#bonus: spot the reference to The Wake short story

[inquisimer]

19 from the Rook Codex list for Arlow (if you are taking them c:)

thank you mo!! and thank you for making the list, it's a good one (:

Rook Codex Prompts | 19: Inventory of personal belongings Rook left behind when they left their faction

-

Codex Entry: To Be Returned

A list in neat, sharp handwriting, attached to a small chest on a shelf in the Fifth Talon’s office. There are tracks in the dust, as though the chest has been removed and replaced several times.

Unstitched vellum and ink pouches

Throwing daggers, old

Assorted magical theory tomes (bookmarks added) and associated notes (indexed as standard)

Half a jar of coffee beans, roast unlabeled, and set of mugs (washed before storage)

Bag of yarn, three unfinished strangling cords, and one set of hooks

Three vials of unknown substance(s), labels singed off (she did that to annoy me)

One bloom each crystal grace and embrium, pressed and dried

Crumpled funeral program, ink smeared (should have intervened sooner)

Crow leathers and cape, retrieved in person

(Below, in Teia’s handwriting, and then Viago's)

—It is the dark cinnamon roast. You know perfectly well she doesn’t drink anything else.

—It is unlabeled.

—That does not matter. You know.

[melancholic-pigeon]

Too Short For Ao3 Fic #3? 4?

SO this is the extended edition of the bonus wip I did with Sally's birthday. The overall fic it belongs to is Extremely Smutty, so I went in and revised out the brief references and I'm posting the family-centric g-rated stuff for anyone who wants that but not the smut! Cough.

Also, I felt bad about missing WIP Wednesday again. Lolsob.

Percy rouses at around eleven PM to a sketch of himself on Jason's pillow. There's a note on the other side. 

I wanted to wake you up to say goodbye, but you looked so comfy I didn't have the heart to. your mom's presents are in the bag by my desk. say hi to everyone for me. I'll call tomorrow anyway.

love you to the moon and back.

-J. ❤

Complete with a little red heart. He doesn't even care that the doodle of him next to it, burritoed in a pile of blankets, includes a little spot of drool— he can tell by the rest of his cartoony, ballpoint features that Jason put it in because he thinks it's cute.

(And by the fact that he's said so, several times.)

Percy gathers up his junk. The cornflower blue sweatshirt he steals goes halfway down his fingers. He's come to accept that at six foot three and counting, Jason is the taller of them and always will be— barring some sort of horrible wood-chipper accident or curse from a grumpy deity. 

Fortunately, there's something about looking up to meet someone's eyes that Percy finds incredibly attractive. He has since Annabeth outgrew him for the first time in eighth grade. 

He heads out in his own jeans and the boxers he packed and the sweatshirt that smells like cinnamon. Once he boards the train, he stands with his arm around a pole and the other holding the bag against his chest, and tries to stay casual and keep the grin off his face.

It's almost midnight when he gets home. His mom, of course, is still awake, so he heads into the living room to greet her.

"My other half says hello."

There's a pile of presents on the coffee table. He puts the bag with the rest of them and sits down, kissing her cheek.

"He didn't have to get me anything." She closes her book and eyes the bag with a fond sigh. "How is he?" 

Percy's the same way she is, always happy to do favors and give gifts, but feeling pretty awkward about receiving them. Jason's even worse, the three of them in an ongoing and circular competition to never let any of it go reciprocated. 

"Working too hard, as always. Pulling As and winning games and barely sleeping to do it. His stepmother's up his ass and his father's a bully, so, you know, news at eleven." He leans his head onto her shoulder. "That's why he gives you stuff. He's trying to show you how much he appreciates you." 

She sighs, and Percy knows it's because she's just as frustrated by the whole thing as he is. 

"He knows I appreciate him too, I hope." 

"Without a doubt." Percy smiles at her, watching as she goes a little pink and smiles back. "You have a talent for making him feel appreciated." 

"He treats my baby like a prince," she says softly. "That's why I appreciate him so much in the first place. How could I do anything else?"

Percy turns his face into her shirt collar, another futile attempt to hide his goofy expression, 

"He really does, doesn't he?"

Holding doors, pulling out chairs, offering an arm on unsteady streets. Jason's never laid his coat over a puddle, but Percy's pretty sure he would, if the option presented itself. 

His mom starts playing with his hair, her fingers light and familiar.

"I'm just happy you're happy, sweetheart."

He knows that feeling too. 

Half asleep from the petting, Percy lets himself be a little babyish. It's after midnight now, which means it's her birthday, and he knows that sometimes she misses when he was Estelle's age and little enough to curl up in her lap. He's way too big for that now, obviously, but he can still slide down the couch and rest his head there. 

"You too, Mama." 

She looks at him, her eyes misty with emotion and almost green in the light.

She's smiling, too. 

She smiles a lot, these days.

—

In the morning, Paul makes coffee while Estelle helps unwrap the avalanche of presents. She's at the age where ripping paper makes her squeal with hysterical laughter, which worms its way into Percy's heart and melts it into pudding. 

Several of them are from Percy's friends, including a handbound book of original recipes from Leo, a lovely silver bracelet inset with mother-of-pearl that Beckendorf made himself, and a huge sheathed knife with a matching decorative handle from Clarisse. The last one makes his mom snort as she gets up to put it on the bookshelf, out of reach of curious toddler hands. 

"Decorative. Sure." 

"I bet she'd teach you how to use it if you asked." 

"I know how to use a bowie knife, dear. Your father and I used to catch and cook our own fish when we went camping."

"Which reminds me, he still hasn't taken me out," Paul cuts in, frowning. "I've been saving up dad jokes and embarrassing stories for four years."

"I'll bug him about it the next time we talk," Percy promises. "It's probably the ADHD." 

"Do you want me to bug you about bugging him?" 

"If you haven't set something up by blueback season, yeah." 

Percy and Paul went in on a pound of jasmine tea, which his mom reaches for next. She immediately asks for a cup— it's one of two days out of the entire year where she lets other people wait on her, for a change, and even that took a lot of cajoling. 

Paul makes the tea, since Percy usually scalds the leaves and it turns out tasting like grass. She probably wouldn't complain anyway, but it's her birthday, and she deserves to have the best tea that can be made in their kitchen. 

"Is the last bag from Jason?" Paul sets the mug on a coaster in the middle of the coffee table, and Percy scoops the baby into his lap so she doesn't try to grab it. She mashes her tiny hand against his cheek.

"And Thalia. I'm not sure if they went in on stuff or he just packed them both in one bag to make it easy." 

Either is a possibility. He watches as his mom reaches in and pulls out a large wrapped frame, Thalia's spiky handwriting answering the question. 

Whatever's inside, it makes her shut her eyes and exhale deeply through her nose. 

"Please pass on that I am absolutely furious."

She turns the frame around. An autographed vinyl EP of Sign O' the Times by Prince— one of the albums Percy grew up on, though she skipped a number of the songs when he was little. Thalia must have spent a fortune on it. 

"That woman is incredible," Paul breathes, lightly touching the glass. "How does she get this stuff?" 

"See!"

"She has friends in high places." Percy grins as Estelle reaches for the album, and holds her over the glass so she can touch it too. "She's also really good at barter chains."

His mother shakes her head, but he can tell how delighted she is— the two of them have spent hours animatedly talking about music, Thalia hanging on every word and groaning with jealousy over the concerts his mom went to in the eighties. 

"I know exactly where I'm going to put it." 

Thalia got her a turntable for her fortieth birthday last year, as well as a full set of replacements for every worn-out record in their collection— and had the originals framed too, since they had sentimental value. They're currently occupying the better part of two walls of his mom's study. 

There's a blank spot by her bookshelf, right underneath the first copy, that the autographed album will fit into perfectly. Percy grins. 

"I'll hang it up for you later."

She doesn't argue. There's only Jason's left, his careful print written out across the same paper Thalia used. The crinkling draws Estelle's attention, and she gleefully reaches over to help tear it off.

Their mom gasps at what's inside and puts a hand to her mouth, her eyes going bright.

It's a watercolor portrait of Percy and Estelle, laughing by the shoreline. She's dressed in a little bucket hat, a ruffled swimsuit patterned to look like a clownfish and the coolest shades in the world— sparkly blue frames shaped like seashells that he kind of wishes he could get in his size. He's in a wetsuit, having spent the morning surfing, and he's holding onto her hands so she can jump at the waves. In the distant background is the Montauk lighthouse.

It's beautifully done, like everything else Jason's ever put to paper, but Percy's never choked up like this over one of them.

"You remember that, Beluga? That was on my birthday, when you came and visited me and Jason at the beach."

"Beach?" she asks, expectant. Paul bursts into laughter, sounding as rough-voiced as Percy feels.

"You're your mother's daughter, sweet pea."

"Beach!" Estelle insists. Percy noses her pudgy cheek.

"It's too cold to swim, baby." His mom's eyes are sparkling, still a little teary. He can see Estelle in the smile on her face. "But we could go for a walk and visit." 

"Brunch first." Paul kisses her— Percy averts his eyes, wrinkling his nose at his sister to make her giggle again— and gets up, heading back into the kitchen. 

It's a lovely way to spend a late morning. Pale blue araucana eggs courtesy of Grover's new hens, a blueberry coffee cake from Nico by a fantastic hole in the wall in Hell's Kitchen, Paul's signature home fries made with blue potatoes and seasoned to perfection; all of it delicious.

Jason calls while Percy's doing the dishes. After his deep, resonant performance of the happy birthday song, the five of them chat on speakerphone for a little while, though he has to excuse himself pretty quickly to keep banging through his reading. 

"Maybe next year," Percy sighs. His mom puts her hand on his hip, then crouches down to help Estelle with her light-up sneakers. 

"He's always welcome for a rain check."

"He's always welcome, period," Paul adds. For the second time, Percy gets dangerously close to sniffling. 

Montauk is a little far for a day trip, so they head to Brighton Beach instead. Estelle's shrimpy legs get tuckered out more quickly than the grownups' do, so Percy ends up carrying her on his hip, snuggled into his jacket to block the chilly breeze. She points at seagulls, shouting triumphantly every time. 

"More bird!"

"That's right. A whole flock of 'em."

They watch for a while as the gulls fight over a discarded pizza crust. Then Percy feels an arm around his back and a head against his shoulder.

"I don't know how I got so lucky," his mother murmurs, barely audible over the rushing of the waves.

Percy's eyes sting. 

For most of his life, her birthdays had been spent without fanfare. He was rarely actually there for them anyway, and Gabe complained so much it was easier to just ignore the day and focus on survival instead. 

She'd been triaging like that since before she even met his dad, keeping herself afloat when nobody seemed to care if she drowned. It would have been easy to lie down and give up. Percy's pretty sure he would have, in her place. 

He turns to hug her with the obligatory proclamation of a Stella Sandwich. He catches Paul's eye over her shoulder, and gets a wide, sentimental grin in response. 

"Luck's got nothing to do with it," Percy tells her, leaning his cheek against the top of her head while his sister wriggles with delight between them. 

"Listen to our son," Paul adds. "He's very wise, as you raised him to be. This is all on you, honey." 

Within moments, she's surrounded by her whole family on all sides, and Percy has another arm around his back, and he's getting a little choked up over it all. 

When she first started dating Paul, back when Percy was still in middle school, she'd spent weeks all aflutter. It was the happiest he'd ever seen her at the time. They'd sit outside and work on her car together, and she'd slip into song like a grease-stained fairytale princess without even thinking about it. 

Seeing them interact is like cool water on a burn, Paul's devoted kindness soothing a lifetime of sitting back and watching people treat her like dirt. He worships her, just like she deserves and long overdue.

"I love you," she says, tearful and muffled in someone's shoulder. "All of you, more than anything." 

"Love Mama," Estelle replies, and that's it— Percy's blubbering.

It'll never undo the damage, but it's about time she got a chance to heal and thrive. 

-here in our bed, chapter 7, ~6200 words

[rainbowwing251]

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone! Remember to wear green, or else... well, the tradition says that you will get pinched, but that’s a bit boring, isn’t it?

To celebrate this day, here’s a list of Smash fighters who are not wearing green in any of their alternate costumes. If they don’t have an alt that changes a part of their body to a green color, they will also be on this list. All of the fighters will be in alphabetical order.

I’ll have a headcanon for all of these fighters, so I will write them in parenthesis, right next to their names. If I have a headcanon for a group of fighters, I will write it in brackets (though this only applies to three of the fighters that will be on this list).

Ready to see who will most likely be tickled to death on St. Patrick’s Day? Tap or click on “Read More” to see the list!

Cloud (Shulk likes to go after Cloud for not wearing green once the former learns about the tradition [he probably learned about the tradition the hard way]. Unfortunately for him, Cloud likes to get revenge on him, and it is VERY easy for him to do so. Aren’t older brothers the best?)

Corrin (Female Corrin, who shall be referred to as Kamui from here on out on this blog, doesn’t have a green alt, but her male counterpart does. Corrin will tickle Kamui as soon as she wakes up on St. Patrick’s Day, if she doesn’t remember to wear green the night before.)

Duck Hunt (The dog doesn’t turn green in any of the alts, but it can’t be tickled, so it doesn’t matter. The duck does have green on it in alts 2[?], 3, 5, and 7, but it can’t be tickled, so that also doesn’t matter.)

Enderman (No one goes after it, since it isn’t ticklish.)

Hero (All of them, though Solo [the third and seventh alt] could get away with not wearing green or having green on any part of his body. His hair is turquoise in Smash, but in Dragon Quest IV, his sprite shows him with green hair. In the end, it’s up to the other fighters, especially the other Heroes, to determine if he should be let off the hook. No matter what the decision is, Solo will go after the other Heroes for not wearing green. Luminary/Eleven is probably the one that he would take out first, since he is the most ticklish out of the four of them [at least in my eyes].)

Inkling (All of them, except for the second male alt. This Inkling likes to go after the other Inklings for not wearing green or being green-colored, but he has to do it quick, or else the other Inklings will gang up on him to take their revenge. Despite what the above statement implies, this tickling is all in good fun. The green Inkling is not a bully, and neither are the other Inklings.)

