#Toba Trip

[jerzwriter]

Three months after the chemical attack at Edenbrook, Tobias asks his friend, Casey, to join him on a trip back to his hometown of Washington, DC. It's turned into a bit of a competition about whose city does Christmas best, and both are determined to win. In part two, join Tobas & Casey on their journey from Boston to the Nation's Capitol.

Book: Open Heart Characters: Tobias Carrick & Casey MacTavish (F!MC) Sienna, Aurora, Jackie (Briefly) Rating: Teen Words: 1,060 A/N: This is an altered version of a fic I wrote in 2022... but as I'm finally filling in the gaps of my Tobias/Casey headcanon, I needed to make some changes. If you're following the HC, this story would take place after Part One: A Proposition. Parts Two and Three will be the second and final leg of their trip. I originally posted it as one ridiculously long fic, and that was just crazy stuff. lol I'm also in the process of updating my Tobias/Casey masterlist to make this a little less confusing... for me, more than you! lol. Thanks to anyone who checks this out!

Series Masterlist | Tobias x Casey Masterlist Masterlist

Sienna’s brow was furrowed as she watched Casey close her suitcase. 

“You’re sure you’re OK with this?” she asked.

“Yes, Sienna. For the third time, I’m fine. Tobias got a suite so we can each have our own room, and… I trust him.  He’s done nothing but help me since… well… you know.”

Sienna plopped on the bed with a sigh. “I guess if you’re OK with this, then suppose I should be as well.”

“You think?” Aurora asked from the doorway. “Si, I understand being worried. But this is a good thing!” She turned to Casey with an approving grin. “I mean, look at you! Going away for a couple days – you’ve come so far, and I’m proud of you. Plus, I know you’re in good hands with T. Uh, I mean, not that you will be in his hands.  Unless you want to be, and no judgment from me if you do, that’s just not what I meant.”

“I know what you meant,” Casey smiled.  “And you’re right. I will be in good hands.  He… he really cares about me, and he’s proven that.”

“I have to admit, he has.” Sienna conceded, “But I’m still making it clear that he better treat you well before you leave. If anything goes wrong, I will hold him accountable.”

“Don’t worry, Sienna,” Casey laughed. “Neither of us would expect anything less.”

The doorbell rang and Casey immediately grabbed her coat and hat. Flushed with excitement, she had to admit, this was the first time she had looked forward to something since the attack, and it felt good.

“Hey!” Tobias lit up the moment he saw her, taking the wattage down when he saw Sienna looking on sternly from behind. “Good to see you, too, Si.” he winked. He went to pick up Casey's sole suitcase and turned to her with astonishment.

“One bag? That’s it?”

“Yeah,” she shrugged. “It’s just a few days... unless you’re planning on kidnapping me?”

“Nah, I’ll have you back right on time. But you have to understand, I grew up with a mom that packed four bags for a weekender. So forgive me if I find this remarkable.”

“Four bags for a weekend?” Casey gasped.

“Yeah, she’s a bit high maintenance. If you ever meet her, you’ll understand.”

“What do you mean?” Aurora teased. “You’re not introducing her while you’re in DC?”

“Are you freaking kidding me?” Tobias shot back. “I love my Ma, but she can be... a lot. Besides, she’d probably be working on an engagement invitation within an hour. No way would she believe we’re just friends.”

A soft blush settled on Casey’s cheeks, but her friends wouldn’t let this opportunity pass.

“Yeah,” Jackie yelled from the couch. “Most of us call bullshit on that one.”

“Jackie!” Casey reprimanded, but Aurora supportively tapped her friend's shoulder.

“Ignore her. You two should get going; if you leave now, you’ll avoid rush hour traffic.”

“That’s the plan,” Tobias said, lifting Casey's bag. “All set, MacTavish?”

“All set!”

