was still impressive as it ricocheted around the room and off the chain link partition. Kira was soon surrounded by a cage of virtual lightning and the smell of burning air. She looked around her seeing there was no easy escape, even as something in the back of her mind told her that the lightning cage was only a distraction. Kira whirled back just as Erin unleashed a tremendous bolt of electricity at her. Kira raised her sword to block the attack. Her blade flashed brightly as energy lashed against it, sending down Kira’s arms and then on to the walls and floor where they fizzled out. Kira then spun in a full circle, her blade slicing through the pulsing electric currents that surrounded her, breaking them apart in a burst of light. Kira finished her circle by thrusting one arm forward, sending a bolt right back at Erin. Erin howled with rage as the bolt caught her in the chest, pinning her back against the chain link partition for a moment.

The two locked eyes. They were too evenly matched. Kira had the advantage of not drawing on power that was steadily killing her. Erin had the advantage of being possessed of a power that would not let her tire. One of them had to do something to tip the scales. Erin acted first. She stood fast, arms stiff with hands in tight fists, and her head thrown back. Electricity lanced all around her body and shot down her legs and into the floor. Then nothing.

Kira wondered what Erin had hoped to accomplish with that maneuver when the concrete floor began to shudder and crack. The crack widened into a crevasse, pushing the floor upward. What was she doing?! Water began to seep up through the broken floor and spill out onto the concrete, spreading out rapidly. Of course! There was water beneath them. The plant was built above a river, where it could also provide hydroelectric power. It was that power that Kira had sensed beneath her feet when she first entered. The trickle of water became a spout, like the gushing flow of a broken hydrant, flooding the floor and rushing out into the corridor beyond. Erin let out another ghastly shriek of laughter as she thrust her arms forward, launching two bolts of electricity past Kira, out the door, to fly in different directions. Again, Kira had no idea what that was supposed to do, but she braced herself for anything. Erin lowered herself slowly down to the floor to stand in the pool of water. Energy from her body raced through the natural conductor to send jolts into Kira’s legs. Kira looked back at Erin, almost disappointed. “It’s going to take more than that”, Kira stated.

But Erin simply smiled again as if she knew what she was doing. In point of fact, she did. Voices came from beyond the room. The first one’s words separated by the crackles or radio static.

SKKRTT. “Earl, it’s SKKRRTT over here! Where the Sam Hill SKRRTTK come from?”

Then a voice coming closer, accompanied by running feet. “It’s chaos everywhere! We don’t know what’s happening! Stan said a bolt came right down this hallway. Hell yes, I’m investigating!”

Kira’s eyes widened with realization. Oh, God.

From the other direction, another voice over a radio. SKKRTT. “Shot right past us, I swear! Singed my damn eyebrows. Get over there and SKTTRR not, I repeat DO NOT attempt to handle KRRSSTT yourself. Assess and KIRRT –port!”

The answer came from another voice drawing closer. “Roger that. Burt’s already on his way, I can see him from here, we’ll keep the line open, tell you what—“

The two workmen had arrived from opposite directions. They now stood on either side of the open doorway that led to the room where Kira and Erin were doing battle. Both men thought they had braced themselves for anything, but they could not have been more wrong. The second man finished his sentence while staring slack-jawed at the horror show before him.

“—we see.”

Erin squealed with delight and reeled back to renew her attack. Kira understood now that this time she was not Erin’s intended target. She shouted at the workmen.

“NO! Don’t come in here! Get back! Get away from the door—watch out for the water!!”

The men looked down to see the water flooding rapidly into the hallway. They were both standing in it, with no easy way to get clear of it short of turning tail and sprinting at top speed. With eyes wide and hearts pounding, neither of them could even think to do that. Erin unleashed lances of electricity into the water. The men’s faces froze with looks of agony as the electrical charge shot through them, their bodies dancing like puppets with tangled strings. A second burst from Erin sent the two men flying backwards, their clothes smoldering and bodies limp. Naturally, Kira moved to see if the men were alright. It was just the opening that Erin needed. Erin increased her attack, letting fly with surges of energy that stunned Kira, despite her powers. Another blast from Erin sent Kira flying up off the floor to crash into a bank of overhead lights and then tumbling back to the floor with an impact that left her breathless. Erin pressed her advantage. She lashed out at Kira, sending her hydroplaning across the floor to impact with the wall. The young kitsune’s body was being overloaded with electricity. Every move she made to right herself set her muscles on fire. Erin smiled again, an expression that she let spread into a wide open jaw as she breathed out a new cloud of energy spores. Kira looked up in horror, unable to lift her arms, much less use her sword. Her body was already healing itself, but she’d never be recovered in time to prevent the thistles from latching onto her.