Joker (Ren/Akira remined himself to wear green the first time he celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with the other fighters, but unfortunately, he forgot to do so. Up until that point, no one knew that he was ticklish. Now his secret is out. Oops.)

Mewtwo (No one has the courage to tickle Mewtwo, and he likes it that way. So even if he doesn’t wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, he won’t get tickled.)

Morton Koopa Jr. (See the headcanon at the end of this list)

Pac-Man (Would he even be ticklish? I have no idea.)

Pichu (The other fighters need to be careful with tickling Pichu, unless they want to get electrocuted. Pichu doesn’t mean any harm, it just has trouble with controlling it’s electrical powers. If you tickle it, it might end up laughing too hard, and it might shock you. Or itself. Poor thing. Pikachu wouldn’t have to worry about this, however.)

Pokemon Trainer (The male Pokemon Trainer, who shall be referred to as Red from here on out on this blog, doesn’t wear green in any of his alts. The female Trainer, who shall be referred to as Leaf, does wear green in her second alt. She and her Pokemon will go after Red if he forgets to put on something green-colored before he leaves the room for the day.)

Robin (Female Robin, who shall be referred to as Reflect, doesn’t have a green alt, but male Robin does. Similar to Corrin, Robin will tickle Reflect as soon as she wakes up if she forgets to put on something green-colored the night before. However, unlike Corrin, Robin might tickle Reflect before she can even wake up that morning.)

Roy Koopa (See the headcanon at the end of this list)

Shulk (Everyone goes after Shulk already, but on St. Patrick’s Day... yeah, he’s fucked. Bonus points if he is wearing his swimming trunks. Some of the fighters will wait until he’s only in his swimming trunks to tickle him, since all of his weak spots will be exposed at that point. Cloud in particular likes to go after Shulk for not wearing green, but he doesn’t have a green alt either, so Shulk might retaliate in order to punish him. Long story short, these two tend to end up in a tickle fight on St. Patrick’s Day, though tickle fights between these two are not a rare occurrence on normal days.)

Simon (Simon isn’t that ticklish, and he doesn’t really like to be tickled. The only time he will enjoy it is if Richter is the ler. So on St. Patrick’s Day, Richter might go after Simon for not wearing green. Unfortunately for him, Simon will often get revenge.)

Steve (Would he even be ticklish? Like with Pac-Man, I have no idea.)

Villager (All of them, except for female Villager alts 2 and 4. Similar to the Inklings, these two Villagers will go after all of the other Villagers for not wearing green. And like the green Inkling, they will often become the victims of a revenge-fueled gang tickle. However, unlike the green Inkling, there are two of them, so there is a chance that one of them will escape.)

Wendy O. Koopa (See the headcanon below)

[For Morton, Roy Koopa, and Wendy, Bowser, Bowser Jr., and the other four Koopalings will tickle these three until they either put on something green, or get tired of the tickling. If the latter occurs, then they will be left alone. Bowser, Bowser Jr., and the Koopalings all respect each other’s boundaries and limits.]

[shiveringpinkala]

voyage to the heart’s land

so, i wrote a fic for @renelemaires because i’m not good at headcanons as was initially requested, but i can do this apparently. sending happiness and good vibes your way!

voyage to the heart’s land; renee lemaire after the war w/ vague hints of baberoe, renee/gene and possible future renee/gene/babe. 2969 words.

Renee left Belgium two years after the war ended.

She loved her home, but the magic of the forests and memories of running around the city square in the blush of youth no longer held the easy charm that she associated with those times. And so, one day, in the height of July’s peaking summer, she pulled out an old atlas of her father’s – yellowed at the edges, curls crinkling on the front of most pages, one corner missing and taking a chuck of the Soviet Union, Egypt and Newfoundland with it – and looked for something new.

 She bookmarked Morocco for the language and Portugal for the ocean, but stopped completely when she reached the United States. Jagged borderlines between oddly shaped provinces and big – so much bigger than Belgium, bigger than Europe – and thought of Eugene. She traced her fingers down the neatly labeled Appalachian Montagnes, bypassing the likes of Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia and sweeping over until she landed on Louisiana; little dots pointing out the towns of New Orleans and Baton Rouge. She tapped idly on the image and thought of the Eugene’s low voice and rough accent, the weary determination in his eyes. Her hands stilled.

 Louisiana is was then.

 Her mother kissed her cheeks at the train station. Her father tucked a riot of bills in her pocket and when she tried to protest, only said to write when she reached America. The subsequent journey took her out to England and then to an ocean liner setting sail for New York. She spent every waking moment she could on deck, drinking in the spray of ocean air and watching contentedly as an Irish mother of four tired to corral her children unsuccessfully.

 Once she landed in New York, she asked the nearest shop owner – a plump, friendly woman with a thick Polish accent – where she could find a telegraph office and was given an escort in the form of the woman’s ten year old son who delivered her to her destination with a gap toothed smile. She sent her message; carefully relaying the address that was postmarked on the envelope of the single letter Eugene had written her a year earlier, hoping he hadn’t gotten the urge to pick up roots as well in the time that had lapsed. From there, it was off to the currency exchange station, and then to a hotel. She spent two days in New York, enjoying the rush of bodies and movement despite herself, listening to the array of languages and marveling at the lights that never seemed to dim. On the third morning, she ventured to Grand Central Station and caught a train headed to Philadelphia.

 The ride was surprisingly short, but it was also dark and her next train wasn’t due to leave until the morning, but – to her surprise – when she stepped onto the platform there was a giant hand-written sign with her name on it in blocky letters. She blinked, caught out and cautiously approached the strangers huddled around it. One of the men, short and solidly built, braced on a pair of crutches, beamed when he spotted her approach and waved her over.

 “Hello?” She asked, still confused. The pretty – and lone – woman standing beside the man in question rolled her eyes at the man’s enthusiasm and held out a hand of Renee when she got close enough.

 “Ignore him,” she said, waving a hand at the man’s indignant bark, ��I told him that no woman in their right mind would want to walk over to a group of strange rabble without reason, but he insisted,” she smiled, “I’m Frannie.”

 “Renee,” she answered bemused, “as you know, apparently. How did –”

 “Babe sent us,” the man said, accent broad and unfamiliar, but not unappealing, “Doc told him you were coming and he told us.”

 “Babe?” Renee asked, looking at Frannie to see if he was being serious.

 “You’ll meet him when you get down there,” he said, “My name’s Bill. Guarnere. I served with the Doc. And this here –” he looked over at the person holding the sign and then whacked at the legs peeking out underneath it with one crutch, “— put that down, ya idiot. There’s a lady present. This is Ralph Spina, one ‘a Doc’s fellow medics.”

 Ralph lowered the sign with her name and sent Bill a caustic glare, then looked back at her and nodded. “Nice ta meet you, ma’am.”

 “Renee is fine,” she smiled at the trio, unduly charmed, “it’s nice to meet you as well.”

 Frannie stepped forward and looped an arm through Renee’s and pointed at her bags, “Ralph get those, will you? Right this way, honey. No friend of Doc Roe is spending the night in some roachy motel. You like Italian? I was thinking ravioli or gnocchi, maybe.”

 Renee dropped the protest that she could carry her own luggage when Ralph picked it up immediately and followed in Frannie’s footsteps without complaint. She thought about Eugene and this Babe person arranging for her to have a welcoming party and let the bickering chatter between the three American’s envelope her in gentle waves.

 The dinner was amazing (“Now that rationing’s lifting, makes getting the right ingredients easier.” Bill laughed, wiggling his eyebrows at Ralph, and their other friend Joe Toye, who only rolled his eyes at Bill’s bombastic tone, “No more Army noodles here.”) and the company even better as they told her endless stories about what seemed to be every single man they’d served with. At some point, she realized she was laughing so hard that tears were actually welling in her eyes and the salt in them felt like a cleansing of some kind. Like a layer of heavy silt had been washed from her soul. She fell asleep on her borrowed bed that night with a smile on her face.

 To repay their generosity, she woke up early – not difficult as her internal clock was a mess from slipping between time zones so quickly – and made a somewhat augmented version of her mother��s waffles and homemade hot chocolate for everyone.

 Frannie took a sip while the boys ate seconds – or in Joe’s case, thirds – and said: “That was really good. If everything you make is this good, you should sell it. No point in giving heaven away for free.”  

 Renee thought about lazy mornings making bread with her mother in the kitchen of their old house. Kneading the dough, watching it rise and the whole house filling up with the smell as it baked. Regular cooking had never been something she’d had much patience for, but baking was something else entirely. She’d always found a peace in the careful measurements and methodical movements; her mind could wander away and rest from its troubles. The look on someone’s face when they took a bite was only a bonus.

 She stared down at her hands and thought, for the first time in a long time, that maybe there was something special about them.

 “Maybe,” she murmured and enjoyed the contentment of a job well done.

 Frannie and the boys saw her off hours later. “Write, you hear,” Frannie said, hugging her tightly, “I need more women in my life that’ll understand my pain.”

 “I am a goddamned joy and you know it,” Bill argued, but also pulled Renee into a one-armed embrace. “Tell those idiots to write too, ain’t like they don’t have pens and paper in the swamp.”

 “I will. And thank you,” she directed the last at the whole group, who waved away the gratitude with mumbled protests and continued waving as she stepped onto the train.

 This one took her to Charleston, down through rolling green hills and farmlands that gave the country some space, opening up into long tracks of fields that both reminded her of home and was nothing at all like it. It was only a stop over this time, but the hour of rest came with polite men and women, an ocean view and accents that were similar to Eugene’s. The leg after took her down to Georgia where she drank an ice-cold Coca-Cola from a Soda Fountain in the rail yard and watched a group of kids played a game right in the middle of the street with a ball and stick; jeers and cheers filtering into the open door of the Fountain. From Savannah, the train took her all the way to New Orleans.

 New Orleans was like stepping into a different world. Music seemed to be infused in the air around her from the minute she got off the train; slow saxophone’s and staccato snares, trumpets whisking a melody away into the melting summer breeze. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, taking in the atmosphere. She walked around some of the city; wandering into the French Quarter and marveling at the architecture and listening to accented French coming in fits and stops from the residents who tipped their hats at her as she passed. Eventually, she found herself in a kind of civic center and asked for directions to the town that Eugene had written to her from. The kindly older man working there, showed her where it was on a map and arranged for her to get a cab down.

 The bayou, as she learned the whole area was referred to, was almost like something out of a fairy tale. Swamps, running into jungle forests and moss covering everything from the trees to the roofs of the houses half-hidden from the road. The cab dropped her off at a little general store/café that the driver in question assured her would be helpful if she was looking for someone in particular.

 A few curious eyes lit on her when she walked into the open aired restaurant, but the stares were without hostility and her purpose was quickly deduced correctly because a kind looking woman with wild grey-touched curls in a faded red dress came up to her with a smile.

 “You look like a woman who could use a hand,” she said, eyeing the suitcase and bag at Renee’s feet, “I’m Bea, what can I help you with, sugar?”

 “I was told that you could help me find someone?” Renee asked.

 Bea’s eyes widened and she whistled lowly. “Honey, that is some pretty voice you got there. As for help, I know just about every person in this neck of the woods; and if I don’t, then they ain’t here. Who you looking for?”

 “Eugene Roe.”

 A fond smile settled on Bea’s lined face. “That boy got popular in Europe,” she commented and then led Renee over to one of the wrought iron tables in the café. “You sit tight and I’ll give ‘im a call, alright?”

 Renee thanked her and sat there, nerves suddenly erupting her stomach as she waited. It had been so long and she had basically invited herself. Maybe he’d be cross? But no, why send a welcoming committee in Philadelphia otherwise? She drummed her knuckles on the table and was only interrupted when Bea set some iced, amber colored liquid in front of her; condensation beading at the tall glass.

 “Sweet tea,” Bea explained, “It’s a staple down here. Best get used to it, if you’re staying.”

 Renee took a drink, flavor bursting across her tongue. The coolness of it hit her and relaxed some of the tension that had sprung up. “It’s good,” she said, a little surprised.

 “Glad to hear it,” Bea replied, grinning. She patted Renee on the shoulder and then twirled away to serve another customer.

 When Eugene finally arrived, it took Renee a moment to recognize him. Gone were the worn green army fatigues, and in its place was a pair of denim jeans and a button up checked shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbows. His black hair was a bit longer and his skin had lost the deathly pale hue that she got used to seeing in Bastogne, warming to a pale caramel under his home’s beating sun. She couldn’t stop the smile from lighting up her face at the sight and stood up, so that he could see her better.

 Sure enough, he spotted her and froze in the middle of the café before a more subdued, but no less genuine version of his own, smile crossed his features. He resumed his walk and when he was standing in front of her and – after a moment’s hesitation – gently pulled her into his arms. The breath she’d been painfully holding in her lungs gave way, and she breathed in the woodsy citrus kick of his aftershave as she held on.

 “It’s good to see you,” he said into her hair, before pulling away to look at her.

 “Vous aussi,” she said which softened his smile into loveliness.

 “These your bags?”

 “Oui. They are.”

 “Well, okay then,” he reached down and picked them up, “I got the guest room made up,” he stopped for a moment and then shrugged, expression sheepish, “unless you’d rather stay at an inn? Your choice, o’ course.”

 “Your guest room is fine,” she said, following him out of the café, where they waved goodbyes to Bea, who hassled them into agreeing to lunch the next day, “as long as your friend doesn’t mind?”

 A series of emotions flickered over his face before settling into rueful. “Edward don’t mind; he’s the one been fretting about pillows or some such since your wire.”

 The last knot of anxiety loosened in her gut at that. “Then lead on.”

 Eugene’s – “Gene, I insist.” – house was a medium sized bungalow set back a little way from the dirt road and surrounded by a sparse, moss ridden wood with the nearest neighbors half-a-mile down the road. It was sweet and Renee found an instant kinship to the large dormer windows and wide porch that extended out from the house.

