#national take your cat to the vet day | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

barcaatthemoon · 4 months

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works in progress

lucy bronze

cat and mouse: the back and forth flirting between you and lucy comes to a head after your first derby against each other.

separate ways: you and lucy celebrate winning your last champion's league title together.

claudia pina

sex with my ex: you and claudia hook up after a game against each other.

lia walti

friend of the bride: you hook up with the maid of honor at your best friend's wedding.

closer: you seek out some comfort with lia after a hard day.

alexia putellas

little one: alexia brings you to practice for the first time. *

eleven: you surprise alexia by wearing her jersey after a game.

your father's daughter: alexia checks on you after your dad dies.*

familia iii: your first year with alexia and your two kids.

just a kid iv: you and olga convince alexia to go on a double date.

perfect: alexia reassures you that you're perfect in her eyes.

invisible: you act out so alexia will pay attention to you.

fireball: alexia takes care of you when you drink too much.

your best girl: you help alexia after the olympics.

movie moment: alexia gets upset when your picnic date gets ruined, but the two of you find yourselves having an even better time.

paths not taken: you and alexia reminisce about what could have been.

picture in my pocket: you give alexia a polaroid of you at an event.

stand by me: alexia thanks you for being by her side after she retires.

leah williamson

dark: leah helps soothe your youngest when she has nightmares.

complicate me: leah proves that your breakup wasn't as clean as you told everyone.

mascot: you realize during a game that you're ready for the next step with leah.

soaked: leah proves a point.

barcelona

jitterbug: sometimes, you need a little help.*

too good to be true: you shouldn't always meet your heroes.*

the high life: alexia comes to get you after she learns that you experimented with edibles.*

translators: you have a bit of trouble during your first interview in english.*

open arms: the team learns about your girlfriend.

mariona caldentey

something new: mariona tops you with a strap-on for the first time.

jenni hermoso

going down: you reward jenni for taking time to come see you.

casual ii: you come back from mexico for your first national camp after leaving barcelona.

role reversal: you find yourself in control for once, sort of.

katie mccabe

pacifier: katie isn't there to calm you down.

big mistakes: katie explains to you why she has to leave.*

katrina gorry & clara markstedt

sick of the sun: you catch a case of heat exhaustion.*

kate martin

lover girl: kate just wants some quality time with you after a series of away games.

caroline harvey

blades: caroline reflects on the differences between the two of you.

emily engstler

what u need: emily spends a night taking care of you.

our song: you convince emily to play guitar for you.

new sensation: emily tops you with the strap for the first time.

paige bueckers

study date: paige distracts you while you try to help her study.

goody two shoes: paige shows you a few things in the bedroom.

lena oberdorf

time killer: lena asks to try something new to help her pass her injury time.

american beauty: lena doesn't realize that you're german.

dodgy: lena distances herself, and you think the worst.

kelsey plum

baller: kelsey takes you on a date after you come to one of her games.

mary earps

housewife ii: you and mary try to talk things out.

kim little

always: for as long as you and kim can remember, you've always been around each other.

pressed: kim gets upset when you get close to a new teammate.

ruesha littlejohn:

obvious: you and ruesha are forced to confront your feelings about each other.

diana turasi

big mouth: your rookie season breeds an interesting rivalry with a vet on your team.

sneaky: you and diana hook up the morning before your game against each other at the olympics.

alana kennedy

cuddlebug: alanna has trouble keeping her hands to herself.

patri guijarro

quiet time: you and patri spend a night in together when she gets back from paris.

chills: you take care of patri when she catches a cold after not listening to you.

selfless: patri gets you off.

laia codina

drives me crazy: you and laia have a somewhat toxic back and forth.

decadent ambitions: laia decides to try something new with you.

katrina gorry

separation anxiety: katrina's first night alone at your apartment comes with a couple complications.

leila ouahabi

about last night: you and leila try to avoid each other after hooking up.

kyra cooney-cross

big man: kyra accidentally embarrasses you trying to prove herself around your ex.

scary dog privilege: you and kyra get close when you transfer to arsenal.

caitlin foord

when the sun rises: the morning after you and caitlin hook up.

keira walsh

trojan horse: how some of your england teammates deduce you're keira's girlfriend.

arsenal

sleepy girl: the team finds your ability to nap anywhere amusing.

mapi leon

crash: mapi gets a call that you've been in an accident.

gio quieroz

addicted: no matter how many times she breaks you heart, you can't get enough of gio.

#works in progress #wips #wip list

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is-the-snake-video-cute · 1 year

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Hi!

I wanna preface this question by saying it is entirely hypothetical, and I sincerely hope it will remain so!!!

But just like I take first aid training while hoping I won't need it, I would like to ask this.

First, background explanation: As I've started in previous questions I've sent, I live in Norway. Until the last handful of years, snakes were illegal to have as pets here, but it was loosened up and some snakes became legal in the second half of the 2010s.

During Covid, lots of people who had previously never owned snakes, bought them. I have no doubt that many were good, well prepared owners who had dreamed of having snakes for decades. However, there were still MORE than enough people who didn't know what they were getting into, and as a predictable outcome, many snakes were returned to the pet stores (who are obliged to take them back) when they turned out to grow and become long bois. (Apparently, people didn't expect animals famously being many feet long to actually BE many feet long - shocking.)

There were so many returned snakes that it was written about in the national news broadcasting service.

And I need to mention that animal rescues/shelters are ...kinda not a thing here. We have vets, and we have organizations dedicated to that kind of thing in GENERAL, but homeless pets that aren't cats are very very rarely a big issue here, so they're only usually equipped to take in cats and have foster homes for cats.

The institution most people know about and call of encountering animals, are wildlife patrol, who can help assess a situation, or relocate an animal, or take them to the vet MAYBE if deemed necessary. But they don't have resources to take animals in like a rescue, and their most well known purpose is usually to track down and kill moose after people hit them with their cars and they run off with broken legs and shit. (This happens several times every winter.)

So on to my hypothetical question:

If I should happen to come across an escaped pet snake, like a ball python or boa or whatever (I don't remember which snakes are legal pets here now, off the top of my head), outdoors, I should get it to a vet or pet shop that sells snakes ASAP. Everywhere like that is closed on Sundays here, so let's say I come across this poor bewildered snake on a Saturday evening or a Sunday.

What should I do? How do I approach it? How do I handle this unexpected snake who probably cannot survive outside in Norway? How should I go about picking it up and getting it into a bucket or box or crate or something, and how can I look after it and make it comfortable until I can get it to a vet/pet shop?

This is a great and very important question!

If you see an unexpected pet snake species, approach slowly and cautiously. Even a pet snake who's used to human contact is likely to spooked by an approaching human when they're outside and likely feeling overstimulated! The best thing you can do is find a long stick to scoop the snake up and get them into a bucket/box/whatever's handy. Most snakes will freeze when you lift them up with a stick, so that's the easiest option. If nothing's handy, slowly sneaking up on them and then putting a box/bucket over them, then sliding a piece of paper or cardboard underneath and flipping it over to trap them inside can work well, too.

