#Jack Poole Plaza

[rabbitcruiser]

Leaping

What do you think about my pic?  

[painted-bees]

“It isn't for you, it's because of you.

Because of you, I can finally do this for myself.

Because I want to.

Because I trust you with it.

It's all because of you,

and I'm so fucking thankful.”

-- [Jan 28th, 2014] The weather had conspired against him.

Or perhaps it was trying to protect him. Either way, the cold snap that washed over Vancouver on this sunny January afternoon was perfectly timed to ruin the months of careful planning, frivolous spending, and emotional safeguarding Raf had done in preparation for the performance today. It was as though the sky had opened up to release every breath of warm air that the previous weeks of relentless overcast had, until now, valiantly sealed in.

 To make matters worse, Raf couldn’t turn to Margie for consolation about it. She didn’t know anything about a performance happening today, and it needed to stay that way until at least 6 pm. Her distractible nature had been a huge blessing for him during the past long months of preparation and rehearsals, and this was the last day he'd have to work behind her back. He was thankful for that. Tess had whisked her out into town this morning under the pretence of finding a suitable birthday present to ‘surprise’ him with. It was an effective ruse to keep Margie busy and secreted away from him while he fulfilled the final preparations for the day’s event.

  He was half expecting to arrive at Jack Poole Plaza only to be met by an unfortunate orchestra representative tasked with dispensing the bad news of postponement due to the unusual cold. Instead, the venue was abuzz with activity, warmed by the familiar din of pre-performance energy.   Or rather–it was the arrangement of outdoor heaters that kept the temperature surprisingly manageable in key locations across the venue. That was one of the expenditures Raf had considered “a frivolous necessity” when he committed to it, and it was certainly paying dividends today. 

  “Raf!” The sound of Nels’ voice as he approached was every bit as warm as the heaters. “Boy, you sure picked a day, didn’t you?” As the older man closed the distance, one of his large hands clapped down on Raf’s shoulder with an amicable jostle.

  “Well," Raf said, "no one called to postpone.” Genuine disbelief coloured his tone in a manner that wholly undermined his attempt at a half-joke.

  Nels barked a laugh, “Bah! Over a little cold? No chance. But snow?” He held up a finger, “One snowflake hits that pavement and the whole city' in shut down” He looked up at the sky, wincing against the sunlight. “Thankfully not a problem today!”

  Raf offered a small smirk that bordered on a grimace. “It’s not great for the instruments, though.”

  “Cold feet?”

  “Cold everything.” 

  Nels held him with a gentle but uncompromising gaze. “Train’s already moving, kiddo. Can’t stop now.”

  Turning his eyes towards the stage with a relenting sigh, Raf began making strides across the vast concrete venue towards it. “Outdoor concert in the middle of winter was a terrible idea. Why didn’t anyone stop me?”

  “I recall there was an attempt,” Nels said, “But, ah…You had a clear vision, a convincing argument, and a lot of money.”

  “Yeah, I’m also insane. Nels, I hate crowds, I hate public events. Why am I hosting one?”

  “You love the audience and,” Nels’ hand found Raf’s shoulder again, halting him before the stairs leading up to the left side of the temporary stage set-up. “You love Margie. That’s the kind of insanity that drove all this. She adores this sort of thing. She’s gonna be beside herself. Inconsolable, even. And you know that. That’s why you’re doing this.”

  “Mmh.” That was a swing and a miss, but Raf had no desire to engage in the pedantry dissecting his own mercurial motivations, and so, he was content to leave it there.

  Recognizing the full stop in Raf’s voice, Nels clapped his hands together and led the way onto the stage. “Well-! Things here are looking and sounding well on our end. Security’s all set. It’s not going to be a flood of people all at once but, as you can see,” he gestured out towards the plaza, “We’ve already got a population of curious loiterers. We’re wrapping up the last of the sound tests. Speaking of–!” 

  Nels turned his attention to the microphone set up at the front, centre of the stage. Raf intended to follow, but paused at the sight of Naomi making her way over from the other side. She made he way in brisk strides, holding out her open palms in a gesture both of greeting and surprise. 

  “Ooh, you showed up!”

  Raf regarded her with a lopsided smirk and a curt, upward nod of his chin. “Was I not supposed to?”

  She rubbed her hands together and squeezed the fingertips of one hand in the palm of her other. “Dunno, Ephrem. How you feelin' about it?”

  “Trying not to,” Raf admitted. “But it’s mostly fine. I’ve got Kill Bill sirens going off in my head a bit. First time I’ve ever managed something like this myself, but I am managing, so–” With a Super Mario-pitched voice, and a weak upward pump of his fist, he concluded, “Wahoo.” An aptly appropriated Margie-ism.

  “Man, shut the fuck up. You ain’t managing nothin’ yourself this time, either.” She scoffed loudly. “C’mon I ain’t out here at bitch o’clock in balls degree weather doin’ this shit just so you can tell me you ain’t got no help. Be for real.”

  “That’s not what I–”

  “I know,” she gave him a playful scowl before throwing her hands up in an exaggerated gesture of arrest, “I’m playin’! Jeez, Eph, control your temper, chill. Damn, why you always gotta be yellin’?”

  “Boy, I’m going tah rip your face off.” His stiff posture, quirked eyebrow, and uncharacteristic transatlantic accent delivered his threat with all the seriousness he intended.

  “And ruin your manicure? Girl, you’ll cry.”

  Their short drama play ended with a defusing snort of laughter shared between the two of them.

Thumbing her nose with a sniff, Naomi attempted some honest reassurance. “I think you did a pretty good job, all things considered. Hired the right folks for certain.” She grinned at the compliment as she paid it to herself.

  From their place in the corner of the stage, they both looked out over the set-up and across the venue. The stage itself was populated mostly with venue staff and Hi-Note technicians working in collaboration with each other to make sure things sounded great, looked great, and that no one would kill themselves on any of the countless cables that snaked across the floor.