 “It’s not much,” he said, almost sounding apologetic.

 Renee refrained from saying that any standing building was stunning to her now, no matter the size or color or shape. “It’s beautiful,” she told him honestly.

 They were greeted at the dog by a floppy eared beagle whose whole hindquarters wriggled when Renee leaned down to pet him. “That’s Rex,” Gene said, rolling his eyes good naturedly at the pup, “wandered into the yard one day and never left. Ain’t much of a guard dog, as you can see.”

 “He doesn’t need to be. He’s lovely exactly the way he is,” she said, laughing when he took a chance to lick at her cheek.

 Gene led them into the house. Renee took in the cozy decorating, lacking a bit in the way that most male driven houses did, and was examining a series of photos on an end table when the last resident of the house came bounding around the corner, stopping abruptly when he saw her. He was as Bill had described him – skinny, redhaired, eyes too big for his ugly mug – though she would argue the ‘ugly’ descriptor; he had a sweet, open face that put her at ease immediately.

 “Hey,” he said, practically vibrating in anticipation, giving her a half-wave from his place in the doorway and biting his lip, “you must be Renee. It’s nice to meet you, finally.”

 “Enchante, Edward. I’ve heard much about you.”

 “You have? From – wait, Edward?” He looked over at Gene who was deliberately turned away, though Renee could see the hint of a pleased grin on his face. “Really, Gene; Edward?” He turned back to Renee in a mild huff. “Call me Babe, everyone does.”

 “Babe,” she agreed, noticing that some of the stiffness in his frame had disappeared in the wake of the mix-up. Probably, that was Gene’s intention all along.

 “Right. Are you hungry? Gene was making some kind of stew thing –”

 “It’s jambalaya, Babe, you know this.”

 “— before Bea called. It’ll make your senses wish they’d died, but it tastes amazing.”  

 Renee nodded. “I’d love to try some.”

 She sat at the dining table as Gene and Babe worked seamlessly around each other in the small kitchen, and rather than feeling awkward or forgotten, both men managed to include her in their ritual, making her feel as at home for the first time since the bombs began to fall. Babe, in a similar vein to Bill, gave her all the gossip about town, while Gene corrected the most outlandish claims the redhead made (“It did not try to eat you, Babe.” “It wanted too – I could tell, stared at my leg like it was a rack of ribs.” “It was an alligator snapping turtle not an actual gator.” “Well, what he hell’s it got alligator in its name for then, huh? Huh Gene? Answer me that!”) with a well-rehearsed fondness.

 The jambalaya was as Babe advertised it – amazing, but eye wateringly spicy – and was finished off with powered French pastries Gene called beignets. Gene asked about her journey and she indulged them with the story, making sure to thank them for setting Frannie and the others in her path.

 “Bill says that you two must write him sometime. He was quite insistent,” she said teasingly.

 Babe snorted. “Sure. Tomorrow I’ll send him a telegram: Dear Bill, screw you, Love Babe.”

 She laughed and Babe grinned all the brighter for it. Gene shook his head, but his eyes kept bouncing between them with a contentedness that Renee was glad to see he was capable of. It made the restless, inadequate feelings in her heart go into hibernation. A tranquil hush came to a rest in her blood. Whatever may come, she thought she could be herself here. Perhaps even be truly happy.

 It was a something to look forward too. A gift.

 And she intended to enjoy it.

[soloragoldsun]

Favorite to Least Favorite Kyoto Winds Routes

Now that I have played through all of the routes, I would like to weigh in on who I liked and why. This will just delve a little into each route, mostly talking about my personal opinion rather than being a true summary. In the future, I may replay them again to give more detailed reviews of each. This game is good enough for me to actually want to do that! In the meantime, here’s my overall opinion of everyone. Remember, this is a Kyoto Winds list. I have not played Edo Blossoms yet, so this is purely based on the first game. Spoilers below.

#1. Favorite Angel of Perfection: Yamazaki Susumu

This gorgeous piece of wonderfulness shot up to the top of my list early on, and has remained there ever since. I love his route because there is a real sense of mutual respect between him and Yukimura. Unlike many of the other Shinsengumi members, who focus on protecting her and who often make her feel like an outsider, Yamazaki recognizes her potential in the medical field and becomes a mentor to her. He shows her that she doesn’t have to be a fighter in order to be useful. By the end of the route, Yukimura’s confidence is so high, she ends up being the one to convince Yamazaki of his worth when he laments his inability to fight in certain scenarios.

Also, I am an utter sucker for the loner type who quietly supports their love interest from a distance before the two even get to know each other. Yamazaki straight-up says that he was watching Yukimura and rooting for her in secret from the beginning! Another plus is how perfect Yamazaki is at showing affection. He’s very gentle, but very straightforward. Once he knows what his feelings are, he’s not shy about making sure Yukimura knows how much he cares. I just about died when he took her hands after being comforted by her and told her how strong she was and how much she meant to him.

In short, respecting your significant other and telling them you care is totes sexy. Yamazaki does that, and then some. He’s also hella pretty, and his blushy face is the cutest shit ever.

#2. Precious Sunshine Boy: Toudou Heisuke

Not to be dramatic, but I would die for Heisuke. His relationship with Yukimura is absolutely adorable from the very beginning! He’s the first of the main cast to be outwardly kind to her, and regularly stands up for her whenever he can. He gets major points for frequently reminding everyone that the Shinsengumi were the ones to originally take Yukimura prisoner, and are the ones at fault for most of the bad situations that require them to protect her.

I love that he treats Yukimura as his friend from the start, even telling her to call him by his first name due to their closeness in age. There are so many scenes when the two are playing around and enjoying each other’s company. However, there are also several deeper scenes that delve into the conflict Heisuke feels concerning the Shinsengumi. His departure with Itou leads to one of the most beautiful scenes in the game, when he and Yukimura meet each other in a teahouse. They can’t acknowledge that they know each other, since communication between the two groups is forbidden, so they spend hours just talking about the weather and other minor things just so they can be together for a little while.

Heisuke is a beautiful boy, and there is so! Much! Hand! Holding!

#3. Adorable Student Bean: Souma Kazue

I was not expecting to like Souma’s route as much as I did, but holy shit! He’s the cutest thing ever! His relationship with Yukimura is completely different than anyone else’s for two reasons: One, he doesn’t know she’s a girl until later. Two, Yukimura is his teacher when he joins the Shinsengumi. He spends most of the route referring to her as Yukimura-sensei, and is shown to respect her a great deal. The mutual respect and building-up in this route reminds me a lot of Yamazaki’s route, so I think it’s a trait of mentor/mentee relationships in this game.

One thing I like is that Souma is respectful and protective of Yukimura both before and after her gender is revealed. He rushes to protect her from Saburo’s harassment while still thinking she’s a man, and continues to call her his sensei after the truth is revealed. Also, there’s more of a sense of the two spending a lot of time together over the course of the route, which makes the romantic buildup seem very real. I especially like that this romance puts Yukimura in the more dominant role. I hope she’s the one to make the first move and kiss him in Edo Blossoms. I will die of happiness if this happens!

He also gets major bonus points for trying to sleep-cuddle Yukimura at the end. I am a sucker for sleep cuddles!

#4. Emotional Support Samurai: Harada Sanosuke

I liked Sano long before playing his route. He is another character who constantly strives to make Yukimura feel better about her situation and comfort her when things go wrong. This is even clearer in his route, which has several scenes of him looking out for her mental health, whether that involves sneaking out to take her for a nighttime walk or arranging a meeting with Sen so that the two can enjoy some wholesome girl-talk (which Yukimura was sorely lacking).

I did feel that Chapter Five was a bit lackluster in this route compared to some of the others, but it did a good job of solidifying the relationship between the two. Sano learns of Yukimura’s healing powers and is stunned, but insists that she isn’t a monster and that he will still protect her, since he sees it as a man’s duty to protect his lady. He called her his lady, and I am dead, okay?

As a romantic route, it had a perfect amount of buildup and sweet moments. I look forward to what comes next.

#5. Puppy Dog Eyes: Iba Hachiro

I’ll be real: This route could have easily secured the second-place spot, and even been a contender for first-place. It had everything I love in a romance. It had childhood friends reuniting. It had sweet, sweet backstory. It had probably the nicest character in the entire fucking game! Seriously, every scene with Iba and Yukimura was just so tender and beautiful! It felt more like a romantic story than pretty much all of the other routes.

So, why is it down here at number five? Well, it’s because YUKIMURA IS A FREAKING DUM-DUM IN THIS ROUTE! This woman was able to see through the feelings of some of the most closed-off characters in other routes, but somehow can’t figure out why Iba keeps putting himself out there for her. He literally takes her on dates, goes on about how wonderful she is, calls her his inspiration, and even calls her his love toward the end! And still, we have moments of her being like “Why is he doing this for me. This can’t just be an obligation to a childhood friend...” No shit, Sherlock! Does the man have to wear a shirt that has “I LOVE YUKIMURA” written on it in big red letters?!

So, yeah. This was a mixed bag. The good outweighs the bad enough for it to be higher on the list, but I really hope Yukimura actually gets a clue in Edo Blossoms.

#6. Sword Nerd: Saito Hajime

Ah, the classic Quiet Loner with a Heart of Gold. It’s an oldie, but a goodie. Saito is a good, solid route with a sprinkling of cute moments that balance with the emotional distance of other moments. Cute moments include Saito geeking out over swords, the snow bunny, and Saito freaking coming back from a freaking spy mission in order to nurse Yukimura back to health!

This route was definitely about building Saito’s respect for Yukimura, who becomes less timid and more determined to prove herself. As a result, she does spend a longer amount of time feeling like and outsider and doubting her worth. I look forward to seeing what happens in Edo Blossoms, now that she’s found her resolve.

Seriously, I am a sucker for sick fics! Why is this game pushing all my buttons?

#7. Epic Dork Bro: Nagakura Shinpachi

And here we are at the last member of the Golden Trio. Nagakura is a precious dork, and I love him to pieces! He spends most of the route acting as a goofy older brother figure to Yukimura, and the two develop a genuinely-adorable relationship. The scene when he falls asleep in her room and gets all embarrassed when he wakes up was particularly cute.

I did feel that the ending of his route was a bit rushed compared to the others. Also, I never felt that shift from him feeling like an older brother to him being a romantic interest. I look forward to seeing that change actually happen in Edo Blossoms.

Overall, this was a route with good moments that tapered off just a bit at the end, but I still loved it.

#8. The True Sexy Demon Man: Hijikata Toshizo

I genuinely enjoyed Hijikata’s route. I just happened to like seven routes better than it. The development between him and Yukimura is very solid, and it’s nice seeing him go from being stern and scary to gruff and caring. This route also made me hate Kazama even more than I already had. Seriously, let’s kill that fucker in the next game!

The appeal as a romance route was a bit lessened by Hijikata’s often-derisive attitude, and the fact that he calls Yukimura a kid from beginning to end. Like, hello? Talking to a grown-ass adult, here. If Yukimura’s old enough to be waifu material for a creepy Demon, she’s old enough to not be called “Kid.”

This had decent buildup, and the beginning of some good payoff. I’ll be waiting, oh second game, for my sweet reward.

#9. Threatening Jerkass: Okita Souji

I actually did warm up to Okita by the end of his route, but holy fuck did I have to slog through a lot of eye rolls to get to that point! He’s supposed to be the asshole who secretly cares, but he makes a little too much of a secret of it throughout most of the route. And, I’m sorry, but you can’t make me believe that him scaring a group of kids is actually an endearing scene. Can’t do it, game.

I did enjoy seeing him soften over time, but I really didn’t like all the moments when Okita makes cruel jabs at Yukimura, acting like he doesn’t care to the point where she actually believes him. I said this back at the number one spot: Telling the person you love that you actually give a damn is totes sexy.

Ah well. People are saying I will adore him in Edo Blossoms, so I’ll hold out for now.

#10. Doctor Evil: Sanan Keisuke

Sanan is a smooth motherfucker, and he’s hot as hell. He even had some really good moments with Yukimura that made me smile. It’s too bad he continues to exude the creepy scientist vibe between those moments. Even when being romanced, he still threatens you several times, including that scene when he almost cuts you for science.

He is definitely a good, complex character. I won’t deny that. It’s just hard to ship him with Yukimura when she spends basically the entire route feeling scared of him.

Please mellow out, you sexy, vampiric son of a bitch.

#11. Bad Touch: Sakamoto Ryouma

I’ve started reading up on the Shinsengumi and other individuals of the time period, and Sakamoto actually seems to be the most interesting and morally-sound. Too bad his route made me want to fall asleep. It had loads of good historical goodies, but this was bogged down by a romance that many YA books would laugh at.

He’s charming and oh-so-charismatic, to the point where Yukimura apparently feels a bond with him despite only spending a little time with him. He regularly gets into her personal space and refuses to back off when asked, but he just feels so warm and comforting and- *gag*

Yeah. The history and the non-romantic moments were interesting, but I’d rather do personal research for that.

#12. Edgelord McFuckboy: Kazama Chikage

I hated Kazama from the beginning. My feelings only deepened as I played route after route and saw the many, many ways this fucker can creep on Yukimura, kill her friends, and call all humans insects. He’s a racist jerk who wants a convenient broodmare for the McFuckboy Clan.

I will admit that the dialogue with him is always interesting. He is a well-spoken character, and an intriguing one. He acts gentler toward Yukimura in this route, but it’s only because she’s in a position where he’s literally her only option for protection.

He thinks humans are insects, tries to kidnap a woman to impregnate her on multiple occasions, and will gladly kill her friends in order to get to her. What a dick.

[forgiven-whimsy]

Birthday Story time!

Tuesday was my 37th birthday, was mostly just a day, kids were being their usual end of summer kid selves, we had cake, sang happy birthday, and I put littlest bug to bed. Husband was being snippy, and it was obvious something was bothering him, but he had gone out of his was to be extra sweet, ordered me some new slippers, and even made me a hair appointment cause he know I hate calling and making appointments, so pretty decent low key birthday, just the way I like it.

