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stargazer-sims · 1 month ago

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Journal Entry #15 (part two)

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Victor

The Festival of Snow is about… snow.

That probably seems kind of obvious, and maybe even a silly thing to celebrate when you consider that anyone living in Matsumori can see snow three hundred and sixty-five days of the year if they want to, but we get a lot of tourists from all over the world and some of them have never seen snow before. I’ll bet my friends Kalani and Alana, who I met on Kainani Island, have never seen snow in their lives.

Personally, I like celebrating snow in summer because I’d never seen snow in the summertime before I came here. The part of Canada where I’m from is cold in late autumn, winter and early spring, but it doesn’t have the elevation for summer and early autumn snow. Back home, our mountain does get snow earlier than the valley does, but I doubt Granite Mountain has ever had snow in July.

The Festival of Snow has every kind of snow-related activity you can imagine, including sled races, ski races, snow and ice sculptures, snow person contests, and lots of free winter sport lessons. There’s also food, music, games, and a spectacular fireworks display at night.

One of the fun things about Matsumori is our town mascot, Arashi. Yes, she is named after the mountain Arashiyama. The kanji for her name means ‘storm’ which is kind of funny to me because she’s basically a kawaii version of a snow leopard and is the least stormy-looking character I can imagine, with her purple boots and sweater and an adorable pom-pom hat with holes for her cat ears to poke through.. She’s affectionately referred to by locals as Arashi-chan, so that should give you some idea.

Arashi’s image is everywhere, on buses and billboards and on the sides of buildings. There’s a cat café in town called Arashi’s Corner, and there’s even a statue of her in the public square at the foot of the recreation area. Someone in costume as Arashi comes out for all the festivals, and sometimes she greets tourists and townspeople alike in the public square even when there isn’t a special event going on. One of the big traditions is to take a picture with her and ask her to bring you safety and good luck on the slopes.

Mom and I encountered Arashi-chan on our way to enter the snow person contest. Naturally, Mom wanted a picture, so I asked somebody nearby if they could take a photo with my phone. They happliy agreed, so now Mom and I have a cute souvenir; a snapshot of Arashi with an arm around each of us and the slope of Arashiyama in the background.

Mom and I are definitely not artists. I wish you could’ve seen the snow person we made for the contest. They looked like they’d had a very bad day, and needless to say, Mom and I didn’t win a prize. We had a good time though, and it made me think of winters back home when we’d build funny-looking snow sculptures of ourselves and our dogs in the back yard.

After the snow person contest, Mom and I headed back to the square to catch up with Yuri. Before our photo opportunity with Arashi, we’d run into Yuri’s little sister Shirayuki and some of her friends, and they’d dragged him off to play games. The last I’d seen him, Yuki and another little girl were pulling him by the hands while a third girl was running ahead of them and shouting at them to hurry.

I’m not sure Yuri was in any shape to hurry, to be honest. After the whole rock climbing thing last weekend, he didn’t get out of bed for two days, although he was fortunately alert and well enough to work for a handful of hours each morning. He was up and around again on the third day, but the massive bruise on his hip that he’d gotten from falling off the rock didn’t look any better and he was moving like someone three times his age. By the end of the week he was better, but then we all went skating at an outdoor rink yesterday morning and we took Mom to see the local shrine in the afternoon. Yuri was so exhausted by the time we got back that he went to bed immediately, without even having dinner. I did coax him to eat a tiny breakfast this morning, but I suspected he was mostly running on caffeine, pain meds and willpower.

My prediction is, tomorrow will be when the consequences of our nonstop week will really hit him. I doubt he’ll be sitting up in bed and typing on his laptop, and I expect my Monday will be entirely spent taking care of him. Luckily, I only work four days a week at the moment, Tuesday to Friday, so at least I’ll be around when he’ll need me.

As he’d disappeared into the crowd with Yuki and her friends, I could hear Yuki chattering excitedly to him about how she was trying to talk their parents into letting her get a puppy, and she hoped to meet Arashi-chan and ask for some extra good luck. It’s a good thing Arashi’s lore says she’s magical because I think it’ll probably take some serious wizardry to convince Kenji and Rei Okamoto to adopt a dog.

As we re-entered the public square, I took a moment to look around. The whole area was decorated with all kinds of banners and paper lanterns, and it looked super festive. Around the outside, people who were much better at art than me and my mom had constructed these enormous snow sculptures. There was even a gigantic ice statue of Arashi.

We found Yuri sitting on a bench with his little sister. They had their arms around each other, and it looked to me like Yuki might’ve been holding him up. He looked absolutely done.

“Hey!” I called out as soon as Mom and I got close enough. “Yuri, did you lose your fan club?”

“They went off to a free skiing lesson,” Yuri said.

“You didn’t want to ski, Shirayuki?”

“Nope,” she said. “I wanted to hang out with my favourite big brother.”

“I’m your only big brother,” Yuri pointed out. He looked up at me. “How was the snow person contest?”

I grinned. “Fun, but we’re terrible at it.”

“Victor’s only slightly terrible,” Mom said. “I’m utterly hopeless at it.”

“You’ll have to take me over there to see all the entries later, so I can judge for myself,” Yuri said. “I doubt either of you are as bad as you think.”

“No, we definitely are,” Mom said. She sat down next to Yuri on the bench. “You look cold.”

“A little,” he admitted. “I could use a hot drink.”

“Shirayuki,” I said. “Why don’t you come with me, and we’ll see if we can find something nice for Yuri? Hot chocolate or tea or something.”

"Okay,” she said. She jumped off the end of the bench and straight into my arms. “You can carry me, Victor. Yuri isn’t strong enough to do it.”

“I think he’s strong enough,” I said. “He’s just really tired today and needs to rest. Right, Yuri?”

Yuri gave me a grateful look. “Yuki, maybe if you ask Victor nicely, he’ll get you some hot chocolate.”

“Sure,” I said. “Is hot chocolate what you want too?”

“I really want sage green tea,” he said.

“Got it. Mom, do you want anything?”

“Hot chocolate sounds great, please and thanks,” Mom said. “If you’re going for hot drinks, I’ll stay here and keep Yuri company until you come back.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed. “Ready, Shirayuki? If I carry you over to where the vendors are, then you have to return the favour by helping me carry the drinks back here. Think you can do that?”

“Yeah,” she said. “That sounds fair. And you can just call me Yuki, you know. You’re family.”

I’m glad at least somebody from your house thinks so, is what I almost said, but quickly decided Yuki really didn’t need to be burdened with her parents’ prejudices or her older sister’s jealousy. She’s a sweet and pure soul just like her brother, and I have almost the same instinct to protect her as I have to protect Yuri. She might not understand why her parents and sister don’t like me, or maybe she would, but I didn’t want her to have to think about it.

Instead, I said, “Thanks. I always imagined my little sister would be just like you.”

My little sister.

My sister, Caroline Isabella Grace Nelson, would be twenty-two now if she were alive, and I wonder if she really would have been like Yuki when she was a child. I would’ve loved to have someone at home to play with growing up. I think about her sometimes and try to picture us playing soccer and climbing trees and running around with our dogs.

The Caroline in my imagination is vibrant and kind and beautiful, and she has Dad’s auburn hair, luckily missing out on the weird genetic defect that’d turned mine completely silver like an old man’s by the time I was thirteen. Caroline would be in university now, or maybe travelling the world and falling in love. Trying to find her way, just like me.

