#Shoe Store in Riverside

[fannyrosie]

What do you mean, "I am overdressed for the beach"?

Today's little local history lesson that you won't find on any of the Village des écluses or Pointe-des-Cascades websites:

From 1900 to 1959, the Soulanges canal was where most boats would pass through to navigate the Saint-Laurent river in the area South-West of Montreal. At Pointe-des-Cascades, right next to the canal, there was an industrial site where all the maintenance materials for the canal were being built and stored, but when the canal closed in 1959, that site was left abandoned. In 1986, the site got revived, and the industrial buildings were repurposed as a summer theatre, restaurant and boutiques, and the riverside, as a small beach. However, the site was abandoned once again in the late 2010s, only to be picked up again by a new team wanting to restore the 80s resort it once was.

So, how is my 1980's does 1910's nautical outfit? I have also added a picture of my brother and I on that day, two pictures at Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue at sunset (with my sister and a different hat) and a picture of the abandoned "Hotel" (which was never a hotel) at Village des écluses, taken in April, on my Instagram post.

Outfit rundown Skirt: vintage Pink House Top: old Axes Femme Hat: vintage Shoes: old Queen Bee Parasol/umbrella (served both purposes that day): Alice and the Pirates Navy cat stamp brooch: Via Carousel All other jewellery: vintage

[fun-adventures-travels]

Recharge Your Weary Minds With Our Camping in Rishikesh Deal!

Nestled amidst the lush greenery of the Himalayas and along the banks of the holy Ganges, Camping in Rishikesh is an experience that rejuvenates both body and mind. Whether you're seeking an escape from the city's hustle or looking to immerse yourself in nature's serenity, this camping deal is your gateway to a perfect getaway.

About the Activity: A Perfect Escape into the Wilderness

The campsite is situated in Ghattughat, Pauri Garhwal, a tranquil area in Rishikesh surrounded by the captivating Rajaji National Forest. With over 6 acres of space, this location offers a 360-degree view of the majestic mountains and a serene river flowing nearby. It’s the ideal spot to set up camp and unwind.

Upon arrival, you'll be welcomed with a refreshing drink, setting the tone for an unforgettable experience. The site features 17 premium safari tents equipped with all the essentials, including attached washrooms, comfortable beds, and even a refrigerator to store your refreshments. This makes it one of the best camp in Rishikesh for a hassle-free and enjoyable stay.

Night Camping in Rishikesh: An Unforgettable Experience

As the day turns to night, the true magic of night camping in Rishikesh comes to life. Imagine sitting around a cosy bonfire, the stars twinkling above, and the soft murmur of the river in the background. With music filling the air, it’s the perfect setting for bonding with friends or family. Enjoy a delightful dinner, choosing from a variety of cuisines, and savour every bite as you soak in the serenity around you.

After dinner, you can retire to your tent for a restful sleep, with the gentle sounds of nature lulling you into a peaceful slumber. Waking up to the crisp mountain air and the sight of the sun rising over the peaks is an experience like no other.

Riverside Camping in Rishikesh: The Thrill of Adventure

For those who seek a bit of thrill, riverside camping in Rishikesh offers a range of activities to get your adrenaline pumping. Start your day with a refreshing dip in the river, or opt for an exhilarating cliff-jumping session. If you’re up for more adventure, try your hand at river rafting—a 16-kilometre stretch that’s sure to give you the excitement you crave.

Back at the campsite, you can indulge in various indoor games or simply lounge by the river, capturing the beauty of your surroundings. A short trek to a nearby waterfall adds a touch of exploration to your trip, giving you the chance to connect with nature on a deeper level.

Rishikesh Camping Booking: Plan Your Ideal Getaway

Planning your Rishikesh camping booking is simple and convenient. With three different packages to choose from, you can customize your stay based on your preferences. Whether you’re looking for a quick escape over the weekend or a more extended stay to fully recharge, there's something for everyone. The best part? You can book your spot with just ₹0 and pay the rest when you arrive.

The packages include 1 Night and 2 Days of camping, with delicious meals, a bonfire, music, and even a guided trek to a nearby waterfall. With prices starting at just ₹999 per person, it’s an affordable way to experience the beauty and adventure of Rishikesh.

Best Camping in Rishikesh: Why Choose Us?

What makes our campsite the best camp in Rishikesh? It’s the attention to detail and the commitment to providing a seamless experience. From high-quality tents to well-maintained facilities and friendly staff, we strive to make your stay as comfortable as possible. We also take safety seriously, with certified instructors and high-quality safety equipment for all adventure activities.

Our location, amenities, and services set us apart, ensuring that your time here is not just a camping trip but a rejuvenating retreat.

Tips for a Seamless Camping Experience

What to Bring: Pack comfortable clothing, sturdy shoes, and a flashlight. Don’t forget your camera to capture the beautiful moments.

Safety First: Follow all safety instructions provided by the instructors, especially during adventure activities like rafting and trekking.

Respect Nature: The campsite is located in a protected area. Ensure you dispose of waste properly and avoid littering.

Connectivity: While the campsite offers basic amenities, the mobile network can be patchy. It's the perfect excuse to disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with nature.

Wrap Up Your Journey with a Smile

A camping trip in Rishikesh is more than just a vacation; it’s a chance to refresh your soul and recharge your weary mind. With our thoughtfully curated packages, you can experience the best that Rishikesh has to offer, from serene nights under the stars to thrilling adventures by the river. So why wait? Book your camping experience today and embark on a journey of rejuvenation and discovery!

[myfeeds]

Prescribed burns encourage foul-smelling invaders

Stinknet, also called globe chamomile, is native to South Africa, but is commonly seen in photos of California’s colorful superblooms. “Not all flowering plants are indicative of a healthy ecosystem,” said Loralee Larios, UC Riverside assistant botany professor and study co-author. “This one isn’t.” In addition to its unpleasant odor, each of its tiny yellow ball-shaped flowers can hold hundreds of seeds. While expanding across entire parks, it crowds out native plants on which endangered local animals rely. The invader also reduces the overall health of the soil. In some cases, if an invasive plant changes the composition of the landscape enough, the soil can release stored carbon into the atmosphere, accelerating the negative effects of climate change. For these reasons, the researchers looked more closely at how stinknet spreads. They found that after a prescribed burn, many unburned patches of stinknet remain in what is otherwise bare ground, free of competition from other plants. “In fact, patches of stinknet left over after a burn create focal points for more invasions,” Larios said. This finding is detailed in the journal Restoration Ecology. To obtain it, the researchers observed plant behavior on a burned plot of land in Southern California’s Lake Perris State Park. Over two years, starting in 2020, they saw that the unburned stinknet patches had double the number of viable seeds, as compared to the areas that were completely burned and had no leftover stinknet. It appears that singed patches create favorable microclimates for stinknet, creating soil temperature, light, and moisture conditions that help it spread. Additionally, they found that adding native plant seeds back into the burned area did not significantly increase the presence of native species. “Stinknet likely releases chemicals through its roots that kill soil fungi essential for native plant growth,” said Stuart Schwab, a doctoral candidate in plant sciences at UCR and lead study author. Because prescribed burns offer so many benefits for the landscape, including removing highly flammable invasive grasses, the researchers are not suggesting that land managers end the practice. Rather, they are calling for more targeted, secondary stinknet treatments after burns. “Options could include pulling patches of remaining stinknet out of the ground by hand, or doing something called solarizing, where you put a dark tarp on an area to heat and kill any remaining seeds underneath,” Schwab said. “As a last resort they could use herbicides.” Going forward, the research team would like to conduct similar studies to understand how fire impacts the spread of other invasive species. In the meantime, hikers and nature lovers can do a lot to help stop stinknet spread. “Clean your boots if you go on hikes. That’s a major vector,” Schwab said. “The seeds are less than a millimeter wide. They’re tiny specks and easy to miss. Just brushing your shoes periodically can really minimize how far they travel.” Finally, the researchers want non-scientists to feel empowered in the fight to minimize the impact of plants like stinknet on local ecosystems. “The majority of invasive plants were originally discovered by non-scientists. UC Riverside undergraduates were the first to find stinknet,” Larios said. “Sharing with others through sites like iNaturalist is so important! Researchers can’t cover that much space by themselves.”

[muutant]

Simple Tips And Tricks To Update Your Home

People begin home improvement projects for a variety of reasons, including the desire to increase the resale value of their home and the need to update their living environment. No matter what your motivation, this article will provide you with a wealth of helpful information, as you begin your chosen project.

Many people may see dark paneling in their rooms as a curse. However, it can be really simple to spice up your panels to make them suitable and stylish. Lightly sand your panels and paint over it with a primer. Then just apply a coat of paint in the color of your choice. This will give new life to your room as well as your dark paneling.

Have a missing or damaged tile? Take a sample to your local home improvement store to see if they can match the color. Replacing an entire floor of tile is expensive as well as a heinous chore. Save money and time by finding a tile that is a close match to the existing tile.

If you're one of the many people who are suffering from lack of space in their closets, have no fear. You can easily build simple shelving inside of your closet to create more space for your clothing and accessories. Hang your purses on pegs and put your shoes in small plastic boxes to be able to later stack them on the bottom of your closet. Whatever you're not using and is out of season, consider moving them to storage or storing them under your bed.

Resurface the concrete walkways and driveways around your home for a new look. Replacing concrete can get incredibly expensive and doesn't add much to the curb appeal of your home. Consider resurfacing with cobblestone or brick which will cost a fraction of replacing concrete and will look like a million bucks.

Looking for a way to improve your home? Instead of hiring an interior designer to decorate your home for you, buy home decor magazines and books to use as inspiration. Give yourself some time to learn. Take some design elements from pictures you see, and use other people's ideas to help spark your creativity. Spend the money you would on an interior designer on your furniture and accessories instead.

Regardless of why you decide to take on a home improvement project, it can be difficult to know where to begin. These tips are meant to give you a starting point and provide a reference as you begin working around your house. Be creative and enjoy the process; the results of your hard work will definitely be worth it in the end.

Read more here Painters near me Painters In Riverside Affordable Painters in Riverside Expert Painters in Riverside

[cipheramnesia]

The bus stop was a few blocks south of Riverside, a lonely flagged sign marking the couple dozen patients and two orderlies. One or two drops of drain spotted about them, Athena blew her hair out of her face, shuffled again to stop her feet hurting and adjust the ratty backpack. Her clothes and everything else she owned was supposed to be in it, and her hands in the pocket of her hoodie were wrapped tight around the hummingbird pendant, sweaty against the metal.

She also had a sky blue puffy vest, which was too small, and plain white canvas shoes the exact shape of sickness. Orderlies glanced her way when she moved, but they didn't have to tell her a third time not to mess with the plastix bag safety pinned to the vest. It had "Athena Smith" scribbled on the outside, a sheaf of paper and some cash inside. One of the other patients started to walk away from the bus stop, he was corralled to the group. He had his own clear bag pinned to a jean jacket that was too big and a bright orange duffel over his shoulder. Everyone had a bag, some of the patients in wheelchairs demanded to know where they were going, some had walkers and slumped on them.

It was hours waiting before a bus hissed to its exasperating stop. "Okay," one of the orderlies, a older woman with frown lines. "Good news today, you're all able to move to outpatient treatment. This bus will take you to a halfway house, and you should be able to enjoy the new freedom of independence."

Bus engine growling out diesel fumes, a few coughs. Someone to Athena's left asked where Annie was again. She looked to either side and found reflections of her own exhaustion.

"Okay great!" The orderly clapped. "Now be patient and we'll have you all settled in." No one rushed to get in line.