A quick aside, Sunday was raid night, we're on Eden 2 savage progression, we're hitting the enrage, so we're close, but I had an off night, my uptime was in the shitter. I play white mage, I reached out to my co healer and have some solid strategies to improve and I was excited to implement them on Wednesday, which was second raid night, we only raid 2 nights a week.

Back to the story, after putting littlest bug to bed, and husband tucking the two older bugs to bed we head down to watch some wrestling and hang out with husband. He apologizes to me for being short tempered and off, and then proceeds to tell me why....and man....here we go.

So we raid with a bunch of friends we've known since game launch, we've been playing with these folks on and off for roughly 6 years, not always on the same raid teams, but we know each other and consider each other friends. Back when husband and me came back from our hiatus 2 weeks before Shadowbringers (we were gone almost the entirety of Stormblood, so about 2 years, I stopped raiding after final coil, cause I had just had a baby, and couldn't commit to raid times....cause baby, so the last time I seriously raided was about 4.5 ish years ago) a bunch of them got really excited and wanted to know if we were able and wanted to raid again. Husband and me jumped at the chance. We had 6/8 people ready to go and so raid lead starts recruiting the last two dps we'll need. He was adamant throughout this that this was a casual raid with friends, no pressure, 2 nights a week is hardly competitive progression, and that me and husband being rusty in our roles was no problem. I even spoke to him privately, explaining it's literally been years, and that I can be slow to learn, but I'll give it my all and that once I get a mechanic...I get it, but so long as they can be patient with me, and accept those things, I'll put the work in to improve.

Back to Tuesday night, husband let's me know that I've been cut from the team. Raid lead not only went to my husband instead of me to cut me, he never discussed the issues he was having with me, never gave me a chance to improve, even after me and my co healer had come up with some strategies and advice for me to use. He cuts me without any consultation from any of the team, he tells my husband he doesn't think I can hack it in the tier in general, and that he would be replacing me. Husband got the discord message at around 9am and gave him the entire day to reconsider and make a better call. He goes on to contact the rest of the team to see what they know about this, no one has heard boo, also, no one has any issues with me or our rate of progression, they noticed I'd had an off night on Sunday, but we all have off nights, and didn't think anything of it. Husband goes back to raid lead, reminding him of the expectations of the raid group as a whole and how he was going back on his word, how he was prioritizing a game over actual friendship, how it was unfair to cut me without giving me a chance to improve, and that it goes without saying if I get cut, he's leaving, Husband waited until 8pm to tell me. So there goes a tank and a healer.

News gets out, and our dancer, who was one of our new recruits, and the only other woman on the team, decides no thanks, turns out me and husband were her favorite people on the team and she writes to me letting me know how much she cares about me and how welcome I made her feel, and how the decision is garbage, and that girls stick together.( her voice through the guys off, she stated her pronouns I immediately switched to her preferred pronouns and carried on like nothing and the rest of the team fell in line.) So a most welcome ride or die! 

So keep in mind we still haven't filled our 8th position, and raid lead now needs to fill not 2 but 4 spots. My co healer, the one person in the entire team who husband and I are closest to, the one who really pushed for us to come back to the game is feeling shitty and pissed in equal measure. He's getting in raid leaders face, calling him out on the bs, going to bat for me. Second tank and dragoon are also pissed, they don't care about the rate of progression, they both just wanted to play with friends and do some raiding, especially now that raid lead is changing his tune, suggesting two more raid nights, talking better parses upping everyone's game, ect ect...so we end Tuesday there. Raid leader has yet to contact me directly btw, he hasn't said a goddamn word to me about cutting me directly.

Wednesday morning, after a shitty sleep, and littlest bug waking multiple times has me and husband cranky, but I'm going to a theater festival with my mom to go see Othello, something I've been looking forward to for months I refuse to let this fuckery ruin my mood. The sad disappointment has turned to angry indignation, and I'm determined to be petty by continuing to play, in raid leads fc, that he invited me to, I am determined not to run away and cry and hide like I normally would, I am determined to be a duck and let this roll off my back in the most passive aggressive way possible...since you know, he still hasn’t technically cut me, CAUSE HE HASN’T TALKED TO ME! 

I have the best day yesterday, the production of Othello was one of the best I've ever seen, we had a fantastic lunch, got to connect with my mom who I'm really close with. Get the kids to bed, and husband, who is as petty as me suggests we log in at raid time with our dancer friend and run maps and other content. We get on I have an ingame mail, it's from raid lead, he's apologizing, not for cutting me, not for being a coward and not speaking to me directly, not for refusing to give me a chance to improve, no no, he's apologizing for doing it on my birthday. He sent me a flying bed mount, it's currently on the market board for 10.5 million gil, I did not reply to the letter. We find tank 2 and co healer in discord, so we hop on to shoot the shit, and chat, cause we're all buddies. Second tank asks us if we we're still interested in raiding, with the same team.....minus raid leader. Husband, dancer and me are like, hell fucking yes we are!!

And that's the story of how my old raid leader kicked himself out of his own raid team.

We refer to the flying bed as the hush money bed, the rest of the team is upset they also didn’t get a flying bed for the upheaval the wanker caused. Dude is throwing a pity party threatening to quit the game....no one cares. It’s been almost 6 years of him pulling shit like this, people are done with his bull shit.

SO if any of you play a dps class on Aether and are looking for a ridiculous, fun and easy going raid team to join who have zero tolerance when it comes to drama, we have two spots open, knowledge of your class is a bonus, but a good attitude and willingness to learn and improve is more important. We run Sundays and Wednesdays from 8-11 est. A caster and physical dps are preferred but we're willing to try a myriad of dps. Our current comp is: pld/drk, sch/whm, drg/dnc. shoot me a message here, or hit me up on Shiloh Mitka on Midgarsormr in game. 

[fuckyeahkagepro]

Kagerou Project Comparisons ~ Ayano (crying) in the classroom + References & Analysis Konoha no Sekai Jijou pv [May 2012] * Ayano debuts here for the first time * in between, the 1st various initial official character profiles are released. these were published on Jin’s website, the 2012 Disintegration Book, etc. * Manga’s 1st route began not long after [June 15 2012] ** and now we have 2nd Manga Route′s ending’s bonus chapter [2019] * Ayano crying in the classroom is seen at around 2:52 timemark. In Toumei Answer pv [2012], before Manga Route’s start; * we also saw Ayano folding paper cranes in the same classroom ** the same paper cranes show up in “Additional Memory” pv [2018] along with elsewhere in the pre-2016 fandom era main canon; *** and now, again, in the 2nd Manga Route’s ending’s bonus chapter. very related (bolding/italics/caps mine for plot-related emphasis): “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes”:

The short novel is a fictional retelling of the story of Sadako Sasaki, who lived in Hiroshima at the time of the atomic bombing by the United States. Sadako was 2 years old when the atomic bomb (Little Boy) was dropped on August 6, 1945, near her home by Misasa Bridge in Hiroshima, Japan. She was at home when the explosion occurred, about one mile from ground zero. In November 1954, when she was 12 she developed swellings on her neck and behind her ears. In January 1955, purple spots had formed on her legs. Subsequently, she was diagnosed with leukemia (her mother referred to it as "an atom bomb disease"). She was hospitalized on February 21, 1955, and given a year to live.

After being diagnosed with leukemia from the radiation, Sadako's friend told her to fold origami paper cranes (orizuru) in hope of making a thousand of them. She was inspired to do so by the Japanese legend that one who created a thousand origami cranes would be granted a WISH. Her wish was simply to live. In this retelling of her story, she managed to fold only 644 cranes before she became too weak to fold any more, and died on the morning of October 25, 1955. Her friends and family helped finish her dream by folding the rest of the cranes, which were buried with Sadako.

However, the claim in the book that Sadako "died before completing the 1000 cranes, and her two friends completed the task, placing the finished cranes in her casket" is not backed up by her surviving family members. According to her family, and especially her older brother Masahiro Sasaki who speaks on his sister's life at events, Sadako not only exceeded 644 cranes, she exceeded her goal of 1000 and died having folded approximately 1400 paper cranes. Masahiro Sadako, says in his book The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki that she exceeded her goal. Mr. Sasaki and the family have donated some of Sadako's cranes at places of importance around the world: in NYC at the 9-11 memorial, at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, at The Truman Library & Museum on November 19, 2015, at Museum Of Tolerance on May 26, 2016, and the Japanese-American National Museum three days later.

After her death, Sadako's friends and schoolmates published a collection of letters in order to raise funds to build a memorial to her and all of the children who had died from the effects of the atomic bomb. In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, also called the Genbaku Dome, and installed in the Hiroshima Peace Park.

At the foot of the statue is a plaque that reads: "This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace on Earth." Every year on Obon Day, which is a holiday in Japan to remember the departed spirits of one's ancestors, thousands of people leave paper cranes near the statue. A paper crane database has been established online for contributors to leave a message of peace and to keep a record of those who have donated cranes.

* Obon Day is referenced numerous times in relation to Kagepro’s plot as well and is literally the day “August 15th” can occur on in multiple instances. It is implied to be happening during the timeframe of Kagepro’s main plot / on August 15th of that year (confirmed by Kenjirou multiple times when speaking to Momo).

* Jin has actually expressed a disappointment before / seemed upset (on his twitter) that some Kagepro fans on the Japanese side of the fanbase don’t respect Obon Day.

In Jin’s interview with SPICE magazine [Jan 2019] he mentions:

(INTERVIEWER): ──So it seems that “summer”* [*in the seires/also in regards to Jin’s music production] hasn’t ended yet.

JIN: No, it won’t end. Ever since Kagerou Project started, I haven’t had days off during Obon (bitter smile). I can’t go visit graves because I ended up making 8/15 into a key-date! I’m really sorry for my ancestors! Well, when it ends, I’m thinking of going over it* [*visiting?].

(INTERVIEWER): ──You have to put off the date, huh (laughs). We also have Buddhist services during equinoctial week.

JIN: That’s right (laughs), I have to do my best from now on too.

BONUS COMPARISONS: Toumei Answer pv; May 30 2012*: *after Konoha no Sekai Jijou pv + included on the “Mekakucity Days” Music Route album [May 30 2012]: [*animated by earlier pv artist Wannyanpuu, NOT Sidu]

^ FRIENDLY REMINDER: Retaining Eyes (Yakitsukeru) does not wear Ayano’s scarf.

BONUS (MY THEORY):

THE REASON RETAINING EYES DOES NOT WEAR A SCARF

- IS BECAUSE SHE ALREADY “GAVE” IT TO SHINTARO KISARAGI.

- IN THE 2ND MANGA ROUTE’S ENDING + END OF LOST TIME MEMORY PV [MUSIC ROUTE] / ETC SIMILAR SCENES. * However, when “the time” is “repeated”/reloaded, she (if as Retaining Eyes or Ayano in the “real world”) wakes up with it again unless/until Shintaro can remember.

* Mekakucity Actors Route [1st anime] would later not air until April 2014. * Retaining Eyes Ayano is visible / seen in the very first episode (Shintaro’s dreams) among other scenes (as scarf-less Ayano). + JIN “HAD THE ENDING DECIDED FROM THE BEGINNING”. - from Jin’s Library Live Q&A Report (confirmed by Japanese fans).

[arca-na-na-na]

Here’s the mess of an semi apprentice sheet. It’s long

Name: Isaura Sigrin

Favorite Food: Potato Skins (these take a couple hours to make but they are delicious. Fight me.)

Favorite Flower: Orchid

Favorite Drink: Hot Chocolate

Birthday: March 10 (I had no idea what to give her so I just did my own. I don’t really know when any of the LI’s birthdays are.)

Nicknames: Izzy, Rara

Familiar: a black fox name Koja (the name is actually a reference. Bonus points to who can get it)

Quirks: has a stutter, surprisingly affectionate when in a relationship, warm body temperature, can stand outside for the entire duration of a storm and not get sick.

Little warning here. I kinda comendeered Drakr and gave it like an image

Isaura is a mage form Drakr. She has an affinity for storms and is unusually strong in magic. Her parents are Rhiannon and Galehaut Sigrin and she has an older brother named Varian. She has never been know to react very strongly about most things. What does get her to react is those she cares for, stories, and discoveries. The reason for the muted emotions? When she was 8 she had been in the woods and had gotten separated from Fenris. A fae like monster kept out of the woods and attempted to kill her. In her panic she lashed out with a spell but lost the little control she had at the moment and it gave her lighting esque scars from the center of her palms down her forearms. It wasn’t clear if she did any damage but before it could recover from at least being phased, her father intervened, followed by Fenris. He stunned the mister again and picked her up on his horse and rode away, but the creature recovered quickly and gave chase. It was too fast to run, and they couldn’t lead it back to the village, so they had no choice to hide. They found a spot but she was panicked and crying, and Galehaut desperately tried to calm her. The creature found them from her cries. He set her down and told her and Fenris to run when they could. He acted as a distraction so she could get away. The next she saw him his body was bloody and lifeless. She blames herself for it all. She shut down for a few months afterwards, the only times real emotion were visible were at night during her nightmares. She’s self conscious about those scars and uses a talisman she tucks in this side pouch thing she has under the sash around her waist to hide them

Around the time when they were about to move, she went to her old friend Theron to tell him but they ended up in an argument and she never told him that they were even leaving. Turns out he was leaving too but to become a knight. She had another friend named Agnete Baraz who was a merchant’s youngest daughter. She stayed every summer because that was a time of highest trade and her father couldn’t keep watch on her during it. Isaura met Asra a few weeks after moving to Vesuvia. It had been in the middle of a nasty storm and he had been caught in it. He’d ended up taking shelter in the shop’s doorway and she had noticed and invited him in. They became fast and good friends.

She learned magic from her mother and combative skills from her father and brother.

