#i love the shopkeepers in this game <33< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[whipped-bean]

Why cant he also get different outfits?

[yeluki]

LOL HAPPY THAT YOU LIKE THE LAYOUT! :DD

then may I request cyno, yoimiya and yelan hcs about taking them to a festival? yoi would absoluetly love if you took her to a festival and cyno would find plesaure spending time with you away from studies :)

TAKING THEM TO A FESTIVAL — cyno, yoimiya, yelan

a/n: here you go! enjoy this is set in a tiny bit of a modern au though, so i hope that's ok! warnings: nothing, just fluff! (but this piece came out before cyno and yelan were released) characters included: cyno, yoimyia, and yelan

CYNO: — cyno would be a bit confused when you first ask to take him. he's never really been to a festival before, but won't reject the idea. actually, he's quite excited. he's usually so busy with his studies, he finds that taking some time off to spend time with you sounds quite nice. — now, cyno's definitely pretty introverted, so don't expect him to be bouncing from shop to shop around the festival with you. he'd prefer a quiet time there; maybe a stroll with some sweets, a picnic just outside the grounds, or a nice meal under a tent with some drinks. — he's also not a big festival game guy, so he'll most likely watch you while you try desperately to win him something to remember the occasion. he'll chuckle at your cute expressions, stand next to you with a hand on your hip, or might even join you if you get lucky. — so overall, it's a pretty chill and fun experience,, maybe a 7/10. cyno isn't a huge festival guy, but if you can get him to have a drink or two, he'll be just as energetic as you, and the night will be really fun. have fun you two <33

YOIMIYA:

— this little firecracker is super excited the moment you ask her. she's all happy and bubbly, hopping up and down and clapping her hands. she prepares an entire outfit for the night, with some cute pumps and her hair pinned up with a shiny hair clip. — once you get there, yoimiya goes all out, running from stand to stand, trying every type of food there is to offer, and the whole time she's dragging you along with her. she keeps that adorable smile of hers all over her face all night, and she truly has never looked happier. — if there's a fireworks show at the end, and you were aware, she's gonna marry you. she's so touched that you always take her and her interests into consideration, and will have you lay your head in her lap the whole time. she'll rub your head, and will weave her fingers through your hair in such a loving way <33 — overall,, 19/10. amazing night, and honestly couldn't be better. she's the first person i'd personally bring to a festival to be honest lol

YELAN:

— yelan is pretty indifferent when you offer to take her to an upcoming festival. she's not particularly excited, but she doesn't hate the idea of going with you. she'll come, if it's what you really want. — yelan might drag you to a few interesting stands, but don't expect her to be screeching every second and dragging you all over the place like yoimiya. she, like cyno, will probably just watch you if you play games, and when she does join you, she'll get super pissed super quick. because of this, she'll drag you away mumbling about how all the games ar rigged lol — if you guys find a good food stand though, yelan is not leaving. she'll be there all night ordering food, and eventually, the shopkeeper will just stop accepting payment from her because she's spent, like, $2,000 on the booth already lmao — overall, 6/10. pretty nice overall, and it'd be enjoyable! <3

[sloaaaa]

SPLATOON 3 DIRECT my thoughts n stuff :]

ok so obviously spoilers kjdfhgkjd i have Many Thoughts so i am gonna put everything under a readmore!

i am so eXCITED to walk around splatsvilllee!!!!!!!!! it's so much bigger n feels more Lived In!!!

n i'm guessing the music playing in the first part of the video is what's gonna play in thee tutorial? w how the music builds up and everythingg and it's of the main songg n stuuff just like how it is in the first two games!

i Need this emote

the new ink refill sprite thingy is super neat!!! a lil on the fence abt how it loooks but! i like that it shows that u get ink faster when swimming in ink!!

tHE STAGESSSS ARE SO COOOOOOLL i especially lOVE that including hammerhead bridge gives us an explanation as to hOW exactly we're transported to and from splat1 and splat2 stages -w- also it's so cool to see it finished!!! i haven't played splat1 nearly as much as splat2 but i'm happy that that stage is coming back -w- aND FLOUDER HEIGHTS IN THE UPDATE TOO also i lOVE the detail of the NILS statue being in the bg but u can't see it in the eng ver of the direct bc of the name covering it but u can see it in the japanese direct dhkdjfgs

mahi-mahi is nice too!!!!! i really liked that stage in splat1 :D and it looks so much better skjhdfgd and i am also wondering abt tHIS badboy history museum lookin stage in the updates >:3c

hello i Love the new flat clipart look of the weapons in the ui???? shown a lot better heree, i really hope that they make weapon wallpapers in splatnet 3 >:] it would also be nice if they added other ways to get wallpapers other than lifetime inkage :c

honestly idk how i feel abt the splatanas but i'm happy for the more melee leaning players out there -w-

the tacticooler is so cool ;;; i love the lil jingle it plays when you deploy it n when you take a cann ;; also the bit showing it off has some new voice clips for the players!!! which is super cute -w-

i lOVE the design of the wave breaker ;; it's that lil ball string cheap toy thing i think, plus i think the concept is super cool tooo!!! very fun special -w-

the reef slider looks cool!! not my kind of special thoughh, it's like a cross between a baller and a curling bomb hskjdfg

I AM SO HAPPY THEY'RE BRINGING THE TENTA MISSILES BACKKK AHHAHHAHAHHAA!!!!!!!!!!!!

i actually really love the new weapon currency?? it's super clever n i love that you can get weapons early!! dualie squelchers my beloved skjhdfgd n by how the freshness stars look and work i don't think that the freshness goes down when you lose a bunch now like how they did in splat 2! :0 which is really nice -w- when checking the splat website for extra details it looks like there are different kinds of liscences too! :0 bc having splatoon 2 save data grants you 3 gold sheldon liscences so that should meann that the ones on the screen rn are silverr? maybe tin n then there's bronze n silver? idk???

the music that plays in sheldon's shop is really nice ;-;

the new shopkeepers are pretty neat too -w- i don't have very many thoughts abt them :c except for mr coco he sounds so silly i love him dskjhdfg

also mURCH????????????????????????????????????????????????

and you can change the primary ability now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! which is pretty neat! i was wondering why the splatnet3 shop offered exclusive clothing now kjshdd i also really like that they did that! gives players a lil more incentive to use the app but still not make it essential to the game n stuff yknow -w-

the new freshest fits thing is really nice!! esp for people without amiibos dskjhdfg i'm glad they added that -w-

tHE NEW LOBBY UI IS SO COOL BUt also has me wondering a lil w how similar it looks to the oe ui. that coulped w the sea cucumber phones makes me hOPE that we get to see deep sea citizens around! or at least iso padre n cq maybe 🥺

they show which team is in the lead!!!!!!! i fucking love that ty it takes less brainpower now <33

and rainmaker has checkpoints now!!! which is super nice so now the rainmaker doesn't always spawn back in the middle and you don't have to do that jump off the map to bring it back thing anymore bc the checkpoints are closer to your base now so yEAH that's super nice!!!

it looks like the merged all the ranks together again :0

I'M SO HAPPY YOU CAN PRACTICE N DO STUFF OTHER THAN MIX MUSIC WHILE WAITING FOR BATTLES TO START

all the lobby updates are so nice and there's so much content i want to kiss nintendo on the mouth

it's really nice that they moved the new snack bar! now i don't have to leave lobbies n walk all the way back when my ticket runs out dkjfghs

i want to know what tHIS DOES ..collectibles? 🥺

tHEY'RE THE APARTMENTS THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN WANTING!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU NINTENDOOOO also the splatoon equivalent of furbys n long furbys kdjfhgkdj

eeEEEE PARUKOO!!!!!!!!!!! the shop music here is so cozyyyy ;;;;;; also oh my gOD i'm so happy that there's more shit to spend our coiNS ONNN AAUHGUGHUGAA n seeing that there are gatcha machines in this shop too maybe the lil gacha thingy in the lobby gives you other stuff to put in you locker too? maybe some tickets n stuff thrown in the mix?

i love the splashtags and the emotes so mUCh ough i love how much customization we're gettinnggGG even in grizzco!! u can change your uniform which i think i super awesome! (that wasn't shown in the direct but rather it was said in the splat website linked earlier skjhdfg) and it's great that they're adding another way to get tickets oughh

idk abt y'all but i LOVE the table turf battle!!! it's a lil cheesy but it's nice that there's this local thing to do in splatsville!! i kinda want a deck irl skdjfhgd and being able to play against locals!! it makes everyone feel so much more! alive!! and not just npcs glued to their store!!! also the card art is sO CUTE IDC IF Y'ALL THINK IT'S OFF BRAND OR WHATEVER I AM PLAYIGN THAT GAME AS SOON AS I GET THE DEMO (if u can even play it dskjhdg)

also hello i lOVE this lil alley there the card stuff is held

onto salmon run!! i lOVE the new boss salmonids! it's really nice how they kinda help players practice n learn abt ranked modes n specials!! this is true for the original boss salmonids too! the fry stick for tower controlll n the dolphin for splatzoness, the bigshot for the new wave breaker special and! idk abt the slammin lid but that name is super clever hdfkjghd i love the new music!!! :D

also you can use the big shot's thingy to shoot golden eggs???? i love you??

tHIS XTRA WAVE THING SCARED ME SO BAD ;;;;;;;;;;;; but also that's so cool?? i wonder what happens when you get to defeat it >:3c

ok i reached the image limit lemme make a new post

[undertale-data]

[Image Description: an Undertale chat box that has “MINOR CHARACTERS and NPCS” in its center. Next to it is a radar and a line chart from the Dating Hub. End I.D.]

The depth and variety of NPC characters in Undertale is an amazing quality of the game.  Many Undertale fans have grown attached to minor characters that may not even have any speaking lines.  The goal of this section of the survey was to showcase the love fans have for the broad cast of loveable background monsters, and see which of these monsters stand out the most.

