#not an effect just the rain on the window and our early holiday lights

[dygn]

Rainy night & fairy lights.

[chispas-and-broken-bindings]

A Preview...

Someone requested a fix for their birthday...I don’t have the next chapter for I Just Think I’ll Scream quite ready for prime time, but here’s a sneak peak: 

Ch 20 Sansa

Robb and Ned were up and away before Sansa emerged from her shower in the morning. The house is chaos as Catelyn tries to wrangle the remaining Starks out the door. "Sansa, stop feeding Shaggydog scraps from the table and get dressed! Bran, there are two boxes of gourds by the back door that need to be brought to the store for the window display. Be a dear and put them in the car. And where are Arya and Rickon?" 

 Sansa skips up the stairs before she's pulled into the hunt, almost knocking into her younger sister as she slides down the bannister. "One of these days that's going to break."

 "Whatever, killjoy."

 "Mom is looking for you, but you better change. We are supposed to wear floral for the Women's Club Bake Sale. It's themed and Cersei Lannister is going to be there, so we have to be on our best behavior." Her little sister is wearing their dad's old Falcon's sweatshirt and ripped up jeans, looking for all the world like she's about to spend the day painting a house or cleaning out a garage, and not hobnobbing with their mother's friends and clients. 

 "I'm not working the bake sale. I'm selling tickets to the haunted fun house with Mycah." 

 "Says who?" 

Before Arya can respond, Catelyn is at the bottom of the stairs. "Me. You know that it'll be better for everyone if Arya isn't cooped up all day in a tent with the Women's Club ladies. Help me get through the midday rush, Sansa, and you can slip away and spend the afternoon with Harry if you'd like." 

 "Gods, Mom! They broke up weeks ago! Catch up!" Arya yells as the back door slams behind her and Sansa is alone, staring down the steps at her mother whose face has fallen into a look of concern. 

 "Oh, Sansa, dear. Why didn't you tell me?" 

 She sighs, "It's fine, Mom. Like Arya said, it happened weeks ago, and it was just a high school fling. They aren't meant to last." She turns back up the stairs, not waiting to see if her brush off was convincing. She dresses in the dark maxi dress waiting on her hook, with its long flowy sleeves and pattern of intricate woodland flowers. Usually, she feels like Florence Welch in it. Today though, as she inspects herself before the mirror, it's coming off less stylishly bohemian and more dowdy Victorian with the small ruffles along the high collar and shoulders. Ygritte would never wear something like this, a small ugly voice whispers. 

 Just as she's about to dive back into her closet, Bran yells up the stairs, "We're going to leave without you, Sansa," and it makes her choice for her. It's fine. She'll just hide in a corner of the tent with Old Nan and sneak lemon cakes all day. No one has to see her. So what if the band is playing this afternoon? It's not like any of them care if she watches their show, and she's basically heard the whole set already in rehearsals. It's not like Robb told everybody at school about it. It's not like she promised to get there early and save a spot up front with Marge and Jeyne. 

Ygritte will probably be there to watch Jon. Best to skip...at least until she gets over her absurd crush. 

 "Sansa! Mom is literally starting the engine!" Bran yells again. 

 "Coming!" The best she can do is throw on sunglasses and a wide-brimmed fedora and hope no one recognizes her. Outside, Arya is still arguing with Rickon about buckling his car seat and Cat is on her phone, pacing up the driveway while Bran sits on the back step, whistling the march from Bridge Over the River Kwai. "Liar," Sansa flicks off his baseball cap. "We're nowhere near about to leave."

 "She was starting the engine before her phone rang."

 When they finally find a parking spot, it's apparent to everyone that they would have been better off leaving the car at home and walking. Though the festival hasn't officially started yet, the main street is closed off, and the big parking lot has been covered in carnival rides overnight. Arya peels off from their group when Mycah gives her a holler from on top of the Ferris wheel, leaving Bran and Sansa to lug the several boxes filled with decorative gourds to the hardware store, while their mom takes Rickon and their contributions to the bake sale in the opposite direction.  

 Outside the store entrance, Benjen is struggling with his pop-up tent, which keeps leaning to one side in the wind, while Meera watches him from the front step. "This is your fault, Sansa! Making me set up a stand, like I'm some lady selling doilies at a craft fair," He curses when the whole thing folds up on top of him.

 "Good morning to you too, Uncle Ben," she rolls her eyes. "Where is Robb? He can get you bags of sand to anchor the tent. And don't knock doilies. There are entire rooms at the Met devoted to Myrish Lace alone. You can poke fun at craft fairs once even one of your pieces is on display at a similarly storied institution. Until then, you better get comfortable setting up this tent because I have three holiday craft markets lined up for you this season."

 "You're just supposed to be sprucing up my website, not taking over the business! And don't get me started on your brother. I haven't had my morning caffeine fix yet because he disappeared on a coffee run ages ago. How long does it take to pour a bloody cup of coffee? If Jon Snow is holding up my joe with some pumpkin spice, whipped cream nonsense-"

On cue, Mr. paparazzo himself, appears in the doorway and before Sansa can land on an emotion, he's lifting the box from her arms with a gruff "G'morning Sansa," and then he's back in the shop, leaving her empty-handed and a bit empty-headed. 

 "He looks like he needs caffeine more than you," she remarks at last, meeting eyes with her uncle.

 Meera sniggers. "You think? He looks like he spent the night sleeping under a car." Sansa wouldn't go that far, but it was hard to miss the circles under his eyes or how pale and papery his skin looked in the cold morning light. 

 "Give the kid a break. They played their first show last night, didn't they? If he's a bit wrung out this morning, that just means he's doing it right." Benjen jumps to Jon's defense. 

 "Well then, he's been doing it right every weekend. He's looked like this every morning since he started at the store," Meera says, heading back inside to supervise since Robb is still M.I.A. Sansa thinks about Ygritte's Instagram feed with its late night cigarettes and coffee at the diner and regular parties in what looks like someone's grungy basement. So, Jon works hard and plays hard. It's not entirely shocking. It niggles at her though; how tired he looks and how he doesn't talk about partying when he's at Winterfell. Her other friends are always eager to share their weekend escapades, but when Sansa asked how his party went when his Mom was out of town, Jon just gave her a noncommittal shrug and told her it was fine. 

 That's because you aren't really friends. She turns, more than ready to join her mom at the bake sale, when Robb comes skipping across the street with a drink carrier in hand. "Sansa! Just the girl I'm looking for." Her brother is as chipper as ever, seemingly inured to whatever effects from last night's show have taken the wind from Jon Snow's sails. "Can you help with the window display? Mom told me to spiff it up for the festival, but you've got a better eye for that kind of thing."

 "Oh, sure. Skip out of work for an hour to flirt with some barista and then come back at the last minute to coerce your sister into doing your job?" Benjen barks and Robb's face turns scarlet. 

 "I… uh, what? No… I wasn't flirting…" 

 "Aren't you doing the same thing to me, Uncle Ben?" Sansa retorts, saving her brother from his bumbling. She makes a note to stop by the coffee shop and find out who this barista is. Uncle Benjen may be onto something. "Come on Robb, give Uncle Benji his coffee and I'll spare a few minutes for a consultation." 

 Inside, Bran and Meera are balancing tiny pumpkins on their heads as they wind through the aisles, trying to trip each other up. Jon Snow is leaning against the paint counter, looking ragged. She fights the urge to ask him if he's okay, opting instead to tip over Bran's pumpkin and herd him over to the window display. "Here, help me before Mom walks by and turns Robb into the headless horseman." They distribute the gourds in artfully artless piles throughout the window, as Jon and Robb hang a paint chip mobile over their heads; the autumnal pièce de résistance that Sansa spent hours making last year.

"Sans, I wish you could have been there last night. It was amazing," Robb excitedly recounts the band's show, "Jon was on fire, and apparently some promoters from White Harbor were there and Satin thinks he can book us some shows at North State! Isn't that great?"

 "Yeah, though, won't that be hard with swimming?" She doesn't want to rain on Robb's parade, but maybe Arya is right. She is a killjoy.

 "I have a meet in White Harbor next month. Maybe we can book a few gigs around it. What do you think, Jon? You up for a weekend road trip?"

 "Uh.." Jon scratches at his neck, blearily. "I mean, that's a long drive to do late at night."

 "Don't worry, we'll get a hotel for the weekend!"

 "I don't know-"

 The bell jingles at the door, and before Meera can scramble off the counter where she's been reading a comic, Catelyn is inside, gazing around the space, looking deeply unimpressed. 

 "Mom, uh, we were just finishing up with the decorations." Robb wobbles on the ladder in terror, unable to hook the last end of the mobile in place, and Bran ducks behind a pile of pumpkins, trying to hide his glee.

 "Robb, you should have opened the store fifteen minutes ago. How are you just now finishing the decorations?"

“Well, the gourds only just arrived-” Robb starts, lamely. 

“Never mind,” their mom sweeps through the space, picking up the boxes still out from stocking, tidying the candy by the register, before turning one last critical eye on her teenage employees. Jon cups his neck as he holds the ladder with his other hand. Robb scrambles down, having finally managed to hang the mobile correctly, rushing forward to grab the empty boxes from his mother. “Cersei Lannister is going to be here any minute. Get this garbage to the back. Meera, flip the sign and Jon, take the ladder back and...splash some water on your face or something. You look like death, warmed over. Jory is coming around ten, if you need to take the afternoon off.” 

Jon’s ears turn pink as he folds up the ladder beside Sansa, and she looks out the window, mortified. “Sorry Mrs. Stark, but that’s not necessary” he begins, but Catelyn is already walking back to the office with a tired wave. 