It took an hour. The bus driver even started mentioning he had somewhere to be. Cigarette butts and dirt were all ground into the floor of the bus, the plastic seats generously had shapes painted on them that looked like cushions. She kept her head down, watched the orderlies go back and forth around the edge of her hoodie, putting the wandering patients back in their seats, locking wheelchair wheels and ignoring the occasional protests about leaving.

The hazy plastic window was cool on her forehead, and the orderlies dropped behind the bud, pitching and rolling with each pavement crack and stop sign. Houses and businesses set back from the road with grass and parking crept up closer against the sidewalk, merged ranks and erased driveways, straightened up taller, ate away the grass. It rained more, no one tried to stand up, the older man next to her said, "lovely day for a drive." Athena unpinned her plastic bag, and stuffed it into the pocket of her hoodie.

When the bus stopped and the driver said, "Okay folks, last stop, time to get out," Athena didn't see much difference from any other corner. It had a big old three story house across from a small store with a couple kids talking in front of it, empty lot on the other side and a closed garage.

A stout matched couple made their way into the bus, introduced themselves as the Joneses, and started helping everyone off the bus. The woman who took Athena's hand smiled and her face had papery laugh lines, the skin of her hand was soft and giving, exceedingly dry. Watery green eyes sparkled and cut along her shape, searching. "I'm Gina Jones," she said.

Athena said, "Thanks," and shuffled out of the bus, past the hushed urgency of the driver and Mr Gina Jones.

"I don't know, I don't got anywhere else to take em."

"Well, we can't take them. They didn't say anything about wheelchairs! We don't even have a ramp. And frankly some of them aren't all there. We can't handle-" he lowered his voice as Athena got close "-you know... slow people."

"I don't care, fast slow deaf dumb or blind, pal. You can call Riverside if you got issues."

"Real funny, you know I can't..."

Athena stepped into the exhaust cloaked outdoor and the pissdown rain. It smelled, looked, and felt worse than any other place she could remember, but she found herself smiling a little bit. Almost soundlessly she whispered, "I'm outside."

The bus driver and older Mr Gina Jones were still arguing, getting louder. Gina was cooing about the sidewalk trying flutter wandering ex-patients towards the glass front doors of their halfway house. Someone was leaning out an upstairs window, smirking. Athena moved slowly at first, then more quickly, across the street and past the kids (laughing at the expanding bus chaos), into an artificial bing bong doorway to the corner store.

Inside again, but it didn't reek of bleach or diesel. Radio noise, racks of bright snacks and magazines all around, someone with a dark beard behind the counter, fried food smells. Dizzy with a thousand new sensations, she wobbled to the counter. Dark brown eyes, almost black, like hers. "How can I help you," his voice was like a music she never heard.

The smile which had crept onto her face broke into a grin. She wasn't inside, or outside. She was out. She finally loosened her grip from the pendant in her pocket, pulsing warm and inspired to a plan. Simply find her.

"Can you tell me how to get to the Riverside Clinic for Wellness?"

Part 3: The Death, Rebirth, and Afterlife of Parasite Alice

The Riverside Clinic for Wellness and Long-term Care weathered safely the storms of the burn just as all the worst memories navigate the mindscape unimpeded. The venerable history of the red brick and white trimmed building carried it through the poor and homeless left in squalor to the airy chill of lobotomy and electroshock therapy, two wings wide and three floors tall. Its height well serviced its intent, too short for escape even via a yearning leap from the roof to its concrete driveway.

The persistance of such single-minded enclosure of the divergent mind carried forward to the interior, with mutiply sectioned floors along each wing navigable only through a network of stairwells. A more modern elevator spired through the center of the building, lever operated and gated by iron on all sides. None of the layers of white tile or muted gray carpet or soothing art prints or geometic wall paintings over the years could fully excise the prison lovingly built into the architecture. Inside, it promised no escape. Outside its dignified facade offered warm reassurance that aging loved ones to difficult children and everyone in between would be safely forgotten.

Some part of Alice understood all this as the square black truck complained about stopping at the brick stairs with their awkwardly late addition of a wheel chair accessible ramp, leading to wide white doors set with large windows blocked by gauzy white curtains. The driver helped her out of the car and she said, "I can do it just fine!" before almost falling as her legs wobbled. She didn't like strangers touching her, but now everyone was a stranger and she leaned on a stranger just for the simple task of reaching the door of the building where she will die of cancer.

The doors swung inward to reveal an average man with a surfeit of dignity to his gray peppered mustache and deep, dark eyes beneath a noble high forehead and a gently swept back head of mostly gray hair. His thick belly preceded his wide shoulders into any room, and his hands were noticeably large with thick fingers, moving quickly and nimbly to pull a wheelchair onto the small porch. He wore checked trousers, a pale yellow golf shirt, and his arms were exceptionally hairy.

"So good to meet you," he let one hand overtake his stomach to greet Alice, which she disregarded. "My name is Dr Hopewell, and I'm the administrator here at Riverside. I've heard quite a bit about you, and I wanted to make you comfortable right away. You're quite the special guest!" He smiled away the dignity of his profile.

"I don't need a wheelchair," she said. The driver shrugged and let her go, forcing her to grab to armrests to keep standing. "I'm just tired." She gave daggers out of her eyes to both men before maneuvering herself into the seat. "Don't get used to this."

The driver passed a clipboard over her head. "You gotta sign for the delivery, also initial there... and there. Sign and date there too. Okay, nice knowing you."

Dr. Hopewell was already turning her and rolling her into the building before the driver started the truck. "Don't worry Alice, we'll make sure you have the best of care here. You're a celebrity after all, but there may be a few bumps ahead!" They wheeled past a heavy wood door and a much larger orderly took over, pushing her down the hall then bumping up a flight of stairs.

"We specialize these days in unique individuals like yourself. I understand you won't persue treatment?" She folded her arms and rolled her eyes. "Well, if you change your mind, we can be ready to start immediately." The chair and orderly bumped back down stairs into another long hallway. "But here is your room, and we've put you with someone you should get along with. She's very unique."

The room was small, two beds with a curtain divider, wall mounted TV sets, a closet bathroom, one tall window and a few small sets of sad artificial wood drawers.

Another woman sat in a rolling tube frame chair in the far corner of the room. She was big and soft and still in pajamas, her belly stuck out a bit from under the top, and her sloping shoulders seemed to be a permanent fixture of her slouch while the sweeping curve of her neck to her chin echoed in her faint jawline. Her nose was long and straight and Alice thought it was very fine with her dark black eyes looking a thousand miles away and her arrow straight glossy black hair hanging behind the chair. Alice wondered what it would be like to hold her hand. Would she squeeze hard or gently? Interlaced or fingers to thumb.

She about the woman's hands and lips and eyes enought, it took her longer than it should have to realize the other woman was also shimmering with the golden glow of the burn.

[luckyfeetshoesriverside]

LUCKY FEET SHOES OF RIVERSIDE

We are located in the Riverside Plaza Shopping center next door to the California Pizza Kitchen. Visit our Lucky Feet Shoes store in Riverside today!

WE LOVE HAVING LUCKY FEET SHOES IN RIVERSIDE

Called by many as “California’s second Gold Rush” destination because of the number of people moving there, Riverside is a beautiful city in Southern California, nestled between the ocean and the mountains. Full of museums, fine dining and a growing and diverse population, you’ll learn a lot as you travel around the city. It’s definitely a top stop for visitors in Southern California.

Go on the rides at Castle Park. You’ll need a whole with the entire family, to explore this park. 27 rides are suitable for any age. Castle Park unlocked its doors to the public in 1976 and had never stopped increasing its size to put up with the needs of the people. There are four courses ready to test your miniature golf skills. Other areas of interest include a water playground, carnival games, and an arcade. Don’t forget to visit Lucky Feet shoe store for a superb and wide range of shoes to choose from. We are located in the Riverside Plaza Shopping Center next door to the California Pizza Kitchen. Visit our website at https://luckyfeetshoes.com/locations/riverside/

Brands we carry:

New Balance, Brooks, Aravon, Birkenstock, Orthaheel, Vionic Dansko, Klogs, Dunham, Naot, Ziera, Aetrex, Finn Comfort, Spira, Drew, PW Minor, Gravity Defyer, Merrell, Keen, Earthies, Jambu, Cushe, Arcopedico

6 locations to serve you:

Rancho Cucamonga (909) 987-5555

San Dimas (909) 394-3338

Anaheim Hills (714) 282-1000

Temecula (951) 297-3411

La Quinta (760)444-4154

Long Beach (562) 498-4998

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[sweetlolah]

The Alaskan Coquette Aesthetic

~summer time bring bikini tops, rubber boots, and shorts.  Her skin is tan from nude sunbathing in the hours and hours of daylight. There are scratches and mosquito bites on her skin but a few owies are never going to stop her from going out and having fun. 

~ winter time brings cute leggings and big socks under long fur collared snow suits and pilot hats.  Her nose is rosy from the cold and sometimes there’s a sparkling frost on her eyelashes.  When she comes inside it’s hot chocolate and fresh baked sourdough bread.

~she’s always looking around, aware.  Whether she’s fishing at the riverside and looking out for bears and eagles, or at the ski slope looking for a cutie to sit and have a drink with, this girl never misses a thing.

~ she’s always prepared and always independent.  She has wrenches and an emergency kit in her car.  She can reattach a muffler to a truck and patch a ripped jacket equally well. 

~ she can hunt, fish, hike, snowmachine, build a cabin as well as the guys, while making it look easy. 

~ always eager to learn, she listens to her elders, especially old women.

~she is eco-concious, being so close to nature. using bio-degradable, natural, locally made, or used products are a must. 

Staples of the Alaskan Coquette are:

~good winter gear. It gets cold here, so whether it’s thinsulate boots found at the thrift store, a fur lined cap purchased from an elderly woman, or a pair of Oakly snow pants gifted by a boyfriend, the Alaskan coquette is above all, warm. After all, the secret to having fun in the winter is staying warm! You can coordinate or match your snow gear.  Anything with a vintage aesthetic, like bomber jackets, pilot hats, and hooded parkas is gonna look killer as long as it’s warm! Leather, fur, down, and wool are good for keeping warm and are more eco friendly than plastics.

~during the non-snowy months, our coquette wears xtra toughs or other rubber rain boots.  The ground is muddy but there’s enough tread to conquer almost any terrain. You never know when you need to cross a stream or run through the muskeg. These shoes are easy to slip off before running in the house so you don’t track mud everywhere, and they come in so many cute patterns! You can get taller ones which are reminiscent of go-go boots, which look killer with demin short-shorts and and a crop top. As for clothing, wear something that is sturdy and easy to wash.  Carhartts are commonly worn up here because they’re tough and last a long time. light long sleeves are also popular because of the mosquitoes.  Cotton and linen are light and good for keeping cool, and are more eco friendly than plastics.

~the coquette smells like citronella.  A less harsh natural alternative to DEET and other commercially available bug repellents, it also smells lovely.  Lavender, mint, and wildflower are also good scents if you’re looking for a perfume.

~alaskan coquette makeup is simple, if at all, and rarely relies on thinks like foundation or concealer which could smudge, get cakey, or cracked, besides, you tend to lose your color during the dark long winter months, and gain it back in the long summer days. I really cannot stress how much of a difference 20 hours of sunlight a day makes in terms of a glowing complexion. focus on the lips and eyes, with reds or pale glossy pinks for the lips, paired with long lashes and either no or nude eye make up, or frosty pale makeup. Very pale or sun-burn prone coquettes will use a gentle baby sunblock during the summer. It protects and moisturizes the skin, and also leaves a pleasant scent. Vaseline, or cottonwood balm on the skin can prevent being cold chapped during the winter. The three most important alaskan coquette staples are: ~a good moisturizer ~a good chapstick ~sunblock for the summer

~ the alaskan coquette will often keep her long hair up in braids, ponytails, pigtails, or other styles that keep it out of her face while she’s active.  Milkmaid braids, dutch and french braids, are good for a long term hold with a cute look.  A coquette with more coily hair will find a dual purpose in protective hairstyles, in that they keep the hair safe while keeping it put up out of the way.