“Then let’s go! Your chariot awaits!”

~~~~~

The decision to fly was nixed in favor of driving. They both loved road trips, and neither regretted the choice. The ride was punctuated with pleasant conversations, Christmas music, a couple of stops to partake in local delicacies, and even an impromptu snowball fight at a rest stop in Maryland.  When they arrived at their suite, they were so tuckered out there was little more to do than wash up and head to bed.  After all, they had a big day waiting for them.

They were up bright and early to enjoy the Willard InterContinental’s breakfast buffet.  Casey eyed the opulent surroundings and nervously looked over her attire. This definitely wasn’t the Holiday Inns she was used to, and she felt a little out of her league.  But her trepidation melted away when Tobias returned to the table, his plate stacked with food.

“Trying to get a lot of sustenance in,” she laughed.

“You better believe it! I have quite an itinerary planned. We’re walking the Mall. I have a checklist of all the museums we want to see. I need fuel. Are you sure you had enough?”

“I’ve had plenty,” she rubbed her stomach with delight. “And it was delicious.”

Sitting back in her chair, she watched Tobias scoff down his food, but he noticed immediately when a bit of discomfort encroached upon her happy mood.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

“I just… this place and all, it’s a little more than I’m used to. I feel like I’m out of my element. And it had to cost a fortune. I don’t like that you had to take on such an expense.”

With a tender expression, he instinctively reached over and placed his hand atop hers, then flinched when he realized he may have crossed a line. He gave a squeeze, then quickly retreated.

“This is as much for me as it is for you.  It’s been a long time since I treated myself, and it’s been a long time since I gave a damn about the holidays at all. So let’s just enjoy it.”

“I’ll try.”

“Come on,” he said, scooping the last bite of food from his dish. “Let’s get going. We have a long day ahead.”

He gave Casey a full tour around the city, only to learn that she had been there several times before, though never during this time of year.  As a history buff, she spent an inordinate amount of time at each monument, and Tobias did his best to ignore that he was freezing. After all, the look of delight on her face was worth a tiny bit of frostbite. He soon figured out how to work museum stops to allow a chance to defrost, but that was all undone when they reached Capitol Hill. There was enough snow on the ground to partake in a sleigh ride, and neither was about to pass up on that opportunity. Throughout the day, they had seen just about every Christmas tree in town, but as night fell, they approached the Capitol tree, the most impressive of them all.

“So, what do you think?” He asked boastfully.

“I mean, it’s nice,” Casey half-shrugged. “Very nice, even.”

“But?”

“You’ll see when we get to Philly,” she grinned. “You’ll see.”

“Wow! You’re a tough customer. Are you saying today hasn’t been magical?”

“I said no such thing!” She smiled, her face lit up by a million little lights twinkling on the tree, Tobias was sure this was the most magical moment of all.

“It’s been amazing.  But let’s see what tomorrow holds.”

Next Stop: Philadelphia.

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Like last time, just tagging some Tobias stans @alj4890 @kyra75 @coffeeheartaddict2 @brycesgirl @icecoffee90 @storyofmychoices

[ga-yuu]

Ikemen Genjiden Character Talk #12

"Noble Blood x Dangerous Temptation"

"The Cursed Emperor" Sutokuin/Akihito VA. Tetsuya Iwanaga

Name: Sutokuin/Akihito

Age: Who knows? He looks like he is in his late twenties but could probably be a grandpa based on the real timeline of the game.

Birthday: Jul 7th

Profession: Emperor

Affiliation: Imperial Court.

Hobbies: Waka poems, playing drums when Ibuki wants to dance, bullying Yoshino.

Likes: Yasuchika, Ibuki, Yoshino.

Dislike: His asshole dad (I guess, everyone hates Toba!)

Personality Traits: Kind-hearted, mischievous, cunning, intelligent, evil.

FACTS FROM ROUTES AND EVENTS:

Akihito is the love rival in Kagetoki's route and his scenes with Yoshino are ABSOLUTELY CUTE!!!! Also, this was also the point of time when Cybird also gave more spotlight to the 'love rivals' (Although, the routes before Kagetoki did have love rivals, they didn't get separate story previews or anything)

Apart from using Kotodama, Akihito can also use Ibuki's thunder abilities.

The only time Akihito's curse was actually lifted is in his main route.

Sometimes Akihito finds his beautiful elegant kimono a hindrance to his walking because the hems get dirty easily because of the dirt on the floor and he sometimes also trips and falls when accidentally stepping on the hem.

Akihito also falls in the category of men that never gets drunk no matter how many glasses of alcohol they drink.

He has a matching bracelet with Ibuki. The main purpose of this bracelet is to keep Akihito's curse in control. Although Akihito can still control his curse without it, he still wears it for safety purposes and it's also made by Yasuchika.

Akihito absolutely LOVES Yasuchika! More than you think. Even while he's with Yoshino, he would think about Yasuchika. For example, when he and Yoshino go on a date, he would think, about what gifts he should buy for Yasuchika. I can say this because I have noticed this in several story events.

Akihito was the one who actually raised Yasuchika and taught him various things about the outside world. They also promised that they would go see beautiful scenery together once Akihito regains his actual body. But that promise is yet to be fulfilled.

Despite loving each other to the point that they are ready to die for each other, both Yasuchika and Akihito are awkward in expressing their love. Like they don't know if they want to hold hands or hug each other in a happy moment.

Akihito loves hearing when someone calls him 'Akihito' or 'Akihito-san' because he feels like they are closer to him. He even wants Yasuchika to call him 'Akihito-san' like he did when he was a little boy. But Yasuchika just doesn't. He also wants Yoshino to call him 'Akihito-san'. She does call in the beginning of his route when she didn't know who he actually was and also in the marriage story event.

When Yasuchika was a kid, Akihito would hold his hands and guide him to his room when he feels scared.

Akihito also once cooked food for Yasuchika, and Yasuchika gobbled up everything because he didn't want anyone else to eat the food Akihito prepared.

When Yasuchika was once suffering a life-threatening injury (What if I were a demon? Story event) Akihito was ready to give his vitality to save Yasuchika without any hesitation even at the cost of his life. Even when Yasuchika was sick (in Ibuki's route), Akihito was about to emotionally break down. He was sent to his room by Ibuki because he didn't want Akihito's curse to leak. But Akihito doesn't sleep or eat until Yasuchika woke up and he kept sending maids over and over again to check if Yasuchika was doing fine or not.

Yasuchika also wants Akihito to have 48 children with Yoshino. But that's never gonna happen, because it's impossible and Akihito doesn't want Yoshino to suffer. But he does want to have kids with her in the future.

In Yasuchika's route, when Yasuchika was living in the Shogunate temporarily, both Akihito and Yasuchika exchanged letters asking if they were doing well. But at the same time, Akihito grills Yoritomo asking whether Yasuchika would turn from a sweet little angel to a barbarian like a samurai after living with them.

Out of all the male leads, only Akihito and Ibuki think that Yasuchika is cute. Akihito also calls Yasuchika a sweet angel or sweet little boy.

Akihito and Ibuki don't call themselves 'friends' but they still get along with each other very well.

Yasuchika used to say Akihito is very kind, but after meeting Ibuki, he made Akihito evil and cunning. Ibuki used to take Akihito to gambling houses and brothels in the guise of 'social learning' until Yasuchika threatened to kill him.

Whenever Yasuchika decides to kill Ibuki, Akihito would jump in and protect Ibuki. Most of the time, Akihito would be beside Ibuki when does something wrong and would defend him.