“I said it was a lot of hours you were taking on between school, the lumberyard and this. Just make sure you are fitting sleep in or you’ll make yourself sick, dear.” 

[qqueenofhades]

new omens

I am in fact still on vacation, but evidently this wanted to be finished today, so here I am to fling it at you and run away again. Feelings were Had, Obsessions were Discovered, and this is the result. Please be respectful to both me and Neil Gaiman and don’t tag his tumblr on any reblogs or anything, as I am still vaguely mortified by the idea of him seeing it. But yes.

Rated T for These Absolute Idiots I Love Them So.

It was a sunny morning in London, which in itself was a minor miracle. It is a little-known fact about life in Great Britain that when the weather threatens to get too fine on an inopportune occasion, such as a summer bank holiday or other occasion that the public has been really looking forward to, there is a squadron of highly trained operatives emplaced in a top-secret bunker under Downing Street to deal with the situation. They make a few telephone calls, they send important documents to be stamped with important stamps, and the end result is that no matter what the weatherman on the telly has hopefully predicted, the day will be grey and eleven degrees Celsius [1] with a strong chance of rain, light; rain, moderate; or rain, heavy. This is done to give the British people something to talk about, and to make them feel proud of the sacrifice of living in Britain. Moral fibre enters into it somewhere. We think, at any rate.

This day, however, was really spiffing, the result of a weather operator named Rodney Garrigan falling asleep on the switchboard rather than ringing the blokes who worked the satellites which were supposed to prevent this un-English nonsense, and the angel Aziraphale was regarding it wistfully through the windows of the bookshop. For possibly the first time in known history, he was less content in here than he might be out there, and that was a very odd feeling. Specifically, he would be happier out there in a social capacity with his Demonic Adversary of many millennia, who had promised to pop by for lunch. They were doing rather a lot of that these days. Lunch. And sometimes even supper. Upon one memorable occasion, there had even been an evening out on the West End.[2] It was one of the more pleasant outcomes of having saved the world from the apocalypse, it could not be denied. But still Aziraphale found himself in something of a quandary. It was very nice[3] indeed, and yet. It was something else as well, and he, a vastly learned celestial being of an intensely literary persuasion, was all the more vexed for being unable to put a feather on it.

He turned away and opened the shutters. He sat down in pleasant expectation of customers. Despite all his previous attempts to avoid selling books at any cost, he had discovered that it was rather fun to do so, and sometimes even took the initiative. Besides, it might while away some time until lunch. (Not that Aziraphale’s entire morning had been dedicated to choosing a jacket and bowtie in perfectly complementing shades of ivory for the occasion, and not that he had emptied his entire closet repeatedly in search of this effect. Not in the least.)

The door jangled. Aziraphale looked up hopefully in case his Demonic Adversary was early.

The customer wanted to know where the Primark was. Aziraphale told her it was two shakes of a lamb’s tail, just down the street and to the right, can’t miss it.

The second customer wanted to know if they had got the newest Katie Price autobiography, and was put out when Aziraphale had not the foggiest what that was.[4]

The third customer wondered if it was all right if he could just nip to the loo.

[read the rest on AO3]

[1] Fifty-Five Fahrenheit, for the Americans among us. This is generally considered pleasant summer weather in England.

[2] Crowley dutifully held back all his comments on The Phantom of the Opera until the after-performance coffee in Covent Garden, whereupon he felt free to expostulate. Seeing Aziraphale looking somewhat deflated, however, he stopped quite swiftly. Crowley would immediately deny any suggestion that he could not stand to see Aziraphale upset in any capacity. It is left to the reader to judge whether he is in fact lying.

[3] ‘Nice’ here used in its more usual sense, and not that of our old chum Agnes Nutter.

[4] A further note for Americans: Katie Price is a television personality known primarily for being famous and engaging in a string of ill-considered relationships with progressively more dim-witted men. Along the way she has found time to pen a number of autobiographies about this, her plastic surgeries, and other riveting topics.

[iturbide]

A Gift that No One Else Can Give

Happy holidays, everyone!  Apologies for the late offering (getting sick threw a wrench into my plans), but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to write a warm happy holiday piece.

Even after the better part of a year, the constantly changing beauty of Ylisse still left Robin in awe.  Arriving with the first thaw of winter’s end, he’d seen brown fields turn verdant as grass and flowers sprang forth, the bare branches beyond transformed into a lush canopy stretching as far as the eye could see.  Summer shifted the lands away from the gilt green of new leaves to something deeper, cooler, and the shadows in the gardens offered relief from the clinging heat and shelter from the frequent rains by equal measure.  The advent of autumn left the landscape awash in fresh color, golden farmlands ripe for harvest shimmering beyond forests ablaze in red and orange, and fallen leaves crackled like flame beneath travelers’ steps.  But though winter had since regained its hold and stolen the halidom’s vibrant palette, Ylisstol’s citizens seemed intent on fighting back the dreary greys and browns within their city by any means possible.

It had taken him entirely by surprise when he came downstairs and found the dining room festooned in green and red garlands.  Over breakfast, Lissa had explained that it was all part of the winter festival, a time-honored tradition where the people of Ylisse decorated their homes inside and out and exchanged gifts with loved ones to liven up the bleak midwinter.  And Robin had to admit that the results were quite effective: just walking out onto the snow-dusted streets, he could not help but smile at the renewed color in the city, banners breaking up plain grey stonework and candles burning bright in every window.  The people, too, seemed renewed by the change, and the city square rang with talk and laughter as citizens milled and shopped, smiling and greeting everyone they passed on their ways.

Guest or not, it had been impossible for Robin not to get swept up in the festive mood, and Lissa had heartily encouraged him to take part.  So with her guidance, the Plegian had set about finding small tokens for each of his friends from within and beyond the halidom, adorning each with a tiny red bow in lieu of wrapping (which he attempted once and failed quite spectacularly at, much to the princess’ obvious amusement).  Some were easy to shop for: exotic ingredients for Stahl’s apothecary pursuits, a new set of leather satchels for Henry’s hexing materials, a silver bangle studded with rose quartz for Olivia’s performances.  Others were much more difficult: he settled on a stamina concoction for Sully’s seemingly endless training endeavors, a silver blade wrought in Ylissean style for Lon’qu’s weapons mastery, and a decorative wall hanging for Maribelle’s tea parlour (on Lissa’s advice, since he’d never seen the room she swore the tapestry would look perfect in).

But there was one person who, try as he might, he could not think of a suitable gift for.  After all, what could he possibly give the man who already had everything?

It gnawed at him as he made his way through the palace halls, worrying at the ribbon tied around the plain ebony box in his palm.  Was it perhaps too little, something so small?  Inappropriate for someone in his position?  Too much for someone in Chrom’s?  Gods, why did the prince have to be so difficult—

A muffled oath caught his attention.  Looking around, Robin saw only a few closed doors along the hallway, most of which were sitting rooms if he remembered the palace tour correctly…but the sound came again, and he could swear he recognized the voice now that he paid attention.  Frowning, he moved toward the nearest door and knocked lightly.  “Is everything alright?”

The cursing came again, significantly more frantic, and now he was certain he recognized it.  “E-everything’s fine!  No trouble!”  

“Chrom, what’s going on?” Robin sighed.

“Nothing!  Like I said, everything’s fine, nothing to worry about – oh gods damn, why won’t it stay--”

“It doesn’t sound like everything’s fine.”

“W-well, it is, I promise, nothing to worry abooh no no no don’t—”

“…can I come in?”

There was a long moment of silence…followed by a long-suffering sigh.  “I guess.”

Much to his surprise, Robin heard the bar on the door shift, and hurriedly hid his hands behind his back before it opened to reveal a harried-looking prince with scraps of green cloth sticking to his tunic and silver shavings glittering in his hair.  “My, you look festive,” Robin chuckled as Chrom stepped aside.

“Ha ha,” the prince deadpanned, retreating to the table near the center of the room.

Robin closed the door and followed cheerfully after him, enjoying the warmth from the crackling hearth after his latest journey through the chilly streets.  “So what have you been up to?  Besides decorating – g-good gods, what is that?” he asked, stopping in his tracks as he finally caught a glimpse of the desk.

“I’ve been trying to wrap gifts for the winter festival,” Chrom mumbled.  If Robin had thought his own attempts were failures, they were arguable successes compared to the nightmare of ribbon scraps and torn covering scattered haphazardly across the table in the wake of the prince’s efforts.  

“Well…I certainly can’t guess what you’ve wrapped, so perhaps you can call it a success?” he volunteered.

Chrom groaned, moving a fresh sheet of red-dyed parchment to reveal the shape of something underneath.  “I haven’t managed to wrap it at all.  Thanks for trying, though.”

Well, it had been worth the effort.  “You could just tie a ribbon around it?” Robin suggested, thinking of the gift concealed behind his own back.

“That takes all the fun out of it, though.  You don’t really have to guess what it is if you can see it.  Although,” the prince mused, lifting the parcel and folding the wrapping around it, “I suppose there’s not much guesswork involved either way, is there?”

Peering over his shoulder, Robin had to admit that the outline looked very much like a book, with the rounding of one long edge seeming indicative of a spine.  Quite a thick tome, too, judging by the size; perhaps he’d found a new book for Sumia?  “It’s the thought more than the mystery that’s important for the festival, isn’t it?  You’re clearly thinking of them, so I doubt anyone will mind not puzzling over their gift.”

“You think?”  As Chrom turned a pleading look on him, Robin smiled…and after another moment, the prince relented, offering the clumsily covered present to him.  “It’s a little early, but…this is for you.”