But of course, some coquettes opt to cut their hair short and forgo the hassle altogether.

Motifs

Not in alaska? fleece just too hot for where you live?

~snowflake patters and decor

~wildlife, sled dog, salmon stuffed animals.

~rain boots or snow boots depending on the season.

~cute but practical hairstyles

~log cabin ‘hunting lodge’ style decor.

~bomber jackets, high wasted carhartts

~antiques,

~buying things that will last, going to thrift stores for deals, learning to make and repair items.

[wolveria]

Inside Your Wires - Ch 21

Pairing: Human!Connor x Android!Reader

Series Warnings (18+ only): Eventual smut, slow burn, fantasy bigotry, violence, brief noncon elements, angst with a happy ending

Chapter Summary: Fueled by alcohol and pain, the detective confronts you at the park. The sound of silence is broken only by the softly falling snow.

AO3

The detective didn’t speak when you slipped into the passenger seat.

He didn’t say a word when he stopped at a 24-hour liquor store and picked up a bottle in a discreet brown paper bag.

And he remained silent as he put the car into park and reached across your space, opened the glove compartment, and pulled out the stale packet of cigarettes. The detective shoved open his door and stepped out, leaving you alone as he walked, head down and shoulders hunched, through the bleak weather.

The snow had started to fall by the time you reached Riverside Park, the second time you had been there that day. It appeared even more desolate now, dark and dreary except for the sparse streetlights.

You pushed open your own door a moment later, gaze never wavering from the figure near the railing. Your shoes crunched over the damp asphalt, still warm enough to melt the flakes as soon as they landed. Your own internal temperature had cooled and wasn’t hot enough to melt the snow, and it caught in your hair and rested on your jacket as you drew up beside the detective.

He had settled on a bench, perched on the back portion with his legs planted on the seat, already tucked into his bottle and a lit cigarette dangled between his lips.

You pulled your arms across your chest and attempted to shield your open skin from the biting winds. The deviants had ripped open the garment, most of the buttons now missing, so you tucked the jacket as far closed as it would go.

You would have to requisition CyberLife for a new uniform, but at the moment, you had a larger issue to address.

“What are we doing here, Detective? It’s late,” you said, finally breaching the silence. “You should stop drinking. Go home and get some rest.”

The human remained silent. Just stared straight ahead, a hollow-eyed look on his face you didn’t enjoy seeing there.

If the detective was going to remain reticent and ignore you, you were going to have to take a more direct approach.

“May I ask you a personal question, Detective?”

A huff escaped his mouth, along with a white puff of air that could have been steam or smoke.

“Would it matter if I said no?”

You didn’t answer the question, sensing it was a rhetorical one. He sighed with a roll of his eyes as he gazed up at you.

“What is it?”

You paused for a moment, ascertaining his stress levels. An alarming 76% floated next to his head. Despite his quiet demeanor, his stress levels were much higher than you would have thought.

“What am I doing wrong?”

His brows lifted and he huffed again, looking away to peer over the water. You stepped closer, refusing to be ignored, and his shoulders tensed in response.

“It seems every action I take and every conversation we have only creates more tension between us. Earlier, when I went to your home, you were incredibly angry with me. And then again tonight after—“

“After you let the deviants go, yeah,” he growled, and then released another sigh as he shook his head. “I just… I can’t figure you out.”

You waited for him to finish taking a swig of his bottle. He wiped his mouth across the back of his hand, wincing and sniffling, perhaps at the burning effects of the alcohol.

“It’s your mission, your whole existence, to find one of these deviants, right? So why did you let them go?”

“As I said earlier, Detective, you would have been killed had I intervened—“

The detective bolted to his feet, and before you could move away, shoved you hard at the shoulder.

You took a step back, stumbling but quickly regaining balance as you planted your feet on the thin layer of snow-covered concrete.

“You were more than willing to let me die on that rooftop,” he said, voice low and hostile. His eyes searched yours, expression stony as he stepped closer. “Correct me if I’m misremembering. I’m only human, after all.”

Another shove, another stumble backwards. You did a quick scan; his BAC level was at an alarming level, as was his heart rate. You should have stopped him from purchasing more liquor.

“What changed?”

He bared his teeth and gave you a third shove. This one hit so hard you stumbled several steps, and something hard hit the small of your back. You tried to move away from the railing, but the detective trapped you, pinned you with his larger body against the metal bar as he fisted your jacket in his hands.

“When did you suddenly decide my life was worth something?”

He loomed over you, close enough that you could feel the heat emanating from his body and smell the scotch on his breath. Your LED flashed yellow, processors trying to understand what the best approach was to placate the human.

“Your life has always been worth something, Detective.”

Apparently, that answer wasn’t satisfactory going by the deep scowl on his lips and the tighter hold on your jacket.

“What was the chance they’d have killed me? Come on, I know you ran the calculations.”

You answered truthfully, still not understanding the detective’s logic.

“98.9%”

“Yeah? And that was too high for you?”

“Unacceptably.”

He shook his head but eventually released you. Shoved away from you, more accurately, and turned away to walk back to the bench.

You followed him, unsure what else to do, and watched as he took another pull of the bottle that he’d set down. He picked up the cigarette, still lit and almost burned down to the nub.

The detective approached, pinched the cigarette between his fingers as he took a long drag, and then blew the smoke into your face.

You blinked, LED spinning faster yellow as your sensors read the exact chemicals of the smoke, your internal filters trying to clean the tainted air as it entered your system.

“We’re still just numbers to you,” he said. Accused. “A bunch of ones and zeros.”

It was more complicated than a simple binary structure, but you said nothing, knowing the detective wouldn’t appreciate a lesson in ethical and moral calculations. He circled you, narrowed eyes never leaving your face. You were reminded of one of those nature documentaries where large sharks would circle their hapless prey.

“And then there’s you. Built without flaws. Without fear, or hatred. Or love.” His voice quieted. “You were made to be perfect.”

You dropped your eyes, wanting to turn your head to watch the human but deciding it might only antagonize him. Regardless, every sensor was tuned to his close presence as his stress levels hovered in the high 70s.

“But perfect doesn’t work in the real world. Life is cruel and messy and makes no goddamn sense, but you could never understand that, could you? You and your flawless existence. Pristine and pure down to your very code.”

The detective came to a stop in front of you. His stress levels were in the 80s now, colored red to indicate the range where he was least predictable and most easily antagonized.

You lifted your eyes to meet his narrowed gaze, and you realized he was waiting for a response.

“You’re intoxicated, Detective,” you said with a slight tilt of your head. “Alcohol clouds your judgement and makes you emotionally unstable.”

Stress level spiking into the nineties, the detective stepped back, removed the revolver from the holster on his hip, and aimed the barrel directly at your forehead.

You did nothing except meet his gaze with unwavering calm.

With his free hand, he removed the stub of his cigarette and dropped it, grinding it into the snow with his boot while never breaking eye contact.

“I could put a bullet in your head, and you’d show up later like nothing happened.” He lightly snorted as a humorless smile crossed his lips. “That’s what you said before, right? Some other machine will come and take your place?”

“Correct.”

Your voice was even but your LED spun yellow, over and over. What answer was the detective seeking? What did this human want? Why had he seemed so desperate to return your pump regulator, and was now threatening you with a firearm he’d nearly used on himself?

He took a step forward and pressed the muzzle against your forehead. You held his gaze, noting the glassy shine of his eyes, the red-rimmed lids, and the flushed color of his cheeks and the redness of his nose.

The detective was… distraught. Far more than he should have been if merely inebriated.

“Humans don’t have that nifty option. Once we’re gone, that’s it. No second chances. No extra lives. One moment you’re there, and the next… there’s nothing.”

Liquid spilled over his brimming eyelids, dampening his cheeks. Crying. That’s what this was. But why? Your social module returned nothing helpful. You were lost.

His voice was a hoarse whisper as he said, “Do you get that? Does that even enter into your processors, you goddamn machine?”

You opened your mouth to respond but no dialogue options were presented to you. Another software error? Or was the detective’s behavior too unpredictable for even your advanced social module?

“Do you feel anything? Anything at all?” His voice cracked partway, and his chin trembled as he blinked rapidly.

The muzzle pressed against your forehead had started to waver. You had no prompts on how to calm the human. The situation had gotten out of your control so quickly, and you still didn’t know what he wanted.

“As you said, Detective.” Your words were quiet, almost gentle. “I’m just a machine.”

His shoulders slumped as if in defeat, his expression falling as he looked away. He lowered the gun.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “You are.”

His stress levels fell. Down to the 80s… 70s…

He looked up, eyes hard as he bared his teeth.

His stress levels spiked. Warning notifications flashed across your HUD.

Level of stress—

He pulled the trigger.

As the bullet ripped through the circuits and wiring of your processing unit, the detective’s last recorded stress levels flashed across your sensors.

100%.

Next Chapter

[iwillsearchtheuniverse4u]

See You In My Dreams, Stranger

Sik-k smut | khh smut

Warnings: SMUT! ORAL! (f and m receiving) PUBLIC? (not really tho)

Preview: Meeting a stranger on my night walk down the river turns out to be one of the best nights of my life.

It was one of those restless nights that I’ve been dreading ever since I started attending university. I couldn’t sleep, the thought of not knowing where my life is headed keeping me awake every single night. I couldn’t concentrate, I couldn’t brush my teeth or remember to drink water, I just felt like existence was so utterly useless when all my dreams have been swept under a rug somewhere because I was too afraid to act upon them. I’d been dreaming of becoming a translator but all the odds of the world were against me so I chose some apparently more ‘useful’ business degree that I hated with all that I had in me. Because of my perfectionism I had been attending all of my online classes and excelling at them but I felt empty, I felt like I had been contributing to everything I hated the most in this society. At the same time I was just too afraid to change my major because I felt like I had to do something impressive to the outside world, something that would make people respect me.

Just another night of endless tossing and turning, tears streaming down my face, wondering if life does ever get better than this. I couldn’t take it anymore. I got up, took a few steps towards the light switch in the corner of my one room apartment and pressed it. The cheap yellow light bulb lit up the room. The floor next to my mattress was covered in books I was trying to study from and my notes covered in smudged ink. I had a bad habit of crying while studying, sleeping, listening to music and showering, every activity that demanded me to be alone in my little space that had never really felt like home at all. Not much else was in that room apart from a small refrigerator, a microwave oven, my mattress, a closet and a wooden bookshelf. I also had a tiny bathroom that always smelled a bit moldy if I forgot to spray the air freshener three times a day.

I decided to go for a walk along the river as it became clear I wasn’t getting a second of sleep in that night. I hastily put on my black leggings and a hoodie with my high school’s logo on it. I desperately needed to get away from my own thoughts so I grabbed my phone and my earphones that were tied into little knots as always. I couldn’t afford the wireless ones because my scholarship was kept safe in my bank account where I was saving every last cent just in case I decided to drop out and go move to...run away to a foreign country where my name sounds like a whisper of the distant wind. As I was locking my door I heard one of the neighbors flush their toilets. Most of them were students like me or people living on part-time jobs, I never really met any of them, they were just familiar faces I would probably forget in a year after moving out.

The streets were quiet, only the sounds of air conditioners and an occasional motorbike or a car passing by me. I checked my phone to see the time, the picture of my favourite singer’s face lighting up my screen: 3.30am. Of course other parts of the city were probably very much alive at this time of the night but my area was populated only by grocery stores, cafes and libraries, not a single club in sight. The only lights I could see where streetlights and some LED signs. I headed towards the river trying to untie my headphones. I put them in my ears and decided to lose myself in the beats of one of those hyped-up rap songs. I put the volume up just so it was a bit uncomfortable and let my ears adjust to the blasting music.