She met Julian once before the plague while on a short journey with Varian. They ran into each other in a small bookshop. They had a brief conversation before he got pulled away, but during it he recommended a book that ended up being one of her favorites.

Her approach to dealing with her own problems would be to deal the best she can which usually involves ignoring them until she has a solution. When it comes to other people she is determined.

Rhiannon was also an incredibly powerful and mysterious mage (called wizards or sorcerers/sorceresses in Drakr) No one is exactly sure where she grew up and quite a few speculate that she is either fully or part fae. She had a great gray wolf named Fenris as her familiar and had an affinity for earth magic. Rhiannon got into her fair amount of trouble with her husband before his death. Fenris acted as a wolf mom to Isaura and Varian. Both she and Galehaut ended up investigating odd magic attacks that were happening near the coastal cliff region where they lived. She took her children to Vesuvia to avoid what could have been a curse but never told anyone the reason. They had been 18 and 22.

Galehaut was born Galehaut Reddenguard and served as a knight for a good 8 or so years before marrying Rhiannon. He was the third child of a noble family. His oldest brother was 9 years older than him and despised Galehaut. The middle brother was 4 years older and kind but not one for a fight. He had been trained in the ways of a healer and was loath to argue with anyone. Galehaut went to serve and became a knight in record time but avoided returning home. Early in his service a unruly lion had been transported overseas for illegal trade. His group had intercepted it with orders to capture or kill. It turned out to be that the lion was Galehaut’s familiar, whom he named Aviram. Their relationship was possible in the same way Julian has Malak without being a mage. When their parents passed and the eldest assumed the head of the house, Galehaut was disowned by him. This was around the time he met Rhiannon and when they were married he happily took her last name. He died fighting a almost fae like monster made of shadows when Isaura was 8 and Varian 12.

Varian was always kinda laid back but protective before, but in the wake of their father’s death he was almost overbearing. He has a wanderlust to rival Asra’s and those that know him well enough will joke about his current record of staying in one place (for now it’s a month and a half). Galehaut had trained him in many of the skills of a knight, which he continues to practice. He doesn’t flaunt these skills and comes as a shock to anyone not in the know. He has his father’s old dagger which is one of his most prized possessions. He also has more magical knowledge than your average person because their mother attempted to teach them but he had little interest while Isaura had a lot. He has inherited some talent for it and knows of his affinity for kinetics, something he takes advantage of in sticky situations. He has a prominent scar on his lips from childhood. Most people’s first guess is that he was in a fight. He was in a fight of some sort, but it was against gravity and a sharp corner. He was gone when their mother died and returned a week after. Isaura was unusually very emotional and he was grieving and felt guilty for not being there. They had gotten into an argument and haven’t seen or spoken since.

Other than his sister, he’s close to Cyan Baraz, older sister to Agnete. They met one summer where she stayed with Agnete. They parted ways for awhile only to reconnect years later. He found out she’d made a name for herself in the less than legal side of things.

[parttimestorier]

More Short Reviews of Short VNs

My latest recommendations for visual novels that take a few hours or less to read. This installment features baseball, magic trees, international espionage, alcoholism, and the actual devil. Well, maybe it was really a metaphorical devil—it’s kind of ambiguous.

Butterfly Soup [VNDB|itch.io]

Butterfly Soup is about four gay and bi Asian girls going to school, playing baseball, and getting up to all kinds of silly shenanigans. It touches on some serious issues, many of them tying into the struggle of defining your identity as you grow up, but it’s also full of comedy and adorable awkward flirting. The over-the-top, internet-meme-influenced style of humour might be a bit much for some readers, but it’s realistic for the fourteen-year-old protagonists. I would have liked to see some of the characters developed further, but I was content to just get a small glimpse of their lives, with what happens in the future left up to interpretation . . . at least until the sequel the developer has mentioned she’s planning on her blog!

Natural - Beyond Nature - [VNDB|Steam]

If you enjoy short, atmospheric VNs, I highly recommend Natural - Beyond Nature -. This bittersweet tale of two young women bound together by both magic and trauma, and the visitor to their remote village who might be able to help them, is a lovely relaxing read. You might want to keep the official guide on hand to make sure you collect all the “fragments” that unlock the endings and bonus content, since the skip function requires you to constantly hold down the button, making a bit frustrating to try to explore all the options yourself. But it’s worth it to see all the pretty art in the ending variations. And I’m always happy to support indie VN developers like Zeiva Inc., who seem dedicated to improving their writing and experimenting with new concepts.

Blind Men [VNDB|itch.io|Steam]

In the BL/comedy VN Blind Men, aspiring supervillain “Doctor Cyclops” is determined to pull off an impressive heist in order to gain a spot in the League of Evil. Unfortunately for him, his plan is disrupted by not one but two secret agents—a flamboyant American and a stoic Russian. As he struggles to pull off his evil scheme, Cyclops might just end up falling for one of his enemies. Blind Men has a bright and colourful art style that really sets it apart from a lot of other VNs—it reminded me more of the TV show Archer than anything else. I had some technical issues with the skip function and the steam achievements, but I really enjoyed the story, which manages to fit some really cute and interesting dialogue in between scenes of comedy and parodic melodrama. It’s another one that I kind of wished was a little longer, since it would be great to see more interactions between Cyclops and either love interest as they continue to work against each other despite being attracted each other. I’m looking forward to seeing what these developers come up with next.

Last Call [VNDB|itch.io]

Last Call’s protagonist, Dawn, wakes up after having fallen asleep in a bar, with no money for a taxi and no charge for her phone. She only has two phone numbers memorized, and both of them belong to people she’s somewhat estranged from after rocky relationships. Whichever number you choose to ask the bartender to call, the story explores some relatable issues through realistic dialogue, and your choices determine whether Dawn moves toward reconciliation or makes things worse. I felt like the writers did an especially good job making Dawn a sympathetic character, in spite of her many flaws and past mistakes. It can be a little difficult to figure out how to get some of the endings—a few of them seem to require getting some of the other endings in a specific order—but a list of them gives a few hints, and I do appreciate the originality of the non-standard route structure. The nice unique art style also adds to the appeal of this very polished exploration of friendship and forgiveness.

We Know the Devil [VNDB|Steam]

An earlier release by the developers of Hustle Cat, We Know the Devil explores the relationships of three teenage friends as they spend a long, strange night in a dilapidated cabin at a Christian summer camp. The art style of sketched sprites over photographic backgrounds might not be for everyone, but I felt that it added to the story’s odd and unsettling atmosphere. The story combines horror and teen angst with plenty of symbolism and mythological references into a weird and experimental work that’s very interesting to read. Furthermore, the contrast between WKTD and Hustle Cat shows that Date Nighto is a group of developers with a lot of versatility. What kind of story they’ll tell next is anyone’s guess, but I bet whatever it is will be fun.

[mammahealth]

Teething And Your Baby: Symptoms And Remedies

Teething. That word alone can literally make any mum cry. 

It is not an easy time to go through with your baby. But it is inevitable and all we can do is to make it as pleasant as possible. It is also a big relationship test filled with sleepless nights, household chaos and baby tantrums. But also a huge relief when it is all through and over. That’s a lot of emotions to endure as a mom, right? Exactly that and one long roller coaster.  Teething is a hot topic among parents of infants up to 2 to 3 years (sometimes older).

The teething period is usually a very painful stage of the life of a baby. Thankfully, the key symptoms will help you to spot the start of teething. You will have enough time to prepare for it and help your baby with one of the simple natural remedies.

With your baby coming, it is a good idea to start thinking what you need, and what you already have so you are fully prepared when your little one needs you most.

Beware: When your baby first starts making a fuss or looks slightly pink around the cheeks, everyone will assume that teething is the problem.  You will receive friendly advice on various methods to tackle the issue. Unsurprisingly, this barrage of information is not always a great help.  Not every whinge or cry is the hint of teething. Likewise, not every remedy is automatically suitable.

THE PROCESS OF TEETHING

The teething itself starts with the tooth emerging through the gums. The process ends with the tooth “cutting through” the gums. This referred to as “eruption”.  The whole process takes a couple of months and sometimes up to a year for the teeth to appear. The tooth doesn’t miraculously show up one day as I thought it would. Some of you might now be thinking “that’s a given if you read up on it”, but not every mom does! I was one of them and with my first child, I had no idea whatsoever what to expect!

The teething eruption generally happens in the following order. It is just a general timeline sourced from American Dental Association that is in no way set in stone as every child is different.

Teething diagram with typical ages

WHEN DO BABIES START TEETHING

The usual age for a baby to get her or his first tooth is six months. The age of 4 months is early and on the other end of the scale, there are children who got first tooth at 15 months!  If your baby is on the later side do not take it as an indication that there is a problem with the overall development of the child.

Around 3 months of age, parents tend to mistake a baby’s drooling and chewing on a fist as the first sign of teething. These are just typical actions for babies at this age.  Not necessarily signs that the first tooth is coming in.

Is it normal that my baby doesn’t have teeth yet?

Please consult with your child’s doctor in case your baby’s first tooth hasn’t come in by the 12 months mark. Certain tests are to be performed to rule out medical problems. X-rays will be done to make sure teeth are in place underneath the baby’s gums. Generally, first dental check-up should happen by first birthday – Regardless of when your baby’s teething process starts.

My daughter was one of the late teethers.  She started the teething process around 6 months of age. Finally, her first tooth cut through just three weeks shy of her first birthday.  I was so ecstatic because she had her 1st tooth showing in her 1st birthday photos!

When she was 18 months she has had already 8 teeth so far with her first set of molars cutting through. The whole teething process is not easy- especially the molars are tough.  My nights were spent waking up every two hours to nurse her like a newborn. Also, she was always to throw random tantrums.

Before I had her, I honestly thought that this whole teething business was just a very convenient way for parents to excuse their children’s behavior.  Oh boy, how wrong I was…

Around 6 months, my daughter would suddenly start wailing for seemingly no reason. It took a lot of effort, but I was always able to calm her.

When she was around 9 months old, she began to have colossal outbursts of screaming and crying.  She was so short-tempered and unhappy.   It was then I realized that teething is not just an excuse. It was just so REAL!

She turned into a teething monster! She was a drooling machine. She was constantly trying to get an anything around to chew on – especially my fingers!  I discovered that cold things were a huge relief for her. I tried numerous teething treats and what worked best was: frozen fruit popsicles and silicone teethers.

BE PREPARED: TEETHING SYMPTOMS

The process of a child’s teeth growing through is a perfectly normal part of your baby’s development.

The usual symptoms of teething (although in the beginning, it may be misleading) associated with teething include:

Drooling – This is one of the first signs and usually starts around 3-6 months. You will see lots of drool coming out of the baby’s mouth.

Biting – Baby puts fingers and fists in the mouth. She tries to bite and chew on anything in sight.

Gum rubbing – Baby is rubbing her gums with hand or various items. It eases her discomfort.

Lack of sleep – baby is waking up crying or just moving around in the sleep in as a result of discomfort. The normal sleep routine is disrupted thanks to teething including the difficulty of getting to sleep. Baby is inevitably cranky because of the pain and lack of sleep.

Facial Rash – The excess drool irritates the sensitive skin around the mouth.

Food Aversions – Depending on whether the baby has started solids or not, you might notice they don’t have much of an appetite or don’t want to eat things they previously liked. Also, most nursing babies would prefer to nurse which is comforting or prefer to eat food items that help soothe their gums.

Other baby teething symptoms might include food aversion, fever, diarrhea (often with accompanying diaper rash) or ear pain.

REMEDIES THAT WILL HELP YOU SOOTHE YOUR TEETHING BABY

Here’s my top list of teething solutions that have always saved our day. I recommend having several of these things ready on hand because you never know when teething pain (and subsequent bad mood or tantrum) will strike.   I’ve tested them all on both my babies. The results were pretty much similar with each child.

There are exceptions to the rule, however.  If your mama instinct is telling you that something isn’t right – go see your doctor!

Here are a number of tried-and-tested solutions and remedies. See which ones work for you and your baby:

GIVE YOUR BABY SOMETHING COLD TO CHEW ON

Give baby cold or frozen slices of banana, mango, cucumber, watermelon, and so on to munch on.  When our babies were getting their very first teeth, we gave them mesh baby feeders with cold or frozen fruit in them.  There are so many different kinds on the market these days – next time I might get one with a cap.

Mesh food feeders

But what do you put into the teething mesh feeder? Banana is especially beneficial, as it also helps to reduce diarrhea, which is a typical side effect when the baby is teething.

There are tons of other options, however. You can try a few of them until you find what works out best for your baby. Great foods for putting in a teething feeder include:

pureed melon

raw apple or pear

frozen blueberries or strawberries

frozen peaches or nectarines

pieces raw carrot (fresh or frozen)

crushed ice or frozen breast milk

Frozen popsicle.  The choice is wide:  breast milk, water or herbal tea placed in a little popsicle and left in the freezer until solid.

You can also make fruit popsicles.  Freeze your baby’s favourite fruit puree alone or mix it with yogurt.

The ancient trick – using a cold item and pressure to relieve baby’s hurting gums is still a brilliant cure. You can use many safe objects that can be frozen. When the baby chews on them and the cold helps to numb the affected area. The pressure is relaxing for irritated gums.

Teething popsicles

For example, try the washcloth trick. Dip a piece of clean fabric in water or chamomile tea and put it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Chamomile tea has the added bonus of helping to soothe and relax baby.

Have baby wear an amber teething necklace.  The real amber is considered a natural painkiller.  It is a great alternative to over-the-counter medicines. How it works?  When worn on the skin, baby’s body heat triggers the Baltic amber to release an oil containing succinic acid.  Many parents swear by its anti-inflammatory qualities. Yes, the scientific evidence is lacking for now … but there are just too many encouraging stories to ignore the helpfulness of Baltic amber.

Genuine Baltic Amber is known to contain succinic acid. Succinic acid is essentially a natural analgesic (painkiller).  This means that the genuine Baltic beads act as a natural alternative to relieve teething pain in babies thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Tip: Be sure to remove the necklace from the neck before your baby goes to sleep. You can double wrap it around a wrist or ankle instead.  Also, do your research before you buy – to be sure that you get a real one. There are many fakes on the market. Buy from a reputable shop and always read the reviews.