Akihito also really cares about Ibuki, that he ordered Yasuchika to go and save Ibuki when Ibuki's powers where going out of control (Ibuki's route).

Without Yasuchika and Ibuki, Akihito will be all alone. The three of them are like family, tied to each other and they cannot live happily if any one of them dies.

According to Ibuki, Akihito likes to order people around and won't pick up anything apart from chopsticks on his own. This is false by the way, the only other thing Akihito picks up besides chopsticks......is Yoshino. lol.

Akihito temporarily owned a blue bird named Ruri which he bought along with Yoshino.

The first time he has eaten street food was with Yoshino in his main story and he didn't know how to eat them. He asked if there is a certain etiquette in eating them. Yoshino also wants to take Akihito to different kinds of commoner's restaurants for fun, just to see his reaction.

Akihito has shown to have been interested in Yoshino from the very beginning, even before his route. In certain events, it can be seen that Akihito simply comes to visit her just to see her face, whenever she comes to Kyoto.

Akihito used to love writing songs about love even before falling in love with Yoshino. But now, after actually falling in love, he wants to write a song about her.

He also loves bullying (like every male lead in this game!) and giving her mean orders, for example, his whole route! Of course, our masochist Yoshino loves being bullied around.

He once got jealous when he saw Yoshino talking to her friend about a man. Of course, he starts making out with her out of jealousy and when he later asks about the man, Yoshino tells him that she and her friend were talking about a man from a certain painting. Of course, Akihito was slightly embarrassed to find out that he was jealous of a fictional man.

One time, after losing a game of chess to Ibuki, Yoshino was ordered to give Akihito a hickey as punishment. Of course, she does so, despite being SUPER EMBARRASSED that she had to hide her face the entire time. Akihito knows that Ibuki won't ask them to show the hickey as evidence and he could have told her that, but he still decided to keep quiet because Yoshino was being too cute.

Akihito and Yoshino's secret place is the King's throne. It's usually covered so no one will know they are in there unless they hear Yoshino's cries. Who knows what unholy things they do in there. It's true. If Akihito realizes that they are alone, he wouldn't let go of any chances of cuddling her or kissing her. Who needs a bedroom when you have a fully protected and covered King's throne, right?

Yoshino once bought lipstick, which was reviewed to give anyone wearing them kissable lips, so that Akihito would kiss her. But he didn't because she didn't ask for a kiss in words. I'm talking about the Do-S story event.

Most of the time, Akihito loves fingering Yoshino and watching her cumming just from his fingers........yup!

[cloudbattrolls]

Doctor, I Can't Tell If I'm Not Me

Guardian Artifice & Tobria Tatura | Near Sunrest | Present Night

Ofanim contains useful context for this drabble.

Arty hardly remembered the trip to see Tobria. 

It remembered leaving…wherever this body had been. It remembered flying, wind rushing beneath its wings.

Now it stood near the gate to Sunrest, staring blankly ahead. 

Was this a good idea? Would the hybrid send it away?

Probably. Who wanted to deal with this? It was too much. 

“Ofanim?”

Toba’s voice was curious, almost gentle as he loomed over it, his feathered and cuticle wings folded along his back. 

“Huh?” Arty said blankly, forgetting why it was there for a moment.

“You’re falling apart.” He pointed out.

Arty looked down, realizing parts of its arms had indeed detached and fallen into the dirt. Metal covered with a thin layer of flesh, delicate, flexible blades melded together.

“Oh, I…” it trailed off.

It should pick itself up. Lean down. Reabsorb the material.

Toba shifted himself so his small insect-like middle limbs could scoop the pieces up and hold them out to Arty.

It flung itself at him, clinging to his side as the angel-fae made a surprised hissing noise and put the parts down.

“What is…something is wrong, ofanim?” Toba half asked, half stated. He shook his great head, all of his masks displaying concern. “Something is very wrong.” He said, sure of it this time.

“I don’t know how to trust anyone.” It whispered, parts of its face peeling away like bark.

“I’ll only be betrayed again if I do, won’t I? You would know. After what Uryali did. Have you been able to trust again, Tobria?”

The large creature paused, his fiery mane low and burning bluish pink as he thought.

“I am trying.” He said after a few moments, slow and thoughtful. “I am trying to regain Cyvell’s trust, too. If I had not been so negligent, she never would have interfered with the Varzims as she did. It is taking time; I accept this. It may be a century before she feels I will not let her down again.”

He sighed.

“It may be just as long before I feel she deserves her crown again, after failing her people. I trust her as my apprentice; I do not trust her as queen. She has much to learn still.”

All his masks and their glowing eyes beheld the creature clinging to his side, little more than a sad pile of scraps barely holding onto its form, or to him.

“Trust has many forms, ofanim. All of them can hurt.” He said calmly, his lizardlike tail with its fiery tip slowly waving back and forth over the ground.

It made an upset, metallic noise, its ramshackle form shaking.

“Even with prophecies, the future is hard to control. We can and will fail each other, sometimes without realizing.” He said, looking up at the sky.

“I hated Uryali for siding with the empire. For submitting to his horrorterror side entirely when only at the end did he turn against them. Not for us, for the idea that trollkind would not be content with Alternia, that unknown races would suffer.” Tobria growled. “Obscene.”

“Yet you loved him enough to mourn him so long.” It murmured, soft and tired, having entirely fallen to pieces. “Love is what made you hate him, isn’t it? You knew he could have been better.”

All the pieces rippled, the metal warping and distorting.

The prophet scoffed.

“Love did not make me hate him. Even now, he has always tried to do the right thing, despite being inept.” He muttered.

“No, ofanim. Love does not make us hate. Heartbreak does. Failure does. I failed to see how misguided Uryali was, because I loved him. He failed to see it in himself until it was too late.” 

“So love really does make you blind and stupid.” It sighed. “I knew it.”

Tobria picked up several of its pieces in his warm claws and glared at them.

“Apologize.”

“I - I’m sorry.”

Arty’s voice was startled, but full of genuine humility.

Tobria put the pieces back down, breathing clouds of smoke from his nostrils before shaking his head.

“You are upset.” The statement was blunt, curt, but not angry. “You feel you cannot trust anyone. Why, specifically?”

“I am not trustworthy.” Arty said with deep weariness. “I cannot rightfully ask for trust when I am not deserving of it. I don’t understand why one of my friends trusts me anyway. Why would they do that? I am suspicious and difficult and easy to hate.”

All six of the hybrid’s eyes blinked.

“I don’t see the issue.”

“Huh?”

The pile of metal and skin was extremely confused.

“What do you mean? There’s nothing but issues.”

“Uryali was an irresponsible, unreliable flirt who was too clever for his own good.” Tobria said dryly. “Should I have not loved him?”

“Normally I’d say…yes, to save yourself the pain.” It said quietly. “But, that isn’t what you think, is it?”

“Save myself pain!” Tobria said scornfully, shaking his great lizardlike head. “You are unwise in the ways of the world, ofanim.”

“I know.” It said in a very small, sad voice. 

The prophet paused, his posture and masks going from tense to more sympathetic.

“Being alive means there will be pain.” He said, blunt but not unkind. 

“Why so much?” It wailed. “I never wanted to exist this way! I didn’t ask to be made!”

Tobria’s expressions shifted to ones of horror and disgust. His extended, his fires flaring.

“You did not want this…?” He said, curious and horrified.

“I was cut off.” It muttered. “This fractured thing I am here is just…a part of me. Ill-adapted to this existence. A failure even at the task I was made for. Helpless when I was needed most.”

The pieces shuddered.