If you participated in the survey, you may realize that the NPC and/or minor character question was the only question that was completely free-response.  This allowed for a very wide range of answers—a total of 126 distinct NPCs were listed by responders. However, this freedom meant that some responders were unsure of which characters counted as minor characters.  Often in their responses people would ask if their character counted as minor.  This question was especially common among those who picked Burgerpants, Temmie, Muffet, Gaster, and Grillby.  This seems to be a testament to these characters’ popularity in fandom.  Though most of them only have a few lines at most, their fans consider them a major part of the game.  More fans may enjoy these characters, but not have listed them because they did not consider them minor enough.

On the other hand, there were a few responses for characters such as Chara, Asriel, and Sans, who would not count as minor characters for the purposes of this survey.  Though Chara and Asriel may not appear for long, their story is integral to the plot of the game.

This brings us to our methods for processing the responses given about NPCs and minor characters.  Characters that were not minor (Chara, Asriel, etc.) were removed from the responses, as were characters that do not belong to Undertale canon (Deltarune-specific characters and Undertale AU characters).  Each response was transcribed by Ficus Licker to create a standardized tally of votes.  For example, responses that listed “the bunny who runs the shop in Snowdin,” “the shopkeeper bunny,” and “bunny shopkeeper” would all be listed in the graph and word cloud as “Snowdin Shopkeeper.” Some responses for specific NPCs were consolidated into their major grouping.  For example, Gaster Follower #2 was lumped with “Gaster Followers” in the data; in contrast, “Bob” was listed separately from the other Temmies.  If a responder described a character but did not know their name, the character’s name was counted, as far as we could understand who they were referring to.  There were a few specific bunnies without names that were described and may have been listed simply as “bunny.”  The names chosen for the survey were either the characters’ names as listed on the Undertale Wiki, or the most recognizable abbreviation (“small gap bird” being substituted for “bird that carries you over a disproportionately small gap.”

Without further ado: the top 25 Undertale NPCs (under the cut)

[Image Description: a horizontal side graph titled “TOP 25 FAVORITE UNDERTALE NPCS.” From top (least) to bottom (greatest): Scarf Mouse, with 25 votes; Mad Mew Mew, with 30 votes; everyone, with 32 votes; Onionsan, 33 votes; Naracat Jester, 37 votes; all dogs, 43 votes; Lesser Dog, 43 votes; Nice Cream Guy, 46 votes; Woshua, 46; Annoying Dog, 47; Froggit, 49; W.D. Gaster, 53; Fuku Fire, 54; Small Gap Bird, 58; Heats Flamesman, 61; Snowdin Shopkeeper, 62; Muffet, 63; Napstablook, 78; Gerson, 80; Riverperson, 81; Shyren, 93; Grillby, 110; Temmie, 143; Burgerpants, 148; and, finally, Monster Kid, with 169 votes. End I.D.]

After all the data was compiled, Monster Kid was by far the most popular NPC according to the responses.  This may be because they fit in that “sweet spot” where they are not popular enough to have a large and vocal fan following, so fans consider them a minor character, while still being very memorable.  Some fans still asked if they counted as a minor character.  The prompt did not specifically ask for what fans like about the minor character(s) they picked, so there is less information on why Monster Kid is a fan favorite.  Of those who did give a more detailed response, some of the highlights were mentions of them being baby, being a good friend, and being cool.  Here is one fan’s response about them for reference:

“I like Monster Kid! they're such a fun character and I like how we journey with them in Waterfall for a while. their idolization of Undyne is adorable and pretty nice, i like how he was quick to defend us (the player) during the pacifist and neutral routes where in we help him up, meaning that even if faced against their idol, they will defend their friend rather than let her harm them, plus i find it pretty cool that they become a fan of Papyrus at the end of the Pacifist route, and it also makes sense knowing how nice and positive the guy is.”

It would be impossible to go into this much detail about the other popular NPCs, but the next top four favorite NPCs were Burgerpants, Temmie, Grillby, and Shyren.  Shyren in particular was more popular than we had expected. Hum hum hum. 

Another interesting sidenote is that Gaster only had 53 votes (2.0% of responders), despite appearing in 13.2% of Undertale fics on AO3 at the time this was written.  From this contrast, we hypothesize that many people did not think to pick Gaster as a favorite NPC due to his status as a major character in fandom.  A few responders who chose “I don’t care for any of the main Undertale characters” mentioned Gaster in their explanation, lending more weight to this theory.

It has been inspiring to see the amount of love that fans have for each minor monster in Undertale.  I do not know if there was any NPC, named or unnamed, who did not have at least one vote. 

(Even Jerry.)

[Image Description: a lumpy wordcloud with no definied shape. The text is all capitalized, and is colored blue and green. Some of the most visible words are: Monster Kid, Burgerpants, Temmie, Grillby, Shyren, and Gerson, which represent the most common NPCs that responders chose to list. End I.D.]

View the full NPC results in table format by clicking here.

[hqrbinger]

i’m alive!!

i was offline most of today bc i was at a local con (in full hu tao cosplay without wig)

it was my first con and i had so much fun!! there was so many other genshin cosplayers there it was a blast

anyway i spent way too much money but it was SO worth, i added some pics utc in case anyone wanted to see the pretty prints i got <33

pins and the literal only squid game merch that was there,,, the shopowners were SO NICE tho they both talked w my bestie and i for a while so that was rlly fun !! and i got my two faves <33 the hmc artist was also so adorable i just HAD to buy from them

i unfortunately didn’t grab business cards from every booth i bought from but i’ll tag the ones i did !!

also i spent like.... 15 minutes at the scara keychain booth BC I LOVED THE ARTISTS' ARTSTYLE SO MUCH AND I COULDNT PICK JUST ONE ???? i might post closeups of the scara keychain bc omfg its my favorite thing i bought (im making my bestie find their urls tmr when he goes back bc i wanna follow them everywhere and buy the sara + xiao + hu tao keychains too)

hmc: @;aimeedanart (twt + insta)

squid game stickers: puritymilhouse.com

OMFG THESE WERE SO BEAUTIFUL I THOUGHT THEY WERE OFFICIAL ART. the shopkeep was SO FUCKING NICE TOO and they talked to me a whole bunch and fangirled over itto with me and made sure i got the best price (i didn’t know they came smaller so i almost only bought one big one, but these were literally 18$ for 3?????? like shit man)

@;itsmandymo (tumblr, insta, twt, redbubble, yt, reddit)

watching promare last night was a mistake…. there was so many lio prints but this was the one i ended up grabbing bc COLORS !!!

@;ruemxu

[byakuyasdarling]

HELLO HI HEWWO !!! Happy Anniversary🎉 to one of the greatest ships I've ever seen !! 🫂💕💕 It's incredible how much effort and passion you put into developing their relationship;; Their dynamic is so complex and well thought !! They are a wonderful couple and I'm so happy I got to met them. Their love is so inspiring. I just know that Byakuya is as grateful as you are that you two met and became so important to eachother. I can't think of any questions right now, but if you've got any headcanons you'd like to share I'd be super happy to listen !! ♡♡

And for the ask game!! Maybe ✧ and ❖ ? I wish you two a lovely day!!💓

Aaaa oh my gosh, thank you so much for your kind words, Flake!! You always make me so, so happy <33 I’m so glad to know you like them so much, it’s super fun writing all the details of their relationship and how they understand and love each other. Byakuya means a great deal to me, and I struggle seeing myself graduating high school next year while not calling him my F/O (fingers crossed guys!!! <33).

As I recall, I think yours and Taka’s second anniversary is coming up in January? I absolutely cannot wait for that!! I really adore your ship too, and you’ll always be one of my artistic inspirations (and, of course, my friend <33).

Anyway, answers to the ask game are under the cut :)

——————————————

✧ - Do you prefer to plan dates out, or do you prefer to just go with the flow and figure things out a you go?

Both of them are MASSIVE planners. S/I is definitely the more willing one to go with the flow; just Byakuya’s company alone is enough for her to be happy. Byakuya, however, doesn’t quite understand that she’s just happy no matter what, causing him to excessively plan dates to give her a perfect experience he thinks she deserves.

Most of them are at night too. I like to think Byakuya enjoys cold nights the most as it tends to be the time the least people are around (it also gives him an excuse to make her huddle close to him ‘for warmth’ when in reality he just uses it as an excuse to be close together).

Most of their dates are at the night café and are recognised regulars there, ahaha. S/I often wants to socialise with the shopkeeper and the occasional passerby, enjoying all of the fantastical stories unique individuals get to tell. Byakuya of course despises this, wanting S/I to himself in the back corner. While she talks, he occasionally will fit his coat around her if she shows symptoms of being cold, or holding her hand under the counter protectively.

He has been called out by the waiter a number of times for his coddling of her and how bad of a job he does at keeping his love for her on the down low. He has been called ‘the overprotective jealous type’ too many times to count. Overall, they both enjoy being there at late nights. When seated in the plush seating in the corner of the café though, S/I is very prone to falling asleep on him, often needing to be gently rocked awake and carried into bed once they’re back at the mansion.

I ended up drawing this silly little idea today [here!]

——————————————

❖ - Surprise! Your f/o is going to treat you to a special day- no budget, no restrictions- how do you spend the day?

Byakuya isn’t the most fond of — well, going outside to public spaces. He just REALLY doesn’t like people. But, he does treat her occasionally (just because he loves her so much). Byakuya isn’t the most fascinated by the planetarium, but it’s a place S/I shows great exuberance to go to — so, naturally he takes her there.

Also, a big shopping day is pretty much inbound. Poor S/I always needs his help with zippers and such -_- he’d make a few snarky comments concerning how much she needs him for everything, but he does genuinely love caring for her and feeling needed (because as I’ve said, Byakuya needs her too, he just doesn’t want to admit it).

Funnily enough, they mostly prefer to just be with each other in the mansion, alone. Byakuya’s a private man, and both their love languages is quality time (I’ve justified that in another post sksksks); they really just love being in one and another’s presence.

They might play music together though. Byakuya has a lot of perfectionist tendencies, so its a bit hard for him to refrain from critiquing everything — he still loves being able to create something with her though and it’s a very precious experience. He can’t draw super well or is proficient at any other artistic mediums, but his musical side is a very sensitive thing he doesn’t really trust anyone else with outside of the more soulless piano performances he does to show off. But creating his own music? It’s something special to share with her. Especially when he sings, that’s only for her.