“For me?” Robin repeated, hastily shoving the tiny box into his coat pocket before taking the bundle.  Holding it in his hands, he had no doubt that it was a book – and quite an impressive one, at that, nearly as wide as his palm and heavy enough to pose a threat if dropped.  Perhaps there was something to be said for the mystery, after all: a curious sense of excitement fluttered through his mind as he pondered just what sort of book it could be, and it took all his self-control not to discard the paper then and there.  “May I open it?”

The prince smiled, leaning against the edge of the table.  “I don’t see why not.  The festival lasts the whole week, and usually there’s a big party on the last day for feasting and exchanging gifts, but…well, lots of times friends will trade presents early, since the parties tend to be family things.  W-which isn’t to say you’re not invited to our party here, because you are!  I-I just meant that…uh… … …”

Robin grinned, running the tips of his fingers over the edge of a cover.  “Would you like it if I opened it now?” he ventured.  Chrom rubbed the back of his neck, meeting the young man’s eye almost shyly as he nodded.  “Well, if anyone asks where your festival gift to me is, I’ll be sure to bring this along.”  Humming to himself, he unwrapped the slightly crumpled parchment, casting it aside…

…and for a moment, he could find no words at all for the beautiful tome left resting in his hands.  The leather covers alone were masterworks, with painstaking texturing and gold inlay accompanying the light and dark staining; but the gilt pages, too, were cut and aligned in perfect form, with tiny indents and markers drawing his fingertips as he ran them along the outside edge.  Opening it to one of the sections, he saw a tiny script ‘Y’ written on the tab – and on the page itself, a delicate illustration of Ylisstol Castle as seen from the city square greeted him; flipping through, the next few pages included a brief treatise on the halidom itself, from its climate and religion to its major exports, followed by blank parchment covered in neat guidelines waiting to be filled.  Moving to the next marker, inscribed with a ‘P,’ he found a drawing of Plegia Castle waiting, the great six-eyed skull at the foot of the mesa looking nearly as grand in ink as it did in his memories – and as with the section before, a handful of prescient details preceded blank pages.  Curious, he flipped to the very end to find thickly bundled sheaves of parchment bound to the spine…which, as he tested them, unfolded to reveal maps of the Archanean continent and their Valmese neighbors, along with more detailed charts for the individual nations within each.

The prince’s voice broke the silence as Robin spread a map of Plegia out across the cluttered table.  “I was…having some trouble figuring out what to get you.  So…I started thinking about…how you always go into the council meetings with that armload of parchment and quills and ink, and how much of a hassle it must be to keep it all straight.  I was hoping this might be a little easier to manage.  You can take all your notes in this – about council meetings here, diplomatic negotiations with Ferox, things going on back home – and it’s even got some helpful stuff like a list of Ylisse’s noble families in the back.”  As Robin eagerly re-folded the maps and turned back to explore the aristocratic lineages, he heard Chrom draw another breath…and paused, looking up at the man standing beside him.  “Do you like it?” the prince asked, his voice almost pleading to the Plegian’s ear.

“It’s incredible,” Robin replied without hesitation.  “I’ve never seen anything like this!  I’ve certainly seen section markers in this style before, but the inclusion of the maps is ingenious…”

“I…w-well, I can’t take all the credit there,” Chrom admitted.  “I got a lot of help.  Gregor helped find the maps, and Miriel figured out how to fold them up like that so they could be bound in with the rest.  And Maribelle pulled together the part about the nobility, since she’s sort of an expert.  Oh, and I got Henry’s help hexing the quill, too.”

“Quill?” Robin repeated.

The prince cursed under his breath, tossing aside crumpled parchment and bits of ribbon until he uncovered a raven feather hidden in the colorful chaos.  “You don’t have to keep refilling it – it stores ink, I guess?  And then it turns white as you use it, but when you dip it in an ink well it’ll refill and turn black again.”

Robin took the plume as Chrom held it out to him, running his thumb along the soft edge.  “This is all wonderful!  I’ll miss less with a quill that can keep up with my thoughts, and the book is beautiful, and contains so much – not just room for writing, but details that can help in treaty discussions and diplomatic endeavors and…gods, this section on the nobility alone might ease our way through some of the reforms we’ve been struggling with in the council…”

“I guess I was…kind of worried you might get the wrong impression from it,” Chrom confessed.  “I don’t want you to think that I only want you here for your advice and your help.  Not that I don’t appreciate it!  Because I do!  This past year with me filling in for Emm, all the changes we’ve worked out – I couldn’t have done any of that without you.  But…but it’s not just your counsel I value.  It’s…it’s you.”

Robin felt a touch of warmth creep into his cheeks.  Glancing over, he could swear he saw a trace of color in the prince’s own face as he reached out to close the tome and open the front cover, revealing a handwritten inscription within:

This book belongs to Robin The man whose mind steers me safely through storms and trouble And whose heart is a beacon guiding me toward calm and peace

He feared for a moment that his heart might leap from his chest, and pressed a hand against it to keep it contained.  The script was unique among the various writing styles he’d seen elsewhere in the book, and after all the messages they had exchanged in coordinating the Plegian campaign, he recognized it as Chrom’s own.  The precise composition and painstaking lettering spoke of several practice iterations before attempting the final product within the book…and he wondered just how long the prince had spent agonizing over the message and its implications.

“It’s perfect,” Robin breathed, looking up just in time to see the smile break across Chrom’s face (and he was relieved that he’d not let his hand fall yet, since his heart pounded once more against his ribs and left them aching beneath his palm).

“I’m really glad,” the prince laughed, rubbing his neck again.  “I was worried it might be too much.  Lissa says I can be a little…sappy, sometimes.”

Robin beamed, shaking his head as he re-read the inscription.  “Not at all.”  If those words were true – if he wasn’t reading too deeply into them – then perhaps…  “A-actually…I have something for you, too.”

Chrom’s expression brightened as Robin reached into his pocket, and he did a poor job of hiding his excitement as the beribboned box came into view.  “Do I get to open it?” he asked eagerly.

“I’d have it no other way,” Robin chuckled, passing the gift into the prince’s hands.

Forcing himself to breathe, he watched as Chrom untied the bow and let it fall, lifting the lid…to reveal a brooch, the deep red stone at its center framed by gold feathers echoing the pattern of Grima’s Mark.  The prince lifted it carefully, holding it up to the light and filling the garnet with a warm glow.  “It’s beautiful…but it looks more like something for you than me,” he teased.

Steeling his nerves, Robin adopted the most confident smile he could muster.  “That was intentional.  In Plegia, the first new moon after Grima’s Night marks the start of our new year – and as luck would have it, that happens to be tonight.  The eve of the new year is a time of reflection, where we look back on the times we have fallen short and where we’ve excelled, consider the things we regret and those we take pride in, and strive to make amends with those we have wronged or strengthen our bonds with friends and family we’ve grown apart from.  It’s…also a time of change, though, where we look ahead to the coming year and how we might better ourselves.  And there’s a saying that…the best time to give your heart away is at the turn of the new year: if you face rejection, you have the year ahead to mend; and if you find acceptance, you have the year ahead to bond.”

“Give your heart away…?” the prince repeated.

Robin nodded, realizing as he did that he was rubbing his Brand and forcing his hands to be still.  “That brooch is called a heartstone.  The setting is meant to call the giver to mind, because it represents their heart, so…’wherever you go, so long as you wear this, my heart will always be with you.’”

Silence met those familiar words.  Swallowing back the fear in his throat, Robin looked up to find Chrom staring at him.  “Does that mean…?”  The prince’s voice trailed off as he looked between the brooch and the man beside him.

The first stirring of panic frayed his nerves.  “You’ve no obligation to accept, I know it’s very sudden and I’m sure you have other—”

“No – Robin.”  He stopped as Chrom lay a hand on his shoulder, his grip gentle and sure.  “I need you to tell me exactly what this means.”

Staring into the prince’s eyes, blue as the sky before dawn, Robin felt his resolve falter.  But before it could abandon him completely, he folded his hands before him and offered up a shy smile.  “It means I love you, Chrom.”

It was perhaps for the best that he’d had nothing more prepared: the prince’s embrace would have prevented him from getting any further even if he’d tried.  Before he could collect himself, Chrom lifted Robin off the floor, his laughter muffled in the soft fabric of Robin’s hood as he spun them in place...and even when the prince finally stopped, he did not let go, simply holding the young man close.  “Are…are you alright?” Robin asked.

“I never thought I’d hear you say that,” Chrom breathed.  “I figured that…maybe if I said it first, you might, but even then…”

So he hadn’t mistaken the intent of that inscription.  But even still, his heart leapt into his throat, and it took a moment before he could find the voice to speak again.  “Will you accept my heart, then?” he murmured.

“Gladly,” Chrom agreed, stepping just far enough back to pin the brooch neatly to his chest, just over his own heart.  “Would it be too much to ask if…you might accept mine, as well?”

“Haven’t you given me enough already?” Robin teased, feeling his face flush with warmth as the prince removed the signet ring from his finger.

Chrom grinned in reply.  “Never.  And besides: this is something only I can give, just like your gift to me.”  Taking gentle hold of Robin’s hand, the prince carefully slipped the silver and lapis token onto his finger…though they both fought back laughter at the poor fit.  “It might need to be resized.  But it’s the thought that counts, right?”

“Of course,” Robin beamed, brushing a kiss across Chrom’s cheek (and feeling his own burn brighter at the blush that such a small gesture left in its wake).  “Happy winter festival, Chrom.”

“And happy new year, Robin” the prince replied, pulling the young man close once more – and the kiss he touched to Robin’s lips as he laced their fingers left him certain that the year to come would be joyous, indeed.  

