#post ranch inn

[guy60660]

Post Ranch Inn

[raycatz]

I'm not including a situation where someone might be injured because in that case I'm thinking the bed goes to them by default or they are nominated for it. anyone who wants to be chatty goes to join the living room floor gang.

What are your thoughts and headcanons? Do you have thoughts on how the boys tend to approach assigning beds in inns? Who do the chain choose to sleep near when camping and why? What are their dynamics like when settling down for the night and getting ready for the day?

In "Mirror Vs Open Closet Door: Fight!" by Gintrinsic (here) Four refers to the chain's decision on how to split up between inn rooms as the "Link-per-room ratio" which I find very funny. He, Sky, and Time also talk about their thought process behind why they do or don't want to sleep in a room with some of the others which I find fun and interesting.

So! If you have thoughts and want to share them! *gestures to the post!*

[chemicallywrit]

Happy Audio Drama Sunday! This week I was on vacation and let me tell you. It was glorious. So I had plenty of time to enjoy this week’s offerings! Let’s goooooo

🥸 @worldgonewrongpod is always a huge treat, and this week committed so hard to the true meaning of friendship: making your way through the apocalypse together. I am so pleased they’re doing a second season. I am also. VERY worried about the alien doppelgänger Malik has decided to be friendly with. Why would he DO that.

📖 I haven’t talked about @wanderersjournalpod yet, but i have been listening, and this last episode established STAKES. It’s such a unique conceit, this shared journal between two very distant people, and the helplessness Marigold felt when they were unable to contact their new friend by any means except the journal was genuinely scary. I’m looking forward to where this story goes—hop on board now folks!

🔪 Jeez louise, @hellofromthehallowoods is gonna kill me. Voltaire. Leave that man alone you creep. I hate him so much. I am looking forward to seeing if Lady Ethel Mallory makes an appearance for real, and if so, how she’s changed in fourteen years.

🗝️ Can we talk about Divorce Ranch?? This is a newer show from Good Story Guild that I’ve been catching up on, a historical mystery set in fifties Reno, when a major part of their appeal was how easy it was to 1) establish a residency and then 2) get a no-fault divorce. And then there’s a MURDER, and a charming wet meow meow of a detective. This one is definitely worth the listen.

✨ @storiesfromylelmore posted the CUTEST Q&A bit, it’s honestly perfect. Hey they’re crowdfunding! Go give them some cash!

🦎 In Hannah News, while the Dead is on hiatus, I am finishing up the work on this season of Inn Between (which mostly involves being super impressed with Katherine all the time). This finale is going to be a treat, you have to hop on the season five train.

See you all next week!

[aylacavebear]

The Traveler - Chapter 19 - Mechoria Pt. 2

You're from a specific dimension, Solaris Eclipse. It was a dimension of magic. When your kind, the Eldrathiren, turned fifteen, your unique power would awaken within you. Most times, it was something small, levitation, teleportation, creation, elemental manipulation, and things like that. Once in a while, a fifteen-year-old would just disappear, and those were called Travelers. None of them had ever returned. Your parents had told you stories about them, and you hoped that wouldn't happen to you.

Please don't take my work. I'll post warnings for each chapter. Will probably be 18+ I haven't decided yet!

Word Count: 5815

Pairing Eventually Dean Winchester x OC Reader/You & Sam Winchester x OC Reader/You

Warnings: Navigating the inhabitants and how things work, missing the Earth. A/N: Don't think there's anything else in this one. It's fairly relaxed.

----------------------------------------- Chapter 19 - Mechoria Pt. 2

The sounds of morning pulled you from the comforts of sleep: birds chirping nearby, the horses in their fields, and the soft hum of steam going through pipes as gears turned somewhere. With a yawn and a nice big stretch, you sighed and opened your eyes. The bed had been surprisingly comfortable and at the moment, you weren’t ready to join the morning. Rolling onto your side, you reached your hand across the bed, wishing he was there, missing him again. 

How long before I can stay with them?

Giggling children outside pulled you from your thoughts, and you climbed out of bed. You dressed in something simple yet comfortable, returning your pouch and weapons to their usual places. Before sliding your bag over your shoulder, you made the bed as a small token of gratitude. Then, you headed outside to greet the day and the kind family.

Lily and Branson insisted you stay for breakfast, which you tried to decline, but the delicious smells convinced you otherwise. Afterward, Branson paid you, and Lily gave you a pouch to keep your Steamcoins in. The pouch had compartments for the different colors, and Lily kindly explained their values, blue being the most valuable. This job had only been worth a small amount, which Nix, at the Information Center, would pay you for later. What this family gave you was far more.

Blue, being the most valuable, was worth one hundred yellow coins.