WOODEN AND SILICONE TEETHERS

Something to chew on is usually all your baby really needs to get through the pain of teething. I don’t know what it is about the wooden objects, but my second baby is drawn to them. He loved his wooden building blocks. Later we actually found some great wooden teethers and chew rings. One of the all-time favourites was proven this wooden kangaroo teether. It is made of unfinished wood. When shopping for one, please make sure that it meets the health standards. You certainly don’t want any harmful chemicals around your baby.

Wooden kangaroo teether

There are lots of options for silicone teething toys that are also safe and non-toxic. These teethers are a great way to stop the finger chewing and excessive drooling. It seems the silicone is the perfect material – it is soft but durable at the same time. We started trying different teething options, hoping to avoid a finger sucking habit and to provide much needed teething relief.

We tried the famous Sophie the Giraffe, but for one reason or another, my babies’ interest in it fizzled out rather quickly.   Lucky there are so many teething toys out there, it wasn’t hard to find a few good replacements that are still being drooled on – even after 6 months of use.  These are our favorites:

Silicone teething unicorns

I wish I had these two with my first baby. The silicone teething mitten and the bandana bib.

Silicone teething mitten

The bandanna bib with a silicone tip.

  TEETHING NECKLACE FOR MOM

This is another great option. These necklaces are made of silicone and are great for baby to use while sitting in mom’s lap or in a baby carrier. They also act as something to fiddle with for baby while she nurses, which is quite the relief when you have a fiddle-happy baby!

Teething necklace for Mom

HERBAL REMEDIES FOR TEETHING

Herbal remedies are here since hundreds of years ago. They help to ease baby’s teething pain and heaps of other illnesses. Here are some of them:

Chamomile – The most popular remedy for teething ailments. It relaxes the gums and soothes irritability.

Rosehip – Full of antioxidants and vitamin C. Rosehip tea is also   the immune-system booster.  In addition, rosehip contains anti-inflammatory properties.

Catnip – Calm moody babies and help them rest.

Clove – Clove is a natural anaesthetic.  It works great to relieve pain (similar effects as benzocaine).

Any of these herbs can be made into a tea, which can be used to dampen wash clothes before freezing. You can also give the tea to baby as a beverage, or rub it directly on the gums. To make a tea, boil water and steep 1 tsp of herbs in 10 oz, of water for 6–7 minutes.

You can also make an herbal infusion that can be rubbed directly onto the gums. In a small saucepan, place your herbs and cover with olive oil. Simmer on low for 4–6 hours. Strain and store in the refrigerator. Dab some oil onto baby’s gums as needed.

TEETHING GEL

I’m also wary of using teething gels because they contain things like Vaseline, alcohol, and Benzocaine. In general, not exactly the things I like to put in my baby’s mouth.  But if all else fails, I like having this joker up my sleeve.

BONUS: BABIES LOVE A CLEAN FINGER TO CHEW ON. This is probably the oldest method to ease the discomfort of your baby.  Give your thumb to your baby if you have no other mean to soothe her. The pressure of the gums on your finger helps relieve the pain of the tooth through the gum. It is also a great way to bond with your baby.

The post Teething And Your Baby: Symptoms And Remedies appeared first on Mamma Health.

from Mamma Health https://mammahealth.com/teething-baby-symptoms-remedies/

[placestogoinalleni11-blog]

The 3 Biggest Disasters in Places To Go In Allen History

Allen Neighborhood Ice Rink - Beat the heat by going out on the ice at the Allen Neighborhood Ice Rink. Open skate hours are held almost every day of the week, and the rink features a skate academy for novices, skate sharpening, skate and party leasings, and a large spectator area.

The center is house to three sports teams: the minor-league hockey group Allen Americans, indoor footballers Texas Revolution, and indoor soccer club Dallas Sidekicks. Together with the home video games, the center hosts basketball tournaments, monster truck racing events, and live shows. 200 East Stacy Roadway Allen, TX 75002( 972) 678-4646 450 East St. Parking areas are hardest to discover on the weekends, so go during the week if you can and you might just capture a special mid-week sale while you exist. 820 West Stacy Road Allen, TX 75013(972)678-7000 Cabela's Hunters and anglers know the brand, and fans of truly cool stores know the name. There's also a coffee shop and a fudge-and-nut shop, as well as outdoor kennels where your Events In Allen pet can hang out while you go shopping. 1 Cabela Drive Allen, TX 75002 (214)383-0502 Celebration Park Among Allen's favorite, free-family-fun spots is Event Park on Angel Parkway. Its 104 acres consist of sports fields and courts, walking and bike trails,a covered pavilion, and the refreshing "sprayground"referred to as kid Mania. Hydrous Wake Park is among only a handful of cable television wakeboarding parks in the United States, supplying a method to shred waves while being pulled by overhead cables. Several newbie training lakes and a centrally located tap home make Hydrous a top tourist attraction for households. 580 North Cedar Drive Allen, TX 75002 (214)755-9905 The Courses at Watters Creek It's hard to find golf courses that will let you play just nine holes these days. 7201 Chase Oaks Boulevard Plano, TX 75025( 214) 509-4653 The Edge Visitor Center Sculpt, ollie, and grind at Allen's house for severe sports. The massive skate park boasts street components, bowls, steel coping, and ledges across its 37,915-square-foot center. In addition, there's a BMX track, hockey rinks, and special occasions like lock-ins at the visitor's center. Mary Drive Allen, TX 75002( 214)509-4760 The Town at Allen On a warm summertime day you can take a break from shopping at the more than 100 merchants housed inside The Village to romp through the canine park with your pet or check out the hedge maze with the kids.

The Top Top Recommendations When Visiting Allen

Throughout the winter, warm up beside the outside fireplace at the Grotto. 190 East Stacy Roadway Allen, TX 75002 (972)678-4939 Topgolf Allen Drive the ball as far as you can or flaunt your short-game skills at Topgolf in Allen. This exciting home entertainment center provides food and drinks, live music, and a handful of ingenious high-tech driving range games that everybody from the most experienced gamers to those who have never ever held a club will take pleasure in.

Local and national shop shops and more than a lots outstanding dining establishments are coupled with the charming natural functions such as a duck pond, streaming creek, and big green space where you can stop and smell the roses. 970 Garden Park Drive Allen, TX 75013(972)747-8000."We chose to add here on a random Tuesday night(so happens that it was$ 15 night

Our Best When In Allen, These Are A Must

The decor is excellent-sofas, tables, and drinks ..."learn more Dallas, December X, 2017-- JLL announced today the effective negotiation of a new workplace lease for Manager Battle Home entertainment's new headquarters. The renowned video game advancement business is set to become the newest occupant at One Bethany East, the first structure under building at One Bethany at Watters Creek, a 17-acre, multi-phase, business office park in Allen, Texas by owner/developer Kaizen Development Partners. It has great character and the proximity to dining establishments and entertainment venues in addition to access to great skill made it an easy choice for us to build our head office and develop long-term roots here."-Scott Winsett, COO of Boss Fight Entertainment"Boss Battle Entertainment is a perfect addition to the growing lineup of creative, advanced renters who have made One Bethany East their new corporate house. [

Not only will they take pleasure in a cutting-edge office building, they'll be simply across the street from some of our city's finest shopping and dining at Watters Creek. It's the perfect area for a growing service."-Allen Mayor Stephen Terrell One Bethany at Watters Creek lies within strolling distance of a diverse mix of shops, dining establishments and premium apartment or condos in the Watters Creek mixed-use development. In addition to One Bethany East, One Bethany at Watters Creek will consist of high-tech company Net Scout's new regional research

A Review Of: Family Oriented Events

and advancement office, which broke ground in August, and the just recently announced Delta by Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. Allen Economic Advancement Corporation and the City of Allen were critical partners to the workplace park's advancement. Manager Battle Home entertainment is presently seeking a seasoned Manufacturer to join our Allen Studio!!! The Senior Manufacturer will be associated with organizing and teaming up with members of the one in charge Fight group from Browse this site every part of the studio, as well as partners outside the business to deliver exceptionally premium mobile games mostly based on i OS and Android platforms. Enthusiasm for producing terrific games is a must !! Vital Functions/Responsibilities Handle a team of producers at scale on an essential video game franchise. Work directly with group leads and producers to create and improve task schedules and resource strategies over the lifecycle of a task. Own item quality, overall user experience and supporter for the gamer. Help guarantee that the group's product leverages the ideas and resources of the larger company. Work collaboratively with item managers, engineers, artists, designers, quality assurance, and so on to drive results and outcomes. Communicate the core experience of the video game to other parts of in charge Battle group. Will be primary communicator with Boss Battle executives and our releasing partners regarding job status. Start, foster, maintain and manage others towards favorable working relationships with internal and external organizations. Interact and articulate goals and team

concepts efficiently to help form a stimulating and fun work environment/culture. Create a strong team culture that successfully works towards the item vision, strategy, and objectives Work with PM group to specify and drive success metrics with Analytics. Organized and can help organize others. Motivated and delights in motivating others. Ability to operate in a team environment with maturity and leadership.

Don't Forget These Destinations: The List

You might currently learn about Allen's three special shopping locations, or the reality that we have more than 250 restaurants to pick from and nine hotels from nationally appreciated brand names, however did you know about all of the bonus we provide? Getting active in Allen ranges from the severe to the uncomplicated and whatever in between.

We provide fantastic concerts and events along with just about every spectator sport you can envision. Naturally, Allen is understood for its history and nature and is overflowing with great deals of other additionals all around town.

Most Visited Places In Town: The List

From the rock-a-billy swing of Brian Setzer to the soulful greats of Daryl Hall and John Oates, plenty of big-name acts have actually graced our phase. Get your group and get in on the action either up close and individual or in among our party suites that can accommodate approximately 50 of your closest associates.

The Dallas and Fort Worth location is among the fastest-growing and most lively regions of the Lone Star State, and Allen is extremely much a part of that story. Allen boasts distinct destinations for tourists trying to find relaxing activities and locations to have enjoyable with the entire family. High end shopping centers and a diverse variety of arts and culture venues are simply a few of the destinations in Allen.

Details About The Great City of Allen Texas

- The elevation for Allen is 659 ft (201 m)

- Allen is a northern suburb of Dallas Tx

- has a total area of 27.1 square miles (70 km2)

- Allen is bordered by Frisco to the West

- Allen is bordered by Lucas and Fairview to the West

- The largest employer in Allen is the Allen Independent School District

- The 2 zip codes of Allen are 75002 and 75013

- Allen has 18 elementary schools

- A multi-purpose arena, the 7,500-seat Allen Event Center, was completed in November 2009

[ghostmartyr]

SnK 93 Thoughts

So.

So, so, so.

Ahem.

Some will win Some will lose Some were born to sing the blues

Oh, the movie never ends It goes on and on, and on, and on

Isayama has always had a way of indulging monstrosities. When it comes to people being terrible, he’s pretty negligent with restraint. During the coup arc, he makes the similarities between the chaotic hunger of titans and humans so blatantly clear that it’s easy to feel like you’re being bashed over the head with a hammer. When he wants to make a point, he makes a point.

Since Marley’s been part of the show, it’s existed almost entirely as a How To guide on how not to be a person. Their entire military force is based in bigotry of one sort or another, their entire reason for attacking Paradis is feeling entitled to their resources, and most everything we’ve seen of how Eldians are treated in general makes the thought of a meteor eliminating the whole nation a lot less sad than that usually might be.

In this chapter, the scale is dialed back, and we’re given a chance to see the Marleyans as more than caricatures of evil.

We see humans who are worried about what their decreased military power means for their nation. We see them discussing their options in quiet offices and rooftops.

In its own way, that’s as disturbing as everything else Marley has done. They are still the people who view Eldian lives as exploitable trash. They still have no issues throwing people out of planes to be their mindless, helpless weapons. The morality of attacking a nation that has done absolutely nothing to provoke them never enters into play.

Every appalling act of inhumanity performed by their country has been backed by human beings. They aren’t actively setting out to be as evil as possible; they just take in their options, and when the only thing standing in their way is moral decency, decline to let that be a factor.

After Reiner and Bertolt break down Wall Maria, thousands of people are killed. What’s easy to forget so many years later is that thousands of those people die because their government decides that it’s easier for everyone if they write off their lives.

Marley has gotten away with adopting that decision as a lifestyle. Largely because they don’t have to deal with the pesky consideration that Eldians are people.

Essentially, minus the flagrant bigotry, they’re everything that Paradis escapes becoming. On Paradis, after a hundred years of being cowed into complacence and letting some of their worst human vices take over, people start to wake up. They’re given a glimpse of hope, and a future, and enough people are willing to believe in that to change the cruelty that’s been smothering them.

The Marleyan Eldians, the only people who have serious personal stakes in maybe not doing things this way anymore, don’t have much hope. The greatest option for a better life is training as hard as possible to be selected to die in thirteen years.

That’s a cycle that’s been going on for a hundred years. It hasn’t broken. The system’s just found a way to make Eldians compliant in their tragedy.

I don’t know how the chapter title works out in Japanese, or what references Isayama may or may not include, but in English, the title, “Midnight Train,” makes it hard to think of anything but Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’.

There’s a literal train a the end of the chapter, of course, and. it is arguably around midnight at the time it’s running, but that’s less fun.

I could probably go to more effort weaving in and out of how the two can relate, but for the purposes of this second, I’m just going to quote fast and get out.

Payin' anything to roll the dice Just one more time

On its own, those lines easily call to both the Warriors and the Survey Corps. Countless Scouts have given up their lives for the barest hint of a chance that something might go right someday.

Warriors see how they’re treated by their country constantly, and know that this didn’t start yesterday, and they each still approach it with the thought that they’ll be the ones to make everything okay for their people.

Some will win, and some will lose.