Creatively, this has been an amazing year, but I owe a lot to all the amazing content creators out there, whose headcanons, writing, and artwork have helped inspire me and keep me writing, drawing, planning, and creating in general.  Thank you to @2goldensnitches ​, @21stcenturyhero , @acloudylight ​, @amazingartistyellow, @anankos , @chynandri , @citadelity , @cepherine , @cloudobo , @fractalinferno ​, @grimastiddies , @gunhorse ​, @hihkoo , @kofutofuu , @la-picchio , @levin-swort , @lllaurora , @lucid-spike , @p3ach-salt , @squiddlybopbop , @tecchiiiiii , @vikonohero and so many others for everything you’ve done through this year: you inspire me every day to create, and I hope this piece can show in some small way how grateful I am to you all for what you do. <3

Happy Holidays!

[anoldfashionedlife]

Cairo

To spend time in Cairo is to spend time in traffic. It’s inevitable in a haphazard city designed, over centuries, by the invisible hand of time: a medieval town is established, it’s population grows and pushes against–and then beyond–the perimeter walls; the town grows; so on and so forth, ad infinitum.

Early one morning while in traffic en route to Coptic Cairo–one of the oldest parts of the city, the original medieval town—I thought to myself: chaos theory seems like it might be a helpful guide to understanding Cairo. I began to read A Very Short Introduction to Chaos Theory, which says more about me than it does about Cairo. As I read, the opening sequence of A Day in Cairo unfolded just beyond the window pane, eloquently captured in Egyptian literature by Naguib Mahfouz. “It was not a quiet street,” he writes in Palace Walk:

There were the loud cries of vendors, haggling of shoppers, pleas of crazed beggars, and wise-cracks of passerby. People conversed as though delivering a public oration. Even the most personal discussions ricocheted everywhere, flying up to the minarets. To this general commotion the Suarès omnibus added its clanking and the donkey carts their clatter.

Or, in Chaos Theory: “After a short interval, the system effectively becomes unpredictable."

Mathematically, chaos is defined as nonlinear behavior that exists in a realm somewhere between periodic and random. That is, somewhere between not-random-at-all and very-random. Hassan Fathy, an Egyptian architect and urban thinker, describes a typical Arab city: "the houses and the streets are like the marble mosaics of the Sultan Hasan Mosque: different, but composing one composition.” The marble mosaics of the mosque are characterized by varying parts made up of geometric shapes, each with a pattern of its own but a pattern that differs from the adjacent part. Despite the risk of introducing yet another reference, they resemble a collection of Frank Lloyd Wright stained glass windows. In other words, somewhere between periodic and random.

In the context of Cairo, chaos is two cars squeezing past one another on a narrow street that wasn’t designed for two cars to squeeze past one another; it wasn’t designed for cars at all. Chaos is a collection of one-way streets with no discernible logic: a drive from one end of the city to the other covers a route resembling an aimless doodle from above, generally moving in a single direction but often crossing back on itself.

In describing the Arab city, Fathy continues:

The only geometric pattern that normally goes with town planning is the gridiron. Here the streets would be straight with parallel lines—in which case the only nodal point would be the vanishing point, which takes place at infinity. To feel that you have to go to infinity would make you feel tired before you have taken two steps. This kind of pattern would suit the automobile but not man on foot.

From this point-of-view, predictability is chaos: the chaos of ceaseless knowing, of boredom.

Traffic became a metaphor that accompanied me during my travels around Egypt. Despite being the world’s oldest travel destination—the pyramids and temples were visited by ancient Greeks on holiday—places outside the essential archeological sites were difficult to navigate and, like the traffic, frequently stop-and-go. More than other places I’d visited, in Egypt I was at the mercy of the kindness of strangers.

One evening at a popular restaurant I was stopped by my inability to speak Arabic and the lack of an available table. The sizable restaurant’s only server told me to wait—I think—and was then reasonably perturbed whenever I got in his way, which was often in the crowded restaurant. And then, a fellow patron—an Egyptian who once lived in New York and spoke English perfectly—offered me the empty chair at his table. And even though the restaurant sold one thing—grilled squab stuffed with rice perfumed with cumin, cardamom, and other spices—he intuited my predicament and offered to order for me.

On another day I ordered a falafel sandwich from a roadside stand and ended up with four falafel sandwiches. (I was far from disappointed: it was the best falafel I’d ever had, having smelled it from a couple blocks away and following my nose into the residential neighborhood where I found the stand situated between two apartment complexes.) On yet another day I ordered a falafel sandwich and didn’t get falafel at all; instead the waiter brought me fuul, a traditional fava bean stew.

In chaos theory there’s a concept known as sensitive dependence, or more commonly the butterfly effect. Small uncertainties when fed into a chaotic model quickly become large uncertainties. By way of explanation, the effect of a butterfly fluttering its wings, over time and distance, becomes a typhoon on the opposite side of the world.

For example, one day I was traveling to Alexandria. At the train station in Cairo—a beautiful, art deco building, chaotic in the way that train stations tend to be with commuters coming and going and going and coming—I needed to buy a train ticket. I first wandered around the station looking for a bank of tellers and a queue of people, and when I couldn’t find one I asked somebody, in English. They replied, in English, but directed me to the train platform thinking I’d asked where to board.

I walked back into the main terminal. I passed beneath an enormous light fixture—an inverted sundial hanging from the ceiling of the gargantuan space—and towards the exit. There I found a ticket machine, and it spoke English. And it was broken. But next to the ticket machine was the queue I’d initially sought. Of the ten lines, I figured out which one to queue up because I knew what time the train to Alexandria was departing—and because I learned Arabic numbers, one through nine, while I waited. At the head of the line, after a few false starts and quite a bit of ad hoc sign language, I bought my second-class ticket to Alexandria.

A few days later at the Alexandria train station when it was time to return to Cairo, I went to apply all that I’d already learned. But in Alexandria the rules had changed. There was no English-speaking ticket machine. There was no board with departure times and line numbers to cross reference. There was only chaos, and the challenge started anew. Luckily, a nice woman at the tourist office helped me buy a ticket.

Chaos Theory concludes: "the role of uncertainty and the rich variety of behavior that mathematically simple systems reveal is still largely unappreciated.” I suppose that’s true when describing chaos theory, but the role of uncertainty in travel is utmost. The challenges one encounters when abroad—especially in a place like Cairo—are our primary teachers.

On my last night in Egypt I went to the rooftop bar at the Odeon Palace Hotel, ten stories above downtown Cairo. The low-slung, concrete city spread out below me. It was Friday evening and quiet; most families were indoors having their weekly meal together. It rained briefly and for a time the only movement was the waiter periodically bringing me another Stella local. But as the sky gave way to darkness, the quiet gave way to the cries of vendors, the haggling of shoppers, to the crazed beggars, to the passerby.

[dgarski]

​One year back In the early morning hours of January 23, 2020, I set off to find my way back home to Florida. It was a monumental moment in my life as it represented growth, perseverance, determination and strength. The road was long behind me and before me. I had been through my version of hell. Now, it was time to go home. Healing

The time it takes to heal can vary from person to person, depending on the wound. Some may never fully recover, while others heal in a relatively short period of time. Sometimes, physical recovery isn't necessarily the only part of the healing process. The mind itself might need far more time to heal. In some cases, this could take many years, or never at all. I think that time truly does have a way of slowly healing most wounds; at least to some degree. The way we perceive hurting physically as well as mentally, can change dramatically over time. Allowing ourselves the time to grieve and process the pain, can help us move forward, and get on with our lives.

Loss

When we are recovering from a dramatic  change in our life, a significant loss may be connected with this change. We might lose ourselves. We might lose our identity, our purpose or in a worst-case scenario, we might lose our will to continue on. Some might never regain their will to move forward; and instead fall slowly into deep despair and depression. When we lose something or someone, there is a period of time that we must process the mourning. There is no statute of limitations for this time period. Depression

Depression is a very real sickness for millions of people. Once thought of by many, as nothing more than an excuse for someone to be lazy or non-productive, it has since become more recognized as a significant illness, studied through education and research. Depression has a way of pinning you down when you are already on the ground. It can feel like a tremendous weight covering you from head to toe. Time seems to feel insignificant. The days and nights seem to pass without measure. For some, sleeping and hiding in the dark, seem to be the only viable escape from the pain of reality. Sometimes, prescribed medication can have a negative effect on the body, both physically and mentally. It takes a great deal of strength to pull oneself out of the darkness and into the light. Unfortunately, not everyone has this strength.

Recovery and finding strength

Once the healing and recovery process has begun, it becomes a very long road to wander. With help and understanding from family and friends, this process can be expedited. The decision to heal, by finding inner strength, determination and perseverance, can make a world of difference in the duration of the recovery. Having an attainable goal and unconditional support, will help make a world of difference in the healing and recovery process.

Stages

I went through all of these stages of healing and recovery, for ten months in 2019. I went through depression, anxiety, anger (lots of anger), identity crisis and loss of purpose. I was completely lost. I had to learn that processing all that had happened to me, was going to take a long time and a lot of patience to get through. Something deep inside me, something I never knew existed, literally took over my life and pushed me to get through some of the worst days, weeks and months of my life.

Old stomping grounds In those beginning months between March and July of 2019, I took long walks around my old neighborhood. I walked to the beach and sat down on a bench and stared out at Lake Michigan. I wondered how my life had gotten to that point. How in the world did I lose everything, and somehow end up in Wisconsin? How did my entire life just get completely erased? How was I ever going to get it back? I knew I didn't belong in Racine anymore than anyone in Racine belonged in Florida. Racine was my home when I was growing up. I felt like a complete stranger in my old home town. So much had changed since I moved to Florida. Once I had been cleared by my doctor to drive again, I got my freedom back. I drove around town to places I hadn't seen in well over three decades. My memories of what used to be, were quickly shattered by the realities of just how much had dramatically changed, so drastically. Ironically, as much change as there was, so much more still remained the same as it had always been. The more I saw, the less I wanted to see. I had to find a way to make a lot of money, and make it fast.