Of course, all of that is wishful thinking. The last time I’d ever laid eyes on Caroline, she was waving at me and Mom from her booster seat in the back seat of Dad’s car, strands of wavy auburn hair already sneaking out of her pigtails, and purple plush elephant clutched in the hand that wasn’t waving.

Be safe, Thomas, my mom had said to my dad. She’d blown a kiss to him, and I blew one to Caroline because six year old me thought that’s how you were supposed to say goodbye to people you loved when you weren’t close enough to hug them. I hadn’t known that it would be our very last goodbye. To this moment, I’m thankful my dad and sister knew they were loved on their final day.

I pulled my thoughts back to the present when I realized Yuki was poking me. “Victor! Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Sorry.”

“We’re supposed to be getting hot chocolate, remember?”

"Right,” I said. “Mind if I put you down for a second? You’re too heavy for me to carry in my arms all the way over to the food stands.”

“Oh.”

“I can give you a piggyback ride instead, if you want.”

“Yes, please!” she said. “Piggyback rides are my favourite thing. I already asked Yuri, but he said he couldn’t.”

“I know,” I said. “But I’m sure it’s not because he didn’t want to. You know he can’t always do everything he’d like to do.”

“I know,” Yuki said.

“Maybe he’ll be able to another day.”

“Know what I think?” Yuki said, once she was settled comfortably on my back and we were trotting off in the direction of the vendors. “About Yuri, I mean.”

“I can’t even guess. What do you think?”

“I think he’s really brave.”

“You know what? I think so too,” I said. “What makes you think he’s brave?”

“Because he doesn’t feel sorry for himself when he can’t do stuff. I think a lot of people would just give up because it’s too hard and they’d be all sad and depressed about it, but Yuri isn’t like that.”

“Sometimes he does get sad and depressed when he can’t do stuff,” I told her. “It’d be surprising if he didn’t. But, he doesn’t let himself stay that way.”

“Yeah, and I know why,” Yuki said.

“Oh?” I inqured. “Why’s that?”

“Maybe this isn’t the whole reason, but mostly I think it’s because of you.”

“Really?”

“He used to be a lot more sick before he met you, or… maybe not more sick, but like, he didn’t care as much about getting better whenever he didn’t feel good. I don’t know. It’s like how all the trees in the valley look dead and gross in the spring, and you think they might not come back to life, but then it stops snowing and the sun comes out.” She paused, as if giving all of that time to sink in, and then concluded, “Yuri is the tree and you’re the sun.”

“That’s…” I began, and then had to pause for a moment myself. “That’s pretty insightful, Yuki.”

“Yeah,” she said. “Mama says I’m perceptive. That means I notice stuff about people.”

“You’re right, and you know what? You’re just like your brother that way. Yuri notices stuff about people, too. That’s why he’s the sun to my winter tree.”

“You really love Yuri a lot, don’t you?”

“I love him more than anyone else in the whole world,” I confessed.

“Are you going to marry him? Because, if you do, I want to be in your wedding and wear my princess dress.”

I laughed. “No, we’re not getting married. We’ve already got exactly what we need, and a wedding or an official piece of paper from the government wouldn’t change a single thing. But,” I added, “If you really want to wear your princess dress, bring it over to our house sometime. Yuri and I will dress up with you, and we can have a fancy banquet and ball in the dining room.”

“Can we really do that?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“Awesome!” she exclaimed. “When I’m staying at your house while Mama and Papa are away in the city, I’ll remember to bring my dress.”

That was news.

I did my best not to sound like I’d been caught off-guard. “Did Mama and Papa already talk to Yuri about you staying with us?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. “Mama said I was going to. I can, right?”

“Of course you can,” I said. “But your parents have to ask us first. That’s the rule.”

I’ll definitely have to discuss this with Yuri later. Today hasn’t been the calmest day of our lives, but I feel like this was something Yuri wouldn’t neglect to mention to me if he’d already known about it. In turn, that makes me think he knows even less about it than I do. I’m sure he wouldn’t say no to Yuki staying with us, but I’m equally certain that he would not be at all impressed by his parents blithely assuming they could impose on us like that.

Yuki, like most kids, didn’t stay on the same topic for long. By the time we bought hot chocolate and tea and found our way back to where Mom and Yuri were waiting, she’d already moved past the topic of staying at our house. She told me about her plans for when the current school holiday is over, enthused about her favourite boy band Sugar Valentine, and gave me a whole monologue about the previously mentioned puppy.

Yuki sat on Mom’s lap and Yuri sat on mine while we enjoyed our hot drinks. I caught Yuki glancing at Yuri and me every so often and smiling like she knew a secret we didn’t. She is one seriously cute kid, and I was hoping her parents would do the responsible thing and ask us if she could stay, because I really wanted her to. I could already anticipate how much fun it was going to be.

Yuri seemed to perk up a bit after cuddles and hot tea, and he suggested to Mom that they go look at the festival art exhibit since it was indoors and therefore in a warmer location. I’m not really all that into art, so I opted to go with Yuki and play in the snow instead.

We made snow angels, and then we went to get cotton candy — white and purple like Arashi-chan — and after that we decided to try our hand at some of the games.

My favourite game was one where we had to throw snowballs and hit a target. Yuki was delighted by how good I was at it, especially when the prize for hitting three targets in a row was a stuffed animal. Thanks to my good aim, Yuki ended up with a blue plush dragon, and after managing to land a snowball on five targets in a row, I also won an Arashi-chan plushie that was almost as big as Yuki. She seemed to find it hilarious when I told her I was going to give it to Yuri as a surprise present.

We took the giant plush snow leopard to the car so I could have my hands free for other games, and Yuki insisted we should sit it up in the back seat and put a seatbelt on it. We liked how that looked, but it didn’t seem like enough to us, so we squished its paw through the handle of a travel mug, spread Yuri’s red fleece blanket over its lap and propped open a snowboarding magazine.

“Wait till Yuri sees this!” Yuki said gleefully. She couldn’t stop giggling about it all the way back to the festivities.

By the time we were done making our rounds of the rest of the game booths, it was beginning to get dark, and the festival was coming alive with lights. Yuki and I wandered around admiring the snow and ice sculptures.

“Which one’s your favourite?” I asked.

“Dinosaur!” she cheered.

The brontosaurus was impressive, I’ve got to admit, but my favourite was a three metre tall snowflake carved completely from ice. The same artist had carved a human-sized bouquet of flowers that glittered like jewels in the multicoloured lights shining on them. I made a mental note to ask Yuri if he’d seen that one in particular, and if he hadn’t, I needed to bring him to view it because I was positive it’d be something he’d appreciate. He loves flowers and sparkly things.

Yuki and I were gazing at the illuminated Arashi ice sculpture when Yuki’s parents turned up. To say they looked unhappy to discover their daughter with me would’ve been the understatement of the year. Like, If looks could kill, I would’ve been super extra dead under Kenji Okamoto’s glare.

He greeted me like we were strangers, “Nelson-san.”

I bowed low, as custom dictated. “Okamoto-san.”

Yuki, as perceptive as she is, seemed totally oblivious to her father’s mood. She ran toward her parents, holding out her dragon. "Mama, Papa, look! Victor won this for me!”

