#Real Journey Travels

[savethepolarbears]

Favorite Located in the heart of California, the bustling city of Sacramento is an ideal starting point for a variety of exciting day trips. With its rich history and diverse range of nearby destinations, Sacramento enables residents and visitors alike to experience the beauty of Northern California within just a few hours’ drive. From historical […]

[dollypopup]

I can't stop thinking about Colin on his travels. Colin, alone, on a journey to 17 different cities, across several countries. Colin on his own.

Colin who writes letter after letter, to his family, to his friends, and barely gets a response back. How long before he understands that they didn't get lost in the mail? How long until he realizes that, just like when he was a boy, no one has the time for him? The space for him? How many letters unanswered before he lets it finally take root and fester in his mind?

He could have died on that tour.

Would they even notice? Would they see when the letters slow until they cease? Would they wonder why? His mum, surely (maybe, possibly, but she has enough on her hands, besides, and he's never been a concern, in need of her assistance, before), but anyone else? Anthony on his honeymoon, Eloise a stormcloud personified, Benedict taking on the familial responsibilities, Fran preparing for the marriage mart and in Bath, regardless. Daphne, his closest sister, a mum running her own estate.

Greg and Hyacinth who enjoy his stories, but are children.

Pen who ignores him. No explanation, no goodbye.

Colin who has no one in his corner. Colin who travels city to city, putting on personas. Will they like me? What about now? Colin who has hardly anything to read from the people he loves. Who do not think of him.

And yet he thinks of them. Brings them back gifts, writes his recollections for them until it hits him that, oh, they don't care. They don't care what he's doing, how he's doing. They didn't want to hear it before, when he was there with them, and they do not want to hear it now, either. Did they even open those envelopes? Did they see them come through the post, just as proof he's alive, and shrug off the contents? Did they look? Once, Colin sends an empty page. No one notices. Easier, then, to send just the outsides. People only ever care about the outsides. Pretty and prim in neat packages, uncaring of what lies beneath. Sea sick on the rocking boats, staring up at stars on the continent, Colin grows aware, but not bitter. Sad, but resigned.

He loves his family, he loves Pen, loves them to grace, loves them to it's okay. It was him, he determines. Too chatty, his letters too long, uninteresting, his passions dull or droll, or else, worse, he's displeased them in some way. Colin who takes refuge in stranger's arms and homes, who dreams and tries to sate his curiosity. Colin who pretends, because anyone, anyone but him would be received better, he's sure of it. Colin who must talk too much, surely, and with no one to listen. Colin who learns to hush.

Yes. Remarkable- as in, I have many remarks about it.

How many times did he go to excitedly write of what he did that week, and stopped himself, knowing it was a waste? How many times did he write and throw into the fire a letter asking Why don't you see me? Why don't you care?

If he didn't make it, how long would it take for anyone to notice? A month? Two? A year? Would they wave it off as his frivolity, denounce him as a flake and fume about the funds? Would they wonder where it was he had lost himself off at?

He cannot fall into that, so, he writes in his journal, instead. Of the ache of it, of how he longs for connection, for understanding, for someone to take him seriously. He keeps it with him, this log of his discontent, of his folly and felicity, of his pitfalls and pains.

If he didn't make it, would they realize all that's left of him is what he sent them, not even a body to bury? Did he look over the side of a bow of a boat and look at the churn of the ocean and think of how many bones it held? Did he tip his face to the sun? How many new scars did he earn? Who did he befriend?

Who did he become?

Somewhere along the line, Colin learned. He learned the real him wasn't wanted.

Somewhere along the line, somewhere between Patmos and Paris, Colin left Colin behind.

And, somewhere along the line, Colin laid face to face with loneliness in his bed, and it wrapped its arms around him.