Going back to work Once I had made up my mind about my goals to make as much money as possible, in as little time as possible, I set out to work as many hours as I could, plan as much as I could, and figure out a way to get my life back, by moving my life back home to Florida. Once I began working, I went into an almost out of body approach to getting through the next few months. I was on 24/7 auto-pilot. Work, eat, sleep, repeat. I honestly never knew I had it in me to push myself so hard. I had never been so motivated in my life. The more I worked, the closer I was to leaving.

Winter

Winter came, and I shoveled snow for the first time in over 30 years. It was also the first time I had driven in snow, in over 30 years. I had to relearn how to do it. Some things, you just never forget. The cold was almost unbearable. I was always shivering. I have always hated winter, no matter where I was. Except on my days off, the only time I saw daylight was when I was working. I'd go to work at 4am, and it would be dark outside. I would leave work at 4pm and the sun had already set. I was in a mental mode of pushing through, regardless of how uncomfortable I was. I had to tough it out as long as I could. I had an ultimate goal in place, and there was no turning back.

Finding my new home The holidays came and went, and I finished my work days at the hospital. I saved enough money to move back to Orlando. Now, I just needed to find a place to live. My last day of work was on January 4th. The next couple of weeks would be about me finding an apartment in Orlando. I was on the phone and the computer, nearly every waking moment I had. It was a frustrating endeavor, but I didn't give up. Finally, I found something that would prove to be the place where I would call my next home. Leaving

Everything was finalized and ready to go. My new apartment was waiting for me. I was to move in on the 24th. This meant that I had to leave in the early morning hours of the 23rd. I planned, I packed, I mapped, I collected, I prepared, and I got almost no sleep. I hadn't been this excited in years! I was remembering doing this very thing, in February of 1988, the first time I moved to Florida. This time, it was different. I was only going to be able to take with me what I could fit inside my tiny car. The rest, I would have to come back for at a later date. I loaded up my car and filled every possible space I had inside and in the top rack carrier. The car was ready, I was ready and so it was time to go. I wanted to disappear quietly, like a thief in the night. I said goodbye to my family and I set out, in front of an oncoming blizzard, at 12:30 in the morning.

Hitting the road

I waved to my parents as they stood in front of the big picture window in the living room. The snow had already started coming down, but I was pretty sure that I would be ahead of the onslaught before it got to the great lakes area. I stopped at the gas station, programmed the Waze app to guide me back to Florida, then set out to the interstate. I remember thinking how terrifying this actually was, and how anything could happen to me at any time. Somehow, that feeling of terror slowly disappeared the further south I drove. Leaving so early in the morning, meant that traffic in an oncoming blizzard would be minimal. No sleep

The hours before I left, I tried to sleep. I think I slept an hour or two. I was pumping on adrenaline the first 8 hours of driving. By the time I got to Kentucky, the sun was already up, but the exhaustion was beginning to make my eyes close at 65mph. I had to stop and get some rest. I pulled over at a wayside, somewhere in the mountains of western Kentucky. I parked down to the end of the lot, away from the bulk of tourists and other motorists. I fell asleep for about two and a half hours. I woke up and started the car and got back out on the road. As soon as I got to Nashville, the rains came. It rained all the way down to Georgia.. I stopped several times to try to sleep, but I needed to actually lay down. I could not do that in my car because it was packed so full. Instead, I took short naps and continued on.

Florida

On January 24, 2020, I crossed the Georgia/Florida border at around 5am. A couple of hours into Florida, the sunrise came. It would be the first Florida sunrise I would see in over ten months. My eyes welled up and I smiled. I knew that I was only a few hours from Orlando. The morning rush hour was in full swing. The traffic was a bit of a challenge. I made it to the Florida turnpike and headed towards Orlando. Slowly, things started to become more recognizable. I exited onto the 408 tollway, and headed east towards town. I was home!

Moving in

I pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex just before 10am. I met with the office manager and we finalized the paperwork for my apartment. I moved all of my stuff from my car into the apartment. I had nothing in the way of food or cooking utensils or housewares, so as exhausted as I was, I went to the only grocery store I could think of, which was Target. I was running on instinct by this time. I was so overly tired that I just ran on auto-pilot, again. I purchased as many things that I could think of and spent almost $150.00. The apartment turned out to be a very old, disappointing shoe box, but it was home. I finally had my independence back. Going back to work

Getting my job back, was nearly effortless. Everything fell right into place. I was able to get my security license renewed in about 20 minutes. I then drove over to the office and met with my bosses. We finished the transfer paperwork and I got a start date for retraining. Everyone was so welcoming. I had my identity back. I went to training and started my OJT. I got my new schedule, and now I had my purpose back. I must have told my story to a hundred people at work. I answered a thousand questions. I shook hands, got hugs and a lot of congratulations for cheating death and making it back.

The Beach 2020 was a year that most will never forget. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting to come back to. I had a list of things I wanted to do, but the bullshit virus halted just about everything. I did make it to the beach, once. I did the best that I could to comply with what some were calling, "the new normal", even though there was nothing normal about any of it. The day I made it to the beach, I saw hundreds of beach-goers there, and none of them were wearing face masks. I thought of this as a good sign, that maybe this "corona" garbage would soon be over and we could go back to our real, normal lives. Well, I'm still waiting. Going to the beach was a liberating day. It was the end of my journey from losing myself to finding myself again. I still have so far to go. The process continues 2020 also meant a year of mental healing. I knew that I had a long way to go, to let go of my past and try to do something about creating a future. This process has been very difficult. Letting go isn't an easy process, especially when the things and the people you must let go, used to mean so much to you. The answers to why these things happen, will more than likely remain a mystery forever. When you are given little choice, you choose what is best for you. What was best for me was to get as far away from where I did not want to be, and do it as quickly as possible. This was going to be the only way that I could begin the process of mental healing. I needed to be in my own space, quiet from the rest of the world. I've been very lucky to have a select few people in my life, who have helped me vent my frustrations. Talking with others and sharing my story, and my thoughts and feelings, has been a very good therapy for me. Where do I go from here?

There's really only one direction...forward. Letting go of the past allows me to embrace the future. In one year, I have gotten most of my life back to normal. I have my 40-hour a week job, I have a handful of guitar students on my days off, and I am investing in cryptocurrency. I'm hoping to have a chance this coming summer to drive back up to Wisconsin to retrieve the rest of my belongings from my parents house. I love to drive long road trips. It frees the mind. There is a nice, quiet solitude when you're on the road. Doing 2500+ miles in less than a week will definitely be a challenge. It's something I need to do to put closure to everything. I also want very much to find a woman and do a lot of beach days. Home

I drove 1250 miles from Wisconsin to Florida. The drive took roughly 23 hours (not including rest stops). I drove in a blizzard from Wisconsin to Indiana and torrential rains from Tennessee to the Georgia/Florida border. I made it. I am home. Orlando, Florida is home and always will be. One day, I may move to another part of Florida, perhaps closer to the beach, but Central Florida is where I have lived for most of my life. I am happy to be back where I belong.

[localocksmithnearme]

Acura Ignition Repair & Key Replacement Cypress TX

Acura Ignition Repair & Key Replacement Cypress TX - CALL (832)930-4422

http://www.cypresskeyreplacement.com/acura.html

Save money, effort and time spant on a towing-truck to the dealer and call us for a nimble mobile remote fobik key cloning, vehicle key replacement and transponder key programming on-site 24hour.  We feel content in our deft personals and guarantee save your day by clearing up your Acura locks and key pains guardedly and calmly onsite 24 hours. If you need your Acura car main computer re-flash, lost the last key to your vehicle, can't turn your key in the ignition or locked your keys in the trunk, Our Acura lock smiths in Cypress TX are available to administer your lock-out, keys, locks and ignition requirements for any Acura model and year you own, all you need to do is lift your cellphone and call us at (832)930-4422 to chat with our main office rep to obtain a consistent price evaluation and our amiable skillful Acura locksmith workers will arrive to your location speedily to get your fob key alternated, ignition repaired or transponder programmed on-site 24/7 holidays and weekends rain or shine.

Acura replacement keys in Cypress TX

Our Acura key-smith is a present-day remedy for a reasonable and priceless Acura key replacement, dodging the dragging to the dealerships and wait unnecessary time for your turn. Cypress Key Replacement stakes movable ignition switch alteration, ignition key made, OEM transponder, keyless entry or remote fobik keys on premises, including a twenty four hour emergency lockout service for incidents like lost keys generation, demolished ignition key excerption or stranded keys in car or trunk and more. Cypress Key Replacement prepare first-rated Acura transponder keys services in Cypress TX on the spot.

About Acura lock and key platform

Acura car brand was assembled by the Japanese vehicle maker Honda Motor Co in Minato. The brand was first distributed in America in 1986 as extravagance motor vehicles. Since 1996 Acura models employ  transponder keys that could be copied in a low-cost and comfortable process, yet contemporary models apply inscribed transponders that has to be programmed to the vehicle applying a unique diagnostic devices and if all keys are misplaced, the car computer system has to be re-code.

Modern models beginning from  2007 commonly assembled with the recent stylish Keyless Access System key-less entry with traits as push to start, blind spot info and keyless entry platforms.