Liam appeared in the doorway. Kira saw him, and her heart swelled with a mixture of relief and panic. “Liam!”, she cried. “Watch out for the water!”

Liam paid her no mind, however, and strode forward toward Erin. Kira breathed in deeply, bracing herself to watch another friend go down in agony from stepping into an electrified pool of water. Erin paused in her thistle assault to screech at Liam, releasing more energy into the flooded floor. Still, Liam kept coming. Erin screamed in rage as the water came alive with electricity, none of it having much effect on Liam at all. He winced a bit, but bared his fangs and growled back at the possessed girl. His clawed hands brought up what he had been carrying across his back and with one swift movement tucked it under his arm while drawing its hose. He pulled the pin from the handle, took aim at Erin and fired.

Kira was already recovering. She forced herself up to her knees and watched in amazement as Liam pressed his attack on Erin. A cloud of chemical powder gushed from the nozzle Liam aimed at Erin. She thrashed and flailed beneath the extinguisher spray, wailing in rage and pain as the energy she brought forth was pressed back. Each time she fought to produce another charge of electricity, Liam doused her furiously in an attempt to put it out. Erin’s power was dampened, but was by no means out. She let out a deafening cry of defiance, rose up off the ground, and began to move toward Liam.

“I’m just making her mad!”, Liam shouted.

Erin’s body shook with energy and rage as she closed in on Liam, who sprayed her furiously. The air filled with the fog of chemical powder, and as the energy sparked off Erin’s body, it looked like a thunder cloud. Erin’s head snapped side to side violently as her mouth stretched wide again, ready to spill out more energy spores.

“Kira?!”, Liam shouted. He could see next to nothing now with the enclosed space full of chemical spray and electrical discharges. “Where’d you go??”

A terrible, swift sound was heard directly in front of Liam. He watched as Erin stopped shaking. Her jaw snapped back into place, and her glowing blank eyes faded to normal, then rolled back into her head. That same head then toppled forward, free of its body, to strike the floor with a pitiful splash. Liam had stopped spraying the extinguisher. He watched as Erin’s body fell to its knees, revealing Kira behind it, her arms still taut after having swung her sword to decapitate their opponent. Kira’s mouth was a hard thing line, her eyes smoldering with foxfire. Liam looked at the headless body as it teetered slightly, then fell forward into the charged water, hissing and spitting as the energy thistles began to evaporate. The long coat caught on fire and started to burn. Erin’s head drifted across the flooded floor to bump lightly against the toes of Liam’s oversized feet, from there to float over to the wall where it began to smolder and spark. Erin’s face, now frozen in a perpetual silent scream, started to burn from the inside. Liam swallowed hard as he watched, unable to suppress a shudder. Great, he thought. Something else for me to have nightmares about.

The air began to clear. The static haze of electricity and undefinable energy slowly began to disperse. What was left of the creature that had once been Erin bubbled and smoldered on the floor, dissolving quickly. The stench rising from the glowing orange pile was partially obscured by the chemical smell of the fire suppressant, thank God for that. Kira’s body finally began to relax, the weight of what she’d been through now fully coming to bear upon her. She felt her legs give way and she slowly slipped down to the floor upon her knees, working hard to catch her breath, her sword clattering down by her side. Liam dropped the hose, which fell beside the spent tank with a sharp clink. He hurried to Kira’s side.

“You okay?”, Liam asked, dropping to one knee. “Did it hurt you? Did it get any of that glowing stuff on you?”

Kira shook her head. “No…on all counts.” Kira was about to elaborate when she noted the discarded tank and nodded towards it. “What was that stuff?”

Liam grinned a bit. “Purple K. Good suppressant for electrical fires. Learned about in Chemistry class.” He was rather proud of himself about that.

As she started to let herself relax, Kira glanced at Liam’s feet and calves. “Nice footwear”, she observed.

Liam looked down at the knee-high rubber gumboots that had saved him from electrocution. “Oh”, he said. “Yeah. Stiles gave them to me. He thought they’d come in handy.”