[bonefall]

Does Heartstar/Tigerstar II have thalassophobia(fear of deep water/drowning) would certainly make sense given his family's entire Deal with the lake. Also does Rowanstar drowning in the Moonpool mean that there's just. A rotting corpse in the moonpool now? Don't the medcats drink from that water?! (Sorry if yiu see this twice! I think tumblr deleted my ask?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The desire to CinemaSins Ding poetic imagery is the death of visual metaphor and the bane of creativity. Kill the impulse. The moonpool is as deep and clean as it needs to be in spite of being canonically a stillwater pool and logically full of algae and microbes. Magic cat god water, full of StarClan Magic (tm)

We do not need to see the cats fishing Rowanstar's body out, or an accurate estimate of pool depth, or its PH level. StarClan's emotions do wonderful things when miracles occur. A wizard with a big pool cleaning net did it.

[colleianbars]

“you’re the only one in this world who calls me that” what if this was my last straw

[zekkopunks]

I get the nessporky crowd now, I don’t really see them as romantic but there is something wrong with them and I need to study them under a microscope

[summertimemusician]

Honestly I don't know if I'm remembering it wrong due to sleep deprivation, but out of everything in TOTK one of my favorite little details is that Zelda's eyes in her Divine Noodle (affectionate) form when Demon King's flames hit or graze her tremble a little, more so around the pupils than the iris

The implications are absolutely delicious when you think about it, either it's an expression of deep seated, primal fear which she would probably feel as a dragon even if her main instinct is to help Link, it makes sense she'd feel distressed when faced with a bigger predator if we assume the dragons actually work like wild animals (I mean have we looked at Demon King's full size and length? He absolutely overshadows her and he's clearly going in for the kill, what with that initial bite, he's clearly not only gunning for Link and for Hyrule but also for her specifically), because Zelda by nature is not a warrior, she will fight for her people and to defend her people but she's not one to start the conflict, she's not one to HUNT, so when faced with something actively doing so it makes sense she'd be a little afraid, just because you are made to fight the divine threat from birth doesn't mean you can't fear death in the process('Courage is not the absence of fear but the will to rise against it even when you're afraid' and all that), immortality or not and trust me I'm getting to that part-

And arguably the more interesting implication: that dragons can feel pain/get hurt from other beings in a similar status, which also puts their immortality into question. Because that little twitch can also be because the flames actually hurt her.

One thing I always found interesting in TOTK is the dragon skeletons deep down in the Depths, they're parallel with the Leviathan skeletons, sure, but the fact that the dragons that we know can come and go from the depths and that there are actual skeletons there makes me look at them side by side and think "Oh those are dragons" rather than Leviathans, which begs the question: what could have killed them if dragons are immortal and can live for such long periods of time? What could have killed them when none of our weapons (including the Master Sword mind you) can't hurt Naydra, Dinraal, Farosh and Zelda in a way that matters?

I think the best answer in this case is given to us by Zelda's reaction (assuming I'm not wrong and didn't just imagine it due to sleep deprivation) to the Demon King's flames.

Maybe, just maybe, what caused them to die was likely another dragon. Which means that dragons can actually die, just not through age or natural means, but have to actively be killed through the right means/being for it to stick. Which also tracks with a lot of divine lore in LOZ in general, Demise/Ganondorf only being able to be brought low by the Master Sword wielded by someone who posseses the Hero's Spirit (or that has become worthy of it is we see in Wind Waker) because it's quite literally a divine blade, Hylia actively giving up her immortal form to become a mortal but still slumbering/existing in a separate realm outside of time can also be considered a form of divine death, not to mention Bellum being in the process of killing the Ocean King in Phantom Hourglass. Divine beings have always had an element of mortality to them in LOZ, and it's not too much of a stretch to think that pattern might hold true in TOTK.

(Personally I think maybe the dragons we know might have killed the others in a territory/route dispute, if we go with the fact that a person loses themselves when they consume a secret stone and is guided by their base instincts/whatever goal they had before becoming a dragon, I don't think territory disputes would be all that far fetched, or some other goal which would motivate possible aggression.)