Since in this hypothetical you just have to look after the poor confused snake for about a day, it won't be too difficult. Your impulse will likely be to try to keep the snake warm next to a heater - don't do that! Snakes can actually handle being a bit too cold for a lot longer than they can handle getting too warm, so if you just keep them in a reasonably warm room that's comfortable for humans, they'll be okay. Set them up with a bowl of water, and see if you can make a hiding place for them by cutting a doorway in a shoebox or other small container.

Hopefully, it's something you'll never need to do, but you're right that it's always best to be prepared!

#not a rating #snake safety #snake emergencies

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a-literate-chicken · 30 days

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Happy National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day!

#national holidays #chickens #chickenblr #chicken doodles #chicken art

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mrsleonkennedy · 2 years

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Disclaimer: All info posted here comes from their respective creator itself so yes, its legit and not just part of my imagination 💯

Interview Rules:

The interviewer can only ask 10 questions.

The interviewer cannot force an answer out of anyone.

The participant has the right not to elaborate their answer.

CW: Long post ahead / Interviewer being a Ketamine simp / Gavin's surprise cameo

Interviewer: Hi Guys! I hope you're doing well today. Thank you for participating on this social experi- *coughs* interview. Btw, you can call me CC, I'm your interrogator today sent by your beloved MC, so please cooperate :) Are we ready? Lets start:

Question No 1: Aside for being a yandere, whats your dream job/profession?

❤️ Casanova: I wanted to be a chef for the longest time, but i’m happy with my job as an organ harvester!

🕊️ Krow: I-I actually like m-my job as a f-forensics cleaner but... I-I'd love to b-be a stay at home s-spouse a-and just do a-art.

🔪 Ezra: I actually really enjoy my current job. I've had it for going on... 7 years now? Almost 8. (Interviewer: Can we ask what your job is? No? Okay. *thumbs up* bish i value my life more)

🔥 Harper: Hmm, if I had to pick any kind of job, maybe a pyrotechnic?

💐 Keith: To become a plant biologist.

🎮 Tenebris: Be a musician.

🖥️ Virgil: My dream profession is to be Game Developer, I enjoy video games and I have always wanted to make a game for others to enjoy, and so that’s why I’m taking classes of game development.

🎤 Adam: I already have my dream job. Although, I did often think about becoming a vet as a kid. Sometimes I wonder how life would've turned out had I pursued that career instead of singing.

🐕 Henry: I’m not sure! I’ll probably do whatever Buttercup ends up doing!

Interviewer: Atleast some of you love their job *sigh* Me? I just want to be a cat, no work, just meow meow *defeated sigh* Back to the topic at hand:

Question No 2: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? (Vacation or permanently)

❤️ Casanova: Barcelona, that’s where i was born and it’s really pretty there

🕊️ Krow: Ah! I-India! I-I'm Indian but... I-I actually don't know m-much about my heritage. I... w-wanna go s-see the land of m-my culture. W-with Dove too o-of course!

🔪 Ezra: Hmm... Anywhere with my Sugarsnap? If that's not too cheesy I suppose. But outside of that I'd like to visit Blaire's extended family in Vietnam.

🔥 Harper: I’m definitely more a big city kind of guy, so I’m pretty happy living where I am… To visit though? Hmm… Somewhere with some snowy mountains maybe, do some snowboarding, chill by a fire with some hot cocoa? Yeah, that sounds nice..

💐 Keith: It will be Kristenbosh National Botanical Garden.

🎮 Tenebris: My old home probably.

🖥️ Virgil: I’ve always wanted to go Iceland for vacation

🎤 Adam: As long as I'm by your (MC) side, it doesn't matter where I'm at~

🐕 Henry: Anywhere where Buttercup is good with me! But if we could both go somewhere, Disneyland might be fun!

Interviewer: So if MC just dissapear out of nowhere, thats the list of places where we can found them? Hmm ..

Question No 3: Song that you will sing to MC if given a chance.

❤️ Casanova: baby - eslabon armado

🕊️ Krow: Uhhh... uhhh... I-I guess... T-Together Forever would be c-cute...

🔪 Ezra: A few different songs, most notably... We'll never have sex by Leith Ross, Let you break my heart again by Laufey & Philharmonia or Habits by Genevieve Stokes. I just want sugar to know I want them for more than... anything. I love their heart and soul, it's not physical for me. Though I do find them incredibly attractive.

🔥 Harper: Actually sing myself?... Umm.. Maybe either Day 1 or No Song Without You, both by Honne?

💐 Keith: Can't Help Falling in Love

🎮 Tenebris: Trust by 7 Seconds

🖥️ Virgil: Rises the Moon, it’s a comfort song of mine, my mum sings this to me and my younger siblings when we were little, by then whenever my mother is busy, I sing the song to my siblings. And Hopefully, I can sing it to my beloved, as a way to help them if they need comfort.

🎤 Adam: *fidgeting because he's written one song in particular that he'd love for MC to hear but is worried that MC will wind up hating it*

🐕 Henry: The Promise by When in Rome! It’s our song!

Interviewer: *secretly adding all the songs to their playlist*

Question No 4: Name one food that you will never ever eat.

❤️ Casanova: Mac and cheese, i fucking hate mac and cheese.

🕊️ Krow: I-I'm never... eating b-bland... white people c-cooking EVER a-again.

🔪 Ezra: Beans on toast. I just don't particularly like beans. Or sweet potatoes.

🔥 Harper: Ugh… Raisins

💐 Keith: Rabbit meat.

🎮 Tenebris: Anything with bugs.

🖥️ Virgil: Anything fish related, I do not like fish, but if someone ever served me, I would just suck it up and eat.

🎤 Adam: *doing 5 stages of disgusted face known to humankind* Anything from Saffrons freezer. (Interviewer: Time to raid Saffron's freezer hehehe)

🐕 Henry: I can’t bring myself to eat cauliflower. It's so bland!

Interviewer: *proceed to eat Mac & Cheese to spite Nova* I dont trust people who hates Mac & Cheese.

Question No 5: This would be a little bit of personal, so you have a choice not to answer this okay? Whats your most treasured possession?

❤️ Casanova: Mi vida’s house key, of course! it’s a little mangled bc i keep chewing on it though.

🕊️ Krow: Oh... w-well... t-this pendant is... p-precious but... well... I-I actually don't have m-many possessions. S-so... everything I have has m-meaning. (Interviewer: I can be your possession Krow)

🔪 Ezra: Eliana gave me a tie she made back in elementary school. Neither of our dads are in the picture so she gave it to me instead. I still wear it to work sometimes. (Interviewer: *starts crying bc this answer is so precious*)

🔥 Harper: This lighter here, we have a bit of history together~

💐 Keith: A bonsai tree I got from my father and I had for 7 years.

🎮 Tenebris: My guitar.

🖥️ Virgil: My necklace, it’s a gift from my dad.

🎤 Adam: You (MC). But if we're talking about an item...*he tugs on his earring*

🐕 Henry: A picture / polaroid of me + Buttercup as kids! (though, I do have more updated ones too…)

Interviewer: I am suprised no one answered MC's nose hair or whatever. Hmm.. Im not fully convinced but I will trust you on this one.