Mrs. Okamoto smiled, but the expression didn’t go any further than her lips. “I hope you thanked him.”

“I did,” Yuki said. “And guess what? He said that when I stay with him and Yuri, we’re going to dress up in fancy clothes and pretend we’re at a ball.”

“I might even teach her to dance,” I said.

“I don’t think that would be appropriate,” said Mr. Okomoto. He was looking at Mrs. Okamoto, not at me, and I got the distinct impression that he and his wife did not agree at all on where Yuki should stay while they were away.

Yuki was spinning around as if she were already on a dance floor. “You may call me Your Royal Highness, Princess Shirayuki.”

Mrs. Okamoto caught her daughter as she twirled past. “It’s time for us to go home, Princess Shirayuki. Please say goodbye to your friend.”

“Bye, Victor,” Yuki said. “I can hardly wait for my dancing lesson.”

“See you later, Your Royal Highness,” I said. “The two princes at the castle will be awaiting your arrival.”

“Nonsense,” muttered Mr. Okamoto. “Yuki, we’ll be discussing our travel plans later. I’m still not convinced that we shouldn’t bring you with us.”

“Papa, the city is so boring!” Yuki wailed. “I always have to stay in the hotel, and there’s nothing to do. And you already said I was going to Yuri’s house, and—”

“We will talk about this later,” he repeated sternly. “Let’s go.”

I watched them walk away with a sinking feeling in my stomach, hoping that Mr. Okamoto wouldn’t really punish his daughter by making her go on their business trip with them, just to prove some ridiculous point. I couldn’t help wondering if he always behaved this way toward Yuki or if he was just trying to assert his authority in front of me. If it was the former, I felt sorry for her. It hurt to think that anybody’s parent would treat them like that, and it was especially painful to know that not one, but two people I love have to endure Kenji Okamoto’s particular brand of parenting.

As much as it made my heart ache to watch Yuki with her parents, it also made me infinitely grateful for my amazing, compassionate, generous mom. Things hadn’t been easy for us when I was growing up, but I never had to worry about whether or not I was loved and valued. I always knew I mattered and that I was important to her.

You matter too, Yuki, I wanted to tell that precious little girl. If your parents can’t show you, then Yuri and I will make sure you know how loved and important you are.

#writing #WAVYrevisited #victor nelson #yuri okamoto #shirayuki okamoto #sapphire writes

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scotianostra · 6 months ago

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youtube

Happy Birthday Scottish musician and singer Alastair Mcdonald born 28th October 1941.

Alastair is primarily a Banjo-playing folk/jazz musician, probably most famous for his recordings of Jim MacLean's folk songs, such as The Barras and The massacre of Glencoe, but also for some humorous songs, such as the jazz comedy song Sam the skull, about a Glasgow cat.

McDonald has mainly recorded songs written by other songwriters, for example Robert Burns and Jim MacLean, but has also written songs himself including Culloden's Harvest and The Village Green at Gretna and more reworked traditional songs, The Bell Rock Light, Mingulay Boat Song among others.

Though quite well known – he has toured US, every state except Hawaii and Alaska, also touring Canada, Israel, Denmark, Thailand and several more countries – not much is spoken of him in media.

Much of his work in recent years has been political song, usually socialist and/or republican, such as his tribute song to John MacLean.

At 83 Alistair is still performing, the multi-talented musician will appear at the Abbotsford Hotel in Ayr on Novemer 5th courtesy of Ayr Phoenix Folk Club.

I’ve chosen one of Alistair's more patriotic songs, this is about Sir William Wallace and is called The knight of Elderslie

When Scotland was in darkness and at English Edward's heel

There rose a lad to lead us and to make the tyrant reel

He raised up his arm for freedom showing nerve and Scottish steel

William Wallace, the knight of Elderslie

Sing now of Wallace, the knight of Elderslie

Guardian of Scotland, of truth and liberty

With the loyal Andrew Moray how he danced the English down

At Berwick and at Stirling, he provoked a royal frown

And mercenary traitors from Carlisle to London town

Knew of Wallace, the knight of Elderslie

Sing now of Wallace, the knight of Elderslie

Guardian of Scotland, of truth and liberty

But the skies grew black at Falkirk as the English arrows sped

And many a mother's son did lie among the bloody dead

And when tithe took Judas' money that was placed upon the head

Of Wallace, the knight of Elderslie

Sing now of Wallace, the knight of Elderslie

Guardian of Scotland, of truth and liberty

Then the noblest heart of Scotland was revealed for all to see

When they hacked him into pieces underneath the gallows tree

But the butchery and slaughter cannot scar the memory

Of Wallace, the knight of Elderslie

Once again, the land's in darkness as we hang our heads to mourn

And remember how the Braveheart caused oppression's tide to turn

But Scotsmen, aye, stand ready and prepared for Bannockburn

Thanks to Wallace, the knight of Elderslie

Sing now of Wallace, the knight of Elderslie

Guardian of Scotland, of truth and liberty

William Wallace, the knight of Elderslie

Guardian of Scotland, of truth and liberty

#scotland #scottish #history #happy birthday #songwriter #singer #folk singer #Youtube

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dogs-with-lightsabers · 29 days ago

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a sketch i liked of teen yosuke for okwd, pretty quick (like an hour or two total)

this takes place during the ski trip but pre hollow forest dungeon (i have not played to that point dont’ judge me)

because yosuke was a runaway, i’m saying that he ended up in northern canada, alarmingly close to the arctic circle at some point, so my man’s has a freakishly high cold resistance that doesn’t show pre-amatsu but would have an effect in battle

@verysexyseagull i gave him the blue bandanna that akira’s other cat plush mordred has (as this was the origin)

#of kits with daggers au #ghost’s art #yosuke hanamura #persona 4 #driven snow brush and motion blur #the shading and highlighting were done in brown and orange but the hair-eye highlights were gold #last night i did a comparison headshot of canon akira and okwd akira #i’ll probably do that tomorrow? maybe #since i’m replaying p5 then i’m finally working on writing okwd again #each chapter will be month by month but i do not have an upload schedule planned #i have nothing played beyond want actually lol #because royal is different from vanilla it will take some time tho

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permanentreverie · 1 year ago

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15 questions, 15 friends

tagged by @deadpoets ty sm <3 <3

are you named after anyone? nope!

when was the last time you cried? ummm two nights ago i believe? just a little, i was overwhelmed with my new situation and Adulting

do you have kids? no lmao

what sports do you play/have played? did soccer in middle school. big mistake i never should have stepped onto the field wkkejsjdjdn

do you use sarcasm? with people i’m comfortable with!

what is the first thing you notice about people? their lips and hair

what is your eye colour? brown

scary movies or happy endings? happy endings <3

any talents? … no? please don’t ask me to analyze myself

where were you born? canada

what are your hobbies? reading, reading watching movies/dramas, journaling, and soon to be running :p

do you have any pets? none of my own but my roommate has a cat and a dog <3

how tall are you? 5’2

favourite subject in school? english all the way

dream job? a writer/author

@raplinenthusiasts @cordiallyfuturedwight @jamesscarstairs @mixtapedoh @daisysjones @daydreaming-optimist @courageisneverforgotten @music-of-moonless-skies @musicallisto @jeanmoreaux @aralisj @ohwarnette @wellmanneredthief @ontheoutsides

#tag games #i love doing these <3

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dark--whisperings · 1 year ago

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✨ 15 Questions for Friends ✨

Thank you to @willameena and @tideswept for the tag!