Ignition lock repair

The Acura ignition lock use three phases that start up different system when the key is turned. The ignition switch will start up the electronic accessories on the first phase, start up the fuel pump on the 2nd phase and fire up the car engine on the third phase.

A highly common thing we get asked in our dispatch center is for assitance with, is troubleshooting ignition system problems. Although our agent are usually happy to try and troubleshoot your situation, it can be pretty hard to accomplish over the phone. Apart from having dedicated Acura lock picking tools and diagnostic, an elemental understanding of the way car ignition system operate is essential, though prior to calling an ignnition locksmith please check following:

</p> <h5>dash board light are off</h5> <p> If you turn the key in ignition on but have no lights come on at the dash-board console meaning that no electricity running from the battery. It could be a dead battery or often a failed alternator or electronic wiring connection could cause this. Turn on the headlights, if they wont light on, means the battery is dead which is a problem for a  mechanic shop.

</p> <h5>Ignition key wont turn</h5> <p> Most vehicle consists of a steering wheel locking mechanism that lock itself every time you pull off the ignition key out  when you finish a drive. Often, the steering wheel is in a position that puts physical force to the ignition system, and prevents the key from turning (usually happens when parking on a hill) or when a front wheel is pressed against an object (like pavement rock).

Warning - Before you begin fixing this issue, ensure that your motor vehicle shifting gear is on park.

Grab the  wheel and try to turn the  steering wheel  right and left and left and right while lightly jiggling the ignition gripping the key - this may help in releasing the steering lock.

The ignition lock is very critical component of any car and consisting of so many tiny detachments that can be tough to inspect by a non-experience hands, so the only thing an owner may do confronting ignition or key issues is to make sure you’re actually attempting to start your very own car and call a car lock man to arrive to your location to rekey, reprogram  replace the key or ignition which will priced as around $155–$340.

Transponder key issue

Outplacing a vehicle transponder chipped key is not as efficient as getting a metal bladed key! Contemporary motor vehicles equipt with a vehicle ECM which has to be programmed to recognize the new chipped key. This composite course ought to be done sanctioned and experienced lockman or by the dealer utilizing specific programmer to guarantee that the new key is accurately functional and capable to crank your car.

Cypress Key Replacement transponder keys laborers are thoroughly competent to cut and code smart key, fob-key, sidewinder and transponder chip keys for eminently all make, year and model.  

Acura keyless entry

Push to start ignition technology are furnished with a fob that a driver can keep tucked away in his pocket, purse or briefcase, or wherever in close proximity to the receiver in the car.

The smartkey chip deliver a distinct low audio and infrared waves indication message to the ECM, which in turn verifies that the match indication message has been sent and allows the user to remotely open and close the car door locks and furthermore click a toggles on the dashboard to crank or disband the engine avoiding utilizing a key or hitting a toggles on the fob.

Even though smartkeys and push-start ignition evolved into being substantially usable, even on affordable cars, these platforms haven't yet reached the status of automobile necessity as electronic windows and door locks, still, the convenience aspect is a a selling point for many smart-keys shoppers.

Copy vs lost car keys

Car keys in the last 2 decades there are no more $2.99 mechanical keys at one of your local home depot or walmart store. Latest Acura keys have gone digital  key fob, laser cut, keyless device and switch-blade key accommodating transponder keys that need to be programmatically synced with key programmer to the car immobiliser. If the immobiliser doesn't identify a suitable programmed key, the combustible system will locked and the car will not turn over. This platform extends a security feature insuring the disabling of a misplaced or stolen key.

While dash board platform is handy on some early generations to easily copy keys, in most cases to get a supplementary key duplicated, the transponder in the key should be programmatically synced by a compatible key programmer owned by the dealer or a locksmith which generally cost relatively $60-$100 in addition to the price of the key blank.

Misplacing an original key to an automotive is a whole different manifestation, as the ECU should be programmed to adopt the new key and deny the lost key which means that you will must hire a mobile car key-smith or haul your car to the dealer-ship.

Utilizing this practice extends a security feature insuring the disabling of the misplaced or stolen key, though lost key programming, instrumentation available solely to the Acura dealer or a licensed locksmith and accordingly will priced as around $180–$250.

Twenty four hour vehicle lockout

With up to date electrical windows, power lock, immobiliser and airbag technology always improving, ignition, locks and keys and moreover car door unlocking services are becoming far more manifold to manipulate. Our car unlocking staff use specialized lock pick tools and practices to eradicate damaging your vehicle door frames, power lock or airbag. If you locked out of your vehicle with the key inside, our vehicle lock bumping service can be with you promptly for all your motor vehicle trunk and door locks requirements ,

Car locks correcting

Cypress Key Replacement is glad to afford all sort of Acura refit services on premises to restitute a lifted, mangled or lost keys. Eminently all newer vehicle are paired with electric key and lock technology and the procedure required to get your lock adapted should incorporate the good coder for the exact vehicle. Instead of ferrying your vehicle to the dealer, just uplift the tele-phone and call our dispatch center in Cypress TX and one of our motor vehicle updating task-force will be with you in the short run with a unstationary service van at par with current ignition parts, key cutters, blank keys and programmers ready to resolve any type of emergency scenes.

Last word

Cypress Key Replacement is operational for you 24 hours a day throughout the week all year long with an emergency motor vehicle ignition, locks and keys trusty experts ready to come out to you instantaneously equipped to the brim with specialized lock-picking tools, key programmers and diagnostic equipment adept to unlock your car door, copy a keyless entry or a fob-key or repair your ignition switch on-the-spot and get you back inside your vehicle right away with cost-effective rates. . If you’re gazing for Car key replacement service in Cypress Texas call (832)930-4422 for a reliable local automotive locksmith, who duplicate and replace trunk, door and ignition keys and remote fob made on the spot.

[houseofrahl]

Lots of tag games

I apologise it takes me so long, but I rarely have an access to a laptop and I don’t know how to edit text on mobile so it looks the way I want.

5 Things!

I was tagged by @fizzy-custard​. thank you, Hun! :)

five things in my bag backpack:

notebook

pencil

tissues

pepper spray

chewing gum

five things in my bedroom:

memory foam pillow

powerbank

towels

books

clothes

five things I’ve always wanted to do:

see F1 and Rally

meet Robert Kubica

learn 5 different languages

travel to NZ

go to Qlimax

five things that make me happy:

music

books

dogs

when a new recipe turns to be good and tasty

driving

five things i’m currently into:

Arrow

reading and learning about celiac disease

looking for new gluten-free recipes

reading

relaxing

five things on my to-do list:

find a new job (once again)

visit my hairdresser

buy a perfume

make sure i stay healthy

buying a new phone

I was tagged by the lovely @fizzy-custard​ to spell out my URL with favorite songs. Thank you, Darling.

H - Highway To Hell by ACDC

O - Out of Heaven by Dr Rude

U - Up In The Air by 30 Seconds To Mars

S - She’s Crazy But She’s Mine by Alex Sparrow

E - Extreme by Zatox feat. Dave Revan

O - Oracle by Timmy Trumpet

F - Famous by Skillet

R - Resistance by Muse

A - Alone by Alan Walker

H - Heroes by Da Tweekaz & Darren Styles

L - Like I Do by Asher Monroe

Rules: Answer all questions, add one question of your own and tag as many people as there are questions.

I was tagged by the lovely @fromthedeskoftheraven​. Thank you.

1. coke or pepsi: red bull cola ;) 2. disney or dreamworks: Disney 3. coffee or tea: water :P 4. books or movies: books 5. windows or mac: Windows 6. dc or marvel: both, both is good 7. xbox or playstation: playstation 8. Dragon Age or Mass Effect: Haven’t played either of them 9. night owl or early riser: night owl 10. cards or chess: cards 11. chocolate or vanilla: chocolate 12: vans or converse: Converse 13. Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar: I have no idea! 14. fluff or angst: fluff 15. beach or forest: forest 16. dogs or cats: dogs 17. clear skies or rain: clear skies 18. cooking or eating out: cooking 19. spicy food or mild food: spicy 20. halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas: Christmas 21. would you rather be a little too cold or a little too hot: a little too hot 22. if you could have a superpower, what would it be: healing 23. animation or live action: live action 24. paragon or renegade: ???? 25. baths or showers: showers 26. team cap or team iron man: Team Iron Man 27. fantasy or sci-fi: fantasy and sci-fi 28. do you have three or four favorite quotes? Actually, just one 29. youtube or netflix: Youtube 30. harry potter or percy jackson: percy? 31. when you feel accomplished: when my work is done completely 32. star wars or star trek: Star Wars 33. paperback books or hardback books: depends on the book 34. handwriting or type: type 35. velvet or satin: velvet 36. video games or movies: movies 37. would you rather be the dragon or own the dragon: be the dragon 38. learning chinese or learning spanish: Spanish 39. what is the best concert you’ve been to? haven’t been to any :( 40. Would you rather be able to speak every language or be able to talk to animals? speak every language 41. Be front row for your favorite artist and not meet them, or meet them but have lawn seats: lawn seats 42. City or Countryside: city :) 43. Would you rather be a mutant, jedi, or wizard? Wizard                     44. fried pickles or mozzarella sticks??? I’ve never eaten a fried pickle, so mozzarella sticks

45. Would you rather swim in a pool, lake, or the ocean? Pool

46. What’s your favorite city in the world? Cracow

I was tagged by: @derekhaleimagines​ Thank you, Sunshine!