Question No 6: Nosy ask, whats your phone wallpaper right now?

❤️ Casanova: a photo of mi vida in the middle of taking their meds!

🕊️ Krow: D-Dove let us t-take a selfie! I-it's so cute aaaa--

🔪 Ezra: I managed to snap a photo of Sugar and Ellie cuddled up on the couch after a movie night once. I've never before felt so much love swelling in my chest. It almost hurt.

🔥 Harper: *proudly present his phone* 1st is my lockscreen and 2nd is my Homescreen. I took it myself..

💐 Keith: A pair of white lilies (Why is this the most normal answer on this whole interview?)

🎮 Tenebris: We share the same phone, so a pair of white lillies also.

🖥️ Virgil: Pixel art of my beloved Galaxy and my puppy Scott, aren’t they so cute in pixel form? (Interviewer: Scotty baby *coos at the phone* )

🎤 Adam: My home screen is of YOU (MC). My lock screen is of a stray kitten I found on my way to the studio that Ethans younger brother ended up taking in. (Interviewer: Do you have any other pics of the kitten? *cat lady vibes intensifies*)

🐕 Henry: A picture of Buttercup sleeping! How’d I get it? (Note: Its in a modern Au bc mobile phone with camera is not yet invented on Henry's time)

Interviewer: MC supremacy yass! If only some surgeon named Ketamine Yetrovzski use my photo as his wallpaper *coughs* (Ketamine shouting "NO" can be heard in the background but still here supporting the interviewer, this fuckin tsundere)

Question No 7: If you could appear in any popular movie/anime/book, which one would you choose?

❤️ Casanova: hmm, i would say the hp lovecraft series! hate the guy but i’m a major monster fucker

🕊️ Krow: Umm... I... I-I wanna be in a Jane A-Austen book. As a p-protagonist. N-no matter what... t-they marry happily in t-the end.

🔪 Ezra: Well... I guess... I'm not sure. I've never really thought about it. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I can't imagine my life without Eliana and I don't want to be anywhere without my sugarcube.

🔥 Harper: Ah.. thats a hard one.. If I get powers n shit and I’m not just a normal person maybe Jujutsu Kaisen?... Tbh I play more games than I do watch or read anything haha..

💐 Keith: Sherlock Holmes, because solving murder cases looks like fun. So does creating the perfect murder. *a sudden smoke appear near Keith for dramatic effect*

🎮 Tenebris: Inuyasha. I really want a Kagome. (Interviewer putting their Kagome costume)

🖥️ Virgil: Hmmmm that’s a tough one… Haha I couldn’t think of anything right now.

🎤 Adam: Death note, the anime. I think I could do a lot better with that notebook than light Yagami did. (Hermit, the creator, rolls their eyes behind the scenes and Adam glaring daggers to Hermit)

🐕 Henry: The Princess Bride! That movie is practically about me + Buttercup.

Interviewer: Im with Harper on this one. JJK so I cant prevent Nanami and Nobara Shibuya Arc huhuhu.

Question No 8 : What are some habits you have? Any strange ones?

❤️ Casanova: I tend to scratch at my braces when i’m trying to focus, often i’d end up chewing on my fingers.

🕊️ Krow: Uhh.... I... bite my h-hands... a lot. It's... a comfort t-thing. S-sometimes my forearms too. I-I guess I also make the same expression a-as to what I'm d-drawing.

🔪 Ezra: When eating food like burgers or sandwiches I eat around the edge and then eat the center last. Um... I also tend to rub things with my fingertips when I don't know what to do with my hands. I'm almost always touching my nails absent-mindedly.

🔥 Harper: I have a habit of scratching my fingertips, especially when I’m nervous… Its kinda a bad habit, sometimes I scratch em a little raw.

💐 Keith: Buttoning and unbuttoning my shirt sleeve when Im bored or nervous.

🎮 Tenebris: Leaving my things all over the bed

🖥️ Virgil: Hmmmm, whenever I play a video game that has levels right? And I messed up one thing, I restart the level. Don’t know why, I just like to go through the levels smoothly. It’s pretty frustrating if you ask me ahaha

🎤 Adam: I don't have any strange habits. I'm just a normal guy. (Someone shouts LIAR and its not Hermit, i swear. Or maybe?)

🐕 Henry: Hmmm…I have really bad sleeping habits if I’m being honest! I’m lucky if I can get 3 hours of sleep at night. As for strange ones, nope, I’m perfectly normal! (now the interviewer is also shouting LIAR)

Interviewer: That was the biggest lie Ive ever heard in my entire life Henry. *headache incoming* No one is normal here. Im not even normal smh.

Question No 9: This question was submitted by Gavin Hyeon of Camp Willlow Peak. Its time to test your flirting skill, give me one pick up line that you will probably use when flirting with MC. Gavin said he is watching you right now.

❤️ Casanova: if you were a heart i’d eat you out!

🕊️ Krow: N-no wonder i-it's overcast t-today. All t-the colors are in y-your eyes.

🔪 Ezra: Sometimes I wonder what good deed I did to deserve such a perfect soul like you to enter my life.

🔥 Harper: Pickup lines really aren’t my thing… Gavin did write down this one for me once though… Lets see it’s here somewhere…” *digs through his pockets and pulls out a piece of scrap paper* “Here it is… ‘Hey baby… You got any Italian in you?.. No?... Do you want some?’ …… I don’t get it 😐 *Gavin cheering in the background*

💐 Keith: Im really not a fan of pickup lines, but okay, "You're sweet enough to give me diabetes".

🎮 Tenebris: Tie your shoelaces, I don't want you falling for someone else!" (Legend says that until now, Tenebris is still waiting for MC to wear shoelaces and for them to be untied.)

🖥️ Virgil: Hmmm let me go grab my telescope, so I can admire the beautiful star.

🎤 Adam: *combusts into one giant human blush* (Hermit doing a voice over: He can only flirt on the fly. If he has to think his actions through he'll get self conscious and overheat from overthinking it)

🐕 Henry: If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put ‘U’ and ‘I’ together!

Interviewer: *currently helping Gavin to write his will of testament before he becomes Gavin Flavored Toasted Marshmallow, recipe by Harper*

Question No 10: This would be the last question, and I want to thank you again for giving me a chance to interview you. Before we end this, do you have anything you want to say to the people reading this?

❤️ Casanova: if you ever need fresh organs without having to do it yourself contact valentine’s anatomy distribution! we have a wide selection available, and if you’re a fellow yandere homie you get a discount!

🕊️ Krow: Uhh, well? I-I guess... t-thank you for... f-finding me interesting.

🔪 Ezra: Not particularly. I'm not sure why Lilith arranged the interview but I don't mind answering questions. I should probably head back into work soon though... Oh, I will say this. Thank you for coming into my life Sugar, I didn't think I could love someone like I love you.

🔥 Harper: .. Unshrimp your fucking backs, love you~

💐 Keith: Um, hello. I hope my answers weren't too boring.

🎮 Tenebris: No? I don't know 'em.