---

1. Are you named after anyone?

Yes! I'm named after one of my mom's best childhood friends. More specifically, she gave me the name because she didn't want people to be able to shorten my name/give me a nickname.

Plot twist: I have many nicknames, regardless.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Last week. I'm an emotional human, okay?!

3. Do you have kids?

I have a fur child named Kira! She's an 11 year old f5 savannah cat.

4. What sports do you play/ have you played?

I used to competitively ski! I did both downhill racing and freestyle/park. I also used to play basketball and volleyball... actually currently trying to find a volleyball league in my city and take it back up!

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Depends! I love being sarcastic, but only with the right folx and In jest. Time and a place is key!

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

How they interact with me and others, and their stance on the current world landscape. I'm at the point in my life where I have no patience for ignorant, selfish idiots, and want to surround myself with people who are empathetic, genuinely connect with others, curious, open-minded, and willing to critically examine their biases and challenge their worldviews.

7. What's your eye colour?

Hazel! But it's funny... they do change colour, depending on the lighting and the colour I'm wearing.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

I propose a third and fourth option: science fiction and psychological thrillers.

9. Any talents?

I have a scary-good memory. If you tell me your phone number, I'll automatically remember it.

10. Where were you born?

Canada!

11. What are your hobbies?

Hiking, camping, paddleboarding, anything to do with the outdoors, art, writing, baking, reading, being a geek (this is a full-time hobby, OKAY?!), crafting.

12. Do you have any pets?

See #3! 😜 My cat is my child, and my child is my cat. INCEPTION.

13. How tall are you?

Almost 6ft. I literally can't go out to the grocery store without someone asking me to get something off of the top shelf for them.

14. Favourite subject in school?

Biology!

15. Dream job?

This is a really hard one for me! I've done quite a few different types of work, and have many things that I would love to do. That said, I think my current career is actually my dream job, even though I didn't know it years ago! I'm a project manager, and I have the extreme privilege of being able to work in social justice.

---

No pressure tags: @mischievouschan4 @thegingerwrites @underacalicosky @isthisfree @palfriendpatine66 @wibzenadarksiderwithasoftheart @grapenehifics

#ask game

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rmoonstoner · 2 years ago

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9:30ish am, 08/18/23

All works are temporarily on hold due to a wild fire close to my home.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

❤️ 💙

Update: 10:17am

All I can hear over the street construction for sewer are the echos of sirens in the city. The street construction crews are still working on my street. That tells me we are safe. For now.

Update: 2:40pm

More sirens. The air is thick and heavy with smoke. Burning embers are now hitting my neighborhood. Multiple areas have had small fires start up. We have set up sprinklers and started dousing our property.

Update: 08/19/23 - 2:55pm

The air quality is worse than before. We managed to get to the stores and get supplies to stock our van and camper. Lots of businesses are closed for the weekend, and if not, they close way earlier than before. We are all loaded and ready to go at a moment's notice.

Update: 08/20/23 - 8:10am

The fire has grown to 11,000 hectares as of 7:20pm last night. Over 30,000 people have been evacuated from their homes. A lot of people I know are. Power outages keep happening. The skies are still so smokey, we cannot see the mountains we are very close to. It's hard to see the houses down the street. Fire crews from all over British Columbia have come to our aid, which we are thankful for, even though we have multiple other fires happening in BC. As of yet, I am still lucky enough to be in my home with my family. Rest assured, we are packed and ready to leave when necessary.

On a lighter note, it is my eldest son's birthday today. We hope to make the most of this day. 🎂 ❤️

Update: 08/21/23 - 7:41am

First of all, my son loved his birthday yesterday. He understands what is happening as he's a teenager, so he wasn't expecting a big get-together with the fires happening. He was super happy he got ice cream cake and a whole pizza for himself and one for his best friend who was able to come spend the day with him. We gave him video game programming gear, new keyboard, new headphones, and movie tickets.

Secondly, it looks about the same today as it did yesterday. With the smoke in the air, the sun is red and it's cold outside when it supposed to be warm. Less sirens and one area on the evacuation map (that I noticed) has turned from evacuation now, to alert. It means those people in that area can go home for now, if local law enforcement allows it.

Update: 08/22/23 - 7:20am

I forgot to mention that all airports in our region are grounded and have been for at least two days due to the smoke and ash in thee air. All Canada post mail (to our region) has been put on immediate hold due to safety concerns. This is will definitely put a wrench into other delivery companies as well.

It finally rained last night. It was off and on all night. The smoke has cleared up enough to see the faded outline of the mountains 1 km away from me, finally.

One thing that boggles my mind is that so many people seem not bothered by the wild fires.

• The old lady I help was confused as to why I could not come on Friday or Monday. She apparently doesn't believe in getting ready for evacuation unless it actually happens. I have a family of 6, and 2 cats. I have to get all these people ready, as 2 are children, and 2 are seniors. My husband just had hip surgery 3 months ago, so he needs more help than he normally does.

• My father ignored my mother's pleas to pack up her things and get ready for the possible evacuation. He's a boomer that used to be a workaholic, and now he's retired and believes it's his God given right to be a lazy slob. So I had to do everything.

• The neighbor just gets on his motorbike and decides that going for a ride up the FIRE STRIKEN MOUNTAIN is a good idea.

• Other neighbors decided to have a BONFIRE in their back yard, while ash falls from the sky onto their heads.

• People in the city had the audacity to fire off FIREWORKS this weekend.

Like, wow.

Update: 08/23/23 - 1:00pm

It rained all night. The skies are clearer and breathable today. More of the red excavation zones have changed to orange alert areas. People are now being allowed back into their homes. Packages and mail has started to arrive today.

Update: 08/24/23 - 7:16am

Yesterday was cool and mildly windy. We have a little more smoke lingering in the air than yesterday, but it's still better than it was on the weekend.

☆☆☆

Stay safe out there!

��️ 💙

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alsjeblieft-zeg · 7 months ago

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125 of 2024

Created by lilprincess

NAMES Your first name begins with a C. Your first name contains 6 letters. Your mom solely picked out your name prior to your birth. Your first name is of Latin origin. You like your first name. Your surname contains 7 letters. (if the prefix counts lol)Your surname begins with a C. Many people have had trouble spelling or pronouncing your surname. When you get married, you choose to take your partner's surname.

BIRTHDAY, BIRTHPLACE & THE LIKE You were born outside of the United States. You're a Capricorn. You think most of your personality traits are akin to your zodiac sign. You have lived in more than one foreign country. You have one sister. You have half-siblings. You have step-siblings. You're a middle child. One of your parents is deceased. Two of your grandparents are deceased. You would love to have kids of your own some day. You would consider adopting a child. You don't see much of your relatives very often. You have a first cousin you haven't seen in 10+ years. You're in your late 20's. You have completed at least some college.

SPORTS & OTHER ACTIVITIES You're not an athletic person. …but you try to remain psychically active. You don't understand the concept of American football. You like soccer. You're a fan of the NY Mets. You've tried skiing and figure skating. You have a gym membership. You like ice hockey. You have watched a game/ match (of any professional sport) LIVE. You like to swim, but are not very good at it.