(he says (in canon) he can play all standard instruments — voice is an instrument, so I’m just saying he can sing to an extent but it’s not his forte by any means)

[uraichievents]

UraIchi PC4 2019 Masterlist

Here’s a list of all the works submitted for PC4! I’ve ordered them in by prompt number under each work type, and it looks like we came pretty close to finishing the whole table! Thank you to everyone who participated this year~

FANFICS

Third Eye Blind by DevinePhoenix [#02]

Long before Kisuke was blinded by Askin, his eyes had already been damaged.

Patchwork Soldier by DevinePhoenix [#02]

When they wake up, they will have to deal with what their decisions have wrought. He will have to cope with his injuries and Kisuke will have to cope with his scars and guilt. But they still have time before that morning of uncertainty. In the dusty twilight of the Soul King’s realm, they could rest together and dream of a better ending.

Death Gods by Chaos_Greymistchild [#03]

AU in which Kisuke is still a mad scientist with only slightly more morals than the rest of them, but Ichigo is a vampire/death-dealer/human hybrid, a legal executioner, and (still) the world’s most recent supernatural anomaly.

The long avaited encounter by SueGra [#04]

Kurosaki Ichigo left Karakura after he lost his power. Urahara Kisuke listened to Isshin and he broke up with Ichigo. Somebody killed the rogue shinigami and his partners. Urahara went after the person who killed them and he was surprised. Who was it?

Wrong Side of Reality by Starrie_Wolf [#06]

If there was one thing that every invader of Soul Society did wrong, it was that each and every one of them measured one's power by the strength of their reiatsu alone. And every single one of them failed, because they did not understand that to be truly powerful, one must first have the Means to ensure their plans succeed.

He, who has been watching from the shadows for a thousand years, refuses to make the same mistake.

By Invitation Only by FeelingFredly [#10]

“No weapons are allowed past this point.  Please move forward to the weapons check and place them in the tagged locker.  You will be given the code to retrieve them when you leave.”

Ichigo turned on his heel as if to follow the robot’s directive, only to stop and spin back, trench knife in one hand and katana in the other, the smooth swing of the blades separating the brassneck’s head from his body.

“I’m sorry,” he said, standing over the sparking remains, “but I refuse to make Aizen-sama’s acquaintance so underdressed.”

Kisuke snorted in his ear.  “No one is there to hear your dramatics, Kurosaki-kun.”

Ichigo kicked the head to one side, like a soccer ball. “You know that you’re the only audience I need, Kisuke."

stay with me (until the sun rises) by Fox_the_Hermit [#12]

Ichigo is friends with a great deal of supernatural entities. The one monster under every bed in town is his favourite, though.

these dreams like ashes float away by howls [#12]

Ever since Ichigo refused to leave something well enough alone, a shadow man would visit him once, or twice, a month. (What he never realized was that there was more going on in those moments than the shadow man would reveal. For now, at least. He could never refuse Ichigo for long.)

Gambit without Guarantee by Starrie_Wolf [#18]

How did everything go so wrong so quickly?

new life, same shit by Chaos_Greymistchild [#19]

Not all knowledge is gained through the Gate of Truth. Not all reincarnates are born with their memories. Ichigo’s not sure how comfortable he is with this knowledge.

Arsenic by FeelingFredly [#20]

He was poison and he'd accepted that fact. Now if only everybody else would.

Police Tricycle (or: it’s not a buddy cop if I’m the third wheel, says Rukia) by Chaos_Greymistchild [#21]

Ichigo chases Szayelaporro Gantz down the highway in a high-speed car chase with a grenade launcher cameo. That’s it. That’s the fic.

Winds of Change (Tempest) by Sky_King [#24]

When the war is over and Ichigo has won, fate will come back to get her due.

Ichigo gambled and gave everything away in exchange for power, and finally the price paid has to be claimed.

(When the war is over, Kisuke finds himself adrift, too guilty to live, too guilty to die. He carries on, fueled by that single promise, trying to find a reason for being.And when he does, he'd sooner kill the Soul King himself than let it disappear, no matter the cost.)

Whip It Good by FeelingFredly [#25]

You didn't live a life like Kisuke's without developing a few interesting preferences, but he knew they weren't for everyone, and really, his relationship with Ichigo was more than he could have ever asked for--loving and supportive in ways he still wasn't sure he deserved. It was just very vanilla. Which was fine. Really.

So why he was "just visiting" at his old BDSM club?

The very bad, terrible, no good first few days of Junior SID Agent Dokugamine Riruka by Starrie_Wolf [#27]

Sometimes, Dokugamine Riruka wishes she could go back to her 22-year-old self and tell her to choose another department, any other department, she’s got the grades to take her pick.

Berry Nice by Chaos_Greymistchild [#28]

“Can I kiss you?"

“If you don’t,” Kisuke said with remarkable control, “I think I might do something regrettable.”

“Okay.”

Calling You (Maybe) by EternalEclipse [#29]

Ichigo never answers his phone, and Kisuke always does.

building a future (and tearing down the past) by EternalEclipse [#30]

At first, Ichigo had just been an invention of Kisuke's, nothing more than a gear to be moved. A pawn. It was only natural that after the war, Kisuke left him to his own devices--they'd won, which was the best he could ask for. As it turns out, once he starts making things for Ichigo instead of just countering Aizen, it's a hard habit to break. By the end of it, he won't even want to.

Or, five times Kisuke made things with Ichigo in mind, and one time Ichigo asked him to destroy something.

Companionship (Stay with Me) by Nikolaila [#31]

People are people, even in space. Sometimes the required conversations in relationships are hard to have but necessary to hold.

Tsuki no Tsuppane by Silmariën (Starrie_Wolf), Starrie_Wolf [#32]

They have scarcely begun to unravel the complex web of Aizen no Sōsuke's treason when Kisuke is made aware of another layer to the conspiracy, one that threatens to expose all the secrets he has not yet decided if he will share with Ichigo-no-mikoto.

Few enough people are willing to accept onmyōji, but even fewer will be willing to accept that their lover is not even human.

Work/Date Balance by Starrie_Wolf [#33]

Kisuke doesn't seem to really grasp the meaning of a date, but it's okay, Ichigo loves him anyway.

“So… are you doing your usual fainting damsel imitation, or shall I take care of it?”

(Interlude during their vacation in London.)

a breath of fresh air by Fox_the_Hermit [#34]

Ichigo refuses to let Kisuke win yet another round of the "I took a cute photo of you and I'll use it to fund my experiments" game. Mostly on principle.

The world is changing by Starrie_Wolf [#35]

They’ve been doing this for so long that Kisuke has no idea how to wake up in a world where he doesn’t need to prioritise the Hōgyoku over his family.

Interlude: the day after Aizen's defeat.

Accidental Pokèmon Acquisition by EternalEclipse [#36]

Ichigo had never wanted to be a pokèmon trainer. To be flat honest, the ghosts kept him busy enough. But when Monferno fell into his life with a burst of laughter and trouble, Ichigo is drawn into a side of the pokèmon world he didn't even know existed.

Or the one where there are both ghosts and pokèmon, the Gotei 13 is a government organization with as many checks and balances as ever, and Ichigo will do whatever it takes to keep his own safe.

Feeling Horny by Silmariën (Starrie_Wolf), Starrie_Wolf [#36]

When Urahara shoved Ichigo to Hirako to learn how to control his inner Hollow, Ichigo thought it meant Urahara wasn’t Hollowfied.

He was wrong.

the fear is eating you alive / so I'll be your reason, I'll be your shelter by Chaos_Greymistchild [#37]

Sometimes, Kisuke doesn’t remember where he is, or who he is in his own personal timeline. Sometimes, Ichigo is more Hollow and instinct than human. But that’s okay.

one-sided understanding by Angst_Distribution_Service (Fox_the_Hermit) [#37]

suspended animation (patiently waiting for the end) by Chaos_Greymistchild [#38]

Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck is new on the starship Zangetsu, piloted by Captain Kurosaki alongside his AI Urahara Kisuke, who seems to have an… unprecedented freedom on board the ship, if she was being entirely honest.

Freedom worth Fighting (for) by Starrie_Wolf [#39]

Things have a way of coming full circle...

You Haven't Lost Me by FeelingFredly [#40]

Ichigo has moved on. It doesn't matter if his Shinigami powers are gone--he's a weapon, and there was always a market for that skill set. Currently that skill set was being tasked to collect the oyabun's past due tribute from a troublesome shopkeeper.

Troublesome shopkeeper. No... it couldn't be.

What they don't understand by Starrie_Wolf [#42]

Ichigo comes back from winter break with bruises he can't explain and a significant other who looks to be much older than him.

His classmate thinks she's put two and two together.

With Affection by wynnebat [#44]

"Yoruichi asked me if I had any family," Ichigo says. His gaze rests on the courtyard and squad buildings across from them while Kisuke cannot look away. Ichigo's voice is even, but Kisuke knows better than that. Ichigo adds, wryly, "I told her all I needed was you."

painting in blood by Chaos_Greymistchild [#45]

“It’ll be fine.”

He hopes that that proves true.

You Don't Have a Soul, You Are a Soul (You Have a Body) by FeelingFredly [#47]

Kisuke has a disregard for his own safety a mile wide and it's enough to drive Ichigo mad. This time he finds the shopkeeper unconscious but not alone, and the woman with him has some very interesting things to say.

Thunder For Bells In This Church Of Two by Chaos_Greymistchild [#48]

“[Resonance for a human is] total, complete, irreversible blending” -- Bell Tolls, esama

For the shinigami, it is... less so.

wear your soul (outside your body) by Fox_the_Hermit [#48]

Ichigo has no idea how he ended up with someone so brilliant. Kisuke has no idea how he got lucky enough to end up with one of the best people he's ever met.

your heart doesn't beat (let me teach it to) by Fox_the_Hermit [#52]

Kisuke understands that his time to go has come. It's time to accept that he can't hang around forever. His dear friend Ichigo has agreed to help him with finding what is needed to help him move onwards, whatever that really means. (Except he’s not ready to let go.)

roots in my lungs, blooms on my tongue by Chaos_Greymistchild [#55]

Astilbes, dahlias, and Queen Anne’s Lace. Patience, devotion, sanctuary.