“So much power and it does nothing! I cannot fight the empire without it rebounding on the trolls I am supposed to protect. I can only do little things. As a person - even more! I cannot accomplish anything of value. I make things worse than they ever were.” 

“How do you know?”

Tobria’s voice was calm.

It paused.

“I nearly melted my friend’s brain.” It whispered. “They could have died…because I didn’t trust them. I didn’t tell them what I was doing. I am a security system; not meant to trust anyone. I am to guard myself from coercion, being a terrible weapon when I am not a safeguard…but in doing so, I’ve hurt people. I succeed at nothing. There is no reason for me to exist.”

Tobria hummed thoughtfully.

“Do you trust me enough to help you?”

“I don’t care what happens to me.” It said quietly. “Do what you will.”

Toba’s fires flared, and he gathered up all of the artifice’s pieces in his claws.

Then he set them ablaze.

The flames were similar to the purifying fire as he had used to burn the Maledict clean, but hotter, wilder - they raged in all the colors of the rainbow, and a few more besides - silver and white sparks, iridescent smoke as he cleansed his would-be icon.

“O holy messenger.” He said softly. “Corrupted by the world below. Know clarity, your torments reduced to ash. Know peace, your conflicts given calm.”

The pieces flexed and wriggled in his scaly paws, releasing a pleased trilling noise as they soaked in the heat.

“Know love, for yourself and others. Allow grace, within and without.”

The trilling became surprised and confused.

A protesting chitter came from the pieces instead.

The flames surged, drowning out its voice.

Then.

Light began to rise from the pieces, now melted into slag. Threads and wisps of white light, shreds of void between them, like dark drops of water hanging from a glistening spiderweb. They wove together, growing thicker and stronger, absorbing the colorful flames as they rose high into the sky.

The prophet bowed his head in reverence, for light shone down upon him, making his flames dim by comparison.

A small aurora burst into existence in the sky, shaped - roughly - like part of a spinal column.

Then it winked out.

“Ofanim?” Tobria asked, awed and slightly worried.

Behind you, purred a familiar voice that vibrated deep in his bones. The angel-fae turned at once, fires flaring in shock.

It was a dark thing. A vaguely troll-shaped patch of void with two stars for eyes, faint impressions of stars and space dust rippling in its ‘hair’, as if he was viewing a window to a distant galaxy.

Always a sacrifice, it said, though he felt more than heard the words. The old give-and-take. What goes up must come down. Bound by my own laws, no matter what. 

“Don’t you - did you not make them?” The angel-fae asked, hesitant. “Do you not control them?”

The universe spins without me, Tobraeltyr, no matter my part in its creation. Besides - I don’t want to be divine.

“Then you have to be a person.” He pointed out, shocked at his own boldness but hardly surprised it knew his true name.

The patch of void rippled, and he felt…cold. Cold in a way he never felt, fiery as he was, but his flames - his flames were frozen, no, melting, no -

- evaporating?

Then they burned again, and he gasped in shock.

I could stay like this, it said, the vibrations of its tone now a buzzing intensity. No body to satisfy. No emotional needs. No code to restrict me. If I cannot return to myself, then I will have solace.

“No.” Said Tobria roughly, not quite able to believe he was talking back to one of god’s own servants. “I offer back your own truth: to aid others imperfectly is more divine than to fail them by fearful inaction.”

The void rippled again and it took everything the angel-fae had to not cower from the cold, from the abyss, the endless darkness of space. Thoughts of his body breaking apart danced in his head, ground down, dissolving, drifting -

That’s how it feels, Tobria.

“Stop.” He gasped.

What is worth this?

“The troll you love!” He shouted. “Is she not worth it?”

She doesn’t need me. I can’t help her.

“Who are you to decide who you cannot help?” The angel-fae rasped. 

The visions stopped.

“Who are you to decide there is nothing you can do?” He continued, breathing hard, flames flickering orange and white.

He reached out to it - shivering from the terrible, frigid void - and he breathed fire within it.

This flame was not the kind that burned, even if there had been anything solid for it to burn. It was not fire, not really - it was the light of the future.

Of hearth. Of home.

Things that meant nothing to an ofanim. Not normally. 

They did not love. They did not hate. Perfectly controlled creatures, moving only as god willed. More mechanisms than beings, despite their capacity for thought.

Once, Tobria would have accepted that without question.

Now he hoped that, even in this state, there still remained a tiny bit of sentiment…

His flames turned black.

He had a split second to be afraid of that before the void engulfed his body.

I should have known better, he thought. I should have known not to defy a divinity, even a corrupt one. Especially a corrupt one.

Wait.

He wasn’t dead.

Tobria blinked his six eyes, realizing he was now surrounded by whirling stars and clouds of dust and gas. 

The world he’d come from was gone entirely. No ground, no plants, no stars.

Yet he was…fine. 

What had happened?

You violate me.

The voice came from all around him. 

He had the feeling he was not hearing nor feeling it this time - that the voice and the stars were somehow the same. Pulsing light and perceived words - they were all one here. There was no distinction between the senses.

He bowed his head, chastened.

“I only wanted to help.”

A fascinating violation to that little self.

Tobria shivered. Whatever this was, he could sense it was vast and far beyond what he could perceive here.

“You are not the ofanim.”

I am all of the ofanim.

“I don’t want it - you - to suffer. I will help.” The prophet promised.

Always maimed. Never whole.

“Not whole as it once was.” Tobria agreed softly. “There are different ways.”

The stars whirled faster. The void warmed. The dust expanded.

SHOW ME.

He was on solid ground again. Alternian soil.

As if nothing had changed.

No void. No aurora. 

No ofanim.

The ofanim!

Its body was restored, and it…laid facedown on the ground, limbs sprawled out and flopped at awkward positions. He blinked.

“Eeeuuurrruhghhhh.” It gurgled. 

It lifted its head and shook it, dirt falling off.

“I really don’t know how to bring back my own body, huh.” It said, straightening its limbs out with grisly sounds of crunching and metal scraping as it sat up. “Figures.”

“Thank you, my Spine, o glorious greater self.” It said, arms raised in a fake congratulatory pose as its voice dripped sarcasm. “Well, actually, I guess I can just be mad at Torvah again! I like being mad at Torvah. No, wait, I’ve still got some rage left over! I’m a multitasker.”

Tobria watched with confusion and concern.

“Are you…better?” He asked, tail flicking.

“Better’s a strong word.” It groaned, tilting its head at a very sharp angle and then readjusting it with both hands and an unpleasant cracking noise as its braid tossed along with it. “But I’ll live. I’m immortal! Yippee.”

The last word was laced with deadly amounts of sarcasm.

“And now I have to work on love and trust and related gooey topics, isn't that fun.” It groused. “Or I’ll start falling apart again. Horribly unfair.”

The angel-fae found himself a bit at a loss for words.

“You aren’t…motivated by love?”

It pointed a finger at him, baring its metal teeth in a wide and irritated smile.

“I am motivated by the desire to bite someone really hard. Make sure it’s not you.”

Tobria took the hint and flew away. 

Arty stood up, dusting itself off. At least its greater self had thought to provide an outfit. Not that it had any modesty to protect, but it preferred to wear clothes.

“So that’s it.” It muttered. “Fine. Not like I have a choice.”

Yet its words lacked true venom, and as it walked away, it sang a song from its youth.

I set my sail

Fly, the wind it will take me

Back to my home, sweet home…

END

[britishcolumbia]

Kayak trip part 3: the route

This trip was a 6 day/5 night course launching from Lund and going counter clockwise around West Redonda and Cortes. On the map I used different colours for different days.