I finally reached the riverside and started walking along the flow of the water. I couldn’t hear it but it still resonated with my mind better than the rustling sound of the city. There was a road along the river that ended somewhere within the green forest because the are was populated with some important bird species that I could never remember the name of. I sat on the bench at the beginning of that forest, my mind still dissolved in the loud beats coming out of my earphones. Even though my ears were covered with a thick layer of my long brown hair I was sure the music could be heard by anyone standing within a 1 meter ratio. I didn't mind, it was 4 am, people were either asleep or sloppily making out in a club somewhere far away. Thinking about the things I was missing out on started to become louder than the music and I let my tears fall. I was overworked, overwhelmed and empty, I couldn't keep it in. Not that I ever tried. I had never been good at hiding my emotions.

Looking at the night view of the city on the other side reflecting on the surface of the river, getting lost in my thoughts, I felt the bench move ever so slightly under my body. I looked to the side and almost fainted at the sight of a dark shadow sitting beside me. My heart started beating and I stood up to leave in case it was a stranger trying to talk to me in the middle of the night. As I took my first step away from the bench the person lightly touched the fabric of my sleeve. I looked back at him. I was certain it was a man judging by his broad shoulders and a black cap on his head. I removed my headphones, my heart still beating as if I had been running for the last 3 hours. "Excuse me. I wasn't trying to bother you or anything. I just like to look at the city at night when my head gets all crowded and I can't think straight. Don't go just because of me." His voice was deep and raspy but had an elegant tone to it, it felt  calm but distant as if he had been lost in thought. He was looking at me and the lights of the city were playfully jumping around in his eyes but his expression was the complete opposite. He seemed broken. I couldn’t let myself leave him, partly because he seemed significantly depressed and partly because he was astonishingly beautiful. My feet were unable to move, I stood there for a moment contemplating my options but my gut feeling sat me down next to him.

As we were sitting, each on one side of the bench, looking at the sparkly surface of the river my heart calmed down and minutes passed, none of us speaking, just the sound of the river mixed with my music flowing through the night air. "You were crying." He stated with a regretful tone, almost whispering. My cheeks flushed with warmth, I looked at his profile, him still staring at the waves. "I just thought I was alo-" "Don't. Feelings aren't something to be ashamed of. They're just as much a part of you as your legs and arms are. If people feel burdened it's usually their problem because they've never been faced by their own emotions. They just don't know how to act and feel uncomfortable." He talked slowly and didn't bother looking at me. It felt like his words were directed at the universe or at himself just at the general direction he was speaking, he looked so lost. I didn't notice I was staring until he looked at my eyes and smiled. It was one of those crooked smiles, filled with a certain type of worry I couldn't identify. "You can tell me why you were crying. I probably won't remember tomorrow anyway. I can lend you my ears for tonight, maybe I'll forget all about my own problems." His gaze moved back to the view as he sat back and crossed his arms on his chest. At that moment I felt like telling him every little thing about my life. It had been so long since I had anyone who would just listen without the constant urge to solve my problems but just LISTEN. I stopped myself. "I won't let you get off the hook that easy. I have a feeling that you're the one not facing your own problems. Why don't you lean on someone for a change?" I said, determined to make him speak. He looked at me from the side and his head slowly followed his gaze, his eyebrows furrowing just so much I could notice. The anticipation of hearing his raspy voice that felt so familiar and kind made me turn off my music. This man that sat next to me just a moment ago suddenly awakened my curiosity. It took a while for him to speak as we were maintaining a really intense eye contact for what felt as hours. I was able to inspect every milimeter of his dark cat-like eyes. "You're good at reading people, I'll give you that." He smiled and turned back to face the view. "I'm just under a lot of pressure. People expect a lot from me, that's all...and sometimes it can get really frustrating when I can't really reach those expectations. Sometimes it feels like there are so many people doing my thing better than me, it scares me." He put his hands in the pockets of his black sweater still staring at something in the distance. I wasn't sure what to say but he also didn't expect me to say anything. He needed someone to listen and I was there to supply. I asked: "And what would your 'thing' be exactly?" in an effort to get to know more about this mysterious creature in front of me. "Music. I make music for a living." His eyes now focused on his shoes while he bit his lips in an effort not to smile. I finally realized why his voice sounded so familiar, it was freaking Kwon Minsik, Sik-k, Korea's best rapper, sitting next to me staring at the Han river. My hand automatically covered my mouth as I inhaled. I was trying to calm myself down. He probably heard my playlist which was full of his songs and it made me feel so embarrassed, my cheeks flushing with heat again. He tried really hard to hide his cocky smile as he turned his face away from me, looking into the woods on the other side. After a few minutes he asked: "So now are you going to tell me why you were crying?" He was facing me, looking at my eyes attentively like a little boy waiting for instructions from his teacher. I was still to shy to maintain eye contact so I looked at my hands on my lap. I told him my story about how lost and useless I felt in life. I told him about feeling lonely and scared about my future. I told him everything.

Before I knew it tears started to emerge from my eyes again and I tried really hard not to look at Minsik who was still facing me, one of his arms resting on the back of the bench. I cracked. I cracked in front of a man I respected the most. It was embarrassing but also liberating, I was done trying to impress the world. I dropped my head, defeated. Next thing I felt was his warm hand on my cheek, gently wiping the trail of my tears. I froze for a bit, my eyes widening at the sudden proximity of his body. I didn't even notice him getting closer before he put his hand on my face. He was sitting right next to me, the sides of our thighs touching ever so slightly. I could hear my heart rate getting faster and louder. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t control it. I looked at him and he removed his hand, still looking at me with his furrowed eyebrows, a concerned expression drawing on his face. "I'm sorry. You probably think I'm just being childish, crying at something as trivial as my major." I said with a shaky voice. "Don't ever say sorry for your feelings ever again, you hear me? And besides, I don't think it's stupid, I think it's just very important to you. You want to set goals for yourself but you're too afraid that you're not going to reach them so you just let them go. I would obviously tell you to go for what feels right and figure it out but that won't make you feel secure and I bet a lot of other people in your life told you this before." He replied with his deep raspy voice that I loved so much. He was so close. I could feel every breath on the surface of my cheek, his left arm was lying behind me on the back of the bench, it was almost like a hug. I couldn’t think straight anymore, my thoughts were intertwined with the smell of his cologne and the heat of his body so close to mine. He didn't feel like a stranger, he felt like someone who'd known me for years. I buried my face into my hands so I wouldn't make any thoughtless mistakes. Suddenly, he moved away from me, I couldn’t feel the proximity of his body anymore, the cold night air embracing my whole being. I peeked up from my palms. He was still looking at me with concern in his eyes, saying: "Sorry, I probably got too close for comfort, I'm not used to this kind of emotional thing, you know?" I felt a desperate need for physical touch, maybe it was the cold air, the anxiety or his perfect stature or maybe it was a mix of both but I straightened my back and looked directly into his eyes. It was so unlike me to be this bold but my body automatically moved closer to his.

He didn't move even when my face was only ten centimeters away from his. His expression changed, his forehead relaxing, his eyelids closing halfway when I suddenly felt his hand on my thigh. He grabbed onto it like he was holding on for his dear life and it made me want him more. I stopped, looking down at his lips when he pulled himself closer. His smooth lips crashing into mine made me lean back but he was only getting closer until he pinned me to the wooden bench beneath us. It was a passionate kiss, his hands didn't limit themselves to my thighs but discovered the hot surface of my skin under my hoodie. I felt a certain kind of euphoria, the kind you only get to experience when you do something completely out of character for you but turns out to be the best thing you could have possibly done.

As our kiss was getting more heated and his hands were groping my breasts for a couple of minutes the heat between my legs was getting unbearable. I could feel one of his hands roam down to my thigh and up to my ass where he got the grip to grind against me. Our lips and tounges still inseparable, I played along and grinded my heat against his growing buldge until I heard his raspy growls which sent shivers down my spine. As our tempo aligned we started breathing heavily and his lips left mine but relocated to my neck, definitely leaving more than just the incredibly pleasing pain. There was only a couple of pieces of clothing seperating us but the longing was excruciating. I started tugging on the collar of his black hoodie, trying to stop him as his lips attacked my collarbone. "Stop...I can'...I can't take it." I said with a soft voice in between my moans. His hips stopped moving immediately and he pushed himself above me so we were looking face to face, his body still on top of me. The loss of friction left me feeling needy. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to be this fast, I just thought-" I got up and laid a small kiss on his lips mid-sentence. "Come to my place." I whispered in his ear. I hadn't gotten to know this part of me before but that night felt different. Maybe it was the stream of emotions I had just shared with this stranger on top of me or the tone of his voice or the feeling of the cold night breeze but I didn't want to spend this morning alone.

When we finally arrived at my door he was standing so close to me I almost held my breath trying to get myself to collect my thoughts. I swear I could hear his heartbeat like it was my own, his lips suddenly tracing the curve of my neck as I was trying to insert the right passcode. I couldn’t even focus in my own hands as his were holding me around the waist so it took me a few moments to find the right digits. When the holy sound of the door lock unlocking echoed in the hallway he already pressed the knob in a hurry and pushed me inside. Because my one room apartment was so small it only took our intertwined bodies a solid 30 seconds to hit the mattress. He was planting sloppy kisses down my collar bone as I was tugging at his hoodie, trying to set him free of it. He stopped for a moment only to get up and remove it. The moonlight from outside my small window caressing his elegant body, lighting him up from the back like he was some beastly creature of the night taking advantage of my sadness. I couldn’t move, he was sitting on top of me, his face was covered in darkness but I knew he was watching me. "Do you have any idea how freaking beautiful you look in this light?" His raspy whisper made me quiver. I smiled and looked away while my body was hungry for his touch. I wasn't ready to show it.

He slowly got up with his hands trailing the shape of my thighs until he was holding me behind the knees, still looking at me. I felt his hands pull my leggings of as if it was the easiest thing in the whole entire world. He then proceeded to playfully pull at my panties, rubbed my knot and lowered his face to blow at my growing heat, my legs almost immediately trying to close at the sudden pleasure. He held them open while licking my folds twice, trying to see my reaction. I couldn’t hold in my moans and my spine curved in-synch with my breathing. It was something I haven't felt in forever, not like this, not this strong. I grabbed onto his hair and he seemed to read the ques as he got rid of the piece of fabric. His tounge was doing circles around my clit making me see fireworks and probably tugging at his hair with both hands so much that his scalp was in pain. He got me shaking in a matter of minutes and it was the best high I've ever experienced, sending all kinds of shivers down my skin, leaving me panting. He was far from done though.