RELATIONSHIPS & ROMANCE You're in a committed relationship. You've been committed to your partner for 6+ months. You're a sucker for old, romantic films. You've watched porn movies on cable. You've personally experienced a pregnancy. You plan to marry the person you're involved with now. (I already did)

RANDOM MIX You prefer winter over summer. You like the cold. New Year's Eve is your favorite holiday. Christmas really bores or depresses you. You're agnostic or atheist. You're socially liberal. You have pen pals from foreign countries. You have a Tumblr account. You're a proponent of LGBT, animal and environmental rights. You're thrifty. You have lived with roommates… … and hated it! You find the terms "retard" & "fag" very offensive and overused. You're multi-ethnic. You're trying to omit sweets from your diet. You've recently quit drinking or smoking. (<-- that's a grand achievement!) You're currently unemployed. You love techno music. You're an 80's brat. You're bilingual. At least one of your family members have served in the military. You believe war is not a solution to ANYTHING! You fidget constantly when feeling nervous or bored. You're a suburbanite. You have owned a dog, cat, some fish, or a rabbit. You know someone with a neurological disorder like ADHD, epilepsy, OCD, etc (yeah, myself lol)You're a grammar Nazi. You've participated in a spelling bee in elementary school. You prefer swimming in a natural body of water over a swimming pool. You have naturally wavy hair. You love to travel…. but hate traveling by plane!! You don't own a desktop computer. You like spicy and sweet foods. You thought George W Bush was one of the dumbest U.S. presidents ever. You've been to NY…. California… Massachusetts… Florida… Washington, DC… Texas… Virginia… Maryland… New Jersey… New Hampshire… Rhode Island… Maine… Canada… Western Europe… You're a natural brunette, but have colored it before. You think you have a disproportioned physique. You think horror movies are more dumb than scary. You prefer to spend your Friday & Saturday nights quietly. You've taken a ballet or jazz class. You know how to play a musical instrument. You hate to cook and really suck at it. You don't attend parties very often. You've pondered about how overall life was like 100 years ago. You enjoy answering long surveys or creating them. :)

#survey #bolding survey #categorised survey

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pom-seedss · 1 year ago

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Got tagged by @arts-i-enjoy at just the right time to be able to do one of these things. It's a nifty ask game!

Are you named after anyone?

I think my middle name is based off of some kind of Sears or Eatons model but I cannot verify this.

When was the last time you cried?

Ahh ha ha haha. next please.

Do you have kids?

Nah.

What sports do you play/have you played?

Competitively I used to play a lot. Hockey, curling, ringette, baseball, gymnastics, ice skating, volleyball, basketball. - Basically the only team sport that I didn't participate in was soccer because I couldn't stand soccer. Non-competitively I did rock climbing, general obstacle courses, roller blading, swimming, tubing/water skiing/wakeboarding, archery, hiking, snowmobiling, downhill and cross country skiiing... Dodge ball > : )

Do you use sarcasm?

No. Never. [/sarcasm]

What is the first thing you notice about people?

I don't really notice things in a particular order.... I guess someone's style since I usually notice like... earrings, pins, cute sweaters, neat beards.... novel stimuli is what I notice if I notice people.

What's your eye color?

Brown

Scary movies or happy endings?

Why not both?

Any talents?

I'd like to think I have quite a few. I can sing pretty well, I can draw pleasing things, I'm pretty good at making people laugh. I am a good listener and apparently good to bounce things off of. I got a lot of those "soft skills" you always hear about but can never monetize, lol. But I am content with just being helpful for the people in my life.

Where were you born?

Canada.

What are your hobbies?

Art, video games and animal keeping are the biggins because they are what I have the most energy for. I pick up and drop various physical hobbies (crossstitch, knitting, clay modeling) all the time though but none have a lot of staying power. I like the learning process more than anything, I think.

Can just "learning" be a hobby I guess?

Do you have any pets?

1 Doggo, 2 cats, 1 tiny parrot!

How tall are you?

Short enough to cause problems. 5'2" ish.

Favorite subject in school?

In school? Philosophy and Culture classes were probably my favs.

Dream job?

Ah haha. In a dream world, I want to be a little Renaissance Man with a patron who pays all my bills and leaves me to create. Occasionally asking for something specific to which I can bend my mind to, but otherwise allowed to create freely at my own pace. In reality? I don't really have job aspirations since my disability is so bad, but I'd love something just simple like working at a small town grocer or something. (lol, I say in reality as though big chains haven't made the concept of a general store all but nonexistent outside of extremely rural places ... and even then....) When I was in grade 6 we were supposed to like make plans and figure out what we wanted to do with our lives and I thought it was dumb because I was 12 and knew there were jobs out there I'd never even concieved of so how was I to pick right now? So I just said a dumb answer like I wanted to run a convenience store and didn't take it seriously. Though the more I am out in the world the more I think 12 year old me was right. Just a nice mostly quiet job serving my community, dealing with the public and all that entails but not necessarily the same overwhelming level as retail. And not like... in a city. Small town or bust for this dream I think.

So... uh...tagging... uh..... @evilweasel24 , @ravenbara , @rembrandtswife , @localcryptideli , um..um...um... that's all who I can think of to tag in this I am sorry v.v

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altruistbloger · 21 hours ago

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Golden Cat Skiing: Your Gateway to Untracked BC Powder

Imagine gliding through pristine, untouched powder with only your group and expert guides.

Golden cat skiing delivers this dream deep in British Columbia’s Selkirk Mountains—a paradise for anyone chasing fresh lines and wilderness adventure. Whether you're a seasoned powder hound or looking to level up from the resort scene, this is where you go to experience some of the best cat skiing BC has to offer.

Why Golden for Your Cat Ski Adventure?

Legendary Powder Days Nestled near the heart of the Powder Highway, Golden boasts an average snowfall of over 700 cm (275 inches) per year [source: Snow-Forecast.com]. The result? Consistently deep, dry snow perfect for surfy, floaty turns.

Intimate Group Experience With small-group setups, cat skiing in Golden means more personalized guidance, more space to explore, and more untouched lines to call your own. No crowds, no chaos—just pure powder joy.

Remote, Rewarding Terrain From wide-open alpine bowls to tree-filled steeps, the terrain is as varied as it is jaw-dropping. Much of this wilderness is unreachable by lifts, making Golden cat skiing a unique entry point to BC's hidden gems.

What to Expect on a Golden Cat Ski Day

Your day starts with a hearty breakfast and a safety briefing before loading into a powerful snowcat that whisks you into remote backcountry. Expect 8–12 runs through deep, untouched powder. Midday, enjoy a scenic alpine lunch surrounded by mountains. Then it’s back to more descents until legs are burning and grins are permanent.

For those who crave even more terrain diversity, nearby operators like White Grizzly Cat Skiing in the Kootenays also offer legendary deep days and challenging steeps. It’s just another reason cat skiing BC is the go-to for serious skiers and riders.

Ready to Ride?

Experience the Golden difference and discover the backcountry adventure you’ve been dreaming of. Golden cat skiing is calling—are you ready to answer?

👉 Learn more about our cat skiing packages.