🖥️ Virgil: Hello everyone, I hope all of you have a wonderful day, afternoon, or night, make sure to take care of yourselves or else I will if you don’t mind hehe~

🎤 Adam: Is...YOU (MC) reading this? Because if you are, I hope to see you again really soon~

🐕 Henry: You guys are kinda weird for wanting an interview! I’m not quite sure what else to say though!

Interviewer: And that would be all. Thank you to our lovely guests for joining us today. And here is the bribe. List of all 2d characters MC currently simping for. Do what you want with that info.

Interviewer: Hi Hi guys! Again, CC here. Thank you again for entertaining this interview. To end this, may we ask for a few advices you can give for those aspiring artist out there or those who want to create their own vn.

NOVA belongs to @cannibalsweetheart : if you’re starting a project don’t feel unmotivated if you don’t get a lot of traction in the first few weeks, building a platform takes time, but soon enough you’ll gain an audience! (Demo link here)

Krow belongs to @thekrows-nest : While I don't have immediate plans for a VN (despite folks begging for it), for artist stuff, keep experimenting and trying out things. Don't be afraid to go to friends for advice. (:

Ezra belongs to @restartheartvn : lshdfksdfhj okay for my answer! My advice? Don't make something for other people. Make what YOU want to see. Make something that YOU are interested in. If you like... make something that you don't love and enjoy making people can tell. It doesn't come off as genuine and you'll burn out that way. Don't think about numbers or anything like that. Make stuff because it makes you happy. I make Restart Heart because I love my little passion project. I love it so much I get my nails done to match my game and spend most of the day thinking about it. I would still be making Restart Heart if no one played. Make something that you would want to make even if no one saw. Even if you were the only person in the world who loves it, make it because it brings you happiness. Sorry if that's cheesy or like super standard but it's genuine. (Demo link here)

Harper belongs to @campwillowpeak : Hmmm, other than the good ol’ practice practice practice?…Try and remember to have fun yeah? Don’t focus on numbers, yeah everyone wants more eyes on their work, thats normal, but if you focus only on how big you are you’re gonna burn out and get discouraged, stuff like that takes time, consistency, and a little bit of luck. In the meantime just have fun and make friends! Besides, people can tell if you’re trying to force it, an audience’ll more often stay if they can tell you’re legitimately having fun! And never just look at where you are now… Look at how far you’ve come from too!~

Keith & Tenebris belongs to @dualityvn : Make sure you set realistic goals for yourself. Taking on too many tasks and planning a project that is bigger than what you can currently manage can be your downfall. Stay positive and always create the things you yourself love! (Demo link here)

Virgil belongs to @wouldyoustayvn : Take your time! There’s no need to rush to make the game quickly! Make sure to take breaks!))

Adam belongs to @unknownhermit : Please get a good chair. It'll help in the long run when you're often crouched over your desk for hours on end. Don't be like me who hovers over my desk like a hermit crab shell.😅 Second thing is to just have fun creating and don't worry about what others think! I used to obsessively worry if my work was good enough and wound up never releasing it because I got self conscious. It wasn't until YOU and HIM that I actually had fun with what I was doing and I think that translated into my work. Create to create for yourself. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks because it's important to create what you love and are passionate about. And I'm sure a lot of us would love to see what sorts of things you'll come up with. 💙 (Demo link here)

Henry belongs to @homecomingvn : Ahh, I’m a really bad person to ask for advice if I’m being honest! I guess all I can really say is that no matter how silly you think your idea is, there will be an audience for it! It can be scary to put yourself out there, but honestly, this community is so incredibly supportive + I’ve met some amazing people here! Also, I’d recommend keeping various docs about your project! It’s nice to have it all in one (or 3 + a google slides in my case) place so you can have a clear idea about your wip + its characters. And lastly, be prepared for people to be horny! ^^ (okay, you dont have to call me out >…< will still send horny ask bc someone needs to 😙)

Just a little self indulgent ramblings. I dont know if anyone already know about this game, but one of my moots recommended this, its DONT LOOK VN and I tell you, its so good. The story premise, the creepy atmosphere and the voice acting are all on point. They have on going Kickstarter and they only have 8 days left to reach the goal. This is my way of helping since im unable to pledge bc the banks here in the country im currently residing are shitty and they keep declining, so please if you have means to support, please do. Lets help them to reach their goals.

Here is the link of the demo also and their socials:

Kickstarter | Demo | Twitter | Tumblr

DO IT FOR CHESTER!!

#camp willowpeak #restart heart #cannibal sweetheart #yandere #duality keith #duality tenebris #yandere male #the krow's nest #you and him #would you stay vn #homecoming vn #Yandere Interview #dont look vn #Please support Dont Look Vn

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veronicaleighauthor · 4 months

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Fun Facts About “A Slice of Life”

Last Sunday, my story “A Slice of Life” was published in Black Cat Weekly #141. It is the second installment of the Sleuthing Smith Sisters Series. If you’re interested in buying the issue for your Kindle, you can do so here. If you’re interested in buying the story alone for your Kindle, you can do so here, and I’ll get royalties.

Today I’m going to write about the Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes stuff that went into writing this story. Enjoy!

This story takes place in January of 1919, during the Spanish Influenza pandemic. Minnie is working as a housekeeper in a hospital and Brenna is studying to be a veterinarian. Much of their feelings and experiences are based on my own and my sister’s during the covid pandemic. I was working as a housekeeper in a nursing home, and my sister was studying to be a vet assistant. The fear, the pain, the loss, the mask wearing – it was the same in 2020 as it was in 1919. However, by 1920, it is estimated that anywhere from 17 million to 100 million people worldwide died from the Spanish Flu.

Contrary to what it was called, the Spanish Flu didn’t begin in Spain. It began in an army camp in Kansas in 1918, although it may have had a precursor in 1916/1917 in military hospitals in France and England. It was believed that the strain was beginning to die out in the fall of 1918, but when the Great War ended and people gathered in crowds to celebrate, it created the deadly second wave. There were four waves altogether, which lasted into 1920, and a milder version of it in 1921, but by then it was considered more of a seasonal flu. So, why was it called the Spanish Flu? Because Spain was the first to report on the pandemic. A neutral nation, they had a free press and stated how many died from the flu in Spain. This gave the false impression amongst other countries that the flu began in Spain. America, Great Britain, and other European countries had a censored press and they didn’t cover it the way Spain did. For that reason, it was called the Spanish Flu.

The house the Smith sisters live in is a Parsonage, which belongs to the church their father serves as a minister. The house is in fact based on the house I live in, and have lived in for nearly twenty-six years. Built in 1913, it is a Sears Roebuck House. Well to-do families in the early 20th Century could order plans and materials from the Sears Roebuck Catalogue and build the house of their dreams. This isn’t the first time I featured our house in a story. The first time I wrote about it was in a gothic mystery entitled, “No Place Like Home.”

It is briefly mentioned in the story, that when Minnie and Brenna were younger, they had knock-down-drag-out fights. Well, when my sister and I were growing up, we had knock-down-drag-out fights. They tapered off when I was about twelve and she was nine. One time, we were fighting and losing our balance, we slammed into a piano. Neither of us told our parents, fearing we would get into trouble.

To my surprise, there really was a Providence, Indiana, in Johnson County. However, this was meant to be a fictional town, set in Vigo County, along the Wabash River.