"You taste so good, baby girl," he said unknowing of the affect it had on me. I got up to unzip his pants (which he more than willingly helped me with). I traced my fingers down his perfect abs to the hem of his boxers and lower, tracing his hard member while inspecting his face. As soon as I grabbed it through the fabric with my whole hand his eyelids shut closed and his head fell back in pleasure. I pulled him to the mattress and got on top of him trying to grind at his boxers, making them soaking wet. Then I got up to remove the rest of his clothing. I proceeded to trace my tounge along his shaft and sucking on his member, enjoying his growls. His hands were grabbing the sheets and the veins on his forearms and neck were starting to protrude. Every now and then a soft "fuck~" escaped his mouth, motivating me to keep going. Then he suddenly stopped me, saying: "I need to come inside of you, grab my wallet." Instead, I got up to open one of my drawers where I was saving a pack of condoms, praying they would fit him. I handed one to him and he was so quick about it, it got me thinking just how many girls he gets to play around with like this every night. The thought escaped my mind when he stood up to hold me around the waist, slowly pulling me back to bed with him. He undressed me, pulling my hoodie over my head only to discover I wasn't wearing a bra underneath. His dark eyes glowed with passion as he greabbed one of my nipples, tugging at it while kissing me sloppily. He threw me on the mattress and got on top of me. My body was heated up completely, I couldn’t even feel the night breeze coming from the opened window. He licked my sensitive nipples a few more times before aligning himself with my entrance and pushing inside of me. The fireworks from before were nothing compared to the utter pleasure I felt at that exact moment, Sik-k filling me up perfectly. My head fell back in moans and my back curved up again. I could have sworn I saw stars playing in the darkness of my eyelids. All I heard him say was: "Fuck..." He took his time waiting for me to adjust and started to quicken his pace while adjusting the angle. One of his hands was stroking my stomach and the other was holding onto my ass. I tried to mimic his movements, increasing the fraction of our bodies. The moans escaping our mouths felt so unholy they made it even more passionate. "I'm going to- I'm close!" I squealed throught the moans which made him go even harder and faster. My whole body tensed up and I grabbed onto the bedsheets pulling them off. His dick was starting to twitch inside of me, hitting all the right spots and I knew he was trying his best to make me come first which was a rare experience. I opened my eyes seeing him focused on me with his furrowed eyebrows, sweat dripping down the side of his jawline. My body was caught up in a wave of shivers, the walls of my pussy tightening so much it got him shaking as well. We were both just trying to ride out our highs with the last strenght we had. It was sweaty and suffocating but liberating at the same time, all of our thoughts disappearing for these unthinkable moments of pleasure. His hot body collapsed on top of me, both of us trying to catch our breaths again. "This was amazing." I told him in between breaths. He rolled over me to remove the condom and, to my surprise, came right back to lie beside me, his arms hugging me from behind. He kissed my neck and whispered in my ear: "See you in my dreams, stranger."

[descendantofthesparrow]

Remember your past Life - Prince! Harry Hook x Chosen Knight!Reader - part 18 - new adventures and discoveries

=

It was hard to sleep that night, tossing and turning in the stable beds, staring at Harry's face as he somehow was able to sleep that night.

You sighed, tossing the covers off and shoving on your boots, walking outside the Riverside stable to check on your horses.

(h/n) and mercury(Harry's Horse) grazed the grass, (h/n) head popping up as you approached, she let out a soft snort and trotted over to you, nuzzling her muzzle into your head, nickering happily.

“hey girl” you muttered softly, smiling up at the large mare.

Mercury looked at you, ears twitching before going back to eating the grass. You sighed, leaning into (h/n) side and gazing up at the stars, millions of thoughts running through your mind.

How were you going to do this? Was this really happening?

How would you protect Harry?

You rubbed your face, willing your mind to leave you alone.

“come on girl” you sighed, placing your hand on (h/n)s neck and leading her over to the stable where your riding gear was “let's go for a ride huh?” she let out a small nicker, eagerly hoofing the ground as she waited for you to saddle her up as you grabbed your gear.

You checked your watch, nodding at the time “Harry shouldn’t be up till 6 so we have four hours to kill” you muttered, pocketing your phone and lifting yourself onto (h/n), kicking your heels into her side, setting her off in a trot “we won't go too far though” you sighed, rolling your neck, feeling the hilt of your blade hit the back of your skull gently.

You snapped (h/n) reins, setting her off in a lope (loose canter/run for anyone who doesn’t know horse terms) towards the west path of the stable, letting her follow the trail.

You noted a couple of monster camps as you rode by, but the monsters inside didn’t seem to pay attention to you, dancing around their fires and “talking” amongst each other.

You ignored them and continued into the forest path, you grunted as a rock soared over your head, looking to your left you spotted an octopus-like creature popping out of the ground and spitting a large rock at you.

Instinctively you grabbed your shield and braced yourself, your arm swang out as it inched close to you and hit the rock with a loud ring of metal, shooting it back at the creature and killing it, grimacing as it let out a loud squeal, it then disappeared in a poof of purple and black smoke.

“ugly little thing” you muttered, attaching your shield on your back and nudging (h/n) forward again, the mare snorting and leading off in a lope again.

Minutes later you finally left the forest, sighing as you spotted two pig-like monsters riding horses, one had a bow and the other had a large wooded bat thing with spikes. “come on (h/n)” you muttered “let's see if we can outrun em hm?” (h/n) nickered and took off in a gallop at the kick of your heels. The red pig-beast noticed you and started screaming, forcing the poor horse it was on to chase after you and (h/n), swinging its bat in the air.

You groaned and decided to just end its miserable life, singing around on (h/n)s back and drawing your bow, nocking an arrow and carefully aiming for the beasts head. You swiftly released the arrow, smirking as it went right between its eyes, the beast falling from the horses back and disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

The spotted horse it was riding nickered and slowed down, breathing heavily as it finally got a chance to rest.

“poor thing” you muttered, watching as it disappeared behind the bridge as (h/n) continued on the path, you unhitched the sheikah slate from your hip and looked at the map, noting that there was a curve around to get back to the riverside stable “we’ll go for another hour, then head back” you sighed aloud, clipping the tablet back on your waist and snapping (h/n)s reins, laughing as she bolted down the path.

-

So you intend to let this…relic, follow you around hm?

King Killian, his father, stood above him, his matching ocean blue eyes staring down at him, the usual warmth in them long gone cold. He sat down in his throne, leaning on his hand.

“yes” Harry nodded, holding his hands tightly below his waist “after talking to Purah and Robbie, we thought it would be best” the king narrowed his eyes at him.

“I will remind you once again, above all else, your duty is of utmost importance…are we clear?” Harry swallowed down his retort, looking down at the floor, staring at the symbol of the kingdom on the large carpet.

“yes we are clear, I understand” Harry spoke loudly, doing his best to not let the catch in his chest reveal itself.” and I will honor my duty” his father didn’t speak anymore, simply nodding at him and waving him off.

Harry turned, ignoring the looks of the new knight that had stationed herself at his side and Uma. the midsized egg-shaped guardian hurried to follow him outside.

Harry took a shaky breath as he stepped outside the sanctum, shaking his head to rid himself of the dark thoughts that plagued his mind so often.

“your highness?” Uma asked, wary of calling her friend anything other than his title while being so close to the king “are you alright?”

“yes im fine” Harry snapped, his voice tight “Let's go” he stormed off, the egg-like a guardian and the new knight following after him. Uma sighed, looking back at the sanctum, glaring at where the king would be.

Killian had changed since Emma's death….and not for the better.

Harry snapped awake, sitting up in the straw bed as he breathed heavily “wha’ was tha’?” Harry muttered to himself, drawing his hands to his face to rub his cheeks, pausing as he felt wetness trailing down. “tears?” he gasped, drawing his hand back and raising his brows at the droplet of water trailed down his finger and dropped onto the sheet.

He stared at it for a moment, mind still running from the dream….no memory that had startled him awake.

He remembered Uma and (y/n) in the memory, the old man from the plateau-Killian, standing over him, on a balcony.

He didn’t like the feeling he got when he looked at the king.

Harry ran his fingers through his messy hair, glancing to where (y/n) was sleeping….or should’ve been sleeping. Harry's eyes widened, scrambling to get out of the bed, wildly looking around the stable to look for the (h/c) girl.

“something the matter son?” Harry whipped round to see one of the stable hands, shuffling through documents.

“um, the girl I came ‘ere with, where is she?” Harry babbled, sighing in relief as the man smiled at him and pointing out to the path outside the stable.

“she went out for a ride, supposed she couldn’t sleep, she told me to tell you that she would be back by 6” Harry sighed and nodded his thanks, flopping back on the bad and rubbing his face.

Moments later light footsteps walked towards him, a hand patting his knee “you’re already awake?” Harry perked up, seeing you staring at him with a soft expression.

“um-weird dream” Harry muttered, sitting up and rubbing his eye, pushing down the yawn that wanted to spill from his lips.

you hummed and nodded, crossing your arms “I got us some meat and other ingredients, I’ll make us some breakfast then well be heading towards one of the beasts, okay?”

“kay” Harry grunted, standing from the bed and grabbing his shoes, hopping as he slipped them on and kneeled back on the bed to tie them.

“We might stop by a village to get new clothes for you, I don’t think Evie's Auradon style stuff will last you here” you pinched Harry's shirt, stretching it toward you and letting it go, the thin fabric billowing against Harry's chest.

“Alright then….how bout Hateno?” Harry sounded out the village name “we could also go see that scientist that Regina was talking about?”

“mmm” you tapped your chin, nodding to yourself “that sounds good, im pretty sure Regina said there was a clothing store there, we need to start activating those shrine things as well, they could help us get across Saorsa quickly if needed….but we’ll think on that later, I’ll go make us breakfast kay?”

“kay” Harry muttered back, watching you walk back out of the stable/inn and to a cooking pot, opening a large leather bag next to it and sprinkling something into the steaming pot.

Harry sighed, grabbing his jacket from the hanger next to the bed and shrugging it on, grabbing his hook and sword and attaching them to his waist before joining you outside.

He sat on one of the small benches by the pot and watched you cook some eggs, rice, and meat, sprinkling some salt into the pot along with them.

He felt some drool pool in his mouth as the sent traveled across his nose, a grin slowly spreading on his face “that smells amazing (y/n)” he hummed, eyes sparkling as you laughed and grinning at him.

“Thanks, should be ready soon, can you go grab my bag from beside the bed? Should have some bouls and spoons in there”

Harry nodded and walked back into the inn half of the stable, digging into your bag, muttering “check” to himself as he felt the plastic of the bowls and spoons.

He perked up as your soft voice traveled by his ears, standing and rushing outside, he stopped as a large egg-like mechanical object stood at your feet, a little top on its head shooting up and down as it chirped at you “well hello there” you muttered, kneeling next to it and tilting your head “what are you?”

“i-I just saw tha’?” Harry muttered confused, pointing at the egg-like object “in meh dream?”

The egg turned to look at him, a shrill excited sounding note escaping it and it bolted towards him, running around his legs as it continued to let out bird-like noises.

“um-“ Harry stuttered, holding the bowls to his chest as he looked down at the obviously excited egg-thing. “i-I think it likes meh?”

“I think it does” you chortled, covering your mouth as it grabbed onto Harry's pant leg and tugged, continuing to sing at him. You stood and walked over to harry and the egg-thing, kneeling next to him and holding out your hand. It turned to you and chirped, leaning over and pressing the side of its head to your hand. “it seems to be friendly too”

“yeah…” Harry mumbled, continuing to stare down at the egg-thing “where did it come from though?”

You shrugged, raising your brows as one of its claws raised up and pointed at your hip, where the tablet was resting “I think it just answered your question Harry” you laughed, grabbing the tablet and holding it up, pursing your lips as the sheikah symbol appeared and the tablet started to glow without you activating it. “well its obviously sheikah, and possibly knew us from…back then, so now the only question, how’d it find us and where was it before it found us here?”

Harry just shrugged, stepping aside the egg-thing and walking over to the cooking pot and serving himself some breakfast.

He watched you mess with the egg-thing and tablet as he chewed the egg, rice, and meat meal. The egg thing looked around you and chirped, zooming over to him and batting at his shoes. “what the fuck does it want?” Harry huffed, pouting down at the thing.

“I think its just attached to you?” you guessed, standing and walking over to Harry, sitting down on the other bench and grabbing a bowl for yourself.

“but why?” Harry sighed, watching as the egg walked around the two of you, continuing to sing as it did so.