#powder skiing bc #cat skiing #best cat skiing bc #selkirk cat skiing #cat skiing fernie #golden cat skiing #cat skiing canada #cat skiing bc #snowcat skiing

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techrish · 1 year ago

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#cat skiing bc #what is cat skiing #cat skiing #best cat skiing bc #tree skiing #skiing pow #cat skiing revelstoke #revelstoke cat skiing #selkirk cat skiing #powder mountain cat skiing #golden cat skiing #steep skiing #snowcat skiing #cat skiing canada #cat skiing whistler #nelson bc heli skiing #backcountry skiing

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themculibrary · 1 year ago

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Cabin Fic Masterlist

As Good a Place as Any (ao3) - Taste_is_Sweet steve/bucky T, 6k

Summary: "It was a retreat," Steve goes on more calmly, then has to swallow against something a little too close to nausea lodged in his throat. "They put—they brought me there to help me get my head on straight. Their psychiatrists were sure it'd help me to get away from everyone. And, and they showed me how to set up video calls. If I wanted. It wasn't a prison."

"Video calls," Bucky says flatly. He stares at Steve so long that Steve has to force himself not to avert his gaze. Bucky's eyes are huge and horrified, and he pushes his fingers through his hair again, then leaves them linked on the back of his head. "Stevie," he says, and his voice cracks. "Stevie, don't you even know what they did to you?"

Baby, It’s Cold Outside (ao3) - haveufoundwhaturlookingfor clint/sam G, 1k

Summary: Clint, Sam, Natasha and Bucky are staying in a cabin for a few days during the winter holidays. Unfortunately, Clint and Sam get trapped inside due to the blizzard outside. This wouldn’t be a problem if Sam didn’t have a crush on Clint.

Cat Person (ao3) - The_She_Devil steve/bucky E, 72k

Summary: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Bucky Barnes is tasked with acclimating Steve Rogers to the 21st century. Together with Alpine, they are stuck at the Retreat for four weeks catching up on history, technology, and pop culture.

Bucky is aware he might be playing with fire by wearing those leggings around Captain America. Steve is aware he should not try to take off said leggings, as much as that pretty Agent Barnes might want him to.

Takes place during those few weeks when Steve was at the Retreat right after coming out of the ice.

don't threaten me with a good time (ao3) - canistakahari steve/bucky T, 10k

Summary: Steve's taken him on vacation to a cabin in Canada in the middle of winter, so it's obviously the perfect time for his body to go haywire. Bucky is determined to stick it out, though, partly because he's a stubborn bastard, but mostly because he feels some kinda way about Steve.

Like Real People Do (ao3) - 2bestfriends E, 67k

Summary: Seven years into an isolated retirement after the Battle of New York, Steve has carved out a place for himself in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains. He has a best friend (his dog, Lady), a frenemy (a local black bear named Rufus), and a cabin in the middle of the woods, an hour's drive from the nearest town. As November comes to a close, he heads into town to pick up supplies and ends up with a stowaway.

Bucky hasn't had much luck over the past seven years. Disaster caused his family to move from New York to Indiana, and his life has steadily fallen apart ever since. After one too many heartbreaks, he decides to hitch his way back to the last place he remembers being happy: Brooklyn. He's in the homestretch when he finds himself stranded in a half-empty tourist town in the Catskills and decides to take a chance crawling into the back of someone's truck.

AKA the "Lumberjack Steve/Twink Bucky" fic of our hearts. Bucky spends so much time thirsty as hell.

Of Books and Memories and Snow (ao3) - vorkosigan steve/tony T, 21k

Summary: Even if Steve and Tony are sort of talking again, the unease between them is still palpable. Steve wants to talk things over again. The last thing Tony wants right now is to ruminate over the past. He finally has a weekend off (or as near as), and he decides to go skiing in his old family cabin he hasn't visited in many years. Inviting Steve along seems like a good idea at the tim... No. No, it doesn't, it really doesn't, but it's beginning to look like the only option. Also, catching a cold really wasn't a plan at all...

Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater (ao3) - frostysunflowers G, 4k

Summary: A weekend visit to the cabin doesn’t go according to plan.

Ride of the Valkyries (ao3) - archwrites (Arch) darcy/steve E, 7k

Summary: “This is the best-slash-worst mission ever,” Darcy says. “On the one hand, we’re stranded in the wilderness; on the other hand, I get to spend days in bed with Captain America.”

Or, How Darcy and Steve Learn to Stop Worrying and Have Lots of Filthy Sex.

should be a dream but I'm not sleepy (ao3) - seventymilestobabylon steve/tony M, 4k

Summary: Steve and Tony get hit with a telepathy spell and a magical blizzard, and they have to take shelter in a cabin with fresh milk but no working electricity. Even when they can sort of read each other's minds, they are still terrible at communicating.

Someone To Watch Over Me (ao3) - obsessivereader steve/bucky E, 24k

Summary: One cold, winter's night, Steve Rogers, retired Special Forces operative, finds an unconscious young man in the woods surrounding his property. In the morning, the stranger wakes up and Steve is left with plenty of questions about the beautiful young man with guileless eyes and a sheepish smile, who speaks with self-deprecating humor as though there isn't a bruise on his face and restraint marks on his wrist.

Stuck With Me (ao3) - ShibayamaG rocket/thor E, 59k

Summary: Five years should be more than enough time to get over somebody you shouldn't have feelings for in the first place. Unfortunately for Rocket, he's about to get caught up in more than one unexpected storm when he goes to visit Thor in New Asgard.

The Day the World Went Away (ao3) - 74days steve/bucky T, 21k

Summary: Bucky Barnes has survived the Virus that devastated the world, leaving him road-tripping over America dodging violent gangs and trying to get through another year. When he manages to find a radio station still broadcasting, he's not aware that the voice on the other side of the country will soon become the driving force behind his actions.

Time for Home (ao3) - GoodbyeBlues steve/bucky M, 63k

Summary: When Steve rescues Bucky from a car wreck in the middle of a snow storm, he isn't looking for a reward, but he certainly isn't expecting to be berated about his lack of wifi and his “unjustifiable” use of emergency scissors either. He also isn't expecting to find his infuriating new housemate so goddamn attractive.

Saving Bucky Barnes’ life was easy. Living with him? Not so much.

When You Move, I Move (ao3) - 2bestfriends steve/bucky E, 20k

Summary: As September ushers in cooler nights, Bucky asks for a little more heat.