Purple was worth fifty yellow coins.

Red was worth thirty yellow coins.

Orange was worth ten yellow coins.

Yellow, being the least valuable, was worth just one.

It was a system you’d need to get used to, but at least you had a pouch now to keep everything organized. Branson signed the paper from the bulletin board so you could get paid back to the city. After leaving the ranch, with both Branson and Lily hugging and thanking you again, you counted the Steamcoins they’d given you—twenty-five in total.

I’m going to need to pick up more of those jobs if I’m going to get a place to stay while I’m in this world. Then there’s food and perhaps other items I might need.

In your mind, you began making a list of things you’d need to look into, deciding to stay out of the more expensive area of the city for now. You’d also decided you weren’t going to look at any of the trinket stores either. Right now, those things weren’t important for just getting by. The city was bustling like it had been the day before. Today, a different guard stood at the gate, but he was just as friendly as the other one. You gave him a friendly smile as you looked around, mainly for an inn of sorts to stay in. There were definitely options scattered around the cheaper portions of the city. After about an hour of looking around, you settled on the one near a part of the town that wasn’t close to one of the bars in hopes that it wouldn’t get rowdy at night. They also offered three meals a day for the cost of two Steamcoins per meal, with the room being two Steamcoins per night. 

The innkeeper was a hog, not in his demeanor but in his appearance. However, he was actually rather nice. You’d decided to keep your age a secret, not sure what sort of rules this world had when it came to minors, and you weren’t eighteen yet. “Welcome to Kragthor Inn. How long will you be staying?” he asked with a friendly smile.

“I’d like to pay for a week. I don’t know yet how long I’ll be here,” you replied, pulling out enough coins to pay him.

“That’s okay. If you’d like one of the meals, just let one of the staff know, and they’ll make sure it’s brought to your room. Breakfast is at seven, lunch is at noon, and dinner is at six,” he explained, retrieving a room key from a cabinet where other keys hung.

“Thank you,” you replied, taking the key as he logged your information and collected your coins.

Heading up the wooden staircase, you found your room near the back of the hallway. Inside was a simple layout: a single bed, a desk, a dresser, a nightstand with a lamp, and a clock hung on the wall near the door. There was also a window that looked out into the city. You weren’t quite sure you trusted leaving your belongings in the room, never knowing when the scent would call you to move on from this world. 

Your next stop was the Information Center to collect your fifteen-coin payment and see what else was available. Nix was there again, almost surprised to see you back so soon. She instantly smiled, her tail twitching happily behind her.

“You’re back. How’d your first job go?” she asked quizzically.

Chuckling a little, you pulled the paper out of your pocket, “All taken care of.”

That really surprised her, “Really?” She then found Branson’s signature and almost wanted to ask what the creature was but restrained herself. Nix put the paper into one of the file boxes and got your payment. “Here ya go. If you have any fighting skills, there are some better-paying jobs listed today,” she offered.

“Thanks. I’ll have to take a look at those,” you replied with a smile, putting your coins in your pouch.

Although you had a room for a week, you needed to keep yourself fed, and some of your clothing needed either repairing or replacing. Reading over the available jobs on the board, you grabbed three of them. They were located in relatively the same area and seemed simple enough: killing a monster that had ventured out of the forest. Nix just watched you from behind the counter before she spoke up again.

“Hey, take this map if you’re heading out there for those,” she hollered, holding up a folded piece of paper.

“Oh, thanks,” you replied, returning to her and taking it. It was a fairly thick chunk of paper, but you just slid it into your bag for now.

Before heading out to find the monsters, you stopped by the library. You knew they had books that would give you more information on the monsters you had decided to take on. If you had more time, you would have relaxed and taken in the overall beauty of the place. You weren’t quite sure how, but you knew where the books were that you were seeking.

There was an entire section on monsters, with a vast collection of books ranging in thickness from simple pamphlets to books that would take days to read. You didn’t pay attention to the people there who were watching you, though you hadn’t really considered you’d be that much of an oddity. After finding the books you needed, you read through them, learning the little details about the monsters you’d chosen to take care of. It seemed simple enough: a well-placed attack in the right place, and it would be over. Your knife from Auqualumina could handle it easily, even if you’d have to get close. You missed your spear but knew that Bobby would take care of it for you.

The three monsters you were looking for were on the other side of the farms and in the forest you had passed when you had initially come to the city. You didn’t mind the walk as it was a beautiful day. The birds were chirping and fluttering about, and the bugs busied themselves among the flowers on either side of the road. The farmers were also out, tending to their fields. Some waved, while others just stared.