“dunno, the only thing I can think is that It knew us back then?” you suggested again, leaning on your hand, snorting as the egg continued to circle you and Harry “funny little thing though”

“I guess” Harry muttered, shoveling another spoonful of rice in his mouth.

-two hours earlier-

“uhhhhh what is that?” Mal pointed at the egg-shaped mechanic thing that ran between the students as if looking for someone as it chirped and shook its head.

Ben just shrugged, kneeling as it walked close to him, reeling back as he reached out and tried to touch it, he pouted, grunting as he continued to try to touch the egg-thing.

It chirped at him, spinning around and squealing as it caught sight of a pissed off Uma and Harriet, it chirped, running over to the girls and circling them.

“what in the actual fuck” Uma yelled, watching as the Egg looked up at her and chirped again, the top on its head moving along with its “voice” “is this thing and why is it looking at me-why is it following me?!” Uma started to walk away midsentence, the egg chirping and eagerly following after her.

“that would be the little guardian that followed the prince and his friends around, 500 years ago” Regina chuckled, smiling down at the egg as it chirped again and ran towards her “it was quite protective of the prince and his knight, I remember once it activated a dead guardian to save the two from a corrupted one.”

Uma stared down at the egg-thing, something was hitting the back of her mind, telling her that the egg-thing was familiar. But Uma ignored it, looking back up at Regina “do you think it could lead us to Harry and (y/n)?” the egg perked up at that, letting out a series of chirps and notes as It ran back to uma and circled her again “I think that’s a yes?”

I can't let them get mixed up in this mess again, I have to protect them

The mini guardian stopped as the prince's voice echoed through its “mind”, it looked towards the exit of the village and chipped, suddenly taking off and leaving the students behind.

“wait, stop!” Harriet yelled, running after the egg with Uma following her.

“hold up! You’re supposed to lead us to Harry!”

It soon ran out of sight, leaving Uma and Harriet at the edge of the village to catch their breath.

“l-l thought” Uma gasped, “I thought it agreed to take us to Harry and (y/n)”

“apparently not” Harriet snarled “seems we'll have to find em on our own” she twisted on her heel and stormed back into the village, leaving Uma to stare at the rising run over Saorsa.

“where ever you are Harry, (y/n)” Uma muttered, clutching onto her bead bracelet “please. Stay safe.”

-end of part 18-

 if you cant tell, i played the age of calamity demo and got inspired lol 

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Five Days with No Shoes – An Experiment in Restructuring the Subconscious View the World

I Am Getting My Socks Dirty!

For the past few days here in Bangkok, Thailand, I have been continuing my experiment of going about daily life with no shoes on – in fact, just in white socks. During the first couple of days, I kept it slightly more low-key, a bit of testing the waters, like a timid cat checking out its environment, just wandering around the area where I am staying, to get food, something to drink, or buy something at 7Eleven. The area is known as Khaosan Road, a backpacker’s haven, where there are a couple of streets loaded with everything the weary or tempted tourist might want. There are bars, cafés, parks, temples, and plenty of people and street-side action to get involved with at almost any time of the day and night. To anyone who knows, this travelers’ hub tends to attract and keep a number of the more ‘unique’ travelers that easily intermingle amongst the more common-looking tourists, and it is rather common to see the more endearing styles of fashion – tattoos, piercings, hairstyles, and the occasional bare-footer. Although the ones sporting bare feet often tend to be hippies, drunk people, or locals that, by the looks of them, tend to be poorer or less of the sane type. I am in none of those categories, I hope. I’m just one of the normal people on the street, but just happens to be in his white socks.

Why Do Such A Thing?

I’m doing this experiment for a number of reasons. A colleague and I are putting together a roughly twenty-minute video of the experiment with a short and simple discussion related to our work in the fields of education, psychology and therapy. This talk is mainly focused towards Chinese people (it is in Chinese) on the topic of pushing your psychological boundaries and acceptance of being different from the crowd. Understanding the psychology of a person cannot be done solely by observation or on paper, so getting to the core of many of the psychological and habitual issues needs to experienced first-hand. Many of our students (both teenage and particularly adults, including student’s parents) tend to often struggle with the acceptance of being different from the crowd and suffer from excuses that avoid the root of their difficulties. To us, as teachers, this psychological state needs to be pushed at and prodded at for the sake of expanding our understanding of their experience. So, I jumped right into this experiment, and as a result, I have gotten more out of it than I ever expected. My internal world has expanded. A few of the ideas, observations and thoughts from the process will be shared in this essay. Who would know that my pairs of white socks would open up a new world to me?

1. Why Does Our Sense of Self Have to Be So Strong?

Fear, nervousness and excitement tend to be confused by the brain as they all stimulate the same biological reactions, such as speeding up the heart rate. It is possible for the brain to confuse what it is actually experiencing. When an emotion of, perhaps, nervousness (activated by the brain telling you that you are different from the others) fear kicks in and the brain looks for things it perceives as ‘threats’. In my case, while being in socks in public, these ‘threats’ tended more likely to be people who might easily notice me; like people walking towards me or people sitting idly by that could possibly make some noticeable sort of remark. It would be these types of perceived ‘threats’ that I would find myself naturally trying to avoid eye contact with or maybe even subconsciously try to change my walking path to avoid ‘confrontation’. People that tended to be busy with their own affairs gave me no concerns at all. There also tended to be differences in perception between people you tend to associate more closely with; whether you know them or not, or would you ever see them again (i.e., the guesthouse staff that see you coming in and out each day without shoes on) - this tended to give me a stronger reaction. Similarly, stronger reactions were evoked from people I either genetically or culturally identified more with – i.e., different genders, ethnicities and age groups. These psychological reactions tended to be based on solely what people could possibly think of me and the strength of the reaction depended on these factors. It is not that I really minded, because walking in socks is far from the end of the world, but I was observing my brain tending to be more active when it was trying to figure out my best life strategies in unfamiliar situations. Questions such as who would I most likely get approval from, who would mostly would stare or give me a negative reaction, who would I bring embarrassment to… these questions fill the brain as it is terrified of being ostracized by the group. Walking the streets in white socks could possibly be enough to make you a laughing stock. That’s a terrifying feeling for a person, no matter what form it comes in. So that is something that needed to be understood, looked at and conquered. I mean, it is my brain’s job to keep me safe and alive (and being part of the group is vital for survival), but it’s my job to keep my brain in check!

During the next couple of days, I started venturing a bit further away from Khaosan Road as I began to feel less and less self-conscious. I then found myself at a Thammasat University having lunch by the river side. My socks tended to still be bright white on the tops, but had black footprints on the bottoms. Sometimes I started thinking that the dirtier they were the more natural it looked. I don’t know what to make of that – maybe it was more acceptance of the state of them. I enjoyed my time there. I walked back with an ice-coffee I bought from a street stall and sat in the park for a couple of hours pondering over the situation. My colleague and I had filmed a part of it to put into the video. The real importance comes down to not just the action of walking shoeless, but the following mental reflection over the what happened during the experience to make sure the brain understands what it is actually seeing and doing as it experiences and reacts to all this new stuff. This is all the brain’s doings, none of it is orchestrated by me. This goes for any situation in life really, but this process is often overlooked, as we move on to the next task ahead. Instead, I walked along the hot sticky street to a park further along the riverside where I laid down in a shady patch of grass under a massive twisted tropical tree and let everything sink in. The brain is automatically doing a lot of stuff I am not even aware of nor wanting to permit it to do, but it is more up to me to to understand that and learn to control what is going on instead. Skills like that should get me higher places than a good pair of sturdy hiking boots could ever. It seems my socks just may hold some magic.

2. Happily Hiding Behind Excuses

Oh, we humans know how to hide. While walking around the streets, into stores, happily soaking up the Bangkok atmosphere, I found myself hiding behind excuses for being shoeless. Despite my body (and bright white socks) being physically exposed for the world to see, but in my mind, I was aiming at quelling the inner dragon of self-consciousness. I thought I had more of a reason, for anyone who may look at me, to be shoeless in the late afternoon than the morning – maybe I had walked a long way and I had blisters, maybe my shoes broke, maybe I was hot? In the morning, by contrast, it just more looked like the guy couldn’t be bothered putting on his shoes. So, I went out in the morning too, not just using the heat as an excuse, or hiding behind the darkness of night. Having a small backpack with me was a good way to hide too. Could this guy be suffering from any of the above situations, and obviously his shoes are in his bag, the random passer-by would think. So, when I could, I would try go out empty-handed where possible. The only pity is I quite like to carry a small backpack with my camera for a bit of photography, and a bottle of water in it. I found taking off my glasses was another good way to not be able to see if people were staring or not, making me feel like I was more in my own world – listening to music could have the same effect. So, I kept the glasses on, and music off. I’d go with my coworker who was in bare feet, that felt more easier as there was the distraction of chatter and dialog about the experiment to hide behind. Going out alone would up the ante, put on a bit more stress, so I made sure to do this too. These are the tactics the brain employs to reason with myself as why to be shoeless. I mean what if someone asks where my shoes are, I could stumble and think of lies, but that won’t get anyone to paradise. All this led me to have to accept the most root of the issue. I am just the guy who is out in his socks. No hiding and denying the fundamental truth behind the situation. Dress the way you like, stand up straight, put yourself into a confident physical position, tell yourself ‘you are just the guy who wears his socks’. Be ready to give sincere eye-contact with whoever you encounter, engage in conversation if anyone asks and just walk on forward. That solved half of the issues.

By the third day, after having had more and more physical practice of being out and about in my white socks, plus plenty of mental exploration and conversation regarding many aspects of the experience, things started feeling more natural. My mind was changing towards self-acceptance and encouragement towards such a lifestyle of endeavor, discovery and self-growth. By this time, I found myself hopping into a taxi one evening to go to MBK center shopping mall. I was planning to leave for India the next day, so wanted to buy a couple of bits and pieces. I spent about two hours in the mall; the bottoms of my socks were rather dirty, but the whole time I was possibly even more relaxed than I would have been if I were in shoes. I am not really a fan of malls, but I found that I was more in a peaceful world of my own more so than a noisy mall of shoppers. I came back via tuk-tuk and wandered back to my guesthouse through the busy bar district of Khaosan. It was if it were any normal day.

3. Tackling the Bull in the Cage

It is the only way to address the issue and gain something true from your endeavors. If you carry yourself confidently, who can belittle you? If you accept the truth, who can deny it? The thing is, the world is like a mirror, if you don’t care, the world doesn’t care either. The world reflects back what is in your mind and in your heart. When I was subconsciously unaware of the fact I was in a busy shopping mall in my socks, to me, it seemed that the whole world was unaware of it. When I was stressed or uncomfortable, then it felt like the world was glaring at me. The subconscious mind brought out all sorts of perceived threats. The mind needs to be trained in order to live out the life you want to live. I have to admit, sometimes it felt weird having my coworker take photos of me while in socks in some public space somewhere with people all around, but you just have to tell yourself: “I accept everything that comes with this.” Maybe no one even saw, or maybe someone did see and probably forgot about it within three seconds. If they do remember it would be because they thought it was cool. Others are welcome to do whatever they want with their observations. But, remember, the noise is inside you.