  Beyond the stage, the last of the temporary barriers and crowd management measures were being organised and installed. Raf himself didn’t know what to expect in that regard, and had no option but to trust that the venue staff knew what they were doing. At the very least, a free admission orchestral event wasn’t new to them. One such concert had been hosted here in the summer, and just like that one, this event was advertised months in advance to draw out as large a crowd as possible. But he hadn’t been the one to advertise it. In fact, he had explicitly forbidden any mention of him or of a vocal performance at all. No, this was advertised in a manner similar to the summer’s concert. And indeed, the programme would be much the same–but it would end with his performance.

 Even as the staff set about their tasks, a budding population of curious doddlers seemed content to wander and wait around for something exciting to begin. It was a lot to hold in his head, and there were countless variables he had no control over–many of which relied on the cooperation of other people. Complete strangers. An overwhelming number of things could and likely would go wrong, and anything that went right would only do so thanks to luck. At least–that’s what his gut told him.

  It would be the first concert he’d perform, without Margie, in almost a decade. It would be the first performance without her that centred him since…

  Since Ephrem Records.   A chill unrelated to the cold forced him to shudder visibly, and he steadied himself with an automatic, curtly huffed sigh. This was not that. He had stared that beast directly in the eyes, he had walked into its horrifying, revenous maw and–

  He came back home. Safe. Sound. Completely unscathed.

  It–that–Ephrem Records and the nightmares within it had no control over him anymore. Though it had tried, it couldn’t keep him. That cage door had fallen off its hinges and would no longer close on him. It was a freedom he had had never in his life known before.

  Beside him, Naomi had turned her gaze to watch him. “Remember after Lacey ditched? How you said you weren’t never gonna get on stage for anyone anymore?”

  “Mmhm.”

  “You been cancellin’ shit all the time because you just ain’t gonna perform if you don’t wanna.”

  “Mmhm.”

  “But you’re here. Today. Like--your birthday’s tomorrow. You didn't wanna take it easy for that?”

  Raf turned his head to cast a very slight, wry smile down towards her. “Mmh, nah.”

 Her eyes lit up under the validating glow of his expression. “Nooo, see! I was gonna ask who you doin’ this for, really? But that shit eating grin–” a cackle punctuated her sentence. “This ain't for Margie. Is it?”

  Naomi’s laugh infected him well enough to let out a small snort of laughter all his own. “She'd hate it if it was. No, I just--wanted to see for myself if...Uh. This wouldn't kill me."

"I've been sayin', too, Margie ain't about seeing you freak out for her!" Naomi clasped her hands together and dipped forward in an elated gesture. "Well, you don't look like you're dying."

"Yeah--I don' think I will. "

–

  “Raf’s impossible to shop for. I don’t know what we were expecting to find.” Margie's conclusion arrived at the end of a long day spent following Tess around the whole, wide city in search of a gift for a man who placed very little value on material wealth. “There’s nothing we could buy that he couldn't afford himself. And it’s hard to put proper thought into it when it’s so last minute.” There was tired frustration in her voice.

  Savouring a strawberry frappe through a bent straw, Cortes remained wholly unbothered by the state of affairs. With a shrug, her free hand gestured to sign a sloppily composed, “Raf’s birthday gift can be all the friends we met along the way.” 

  Margie let out one of her conversationally reflexive little giggles. “Yeah, yeah! All none of them.”

  The sun had already begun to sink beneath the city skyline, and in its wake the clear sky was turning a shade of deep indigo. An already frigid day was turning into an even colder night. Too cold to be out walking along the seawall. Tess’s choice of a blended iced beverage was nothing short of absurd but, just like the failure of their gift-hunting quest, the freezing cold seemed to have no ill effect on Cortes whatsoever. While Margie’s breath hung like a ghost in the air and caused an uncomfortable moisture to collect on the fraying filaments of her scarf, Tess suffered no such inconvenience. Margie was bundled for warmth, but Tess wore her winter layers only for the aesthetic of it.

  Without looking at her, Tess signed with languid gestures, “We should probably head home, now. I’m getting bored.”

  Margie might have agreed, but something else tugged her attention. She grabbed Tess's arm to halt her. “Hang on, shh!” 

  A pause.

  A swell of string and brass carried itself on the chill ocean breeze. It wasn’t uncommon to hear music playing from the various shops and storefronts that lined the city streets, especially during the holiday months. But…

  “Does that sound live to you?”

  Tess appeared to listen for a moment longer before shrugging. 

  “It’s coming from the plaza.”

  Another shrug from Tess preceded an inquiring forefinger flopped with mild indifference towards the stairs leading out of the park, up towards the convention centre. 

  Margie nodded and shook Tess’s arm in her grip. “Yeah, I just wanna looksee!”

  With one last resigned shrug, Cortes allowed Margie to lead the way forward.

  As they crested the wide staircase, the plaza greeted them with an array of bright, warm lights and a buzz of activity. Margie immediately b-lined to read one of the standing signs that named the event to her.

  “Wait, no! What? This was today?” She turned a baleful gaze up at Tess. “We missed the summer one, so I was gonna tell Raf about this one. But I thought it was like–next month!” She gestured with both arms towards the banner sign. “Free concert! VMO! Tess! I’m so upset!”  Dropping her arms to her side, Margie slouched under the weight of her disappointment. “This woulda been a perfect birthday gift for him. Why did I think it was in February?”

  Tess’s hand came down gently upon the top of Margie’s head in a placating pat-pat. At the same time, an unfamiliar man’s voice addressed them from the side.

  “Excuse me, Ma’am?”

  Glancing up, Margie watched the man approach, well dressed for the weather with a bright yellow and black jacket. “Genesis Security” was emblazoned in bold, white letters across the breast and shoulder. He wasn’t addressing her. The man’s gaze was locked firmly onto Tess.