“Good call”, Kira said, forcing herself to sound cavalier, although her voice trembled slightly.

Liam didn’t pick up on it. “They’re actually pretty comfortable, although they’re pretty big on me. I kind of feel like a clown, here.” He wiggled his toes inside the huge boots, smirking at how big they looked on him. “And let me tell you, they are a bitch to run in—“ Liam stopped when he saw Kira’s face crumple and tears flow freely down her cheeks. “Kira--?”

Kira fell against Liam, sobbing uncontrollably. Liam held her in his arms, uncertain of how to comfort her. He wished Scott was there. He had no idea what to do.

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janiklandre-blog · 8 years ago

Text

Saturday, March 18, 2017

9:35 a.m. cloudy, 34 or 35 - lonely computer room - though I am glad the loud Chinese are not here - I now only see Chinese - they are not lonely - once upon a time a woman by the name of Miriam Friedlander was the council woman for this area - rumors had it she had been a communist once upon a time - it was held against her that she kept an apartment on East 6th street - across the street from where I lived, that she had stopped using and lived on the upper East Side - many communists in their later yeasrs do like luxury and achieve luxury - still - I believe it is thanks to her that I have this here housing, at first = opened 1983 - filled with her buddies - a generation older than I - one of the 100 year old women on my floor did come here then and tells me the house was overrun by rats - well, it's in much better shape now. When I arrived in 2000 there still was Jane, a Friedlander left over? - who did have the power of assigning apartments - but - she was as they say, "on the take". I knew that and greatly regret among the many things they did not teach at Columbia was how to bribe - an art - I never learned. I told her the day I moved in I wanted a quiet apartment to the back - and had I only known how to grease her palm - she was relieved and the power taken from the manager to assign apartments - given to Donald Manning - who answered my earlier requests by "you are not eligible" - my last request he didn't even bother to answer.

I still know that Friedlander was replaced by Pagan whom everyone - or almost everyone - hated - after 20000 and the fire I stopped voting (now I reregistered)) - since then we had many managers here, can't even keep up with their names anymore, like the present one because she is casual - there now is a Chinese assitant - and, we have a Chinese council woman - and since, so I am told there are no old age faxcilities in China town -- they have taken over this house here. I've learned about the difference of Mandarin and Cantonese - Mandarin were the higher classes - Cantonese the lower I believe from Southern China - alas, they are very loud.

It is pitiful how little I know about China and Chinese history - alas cannot learn from my house mates, who talk to me in Chinese that I am much too old to learn. On the roof in the summer they form a large, loud circle and once there was a younger one - their children and grandchildren do visit them and come in fancy cars - I asked one of them: What are they talking about - without a moment's hesitation he said: Food.

I smile at them, they smile back, on warm mornings at 7 a.m. one of them teaches beautiful Tai Chi - it is wonderful exercise and they all will live to 100 or more - they also cook for each other and eat healthy food, in company - alas I did not have quite the patience for Tai Chi, also cannot do the moves - like standing on one leg, holding the other - besides I liked my Mocha routine - so while they exercise I sit in a cafffee and drink coffeee - of course they will outlive me - and as my friends say - God bless them.

Still, Miriam Friedlander had meant this house for people getting old in this here neighborhood - now harrassed to death by Trump's son in law among others - I already observed in the late 60's when I had the $92 floor through on the corner of 90th Street and 3rd Avenue (Christine Fiedler had scored two apartments - the landlord was emptying the house but correctly assumed we were young enough not to stay long) - then houses there were being emptied wholesale - many of the old were Irish, they had built the city - and many actually died when uprooted at an old age. This is New York.

I am not the only chronicler - and while other than eating in Chinese restaurants, using Chinese laundries - but wait: when I began substitute teaching at Stuyvesant high school, a public elite school that Robert Goldscheider attended once upon a time - graduating in 1945 - and witnessing countless tenements taken down to cxreat Stuuyvesant town and the development next to it - also massive evictions - anyway, thanks to a woman I tutored in German, Patricia, I had at long last gotten a TPD - temporary per diem licence, from the Board of education - she alerted me to the fact that things change - I had tried earlier to no avail - anyway, this licence enabled me to substitute teach - also at that time a person at the schjool could call the substitute - I lived 10 blocks from the scjhool, got paid $100 a day for a few hours - alwaysa assigned to advanced placement science classes, the law required a licenced body in the classroom - and there already I met up with Chiinese - bright, eager kids, they studied and studied, totally ignored me - this sad old body in a corner. None of them ever tal;ked to me.