That made your mind wander. You remembered how Nix looked. She did have humanish features, but she also had short fur covering her body. She looked more cat-like in that regard. The longer your mind pondered it, the more you realized you probably looked similar to a hairless cat, like what you’d seen on the TV on Earth. You turned down a side road toward the forest, where the first monster was mentioned to have been harassing the farmers. The walk was peaceful, with the sounds of the farms capturing your attention. Strange creatures were in different pens, and you decided to get yourself acquainted better with the animal life of this world when your tasks were over. 

As you approached the forest, a strange sensation washed over you. The air felt charged as if filled with whispers you couldn’t quite make out. You took a deep breath, feeling the connection with this world tickle along your nerves. In a way, it reminded you of the night before, and at the same time, it felt vastly different.

Entering the forest, you reached a small clearing where the first monster was reported to be. Instead of an aggressive beast, you found a creature that looked more frightened than dangerous. It had the body of a wolf but with scales instead of fur and glowing green eyes that seemed to peer into your soul. Dean…

Your mind always went to him when you saw green eyes, and for a moment, you felt that ache in your soul again. Shaking the thought from your mind, you slipped your bag off your shoulder, then held your hands up with your palms facing the monster. You didn’t want to scare it; something within you told you it wouldn’t attack you.

“It’s okay,” you whispered, though you knew it couldn’t understand your words.

The creature looked at you, and you could practically see the confused look in its eyes when a soft hum filled your mind, like tuning into a distant frequency. Blurred images and confusing emotions drifted through your mind, and you knew they weren’t yours. You knelt down, maintaining eye contact.

Why are you here? you thought, hoping it would understand, as no words had played through your mind as they had with Lysara.

The creature’s eyes widened slightly, and a series of images and emotions flashed through your mind. You saw flashes of farmers attacking it, trying to drive it away from their fields. It wasn’t trying to harm them; it was just lost and hungry.

I understand. I won’t hurt you.

It seemed to relax a bit, and its stance was less defensive. You reached into your pouch and pulled out some dried meat, offering it in your hand. Hesitantly, it approached and took the food, its thoughts a little calmer now. You took a moment to study it now. It seemed young, at least from the reading you’d done at the library. Typically this creature ran in packs, deeper in the forest.

You pulled the map out of your bag, the creature just watching you curiously, and proceeded to unfold it. Your finger moved along the paper, tracing the path you’d taken to where you were now. Things were marked on the map of places where specific creatures lived, and you noticed where these creatures typically roamed.

I can point you in the direction, so you can get back to your pack.

With that thought, you looked up at the creature, and it tilted its head curiously at you. That made you giggle a little. It was kind of cute like that.

Your pack is that way, you told it, pointing toward your left, further into the forest, about half a day’s run.

The creature looked where you were pointing, then back at you, and nodded.

May I have one of your scales? I have to take something back to the city, so they know that I took care of you.

It was the nicest way you could put it. You didn’t want to tell it that you were supposed to kill it and just take one of its scales. The creature sat down and used its hind leg to scratch behind its ear, reminding you of a dog. Several of its scales flaked off in the process, and it used its nose to nudge them over to you. It licked you on the cheek, then took off into the forest before you even had a chance to thank it.

Well, that was different. I wonder how the next two will go.

You folded up the map, returning it to your bag, put the scales into your pouch from Lysara, and then slipped your bag back over your shoulder. With a sense of curiosity, you continued to where the next monster was said to be located. It wasn’t further into the forest, but to your right, still far too close to the farms nearby.

At first, you didn’t notice it, even with its size, as it blended well into its surroundings of the forest which towered above you. Once it moved, though, you nearly jumped, as it began sizing you up for a quick snack. The creature stood on all fours, resembling the cross between a bear and a lizard, with thick scales and sharp claws. You steadied yourself, slowing your breathing as you held your hands up, palms facing it.

I mean you no harm.

Its entire demeanor changed instantly, looking as surprised as you had when it had moved, and then it took a step back.

I want to help. Why are you here?

Images flooded your mind of destroyed habitat, encroaching farmers, and a desperate search for a new home. You felt instant sympathy for it and sat down, pulling out the map again. The creature watched you, slowly getting closer as it looked down at what you were doing. Occasionally, its tongue would flick out and taste the air.

There’s a place to the west. It looks similar to the images you showed me of where you used to live.

You pointed to where you were on the map and then to where you suggested it could go.

Do you understand? Can you find that place? It even has a stream there.

The creature tilted its head a bit as it looked down at the map, then it looked at you. You smiled a little, then pointed in the direction of the area, and its gaze followed your hand before it looked back at you. The creature growled softly, or perhaps it was similar to a type of purr; you weren’t sure. Then, in the blink of an eye, it was moving in that direction, far faster than you had thought it could move, given its size. You hadn’t even gotten a chance to ask it for a scale.