  “Ma’am,” he repeated, “I've been instructed to show you to your seat, if you’ll please follow me.”

  “Woah...” Margie watched the guy's back as he began to lead the way forward through the plaza. "How does this keep happening to you?" It seemed that no matter where Tess went, there was always something special waiting for her. People treated her like a rock star, honored by her mere presence. Apparently, this was just another such instance.

 Shrug. Tess tapped on the shoulder of the security guard and locked eyes with him before pointing to Margie, then to herself, and then back to Margie again.

  With a nod, the guard responded, “I don't see why not. But let's hurry. Show's half done by now.”

  The guard made haste, Tess kept in stride, and Margie was forced to shuffle quite swiftly in order to keep up. As she did so, her hands fumbled around in her pockets until they found her phone.

  “I should call Raf, maybe he can make it in time if he’s still at Hi-Note!” Neither Tess nor the guard in front of her said anything to discourage the thought, and so Margie hit his name in on quick-dial and waited for him to pick up.

  Instead, she was immediately met with the robotic voice of his service provider.

  With a small groan of disappointment, Margie lowered her phone to send a text message, muttering under her breath, “Why is your phone turned off, you wiener?”

  The two of them were led through the well populated venue towards the very frontmost row of seating, where Tess was presented with two vacant seats.

  “Oh,” Margie took her seat next to Tess, “Raf wouldn’t have been able to sit with us, anyways.”

  Perhaps sensing the tinge of melancholy in her voice, Tess reached over to wrap an arm around Margie’s shoulders and pulled her in close. With a sigh, Margie nestled herself cozily against Tess and made the conscious effort to shift her attitude and appreciate the free show with her ever patient girlfriend. It was thanks to Tess that she got to see this performance at all–and with that thought, Margie was able to replace her disappointment for failing their day’s objective with thankfulness towards the present moment.

  The orchestra played an enjoyable, eclectic selection of compositions, most of which Margie couldn’t name. Perhaps the only one she properly recognized was the Star Wars theme, which stood out somewhat comedically against the others–all of which she had assumed to be classical pieces. 

  The final piece–or rather, what was presented as the final piece–was no doubt Tchaikovsky. She knew Tchaikovsky. Just…not well enough to name his compositions. But this was definitely him! To her ears, everything sounded beautiful. Had Raf been there, he might have identified nuances in the performance, both good and bad, highlighting them to her so that she might be able to notice them, too. There was a shared enjoyment between them for that kind of thing. In contrast, Tess was a remarkably stoic and quiet person to sit with when it came to anything involving live music. Her enormous, dark eyes stared unblinking as she listened; transfixed by the intricate braiding of sounds. Her long, lithe fingers twirled themselves repeatedly into the stray curls of Margie’s hair. It was a tiny, thoughtless, but comfortingly intimate gesture. Despite the best efforts of the late January weather, Magritte felt remarkably warmed.

  Tchaikovsky came to an end, and both she and Tess contributed to the roar of applause that persisted even as the musicians stood to leave, abandoning their instruments on the stage.

  Keeping with the applause, Margie leaned towards Tess’s ear. “Sit tight, there’s prolly gonna be a–oop, yep!”

  Her statement was confirmed before she even had time to finish saying it, as the musicians quickly emerged to retake their seats on the stage. As they did, Margie stopped clapping, waiting to hear if their encore was a song she could identify. As the rest of the applause died down, two additional figures took position onto the stage; a trio of previously absent musicians took positions on the stage. Or, at least–if they had been present previously, they were on entirely different instruments, now. Three electric guitars, one of which was a bass.

  Margie squinted at the rightmost guitarist and her bumblebee-yellow Kramer. “Oh, woah–is that Naomi? Tess, you see her!?” She couldn’t help but pick up an applause with an exhilarated whoop at seeing a friendly face among the cast of talented strangers.

  It worked to catch Naomi’s attention, and Margie was rewarded with an acknowledging little wave, bright smile, and a thumbs up.

  Clasping her hands together, Margie leaned back in her seat with a delighted giggle. “That’s so cool, this is gonna be so good!”

  A blanket of quiet settled upon the venue, and after a moment's pause, the orchestra’s instruments sprang to life once more. The number opened with a swelling whirl of notes that immediately swept Margie’s imagination into the realm of Broadway romance. And then–

  She heard his voice.

  A pleasing falsetto that wove itself beautifully into the airy strings, Margie knew who she was hearing before he had even walked onto the stage. One note was all it took.

I got inspired to post cringe, I hope you like it lmaooo About a year prior to these events, Margie and Tess had accompanied Raf to a very emotionally turbulent trip to Monaco. It wasn't a vacation, and it wasn't what any of them would describe as particularly enjoyable...Perhaps some day, we'll learn more about what happened there and why he went. One thing that did happen, on a very desperate whim, is that Raf had asked Margie to marry him. No real proposal--something asserted on the spot, motivated more by fear than anything else. Margie said yes, of course--but only on the condition that he ask her again once they were settled back home in Vancouver. She said--promised--she wasn't going to bring it up again unless he brought it up first; that there was no pressure for him to repeat the question once he was feeling comfortable and secure again. It's just--he seemed too emotionally compromised for Margie to really accept the proposal as one that was offered to her with soundness of mind. And so--to ensure that it was something he actually meant--she would forget it was asked at all, until he brought it up again on his own accord upon their return to Canada. No need to any special occasion, now jewelry, none of that--just ask the same way he did in Monaco...but without the undercurrent of panic coloring his judgement. They returned from Monaco safe and sound, and neither Margie nor Raf breathed a word about the Monaco proposal. Margie assumed Raf forgot--or perhaps he had come to his better senses and no longer felt like his well being and safety relied on lawfully locking down their relationship together. As she had expected would be the case. On the other hand, Raf had waited two months to see if Margie would bring it up at all, or if she'd stick to her promise and release him from the obligation of following through. To him, it seemed like she had completely forgotten; ss though he had never asked her to marry him at all. Unbeknownst to her, he hadn't changed his mind. The fact that she wouldn't so much as even allude to it for his sake only imbued further confidence in his decision. She had been with him through hell and high water, she was there in all the ways she promised to be, she gave him the space and the grace he needed, carried him through some of his lowest days, and kept him safe when he was certain no one in the world ever could. She loved him during his worst days, and shouldered his worst behaviors only because she loved being with him. She never asked him for anything spectacular. She never wished to see him spend the limit of his resources on her. She only ever wished to enjoy things with him--and his enjoyment was a critical part of that desire. Over the several years they had been together, one thing became abundantly clear; Margie deserved every good thing he could grant her. Margie could be trusted to receive his best efforts and his greatest gifts without ruin. And for the first time in his life, he wanted to give those to someone--to her. Because it felt right. Because he'd love doing so. Because she fucking deserved it. Performances had become pretty comfortable for Raf by this point. He, Margie, and Tess had been doing them on the semi-regular before certain events dragged him back to Monaco. Even his post performance PTSD episodes--while still present--were far more manageable than they had ever been. He no longer plagued with week-long emotional lows that greatly overshadowed the euphoria of a great performance. Things just felt...more balanced.