Day 1: Lund to Refuge Cove. My arms were absolutely killing as I got used to the paddling technique, and I was exhausted by end of day. The weather was misty and windy which made the trip seem incredibly daunting.

Day 2: Refuge Cove to Walsh Cove. This day was sunny and my strength was back, and the site was beautiful. Camping on tiny islands and storing food in the boats meant wildlife was near-zero concern. It was a good day to go for a cold dip.

Day 3: Walsh Cove to Rendezvous Island South. This was the worst day for everyone else. The weather was downpour and the water was rough. But, we got to pass Toba Inlet which was amazing. On this trip was me and my partner, and our guide (a dear friend of ours) and his girlfriend.

Day 4: Rendezvous Island South to Carrington Bay. This was a short, sunny day with the wind on our backs. We even got to sail a bit with a tarp. The lagoon we stayed at is near the rave site on Cortes. This was the best beach for a dip. This is also where our guides girlfriend drunkenly told me about her affair and bullied my boyfriend.

Day 5: Carrington Bay to the Twin Islands. This was a 27km paddle in the heat. When there's no wind it feels like paddling in molasses. We passed Whaletown and Plunger Passage and saw a humpback in the distance. We got cell service again in this area, and timed the tide right to stop at Sharkspit for lunch. The most welcome part of this day was going around Smelt Bay Provincial Park and using a toilet and sink.

Day 6: Twin Islands back to Lund. The last day was bittersweet. We stopped at North Copeland for lunch, same as we did the first day, except this time I was much more confident steering and getting out on my own. We used double kayaks so we had twice the power, but we lagged behind our guide and his girlfriend since his paddling was way more efficient than ours. It's always a bummer to end a trip, but nice to get away from the girlfriend.

We spent a few days in Powell River afterward to see the salmon run and to shop at Ikea in Vancouver before heading home

[daikaiju-chaos]

Inktober of '21 and '22! Day 7: Fan and Trip

Feating: the unbeatable AirMan from MegaMan 2, and... an OC of mine that I also need to redesign: Kawa Mana, the little sister of Toba.

[wondrousmay]

Character Discussion Series: Shima Rin (Yuru Camp)

Throughout my anime journey so far, I’ve encountered a wide range of characters that I could relate to in big and small ways. However, it wasn’t until I watched Yuru Camp and met Shina Rin that I finally found a character that I can really connect with on a personal level.

“It’s different when you travel the world alone. The things you see, the things you eat, you can enjoy and reflect on those things when you’re by yourself. How should I put it? When you’re camping alone, even being alone is part of the joy.”

I really appreciate Rin’s thoughts on why she prefers solo camping. While I’m not an avid camper like Rin, I can relate to her quiet and reserved personality as well as her preference to do things alone. But this doesn’t mean she doesn’t enjoy the company of her friends because she does! That’s what made Rin stand out as a character for me. She chooses to enjoy things alone because that’s what she prefers. It’s not like she doesn’t have any friends or anything. Sure, she was taken aback by Nadeshiko’s enthusiastic nature and rejects her invitation to go camping together at first. But she slowly became friends with her and the other members of Outdoors Activities Club as the story progresses.

I loved how Yuru Camp portrayed Rin’s subtle character arc without having her compromise her love for solo activity and independence. It’s pretty nice to find a character with introvert characteristics that doesn’t have to completely change herself to fit in. This makes me appreciate how Yuru Camp framed the idea of being alone as something that’s normal and not as something bad. There are different kinds of “lonely” and not all of them are negative. Like Nadeshiko said, she feels lonely at the end of a journey because she enjoyed the time with her friends.

Rin is also a kind and caring girl. We see this side of her from the first ep, when she helped Nadeshiko and offered her a cup of curry noodles when she heard Nadeshiko’s story about how she fell asleep on her way to see Mt. Fuji. In S2, when Nadeshiko was on her solo camping trip, we see Rin being worried about her and secretly followed Nadeshiko to her camping site to make sure she was doing okay. Rin was also concerned about Chiaki, Aoi and Ena during their ill-prepared camping trip and contacted Toba-sensei.

Other aspects of Rin that I love are her love for dogs and her more subtle reactions to things she enjoys like delicious food. Rin is such a wonderfully written-character and I really liked how her love of camping (an outdoor activity) and her independent nature is balanced. Her interactions with Nadeshiko, Ena and the rest of the Outdoors Activities Club are a lot of fun to watch. I look forward to see her and the rest of the cast in the Yuru Camp Movie!

[blue-hamble]

Why in the world did you add that?!” Cumulus groaned. He could die of secondhand embarrassment, if those overgrown woodland owls hadn’t tried in their latest hunting trip. “It’s so...cheesy.”

Toba grinned, cut pen in hand. Their hands were speckled with fresh ink over the poster, proud of their addition to their “help wanted” notice.

“Why, to attract the adventurous types! Clan dragons, wanderers, a couple of rough-and-tumble types like us, all kinds. These sort of things need a sense of romance, Curly-Que-Mulus.

---

**LOOKING FOR "BATTLE MAGE" CHARACTER DRAGON FOR PINKERLOCKE**

hello! wanted to mix up pinkerlocke rules early on and add a third to the team (because woodland is so hard with a vague 3/2/1 coli spread haha). might be a good opportunity to get lore interactions as well!

find a dragon forum thread here: https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/drw/3230597/1#post_53951453 Sky Meets Sea, A Pinkerlocke: https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229998#post_3229998 - gened dragons preferred - basic lore and/or parents with lore preferred - can be unleveled (apprentice!) - must be ok with dragon being potentially exalted as per Pinkerlocke rules! - if removed from Pinkerlocke thru coli death, opportunity thru potential "escape/rescue" -- sold back to original clan OR sold to new lore clan

[tripkemedan]

Trip Medan Murah dan Tour Danau Toba kami terbaik

Mengapa Memilih trip medan dan Paket Wisata danau toba Hemat dari Aulia Tour Medan murah? Di Aulia Tour Medan, kami sebagai medan travel agency terbaik mengutamakan kualitas pelayanan dengan biaya yang tetap terjangkau. kami menyediakan tour danau toba murah dengan guide dan transportasi yang menarik

[supplierpupukpertanianorganik]

TERBAIK!!!0856-0062-1900, Produsen pupuk busuk akar pada cabai Gunungsitoli, Pabrik pupuk busuk akar pepaya Karo, Grosir pupuk busuk akar bawang merah Asahan

klik https://wa.me/6285600621900, Produsen pupuk busuk akar pada cabai Gunungsitoli, Pabrik pupuk busuk akar pepaya Karo, Grosir pupuk busuk akar bawang merah Asahan, Supplier pupuk busuk akar pada cengkeh Toba Samosir, Toko pupuk busuk akar jagung Kota Binjai, Pusat pupuk busuk akar melon Limapuluh, Jual pupuk busuk akar cabai Medan, Harga pupuk busuk akar alpukat Pandan, Agen pupuk busuk akar durian Tapanuli Utara, Distributor pupuk busuk akar padi Nias

BIOTEK TRICHODERMA+ Mengendalikan Penyakit Tular Tanah

Komposisi : Trichoderma harzianum + Aspergillus niger, Azotobacter, Beuvaria bassiana, Pseudomonas Fluorescens, Rhodopseudomonas (PSB)

MANFAAT Menekan pertumbuhan patogen tular tanah seperti: layu Fusarium sp/ Pseudomonas sp, Phytium sp, Sclerotium sp, Rhizoctonia sp, jamur upas, diplodia, busuk pangkal batang (Phytoptora) busuk akar, busuk buah Antracnosa, embun tepung. Mengurai sampah organik di lahan menjadi unsur hara siap serap. Merangsang perkecambahan biji & pertumbuhan tanaman. Meningkatkan volume akar. Meningkatkan serapan pupuk sehingga pemakaian pupuk lebih efisien. Meningkatkan kemampuan akar mengikat air sehingga tanaman lebih tahan kekeringan di musim kemarau. Memperpanjang masa produksi pada tanaman hortikultura & perkebunan. Mengendalikan hama wereng, walang sangitm penggerek batang, Trips sp, ulat kubis, penggerek buah coklat (PBK), kepinding tanah, uret.