For Marleyan Eldians, Marley is the house, and they’re handing the players loaded dice.

Some were clearly born to sing the blues.

Anyway, that’s a lot of nothing saying that I appreciate the less blatant evil going on in this chapter. It makes the worst of it all hit harder. Things aren’t always train tracks and mustache-twirling. These are real human beings, choosing to enact real horrors.

Though. All the same.

There is no part of this sentiment that is not fucked up, and I’d really like to stop reading about Marley now.

What else, what else...

Well, confirmation that no one on Marley’s side knows about Zeke’s royal blood; except for maybe Zeke. We also get explicit verbage about Shifters inheriting their predecessors’ memories.

Along with the implication that Zeke went around stabbing every single person in Connie’s village with needles full of his spinal fluid.

...I. Do not know which implication is worse, there. Does... Zeke keep a stock of his spinal fluid? I mean, Marley would be more likely in that case, but that’s pretty thoroughly worse.

Getting spinal fluid out is considered pretty painful, to my knowledge. ...Does he stab himself when he’s all alone on random islands?

...Was there ever a reason given besides, “for funsies,” that he transformed Connie’s village anyway?

I think I’m just not going to think about that one too hard unless the manga starts shining a giant spotlight on it. Not caring is usually a pretty good ally in lore things.

In other news, Reiner continues to be a horrible person, adding threatening small children to his list of faults. At least he only scares the one who doesn’t like him much half to death.

It continues to amaze me that you can develop a character who is unfailingly loyal to the point that it psychologically breaks him to be a traitor, and still make him such an asshole. When he isn’t jumping in front of things for people, he’s making them feel like crap.

Unless your name’s Connie.

Then he’ll just loudly suggest that you’re a moron for hearing weird things around your mother’s titanized body.

...

Reiner should not be allowed to people.

He also has a weird obsession with turning boys into white knights.

Krista?

I shall save you, girl whose name I have yet to get right!

Bertolt has a thing for Annie?

You must rescue her as is becoming of the princely way!

Falco has a thing for Gabi?

You shall save her, valiant young steed!

He gives this poor kid a traumatizing lecture on the honor Warriors are bestowed with, and then drags him into a grueling grind of training to surpass Gabi so that he’ll be chosen (things to be included: comfort with standing in front of enemy lines in your underwear with not but a bunch of bombs for company), and then terms it as saving the damsel in distress from the horror that is being a Marley Warrior.

Reiner doesn’t just want to be a fairy tale knight.

He wants everyone around him to be one too.

If Galliard didn’t hate him, he’d be spending all of his time telling him to protect the fair maiden Pieck.

That’s Reiner’s real character arc: He’s just this poor guy trying to get an RP group going. No one ever plays the scene out right, so he’s condemned to misery for the rest of his lonely two years.

Alternatively, he has no clue how to deal with his own emotions, so he’s constantly shoving them off on other people who are just barely well-adjusted enough to maybe get something done.

“I’m a lost cause so I’m going to yell at children” is a staple of the genre.

I don’t know if Reiner’s still doing his Soldier/Warrior split (I’m guessing not, since he’s so definitively in Warrior territory, and has been for several years now), but his psychological health has somehow succeeded in getting worse.

Maybe try killing less people.

So far, I like Pieck and Galliard. Pieck obviously garners immediate sympathy because the Cartman train apparently isn’t allowed to stop during a war, and having Galliard obviously care for her is cool. These two haven’t betrayed anyone yet, or been spotted attacking people they aren’t actively at war with, so it’s easier to see them as people.

Galliard’s dislike of Reiner is just a bonus.

It’s also kind of sad. “Kind of” meaning very. No one but Reiner understands the weight of everything that happens on Paradis, but Galliard is the one whose squad left him behind. Reiner, Bertolt, Annie, and his brother are all chosen ahead of him, and he has to watch them head off to save their people while he just stays put.

Then the only person who comes back is the one whose spot he was in direct competition for. His brother and the friends he could like are gone, and Reiner has the audacity to stay standing.

Unfortunately, I think that brings us to the only reason any of you are probably reading this post.

Jaws is the Dancing Titan.

Galliard is the successor of Ymir’s power, by proof of his abilities and new memories.

That would indicate that Ymir is dead.

Every single thing we know about canon says that Ymir is dead.

Deceased. Nommed. Gone.

We have flashback panels to before she’s eaten. Galliard remembers her by name. He has memories of Reiner’s time as a soldier.

Short of a body, which, um. Let’s just say would not be around, given the circumstances, that is pretty damn conclusive.

So.

I have a problem.

My problem is a pretty simple one.

This is really fucking stupid.

And I really, really, really wish that in a capslock rage kind of way, because I feel like I would have an easier time defending that. Sadly, I don’t mean it in that way.

What I mean is that the story has failed so spectacularly to establish logic in this chain of events that I’m not convinced that this is the end.

Which means that I’m probably going to continue getting asks about why I think Ymir’s alive (though that isn’t... precisely true).

Despite being handed a chapter that pretty much shouts, “SHE’S DEAD,” as loudly as possible.

Yeah.

Assuming that there’s at least one person who’s interested in why in between laughing at me or unfollowing in disgust or any number of other things that make me think that being in mourning would actually be easier, I guess I’ll keep typing and try to explain why.

Ymir’s fate has happened to come up a number of times here, but I think the best explanation for my belief in her continued longevity is the one I went with most recently.

I’m no stranger to looking askance at Isayama’s writing choices. However, one thing he has always stayed true to, with a consistency that any writer would find admirable, is the characters. You see signs of who all of these people are far before the traits become relevant. He has a talent for breathing life into his creations, and however long they live for, they are distinct individuals without any notes to them that ring untrue.

With the facts currently at hand, for the first time, we have a jarring development that feels more like an instrument of the plot than something that a character would actually do.

Galliard and Reiner both say that Ymir volunteers to die.

Putting aside the fact that Reiner is a complete jackass for letting Ymir do that for him and Bertolt (what the hell is wrong with you that you present the woman who saved your life to be eaten alive), I do not know how to begin with this.

Because I know that this is one of those positions that means I basically can’t ever have a civil conversation with anyone again in this fandom, I’m going to try to be as direct as possible about my reasoning.

The issues start with... wow, I really don’t like doing this.

At the simplest level, nothing we have seen of Ymir since her time on the wall with Reiner and Bertolt suggests that this is a decision she’s happy about. She looks like death (ha) in this chapter, and she doesn’t look much happier writing out her love letter.

This isn’t the scared-but-willing face she puts on during Utgard or the kidnapping arc. It isn’t the smile when she talks about being a goddess. It’s desolation.

There are parts to the end of volume twelve that could point to this as a legit ending. I think one of the things I brought up in regards to Bertolt’s death was that the second his development landed on the idea that everything is inevitable, his death joined the list, because this is a series where if you don’t fight, you most assuredly do not win.

If you wanted to go there, making the case that Isayama can be lax with the amount of evidence his character decisions have, but they are always available, then Ymir’s line, “I’m tired out. I’ve just had enough. ...I’m done,” is perfectly prophetic, the end.

My problem with that is it happens post-Utgard and kidnapping arc. I don’t think any other set of chapters is as committed to sleep deprivation as those ones, and basically all of the decisions Ymir makes during the kidnapping arc are shortsighted and corrected by someone having half a second to think about them.

I’m using “problem” like it’s singular a lot. I do that. It’s annoying, and I’m going to continue doing it.

The more pressing issue here is that if this is how Ymir’s story ends, she has absolutely zero value as an individual.

She lives and dies only for other people.

She does it in her first life, then again in her second.

She has an active desire to avoid that.

Oh well.

I don’t think I know how to put into words how thoroughly this end would turn Ymir into a satellite character.

Every life lesson she ever learns for herself has zero effect on her life. As far as character development goes, if this is how things play out, she doesn’t really have any. She begins her life living only for the happiness of others, and ends her life dying only for the happiness of others.

In a lot of stories, that wouldn’t be such a problem. There is definite tragedy in someone’s own nature betraying their desires. That’s practically what tragedy is.

But with Ymir--first off, as mentioned in the above link, we’ve already done this at Utgard. This is exactly the problem she faces at Utgard, finding that she has too much love in her heart to save her own skin at all costs. Saving Reiner and Bertolt is a dull repetition of that revelation already.

And that’s before saving them involves moving forward to be eaten alive.

This is actually painful: She has a life on Marley, dies because she’s a tryhard. She has a life on Paradis, then Utgard happens and oh no, she cares about people. Then kidnapping happens, and oh no, she still cares about Historia. THEN THE CONCLUSION OF THE KIDNAPPING HAPPENS, AND OH NO, SHE CARES ABOUT REINER AND BERTOLT.

Following all of that: OH NO, DESPITE WONDERING WHY THE HELL THIS IS A DECISION SHE’S MADE, YEP, STILL GONNA DIE FOR THEM!

(you know, those people she threatened with death an hour ago for a chance to see Historia one more time)

You can make the argument that she’s consistent, but there’s a huge difference in automatically shielding people from immediate danger, and walking up to the gallows and tying the knot yourself. For that final save, that’s what the story is asking us to believe happened.

Additionally, all of the above only benefits other people. If this is the end, Ymir’s basic function in the story is being Historia’s love interest and keeping plot-essential characters breathing. On her own, she has a personality, but you might as well stamp tool to her forehead and be done with it.

Seriously, playing along with exactly what the text says, with dead Ymir: Remove Historia from the story and then examine how much worth Ymir’s story has to any of this. If she’s dead, she’s more plot device than person, which Isayama has always been good about avoiding.

...Okay, I don’t think I can say that without someone at least thinking of Floch, to which I say that if Ymir and Floch are at all comparable in value, you know something’s gone sideways.

There is no solid logic for Ymir to hand herself over to Marley. By dying, she spares Bertolt for what, two months? Reiner would have died as well if not for being Reiner. She also gives Marley a shiny new toy, with no guarantees on this new person caring at all about Historia.

Oh yeah, and she’d be dead.

She kind of spends several pages during 47 having a meltdown over imminent death.

And in that case, she’s facing it for Historia.

That girl she loves or something.

Who she’s still willing to put at risk just to see her one more time because she’s a selfish teenager who has things to live for.

But, you know, things happen. Characters aren’t always as important as you think they are, that’s the way it goes, and so on and so forth.

Except it does matter that Ymir’s arc is concluding this way. With no other character besides Historia (who has an extensive arc dealing with the emotional threat this represents) could you have an ending that flies so directly in the face of everything they stand for. And for crying out loud, Historia’s arc is pretty much learning to use everything Ymir teaches her.

You can’t have Ymir fail her own beliefs this badly without any elaboration.

Like.

You’re going to kill yourself, the ultimate act of submission. Is that how much you want to please the people who treated you like a nuisance?! Why are you trying to hurt yourself?! If your will is that strong… then shouldn’t you be able to change your fate?!

We get a whole character arc that starts with Ymir deriding her for abusing her suicidal desires. Willingly walking into death without fighting like hell to stay alive is not something Ymir does.

If this is really the end, it’s appallingly disrespectful to everything Ymir is as a character, using her only to keep the key players alive and sane--and maybe as a reason for a queen of some island to have a serious grudge.

None of which involves treating Ymir as a person who matters as an individual.

And that’s the crux of the thing for me.

Which is sad, since I don’t really want more people telling me how very wrong about life, the universe, and everything I am.

Here it is, though:

Despite all evidence pointing to Ymir’s death, and despite everything we know about canon only supporting that she must be dead, Isayama has such a long track record of respecting his characters that I do not believe that this is her end.

There is no grounding in canon for thinking that Ymir is alive (I’m not even sure she is alive in the traditional way, if there’s more to this). There is only suspicion built on the author’s history. That isn’t much. By the standards I prefer, it’s absolutely nothing.

Shifters aren’t great about remembering that first nom, and we know nothing about the ninth titan yet, but there’s also no reason to believe either of those things might be relevant.

I don’t like being the person who looks at mountains of evidence and shrugs it off. I really don’t like it when character deaths are involved. I hate it, actually, but I’m guessing that until the manga ends, even when the inevitable volume release finally has an X through Ymir’s picture, I’ll be holding out for something amazing happening with her.

Because I’m a moron.

Well.

And it enables me to end the post in this fashion.

DON’T STOP BELIEVING

HOLD ON TO THAT FEEEEEEEELING

[snarktheater]

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown — Bonus (short story)

Someone requested it, so I'm doing it. I ended up liking The Coldest Girl in Coldtown more than expected, so I'm actually glad to be taking a look at the short story that came before the book. We'll see what it's worth.

The story opens with a girl named Matilda, who is drunk, and apparently this is not a rare occurrence for her. A guy tries to pick up on her (and the story immediately tells us that she is in fact underage, so…ew), and she goes along with it because…I don't know, either she has an agenda, or self-destructive urges. Possibly both.

The guy is named…Mark, or Dan, or Dave, Matilda isn't sure, and she settles on Mardave, because the author thought this would be hilarious. He's also with a friend, Ben. Because…it's more fun to sexually abuse a drunk underage girl with a friend, I guess?

It would be easy for her to close her eyes and pretend Mardave was someone else, someone she wanted to be touched by, but she wouldn’t let herself soil her memories of Julian.

So…yeah, self-destruction mixed with unhealthy coping mechanisms. Okay.

As they head for Mardave's place, Matilda sees streams from Coldtown on the televisions in a storefront, and so the book delivers the crucial information about the world. Remember, this came before the book. Also, wherever they are, Matilda and the boys are currently near Coldtown.

“We’ll protect you,” said Ben, smiling back at her. “We should do what other countries do and blow those corpses sky high,” Mardave said. Matilda bit her tongue not to point out that Europe’s vampire hunting led to the highest levels of infection in the world. So many of Belgium’s citizens were vampires that shops barely opened their doors until nightfall. The truce with Coldtown worked. Mostly.

Hey, why the Belgium hate? And yeah, I've complained about this in the book too, but I have a very hard time believing that Europe would devolve into vampire hunting while the United States of fucking America would choose the diplomatic route. It bears repeating.