By the fourth day, I had decided that I was too much invested into this project and to run off to India prematurely wouldn’t be the best choice. I wanted to continue a bit, and I wanted to put the video together (although it was my coworker who mainly took control of that part), and I wanted to write this down. Environment is utmost, and while I am still in this environment, I am more likely to order my ideas in a clearer way. I imagine the smell of curries and sounds of horns in the streets of Bangalore will take my mind away to other places. When you’re focused and enjoying something productive you should stride to stay in that state. Change (or disruption) to an environment is unsettling for a person, and I know this well as that is where my general main work’s focus lies – travel-related education, psychology and therapy. I happened to go to MBK once again, of course in my socks, and wandered the streets nearby and came back by public bus. Over the last day or two before leaving for India, I didn’t plan on any such sock-walks, didn’t aim for any such mental or physical stimulation, but instead, just a quiet calm mood to weather away the hot afternoons and get this writing done. But I realized by habit, I still went out in my socks for a morning coffee and 7eleven for bottles of water, and even out for dinner. It had become a new sort of comfort zone. No one likes the feeling of retraction, so maybe just now putting on shoes, feels a little like that. I actually really like who I am when I am out in my socks. I love the mental stimulation and feeling of freedom. Having seen the videos of myself out and about, I tend to think, under the circumstances, I looked rather confident and natural. I liked the way I looked and even more so, how I felt. The self-affirmation of something is almost more crucial than the actual activity itself.

4. Setting Things Straight

The truth is, walking around a city in a pair of white socks isn’t the epitome of difficulty in this world. To some it would be easy, and to others, mortifying. Depends on you, your previous experiences and interests. The thing is, when confronting your fears, or looking to expand you comfort zone, you need to not only delve directly into them, but you may also need to confirm to yourself the existence of even more difficult things to compare them with. You may even need to actively seek out such things. Things are only small when compared with something bigger, as the Earth is big travelling by bus, but tiny when compared with the universe. So, sometimes to aim at something you perceive as ‘big’ or ‘difficult’, then you may need to not only hack slowly towards its direction, but also hack backwards to reduce the perceived size of it. There, that is something a bit more complicated to contemplate. ha!

You may notice a theme here in that nowhere mentioned was any negative situations being mentioned. That is because during the five-day experiment, there were never any such occurrences. There are many nationalities around Khaosan, and never received a difficulty from anyone. I noticed people occasionally looked. I would also emphasize the word ‘looked’, and not ‘stared’. But on the contrary, I need to mention that no matter what you’re wearing or doing people do look. Yes, I noticed people occasionally still looked while I was wearing flip-flops. People have eyes after all, and they need to set their vision on something, so that’s forgivable. Maybe I just have nice (although hairy) legs? Ha-ha. But, maybe it is something more than that. Maybe it is something about the Thai people and the atmosphere they have created to be inclusive, tolerant and open-minded. To expand on this topic, I will need to keep up my white sock-walking activities across other parts of the world in order to work towards the core of such assumptions.

What Can Thai Attitude Offer The World?

However, the Thai people’s attitude towards life is rather healthy. It seems to be that if something does not harm anyone, then it is not really worth worrying about. That is a fair take on life. I noticed on the rare occasion when someone did not know what to make of me being in my socks, then substitute was a smile or laughter. That takes you back to the ‘world being a mirror’ philosophy; if you are self-conscious or flustered under a circumstance a laugh can be perceived as a snigger or an intrusion. When your soul and mind are calm, a laugh could be perceived as a friendly sign of acceptance or interest. It seems the Thais are slower in their reactions and judgements, allowing themselves sufficient time for a reasonable and proper response to ensue. I like the fact they are natural and thoughtful in their responses, something obviously passed down through their Buddhist faith. I would say, as a whole, I got a more neutral to positive reception anywhere I went in my socks. The interesting thing is, that is the same Thai reception I have received anywhere under almost any circumstance - with shoes on or off. But of course, there would be places you wouldn’t want to go in your socks, just as you wouldn’t swim in the sea or go to bed while wearing your shoes. Well, you can do that and why not if that is what you want - who are we to judge? But, it seems here in Thailand, if you are reasonable in your attitude and polite in your behavior, the Thais will treat you with the same respect. Hats off (or shoes off) to the Thais for that. We can all learn a lot from them.

Your Growth Is Your Offering To The World

It is also your own responsibility to work at expanding your comfort zone. There is not a single soul that does not want to become a bigger and better version of themselves. Explore and grow; that what souls do. It is your job to dig out what it needs and how to go about it. Sock-walking is just my own personal way, among others. But I also find it necessary that people take on such things. It is quite funny to know that all along during the beginning of the experiment, my brain was constantly doing all it could to help me avoid being ostracized by other humans. It was working to keep me surviving in optimal fashion. However, on the flipside, being the same as everyone does not necessarily get you anywhere at all. The ‘herd mentality’ is not lauded; it is not held in high regard. In fact, it is the opposite. I would believe that my getting out in my white socks is a rather positive thing in many people’s perceptions. I could see it and feel that at times. Maybe someone else just happened to think a little thought such as, ‘yeah, why not.’ Being a bit different reaffirms in others’ minds that possibilities exist. It is like the idea of recycling or reducing plastic use; you only really get the idea of when you are reminded of it, or see others taking part in it. My experiment probably does far better for the world that one would imagine.

My Unexpected Gains

I actually feel I have been through a type of therapy myself. I feel energetic. I had to make a quick phone call to an elderly neighbor in China, and she mentioned the change in my tone of voice. I was quite astonished when she said I sounded younger. My eyes feel bright. The flame in my soul feels steady. Making the video and seeing myself in it looking confident and actually liking the look of it, made me feel rather positive about myself. I feel mentally light. Maybe it’s because of Thailand itself and the abundance of sunshine. Maybe it is just because of finishing a two-week work project to Nepal with a group of my students. Maybe I am feeling a natural change towards a new segment of growth in my field. Or maybe I am feeling physically light because of having walked without shoes as you begin to tread more lightly and carefully; you are more concentrated and focused on your steps more than usual (the Buddhist monks tend to go barefoot). Maybe it all had a meditative effect, or maybe it was a boost of energy from the beneath the Earth, something like the opposite of how you soak up vitamin D from the sun above. Maybe it was the psychological pushing and prodding of my internal world. Maybe it was the instinctual need for physical stimulation of the body. Maybe it was sensual stimulation of the mind and feet. Maybe it was all of it together that reenergized my body, mind and soul. Maybe it was a bit of everything. I don’t know yet. But I feel I have given myself some psychological and perceptual reorganizing. Maybe it has been a Thai Massage-like internal workout for the body and mind.

An Experiment in Restructuring the Mind

However way, when you throw yourself into the deep end for an experiment in self-growth, it is not always easy and does take some courage and effort. And, so it should. Everything worthwhile always involves an element of difficulty. Why should one be rewarded without having put in any work anyway? Personally, I am very satisfied with this experiment and it has been an interesting, fun and valuable experience and I am sure I will enjoy the benefits of it for a long time to come. I will probably try to keep up with the occasional sock-walk when and where possible, and will aim at attempting the experiment again in other parts of the world. So, if next time you see a guy out in his white socks, it just might be me. Cheers! J

Note:

Yes, I got several pairs of socks dirty. They washed up well when hand washed in the shower. I got zero holes in them. I received zero cuts or injuries from being out shoeless during these five days.

[airariaira]

Deuxième - 26/01/20

I have been in Troyes for almost 2 weeks now - wow! The travel day over was hectic, Alex and I were on planes for 27 hours. We were very tired, and I felt like I really needed a shower and a nap.  Us before it all:

Us right in the thick of it:

I was so tired by the end of it that I missed my train stop 😰 I made it in the end though, and was really struck by how beautiful the countryside and old buildings around Troyes are! The city is also in the shape of a bottle cork, which is pretty neat. It’s also been around since the middle ages.

^ This is the oldest house in Troyes - from the 15th century!

I had my first day of school last Thursday, my first class being Philosophy. Still beign jetlagged and very tired, the French went right over my head. I met some of my classmates though! Most of them are good at speaking Engish, which is great when I dont understand something in French... We ate at the canteen at lunchtime. The canteen food here isn’t nearly as bad as people have seemed to describe it as, in my opinion! We also visited a nearby thrift store, which was pretty cool. The bell at school took a little adjusting to - it’s a tuneful song sort of thing, and was a little jarring for me at first!

The school system here is organised into subjecct streams - I’m in the Literature stream, so the subjects I take are Philosophy, History-Geography, French Literature, Arts-Plastiques, English, and both Literature and History-Geography taught in Englush also. Being in classes taught in French was very difficult at first, but each class seems to feel easier. My comprehension of French feels like it’s improving already! Sometimes I feel a little behind though, seeing as I’ve arrived in the middle of the school year, hence in the middle of most topics. I’m getting there though. Art classes here are very relaxed - no art portfolio board to stress about finishing like in New Zealand. Before art on Thursday I gave soe of my new classmates the souvenirs I brought over from New Zealand - the pins and patches were very popular.

I found my own way home, and I have each school day since - at the start it felt like I got a little lost or confused in a different way each time, but now I’ve finally got the hang of the route home. I also bought some postcards to send back home, to friends, family, work, etc. Sometimes I take pictures of the buildings and things around me - I must look like such a tourist! One of the things I walk past each time is the Seine river, which also runs through Paris. Along the riverside there’s some cool sculptures...

Speaking French is frustrating at times - when I know what I want to say, but just don’t have the knowledge of how to say it in French. I’m trying my best and it feels more natural each day. When people ask if I speak French, I still say “oui, un petit peu”, though. Troyes is famous for it’s outlet sales in January, which means a lot of stylish or branded clothes and shoes are at a really good price right now. I suppose that’s part of the reason so many people here look so stylish every day! At times I feel that I left a lot of my stylish clothes back in New Zealand, instead opting for my warmest options possible. It’s pretty cold most days here, usually the high being 5 degrees and the low around -2. However over the time I’ve been here I’ve been blessed with beautiful weather most of the time, which makes the pretty city look all the more gorgeous. Last Saturday I saw the local market, and also tried some chocolate from a chocolatier that won the award for best chocolatier in the world a few years ago - miam! I’ve also really been enjoying baguettes from the local bakeries, and good French cheese. The food here is great. I also went to see the museum and the inside of the Cathedral on Saturday afternoon with my host mother Marie. It was gorgeous:

There’s also lots of tributes to Joan of Arc there, too:

The museum was huuge, and had everything from archaelogical history, to Greek and Roman artefacts, to beautiful paintings from the 18th century to now, and even a section with stuffed animals. There was even a few stuffed New Zealand birds. The tui was very ugly for some reason - how sad that that ugly tui is the way so many people will see New Zealand’s native birds for the first time. On Sunday I woke up to the Cathedral bells - what an amazing thing to wake up to! I tried harder to speak French with a friend of my host family - I know I’ll get there eventually. That afternoon I went to see a movie at the cinema with my host family, in French. We watched ‘1917′ and it took me some concentration to understand, but I’m glad I went. One of my host family’s traditions is having crêpes after dinner on Sunday evenings - it feels similar to the tradition we had when I ws a kid to have pancakes every Sunday morning for breakfast. On Monday I met a classmate in my English class who lived in Christchurch for a year! It was really cool talking to her. Monday was also my first 10 hour day at school, so was very tiring. It’s weird getting to school while it’s still dark in the morning and leaving school after the sun has gone down in the evening. I started getting a little bit of a head cold on Monday, which sucked but is to be expected suddenly coming into the middle of winter straight from the hot New Zealand summer. On Tuesday we had P.E. class in the gym in the morning. It was pretty fun! I also found myself able to join in with some more banter and jokes with my classmates, which is really cool. Wednesdays are a half day, and seeing as I don’t take Spanish or German I only have 2 hours of classes on Wednesday mornings - wow! I had my first English Literature class, which was right up my alley. The teacher also had a lot of questions for me 😂 I went into town alone for the first time that afternoon because I needed some stationery, found my way around alright and actually quite enjoyed myself! I bought a French baguette for the first time 

(“I’m a real French girl!”) Since Thursday I’ve really been putting in effort to speak French and ask for people to speak French to me too. At school in my English class my teacher asked me to read out an extract from the text we’re studying to deomstrate how English has tonal shifts. I hope no one takes my accent and tone to be the absolute end goal of how they should speak English, because everyone talks differently! On Thursday during Arts-Plastiques we also went to see a showcase of art from the artist Deborah Bowmann. It was really fun to go to, but I did find the guide a little bit difficult to follow in French. Still a great experience nonetheless. I couldn’t believe that I had already been going to school here for a week - time is going so fast! On Friday (yesterday) I had a good day at school, and found myself opening up a little bit more to my classmates. I hope I can get to know them well with the time I have here.I only had one class yesterday because my Arts-Plastiques teacher was striking today. Some people here, particularly teachers I think, are striking because of the times the workday finishes. In the afternoon I went with all of the last year students (those in Terminal) to the Forum, which is a big expo in a big hall showcasing study and job options for after they’ve finished school. Some friends and I talked to a lady who was representing the (expensive) school that you go to to train for working in shops like Chanel in Paris. It’s very expensive, and you have to be very articulate in French, English, and even Chinese - as well as immaculately presented - because you are, essentially, the face of France. One of the other ladies at the stand was even told off because she had a piercing in her upper ear 😳 I walked past some of the strikers with Marie that afternoon - they were big yesterday. They caused traffic jams and there were protesters on many of the streets and everything. Yesterday evening we went out to dinner to a cool local restaurant called Rosa Parks. (It was très bon!) This afternoon we are going to go for a walk nearby the house my host family has by a lake that’s close to Troyes. I am really enjoying my time here! Until next time.