Enough so that Raf decided his proposal to Magritte would, itself, be a performance. Planned and organized by him, with the help of Hi-Note. If he could organize an perform a concert as a gift for someone he loved--without succumbing to abject terror and paranoia at any point during the months of preparation--well... That kind of freedom over himself would be the best gift he's ever received. And so--he planned the performance/proposal for his birthday. Margie watched the last half of the orchestra concert with Tess, having no idea that Raf would be the encore act. Tess, of course, had been in on it as a collaborator. She knew the guard would address her for the seating--they had met prior as part of the preparations. She and Raf both knew that Margie wouldn't find anything suspect in the fact that Tess would be spontaneously offered some kind of V.I.P seating. Tess's ridiculous, ambiguous "celebrity status" had basically become a meme between them at this point. It wasn't unusual... It was all planned. And everything played out pretty well according to that plan. Once Raf too the stage, Tess pulled Margie out of her seat and led her to the stage (exchanging a thumbs-up with Nels along the way). Margie followed along in good fun. By this point, she knew shenanigans were afoot--and slipped into her role very agreeably once Nels confirmed that, yes, she's expected on the stage. She was happy to play along.

The dance she and Raf "perform" wasn't any choreographed thing. Rather, it's the same kind of lackadaisical dancing they'd often do in their livingroom at home haha. And then...there was no more performance...just overwhelm and joy and a lot of love...and Kirby rings lmaooo which made her even MORE overwhelmed. And then the rest of the night was just one big overjoyed, emotional blur. Okay, I've typed too much...this is all very silly, but I made it so you can have the whole bunch of it! Bonus: The next morning, they woke up with a terrible cold...and spent the entire day recovering in bed lmao

(happy birthday, Raf lmao).

[anastasiareyreed]

dear world, you have the opportunity to show your support for Ukraine in real life! please share!

you can support Ukraine and call on your authorities to help Ukrainians survive the ecocide and expel the russian invaders from our territories!

in the coming days, a peaceful march in support of Ukraine will take place all over the world! please join and show by your example that the world need to be on the side of good!

please spread the word and look for cities where you can join the march, Ukrainians really need your support!

📍Bucharest, Parcul TNB 19:00 10.06

📍Sydney, Town Hall 14:00 11.06

📍Batumi, Europe Square 19:00 11.06

📍Paris, Place de la Republique 16:00 10.06

📍London, 10 Downing Street 16:00 10.06

📍Kraków, Rynek Główny 1 16:00 11.06

📍 Netherlands, Amsterdam, Dam Square 14:00-16:00 11.06

📍Danmark, Aarhus, Molleparken 13:00 11.06

📍Adana, Ataturk Park 16:00 10.06

📍Porto, Praça Aliados 13:00 11.06

📍Lyon, Pl. de la Comédie 18.00 10.06

📍Prague, Staroměstské náměstí 17:00 10.06

📍Wroclaw, plac Solny 18:00 11.06

📍Nottingham, Speakers Corner, 16:00 10.06

📍 Barcelona, Passeig de Lluís Companys 16:00 11.06

📍Strasbourg, Parlement européen 17:30 12.06

📍Brisbane, Australia, King George Square 14:00 11.06

added new cities and dates:

📍Stockholm, Norrmalmstorg, 12:00 11.06

📍Tel Aviv, HaYarkon St 120 18:30 12.06

📍UK, Bristol, College Green 12:00 11.06

📍Vancouver, Jack Pool Plaza 14:00 11.06

📍Poznan, Adam Mickiewicz Square 11:00 11.06

📍Warsaw, Ukrainian embassy, Szucha 7 18:00 12.06

📍Valencia, Monument Antoni Ferrandis 16:00 11.06

📍Brisbane, King George Square 14:00 11.06

📍Freiburg, Platz der alten Synagoge 18:00 10.06

📍Kassel, Deutschland 17:00 10.06

over time, new cities and dates will be added

more information here!

[legofanguy]

Road Trip AUgust

A Inuyasha, Legend of Zelda, Swtor, World of Warcraft, Wildstar, Urusei Yatsura, and Fairy Tail crossover for @promptsbytaurie event AUgust 2024 day 8 road trip AU, featuring my original characters.

A group of families from New York are on a road trip across the USA. The first stop on the road is Hocking Hills in Ohio, and the families park their RVs at the camp site. The younger children run to play in the playground as their older siblings and parents set up the camp, with Inuyasha, one of the fathers, moving a table with his daughter Moroha as his wife Kagome get the food ready.