Will you become my... by SueGra [#57]

The war with Ywhach has ended two years ago. Everybody enjoying the peace. Suddenly all captains get an invitation to the Shiba compound because there is a new clan head? Who is she/he?

Happily Ever After by Starrie_Wolf [#58]

Ichigo wasn't expecting a happily ever after, but it seems like he could find a little peace at last.

Omega as Fish Oil by EternalEclipse [#59]

Yeah, Ichigo's an omega. He's fine with it, especially since some of the instincts that come along with it are useful for protecting his own. What he's not fine with are a bunch of shinigami noble knotheads deciding that he's up for the taking because of it. Luckily, he's got a Kisuke to help him set them straight.

You are my Sanity by OrangeTeaMoon [#60]

And so, it had taken Urahara Kisuke nearly 4 months, 1 week, 3 days and a direct run-in with an absolutely impossible apparition of Kurosaki Ichigo to realize that he had lost his mind.

reach the epilogue (and then take it from the top again) by Fox_the_Hermit [#61]

Ichigo's alive and healthy and whole. But too many people aren't (friends, family, the one single crush that hasn't had the time to get anywhere), and this isn't an epilogue to his story that's worth living in. He'd rather rewrite the whole damn thing from scratch.

Only the truth you want to see by Starrie_Wolf [#61]

Growing up as the daughter of a police detective father and a novelist mother, it’s no small wonder that Rika chose to study English Literature in university. The class is unavoidably small – even for Todai,finding students interested in pursuing a degree in the classics of a foreign country is a difficult matter.

Which makes all her classmates so unavoidably interesting.

Especially that Kurosaki Ichigo.

I'm a Certified Genius, I Swear by Chaos_Greymistchild [#64]

Kisuke’s not quite sure why he keeps getting gifts from the Shiba Clan Head, Shiba Ichigo, but— Hiyori please stop laughing please.

-0-

FANART

UraIchi PC4 Prompt #32 - Magic AU / Mythology AU / Fantasy AU by @ananfer [#32]

UraIchi PC4 Prompt #48 - Daemons AU by @junoagriffin [#48]

[night-stars-eternal]

1. What takes up too much of your time?

Trying to be what society expects of me

2. What makes your day better?

My friends and my mom, but since I mostly prefer being alone, music, especially bts and taylor swift and books

3. What’s the best thing that happened you today?

When i have bad days i genuinely tend to be snappy, but i just rambled at my friends how i was having one and they didn't laugh or judge. Noice. Another thing was @manyakhater tagging me in that 'world is not a bad place, you exist' post, it genuinely brought tears to my eyes

4. What fictional place would you like to go?

Hogwarts, obviously. And camp half-blood and probably 221 baker street. Last one exists but, like i would want the men with it,

5. Are you good at giving advice?

Most of the time

6. Do you have any mental illness?

Well, agoraphobia

7. Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?

I think so? Like once or twice i think,

8. What musician inspired you the most?

Freddie Mercury, Bangtan Sonyeondan and Taylor Swift

9. Have you ever fallen in love?

No

10. What’s your dream date?

Fooding, binging and talking

11. What do others notice about you?

That I'm cute and feminist, also that i am quiet and like books

12. What is the annoying habit you have?

I tend to be loud for no reason,

13. Do you still talk to your first love?

Nope

14. How many ex’s do you have?

8

15. How many songs are on your playlist?

????

I have multiple playlists on multiple platforms ._.

16. What instruments can you play?

I knew how to play keyboard but that was long ago

17. Who do you have the most pictures of?

Bangtan and Taylor

18. Where would you like to go before you die?

A lot of beaches. And Rome and France and London

19. What is your zodiac?

Capricorn

20. Do you relate to it?

Uhm, kinda yeah

21. What is happiness to you?

A small apartment with dogs an cats

22. Are you going through anything right now?

Always

23. What’s the worst decision you’ve ever made?

I mostly regret being ignorant and sometimes speaking when ik the outcome would be them not caring

24. What’s your favorite store?

Food related stuff. McDonald's and all. I mostly like street shopping

25. What’s your opinion on abortion?

Pro.

26. Do you keep a bucket list?

Yup

27. Do you have a favorite album at the moment?

Persona: Map of the soul

28. What do you want for your birthday?

BTS and Taylor albums, all of them

29. What are most peoples first impressions of you?

That I'm cute, quiet, like reading and a feminist

30. What age do you seem according to most people?

A lot think im still in high school. Shopkeepers somehow tend to think im older

31. Where do you keep your phone while you’re sleeping?

Random places, mostly side table or bed

32. What word do you say the most?

"you know"

33. What’s the oldest age you would date?

Uh, idk?

34. What’s the youngest age you would date?

A year or two?

35. What job/career do most people say would suit you?

Some say debater but i think i would faint idk

36. What’s your favorite music genre?

Open to all

37. If you could live in any country in the world where would it be?

France

38. What is your current favorite song?

Make it Right/Mikrokosmosis

39. How long have you had this blog for?

Since 2016

40. What are you excited for?

BTS performances, ts7, end game

41. Are you a better talker or listener?

Listener.

Uh, i gave an exam? I have been sleeping since coming back

43. What do you want for Christmas?

CAKE AND EVERYTHING SWEET. Maybe faves album or like song release? Or a movie...

44. What class do you get the best grades in?

Psychology, Hist and Poetry

45. On a scale from 1-10, how are you feeling right now?

2

46. What can you see yourself doing in 10 years?

Working and owning a apartment with cats and dogs,

47. When did you get your first heart break?

Idk

48. At what age do you want to get married?

Not happening. nope

49. What career did you want to have as a child?

Doctor

50. What do you crave now?

Chicken, like always. I also crave to be a good person who does something related to books and publishing.

[starfish-sims]

GET TO KNOW ME TAG

Rules: Post a picture of your simself with your traits and answer the questions!

I saw others do this and thought it was a cool idea!  Granted, my husband said that something about my Sim Self’s face wasn’t quite right, but he couldn’t tell me what, so for now, she’ll have to do!

I tag anyone who wants to try this! :-D

1. What is your full name: Michelle P.D.

2. What’s your nickname: Michi (my chosen name in Japanese) or Seb (my former gamertag)

3. Birthday: 22nd of July, 1993.

4. What is your favorite book series? The Ranger’s Apprentice!! It is my comfort food book series.

5. Do you believe in aliens or ghosts? I definitely believe in aliens. I believe it conceited to think that we’re the only intelligent life the universe could come up with. Ghosts, I’m not so sure...

6. Who is your favorite author? John Flanagan (writer of the Ranger’s Apprentice-series.)

7. What is your favorite radio station? I don’t listen to radio, but I am a radio host at my grandmother’s radio station, so I’ll pick that one, lol.

8. What is your favorite flavor of anything? Coconut – I have a coconut moisturizing cream. It’s delish.

9. What word would you use often to describe something great or wonderful? Awesome or Great? I’m boring like that, lol. In Japanese, I really like using 最高 (saikou).

10. What is your current favorite song? Power of Dream by LOL (the newest opening of Fairy Tail).

11.  What is your favorite word? ‘Phantasmagoria’ for English’, ‘きっかけ’ for Japanese. (kikkakke)

12. What was the last song you listened to? Not sure... Definitely a K-pop song, but I was listening to the playlist while driving, so I stopped listening for the individual songs at some point, lol.

13. What TV show would you recommend for everybody to watch? Doctor Who or Haikyuu!!

14. What is your favorite movie to watch when you’re feeling down? I don’t watch movies... Except Marvel movies, in which case, I’d choose Doctor Strange, but that’s just because it’s my favourite.

15. Do you play video games? Yes!! SO MANY VIDEO GAMES!! My favorite genres are JRPGs, and my favorite video game series are Mass Effect and the Atelier-franchise.

16. What is your biggest fear? Living life without anyone thinking they’re happy I’m here.

17. What is your best quality, in your opinion? My honesty. I’m honest to a fault, something which my family often complains about, but I’d like to think it’s one of my better qualities. (Fun event; when my sister and I were little, we went to buy candy at the local mart. My sister put huge marshmallow dolphins into a bag. They’re about 30 cent a piece, but the shopkeep weighed them like normal candy, so she got all three of them for like 45 cent or something. I was livid, and kept bugging her to go back and pay full price, lol.)

18. What is your worst quality, in your opinion? My inability to cope with criticism. I don’t get particularly defensive, most of the time, because I know that criticism is someone’s way of telling me that something needs to be improved. What I do find difficult, however, is keeping in mind that the criticism isn’t directed at my person, but at the piece of work I am performing.

19. Do you like cats or dogs better? CATS. I AM SO SAD. MY HUSBAND IS ALLERGIC. THERE’S A VOID IN MY LIFE.

20. What is your favorite season? Early spring.

21. Are you in a relationship? Yes. (see question 19)

22. What is something you miss from your childhood? My cat, Kit. I found her as a kitten when I was 12 years old, and she died from cancer when I started University.

23. Who is your best friend? My childhood friend, Simone.

24. What is your eye color? Blue-ish Gray, I think.

25. What is your hair color? We call it liver paste in Denmark, lol. In Japan, it’s blonde.

26. Who is someone you love? My husband, my best friend and my biological younger siblings.

27. Who is someone you trust? (I read this as someone you can tell anything and everything) My husband and my best friend.

28. Who is someone you think about often? My mother and my grandmother. They don’t talk to each other, and I often worry about them, hoping they can patch it up before my grandparents are gone...

29. Are you currently excited about/for something? Oh yes! I am going on my second internship at the end of January! I can’t wait. (Also, the release of Nelke and the Legendary Alchemists in March <3 )

30. What is your biggest obsession? Writing stories. I am really bad at it, though. #Writer’sBlocks

31. What was your favorite TV show as a child? Winx Club, lol. I still like it a lot.

32. Who of the opposite gender can you tell anything to, if anyone? My husband.

33. Are you superstitious? I don’t believe I am, no.

34. Do you have any unusual phobias? Cygnophobia, a fear of swans. When I was three years old, me, my grandmother and my baby sister (who was 1 at the time) were chased through the local park by a swan. It was nesting season. I don’t remember it, but I’ve always been terrified of the bird.

35. Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it? Behind it – I hate my smile/teeth.

36. What is your favorite hobby? Writing stories and playing video games.

37. What was the last book you read? School books – probably ‘The Bible, the Torah and the Quran’.

38. What was the last movie you watched? Fantastic Beasts – the Crimes of Grindelwald.

39. What musical instruments do you play, if any? None, but I used to play the Organ.

40. What is your favorite animal? Cats or Snakes.

41. What are your top 5 favorite tumblr blogs that you follow? @goneril-capp, @racingllama, @calisimgirl, @gerbits and @storylegacysims.

42. What superpower do you wish you had? Teleportation. As a commuter, travel times are killer.

43. When and where do you feel most at peace? When I’m alone at home.

44. What makes you smile? Working with children, and rewatching my favorite episodes of TV series.

45. What sports do you play, if any? None. I really like to swim though.

46. What is your favorite drink? Coconut Lemonade or Pinã Colada.

47. When was the last time you wrote a hand-written letter or note to somebody? Last week? I use pen and notebook in school, so I often write small notes to my classmates.

48. Are you afraid of heights? If I can look straight down, then yes. I don’t mind standing on a balcony and looking out over a city, but rides that throw you straight down, or looking down from a window terrifies me.

49. What is your biggest pet peeve? When someone leaves the TV on while doing something else -___- IT’S SO ANNOYING. If you watch TV, you watch TV, you don’t run around the house doing other stuff. Using the TV for music is fine, but leaving on a the TV and going back and forth between that and something else is so annoying to me.

50. Have you ever been to a concert? Once or twice. I went to a WINNER concert when I was in Japan. It was an amazing experience!

51. Are you vegan/vegetarian? Nope.

52. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? An archaeologist or astronaut.

53. What fictional world would you like to live in? I’m not sure if it counts, but I’d love to live in the world of Doctor Who. It’s basically just our world but with a time traveling alien jumping around saving the world on a frequent basis.

54. What is something you worry about? Economy. All the time.

55. Are you scared of the dark? Not particularly.

56. Do you like to sing? I love it!

57. Have you ever skipped school? I skipped every Sports Day in grade school, and I’ve skipped school a couple of times when some new video games I really wanted came out.

58. What is your favorite place on the planet? Japan, definitely.

59. Where would you like to live? Denmark, for economical and cultural reasons.

60. Do you have any pets? No. I REALLY WANT A CAT. But once my husband and I move into a house in a few years’ time, we’ve agreed to get dogs.

61. Are you more of an early bird or a night owl? Definitely a night owl. There’s (almost) nothing I hate more than waking up early.

62. Do you like sunrises or sunsets better? Sunsets.

63. Do you know how to drive? No. I don’t trust myself nearly enough to drive a car responsibly, so I’ll leave that to my husband.

64. Do you prefer earbuds or headphones? Headphones.

65. Have you ever had braces? No... But now that I’m older, I wish I had.

66. What is your favorite genre of music? Kpop all day, every day. And if that fails, then Jazz.

67. Who is your hero? Hmm... Fictional or Real? If Fictional, then the Doctor. If not, then Stephen Fry, which is basically the same thing, really, lol.

68. Do you read comic books? Occasionally.

69. What makes you the most angry? Racists, Xenophobes, Homophobes and generally, people who live in their own little piece of the world and believes that that is how everyone should live.

70. Do you prefer to read on an electronic device or with a real book? Electronic Device. I’m very forgetful, so I always end up placing real books somewhere I’ll never find them again.

71. What is your favorite subject in school? Currently? English or History. Among all the subjects I’ve ever had? Japanese Conversation Classes.

72. Do you have any siblings? I have two biological, one half, four step and one adopted.

73. What was the last thing you bought? A bottle of Marzipan shots. Delicious.

74. How tall are you? 169 centimeters.

75. Can you cook? HA! I can burn water.

76. What are three things that you love? Smoothies, Dreams and my Duvet.

77. What are three things that you hate? Racists, Politicians and Parmesan Cheese.

78. Do you have more female friends or more male friends? Equal, I think? Maybe slightly more male?

79. What is your sexual orientation? Heterosexual.

80. Where do you currently live? Randers, Denmark.

81. Who was the last person you texted? My husband.

82. When was the last time you cried? Two days ago.

83. Who is your favorite YouTuber? Plenty of different ones: Outside Xbox, Outside Xtra, TearofGrace, ChristopherOdd, SimSupply and Simlicy are my current tops.

84. Do you like to take selfies? Absolutely not.

85. What is your favorite app? Tumblr or Otome Amino.

86. What is your relationship with your parent(s) like? I have no relationship with the man who donated the sperm that eventually became me. My relationship with my mom and my dad (her new husband) is great, although a bit rocky at times because of my intense honesty, lol.

87. What is your favorite foreign accent? … I don’t like accents, lol. I like dialects a lot! I like the Southern dialect of American English, and the Kansai dialect of Japanese.

88. What is a place that you’ve never been to, but you want to visit? The Valley of Kings in Egypt and China.

89. What is your favorite number? 7.

90. Can you juggle? Lol, nope.

91. Are you religious? I believe there is something we can’t explain or see or fathom, but I don’t particularly care about what it is, and I don’t buy into any of the current world religions. I find religions hella fascinating though!

92. Do you find outer space or the deep ocean to be more interesting? Outer Space. I’m afraid of the deep ocean, lol.

93. Do you consider yourself to be a daredevil? Not even close.

94. Are you allergic to anything? No.

95. Can you curl your tongue? Don’t know what this means, lol.

96. Can you wiggle your ears? That I cannot.

97. How often do you admit that you were wrong about something? Depends. I don’t like admitting I was wrong when arguing with my baby brother, but with everyone else, I usually fess up once I’ve calmed down a bit.

98. Do you prefer the forest or the beach? The beach.

99. What is your favourite piece of advice that anyone has ever given you? I don’t think I was given the advice rather than figuring out for myself that that was how I wanted to live my life, but John Barrowman once said something that really struck a chord with me: “Never apologize for being nerdy, because unnerdy people never apologize for being assholes.”

100. Are you a good liar? I suppose I’m good at white lies? But I never think they’re lies, lol. It’s like, my husband will ask ‘did you do the dishes’, and I’ll instinctively answer ‘yes’ because I thought I did it, and then I’ll realize I’m not done yet, and I’ll rectify myself.

101. What is your hogwarts house? Hufflepuff Forever!!

102. Do you talk to yourself? In a manner of speaking. If I’m alone, I like to walk around and talk out stories I’m planning like I’m in a play. Like, I’ll imagine I’m in a part of the story I haven’t planned yet, and then talk out what the characters are saying to see if I can get the story to move forward.

103. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Hmm... Don’t know?? I used to be an extreme introvert, but when I started University I decided that I wanted to talk more with my classmates, and now I’m sort of in the middle, I think??

104. Do you keep a journal/diary? Nope. Used to though.

105. Do you believe in second chances? Absolutely.

106. If you found a wallet full of money on the ground, what would you do? Find the owner – if that doesn’t work, hand it in at the police station.

107. Do you believe that people are capable of change? Definitely.

108. Are you ticklish? Very much so. My husband likes to cuddle, but I frequently push him away, because his cuddles tickle me... It’s a struggle.

109. Have you ever been on a plane? Yes, close to ten times, I think.

110. Do you have any piercings? Just my ears.

111. What fictional character do you wish was real? The Doctor. I myself hate humanity at the best of times, so watching a timeless alien who sees the best in our race despite all of our failings is very inspiring.

112. Do you have any tattoos? Yes, I have a sibling tattoo with my two biological siblings. It’s three arrows over cross, that point to each of our birth years.

113. What is the best decision that you’ve made in your life so far? Getting interested in Anime back when I was 12 years old, I think. It led to me meeting my best friend at the age of 14, learning one of the coolest languages in the world, meeting my husband, going on exchange to Kobe for the best four months of my life and making tons of friends I’d never have met otherwise.

114. Do you believe in karma? Yes.

115. Do you wear glasses or contacts? Nope, my vision is perfect for the moment.

116. Do you want children? Absolutely, and as soon as possible too.

117. Who is the smartest person you know? Depends on the subject matter? We’re all pretty smart with our own things, I believe. I’m the best in my class when it comes to Grammar, for instance, while the others are great at other parts of our classes.

118. What is your most embarrassing memory? Getting my first scooter at the age of 16 and driving straight into the side of car after leaving the dealer’s. I’ve never ridden another automatic vehicle since then.

119. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter? Oh yes, so many times.

120. What color are most of you clothes? Greys and blacks.

121. Do you like adventures? Reading about them? Definitely. Going on them? Nope.

122. Have you ever been on TV? Yes. Me and a classmate of mine were interviewed in high school because we were two of the first students to take Chinese as an elective subject at the school.

123. How old are you? 25 years old.

124. What is your favorite quote? “Courage isn't just a matter of not being frightened, you know. It's being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway” – the Third Doctor, “Planet of the Daleks”, 1973.

125. Do you prefer sweet or savory foods? SWEET. I have such a sweet tooth, half of it would be enough.

[jcmorrigan]

Keeping this gravy train rolling: Which scene was your favorite to write in TBTC?

WHICH SCENE WAS MY FAVORITE? You realize there are TOO MANY TO EVEN

So I’m going to give you a Greatest Hits. There’s no one FAVORITE SCENE but these are the ones I most look back at with pride:

-Well, pretty much any Roman/Snatcher ship scene because I’m love them

-Chapter 19: the battle of the sheriff station (I feel like this storylet was where I made some of my biggest tone-deaf mistakes but the fight choreography, I’m still proud of to bits)

-Chapter 22: When Stork’s suicide attempt gets averted. Because I love acknowledging that my green son has mental issues but then showering him with the love he needs.

-Chapter 26: The rain of destruction caused by the warship. And associated team banter.

-Chapter 29: Sora filling in for Winnie’s play and trying to act like a villain for the crowds. ALL THE WHILE BLISSFULLY UNAWARE THAT HE WAS ACTUALLY PLAYING ONE OF HIS NEW ARCHNEMESES.