[patricianandclerk]

so i’ve decided what i want to focus on is working toward being a concierge, because i have lowkey idolised the clefs d’or since i was about eight years old (Extremely Boring, i know, but i should hope that provides a lot of context to My Type when it comes to characters i like the most)

i’d need to have my driving license (which, i’m gonna apply for my theory test this month, and then i can start getting lessons. irish law says you need to take at least 12)

i want experience in more areas - obviously my main applicable experience at the moment is broadly in porter duties + guest requests, which is good, but i’m hoping to build up experience on the front desk & behind the bar when i can

and obviously the Big Thing is knowledge about the area which like... assuming i actually stay and work in Galway, this is the place to be, so tonight i’m gonna be starting on compiling a list of resources, which is like...

so the main thing i want is to be able to list off a selection of potentials if someone asks where they can get x or y, and then i need to be able to grab the business details (e.g. phone #) or give directions on the fly

late night businesses (e.g. mini mart, etc)

coffee shop

wine bar

florist

general shops

repairs

auto mechanic

shoes

suitcase

phone/computer

camera

tailors

day trips

museums + places of historical note in galway

gyms/pools

barbers & hairdressers

dentists, podiatrists, masseuses

taxis + private coach hire

restaurants

traditional irish

chinese

japanese

indian

french

italian

desserts

churches + mosque opening hours

and obviously i need to be able to talk about price points and accessibility and all these other things on the fly and it’s extremely intimidating because I feel woefully unprepared but that’s only because i haven’t started studying yet

and i am going to make flashcards, and those always help, so

there’s some stuff i really want to prioritise because they’ve come up already, which are:

where can I get good (read: artisanal, not from a chain store) coffee?

where can I eat riverside?

what restaurants are open late night (after 10)?

where can I get good flowers?

include non-florists bc the florists are all Extortionate

as we come into october i’m like, absolutely gonna have to prioritise like, where to buy a last minute costume/pumpkin/etc

[aspiring-to-be]

To all the ills that plague me

You have made me hurt; you have made me fall to the ground in exhaustion; you have made me feel so nauseous and then betrayed me, because instead of passing, you have become my own form of phantom pain.

You dare to return to me amidst celebrations where I was most truly able to celebrate living. Sometimes you were a mere mild inconvenience, but it took me too many years to realise, that if I did not bend to your will, it would be on the following day that I would suffer. if I dared try to resume my daily tasks despite you, you’d suck up all my energy for tomorrow.

And yet, I can’t hate you for being there. Hell, I can’t even bring myself to dislike you.

I can only really...thank you. See, you changed the way I viewed myself. My own life. In your futile attempts to kill me, you taught me how to live.

“you have to be known to be loved, and none of these people knows me” - Glennon Doyle

You remember when we first stumbled upon that author? We were about to move far, far away from the place we’d once called home. And I knew you were ready to suck out all my energy as I attempted to prepare for adulthood.

Pick a career? Pack up my childhood? Recover from the last seizure you put me through only a month ago? Get a tax file number. Enrol to vote. Write up a resume. Get a bank account. It’s the perfect petri dish of trouble for you to hurt me. Physically, mentally, or emotionally.

And yet...

you’ve worked with me just enough for me to survive. Why is that?

I think…

I’ve turned the tables.

Instead of you, growing inside my mind, plaguing it in mystery ways only you and I will ever understand...I think I’ve started to grow on you. You’ve yet to make me pass out, or bring me to tears during this move. Is it possible we’re starting to come to terms with each other?

But why would I thank you? After all this? After you made me live in the eyes of so many as nothing more than…you.

Well for starters, I can’t blame you for that, it’s not my fault society forgot to make better rules about our relationship.

If anything, we got to have fun adventures together. The taste of hospital lime jello cups...and those little cups of apple juice. The late nights of Disney in 09...when you first came along. Took a trip into my lungs. ha. You made my brain swell up. just enough to build a home there (Though, I’d have to say as a house guest you made such a mess. If yelp let me review my guests, you’d be getting a terrible one. That’s all I’m saying).

But that’s just the thing.

You made a mess of me.

Just when I had started making myself small to fit into that horrendous society thing we both hate. When you made a home there, you kind of inspired me. Why worry about making myself small, when the world was already trying to do that?

You started as one small cell mutation or something...and yet you had all that power inside me. And had you succeeded, I would have hardly made an impression in the world. I would never have been known by anyone because I’d only ever sent out that carbon copy of myself. You have more doctors paying attention to you than I can count on one hand. Trying to figure out just who you are.

So I took a page out of your book for my big world too. I tried to exist more loudly than ever.

You were reckless in the way you hurt me, but you taught me to be just as so. You’d already taken me to death’s doorstep. What was careful going to do for me? Sure I’d still take care of both of us but, what was careful going to do for me in caring for people?

The recklessness I inherited from you wasn’t perfect. But damn right I loved it for that very reason. It took me on 7am adventures walking along the riverside to school. It found me in this small cafe that sold the most amazing Nutella hot chocolate. It had me jumping in a fountain in the freezing cold, with no change of clothes available. Tell the person next to me in the waiting room just how much I loved their shoes. Just…not hesitate to say something that means something when I’m talking to someone I care about.

I dared to defy the limits the world set for me.

I dared to love.

And you made me so absolutely reckless. That even if I wanted to send out that carbon copy of myself, I had become reckless enough to let slip the real version of me.

You came along. And most other people could only find it in them to pity, or to dismiss me. As if I could never be truly helpful in any real sort of way.

And so I have to thank you, because I don’t know if I would’ve learned about the ugly sides of some of the people in life without you.

It was because of you that I was known.

And so when I loved, some souls even had the absolute audacity to love me back. Real me.

In biology, you learn that a fever is the body trying to help itself return to a balanced state. I have to sometimes wonder if that is all you were trying to do for me. If you sensed the toxic environment I was living in long before my own conscious did.

I mean the asthma alone is proof of that. My asthma meant my lungs detected perfume from miles away. But they also detect smoke. And that could just save my life...or kill me faster. I don’t know. You get the sentiment.

And, you helped me understand how a partner who “took your breath away” was just a little bit overrated. I’d rather find someone who chooses to actively help me breathe a little easier. Who helps me exhale. And let ME tell you...I never would have learned that without the asthma (DO YOU KNOW, how fuckin adorable it is, when your best friends are not only the ones to change directions in the mall if they see a perfume store...but also willing to change beauty products...just to help you breathe easier? I nearly cried).

I know those of my own blood think they didn’t mean to make me feel so bad, or so shitty about myself. But projecting all their insecurities onto a child by pointing out their flaws “so it hurts less when others do it” ain’t it. Ignoring human emotion and emotional health ain’t it. Treating you like you could be made to disappear with a pill or two…ain’t it.

So maybe...maybe you are my fever. A dozen different sensors instantly trying to help me escape an unhealthy environment.

So, to the infections, to the asthma, to the allergies, to the pimples, to the deficiencies, to the tooth aches, to the injuries, to the scrapes and bruises, to the seizures, to the mystery illnesses that I’m still learning about, to the fevers, and to all the other reasons for my hospital trips.

Thank you.

And, I know this letter is indication of the fact that I’ve made my illness a big cut of my personality. But why wouldn’t you be? Ironically, you were probably the only constant in the years my brain was most malleable (haha get it, cause you’re somewhere in my brain).

There is a whole cut of funny stories, and memories, and friendships, and reaffirming-my-faith-in-humanity type interactions I wouldn’t EVER have had without you. And a whole side of my personality made more beautiful, and empathetic, and recklessly kind…made from knowing you.

I’m not ashamed of that part of me where you live. I’m not even ashamed of you if I’m honest. I don’t hate you, or even dislike you. And I want to do better at learning not to hide or ignore you for the convenience of others. I love me...I love who I am now. And that person was at least in part the product of you. So I truly am grateful to you. (But just so you know that isn’t an excuse to drop yourself into more people’s lives).

Cheers,

Here’s to hopefully another 40 years together...maybe we’ll negotiate for 50.

[merrickwood]

you don’t know how it feels.

who // @ethjenkins​ & merrick wood. when // friday, july 26th. late night. what // ‘date night’ between two ‘friends’ 

You could always tell when the town started getting restless. The teens were especially prone to the feeling - the vibrations running through their skin as if it might tear off any second, their legs shaking with latent anxiety, the summer sweat sticking to them as if to keep them trapped. 

There were mere weeks before school started - two and a half, not that Merrick was exceptionally grateful for Holly’s insane countdown - and the worst of the idleness was settled deep inside of her chest. Things in Merrick’s world were never bad, really - she led a blessed life, according to her pastor. She was the typical teen dream - a nice, white girl in a southern town in a big house with a loving mother, father and sister. She was smart enough to go to a decent enough college, and she had her whole future in front of her. 

The future fucking sucked. 

Holly had always been ambitious - she wanted to be a doctor, and she’d make a damn good one when the time came. But Merrick didn’t want anything like that. She wanted to be taken care of, to raise a kid, to maybe have a dog or a cat and just live her life. She wanted to have hobbies and write and sit on the beach collecting trinkets she found at thrift stores without having any real job she had to tie herself down with. 

The only one who really seemed to understand her was Ethan. Their relationship was...complicated, to say the least. As her best friends older brother, he was off limits. As her boyfriends best friend, he was off limits. But when they were alone together - usually doing something stupid, or listening to her various mix CDs as they drove around the south, sometimes making it halfway through Alabama or Florida before turning around - it was...nice. Comfortable. And sometimes when he looked at her, well, it was her hormones fault for the way her stomach twisted up, right?

He was just as bored as she was, and she could tell in the way he spoke, in his actions. He needed to go, he needed to do, he needed something away from Riverside. And Merrick, well, she was always ready for that. So when he showed up at her house at 9pm on a Friday night - Logan off with Bradley, ‘doing homework’ ( fucking ), she climbed down her trellis and hopped the final foot down, sprinting towards the car before her mother could hear it. 

“I made us a new CD,” she announced when she climbed in, ditching her bag at her feet and kicking off her shoes - she’d painted her toes in Holly’s room earlier, hoping her sister might put the books away and pay attention to her, each toe a different shade of pink, and knew Ethan wouldn’t care about her putting her feet up on his dashboard. “Just one, though - I didn’t know how long you planned on kidnapping me for tonight.”