At their camp site, Charlotte Hyrule hold her phone up as she try to get a signal and she ask her mother Zelda while her father Link is put the heavy stuff up, "Mom, where can I get a signal for my phone?" and Zelda tell her older daughter, "Charlotte, the whole point of this trip is to not be on your phone." and Charlotte is spechless.

Meanwhile, Charlotte's young sister Sonia check out the camp with sisters Towa and Setsuna. The camp look nice and it has a swimming pool, but some parts of it look a little old.

At the Mirsan family camp site, the twin girls Kin'u and Gyokuto laugh about the green hair boy Kitaro Moroboshi as he try to start a fire for his little sister Nyoko and her best friend Nasha Dragneel. At the table, their younger brother Hisui is playing a card game with Michael Shan, Ash Dorne, Petra Spar, Kevin Piece, Max Revel, Samson Cadera, and Tao Yaza.

At his family RV, Gramakk the orc read a guide on Hocking Hills as his wife Zanawe put their son Kokdutu to bed.

The next day, the families get ready for a day in Hocking Hills, with Juliasa making sure that her teenage daughter is okay and to not act like her father Crual.

On the park, the families travel around the sites and the girls take selfie of themselves in nature.

Back at the campsite, the adults make plans on where to go next and Inuyasha said to them, "Why don't we travel on Route 66?" and the adults look at each other about the idea.

Soon, by the morning light, the RVs travel on the famous Route 66, starting at Chicago, Illinois. The families first explore the famous sites at Chicago for three days before they hit the road again. While traveling in Illinois, they see the Gemini, the town of Springfield, and Dixie Travel Plaza.

The RVs arrived at Missouri, and they see the World's second largest rocking chair in Fannig, Red's Giant Hamburg, 66 Drive-In, and Ted Drewes on their journey.

The RVs arrived at Kansas, where the families visit Baxter Spring Independent Oil and Gas Service station, drive through Rainbow Bridge, and visit Williams' Store as well Kan-O-Tex Service Station.

The RVs arrived at Oklahoma, where the families visit Blue Whale of Catoosa, Pops restaurant, Round barn, Milk Bottle Grocery, Rock Cafe, and Foyil Filling Station.

The RVs arrived at Texas, where the families visit the Leaning Tower of Britten, Cadiliac ranch, The Big Texan Steak Ranch, and U-Drop Inn.

The RVs arrived at New Mexico, where the families visit Blue Swallow Motel, El Rancho Hotel & Motel, and Maisel's Indian Trading Post.

The RVs arrived at Arizona, where the families visit Wigwam Motel, Standin' on the Corner Park, Jack Rabbit Trading Post, and Meteor City.

The RVs arrived at California, the last stop of Route 66. In California, the families visit Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch, Cucamonga Service Station, Aztec Hotel, and Los Angeles.

In the Los Angeles hotel, the adults start their plans for the road trip back home and the locations to visit.

[korealog]

[1] Too hot to touch (ENG/DE) — Sunday, 28.07.24

(ENG)

On Sunday, I started the day at around 12 noon and took the metro to City Hall Station. From there, you cross a huge plaza to get to Gyeongbukgong Palace. On the plaza, however, you first find a huge statue of Sejong. At the time, he created the Korean alphabet, also known as Hangeul. Before that, Chinese was spoken in Korea. Before I went behind the palace walls, I went to one of the many rental shops for traditional robes to borrow one. The clothes are called hanbok & consist of a petticoat, a kind of dress and a small jacket. They come in a wide variety of colours and patterns. Then I went into the palace & that for free, because if you wear a hanbok here, you can look into all the palaces for free. It was super hot that day and there was very little shade in the palace grounds. Even in this weather, tourists and locals alike were out and about on the grounds to take a look at the magnificent buildings. After about an hour and a half, I changed back into my actual clothes and moved on. On my way, I walked along the plaza again, as there is always plenty of opportunity to cool off here in summer. You can find both fountains and a swimming pool here in summer. Children of all ages have fun here, while the adults seek shelter in the shade and enjoy an ice Americano (the most popular drink here in Korea, especially in the hot temperatures). I also needed to cool down and made my way to the Insadong neighbourhood nearby.

To be continued…

(DE)

Am Sonntag bin ich gegen 12 Uhr in den Tag gestartet und mit der Metro zur City Hall Station gefahren. Von dort aus kommt man über eine riesige Plaza zum Gyeongbukgong Palast. Auf der Plaza findet man aber erstmal eine riesige Statue von Sejong. Er hat damals das koreanische Alphabet ausgearbeitet, auch Hangeul genannt. Vorher wurde in Korea nämlich Chinesisch gesprochen. Bevor ich mich hinter die Palastmauern begeben habe, bin ich in einen der vielen Verleihläden für die traditionellen Gewänder gegangen, um mir ebenfalls eins zu leihen. Die Kleidung nennt sich Hanbok & besteht aus einem Unterrock, einer Art Kleid und einer kleinen Jacke. In den unterschiedlichsten Farben und Mustern sind sie zu finden. Dann ging es für mich rein in den Palast & das kostenlos, wer hier nämlich einen Hanbok trägt, darf kostenlos in alle Paläste schauen. An diesem Tag war es super heiß und im Palastgelände nur wenig Schatten, Selbst bei diesem Wetter waren Touristen, als auch Einheimische auf dem Gelände unterwegs, um sich die prachtvollen Gebäude anzuschauen. Nach circa eineinhalb Stunden habe ich mich wieder in meine eigentliche Kleidung geworfen & bin weitergezogen. Auf meinem Weg bin ich nochmal auf der Plaza entlangspaziert, immer Sommer ist hier nämlich für reichlich Abkühlung gesorgt. Sowohl Springbrunnen als auch ein Schwimmbecken könnt ihr hier im Sommer finden. Kinder groß und klein vergnügen sich hier, während die Erwachsenen im Schatten Schutz suchen & gemütlich Ice Americano trinken (Hier in Korea übrigens das beliebteste Getränk, vor allem bei den heißen Temperaturen). Auch ich brauchte dann mal eine Abkühlung & habe ich mich auf den Weg ins Viertel Insadong, ganz in der Nähe, gemacht.