Then if course there were those times when the radicals idealized Mao Tse Tung - from the few Chinese who ever talked to me - usually in very poor English - I've heard only stories of sorrow about Mao Tse Tung. Also since I do little but read - I haver read some about China

And about my Chinese here I do find out tidbits when a younger one comes around - in good English - their parents owned a house, sold it, gave all their money in safe keeping to the bright young people, their social security is mostly minimal - just as mine srtarted at $400 in 1994 - only based on my board of Education earnings - all my other jobs had been for non-profits not paying into social security, I never paid any attention - and so these Chines come here with "only income" - a low social security check -pay next to no rent and take advantasge of every last benefit there is - also I have watched them at any distribution of anything free - they take everything and then try to sell it. They are smart. Our social worker here has a Chinese and Puerto Rican parent - is fluid in three languages - the Chonese love herr - and she organizes "yard sales" - utterly amazing at what these "poor" people have to sell - all I can do is marvel at it all - yet, alas I do feel a bit lonely surrounded by people who are friendly, but talk to me in a language in which I do not understand one single word.

I've avoided traveling to countries where I did not understand the language - in Spain I understood little, but still, picking up a newspaper I could make out some - in Scandinavia I also understood very little - but a word here and there - and mostly I've stuck to .Germany, Austria, Czech Republic - on my trips to Europe - every five years in the 90's, 2000's - when I'd get a cheap flight, could get cheap coupons for the railroad that allowed me unlimited travel in a 24 hour period - and I only stayed with friends, Aachen, Bonn, Heidelberg, Zurich, Munich, Vienna, Ostrava, Prague, Nuernberg, sometimes Essen, sometimes Lausanne - it was a wonderful round trip, a bit exhausting, in most places I stayed only a few nights and after a while was not quite sure where I was waking up - and also - hard to remember all the names of children and grandchildren of my friends - I would make long notes in my address book - my last trip to Europe only a week with my grandson in 2012 to Berlin and Prague - and now I've grown too old and most of my friends have grown too old - and often I do think - I have an American passport valid until 2023, two credit cards, with I think an 18.000 dollar credit line - never used - never owed credit cards one cent - a driver's licence to be renewed in June - in theory I could hop into a taxi, say Kennedy airport and get on the next flight of my choice - and I do see young people doing just that - but I am too old.

I am sitting alone with the 14 computers - lamenting - dreaming still of that house and my community in that house - that will not include Chinese - not because I don't like Chinese - they now also have their boxes on the roof where they grow vegetables ansd insist on giving me some, and I doi like their smile - but while we do like in cities with diversity - while I have enjoyed friendships with people of very different backgrounds, and still do - there is this affinity - that Goethe talks of in his novel by the translated title: Elective affinities - Wahlverwandtschaften in German - relatives by choice - and where he postulates that humans are like chemical molecules that attract each other - and we speak of affinity groups - the Chinese stick together, they are an affinity group.

Goethe's novel speaks of how we like to live with people to whom we have affinity, sociologists study it (often I wish I had stasyed with sociology - I had a lot more affinity to it than the obscure German literature) - sociologists, and Goethe did too (German literature) - study relationships - as do psychologists - I've read a lot of psychology - and yes, a friend just called - it's so long that I have not cooked a dinner - because shared food tastes also create affinity.

Also, the computer is strongly suggesting I would do so much better writing this in word - if only I could overcome my inner resistance to learning things that so many call so simple - I am so grateful to Molly for posting this here - and when I wrote my 1000 page unedited memoir Ken had set up a computer for me where I wrote in word - I do feel like an old nincompoop - well it's past 11 - I know I've written a hodge podge and probably make little sense - something just poopped up that said end process - so to yesterday - interesting session with Molly - reading, not enough moving - the Chinese never sit, always exeercise - few calls, some texting, eating too much sweet stuff to console myself - this morning back to the bean, talking to Dinah - and now - send - why this inner resistance to reading what I wrote and make corrections - thank you, thank you, thank you to the probably few of you - any? - who read this far adios Marianne

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