Although there's also the other possibility to consider: we get the armor set of the wild on the heads of those skeletons in TOTK, and we know for a FACT there was a hero before BOTW/TOTK Link, not only through the Ancient Hero's Aspect (which I have so many thoughts/headcanons about) but also through the tapestry in BOTW no matter what the heck happened to the lore in between games, you can still work with the information that there was a hero before BOTW/TOTK Link, and possibly one even before that one if we assume the armor set in the depths isn't from the Original Calamity Hero.

What I'm pitching here basically is, Original Calamity Link/another possible Link was likely a dragon slayer (not uncommon among Links, but how many Links killed an actual possibly divine dragon?), and possibly the one to kill the dragons in the depths and that maybe, just maybe we should have a game one day or a manga which either clarifies or debunks that- wait I know it sounds insane but listen stop walking away-

(Also if it's indeed a sign that Zelda feels pain it honestly ramps up Wild's/TOTK Link's motivation to kill Ganondorf WAY up because I too would want to eviscerate anyone who hurt Zelda even if she can't outwardly show it.

Also also- divine flame scars on Zelda where the gloom fueled fire grazed/hit her in her dragon form, you wouldn't be able to see it normally, but once she turns back into hylian they're there as another showing of how her time as a dragon will always stick and haunt her.)

[therarthy]

"I get lost in the grains of sand, looking for magic shells and stones. I have to choose: what to drop in the sea and what to take with me? What values do I keep with me tomorrow, and what values do I give up today?"

-Violett.

[darewolfcreates]

My digimon :]

[hiraganasakura]

Man I rly genuinely wish I could play CotC. The soundtrack is filled with absolute bangers amd the story seems genuinely interesting. But alas. It is a mobile gatcha game. And my brain cannot focus on mobile gatcha games to save my life even if the subject is my literal hyperfixation apparently? Like I've tried and it doesn't work lol

[claitea]

thinking about a volo redemption arc au, where volo gets sent forward in time by arceus after the events of legends arceus.

he has no memory of the past, only that arceus gave him the mission of "seeking out past mistakes", not even telling him who's mistakes they were. he has to do research around sinnoh to piece together his past, and he eventually realizes the "mistakes" were his own. but he's also seen how good the future is during his travels, and how *waves hands vaguely* whatever caused him to lose faith in the world while he was in hisui is fixed, people lived on happily without the need for volo to completely restart the universe.

essentially, arceus giving volo a restart, wiping his slate clean, so he wouldn't go down the path he once did

[savethepolarbears]

Favorite Nestled in the heart of Amsterdam, the Tivoli Doelen Amsterdam Hotel is a true gem in the city’s hospitality scene. As one of Amsterdam’s oldest and finest 5-star hotels, it has a rich history and offers guests an unparalleled luxurious experience. The hotel was recently renovated, ensuring that its classic charm is complemented by […]

[patrice-bergerons]

I follow a few railway enthusiasts on twitter and I hate it because thanks to them I currently can't stop thinking about traveling from London to Istanbul by train 😭😭😭

[mikimeiko]

Day 5 - Rijeka>Trieste>Milan

It's not raining! Still very cloudy white sky but we'll count this as a win XD

I see the rooms manager on my way out. He asks me where I'm off to today and when I tell him that I'm going back to Milan he tells me that he lived there for 16 years! He did speak Italian remarkably well, but still it was a nice coincidence (also he was a very nice man! I wish I asked him his name but alas I'm not good at conversation and I forgot XD)

I have more than two hours before my bus leaves and my backpack is quite heavy, so I alternate walking around with coffee breaks, not a bad way to start the day XD in every café I've been here and in Slovenia they always brought me a big glass of water with my coffee and can I just say: yes. Yes please, can we import this custom? (in most of central/southern Italy they'll give you a small glass of water, which is also nice. In Milan - and most of northern Italy - they give you NO water and it's barbaric, time to move with the rest of Italy and the Balkans Milan!)

Being the person I am I of course go the bus station very early to make sure it exists XD and find my bus stall. Apparently the flixbus buses stop... somewhere around here but not at the stalls of the bus station? D: I hate uncertainty!