Fortsetzung folgt…

[thecourtofindigo]

Good Night, Tortureland Masterlist

A basic list of every major character, chapter and location featured in the main story. Type a name / title into the search bar on my blog to see all posts and tags about them.

STORY CHAPTERS

ALEXIA'S POV The Forest of Veils Bookhouse Blues The Feasting Famine Blood for Phobos The Pennyroyal Riddle The Lover of Drains Marsh Soil, Stormy Weather The Nightmare Garden In a Plastic Land The Court of Indigo

THE INDIGO'S POV Of Death's Black Apple Of the Rose's Briars

CHARACTERS

MAIN PROTAGONIST Alexia Corai

MAIN ANTAGONISTS One From the Clocks Kanabiel of the Rose

SECONDARY CAST Cantrell Corai Julian Chords Cassidy Jocasta Wysteria One Beyond the Core One in the Guts Dorian the Damned (One Between Lungs) Tamnobog of the Indigo Murdoch Fortunehouse (M.) The Moongore Tumult Mars Jonathan Birch The Pig Man The Lover of Drains Jack Goodnight Jennifer Bloodcrain Duchess Eden Tar-Rokka Tir-Ranna Robin Rondo X and Y Sangruel Mother Alicja Velvet Father Butcher The Ravener Moon (Mentioned-only)

LOCATIONS

MELACO TOWN ("ABOVE") St. Martin Street -Includes the Corais' trailer, Jocasta House and Julian's house Woodward Field Melaco Public Library Get-Out-Quik Luna Labyrinth Hill The Forest of Veils -Includes Wysteria's house and the train tracks area The Dawnlight Blusters -Includes Robin's fort and Jane's Hours Estate Goodnight Plaza -Includes Desired Bargains store, Pearl Lotus Pool and Goodnight Grocery Abandoned Park

THE COURT OF INDIGO ("BELOW") The Depthless Stair The Great Indigo Hall -Includes the Rose Hall, the Gallery of Doors, the Harvesting Rooms, the Celestial Mystery, Darkness Slumbers, Core's chambers, Clocks' chambers, and Vessel Labs Plastic Orchard Briar Gardens Torture Tower -Includes Dorian's tree, Guts' chambers, and the 'kitchens'

[amaurotine-daydreaming]

XXX. Amity

Gods damn that Sea Wolf scrag to the Seventh Hell, he’d managed to get V’kebbe good with that bardiche. She’d managed to avoid getting her arm lopped off, thank the Warden, but the bite of steel into her shoulder had still been a nasty one.

Once Perimu had bandaged her up as best he could and helped her hobble back to the Sisters, Jacke had ordered her to head on over to Camp Bronze Lake with the rest of the maimed of La Noscea. Well, V’kebbe wouldn’t say no to a bit of rest and recuperation, but as soon as she had changed into her smallclothes and grabbed a towel and a wooden bucket stocked with ointments and fresh bandages, she headed away from the main plaza. She wasn’t in the mood to be getting any propositions from the soldiers here at the hot springs, who were no doubt bored out of their wits while they waited out their recovery.

And so V’kebbe ascended the steps to one of the more remote pools. The only other person there was a woman–Hyur, by the looks of her. Her weathered face and white hair marked her as getting on in years, but her physique was lean and wiry and criss-crossed with scars old and fresh. 

“Hope ye don’t mind me findin’ a spot up here,” said V’kebbe, padding over to a spot several yalms away from where the other woman sat. Normally V’kebbe wouldn’t give a damn about what people thought about her being on any turf what was open to the public, but something about this woman...

The woman laughed, a gravelly sound that was nevertheless friendly. “Do what you want, lass.” 

Elevated a hand’s breadth above the waters of the springs were a few round tables, and on one of them V’kebbe placed her things. The springs were too shallow to fully submerge in, so once V’kebbe leveraged herself down into the water, she reached for a cup from the bucket, scooped it full, and slowly poured the water over her injured shoulder. 

The contact with her injury through the bandages stung, but Warden, it was worth it for the way the steaming water already began to ease the worst of the aching. V’kebbe continued to pour cupfuls of water over her bandages, and once they slackened she set the cup aside and began carefully unwinding them.

“Shite,” V’kebbe hissed. For a mercy the gash didn’t look infected, but it still wasn’t pretty. 

“Anything I can get for you, miss?” 

V’kebbe looked up. A waitress had arrived with a tray with a cup and a bottle of spirits balanced atop it. She was addressing the other woman, who let out another raspy laugh.

“I’d say these bones are a bit too old to be called ‘miss,’” she said, then met V’kebbe’s eye. “Pour a cup for the actual miss here, and leave me the bottle.”

The Hyuran woman bobbed her head, and when she walked over V’kebbe realized her free hand was cupping her injured shoulder, hiding the extent of the wound. She slowly let her hand drop.

“This will help with the stiffness,” the waitress explained as she took a fire shard ensconced in an infuser and inserted it into the drink. When she pulled it out again, steam rose from the cup. “Takes the edge off the pain, too.”

“...Thank ye,” V’kebbe said, as much to her as to the other woman, who was taking a swig directly out of the bottle. The sigh and subtle smacking of her lips that followed made V’kebbe smile. 

The waitress placed the cup down on the stones, saving V’kebbe the discomfort of stretching up with her arm, then descended the steps back down to the plaza. V’kebbe lifted the cup to her lips and let the aroma wash over her. The amber liquid within was pleasantly hot and spicy-smelling. Mulled cider, and the good stuff. The heat that traveled down her throat and tingled through her limbs was a mixture of spices, temperature, and alcohol. V’kebbe sighed happily.