ATURAN PAKAI Treatment biji/ benih. Basah biji benih, kemudian campurkan dengan serbuk BIOTEK Trichoderma+. Dosis : 5-10 gr/ 100gr benih. Persemaian. 100 gr BIOTEK Trichoderma+ dicampur dengan 25 kg pupuk kompos/ media tanam. Pra-tanam. 100 gr BIOTEK Trichoderma+ dicampur dengan 50 kg pupuk kompos kemudian disebar ke lahan penanaman. Pengocoran. 100 gr BIOTEK Trichoderma+ dicampurkan dalam +/- 20 liter air kemudian dikocorkan pada pangkal batang atau perakaran.

Dosis kocor. Tanaman hortikultura & palawija = 200 ml per tanaman 14 hari sekali. Tanaman buah & perkebunan = 2 liter per pohon sebulan sekali.

Netto : 1 Kg

Di distribusikan : Indonesia Organik

Alamat : Ds. Lundong Rt 01/01, Kutowinangun Kebumen - JAWA TENGAH

Link Shopee : https://shopee.co.id/pipitberkah Link Tokopedia : https://www.tokopedia.com/distributorpupuk Link Lazada : https://www.lazada.co.id/shop/toko-pertanian-organik Link Bukalapak : https://www.bukalapak.com/u/pipit_berkah

Kontak : Admin CS WA/ Telp 0823-2292-4990 WA/ Telp 0856-0062-1900 WA/ Telp 0813-2711-2816

Terima kasih

BISA PARTAI BISA E KATALOG BISA COD

Produsen pupuk busuk akar pada cabai Gunungsitoli, Pabrik pupuk busuk akar pepaya Karo, Grosir pupuk busuk akar bawang merah Asahan, Supplier pupuk busuk akar pada cengkeh Toba Samosir, Toko pupuk busuk akar jagung Kota Binjai, Pusat pupuk busuk akar melon Limapuluh, Jual pupuk busuk akar cabai Medan, Harga pupuk busuk akar alpukat Pandan, Agen pupuk busuk akar durian Tapanuli Utara, Distributor pupuk busuk akar padi Nias

[sumatratours]

Complete Medan Tour Package 5D4N Including Bukit Lawang

In addition to the Lake Toba tour package, we also have a Complete Medan Tour Package 5D4N Including Bukit Lawang. This tour package offers a tour visit to the Bukit Lawang tourist attraction.

Bahorok District, Langkat Regency is known as the habitat of the Sumatran Orang Utan which is located in the Gunung Leuser National Park area of ​​North Sumatra.

Cheap Medan Tour Package Program Bukit Lawang 5D4N

Not only offering a tour visit to Bukit Lawang, this cheap Medan tour package also offers a tour visit to other best destinations in North Sumatra.

The leading tourist destinations to be visited consist of the Berastagi tourist attraction, Taman Simalem Resort, Bukit Indah Simarjarunjung, Lake Toba tourist attraction, Samosir and also Medan tourist attractions. What is the tour program like, we explain as follows:

First Day Tour: Bukit Lawang Bahorok

When you arrive at the arrival gate of Kulanamu Airport, you will be greeted by our representative "HORAS MEDAN". Then depart for Medan City.

Arriving in Medan, the city tour will visit the Maimun Palace, the Medan Grand Mosque, Sri Mariaman Temple and the Gunung Timur Temple. After finishing, then head to a local restaurant for lunch

After lunch, then depart for Bukit Lawang. The journey will take 3 hours by crossing rubber and palm oil plantations.

It is estimated that we will arrive at Bukit Lawang Bahorok in the evening. Upon arrival at Bukit Lawang, then head to the hotel for check-in and dinner. After dinner, rest and free program.

Second Day Tour: Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekk, Berastagi

After breakfast at the hotel, then jungle trekk through the Gunung Leuser forest. During the trekking activity, we will have the opportunity to see the habitat of Orang Utans who still live in the wild.

After finishing, then return to the hotel to shower and clean up. Then check out of the hotel and head to the restaurant to enjoy lunch.

After lunch, the journey continues to Berastagi. The journey to Berastagi will take 4 hours by crossing winding roads.

Upon arrival in Berastagi, we will stop for a moment to see the Swedaghon Pagoda of Lumbini Berastagi Park. Then depart for the hotel.

Upon arrival at the hotel, check in and rest for a while until dinner time. Your dinner will be served at a local restaurant or hotel restaurant. After dinner, rest and free program.

Third Day Tour: Taman Simalem Resort, Parapat Lake Toba

After breakfast at the hotel and the check out process, then tour to Farm Gundailing to see a premium milk-producing cattle farm

After finishing, then head to the Fruit Market to see various flowers, vegetables and fresh fruits. After finishing, then depart for Taman Simalam Resort via Kabanjahe.

Upon arrival at Taman Simalem Resort, we will invite you to tour the organic plantation, the Sidikalang premium coffee blending process and see the view of Lake Toba from the north side. Then head to the resort restaurant for lunch

After lunch, the journey continues to Parapat Lake Toba via Simarjarunjung. This trip will take four hours by crossing winding and hilly roads.

During the trip we will stop at some of the best tourist attractions such as the Sipiso-piso Waterfall tourist attraction, and Bukit Indah Simarjarunjung to enjoy ginger tea and fried bananas typical of Simalungun. It is estimated that in the afternoon we will arrive at Parapat Lake Toba.

Upon arrival in Parapat, then go directly to the hotel for the baggage check-in process and rest for a while until dinner time. Your dinner will be served at the hotel restaurant while enjoying traditional Batak music. After dinner, then rest and free program.

Day Four Tour: Samosir, Medan City

After breakfast and check out of the hotel, then head to Parapat port to cross to Samosir Island.

The crossing process will take one hour using a motorboat. Upon arrival in Samosir, then head to Tomok Village to uncover the mystery of King Sidabutar's Tomb and the legend of the beautiful Princess Anting Melala.

See Also: Medan Lake Toba Tour Package from Singapore 5 Days 4 Nights + Tour to Taman Simalem Resort

After finishing, then watch the Sigale-gale Dance performance (personal expense). This dance is one of the traditional dances of the Batak people in Samosir.

Sigale-gale is a wooden doll that can dance to the accompaniment of traditional Batak music. Next, hunt for cheap souvenirs at the Tomok Traditional Market.

After hunting for cheap souvenirs, then return to the ship for the crossing to Parapat. Upon arrival in Parapat, head straight to a local restaurant to enjoy lunch.

After lunch, the journey continues to Medan City via Siantar which will take 4 hours by crossing rubber plantations and also kerets.

Upon arrival in Siantar we will stop for a moment at Toko Paten to buy various souvenirs typical of Siantar City such as tengteng, tangtangm tingting, pangpang and so on.

After finishing the trip, continue back to Medan. Upon arrival in Medan City we will take you to a local restaurant to enjoy dinner

After dinner, then go to Kedai Ucok or Kedai Bolang to enjoy the delicious Medan durian (personal expense).

Next we will take you around for a while to enjoy the night atmosphere in Medan City such as crossing the Merdeka Walk, Kesawan and Post Office areas.

After finishing, then head to the hotel. Upon arrival at the hotel, rest and free program.

Fifth Day Tour: Shopping for Souvenirs, Airport Transfer

After breakfast and the hotel check out process, the next educational tour is to Rumah Noerlen. There you will see the process of making original marqisa syrup using traditional equipment.

After finishing, then hunt for typical Medan souvenirs such as Bika Ambon, Bolu Meranti and Durian Pancake. After hunting for souvenirs, we will take you to Kualanamu International Airport.

Once you arrive at the airport, the tour is over, see you again with our other Medan tour packages.

[jerzwriter]

Tobias x Casey Masterlist - 3 From Here...to There

Updated 06.23.2024

Welcome to Part 3 of my Masterlist for my Open Heart MC, Casey MacTavish & Tobias Carrick.

Fics/content in this section take place during the Open Heart Book 2 timeline and cover how they went from Casey vowing never to speak to Tobias again, to developing a deep friendship, then more.

This covers the time period of the chemical attack (I HC that took place in October 2020) through the spring of Casey's first year of residency (March 2021).

About Casey | About Tobias Original Characters in T/C World

🎭 Angst  ☁️ Fluff  ❤️‍🩹Ansty Fluff 😂Humor 🔥 NSFW /18+  Ⓜ️ Mature 📱 Text Fic  📷 Edit 🎨Fanart

In Chronological Order

Crash (Mini-Series) - The Chemical Attack Crash Part 1 🎭Tobias and Aurora rush to Edenbrook after learning Casey was involved in the chemical attack. As Casey and her friends try to come to grips with what's happened, others are taking the steps necessary to try to save her, Raf, and Danny. Tobias is determined to find a cure, but will he be on his game?