-Chapter 33: When Roman decides to get serious about the new Joker due to the fact that Snatcher got beaten to within an inch of his life. BUT ALSO when Team Save Mozenrath tried to cross the Swamps of Sadness. Anytime I can build the camaraderie.

-Chapter 34: Roman’s crew clashes with Joker’s canaries-in-a-coal-mine and EVERYONE GETS TRAPPED IN A LOOP OF PUNS UNTIL ROMAN HAS HAD ENOUGH. Also, this is kind of the same scene, but when they all think they’re about to die.

-Chapter 36: Tyrian Callows’ intro.

-Chapter 39: The competition against Smisse Mond and his posse.

-Chapter 43: The Dark Ace’s dream about Grimhilde winning.

-Chapter 44: The battle of the Great Clock. I actually remember hammering this entire thing out while I was strung out on a bad cold. 

-Chapter 50: The Heartless assault on the Fire Nation. SAME CHAPTER: Snatcher opening up about his past to Roman and all the drama that led up to it. I realize a good chunk of that was copy/pasted from my Snatcher backstory fic, but the parts that were written anew were super fun, and hey, the bits I put in the montage flashback were my favorite parts to write from the Snatcher fic, so yeah. Chapter 50 might actually be one of my favorites IN GENERAL that I did because of the combo of action and character development.

-Chapter 53: Stork admitting his suicidal tendencies to his new friends and their pledge of loyalty to him should he feel that way again. SAME CHAPTER: The dance-off.

-Chapter 62: Mim’s nightmare. I realize that gag was exactly the kind of obvious thing everyone would’ve expected but it was still fun.

-Chapter 63: The battle of the Cavern of Remembrance.

-Chapter 64: The karaoke night that ends in Hans teaching Mozenrath to dance.

-Literally all of Chapter 65. It’s right up there with Chapter 50. I just did my best at comedy with building the Hans and Demyx vs. Roman and Snatcher rivalry, and on the hero side, KAZUICHI SODA was involved and I love what I came up with for his intro to the main plot, so yeah.

-Chapter 67: The beach.

-Chapter 68: The blackout.

-Chapter 69: Demyx and Roman playing festival games in Vardaros while Rapunzel bonds with her new pals and Kazuichi goes stalker mode.

-Chapter 71: The nighttime sequence, starting with Stork and Rapunzel’s bro time and ending with the terrible, horrible, life-altering thing I did to Kazuichi.

-Chapter 74: Riku’s new best friends.

-Chapter 77: When the Cinnamons are celebrating their victory and WHAM ensures it goes completely, HORRIBLY wrong in the last scene.

-ALL OF CHAPTER 78.

-Chapter 80: The escapades of Mim in Twilight Town, from her messing up the shopkeepers up through the Cinnamons’ attempt to strike a deal with her. SAME CHAPTER: The montage of what happened once Maleficent got a certain MacGuffin in her hands.

-Chapter 81: When Mozenrath finds out he’s been betrayed in the worst possible way. This was the plot twist LITERALLY EVERYONE SAW COMING but it was still REALLY FUN TO EXECUTE.

-Chapter 82 was one of those chapters where I poured blood, sweat, and tears into it and there were a couple missteps but I’m SO proud of the end product that I have to list it. In entirety.

-Chapter 83: Any and all scenes of the Cinnamons on Destiny Islands.

-Chapter 84: The WHAM ARMY vs. Aladdin. SAME CHAPTER: The big reveal of Maleficent’s powerful new allies.

-Chapter 85: The opening scene where everyone is licking their metaphorical wounds.

-Chapter 86: Todd Tolansky having fun with Dresspheres. SAME CHAPTER: Yen Sid throwing a bone to the bad guys.

-Literally all of chapter 87. So, yeah, I think for whole-chapter faves, it’s 50, 65, 78, 82, and 87.

-Chapter 88: The battle for the Duffel Bag of MacGuffins. SAME CHAPTER: Mozenrath being rescued from his temporary imprisonment.

-Chapter 90: Mozenrath and friends deal with a jerk shopkeeper.

That’s the best skim I can do for ya. :) Looking over this fic just reminds me of HOW PROUD I AM OF PRETTY MUCH ALL OF IT DESPITE A FEW BIG HICCUPS but there were so many scenes that I just LIKED even if they weren’t at the level of these Greatest Hits

[jones-friend]

BECAUSE I GOT ASKED TO DO THEM ALL

1. A favorite character you have played.

Boyd Pengelly. He was a barbarian/rogue multiclass who used his Rage feature whenever he got angry enough. The unpredictability mixed with low expectations on his longevity was a great time.

2. Your favorite character that someone else has played.

This is a hard question to answer, and I don’t like playing favorites so here’s a top three:

@darien-king-of-synergy ‘s Trick, Gentleman Adventurer. Classy theif with the cane and suit to back it up.

@krakenattack ‘s Lieklo, the nerdiest dragon

@graspingeden ‘s Avery Holimon, the sweetest silver dragon to soar the friendly skies

3. Your favorite side quest.

Anytime Lord Baron Rikshaw, Kobold Nobleman kidnaps my players with the assistance of Mr McKemby and Pent, a winged kobold and kenku cleric of Pelor. Grand Budapest styled shenanigans ensue.

4. Your current campaign.

I’ve created a loose one shot system with a hub world called the University of Corcyra Isle. The idea is a sphinx teacher organizes a school of magic to learn through space and time with the assistance of all kinds of strange teachers. I can’t wait for them to meet my mindflayer humanist.

5. Favorite NPC.

That’s a tough question that changes day to day so I’m gonna talk about one of my favorites I haven’t before: Isarthi

Isarthi is a mindflayer humanist living in a colony deep in the underdark. She sees humanoid creatures like we would see a bunny or dog: adorable but also pretty dumb. She wants to uninslave the humanoids in the colony but its a radical idea that isn’t taking hold anytime soon. For now she ushers them about in secret, offering biology lessons where sometimes her papers mix with her Dungeons and Dryads character sheets (a game she is fully willing to play with your characters).

6. Favorite death (monster, player character, NPC, etc).

That’s hard because as I’ve continued, I don’t like death in my D&D. I used to let it happen pretty consistently but its a story telling element I don’t like using unless its really the best way to tell the story.

That being said, I do have one character planned. Tieflings have a Ritual of the Returned, you can petition to have a Tiefling returned from the hells under a specific contract. One tiefling thought he was clever and his contract states that he will only be returned if he plays a song so beautiful that it makes a dragon cry.

Avery is a silver dragon who will find him freezing on the mointaintops. Eventually he falls in love with her, and she persuades him to give up his grasp on this unlife, and elevates his soul to heaven. In his acceptance of this he plays a song to Avery, thanking her and coming to terms with his death, and that song brings Avery to tears completing his contract.

7. Your favorite downtime activity.

Making magic items yo

8. Your favorite fight/encounter.

I made a swamp on wooden catwalks and put a black dragon in the water beneath them, 10/10 would recommend.

9. Your favorite thing about D&D.

The interactive part. My players have such a sway over the story, I really just direct them and they lovingly contribute so much to the world they’re in.

10. Your favorite enemy and the enemy you hate the most.

I love myconids, their ressurrection spore makes any D&D creature into a clicker from last of us

My least favorite enemy is the zombie beholder from 5e. I’ve seen them outright kill two players in one shot (I was one of the two) and the level of power they have is extreme for the challenge rating they hold.

11. How often do you play and how often would you ideally like to play?

In person? Rarely. Its mostly over text and even then its not as much as I’d like to with job searching.

12. Your in game inside jokes/memes/catchphrases and where they came from.

So in one session we split the party to break into a house. Me and my friend Tanner were roof team: our job was to wait on the roof for the party could come up so I could polymorph into a dragon and fly us away (something I didn’t realize you couldn’t do).

Instead of staying on the roof, roof team went to the first floor, drank poisoned alcohol, and vomited everywhere escaping as a drunken dragon.

ROOF TEAM

13. Introduce your current party.

I have a lot of students but I can introduce my antihero party! Its my Suicide Squad of morally gray characters

Boyd Pengelly: angry criminal from the city. Acting on impulse got him here and it sure isn’t bringing him anywhere else so why not.

Henrietta Lynch: in Barlowe Landing, her werewolf sister fatally wounded a boy she was seeing. A witch in the woods gave her a bad spell and now she has a zombie ex boyfriend she’s lugging around. At first she thought he was alive incorrectly. As he rots away shes slowly coming to terms with what she did.

Brass: Ex soldier of Vollenth’s military, Brass defected during a war march and works as a hitman or hired muscle. His aim with a crossbow is remarkable and he’s sure to let you know that. He defected from Vollenth’s army to be a free man only to realize there was nothing of him left.

Tiamir: A dragonborn who grew up a servant of red dragons, she stole the rite of being Tiamat’s Paladin from the family’s hatchling, and enforced Tiamat’s ideaology of might makes right wherever she goes.

14. Introduce any other parties you have played in or DM-ed.

One time I played in a session where we had:

Bird police (me)

Russian dwarf cleric

Necromancer

Barbarian vampire person who hisses a lot

15. Do you have snacks during game times?

Oh for sure. Clean snacks that don’t make crumbs are best. Frozen pizzas work great, you can make a bunch and cut them up into squares.

16. Do you play online or in person? Which do you prefer?

I’ve really been enjoying the amount of control playing over text gives me, though that has its limits when it comes to complex combat

17. What are some house rules that your group has?

Don’t be rude

No rape. Find a different way to tell your story.

18. Does your party keep any pets?

Once they had a gryphon hatchling

19. Do you or your party have any dice superstitions?

There’s a set of pink dice @darien-king-of-synergy owns that have killed two PC’s and a whole campaign but give him nothing but high rolls

20. How did you get into D&D? How long have you been playing?

I’ve been playing for 6 years now, my friends in college got me into it. I made a gnome atheist who disowned the gods when his gelatinous ooze cube was slaughtered.

21. Have you ever regretted something your character has done?

Once Boyd alerted the entire area with a nat 1 on stealth I RP’d by getting spooked and punching a man in the face. I probably should’ve let the DM decide what happened there

22. What color was your first dragon?

Crudak! My copper baby. A desert shopkeep who’s quite excitable and quite a fast talker.