A prickling and itching in her shoulder reminded V’kebbe about the bandages. She reluctantly set her drink on the table and finished pulling the loops of wet bandages off of her arm. The water around her ran as clear as ever, but the blood that had seeped through the linens was now just a dull, rusty stain. V’kebbe balled the linen into her fists and squeezed the water from them, wincing. She glanced around, wondering where she should deposit them, then settled for the edge of the pool for the moment. 

With her wound now fully exposed, an uneasy feeling crept over her again. From the corner of her eye, V’kebbe glanced at her companion. But the woman paid no outward attention to her, relaxing against the rim of the pool and gazing out across the mountains and lake, her fingers idly dancing around the neck of the bottle she held. 

V’kebbe looked away. She went about her business, bathing her arm a little more and taking occasional sips from her mulled drink. But she found herself again taking the measure of her company from the periphery. Aside from a bandage wrapped around her head, whatever she was recovering from wasn’t anything as obvious as V’kebbe’s own glaring injury. V’kebbe struggled to imagine what kind of internal injury must have sent such an imposing woman to Camp Bronze Lake. 

The woman’s gaze suddenly slid to meet hers, her eyes sharp but not unfriendly.

“Caught your curiosity, have I? Call me Drusilla.”

V’kebbe flushed. She was glad her fluffed out tail wasn’t too visible through the water. “Drusilla,” she managed. “Pleasure’s mine.”

Drusilla rolled her head from one shoulder to the other. “I take it you’re wonderin’ what my story is.”

“Beggin’ yer pardon,” V’kebbe stammered, “I didn’t mean–”

Drusilla lifted her wrist resting on her thigh, palm face up, and it was enough to halt V’kebbe’s stumbling. “We’re just makin’ conversation, lass. Swappin’ war stories is as good a way to pass the time as any.

“I had a run-in with a voidsent, one I’ve been huntin’ since you weren’t more than a swaddlin’ babe. Pity those bastards don’t succumb to the ravages of time like we do, eh? He got the jump on me, but I’m the one still here and he’s not, so I’m callin’ that a victory.”

Drusilla slung her arms back against the rim of the stone pool and tilted her head in V’kebbe’s direction. “What’s your story, sister?”

V’kebbe shook her head. Her cheeks were still warm with embarrassment–her reconnaissance had been caught out too bloody easily, where was her subtlety as a rogue?–but a quick swig from her drink made it easier to blame the alcohol and spices instead. 

“Pah, like most o’ the folks around here I got bumped off the old fashioned way, by some scrag what got lucky with his swing.”

“Ain’t nothin’ to be ashamed of. Men can be demons in their own right.”

“Aye, that they can.”

Sunlight played upon the water and warmed the cracked, tiled stones that were once the pride of Nym. On the horizon, the spindly fingers of a giant shard of corrupted crystal–one of many from the Calamity–forked like lightning across the sky. V’kebbe had never known a devastated place that could also be so peaceful. 

There was a faint chime, like the sound of someone running their finger along the rim of a glass. 

One of V’kebbe’s ears twitched in Drusilla’s direction.

Drusilla set down her bottle and she fumbled for a nearby towel.

“Bollocks,” she muttered as the chime came again. She hastily wiped her hands dry and pressed a finger to her ear. “Aye, I’m here. What is it?”

Whatever the news was, V’kebbe wasn’t privy to it and she wasn’t about to go poking her nose into business where it didn’t belong. She took another sip from her cup, set it on the table behind her, and sunk deeper into the water, stretching herself out until it was just her head resting along the pool’s rim. She closed her eyes, focusing on the sound of water spilling over the falls, the crackle of a nearby brazier, and the hum of the aetheryte in the plaza.

“Save your apologies, lad–you were right to call me. I’ll be there soon.”

Another chime signaled the end of the linkpearl call. “No rest for the righteous,” she heard Drusilla say, followed by a hacked out laugh that revealed nothing about whether she had truly meant it as a jest or not. 

The sloshing of water opened V’kebbe’s eyes. She lifted her head. Drusilla stepped out of the pool, her feet drying on the warm stones as she briskly toweled the rest of herself down.

“Still awake, are you? Now, who did I have the pleasure of sharin’ company with?” she asked, slinging the towel across the back of her neck and reaching for a small pack.

V’kebbe gave a small start at the realization that she had never introduced herself in turn. “Name’s V’kebbe the Stray.”

“The Stray, eh?” A smile appeared like a rift in Drusilla’s craggy face. “I know a thing or two about bein’ a stray, myself.” 

Drusilla hoisted her pack and stepped into her bathhouse sandals. She gave V’kebbe a shrewd look. “You’ve got quiet steps, sister. That’s enough to give me the feelin’ we’ll see each other again.”

[rickchung]

November to Remember 2024

Metro Vancouver Events Calendar:

Now-Nov. 2: Betrayers @ The Improv Centre / Yaga @ Gateway Theatre

Now-Nov. 3: Die Fledermaus @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre / Ridge @ Firehall Arts Centre / Latin American Heritage Month @ Granville Island / Spark Animation Festival & Conference

Now-Nov. 10: Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival

Now-Nov. 23: The Scarlett @ Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

Now-Dec. 18: Downtown Farmers Market @ 750 Hornby (Wednesdays)

Now-Dec. 22: The Perfect Bite @ Glowbal Restaurant

Now-Jan. 5: Cirque du Soleil: Echo @ Concord Pacific Place

Now-Jan. 9: Earth Matters @ Science World

Nov. 1-10: Chutzpah! Festival

Nov. 1-15: North Shore Craft Beer Week

Nov. 1-17: Stand Festival

Nov. 2: Cheese and Meat Festival @ The Pipe Shop

Nov. 2-Mar. 29: Riley Park Winters Farmers Market (Saturdays)

Nov. 3-Apr. 27: Kitsilano Winters Farmers Market (Sundays)