Louisa May Alcott, author of “Little Women” is mentioned. Her classic coming of age story of the March sisters heavily inspired my own writing when I was a teen. I wrote about Minnie and Brenna back then, though they more resembled the March sisters, than when they do today. To this day Alcott is an influence in my writing.

A Hoosier Cabinet is shown in the story. A cupboard, or free-standing cabinet, it could be used as a workstation. According the Wikipedia, in that era, many homes didn’t have built in cabinets and Hoosier Cabinets were used to store and make meals on. Discontinued in 1942, you can still find different styles of Hoosier Cabinets at antique shops nationwide.

Until next time!

#historical fiction #mystery fiction #crime fiction #a slice of life #black cat weekly 141 #christian fiction #short stories #sleuthing smith sisters series

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theprofessionalpromptmaker · 1 year

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Be an Angel Day & National Tooth Fairy Day & Take Your Cat to the Vet Day (Late)

Person A is a pre-angel who works at a vet clinic during their observation period of humanity, before they can get their angel certification. Person B is their roommate and ex-tooth fairy who got their qualifications revoked for making disturbing art with the teeth they’d collected and selling it online, but since Person B’s art business was doing so well, they’re trying to find other ways to get teeth to keep making art, and suggests Person A help them acquire animal teeth from Person A’s vet clinic gig.

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dealsxciting · 7 months

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Why your cat needs regular check-ups?

National Take Your Cat To The Vet Day is celebrated on August 22 every year and is a reminder to take care of our kitty's health and well-being. Cute, playful and adventurous, cats can really win hearts with their graceful demeanour. Your feline friends are lovable too and shower you with a lot of attention; however they like to keep their lives as private as possible. This means even if they are ill, hurt or distressed, they are unlikely to display it. It's their natural instinct to hide their pain because they are wired to survive in the wild. Being sick or injured means being vulnerable to predators and other dangers in the wild. Concealing the pain is thus a second nature to cats and even cat parents may find it difficult to detect signs of illness in them.

Here are 5 reasons why your cats need regular check-ups:

Vaccination

To spot diseases early

Prevention from fleas and ticks

Advice for your obese cat

#PetCare #CatCare #CatHealth

#the magnus protocol #dimension 20 #taylor swift #dungeon meshi #the sunshine court #critical role #watcher #yuri on ice #transformers one #hades 2

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brookston · 1 year

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Holidays 8.22

Holidays

America’s Cup Day

Baltic Unity Day (Latvia)

Be An Angel Day

Chuck Brown Day

Dia do Folclore (Folklore Day; Brazil)

Exercise Day

Feast of the Queenship of Mary

Flag Day (Russia)

International Apostasy Day

International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion of Belief (UN)

International Museum Meme Day

Liquid Soap Day

Loch Ness Monster Day

Madras Day (India)

National Firefighters Day (Mexico)

National Pamela Day

National Punctuation Day

National Rainbow Baby Day

National Surgical Oncologist Day

National Tooth Fairy Day (also 2.28)

Never Bean Better Day

Pocketphone Day

Rumpleskunkskin’s Wedding (Goblin celebration)

Salmon Day (French Republic)

Southern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day

Take Your Cat to the Vet Day

Tunamint (Natural Chimneys, Virginia)

World Folklore Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Eat a Peach Day

National Bao Day

National Pecan Torte Day

World Jolly Rice Day

World Plant Milk Day

Independence Days

Arstotzkan Union (Declared, 2019) [unrecognized]

Wakamawabla (Declared, 2016) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Andrew (Christian; Saint)

Archibald Willard (Artology)

Double Seventh Festival (a.k.a. Qi Xi Festival, Chinese Valentine's Day or Feast of the Milky Way; China) [7th Day of 7th Month]

Fabrizio (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Hathor and Min (Ancient Egypt)

Guinefort (Christian; Saint)

Harrison (Positivist; Saint)

Hippolytus (Christian; Saint)

Ignatius Reilly Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Immaculate Heart of Mary (Roman Catholic)

Janmashtami (Festival celebrating birth of Krishna; India)

Philibert (Christian; Saint)

Queenship of Mary (Christian; Saint)

Symphorian (Christian; Saint)

Tarantula Teasing Day (Pastafarian)

Timotheus (Christian; Saint)

Virgo zodiac sign begins (Pagan)

The Weatherberries (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Alice in the Big League (Disney Cartoon; 1927)

And Now For Something Completely Different (Film; 1972)

Another One Bites the Dust, by Queen (Song; 1980)

Bojack Horseman (Animated TV Series; 2014)

Bootle Beetle (Disney Cartoon; 1947)

The Cocktail Party, by T.S. Eliot (Play; 1949)

Dancing in the Streets, recorded by Martha and the Vandellas (Song; 1966)

Ghosts, by Henrik Ibsen (Play; 1883)

G.I. Jane (Film; 1997)

Hamlet 2 (Film; 2008)

High Plains Drifter (Film; 1973)

The House Bunny (Film; 2008)

If I Stay (Film; 2014)

Joy in the Morning, by P.G. Wodehouse (Novel; 1947) [Jeeves #8]

Jumpin’ at the Woodside, recorded by Count Basie (Song; 1938)

Plop Goes the Weasel (WB LT Cartoon; 1953)

Porky’s Poultry Plant (WB LT Cartoon; 1936)

The Saint, by Burt Barer (Film Novelization; 1997) [Saint #51]

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (Film; 2014)

The Skeleton Dance (Disney Cartoon; 1929)

Stand By Me (Film; 1986)

Toby Tortoise Returns (Disney Cartoon; 1936)

Today’s Name Days

Regina, Siegfried (Austria)

Marija, Regina, Vladislava (Croatia)

Bohuslav (Czech Republic)

Symphorian (Denmark)

Iivo, Ivalo, Ivar, Ivari, Ivo (Estonia)

Iivari, Iivo (Finland)

Fabrice (France)

Maria Regina, Regina, Sigfried (Germany)

Menyhért, Mirjam (Hungary)

Fabrizio, Maria, Regina (Italy)

Nadīna, Rudīte (Latvia)

Ipolitas, Karijotas, Rimantė, Sigitas, Zygfridas (Lithuania)

Harriet, Harry (Norway)

Cezary, Dalegor, Fabrycjan, Fabrycy, Hipolit, Hipolita, Maria, Namysław, Oswald, Oswalda, Tymoteusz, Zygfryd (Poland)

Tichomír (Slovakia)

María, Timoteo (Spain)

Henrietta, Henrika (Sweden)

Florence, Florent (Ukraine)

Hayden, Hazel, Heath, Heather, Hector (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 234 of 2024; 131 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of week 34 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 15 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Geng-Shen), Day 7 (Ren-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 5 Elul 5783

Islamic: 5 Safar 1445

J Cal: 24 Hasa; Threesday [24 of 30]

Julian: 9 August 2023

Moon: 32%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 10 Gutenberg (9th Month) [Harrison]

Runic Half Month: As (Gods) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 62 of 94)

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 1 of 32)

Calendar Changes

Virgo (The Virgin) begins [Zodiac Sign 6; thru 9.22]

#calendar #Holidays

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highdefinitions · 2 years

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Tag Game To Better Know You!