I get another coffee nearby, at a lovely café with beautiful yellow chairs, and I see a train go by on the rail crossing I saw on the first day while walking from the station! (It's always strange for me seeing a level crossing inside a city)

I get one last meat burek before I leave and WHY DID I EAT ANYTHING ELSE. I love meat bureks. Food of the gods. I should have eaten way more of them. Now I'm sad that I won't get to eat more meat bureks. I wonder if they have burek in Trieste. (Also. Also. Why is there no burek in Milan. Lots of Balkan people in Milan. Please open a burek place? Pretty please? XD)

I leave Rijeka on a much sweeter note than when I arrived. These two days have been good in their weird way, and if I'm ever in this area in a different, sunnier season I'll make sure to come back and take a look.

My bus to Trieste went through Opatija and it was indeed very pretty in the daylight!

It was foggy in Croatia, then when went into Slovenia it cleared up a bit and you could actually see the surroundings. And then we crossed into Italy and it's... foggy again? Maybe staying in Slovenia was the key XD

(Also we didn't go through a passport control when we crossed from Slovenia to Italy? But we did when entering Slovenia from Croatia 🤔)

When I get to Trieste everything is very grey. White sky, a general feeling of fogginess (though not real fog, not inside the city).

I leave my heavy backpack at a laggage storage and I find myself once again wandering around the city for 4 hours between a bus from the Balkans and a Frecciarossa train to Milan (last time I was coming from Ljubljana, but still). This city is huge, I think sooner or later I'll have to come visit it properly, and not just passing through at the end of a different journey.

Of course I find a Christmas market (I used to love Christmas markets but I hate the way they have become standardized in the past few years, now every city you go has the same stalls of usually mediocre crap and it's just sad) but! This one has warm apple juice with cinnamon, which makes me really happy.

I take a thousand photos of the canal, from every single bridge XD but the reflections are just too good!

I get to the sea. The last time I was here it was the first thing I did, going to the sea, and after two weeks of wandering far from the coast I just... cried. I saw the deep blue of the Mediterranean and actual tears formed in my eyes.

This time it's a ghostly sea, white and kinda haunted, but it's still mesmerising.

I walk along the promenade, farther than I did last time, until I get to the Salone degli Incanti (which is a beautiful name for an exhibition space, "Hall of Enchantments", but the building used to be the city's fish market and apparently incanti was the word they used for the fish auctions?).

There's an exhibition about videogames there, but OF COURSE it's closed today.

I walk back through a pedestrian zone, a part of Trieste i totally missed last time.

I stop at a café for coffee and cake, and once I'm done I realize that it's less than an hour to my train, I'm nowhere near the station, I have to stop somewhere to buy food for the journey+a couple of things to bring home from Friuli, get my backpack back from the luggage storage and possibly have time for a cigarette before the train.

I somehow manage a brisk pace despite my achy feet and tired muscles, and do everything I wanted to do; and most importantly I do not miss my train home ✌️

Yesterday when I got in the mood for some music I decided to listen to my 2022 big playlist (the playlist where I put all the songs I like that I discovered this year, in chronological order XD) instead of a new album, and it was the best decision. A good way to end the year.

[vectorworm]

You're so vague and confusing and untrustworthy 🥴💦

[una-wea--rara]

📍 Real de Catorce (Wirikuta en huichol). Fue una población minera y actualmente turística ubicada en el corazón de la sierra de Catorce, en el estado de San Luis Potosí, en el norte de México. El nombre fue tomado de la palabra Real, por sus minas de plata y de catorce ladrones que se escondieron en este lugar. . . . . #realdecatorce #slp #sanluispotosi #mx #mexico #turismo #excursion #viaje #travel #journey #sierra #real #mina #plata #historia (en Real de Catorce) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmDZB04N-vk/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lifequotes70]

Everyone you meet is a part of your journey, but not all of them are meant to stay in your life. Some people are just passing through to bring you gifts either they're blessings or lessons.