Nov. 6-9: Transform Festival @ Vancouver Playhouse

Nov. 6-10: Architecture & Design Film Festival / Circle Craft Holiday Market @ Convention Centre

Nov. 7-10: Lumière Festival

Nov. 7-17: Vancouver Asian Film Festival

Nov. 12-17: The Book of Mormon @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Nov. 13-Dec. 21: The Hobbit @ Pacific Theatre

Nov. 13-Dec. 24: Vancouver Christmas Market @ Jack Poole Plaza

Nov. 14-17: Eastside Culture Crawl

Nov. 15: Arkells: Big Feelings Tour @ Rogers Arena

Nov. 15-23: Re:Naissance Opera: IndieFest

Nov. 16: Anna Akana: It Gets Darker @ Biltmore Cabaret / Death From Above 1979 @ Vogue Theatre

Nov. 16-17: Etsy Holiday Pop-up @ Pipe Shop

Nov. 17: Matty Matheson @ Djavad Mowafahjian Cinema

Nov. 18-24: Hopscotch Festival @ PNE Forum

Nov. 20: Zach Bryan: The Quittin Time Tour @ Rogers Arena

Nov. 20-Jan. 5: East Van Panto: Robin Hood @ York Theatre

Nov. 21-Jan. 1: FlyOver Canada: Soar with Santa @ Canada Place

Nov. 22: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band @ Rogers Arena

Nov. 22-Jan. 19: Canyon Lights @ Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Nov. 23-24: Got Craft Holiday Market @ Croatian Cultural Centre

Nov. 24-Dec. 24: The Peak of Christmas @ Grouse Mountain

Nov. 27-Jan. 3: Lights of Hope @ St. Paul’s Hospital

Nov. 29: Nooroongji Book Club @ Nooroongji Books

Nov. 29-Jan. 5: Festival of Lights @ VanDusen Botanical Garden

Nov. 30-Jan. 1: Bright Nights Train @ Stanley Park

[pennanbrae]

Evening scenes about Coal Harbour in Vancouver. Music playing is ‘Sashay’ which streams below.

[videogeist]

Vancouver Jack Poole Plaza „Time Drifts“ 2011 (signed + Frame) Fine Art Print Available in different sizes https://videogeist.shop/products/vancouver-jack-poole-plaza-time-drifts-2011-signed-frame #vancouver #canada #jackpooleplaza #timedrifts #philippgeist #videogeist #125YearAnniversary #anniversary #lightart #projectionmapping #videomapping #immersiveexperience #ImmersiveArt #lichtkunst #bodenprojektion #groundprojection (hier: Vancouver, British Columbia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoAtkYkIeYz/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[rabbitcruiser]

Public Art, Vancouver (No. 2)

The Angel of Victory (French: L'Ange de la Victoire) is a statue crafted by London-born sculptor Coeur de Lion McCarthy (1881–1979), installed in Montreal's Windsor Station, in Quebec, Canada.

It was commissioned in 1922 in memory of the 1,116 Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) employees who died in World War I. Copies of the statue were also installed at CPR stations in Vancouver and Winnipeg, Canada. The Winnipeg copy has since been moved from the station, and is now located outside the Deer Lodge Hospital.

The bronze, seven foot tall statue shows a fallen soldier being carried up to heaven by a female angel. It is on a pedestal inscribed:

To Commemorate Those in the Service of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company Who at the Call of King and Country, Left All That Was Dear to Them, Endured Hardship, Faced Danger and Finally Passed Out of Sight of Men by the Path of Duty and Self Sacrifice, Giving Up Their Own Lives That Others May Live in Freedom. Let Those Who Come After See to It That Their Names Are Not Forgotten. / 1914–1918

After World War II, the years 1939–1945 were added to the inscription.

The Vancouver copy of the statue was used in a piece by Canadian street artist Richard Hambleton, who had instructed that it be released only after his death, in 2017. Created in 1974, the piece depicts the young artist in place of the fallen soldier, his body pierced by paintbrushes.

Source: Wikipedia

[generationx20]

* Vancouver Christmas Market at Jack Poole Plaza - Visited On Nov 26, 2022 * . . . . ⬆️ Comment Below If You Previously Visited Vancouver Christmas Market? Like My Content? Don't Forget To Follow Me 👆👌😉⬇️ . . . . #vancouverchristmasmarket #jackpooleplaza #montrealbeefsandwich #frenchbeefdipsandwich #cinamonrollpancake #churros #thüringerbratwurst #food #foodie #foodiegram #foodart #foodphtography #foodstyling #dishedvan #igfood #foodbeast #igdaily #eatfamous #eatwell #instafood #igersvancouver #foodporn #foodgasm #foodpics #foodieyvr #yvreats #foodieyvrjasmine604 https://www.instagram.com/p/Clc258COuzX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[urbandrifter]

[thetravellingclam]

Looking for Holiday fun? - the Vancouver Christmas Market

If you are looking for just a really fun Christmas themed atmosphere, then consider the Vancouver Christmas Market.

Oh. It’s that time of year again. Christmas is quickly hurtling towards us before we know it. Then we are scrambling to get gifts for loved ones and arrange times to meet them. Or maybe you are just looking to get into the holiday spirit and feel festive. Watch the video for more on entertainment, food, shopping, and the carousel at Vancouver Christmas Market If you are looking for just a…

[helijet]

Vancouver Christmas Market Discount - Only for Helijet Travellers

Vancouver Christmas Market Discount – Only for Helijet Travellers

Vancouver Christmas Marketphoto: Lindsay Elliot After an online shopping experience for 2020, the Vancouver Christmas Market is back! Vancouver’s only European Christmas Market is ready to celebrate the spirit of the holiday season with an expanded six-week schedule from November 13th to December 24th at Jack Poole Place in downtown Vancouver. The 11th year of the outdoor, traditional…

[photographybyjenni]