Send this to people you'd like to know better!

thanks for the tags @shutupdevvie <:3

What book are you currently reading?

i don't know why i've done this but right now i'm reading like...three books at once. i'm not sure why because i never do this but for some reason it's become this but ANYWHO i'm reading summer of night by dan simmons (enjoying very much ! i love a good horror novel), the american roommate experiment by elena armas (i never do not finish a but but i might dnf this one i don't think it's really for me), and don't let the cold in by kelly parrack (i love ya mystery/thriller novels i don't know why but they are so special)

What do you usually wear?

it depends how i'm feeling...sometimes i am a sweatpants girl all the time, sometimes i'm a jeans girl all the time. recently i've really been rocking the jeans and since it's colder i like to layer stuff. i try to keep it somewhat casual idk. just got docs for christmas so i've been wearing those a lot but usually i'm a high top converse girl those are my ride or die shoes

How tall are you?

...i'm 5'3. my license says 5'2, but i think i'm 5'3...small

What's your star sign? Do you share a birthday with a celebrity or historical event?

i'm a scorpio !! i just learned that i share a bday with a twitch streamer i've recently started to really love so that's cool and fun (jubby nation !!)

Do you go by your name or a nickname?

uhhh well...about that...percy isn't my real name OMG SHOCKER!! but i don't mind nicknames for it btw...as for in real life and what people call me...sort of. my real name has a nickname for it but i'm not the biggest fan of it and for some reason only certain people can call me it and get away with it

Did you grow up to become what you wanted to be as a child?

uh no. maybe also sort of yes. when i was a kid, i wanted to be a vet and i started to go to school for that but then i was like THIS SUCKS LOL and i was having a lot of mental health issues pertaining to being in those classes so i said FUCK THIS and changed my major (which is totally valid for anyone to do btw i know it's hard as fuck though to get over the mental hill of that) but i do sort of run like a side hustle dogsitting and i also do some work on a farm so i still get to work with animals :)

What is something you’re good as vs. something you’re bad at?

i'm good at...being obsessed with things. IDK FUCK!! i guess i'm good at escape rooms (ohhh my goddd that sounds so lame but i am) and i'm really bad at like...everything else. i have such a hard time staying on task and managing my time properly

If you draw/write, or create in any way, what's your favorite picture/favorite line/favorite etc. from something you created this year?

you know i think i have a lot of favorite lines that i will fawn over (at least one probably in everything i write) because i try to get like one REALLY GOOD one in there but i think all time, the one that takes the motherfucking cake, is that line from closest to heaven. you know what i'm talking about. the one where josh says "I'm not a particularly religious person, but I do sometimes think that something divine had a hand in creating you." yeah that one. that one might be my favorite.

Dogs or cats?

i used to be anti-cat but then i GREW TF UP!!! come on people. i want both. i've never had a cat before but i definitely plan on getting one in the future. they're so silly and fun. i've always had dogs though, so i don't think i'd be able to go without those either. my dog is my bff <3

What's something you would like to create content for?

i think i have a lot of ideas for things and i will occasionally write things (that will never see the light of day) for what i'm interested in. i think the whole lore for the band ghost is so cool (even though tobias sometimes does make it the most ridiculous thing Ever). that's just an example by the way, i just think anything really Lore Heavy is so awesome and could be so fun to explore and write stuff for because there's So Much There, you know? i could probably talk all about that for a really long time but i will spare you

What’s something you’re currently obsessed with?

oh geez. i am always obsessed with something. recently i've been very into the group chat (isaacwhy, softwilly, yumi, bigt, larry, and grunk). i think they're some silly funny guys. also been pretty into cartoons again which is fun to try and attempt to heal my inner child. always obsessed with dr. pepper and music. been really really enjoying the new boygenius record. if you want to see more stuff i'm into, i would check the caard i have in my navigation post. i'm always forgetting something.

What's something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year?

there was definitely something !! there definitely was !! i just cannot for the life of me remember it ?? maybe i guess the like little two week vacation i went on during the summer ?? i knew it probably wasn't going to be the best time of my life considering some stuff that happened the year before but i still really like the daytime stuff we do, the shit at night bums me out (this probably doesn't make sense to you unless you're dev and you know the whole story but explaining the entire story to all of you would probably be longer than any fic i've ever written so)

What’s a hidden talent of yours?

i'm going to give a bullshit cop out answer and say writing because no one really knows that i'm Okay at it sometimes

What's something you wish to have at this moment?

time and motivation to WRITE goddamn seasonal affective disorder is kicking me in the teeth

literally the only person i will tag is @gretagolden but if you would like to feel free to do it also !!

#i missed tag games #need to do more of these i miss our silly chats in my silly inbox

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murderousink23 · 1 year

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08/22/2023 is Folklore Day 🇧🇷, National Flag Day 🇷🇺, National Bao Day 🇺🇲, National Pecan Torte Day 🇺🇲, National Tooth Fairy Day 🦷🧚‍♀️🇺🇲, National Take Your Cat To The Vet Day 😺🇺🇲, National Rainbow Baby Day 🌈👶, International Day of Remembrance for Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief

#folklore day #national flag day #national bao day #national pecan torte day #national tooth fairy day #national take your cat to the vet day #national rainbow baby day #international day of remembrance for victims of acts of violence based on religion or belief

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brookstonalmanac · 1 month

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Holidays 8.22

Holidays

America’s Cup Day

Baltic Unity Day (Latvia)

Be An Angel Day

Chuck Brown Day

Dia do Folclore (Folklore Day; Brazil)

Exercise Day

Feast of the Queenship of Mary

Flag Day (Russia)

Folklore Day (Brazil)

Fortuna Asteroid Day

International Apostasy Day

International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief (UN)

International Museum Meme Day

International Tongue Twister Day

Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance Day (Ukraine)

Liquid Soap Day

Loch Ness Monster Day

Madras Day (India)

Miriam Asteroid Day

National Firefighters Day (Mexico)

National Pamela Day

National Punctuation Day

National Rainbow Baby Day

National Surgical Oncologist Day

National Tooth Fairy Day (also 2.28)

Never Bean Better Day

Pocketphone Day

Rumpleskunkskin’s Wedding (Goblin celebration)

Salmon Day (French Republic)

Southern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day

Take Your Cat to the Vet Day

Timothy Herb Day

Tunamint (Natural Chimneys, Virginia)

World Folklore Day

World Rainbow Baby Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Burgers to Beat MS Day (Canada)

Eat a Peach Day

National Bao Day

National Pecan Torte Day

World Jollof Rice Day

World Plant Milk Day

Independence & Related Days

Arstotzkan Union (Declared, 2019) [unrecognized]

Korea (Annexed by Japan; 1910)

New Mexico (Annexed by US; 1846)

Sierra Leone (Founded as Slave Asylum; UK; 1788)

Wakamawabla (Declared, 2016) [unrecognized]

4th Thursday in August

California Public Radio Day (California) [4th Thursday]

National Bra Fitting Day [4th Thursday]