#themculibrary #masterlists #marvel #mcu #cabin #cabin masterlist

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jof3jokes · 2 years ago

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Funny Clean Joke

short jokes funny - positive quotes for life - senior jokes - port - funny family jokes - father son quotes - bear - cat jokes - homeless man - witty jokes - frugal - black - funny feelings - negative people - sheep - firefighter humor - traffic camera - grumpy old men quotes - catholic men - bartender humor - funny jokes for adults - wake me up - father humor - school quotes funny - confidence funny - school - funny words - mom thoughts funny - funny cute cats - farmer jokes - funny city - practical jokes - dirty jokes funny - beautiful heart - porcupine - hotels room - inspirational quotes - very funny pictures - inspirational words - life thoughts - bravado - cute love lines - ghost jokes - new york weather - music jokes - very funny photos - being there for someone quotes - cute animal videos - inspirational stories motivation - janitor - funny inspirational quotes - inspirational quotes motivation - funny cats - how are you feeling - marines funny - funny old age quotes - in high school - quotes about strength in hard times - funny horses - face - sick humor - the struts - friends funny - summer jokes - turn ons - nurse jokes humour - singing funny - teacher humor - find a boyfriend - jokes pics - wife humor - cleaning quotes funny - h.e.r. - language jokes - men - moving to canada - sunday school teacher - girlfriend humor - cops humor - best friends funny - funny fast food - very bad - quote pencils - work accident - poor joke - inspirational life lessons - friendship quotes - latest jokes - funny physics quote - fight - ink blot - funny wise quotes - bull elephant - fast food places - cooking lessons - bra jokes - crow - wife humor marriage - latest funny jokes - short moral stories - corny jokes - fishing humor - good good father - character quotes - a good man - serious quotes - yoga school - retirement jokes - two brothers - english vocabulary words - friends quotes funny - faith moves mountains - funny teacher jokes - very funny jokes - zen master - holiday jokes - daily jokes - funny ugly people - success quotes and sayings - cast iron pot - math humor - wedding anniversary wishes - funny text messages - humour - football jokes funny - wedding anniversary - mom life quotes funny - husband quotes funny - private plane - angel stories - funny fights - group of frogs - marriage counseling funny - bible life lessons - prayer stories - bad mom quotes - prison jokes - electric train sets - train travel - rain - pastor - sympathy quotes - short humor - blonde couple - public execution - chocolate chip cookies - see and say - english humor - stories with moral lessons - romantic good night messages - family balancing - funny hate - relationship jokes - doctor - funny relationship jokes - short quiz - good morning inspirational quotes - really funny joke - you lied - home pregnancy test - retirement humor - mirror jokes - mother teach - funny school jokes - in this moment - funny wedding anniversary quotes - cant sleep - go skiing - ideas for the house - smart assy quotes funny - farm yard - jolly phonics - envelope - english story - eye black - desert island - did you know funny - comeback jokes - elephant - drunk humor - emus funny - old age humor - beach - siblings funny - funny halloween jokes - funny jobs - getting over him - tommie smith - christian jokes - i quit my job - old lady humor - long funny stories - true stories - bear jokes - funny texts jokes - sandwich maker - stormy night - police humor - funny - what can i do - best funny jokes - how to wake up early - happy wife happy life - relationship advice quotes - irish jokes - know who you are - kind heart - married life quotes - daisy field - wealthy men - sunday humor - nurse jokes - short inspirational christmas stories - funny bumper stickers - humor - letting people go - funny goodnight texts - cop jokes - dog jokes - wedding jokes - laundry quotes funny - irish painters - catholic jokes

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gwenivere · 2 years ago

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* 💘 — what and/or who do you consider near and dear to you? ✈️ — ever traveled anywhere interesting? 🎮— favorite video game(s)? 🖊— any tattoos? 🍰 — favorite sweet(s)/dessert(s)? 🐶 — any pets? 📕 — favorite book/series? 😗 — what are some of your favorite things to do when you have some time to yourself? 💯 — share three random facts about yourself that your mutuals may not know about you. !! › @manaborn , prompt [ … ] accepting

💘 — what and / or who do you consider near and dear to you? obviously , at the top of my list , there's my family , composed of my mother , father and younger sibling . also high up there is my girlfriend , carmen , who was also one of my first partners on here funnily enough . these four , alongside my best friend , are the people i consider the closest and dearest to me . in terms of objects , i'd have to answer books and tea , if only because i love both and they play an instrumental part in my daily life . i would also consider my job to be something near and dear to me , if only because i'm lucky enough that i get to do something everyday that makes me happy .

✈️ — ever traveled anywhere interesting ? there are two places i consider to be the most interesting . the first is sidney by the sea , a small town on the island of vancouver in western canada . sidney by the sea is the country's sole booktown , and i had the privilege to spend an afternoon roaming through all of the various bookstores before watching the sun set in the sea at the nearby beach . it's a wonderful place , if you can afford to go . the other interesting place i've traveled to is lebanon . i might be biased since i'm lebanese on my father's side , but i genuinely think the entire country is gorgeous and worth visiting , and i miss going there , although it's harder to visit now that my grandparents have both passed away . i also sometimes joke with my family that lebanon is the only place in the world where you can choose to go ski in the morning and go to the beach in the evening .

🎮 — favorite video game(s) ? bloodborne is my favorite game ever , but other games i enjoy include the soulsborne series , identity v , the dishonored series , celeste and the house in fata morgana . i also want to try splatoon , in spite of being bad at shooters , lol .

🖊 — any tattoos ? unfortunately , no , since i'm scared of needles . i was toying with the idea of getting the scarlet wing's flower or the red butterfly from mia goodwin's tomboy down the line , but since i'm approaching my thirties , i'm debating on whether or not i should since i am starting to consider myself too old for tattoos .

🍰 — favorite sweet(s)/dessert(s) ? i'm fond of french pastries , mostly st. honoré cakes and religieuses , as well as more traditional lebanese sweets like qatayef and kadaif . i also like strawberry shortcakes and mochis , as well as most gummies , peach rings especially .

🐶 — any pets ? none unfortunately , although i'd like to have one in the future once my girlfriend and i move in together . i'd like to have a cat , but my sibling's allergic , so maybe a dog .

📕 — favorite book/series ? there are too many to enumerate , but some of my favorites include paradise rot by jenny hval , my sister the serial killer by oyinkan braithwaite , drive your plow over the bones of the dead by olga tokarczuk , her body and other parts by carmen maria machado , all's well by mona awad and nous , anastasia r. by patrice ordas and patrick cothias ( which is available in french only ) . in terms of series , i'm quite fond of the radiant emperor series by shelley parker-chan , the burning kingdom series by tasha suri and the magic of the lost series by c.l. clark . books i'm looking forward to are silver nitrate by silvia moreno-garcia ( which will include lebanese-mexican rep !! ) and a study in drowning by ava reid ( my latest hyperfixation ) .

😗 — what are some of your favorite things to do when you have some time to yourself ? read and drink tea . i also enjoy listening to music on my phone , although i am lucky enough to own a couple of cds by some of my favorite artists . walking and exploring the nearby city is also something i enjoy doing by myself , alongside visiting bookstores or the national library .

💯 — share three random facts about yourself that your mutuals may not know about you. 1. my favorite flowers are lilac , hortensia and lavender . 2. i work as a teacher specialized in teaching immigrant kids and teens . 3 . my copy of a river through time ( the first guinevere jones book by random house australia ) is signed by tamara hope , who played gwen in the show .

#manaborn #answer .#thank you for sending me all of these #the book question in particular forced me to think

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omegaremix · 53 minutes ago

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April 8, 2025.

Of all the crazy things that happened to me during a critical Spring semester at Stony Brook, there was one single day that stood above them all. I invited a special potential - an “apple girl” - to meet up with me at Penn Station and come with me to the Brooklyn Museum. Even though she turned me down over ice cream a few nights ago, I offered her to join me since I remembered that she loved those kinds of things, and I had to write up a report for art class. She said “yes”.