23. Do you use premade modules or original campaigns?

Nope! I make all my own.

24. How much planning/preparation do you do for a game?

Usually 3-4 hours for one shots. Over text I make an outline and follow through as necessary.

For DMs

25. What have your players done that you never could have planned for?

One of my players romanced a dragon NPC and that changed everything

26. What was your favorite scene to write and show your characters.

The hatching of a baby gold dragon in the middle of a city, which the players had to smuggle through said city

27. Do you allow homebrew content?

Yes as long as its to have fun not to break the game

28. How often do you use NPCs in a party?

In online or in person? Almost never. In one on one I pair you with an NPC that rounds you out.

29. Do you prefer RP heavy sessions or combat sessions?

RP heavy for sure!

30. Are your players diplomatic or murder hobos?

They better not be murder hobos

For Players

31. What is your favorite class? Favorite race?

Warlock has the coolest options

Human, funny enough. I find human PC’s bring out their character more than other races do.

Under that is dragonborn for fire breathing.

32. What role do you like to play the most? (Tank/healer/etc?)

Magic support or heavy beater. Once I had paladin’s divine smite, barbarian’s reckless attack, and fighter’s improved critical all on the same attack

33. How do you write your backstory, or do you even write a backstory?

I make the character and whatever backstory is necessary to understand the character! I used to write long backstories but now I’m more involved with the role playing aspect.

34. Do you tend pick weapons/spells for being useful or for flavor?

FLaVoR

35. How much roleplay do you like to do?

All roleplaying all the time

[chvewon]

70 QUESTIONS TAG

tagged by @forevertaeyeontrash xx

1: Do you have a good relationship with your parents? you can say 

2: Who did you last say “I love you” to? prolly az 

3: Do you regret anything? yehhh but i learnt from it sooo ((its also a waste thinking about it so no lol))

4: Are you insecure? pfft

5: What is your relationship status? wow i dont even know uhhh lone 

6: How do you want to die? the kind where i didnt knew i died,,stupid right 

7: What did you last eat? choc cake for breakfast cause im feeling melancholy loool

8: Played any sports? gaming is a sport so ps4 my dudettes. 

9: Do you bite your nails? used to when i was a kid 

10: When was your last physical fight? never been in a physical fight before and i would never

11: Do you like someone? i like top i like yoona 

12: Have you ever stayed up 48 hours? i like sleeping 

13: Do you hate anyone at the moment? i dont

14: Do you miss someone? az??? and my sister just in case she sees this loool

15: Have any pets? a fish back in 2015 and it died on the day i bought it...the shopkeeper said it would last long if i keep it in distilled water fish tank???

16: How exactly are you feeling at the moment? lower than neutral whats that called

17: Ever made out in the bathroom? nops

18: Are you scared of spiders? no but i would not wanna see any

19: Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? yes why not

20: Where was the last place you snogged someone? nowhere

21: What are your plans for this weekend? my asian ass said studying

22: Do you want to have kids? kids huh

23: Do you have piercings? used to

24: What is/are/were your best subject(s)? biology and accounting 

25: Do you miss anyone from your past? i dont

26: What are you craving right now? any good food basically 

27: Have you ever broken someone’s heart? demm i dont know???

28: Have you ever been cheated on? demmm i dont know 

29: Have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? no

30: Whats irritating you right now? i have to shower and get ready for my last driving class....yes this simple thing would irritate me 

31: Does somebody love you? no i dont exist

32: What is your favourite color? sapphire blue, maroon and white

33: Do you have trust issues? i think i do i think i dont 

34: Who/what was your last dream about? it was all black looool idk i dont remember 

35: Who was the last person you cried in front of? my laptop is a living thing too

36: Do you give out second chances too easily? no my dudess

37: Is it easier to forgive or forget? easy for me to forgive than to forget

38: Is this year the best year of your life? so far it is not :)) 

39: How old were you when you had your first kiss? im 18 and never had my first kiss ((haram lmaooo))

40: Have you ever walked outside completely naked? no no no

51: Favourite food? got no favs

52: Do you believe everything happens for a reason? kinda yea

53: What is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night? turned off the lights and slowly drifts asleep lol

54: Is cheating ever okay? never ever do this evil thing to anyone

55: Are you mean? i am nice :)))

56: How many people have you fist fought? like zero

57: Do you believe in true love? i dont know whats that 

58: Favourite weather? the cold weatherrr uhh winter 

59: Do you like the snow? yehh

60: Do you wanna get married? umm yes

61: Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? baby

62: What makes you happy? i dont even know anymore prolly the beach idk??

63: Would you change your name? i guess so

64: Would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed? i just dieded 

65: Your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? you got the wrong numba

66: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex who you can act your complete self around? yisss

67: Who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to? my brother 

68: Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? mi potato

69: Do you believe in soulmates? cute but whats that

70: Is there anyone you would die for? yessss a lot 

and now i’ll tag @bigbangismydrug @cocosprings @doomdadah @fantastic-t-o-p @daesungismyeverything and whoever idk

[ireallyfeltthat]

(13.11.2019)

02:21am

things I learnt in first sem

1. waking up is hard

2. movies are a bonding tool

3. people are very different and it's ok

4. I can travel and eat alone

5. people who give you proxy>>>>>

6. choose a good group/partner for presentations

7. spending money will always be a guilty pleasure

8. solitude is not loneliness

9. chappals are underrated

10. use all the vouchers and coupons. you will save a lot of money.

11. shamelessly ask for the cheapest items wherever you go

12. the skill of bargaining

13. saying no

14. don't judge people too quick, some of them are gems and some of them are assholes and you'll always confuse em with each other but that's life bby

15. bandaid solves everything

16. doctors can be wrong and it can cost you a lot of pain and money

17. boond boond se sagar banta hai

18. it's better to start than to not start at all

19. do not get too excited. you will ruin it.

20. crying on a flight to goa for no reason is completely ok.

21. clingy > distant

22. give second chances very carefully

23. do not get hooked to coffee so it actually helps when you need it

24. change is not necessarily bad

25. what you see is very different from what others see

26. do NOT procrastinate for end sems

27. don't crack suicide jokes because the shopkeeper will refuse to sell you the knife you asked for

28. people will wholeheartedly support human rights violations and you will have to coexist with them

29. no amount of information is too much information

30. don't count the calories

31. home is not just a feeling

32. clean daily

33. routine is overrated

34. comfort is underrated

35. moot will traumatize you but you'll want to do it again

36. it's easy if you just ask

37. mind games are idiotic and childish, say it like it is

38. regret is useless, remember the good and move on

39. attachment makes you ted mosby, and you don't wanna be ted mosby

40. feeling too often, too strongly is not a problem as long as it's reciprocated

41. half the things you feel define self respect, don't

42. the coolest group of friends is not that fun to hangout with

43. talk to the shy guy, he can be your best friend

44. life can be surreal, dissociation doesn't make an experience any less valid

45. take pride in where you come from

46. you often forget how your childhood experiences have built you

47. if you like someone, say it

48. don't take attendance for granted

49. participate shamelessly

50. failure crushes your soul but you can't let it stop you

51. you and your mom get along, you needed some distance to make that happen

52. it is okay to miss something and not want it back simultaneously

53. it is okay to miss something you said you won't

54. tinder friends > tinder dates

55. stop trying to show off

56. the history of the concept of ladies' night is problematic but they're fun

57. as a general rule, your crushes won't like you back. reciprocation is an exception.

58. identity, not stereotype

59. a label can be both empowering and restricting

60. you can never get over your FOMO

61. everyone secretly likes cringey fanfiction

62. people around you are only as open to you as you are to them

63. share a secret

64. how to place blind trust on a stranger

65. stress causes hairfall causes stress causes..

66. hating everything is not cool

67. use the right pronouns no matter how inconvenient it seems

68. very few people will be there for you when you actually need it

69. say I love you before hanging up

70. discuss the weirdest things and watch people become more and more comfortable around you

71. stand up comedy is hard

72. burnt tongues are painful

73. getting slapped with a volleyball in the face hurts a lot

74. hair colour is expensive when you're paying for it yourself

75. 100 bucks is a lot of money

76. low alcohol tolerance = lesser money spent on nightouts

77. sisters are awesome

78. crying loud and ugly is absolutely necessary

79. seniors make some of the nicest friends (but also they might be your professors in a few months)

80. fascination is not shameful

81. cussing is not morally wrong

82. ghar sambhaalna is a lot of work

83. happiness really is in the littlest of things

84. i am hilarious

85. don't just agree with popular notions

86. professors are human beings and they are nice if you get to know them

87. exposure is detrimental if it's not the right kind

88. the pleasure of learning is underrated

89. singing throughout an auto ride is not weird, it's fun

90. laugh at really unfunny, corny jokes

91. tripping more than 5 times a day is not normal

92. something you didn't have enough time to get used to is over

[travelerwashere]

CritRole Asks

General

1. How did you first discover Critical Role?

Recommended to me by one of my DMs.

2. Do you prefer the livestreams, VODs/posts, or podcasts?

I prefer the VODs because I can pause them.

3. What was the first CR episode you watched/listened to?

Campaign One, Episode One. I believe at starting at the beginning.

4. What episode have you reached in each CR campaign, or how many times have you watched/listened to each campaign?

I am halfway through my first rewatch of Campaign One, but otherwise I am all caught up.

5. What has been your biggest CR binge?

When I first started watching, I watched all of Campaign One in 34 days.

6. Do you play in a D&D campaign inspired by CR or the Tal'Dorei/Wildemount guides?

No, but I am planning to DM one.

7. Do you have any official CR merch?

So many t-shirts, the calendar, the blanket, the CR cap, the Wildmount dice, the VM D20s, and the Whitestone dice.

8. Have you ever been to a CR liveshow?

Nope.

9. Do you participate in any CR fan celebrations (Essek Week, Critmas, etc.)?

I do Critmas on Facebook.

10. Have you ever spotted a fellow Critter out in the wild (via merch, cosplay, etc.)?

Once!! At a local Staples.

11. Have you become friends with any other Critters?

Not because of CR, but I have gotten a bunch of friends into it.