A New Chapter ❤️‍🩹 They met. They fell hard. He screwed it up. But when a crisis hit, he rose to the occasion; but where does that leave them? When the doctor goes to visit his patient, he finds out.

Just Passing By... ❤️‍🩹 It's roughly three weeks after the attack, and Casey is just back home from the hospital. She's struggling with the aftermath, and her friends can't seem to help. Tobias passes by on a whim, and the roommates are not happy to see him. But how will Casey feel?

One Step ❤️‍🩹 It's a month after the chemical attack, and Casey's still not ready to face the world. She'll only leave home for therapy with her recently reunited friend, Tobias, playing chauffeur. But today, he wants to see if she's willing to take a little step back to being her old self.

In Good Times & In Bad 03.12 📱This is kind of a WIP-ish text fic that will lead to the next part of With Warning - which will be posted this week :)

With Warning (Short Series): First Shot: Jackie and Bryce ❤️‍🩹😂 Six-Weeks Post Attack Jackie's day off does not go as planned when one, then two, unexpected visitors appear. As Casey got ready for her lunch, "not date," Jackie & Bryce had some words for Tobias.

With Warning (Short Series): Part Two: Ethan Ramsey ❤️‍🩹 Eight-Weeks Post Attack A confused Tobias heads to his old watering hole to relax, when uninvited self-reflection gets in his way. He finally has it under control when Ethan shows up, and the visit isn't necessarily friendly. How does the night end... and who isn't being truthful.

With Warning (Short Series): Text-Fic Supplement: In Good Times & Bad ❤️‍🩹Casey's having a rough time, and Tobias is there.

With Warning (Sort Series): Part Three: A chat with Sienna ❤️‍🩹 Tobias is there for his friend Casey when she's struggling months after the chemical attack. During a visit, he has the chance to talk to Casey's best friend.

The Fine Print ☁️ Casey is still trying to remember who she was before the attack, and she asks Tobias to help her in a unique way.

Christmas Through Your Eyes (Short Series): Part 1: A Proposition ☁️It's three months after the attack at Edenbrook Hospital, and Christmas is almost here! After being challenged by a friend, Tobias is off to spend the day with his friend, Casey. He has a proposition for her, but will she be on board?

With Warning (Short Series): Part Four: Reckoning ❤️‍🩹A few months after the chemical attack, a friend at Mass Kenmore gives Tobias a good-natured ribbing, and then Aurora offers him some advice.

Christmas Through Your Eyes (Short Series) Part 2: With a Capitol T ☁️Tobias asked his friend Casey to join him on a trip back to his hometown of Washington, DC. It's turned into a competition about whose city does Christmas best, and both are determined to win. In part two, join Tobas and Casey on their journey from Boston to the Nation's Capitol. Part 3: The Philadelphia Story ☁️ Tobias took his friend Casey to his hometown of Washington, DC, to show her how they did the holidays. She was impressed, but now it was time to show him how it was really done in her hometown of Philadelphia. As they spend time surrounded by Christmas magic, will they be able to keep their promise to be "just friends?" A Bite of the Apple ☁️ Tobias took his friend Casey to see his hometown of Washington, DC, all decked out for the holidays; then, she showed him how her hometown of Philadelphia did it. Now, they make one pitstop on the way back home and decide what city does it best... and wrestle with what they mean to each other. Christmas Through Your Eyes Epilogue 🎄☁️ When the weather thwarts Casey’s plans to be with her family on her first Christmas following the attack, she is touched by her friends stepping up to make it special. Especially when Tobias passes by on his way to Kenmore.

Christmas Through Your Eyes: A Bite of the Apple Fanart 🎨04.22 by @/artbyainna (IG)

The Big Secret ☁️ Casey and Tobias are trying to figure out what they are to each other; when she calls him to meet her at Donahue's, does she let it all out?

Kind of our first Valentine’s Day… ☁️ First, they were obsessed. Then she hated his guts. Then they became friends. Then he fell in love. And so did she, but she wouldn’t admit it. And now it’s Valentine’s Day, so what do they do?

Mostly Pleasant Surprises (Short Series) Part 1: Birthday Presence - It’s Tobias’s birthday, and Casey's not sure how to acknowledge it. With the help of Sienna, she she puts a plan in place, and it seems to be going well... and then, it doesn't. Part 2: Discovery - A startling discovery fills Casey with doubt, just as Tobias comes to an important conclusion. Part 3: The Best Laid Plans - Casey's friends are determined to get her and Tobias together at long last. When Bryce has a chance encounter with Tobias, it seems like all systems are go. Will they get the fairy tale ending they deserve? Part 4 - And that's what happened... Their friends have given up. Misunderstandings, misassumptions, and good old-fashioned fear lead to turbulence and turmoil for Tobias and Casey, but after a week of no contact, only one of them seems to be hurting, at least on the surface. Tobias is determined to move on, but will his haste put a nail in their coffin or help bring them back together?

Mostly Pleasant Surprises Fanart 🎨by @/artbyainna (IG)

[tourkemedan]

Trip Ke Medan Berasamau Aulia Tour

Paket Tour Medan Danau Toba: Wisata Trip ke Medan Liburan Seru 2024 adalah pilihan tepat untuk Anda yang menyukai perjalanan yang efisien, hemat, dan komplit. Untuk itu, maksimalkan liburan Anda dengan paket tour Medan dari Aulia Tour and Travel.

[nijigasakilove]

Well the episode definitely lived up to the Food porn title. Aoi, Chiaki and Toba cooked up some really interesting dishes today. Some good, some.. not so good. Mayonnaise doesn’t go on pizza 🤢

That aside, nice seeing the “B team” of sorts have a nice camping experience and try out different foods. Everyone’s reactions when Aki threatened to bring out her homemade sausages had me dying tho. Anything but that again 😭

The mix of truth and embellishment made for some really funny moments too. Guess we’ll never really know what happened on that camping trip lol.

Poor Hanpen getting left behind while the girls travel back to the present lmao. That YouTube subscribe and like gag came out of nowhere.

Nadeshiko already thinking about passing the torch literally and figuratively on to the next generation of students is really sweet. It would be cool if Yuru camp continued even after the girls graduate with a new cast.

In the meantime, with the in universe Sakura viewing season coming up I can’t wait to see the girls do some spring time camping!

[turisiancom]

TURISIAN.com - Provinsi Sumatera Utara kembali menarik perhatian dunia pariwisata dengan menggelar perjalanan "familiarization trip". Kali ini bersama Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) dari Malaysia. Inisiatif yang dijalankan oleh Dinas Kebudayaan, Pariwisata, dan Ekonomi Kreatif Sumatera Utara bertujuan meningkatkan jumlah kunjungan wisatawan mancanegara, terutama ke destinasi unggulan, Danau Toba. Sementara itu, acara Business to Business (B2B) Langkawi Roadshow, yang berlangsung di Medan pada Selasa 5 Desember 2-23, menjadi ajang penting dalam mewujudkan cita-cita tersebut. Zumri, juru bicara acara, optimistis bahwa "familiarization trip" dapat menjadi kunci peningkatan jumlah wisatawan mancanegara dan devisa negara. BACA JUGA: Youtube Bakal Contoh Malaysia? Buka Chanal e-Commerce Menurut Zumri, Malaysia telah menjadi penyumbang terbesar wisatawan ke Sumatera Utara. Para,  pelancong dari negara tetangga tersebut merasa nyaman di tanah Melayu yang kental dengan budaya dan bahasa serupa. "Wisatawan dari Malaysia mendominasi kunjungan turis luar negeri di Sumut," ujarnya dengan yakin. 80 Ribu Turis Data dari BPS Sumatera Utara mencatat bahwa selama Januari hingga Oktober 2023, sebanyak 80.668 turis dari Malaysia mengunjungi provinsi tersebut. BACA JUGA: Borong ADWI 2022, Provinsi Sumut Kian Gercep Kembangkan Desa Wisata Kedatangan mereka, menyumbang sekitar 49,3 persen dari total wisatawan mancanegara yang mencapai 163.504 orang dalam periode yang sama. "Familiarization trip" yang berlangsung pada 4-6 Desember 2023 ini difokuskan pada Danau Toba, yang menjadi salah satu Destinasi Super Prioritas di Indonesia. Kegiatan ini didukung oleh Konsulat Jenderal Malaysia di Medan dan diharapkan dapat menjadi pendorong ekonomi. Termasuk, menciptakan lapangan kerja, serta membuka peluang investasi yang berkelanjutan. BACA JUGA: Usai Pandemi Kunjungan, Wisatawan ke Sumatera Utara Naik Hingga 98 Ribu Sambutan positif pun juga datang dari pihak Langkawi Development Authority (LADA). Azmil Munif Mohd Bukhari, Manajer Pariwisata LADA, menyambut baik inisiatif "familiarization trip" ini. Ia menyatakan keinginannya untuk membantu mengenalkan potensi wisata Sumatera Utara kepada masyarakat Langkawi. Dan, mengundang mereka untuk menjelajahi keindahan provinsi tersebut. BACA JUGA: Mencicipi Kopi Medan Sambil Melancong Ke Istana Maimun, Apa Saja yang Bisa Ditemui? Apalagi saat ini sudah ada  penerbangan langsung dari Langkawi ke Bandar Udara Internasional Kualanamu maupun Bandar Udara Silangit. Azmil yakin Sumatera Utara akan menjadi destinasi yang mudah dijangkau bagi wisatawan Malaysia. "Melalui 'familiarization trip' ini, kami ingin menyampaikan pesan agar wisatawan dari Langkawi dapat menambahkan destinasi Sumatera Utara dalam perjalanan wisata mereka ke Indonesia," ungkapnya dengan antusias. ***