A few days later, I would board the afternoon train to Penn Station with my shiny new iPod Classic in hand filled with Boards Of Canada, Whitehouse, and Roy Ayers. I arrive at Penn Station and found her wearing a long-sleeve Felix The Cat shirt, a black long-sleeve zip-up, ripped jeans, purse, and conductor hat. We met the 2 / 3 train that greeted us with those screeching halts which are forever burnt in my mind. We take it and arrive a few blocks short of the museum.

It was so beautiful out. We pace-walked quickly under floating clouds, blue skies, sunshine, and light breezes on a pretty mid-40’s April day. I try to keep up with her quick feet before finally arriving at the museum where Joan Miro’s Women, Birds, And A Star (1949) awaited, jotting lightning quick notes as she eyed a Rothko across from Miro’s. We only stayed for an hour up until closing before we made our way back to Penn Station via the 2/3 line and wait for the train ride home. We learned there was an considerable delay for our line east to arrive, so we opted to sit on the floor and ate her homemade tuna-fish sandwiches until then. Our line arrives, and off we go.

During our one-hour ride, we traded driver’s license pics- with each other, and told of our future plans. Mine was to graduate from Stony Brook by year’s end and move to New York City to start a career, inviting her to meet up any day she felt like. That was a deal. She, however, had no immediate plans for hers. We later arrived at my platform. I said my goodbyes to her and we agreed to stay in touch. Which we did. It would be the last time for six years that I’d see her again.

It was a day I always look back on in feverish, reverent fashion. I spent it with someone to my liking; one who I thought was like no other I met. The same one who was sober before she took on a painfully destructive addiction one month later that would change her forever. The right, place, the right time, the right person. It all lined up like Lucky Sevens.

**********

April 8th was the first time in eighteen months that I ventured into New York City. I was thankful that (what do you know?) blue skies, white cloud cover, and chilly 40*+ weather even happened after a straight week of rain and grayscale. I’m still not 100%, meaning, I did take some totes with me in case I wanted to ride the A/C/E line to Generation Records, but decided against it and saved the money for later. Though, it would’ve been nice to make a new memory, so I owe it to myself to return again.

'24 was not a good year for me. I was too depressed, uncertain, and hopeless to go visit family in New York City, attend shows, or meet new people. More unwanted, unneeded interactions and rudeness would happen randomly and unwarranted if I was unlucky (welcome to Long Island). The Palestinian / Israeli conflict, and the results of last year’s Election Day both did some heavy psychological damage on me. Only a visit from a long-time friend from high-school and my cousin’s wedding saved it from going totally bankrupt. It was the year I felt displaced and stateless. It was baffling to believe I was now in "the future" that Apple and I spoke about.

This afternoon’s ride to Penn Station and the blue line to East Manhattan reminded me of some time not too long ago when I looked forward to city shows. There were years before the pandemic when I truly felt like I made a personal connection with Greenpoint, and intensely anticipated meeting people I met here. Even the few treks to the Brooklyn record stores (Academy, Captured Tracks) made it all special. I miss it all. It’s easy to forget everything when you’re constantly flashed with depression and isolation. Doing all of those things isn’t a possibility because your head is too busy concentrating on past trauma and repeating your losses over and over.

Today happened because I owed my doctor-surgeon a follow-up. It’s all tele-health visits and visuals in this post-pandemic era where face-to-face interactions and urgent communication is now traded through electronic barriers. I felt bad dodging my doctor-surgeon even though we did connect when necessary. I just wasn’t up to have any experiences last year because feeling miserable was a way of life.

There comes a point where you’re sick of everything; sick of everything that’s going on in the world and around you. Sick of yourself. There’s also a point to when you realize that you shouldn’t feel like this, and that you shouldn’t do it all solo. It’s all on you to decide that what you’re tolerating isn’t healthy and when to do something about it, because misery won’t go away by itself.

Here’s the good news: I’m finally getting counseling with a change-up in medications and insight to changing career paths. I’m reaching out to people more frequently, and I’m looking to see my Italian and Italian-Irish family soon. Maybe meet a new potential. I’m even feeling a surge to write once again through an ex- I haven’t spoken to in forever (the apple girl), thus allowing me to do what I do best again: finding, saying, writing, and doing things and concepts others normally don’t. The “sweet spot”. Dee-jay and techno-pioneer Juan Atkins said it better than I could: “Be totally different from anything else that’s happening, but not so different that it’s beyond people. Be right on the edge without going over.” That’s what I’m going to do. Again.

I hope that the weekly therapy will get a significant weight off my shoulders. It’s extremely hard to find people who know and experienced the specifics I’m living and dealing with because I’m not of the majority, and Long Island is not exactly what you call ‘socially friendly’ or 'understanding’. It’s where vulnerability and personal shortcomings are a no-no. But everything else? I’m not ruling anything out. '24 did happen so that a comeback in '25 would be possible.

I want to feel alive once again.

**********

It came to me that it was around this time of year that the apple-girl and I took the exact same line to New York City; under the same exact weather, temperature, and hue of blue sky. I couldn’t help but to think of it.

That April day was a turning point for both of us. It was a day where we could look back and agree that times were simpler and our choices and critical life moments weren’t as impactful. Our lives split. We walked different paths. We played (or abused) the cards handed to us and did what we could with what we had. Different pots were won and one has more of certain things than the other. That’s just how it is.

Had our acrimonious end never happened, we’d still be in the other’s lives. Maybe, to pick her up at her house for walks in the park or have midnight dinner. That is, if only she was still in the neighborhood. How could that be? We have our reasons why we don't like each other. The difference? It's me who, despite paying a heavy price and carrying irreparable damage, still sees the value of what we had together.

One thing’s guaranteed: I will never forget that one April day for as long as I live. And what I would give right now to experience it with her. One more time.

Child Bite: "Rainbow Church"

Ethel Cain: "Bruises"

Raveonettes, The: "All I Have To Do Is Dream"

Grazia: "Stupid Paradise"

Unspkble: "Irreversible"

Qlowski: "Surrender"

Rouge: "Repeating Game"

Glazer: "Excited Delerium"

Sunk Heaven: "One Billion Tender"

Sad Eyed Beatniks: "It's Who Makes The Scene"

Louse: "You Don't Eat The Bull"

Burning Yellows: "Chopsticks"

Benet & Mamalarky: "Will I See You"

Consumables: "Great Design"

Lord Wrought: "Drop The Curtain, Pull The String"

My Fictions: "Dreams Of Escape"

Revv: "Prism"

Drill: "Within Reason"

Mulva: "Lye"

Staticlone: "Red Eye"

Jenny Besetzt: "Night Terrors"

Couch Slut: "Lewis"

NTSC PAL: "Full Of Spit" (demo)

Violens: "When To Let Go"

Child Bite: "Song #5"

Nyxy Nyx: "If You Don't Laugh, You'll Cry"

Supermodel Stitches: "Asymmetry"

Freddie Hubbard: "The Surest Things Can Change"

Asher White: "Downstairs Prairie"

Eternal Red: "Sixty-Four"

Drahla: "Second Rhythm"

Seasons Worn: "The One Who Stops The Water

Dr. Sure's Unusual Practice: "Keeps Ya Head up"

Omni: "INTL Waters"

Unspkble: "Questioning Collapse"

Laughing: "Bruised"

Bed Maker: "Pan-Pan"

#music #playlists #mixtapes #personal #omega #shoegaze #dreampop #indie #d.i.y.#jazz #fusion #noise rock #metal #garage

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