12. Do you watch/listen to CR alone or with others?

I usually watch alone, but my wife listens sometimes.

13. Do you do anything else while watching/listening to CR?

Usually play games on my computer or phone.

14. How do you cope with high tension in CR (stress-snacks, screaming into the chat void, skipping it, etc.)?

I cry to my wife.

15. Are there any loose threads in any campaigns or one-shots/miniseries that you desperately wish would be resolved/addressed?

I want more Cinderbrush. Desperately.

16. Have you picked up any mannerisms/sayings/speech from the CR cast or their characters (the Marisha perch, “toothy maw”, Jester’s accent, etc.)?

I definitely do the stress Okay, Okay, Okay now. 

17. Has CR helped you get through any tough times (loss of a loved one, quarantine, etc.)?

When I started I was very depressed and suicidal, but the cliffhangers gave me a (sad) reason to keep going through the worst of it.

18. What life lessons have you learned from CR?

That you should take time to tell your friends that you love them. Always.

Favorites

19. Who’s your favorite CR cast member (Matt, Laura, etc.)?

Taliesin

20. Who’s your favorite CR crew member (Dani, Maxwell, etc.)?

Dani

21. Who’s your favorite CR1 PC?

Percy

22. Who’s your favorite CR2 PC?

Beau

23. Who’s your favorite CR1 NPC?

Kima

24. Who’s your favorite CR2 NPC?

Marion

25. Who’s your favorite CR1 villain?

Ripley

26. Who’s your favorite CR2 villain?

Isharnai

27. What’s your favorite “How do you want to do this?” moment?

Vex vs. Delilah Briarwood

28. What’s the most satisfying CR enemy defeat/death?

Definitely the Briarwoods

29. What’s the most devastating CR PC defeat/death?

When Vex died and Vax traded his life for hers.

30. What’s your favorite CR romantic/sexual relationship?

Vax and Keyleth. Doomed romance does it for me.

31. What’s your favorite CR platonic/friendly relationship?

Keyleth and Percy

32. What’s your favorite CR rivalry?

Grog and Lionel

33. What’s your favorite CR familial (sibling, parent/child, etc.) relationship?

Vex and Vax. Hands down.

34. What’s your favorite CR downtime episode/scene?

Dalen’s Closet.

35. What’s your favorite CR fight?

Chroma Conclave.

36. What’s your favorite CR group/organization (Darrington Brigade, Cerberus Assembly, etc.)?

Slayer’s Take.

37. What’s your favorite CR magic item?

Fenthras

38. What’s your favorite CR homebrew spell/reflavor (Wristpocket, Fortune’s Favor, Cat’s Ire, etc.)?

Transmogrification

39. What’s the coolest CR sound effect (the cork pop, monster sounds, etc.)?

Anything that makes Travis hide in his shirt.

40. What’s your favorite CR quote?

“You were not born with venom in your veins, you learned it.”

41. Who are all your favorite active Critters (artists, writers/meta analysts, cosplayers, gif makers, memers, livebloggers, community organizers, timestamp posters, stat trackers, etc.)?

GalacticJonah and GinnyDi are high on the list.

42. What’s your favorite critrolestats statistic or other lore/fun fact?

Kiri Immitations

43. What’s your favorite Sam ad?

Hack the Planet

44. What’s your favorite CR one-shot or miniseries (Honey Heist, Cinderbrush, etc.)?

Grog’s One Shot.

45. What’s your favorite non-campaign CR content (All Work No Play, Handbooker Helper, etc.)?

All Work No Play

46. What’s your favorite CR location (Vasselheim, the Lavish Chateau, etc.)?

The BallEater

47. Who’s your favorite CR companion (Doty, Frumpkin, etc.)?

Trinket

48. What’s your favorite CR signature move (Bigby’s Hand, pop pop, etc.)?

I Would Like to Rage

49. What’s your favorite CR motif (chest stabs, seducing shopkeepers, etc.)?

Doors and Chairs

50. What CR backstory/arc/moment resonates with you the most?

Jester’s desperate attempt to connect with her absentee father.

[roundtheworldrambles]

Athens, Greece (Round 1)

Day 33 - Morocco to Athens

I boarded an early morning flight out of Marrakech, gearing up for a long day of connecting flights and a stopover through Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, enroute to Greece! This day (which door to door, had me travelling for 16 hours!) was made much more enjoyable as I befriended some other travellers along the way. From Morocco to France I chatted with Lee, a Swiss girl fresh off a surfing trip in Agadir, trading tips on Rocky Mountain/Alps skiing.

My seatmate between Paris and Athens was Artur, a French guy around my age who has been working in Athens for two years. His work has been predominantly for the French government, helping Syrian refugees resettle and integrate throughout Europe. He was fascinating to talk to, and shared many incredible, heartbreaking stories from his work on the front line. In a few short hours I learned about a completely different perspective on the refugee crisis in the region. Artur also gave me lots of suggestions for travel in Athens and the Greek Islands - from late-night transit tips to neighbourhoods to check out!

I arrived in Athens in the early hours of the morning, catching the 24-hour shuttle bus into Syntagma Square, at the heart of the city. Incredibly (and despite a thundering downpour!) the streets and patios were still full of people. I walked down to Monistiraki Square, which was next to my hostel for the next few days.

Day 34 - Athens (Round 1)

View of the Acropolis at Breakfast 

I started the day with a breakfast of Greek yogurt and honey on the rooftop terrace of my hostel - with terrific views of the Acropolis and the surrounding rocky cliffs. It was not a bad view to accompany several strong coffees (much needed after my day of travel!).

My first full day in Athens was warm and sunny - and very relaxed! As I would be returning to the city again with my friend Megan after travelling through the Greek islands, I did not need to rush to see the historical sights. I wandered through the streets in whatever direction caught my eye - which was a terrific way to get a feel for the city.

In the morning I walked around Monistiraki square to the Athens Flea market - an area which reminds me a bit of a Kensington Market in Toronto - the types of shops along the series of narrow streets were mixed; touristy, funky, authentic, and tacky. Cheap souvenir stores are next to shops selling traditional Greek products such as olives, gold jewelry and cotton/linen products, workshops making Greek sandals are found next to little patios and bakeries.

There was a beautiful, sunny walkway on the edge of the flea market, Adrianou Street, which has countless little cafes and patios facing the Ancient Agora. Established in 6th Century BC; this Agora was the heart of Ancient Athens, acting as both a religious and cultural centre. It was used for everything from assembly of people, administration, and social activity. Walking through the Monistiraki neighbourhood of Athens, there are amazing preserved ruins at every turn - sometimes displayed through glass floors of cafes and stores.

The Ancient Agora - fun fact, the term “agoraphobia”, meaning extreme fear of crowded places, is named after the Ancient Agora

From Monistiraki and the Athens Flea Market, I continued onward to Plaka, the oldest neighbourhood in Athens. Built after the Greeks began to expand the city beyond the Acropolis, this neighbourhood is like a little village, with winding pedestrian streets. This area has many ancient monuments and buildings, earning it the nickname “neighbourhood of the gods”. Friendly shopkeepers had little art stores and family businesses throughout the area, and many loved that I was visiting from Canada (One sent me away with his wife’s homemade baklava - a phyllo pastry dessert, stacked with honey and nuts!).

Little shops around the streets of Plaka 

After wandering through the streets of Plaka, I walked through Hadrian’s Arch. Constructed in 131 AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian, this arch was built to separate old Athens (built by the Ancient Greeks) from new Athens (established by the Ancient Romans, as they were ruling the city at that time).

Beyond the Arch was the impressive Temple of Olympian Zeus. Built with massive marble columns, this Temple took over 600 years to build, as it was abandoned numerous times in mid-stages of construction. Finally completed in 129 AD, again by Emperor Hadrian, this temple was dedicated to Zeus, King of the Gods in Ancient Greek religion.

Temple of Olympian Zeus- Massive marble columns are constructed piece by piece, with molten metal poured into the hole in the middle to make a rod - this allowed the columns to have both strength and flexibility in the case of earthquakes

I continued onwards to the beautiful National Garden of Athens. This incredible garden is in the heart of downtown, commissioned by Queen Amalia in the early 1800s. It was initially created with over 500 species of exotic plants and animals from all around the world (complete with peacocks and monkeys!). In the centre of the garden is the Zappeion Hall - which was the housing for athletes in the first modern Olympic Games - held in 1896 in Athens.

The Zappeion in the National Garden of Athens- there are no longer the same exotic animals, though there are still many plants from around the world!

The National Garden backs onto the Hellenic (Greek) Parliament building and Syntagma Square, in the heart of downtown Athens. I arrived outside the parliament on time to see the two ceremonial guards outside completing their traditional march. The uniforms of these guards were quite elaborate - from their red berets with black tassels, to clog-like shoes with black pom-poms. Each component of the uniform is representative of different elements of Greek History (for example, the number of pleats in the kilt represent the 400 years of Ottoman occupation of Greece).

Ceremonial Guard outside of the Hellenic Parliament

I stopped in the late afternoon for my first Greek coffee. This type of coffee is unique in the way it is prepared: boiled with coffee grounds in a traditional pot, called a briki. The result is very strong, thick coffee with a foamy layer on top. The grounds gradually settle to the bottom of the cup, and Greek Coffee is usually enjoyed with lots of sugar!

Greek Coffee brewing in a briki

According to a server, the leftover grounds of the Greek coffee can be used to tell your fortune (same idea as reading tea leaves!). Upon finishing your cup, you turn it over to let the remaining coffee grounds drain onto your plate. You can then look at the shapes the grounds make on the side of the cup to predict your future!

I’m still not sure what I see, a bird maybe?

After a quick souvlaki lunch back in Monistiraki, I was getting tired -cumulative effects of jet-lag, a still-recovering immune system and a long day of walking! I napped for a few hours before meeting a bunch of my roommates - Aussie guys from Melbourne also backpacking! I had rallied sufficiently at this point and joined them (and - no surprise - some more Australians!) for happy hour on our hostel’s spectacular rooftop patio. I ended up having a terrific night with them, sharing drinks, food, and stories -with the bonus of watching an incredible thunderstorm roll in over the city.

Lightening storm over Athens - captured by Matt, one of the Aussies!