National Burger Day (a.k.a. Mr. Hyde National Burger Day; UK) [Thursday before August bank holiday]

Thinking Thursday [4th Thursday of Each Month]

Thirsty Thursday [Every Thursday]

Three for Thursday [Every Thursday]

Thrift Store Thursday [Every Thursday]

Throwback Thursday [Every Thursday]

Thuringer Thursday [4th Thursday of Each Month]

Festivals Beginning August 22, 2024

Acton Fair (Acton, Maine) [thru 8.25]

Brewed In Minnesota Exhibit (Minnesota State Fair, Minnesota) [thru 9.2]

Buttermilk Days Festival (Bardstown, Kentucky) [thru 8.24]

Evergreen State Fair (Monroe, Washington) [thru 9.2]

Fan Expo Canada (Toronto, Ontario) [thru 8.25]

Gillespie County Fair (Fredericksburg, Texas) [thru 8.25]

Gueydan Duck Festival (Gueydan, Louisiana) [thru 8.25]

Loyal CornFest (Loyal, Wisconsin) [thru 8.25]

Maryland State Fair (Timonium, Maryland) [thru 9.8]

Minnesota State Fair (Falcon Heights, Minnesota) [thru 9.2]

Piscataquis Valley Fair (Dover-Foxcroft, Maine) [thru 8.25]

Swiss Wine Festival (Vevay, Indiana) [thru 8.25]

A Taste of New England (Stowe, Vermont) [thru 8.25]

Taste of Tennis (New York, New York)

Winterville Watermelon Festival (Winterville, North Carolina) [thru 8.25]

Feast Days

Andrew of Fiesole (Christian; Saint)

Annie Proulx (Writerism)

Archibald Willard (Artology)

Dorothy Parker (Writerism)

Fabrizio (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Hathor and Min (Ancient Egypt)

Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Roman Catholic)

Feast of the Queenship of Mary

George Herriman (Artology)

Guinefort (Christian; Saint)

Harrison (Positivist; Saint)

Hippolytus (Christian; Saint)

Ignatius Reilly Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Jacques Lipchitz (Artology)

Janmashtami (Festival celebrating birth of Krishna; India)

Kelly Freas (Artology)

Muin (Blackberry; Celtic Book of Days)

Nu Kea Day (Chinese Healing Goddess; Everyday Wicca)

Order of the Rosy Cross Foundation Day

Philibert (Christian; Saint)

Queenship of Mary (Christian; Saint)

Ray Bradbury (Writerism)

Roberto Aizenberg (Artology)

Rumpleskunkskin’s Wedding (Goblin Celebration; Shamanism)

Sigfrid (Christian; Saint)

Symphorian (Christian; Saint)

Tarantula Teasing Day (Pastafarian)

Timotheus (Christian; Saint)

Timothy, Hippolytus & Symphorian (Christian; Martyrs)

Virgo zodiac sign begins (Pagan)

The Weatherberries (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Alice in the Big League (Disney Cartoon; 1927)

And Now For Something Completely Different (Film; 1972)

Another One Bites the Dust, by Queen (Song; 1980)

Bimbo’s Express (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1931)

Blitz Wolf (Tex Avery MGM Cartoon; 1942)

Bojack Horseman (Animated TV Series; 2014)

Bootle Beetle (Disney Cartoon; 1947)

Clown on the Farm (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1957)

The Cocktail Party, by T.S. Eliot (Play; 1949)

Dancing in the Streets, recorded by Martha and the Vandellas (Song; 1966)

Ghosts, by Henrik Ibsen (Play; 1883)

G.I. Jane (Film; 1997)

Hamlet 2 (Film; 2008)

High Plains Drifter (Film; 1973)

The House Bunny (Film; 2008)

The Ice Carnival (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1941)

If I Stay (Film; 2014)

Joy in the Morning, by P.G. Wodehouse (Novel; 1947) [Jeeves #8]

Jumpin’ at the Woodside, recorded by Count Basie (Song; 1938)

The Mild West (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1947)

Top-pop-a-da, Two Bass Hit and Ow!, recorded by Dizzy Gillespie (Song; 1947)

Plop Goes the Weasel (WB LT Cartoon; 1953)

Porky’s Poultry Plant (WB LT Cartoon; 1936)

The Saint, by Burt Barer (Film Novelization; 1997) [Saint #51]

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (Film; 2014)

The Skeleton Dance (Silly Symphonies Disney Cartoon; 1929)

Stand By Me (Film; 1986)

Stormy Seas (Ub Iwerks MGM Cartoon; 1932)

Toby Tortoise Returns (Silly Symphonies Disney Cartoon; 1936)

Travelaffs (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1958)

Today’s Name Days

Regina, Siegfried (Austria)

Marija, Regina, Vladislava (Croatia)

Bohuslav (Czech Republic)

Symphorian (Denmark)

Iivo, Ivalo, Ivar, Ivari, Ivo (Estonia)

Iivari, Iivo (Finland)

Fabrice (France)

Maria Regina, Regina, Sigfried (Germany)

Menyhért, Mirjam (Hungary)

Fabrizio, Maria, Regina (Italy)

Nadīna, Rudīte (Latvia)

Ipolitas, Karijotas, Rimantė, Sigitas, Zygfridas (Lithuania)

Harriet, Harry (Norway)

Cezary, Dalegor, Fabrycjan, Fabrycy, Hipolit, Hipolita, Maria, Namysław, Oswald, Oswalda, Tymoteusz, Zygfryd (Poland)

Tichomír (Slovakia)

María, Timoteo (Spain)

Henrietta, Henrika (Sweden)

Florence, Florent (Ukraine)

Hayden, Hazel, Heath, Heather, Hector (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 235 of 2024; 131 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of Week 34 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 20 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Ren-Shen), Day 19 (Wu-Wu)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 18 Av 5784

Islamic: 16 Safar 1446

J Cal: 25 Purple; Foursday [25 of 30]

Julian: 9 August 2024

Moon: 88%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 10 Gutenberg (9th Month) [Harrison]

Runic Half Month: As (Gods) [Day 15 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 64 of 94)

Week: 3rd Full Week of August

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 1 of 32)

Calendar Changes

Virgo (The Virgin) begins [Zodiac Sign 6; thru 9.22]

#Holidays

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the-stephen-mcclanahan · 7 months

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Toriyama and The Super Villain share One Beer upon the Lathe of Heaven

"Fuck bitches, get money." – Bulma, probably

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I'm really fucked up about Toriyama-san passing. This is a series of unmeasured mournings I've never had the chance to process. Death is around every corner; beware, here there be Dragon(s) {Ball}.

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Gadzooks, Punk's Dead

Stella was 19 and waifish; picture a whispy, mud-grey shorthair cat on spindly legs with one glassy eye, her haggard mew calling through night and day like an omen. She would leap from high places her joints had no right to hold up against. I loved that beleaguered creature with all my heart. When my ex introduced me to her the first time I visited her apartment, I felt my soul tether to this witchy feline.