Where is your phone? on the desk Your hair? long & dark brown Your dad? who? Your other half? I’m a whole person on my own, thank you very much Your favorite food? pizza and pasta Your dream last night? I don’t remember my dreams Your favorite drink? water Fear? spiders Favorite shoes? flats Favorite way to relax? read, watch my shows, music Your mood? relaxed Your love? knowledge and intelligence Where were you last night? my bedroom Something you aren’t? busy Muffins? only gluten free Wishlist item? health Where did you grow up? a small village Last thing you did? iron shirts What are you wearing? shorts and t-shirt Something you hate? disrespect, when I’m treated like I’m an infantile idiot Your pets? dog and 4 cats Life? ‘sup with it? Regrets? yup

Rules: tag nine people you want to get to know better.

I was tagged by @derekhaleimagines​ ans @fizzy-custard​. Thanks! :)

Relationship status: single

Favorite color: blue, red and green

Lipstick or chapstick: chapstick

Last song you listened to: David Guetta feat. Usher - Without You

Last movie you watched: Transformers: The Last Knight

Top 3 tv shows: Arrow, Legends Of Tomorrow, Teen Wolf

Top 3 characters: Derek Hale (Teen Wolf), Oliver Queen (Arrow), Tony Stark

Top 3 ships: Olicity (Arrow) and that’s it

Books you are currently reading: I’m in need of new books, have read all I have at home atm

Top 5 musicals: I don’t watch musicals

Name Game

I was tagged by @happlepie18​ Thanks :D

Rules: Answer and tag ten people. Use the first letter of your name to answer each question. Real answers only. If the person before you had the same initial, you must have different answers. You can’t use the same word twice.

Name: Marta

Four letter word: Mind

A Boy’s name: Miguel

Occupation: Massage Therapist

Something You Wear: Mittens

Food: Mackerel

Something you find in the bathroom: Mirror

A place: Malibu

Reason for being late: Morning rush

Something you yell: Mine

Movie title: Minions

Something you drink: Mulitivitamin juice

An animal: Mice

A type of car: Mini

Song: Memories by David Guetta feat. Kid Cudi

Song Game

Tagged by the lovely @obsessed-withthe-hales​

Rules: put your music on shuffle, list the first 9 songs and your favorite lyrics from each.

1. Liquid State by Muse Take me for a ride Break me up and steal what's left inside

2. Photograph by Ed Sheeran

We keep this love in a photograph We made these memories for ourselves 3. Never Break Me by Brennan Heart

You can call me names to bring me down some more But you will never break me

4. Memories by David Guetta feat. Kid Cudi All the crazy shit I did tonight Those will be the best memories. I just wanna let it go for the night That would be the best therapy for me

5. In The End by Linkin Park

I tried so hard And got so far But in the end It doesn't even matter

6. Sniper by Coone & Dirtcaps

I see my prey running away There's no way out There's no escape

7. Mercy by Muse Save me from the ghosts and shadows Before they eat my soul

8. Tonight Will Never Die by Code Black & Brennan Heart Love when the sound is crashing in on me Love how the lights awake the night Love where we stand before eternity

9. Back From The Dead by Skillet Light it up, light it up, now I'm burning Feel the rush, feel the rush of adrenaline We are young, we are strong, we will rise Cause I'm back, back, back from the dead tonight

I was tagged by @fromthedeskoftheraven and @fizzy-custard (thank you both!) to put my music on shuffle and list the first 10 songs that come up

1. Get Lucky - Daft Punk 2. Angels & Demons - D-Block & S-te-Fan 3. Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran 4. Neutron Star Collision - Muse 5. Fairlight - The Judge 6. Are You Ready - ACDC 7. Wodka - Da Tweekaz 8. Magic - Wasted Penguinz 9. You’re The Voice - John Farnham 10. Destiny - Headhunterz

Tagged by the awesome @everyjourneylove and @fizzy-custard. Thanks, Ivy and Jay :)

Rules: Answer the questions and tag 20 (or less.. or none.. or.. all ??) blogs you want to get to know better!

Nickname: I don’t have any

Star sign: Gemini

Height: 5′4″

Time right now: 9:35 pm

Last thing you googled: gluten free recipes

Fave music artist: Way too many to list

Song stuck in my head: Despacito by Luis Fonsi

Last movie I watched: Transformers: The Last Knight

Last TV show I watched: Shadowhunters

What I’m wearing right now: shorts and t-shirt

When I created this blog: March 2016

The kind of stuff I post: All kinds of Middle Earth stuff, Arrow and other things

Do I do asks regularly: Nope :(

Why did i choose my URL: Simply because I love Richard Rahl ;)

Gender: Female

Hogwarts house: ...

Pokemon team: Don’t play

Favorite color: Blue, red and green

Favorite characters: too much to list them all

Dream job: car mechanic

Number of blankets: One

Followers: 46

Ok, I think that’s all. If I missed something I’m sorry. Thank you all for tagging me in stuff and I hope in the future I can do the games faster ;)

[smol-lucio]

Tagged by @bucketofchum (Thanks for tagging me! Sorry it took me a few days tho!!!)

1. Coke or Pepsi: I’ve never had soda before so I have no idea! I don't like carbonated drinks.

2. Disney or Dreamworks: Dreamworks, I feel they do more original stuff.

3. Coffee or Tea: Coffee, I can’t stand tea.

4. Books or Movies: Both I guess? Depends on what it is though...

5. Windows or Mac: Windows, I don’t do apple products.

6. DC or Marvel: I like both honestly... but Marvel is doing some weird shit atm so imma say DC right now...

7. X-box or Playstation: I prefer PC, I’m not a console person  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

8. Dragon Age or Mass Effect: Tbh I'm not big fans of either but I'm biased toward fantasy themed anything so Dragon Age... plus I really like Fenris...

9. Night Owl or Early Riser: Currently, a Night Owl because I'm on Summer break, but I have no problem getting up at the crack of dawn.

10. Cards or Chess: Cards! I like to play poker and blackjack a lot! I’m not very good at chess but I like the aesthetic of it.

11. Chocolate or Vanilla: Vanilla.

12. Vans or Converse: Heelies.

13. Lavallan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar:

Again...Not a big Dragon Age fan

14. Fluff or Angst:

Mmmmmmm........ Wump followed immediately by 20 pounds of fluff.

15. Beach or Forest: I love the water but I have to say Forest. I'm not a fan of sand or the sun so.... plus I'm from NY so our beaches aren't that great... Forests are just nicer, they are cool and calm and whimsical, I dig ‘em

16. Dogs or Cats: I love them both but I'm sadly allergic to cats... doesn't stop me from shoving my face into their fur tho... My dog is the best tho, a quality pupper

17. Clear Skies or Rain: I'm not a super big fan of being out in the sun so can I say cloudy but not rainy?

18. Cooking or Eating Out: I'm always scared to eat out because I'm a really picky eater and it's embarrassing to go out or to be invited out someplace nice and then only eat bread the whole time... Like I'm not just being childish I swear... I have a problem with eating anything besides my “safe foods” and feel bad for making people put up with me at a restaurant... I don't like giving the staff a hard time...

19. Spicy Food or Mild: 

Again, I’m a super picky eater and only eat like 4 things... but I do like buffalo wings...

20. Halloween/Samhain or Solstice/Yule/Christmas: We don't really do holidays in my family anymore but god damn do I love Halloween.

21. Little too cold or little too hot: An average person’s body temp is about 98 degrees but I'm naturally always above that and I hate being hot so I have to go with a little too cold... however, the cold makes my joints hurt but I'm willing to put up with it.

22. Superpower: Flight or like Magic... as long as I could also use the magic to fly...

23. Animation or Live Action: Animation.

24. Paragon or Renegade: Paragon... I feel bad being mean in video games...

25. Bath or Showers: Shower, I haven't taken a bath since I was a kid.

26. Team Cap or Team Ironman: Ironman.

27. Fantasy or Sci-Fi: FANTASY~~~~

28. Fav Quotes: I honestly can't think of any right now :/ Sorry...

29. Youtube or Netflix: Youtube, I need a constant stream of media because I get bored or lose focus very easily, its really hard for me to watch a whole series.

30. Harry Potter or Percy Jackson: Ehh... I’m not super attached to either tbh...

31. When I Feel Accomplished: When people compliment my work, because then I know I did something right.

32. Star Wars or Star Trek: Star Wars, but like I also love the prequels so you can't trust my opinion lol.

33. Paperback Books or Hardback: Hardback books are so fun to hold but paperbacks are good for reading in bed because they are flexible.

34. A world without literature or music: Neither damn... I’d miss both too much.

35. Who was the last person to make me laugh: The Mcelroy’s

36. Sour or Sweet Candy: Neither, I like bitter, dark chocolate is best chocolate 

37. Believe in aliens?: I fought an alien in Denny’s parking lot

8. Dawn or Dusk: 

Dawn, it feels good to see the sun rise and it feels quiet in a way, no one else is really up at sunrise so it's peaceful.

39. Piercings or Tattoos: I re-pierced my own ears with a paper clip a few years back... It worked out really well surprisingly! I don't really like wearing earrings because they get caught in my hair but piercings are cool! But I see myself getting a tattoo before another piercing.

40. Girls? Hot?: Hella

41. Snow or Fog: Fog, it's fun to walk in!

42. Sleep facing the wall or room: Wall, a lot of light comes through my windows at night and I don't have curtains so yea.

43. TRC of AFTG: I was supposed to read both but then Captive Prince stole all my free time (and soul)

44. Horror or Drama: Horror.

45. Ocarina of Time or Majora’s Mask: Ocarina of Time.

46. Living in nature or city: Nature, cities scare me.

47. Any addictions: Instant Ramen 

48. Languages: English is my first and best language, I can understand and read Spanish but I'm not confident in my pronunciation so I don't like speaking it... I understand Italian too because my grandparents don't speak English anymore...