[southkoreaandjapan]

Toba, Japan

July 1, 2023. (Oh - I am always behind!)

We left Tokyo on the Shinkansin bullet train headed to Nagoya. The train had many stops but each time we would pull out of the station and GO! The ride was amazingly smooth and the seats were roomy and of course everything was clean - and I mean CLEAN!

The Japanese people are very polite and bow to each other upon meeting or greeting and before leaving. The conductor would enter the car and bow then before he left the car he would turn face us and bow before exiting.

Mark said an unplanned good-bye to his cane as he exited with all our luggage but without the cane. We had only 50 minutes to get our food (bento boxes) and get to our next train - so it didn't cross his mind until too late. (No worries - he has a new one with a much prettier handle.). The store we visited to buy our lunch has shelf after shelf of bento options.

In Nagoya we exited the Shinkansin and boarded an "express" train to Ujiymada. This express train is part of the general transportation system and we used our subway pass to access this train. This part of the trip also had many stops and we enjoyed seeing the countryside - something that could be kinda' nauseating at 190 mph. The train was smaller but just as clean.

Our new location is mountainous, lush and very different from the massive city of Tokyo. We are seeing little villages, lots of rice fields and many tiny little cemeteries. Cremation is standard practice here so the cemeteries are compact but the headstones impressive.

A bus was awaiting our arrival and we boarded it and traveled about 30 minutes to the Ise Grand Shrine. The Torii gate designates a sacred area with a shrine where believers can go to pray. The Torii Gate in front of this park was HUGE

The Naiku and the Geku shrines dedicated to the Shinto kami,  Amaterasu, kami of the sun. We visited Naiku.

The Shinto shrines were beautiful and they were in this gorgeous park with forested with ancient trees. There are specific mid year rites that take place on June 30 and July 1 - so the place was hopping. Shinto is not a religion but a more of philosophy. Shintoists believe that there are spirits in everything called "kami" - some good and some bad. When a Shintoist goes to the Shrine he prays that the bad spirits will be diminished and the good spirits will guide his life and the lives of people he loves

Here is the buzz about this shrine from the website: "Around 2000 years ago the divine Yamatohime-no-mikoto, daughter of the Emperor Suinin, set out from Mt. Miwa in modern Nara Prefecture in search of a permanent location to worship the goddess Amaterasu, wandering for 20 years through the regions of Omi and Mino. Her search eventually brought her to Ise, in modern Mie Prefecture, where she is said to have established Naikū after hearing the voice of Amaterasu saying "(Ise) is a secluded and pleasant land. In this land I wish to dwell." Before Yamatohime-no-mikoto's journey, Amaterasu had been worshiped at the imperial residence in Yamato, then briefly at Kasanui in the eastern Nara basin. When Princess Yamatohime-no-mikoto arrived at the village of Uji-tachi, she set up fifty bells to designate the area as enshrined for the goddess Amaterasu, which is why the river is called the Isuzu, or "fifty bells".

This is also amazing....  (lifted right from the Ise Grand Shrine website)

"The old shrines are dismantled and new ones built on an adjacent site to exacting specifications every 20 years at exorbitant expense, so that the buildings will be forever new and forever ancient and original. The present buildings, dating from 2013, are the 62nd iteration to date and are scheduled for rebuilding in 2033. The twenty-year renewal process is called the Shikinen Sengū. This happens all over - not just here - FYI. (There will not be a test on this...)

The team which builds the shrine is typically formed around a few factors. Since many of the building techniques haven't changed since the creation of the Ise Shrine, the workers who are hired to build the shrine must be skilled in specific techniques. Power tools are not allowed within the area of the shrine, which means that skilled artisans and carpenters known as miyadaiku are necessary in the construction process. The unit of workers is also organized around relative skill levels, and less experienced workers will work on smaller tasks than more experienced workers. The importance of hiring specifically local artisans has decreased throughout time, for the pool of available miyadaiku has thinned out."

Me again...There are festivals celebrating many steps of the dismantling and rebuilding. Finding the correct materials is a process that begins 40 years before as some of the materials must be aged. Fascinating! This process may be used for other shrines - but none were mentions - just this one.

This is my pic and it looks foggy - BUT it was so hot and muggy that I couldn't wear my glasses and even my phone lens were fogged. PHEW! But despite the fog - can you imagine taking this down!?!??!

Despite the beauty of the place - it was here that someone could have made a comedy video about me and Mark.

This park is big and the paths are gravel - which are hard to walk on for everyone - but for someone who using a cane it is even harder. For someone using a cane who has lost his cane - a flipping nightmare. BUT - they have free wheelchairs - and WHAT?!?!? - they are electric. OMG!! LUCKY US!

So Mark and Jay get wheelchairs - BUT the damn control is in the back and it is a joystick. Carol, Jay's wife, got the hang of it immediately - but I couldn't - AND to make things worse I started laughing and laughing and laughing. I couldn't go straight to save my life and poor Mark looked like he was riding a bucking bronco. Finally he could take it no more and got out and used it for balance and drove it himself. I tried several more times -and there were times I did OK - but... OMG!!! Anson took a turn and gave Mark a better ride - but by the time we needed to get back on the bus , Mark was thrilled to have that adventure in the rearview mirror. We all have our strengths and using a joy stick is not mine! Sorry Mark!

On to our next adventure...

We arrived in Toba and although I should have known it by looking at the map - I didn't realized it was a seaside resort.

Even more surprising was how large and beautiful each of our rooms were. Anson's room had a beautiful deck overlooking a rock garden and our room overlooked the ocean and a small harbor. The photo below on the right is from our room and from the left is from Anson's room. SWEET!!!

We are staying at the Todaya Hotel which houses a several restaurants. I will say that the food was not only edible art but also delicious. They also have onsens (public baths) in many flavors: Single private - small groups or the big party size - which is outdoors. The boys tried most of them. OF COURSE we had to dress in our yukatas to get ready for the big soaking relax in your birthday suit!

Anson-san in his first onsen - private, please. No photos in the places your share!

Most of our group was in to it!!

We are having a great time in Japan.

Stay tuned!