In January 2022, while my then-partner was away with her mother on a beach trip, I watched as the reliably lively kitty crone lay lonely through the day, her cold demeanor echoing the silence I knew in my gut meant something was wrong. She wouldn't join me on the bed that night, and when I awoke I found her prone in the dirty litter box tucked away in the closet. Her breathing was shallow and her cries quiet, and through hot flashes of tears, I swaddled her while I made phone calls to the coast and the vet and anyone who would listen. I didn't know when I handed her over to the VCA that I was loving her for the last time, that she had fought to live long enough that I could escort her to the Gates. I told her I loved her, but in my fear, I never thought to thank her.

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Take Me to Your Leader

Why is it always fucking Instagram? New Year's Eve 2020 – months of anguished self-interrogation at the thought of stepping outside the house crudely shoved into its ill-fitting psychic compartment like so much crinkled Christmas wrapping paper – and the cosmic saxophone playing us off the stage dampens to a wet fart when XXL reports on my timeline that DOOM departed Primary Reality on Halloween. The soundtrack of my young adulthood scratched, DJ falling face-first onto the Wheels of Steel, no beat in his heart; we've been ratted out, boys, so cheese it, before the Heat comes on.

Daniel Dumile was a different breed; he didn't want the cult or the recognition. He wanted to make dope shit. Go listen to the Red Bull interview again. The Mask wasn't a gimmick, it was him; he polished the cracks and snags of his optics until there was no tactile humanity to cling on to, a mirror shine of accountability on his metal for every pimple-faced geek like me who looked up to him. It was never about Dumile. He was there in the rhymes, in the beats. We obsessed over alter egos and collaborations and SAMPLES – would I have cared about Sade Adu without the Villain? – and he croaked having only ever wanted to make dope shit.

DOOM comes for us all.

I never got to thank him.

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The Wall Around the Place

In 2018, on an errant trip to my folks', I stumbled across a repost of Ursula K. Le Guin's National Book Awards speech with the caption "R.I.P.". My mother graced me with several rare (for us) minutes of silence when I told her I didn't know how to be. When I left my childhood home a half-an-hour later, the air was astringent and the wet-land pasture outside my window buzzed with insect chatter.

The Earthsea books are everything I aspire to in my creative work. Le Guin covered more of the human soul in sentences a fraction of the length these fucking dorks propped up by the ~ C A N O N ~ could've dreamed to pen. She liberally seasoned her work with radical ideologies and served it all wrapped in fairy-tale fantasy and, whelp, I've pretty much chased that feeling since middle school. I still haven't found it.

She was a long-time resident of Portland and spoke regularly at events in the city. At that point in my life, I'd lived an hour away from her. I never got to thank her.

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Journey to the (Pacific North)West

Silverton High School's library in 2009 was brand new off a bond measure issued 20 years before, and each ripple from those taxpayer dollars over the years brought Dragon Ball Vol. 1 nearer to the front desk display counter where I initially found it. The bright red cover featuring a child Goku recalled hours of my youth yearning for the Z-Fighters in action I was forbidden from by my reactionary parents. I picked up the book with a curiosity steeped in taboo.

God*DAMN, that book annihilated my 14-year-old brain; martial arts battles and panty jokes and nazi-coded bad guys and magic orbs that summoned a dragon to grant your wish and how THA FUK was this in Bum-fuck-Nowhere, Oregon? On a high school library bookshelf?

[ No, seriously, how in THE ACTUAL FUCK was this in my public school library?!?!]

When I exhausted the 3 volumes in the school, I stalked through the town library, scraped together rare side-job dollars for bookstores, and clawed at low-res scans on shady websites. Dragon Ball was the first manga I read cover-to-cover, not to mention my gateway into almost every other thing I would obsess over for the next decade-and-a-half. There is a direct line of influence from my years of martial arts training to finding Dragon Ball to picking up Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, ruining me forever. Without Goku's adventures, I wouldn't have fallen in love with Hip–Hop; I never would have gotten fit; no Neon Genesis for me, and everything that comes with it. Hell, DOOM's sonic universe of comic-book shenanigans probably owes some debt to Akira Toriyama for my avid fixation. So many lives have touched mine for ripples from the rock dropped by Dragon Ball into the river of my soul.

Toriyama's passing this month is cold and familiar, an estranged uncle you never felt the pressing urge to know until it was too late. I've played in his sandbox countless times, running the gamut of emotion through every fantasy he painstakingly crafted within those pages. Dragon Ball is not just my childhood but the majority of my life, intimate in the way only boon companions can be. I've never known much about Toriyama Akira outside of his oeuvre, and his death is a wound deeper than any blade or bullet can bring because I am not here without Stelly or Metal Face or Le Guin or Toriyama-sensei.

I never got a chance to thank him.

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Boldly Go

I was 8 when we scattered Robert's ashes.

We set out for the Oregon coast, our party of faintly realized familial connections from around the States, and found an unremarkable cove for our bitter deed. I was too young to know what ~absence~ – as in a lifetime – could mean; to me, Uncle Bob was returning Home, the waves a sublime chariot into the Beyond. I had known he was sick, but not quite in the way I knew Stella was sick; visits to his Portland apartment – wall-to-wall, top-to-bottom with the gleam of bagged and boarded single-issue comic books – were filled with tense silence as the subject of his terminal condition was daintily avoided by my mother, beside herself with stoic grief.

Robert was the first person I can remember who loved me unconditionally; who doted on me just for existing; who staged elaborate magic tricks that flourished with X-Men comics and Star Trek episodes to misdirect me from his predictable disappearance. HIV is a bitch of a Final Boss and my uncle became yet another barely-closeted gay man with fringe interests to stain the legacy of his conservative bloodline by succumbing to its cruel assault. I loved him and didn't know how to mourn him because I had never mourned a death before, and my models for that ritual didn't either, fearing him as much as they loved him, too.

The countable hours I shared with my uncle before his passing were the first cracks in the foundation of my stasis, the punctuation hanging at the end of every doubt. Without my Uncle, I never join GSA in high school, and never find all of the Queer people I keep close to my heart; without my mother's love beyond fear for her brother, I never learn to love art as I love life; without Robert, I never find Dragon Ball.

As we sent his ashes drifting into the Pacific Ocean, I whispered to the wind that I loved him.

I never thought to thank him until now.

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I've shed too many tears over this stupid exercise in ~ R E L E A S E ~ to mention the countless others, so let's wrap this up:

Epilogue

My oathsworn brother – the one who's Instagram message broke the news of Toriyama-san's passing – called me an hour or so later after I told him I was crying. I confided in him my great shame of never sharing with Sensei how grateful I was for his effort in the struggle against human loneliness.

"He knows," I heard through the phone, without hesitation. "He's up on some lotus flower contemplating it all. He knows."

The Dead don't need our thanks: their peace is transcendent. We give our thanks to them for ourselves, to assuage the monotonous pain of knowing that many of us perish without Justice and only some pass Beyond having taken on more than their share of the burden to any lasting effect. The Congo is burning, Gaza is rubble, and I can't stop thinking about what went through Toriyama's mind when he drew Vegeta hugging his son for the first time before the redeemed villain’s predictable disappearance.

Don't just tell your people you love them. Thank them.

#dragon ball #akira toriyama #rip toriyama #goku #tw death #ursula k le guin #le guin #mf doom

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