Anyway, Matilda is sick…and by "sick" I mean she's probably Cold, judging by her symptoms and the surrounding descriptions.

Now she was the one who was counting. Fifty-seven days. Eighty-eight days. Eighty-eight nights.

I'm…honestly no sure what this is supposed to mean. Has it been fifty-seven days for her or did the book just throw the number at random?

Matilda ends up being found by a guy named Dante while she waits for Mardave and Ben to buy more booze. Dante knows her and has been looking for her, because everyone she knows thinks she's dead. She tells him she is indeed Cold, and cue more infodump as she explains to us why she ran away (which is…basically the same reason Tana did).

Dante tells her that Julian (who is Matilda's boyfriend, in case the earlier reference was too subtle for you) and his sister Lydia ran away together, with Lydia at least looking to turn into a vampire. Matilda doesn't really want to bother with other people's problems when she still has to hold out for thirty-seven days without biting people, but Dante ruins her plans for the night by telling the boys that she's infected. Well, dodged that bullet, I guess.

We get a flashback to fifty-seven days ago, when she got bitten by a vampire at a party, and then some infodump about Caspar Morales for good measure. Then it's back to the present, with Matilda coercing Dante into buying her alcohol so she can keep he bloodlust at bay.

“You can’t keep going like this. You can’t just stay drunk to avoid your problems.” […] “Let me spell it out: if you don’t get me some alcohol, I am going to bite you.”

After he gets her a drink, he explains his sister's situation in more detail: she used to be scared of vampires, then decided to become one, and Dante went looking for Matilda hoping she would have turned and that…what, she could turn his sister for him?

Yeah, pretty much. Lydia was already looking for vampires to bite her through online ads, so getting someone they could trust to do it is a better alternative, I guess? As for Julian…

Dante shrugged slim shoulders. “Maybe he was looking for you.”

Right, whatever you say.

We get some infodump about the token system for humans to get out of Coldtown, in order to establish the stakes: if Matilda and Dante can't find Lydia and Julian before they make it to Coldtown, they won't be able to get them out without hiring a vampire hunter, which they or their families can't really afford.

Also, this:

“Why did Julian go with her?” She tried to keep the hurt out of her voice. She didn’t think Dante would understand. He DJed at a club in town and was rumored to see a different boy or girl every day of the week. The only person he actually seemed to care about was his sister.

Is this a thing with Holly Black, that her male characters are bi? Or is it just this particular case, because the short story more or less inspired the book and so some elements are lifted from it?

They hit the bars around Coldtown looking for someone who might have seen Lydia and Julian, and eventually pick up their trail from a girl, from whom they bought blood that they could use for the transformation once they find a vampire to bite them. Um…ew.

“Said she was tired of waiting.” “What about the guy?” Matilda asked. […] “He said his girlfriend was a vampire,” said the girl.

Yeah, well, he obviously didn't do his research well, did he?

Dante checks his sister's blog to find that she made a new entry titled "One-Way Ticket to Coldtown", and…that doesn't really change anything to the stakes, but okay, I guess?

Instead, we go on a tangent about how Matilda should tell more people about her method of resisting the Cold by being constantly drunk. Because sure, that sounds like a good idea. Make the people infected with something that makes them violent lose all their inhibitions. I can't see that go wrong ever.

Dante also points out that Lydia's never going to be turned inside Coldtown, because the vampires need a food supply and not more competition. So Matilda makes a decision to save Lydia and Julian: complete the transformation.

Crawling over, she straddled Dante’s waist before he had a chance to shift positions. His mouth tasted like tobacco. When she pulled back from him, his eyes were wide with surprise, his pupils blown and black even in the dim streetlight. “Matilda,” he said and there was nothing in his voice but longing. “If you really want your sister, I am going to need one more thing from you,” she said. His blood tasted like tears.

I'm…not really sure why I quoted this passage exactly, but I just had to do it. There's something about it that's brilliant and poetic while also being insufferable. You're welcome.

So she goes to Coldtown to turn herself in in exchange for a voucher for a human to leave. They force her to wait until her transformation is complete first, and then, they do indeed let her in with a token. Cue descriptions of the place, and…Coldtown sounds a lot nicer than it did in the books, but then again, this might be a result of Matilda being a vampire and experiencing her new vampire powers. In fact, she's so overwhelmed that she almost stays out as the sun rises, if not for a random girl who spots her and gets her to come inside her place.

Said place is inhabited by a group of humans who trade on the black market and with the Coldtown guards. They immediately demand that Matilda bites them in exchange for shelter from the sun, and Matilda only agrees to do it at night, though mostly because she's starting to need to feed.

“Why would you want me to do that?” The girl’s expression clearly said that Matilda was stupid. “Who doesn’t want to live forever?” I don’t, Matilda wanted to say, but she swallowed the words.

So Matilda gets settled in for the night, gets a message from Dante (which means he is indeed okay), and sends a message to Lydia asking to meet. She goes to sleep for the day, and when she wakes up, Lydia replied and gave her a rendezvous point.

But first, Matilda has to deal with her hosts. By which I mean she bites one of them as promised…and then feeds on her until the girl dies. Oops?

The worst part is: this doesn't even discourage the others.

Another girl grabbed Matilda’s arm. “Wait,” the girl said, eyes wide and imploring. “You have to bite me next. You’re full now so you won’t have to hurt me—” With a cry, Matilda tore herself free and ran up the stairs—if she went fast enough, maybe she could escape from herself.

Which, for some reason, strikes me as pretty realistic. Right? Everyone thinks they would be the one who does it right.

But as the quote says, Matilda manages to run away, and goes to the Festival of Sinners, where Lydia told her to meet. And she does indeed find Julian and Lydia there, and explains what she did.

“I wasn’t in Coldtown,” Matilda said. “I came here so that Lydia could leave. I have a pass.”

Unsurprisingly, Lydia disagrees with that plan, since…you know, she wants to be a vampire. As for Julian, he doesn't look thrilled at the idea of being here with just Matilda, so…yeah, I guess this is an unofficial breakup right there.

Since Matilda won't bite her, Lydia…takes Julian hostage with a knife. Um…okay, that's a little extreme, girl.

So Matilda caves in…well, kind of. We get a scene break right after she bites Lydia, leaving some ambiguity as to what happened as the narration recaps that Julian ran away from Coldtown with the token after giving Matilda his money and credit cards.

As for Lydia, turns out Matilda didn't drain her dry. Instead, she locked her up to stream her going Cold.

You’ve probably seen lots of video feeds from inside Coldtown. […] Here’s what you never see. What I’m going to show you. For eighty-eight days you are going to watch someone sweat out the infection. […] It’s not going to be pretty. […] This is the real Coldtown. I’m the real Coldtown. You still want in?

And…that's it. That's the short story. And for what it is, it's…all right, I guess. It can't really play upon the same strengths as the book because it just doesn't have the time, but it does what it does well.

Honestly…that's about all I have to say on the subject. The short story's available online for free, so I'd say it's worth reading even if you went through this post, if only to check out if you like Black's writing for yourself. It's not quite as good as the book, but it should still give you an indication of what to expect.

And with that, I'm signing off and moving on to…the next book on the snark pile. shudders

[fluffyasra]

So I thought this looked like fun, and I’m always down to develop Elit a little more. Idk if anyone’s gonna read it, but maybe it’ll be useful for my own reference lol. (Original post found here) 

I’ll put it all under the cut so as not to clog your dash <3 

Character Chart Character’s full name: Elit Aroha Wingate Reason or meaning of name: Elit was something I translated from Latin many years ago to use as part of a cool-sounding gamertag (lol) but apparently it means “developer”, which is kind of fitting. Aroha means love in Maori, and I think it sounds lovely. Character’s nickname: El or Sunbeam Reason for nickname: El is obviously short for Elit, and Sunbeam because she’s a pretty smiley gal Birth date: 14th February Physical appearance Age: 21 years How old does he/she appear: Younger than she is, around 17 Weight: 190 lbs or 86 kg Height: 161cm or 5′2″ Body build: Hourglass figure, but a fairly chubby one Shape of face: Heart shaped, but soft and round Eye color: Green Glasses or contacts: She doesn’t use either, but she would prefer contacts if she did. Skin tone: A pale, rosy complexion Distinguishing marks: Freckles across her nose and cheeks, and a small patch of skin on her stomach that never tans, so it’s just pure white. Predominant features: Her ears are slightly larger than average, and she’s really self-conscious about it.  Hair color: A pink-tinged blonde Type of hair: Long, with big loose waves Hairstyle: She usually wears it in a half-ponytail, but likes to leave it loose or tie it all back if she needs to. Voice: Soft and girly, she speaks fairly quietly and enunciates well.  Overall attractiveness: She’s quite pretty, although perhaps not conventionally due to her weight and whatnot.  Usual fashion of dress: She likes flowy, loose-fitting clothing. Usually some kind of soft white blouse, and her favourite burgundy harem pants.  Favorite outfit: Despite her everyday floaty style being her go-to, Elit’s favourite outfit is any kind of over the top dress. She favours a vintage A-line fit and flare kind of dress. Jewelry or accessories: She has a gold ring set with a small ruby, and matching bracelet that she always wears. She also tends to wear a piece of rose quartz on a length of leather around her neck. Personality Good personality traits: Optimistic, caring, romantic, studious, hard working Bad personality traits: Messy, stubborn, sometimes lazy, awkward Mood character is most often in: She’s usually pretty happy and contented Sense of humor: Ridiculous. Everything is funny to her Character’s greatest joy in life: Elit is happiest when she can swim in the ocean. Nothing beats that. Except maybe swimming in the ocean with Asra. Character’s greatest fear: Losing Asra Why? He is the only constant in her life, and he’s been there to take care of her as long as she can remember. She loves him with all her heart and can’t bear the thought of losing him. What single event would most throw this character’s life into complete turmoil?Losing him. She wouldn’t know what to do on her own for a long time.  Character is most at ease when: She can curl up with something to read, whether it’s a story or something to learn. Bonus points if Asra and/or Faust are with her. Most ill at ease when: she is left in charge of something important. She is terrified of messing up and making things worse. Enraged when: she, or someone she cares about, is taken advantage of (which happens all too often, given her caring personality) Sad when: Elit can be very over emotional, and lots of things can make her sad easily. Fortunately, she’s quite easy to cheer up too. Priorities: To love and be loved. To learn how to be the best, most useful magician she can. Life philosophy: It’s better when you’re smiling If granted one wish, it would be: For her life to be how it was prior to her memory loss. Why? It was everything she desires - family oriented, she had a wonderful relationship and lots of friends, and was well on her way to becoming a powerful magician. Character’s soft spot: Elit IS the soft spot. Greatest strength: In a pinch, Elit is far more resourceful and quick thinking than she gives herself credit for. She reads a lot, and remembers things she’s read, so she can be quite helpful in many situations. Greatest vulnerability or weakness: She is very trusting, which means she is easily manipulated  Past Hometown: Elit was born in a small but busy fishing town Type of childhood: She had a happy childhood, being an only child her parents devoted a lot of their time to her. She did well in school and enjoyed exploring her town. Pets: She had a black cat called Bella that she kept as her familiar, but she doesn’t remember. First memory: Waking up in Asra’s arms coughing after he successfully brought her back to life. Childhood hero: Her mum! Dream job: Elit would love to be a writer Education: She was in school til around 17, when the plague spread through Vesuvia, and now is being educated as Asra’s apprentice (in my modern AUs, she’s doing a degree in astronomy) Religion: She doesn’t have any particular religion, instead trusting in magic Present Current location: Vesuvia Currently living with: Asra and Faust Religion: -  Occupation: Asra’s apprentice Favorites Color: Pink Least favorite color: Orange Music: Soft and relaxing strings or indie-pop in the modern AU (but modern Elit will also happily sing at the top of her lungs to Justin Bieber’s “Love Me”) Food: Peach pie Literature: She loves classical or historical romance Form of entertainment: Reading Mode of transportation: Boats! She loves being on, in and around the water Most prized possession: Her ruby ring Habits Hobbies: Swimming, baking and reading Plays a musical instrument? She can play the harp Plays a sport? Definitely not How he/she would spend a rainy day: Curled up in bed or somewhere else cosy with Asra. Perhaps just talking, or she would read. Smokes: No Drinks: She does, but not all that often Other drugs: Nope What does he/she do too much of? Worrying about...everything What does he/she do too little of? Tidying and cleaning up Extremely skilled at: Baking Extremely unskilled at: Technical stuff confuses her (such as computers in the modern AU) Nervous tics: She plays with her necklace a lot, or wrings her hands Usual body posture: Stands up quite straight, but is more comfortable leaning on one leg Traits Optimist or pessimist? Optimist Introvert or extrovert? Introvert Daredevil or cautious? Cautious Logical or emotional? Both. It often depends on the situation. Disorderly and messy or methodical and neat? Elit is a chaotic mess Prefers working or relaxing? She enjoys her work Confident or unsure of himself/herself? Unsure and insecure Animal lover? She’s quite afraid of animals, but likes the idea of them Self-perception How she feels about herself: She’s very insecure and doesn’t like herself much. One word the character would use to describe self: Fat What does the character consider her best personality trait? How much she cares about people What does the character consider her worst personality trait? How stubborn she can be What does the character consider her best physical characteristic? She likes her wrists and hands. What does the character consider her worst physical characteristic? Her body as a whole. She hates her weight How does the character think others perceive her: Sweet and cute What would the character most like to change about herself: Her weight, and her ears Relationships with others Opinion of other people in general: She doesn’t particularly like other people, but doesn’t think they’re inherently bad  Does the character hide her true opinions and emotions from others? Yes, she often puts up a front around other people Best friend(s): Gianna, in the modern AU Love interest(s): Asra, always

Person character openly admires: Audrey Hepburn Person character secretly admires: Taylor Swift Most important person in character’s life before story starts: Asra After story starts: Still Asra lol