49. What music do I listen too: A lot of fucking random stuff. I love Owl City with a burning passion, I like electronic music and power/speed Metal a lot, I like Celtic and folk music too... Musicals are always good...

50. Fav mythical creature: DRAGONS

51. Safe zone: Idk? Honestly, as long as I have my phone on me I can escape pretty much any situation mentally... Can a phone be a safe space?

52. First fandom: Fuck... Probably Yu-gi-oh tbh.

53. Cartoons or Adult Shows: Cartoons 100%

54. Current music: I’ve been playing nothing but “The Heathers” soundtrack and Dragonforce for like 2 weeks...

55. Favorite starter?: I always pick the fire starter, fennekin and torchic are at the top of the list tho.

56.  What would your witch’s familiar be? Tyto! They are regal and cute!

Tagging….  

@whiskeytangofrogman @thepeachstarfishonthebeach @skippyin @ftpcarl (i know u wont do it but still) @buildingwings @erynmariecosplay @honeyhusk

[perhapsthevision]

ok I don’t think there are any security questions in here so why not

Tagged by my sister @prodigaldaughteralice​. Also, tumblr is bizarrely laggy so now I'm typing long posts in a text editor like it's 2005...

1. Coke or Pepsi: I don't actually dislike cola any more, but I also don't drink it enough to have an opinion or be able to tell the difference.  Anyway, I'm white so I can hand anything to a cop and be okay :p

2. Disney or Dreamworks: I can't tell if Dreamworks actually hasn't made anything good lately, or if knocking Dreamworks has just become a meme.  But their old stuff was good.  Disney always makes a few really good things, and then a lot of dreck.  But I kind of resent them from keeping anything from passing into the public domain, as long as their lawyers have money.

3. Coffee or Tea: I probably drink more coffee per day, but tea is the one I have opinions about.  I drink coffee with a lot of milk and am just looking for something that doesn't taste nasty; tea we keep a lot of varieties of and pick based on how we're feeling.

4. Books or Movies:  In the abstract I tend to prefer books, but I enjoy both.  

5. Windows or Mac: I typically prefer Apple stuff and my primary computer will probably always be a Mac.  But it is one of my someday goals to build a PC to act as a media/game center.  

6. DC or Marvel: I'm not that invested but I think there's more Marvel stuff I like.

7. X-box or Playstation: I've always had Playstation consoles but I have nothing in particular against the XBox line that I know of.

8. Dragon Age or Mass Effect: I stopped playing DA:I when I learned Cassandra was straight and I've never had access to the ME line of games.  But I'd still give this to ME since my partner loves them and he's showed me hilarious stuff from them.  

9. Night Owl or Early Riser: I really enjoy being up late, sleeping, and being up early, so I think my chronotype is officially "gets all her sleep in a time machine".  But when I was really little I was a super early riser and I wouldn't be surprised if my body eventually shifts back toward that.

10. Cards or Chess: There's a running joke about me hating chess but I'm not that into card games either.  

11. Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate for most purposes but my test of an ice cream brand is whether or not they can make a really good cream or vanilla.

12. Vans or Converse: I haven't really found either to be supportive enough for me to wear.

13. Lavallan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar: Apparently this is a DA thing?

14. Fluff or Angst:  I don't really like either if it's just that and no plot.  But I guess I'd go with fluff because lately I don't like even very good media that are just All About Pain.    

15. Beach or Forest: Forest, but the beach can be beautiful too.

16. Dogs or Cats: I prefer cats but dogs are pretty great.  If I had a giant house with a big yard I'd give my cat his own personal army of large dogs to ride into battle.

17. Clear Skies or Rain:  I've lived somewhere really rainy for eight years and I loved it, especially since I'm light sensitive and sunburn super easily, but lately I've been really into clear skies for weird psychological reasons.  (OK, not that weird: someone I care about a lot passed away and then we kept having storms and rain.)

18. Cooking or Eating Out: I make the majority of the food we eat, and lately I've been trying to spend more of our food budget on good food to cook and less on going out to eat, but there's a great food scene here so I really do enjoy going to restaurants and food carts.  

19. Spicy Food or Mild:  I like it when the person at the spice store is like "it scares me that you're buying this"

20. Halloween/Samhain or Solstice/Yule/Christmas: Christmas is my favorite holiday.  My family tends to come together and most of us have time off from work to spend together, and then we get to both give and receive presents, and the cookies are good.  Kids don't come by where I live and I was never into Halloween parties, so Halloween kind of fell off after I got too old to trick or treat myself.

21. Little too cold or little too hot: Little too cold -- but lots too hot.

22. Superpower: There are others that would do more good in the world but for myself, flight or time travel.

23. Animation or Live Action: There are a lot more live action things than animated things, so it seems unfair to compare them.

24. Paragon or Renegade: Like I said I haven't played ME so I never had to pick.  In general, I usually want to play evil as amoral/practical, and way too many games instead present save puppies vs kick puppies, which pisses me off.  Also, when it seems like you're picking good for less reward vs evil for more, but you KNOW that good gives you a better reward down the line, it really saps the meaningfullness of the choice.

25. Bath or Showers: On a daily basis showers are way more practical.  I do like a nice bath now and then especially if my muscles are achy, but our tub isn't really deep enough to get comfortable.  Also I get bored in the bath and have to listen to music or something.  

26. Team Cap or Team Ironman: No, you move!  Which is weird because I otherwise find Iron Man a way more interesting character.

27. Fantasy or Sci-Fi: Lately I've been picking up more sci fi but I don't have a hard preference.

28. Fav Quotes: I could make a post at least this long with random quotes I like.  

29. Youtube or Netflix: They fill pretty different roles though I know YouTube is trying to get into the business of movies/tv and original content.  

30. Harry Potter or Percy Jackson: Harry Potter was a generational thing, Percy Jackson came out after I was too old for it.  

31. When I Feel Accomplished: When something works out, particularly if I get praise for something I've been trying very hard to do.  Lately I got praise for my coding style and was told that I'm personable and easy to work with, and both of those made me really happy because I've been putting particular effort into them.  

32. Star Wars or Star Trek: There's a special place in my heart for the original SW trilogy but there's much more of the Star Trek verse that I'm into.  

33. Paperback Books or Hardback: I usually buy paperbacks because they're cheaper and easier to carry around, but really beautiful hardbacks are cool as art objects, and more durable.

34. A world without literature or music: Would probably mean some fundamental change in the psychology of humans.  Even dictatorships tend to have state-produced art to use to control the people.  I don't think it's sustainable to have humans and not have some of them trying to make art.  

35. Who was the last person to make me laugh: My cat being cute.  Are you gonna tell him he's not a person?

36. Sour or Sweet Candy:  Sweet, I've never gotten the point of sour candies.

37. Believe in aliens?: There is probably some form of life somewhere but I have no reason to believe it's interacted with or been exposed to us.

38. Dawn or Dusk: Probably dawn, but I see a lot more of dusk.

39. Piercings or Tattoos:  I see more people with a lot of tattoos that I think look good, than people with a lot of piercings that I think look good, but that is my personal aesthetics and obviously nobody made that choice to appeal to me.  I have pierced ears and want to get a (particular) tattoo on either my wrist or ankle someday but it keeps getting pushed down the priority list.

40. Girls? Hot?: Is this a choice or a song reference or ...?

41. Snow or Fog: I have a thing about snow because snow shut my city down repeatedly over the winter to a downright embarrassing extent and it probably accelerated the wear on my car.  In a city with decent infrastructure I'd dig snow.  Fog is pretty until you have to drive in it.

42. Sleep facing the wall or room: I share a bed so I always sleep facing the outside of the bed, I don't care which side I'm on.

43. TRC of AFTG: All Google tells me is this is some series I've never heard of

44. Horror or Drama: In terms of movie classifications, drama.  But again it's much broader.

45. Orcarina of Time or Majora’s Mask: I haven't played either, the only Nintendo products I ever had were DSes

46. Living in nature or city: I think about this a lot, nature appeals to me but I can't actually handle living in a remote area.  

47. Any addictions: TBH this is a weird question to put on a lighthearted quiz, like it's written only expecting caffeine and "lol this fandom pairing" answers but it's actually very personal information?  

48. Languages:  English natively.  Still pretty good at Japanese though I'm a bit shy about actually using it any more.  I can passively understand some Mandarin but I don't tend to speak it myself because I probably couldn't keep up with a conversation.  (Though I feel like a donk because people speak Mandarin around me a lot and I feel like they should know I understand like 60% of their conversation?)  French and Latin didn't really stick at all.  I can discuss who's making the coffee/tea in Korean and I'm trying to learn more, it's a goal of mine to get in a real class when I'm out of grad school.

49. What music do I listen to: I draw from a bunch of different genres, the core ones are probably indie rock, k-pop, and electronic. Then I tend to be picky about which artists I actually like.  Since I got a streaming account I've been enjoying trying out a lot of new stuff.

50. Fav mythical creature: uh do mindflayers count?

51. Safe zone: My apartment I guess?  That's where I can change into sweatpants and not feel self-conscious so let's go with that.

52. First fandom: I think it was Utena.  That was definitely the first one I was really into and old enough for the internet for.

53. Cartoons or Adult Shows: No matter how you define cartoons there's way more "adult shows" than that, unless maybe you mean "adult" shows, in which case this question gets even odder.

54. Current music: Dishwasher Noises by My Old Tiny Dishwasher.  It's an ambient classic AND gets most of the dishes mostly clean.

55. Favorite starter?: I'd better go with the one in my car so it doesn't get offended and act up.  (Litten though.)

56.  What would your witch’s familiar be? Maybe my cat, or maybe a floating land octopus.  Or a hawk.  But that might eat other people's familiars.