Sighing, you put the map away, and as you slipped your bag over your shoulder, you noticed that the light shimmered off of something in the grass. You reached down and picked it up, smiling; a scale that had fallen off. You slipped that into your pouch as you continued along to the next location.

These monsters aren’t monsters at all. They’re just scared, or their homes have been torn down and clear-cut for more farmland. They just want to live like the other inhabitants of this world.

You felt a new sense of purpose for being in this world. Perhaps the scent you’d been following pulled you here to help these creatures. You still hadn’t forgotten about the clock tower either. Something was going on in this world, and you were determined to find out what.

The third creature was a bit further into the forest but still close to the farms. When you came upon it, it nearly took your breath away as it stared down at you from a high branch in one of the trees. In a way, it reminded you of a monkey, but far larger, crossed with the armor of an armadillo and the eyes of a hawk. It had long, sharp claws on each of its four arms and two legs, and it was all white.

As with the last two, you held your hands up, palms facing it, slowly slipping your bag from your shoulder. I’m not here to hurt you. It looked at you just as puzzled and curiously as the prior two had. I want to help. Why are you here? 

Images flooded your mind of a smaller one that looked similar to this one. It had wandered off, and this one had been searching for it, daring to venture into the farmers' lands as its search in the forest had been empty. You also saw images of the farmers attempting to attack it when it went to search a barn.

I want to help. Let me go look for the little one, and I’ll bring it back to you. Will you trust me?

It looked skeptical but also curious, and then it nodded its head. At least you knew what you were looking for and a general area. You slipped your bag back over your shoulder and headed toward the area you’d seen in the images the creature had shared with you. Luckily, it wasn’t a far walk. 

There were four different barn-type buildings on the other side of a fence, similar to the one at the ranch. You hopped the fence, heading for the closest one when what you figured was a guard “dog” sort of creature came bounding at you. It wasn’t barking, though; it was bellowing, similar to the one at Branson’s ranch.

I’m not here to make trouble. I’m trying to find a frightened creature.

The “dog” instantly stopped in its tracks while you continued to the barn. For a moment, it watched you, then ran over to one of the other barns and bellowed at you again. An image of small, yellow eyes hiding in the hay played through your mind. You smiled a little and headed over to that barn instead.

Thanks, you thought to the “dog” as you pat it on the head before entering the barn. It stayed outside while you looked around. This looked to be used as hay storage with miscellaneous farm tools. Your ears twitched, carefully listening for any sort of movement as you walked toward one of the stacks of hay. Well, it reminded you of hay anyway.

You finally heard something scurrying along the rafters, and when you looked up, you saw those two little yellow eyes from the image the “dog” showed you. The last thing you wanted to do was scare the poor thing further. You slipped your bag off your shoulder and held your hands up, palms facing it, as that had seemed to work with the other creatures.

I’m here to help. I found the other one like you, and it’s worried about you. I’d like to take you back to it. Will you trust me?

For a while, it stared at you like you had two heads, but you could tell it was curious. It slowly got closer, climbing down from the rafters to the second floor of the barn, and sat on the ledge, still staring at you. The “dog” watched from just outside the barn door. The little creature's eyes went from you to the “dog” and then back to you, tilting its head.

I promise, I just want to help you.

It seemed to take a while longer, but it finally climbed down. You crouched down so you were more on its level. It gingerly approached you, but all you did was hold out your hand and give it a soft smile. It sniffed your hand before getting close enough to touch your hand, almost as if it was inspecting it and perhaps even curious as to why you had no fur. Eventually, it looked up at you and an image of the larger one getting chased off by the farmers went through your mind. You sympathized with the small creature for what it had been through, then slowly held out both your hands. It climbed into your arms, and you scooped it up, grabbed your bag, and then stood.

Time to get you back to your friend.

It almost made a purring sound, which made you smile. You were so focused on helping the small creature that you didn’t notice the farmer watching you the entire time. You made your way back to the fence and hopped back over it, then made your way back to the other creature in the forest. The farmer decided to follow you just to see what was going on, as this was something completely new to their world.

I found it, you thought as you reached the area where the other creature had been. It came down from the tree and approached you. That’s when you realized just how large it was, nearly as tall as you when it stood on its hind legs. You also realized now that it was, in fact, a she, and this was her child. You gently handed her the child, May I have a clipping of one of your claws? I need to take it back so that no one else comes looking for you.

She then nodded and bit one of her claws, handing you the piece before taking off into the forest and back to wherever her home was. You still hadn’t noticed the farmer watching you from behind a nearby tree as you watched the two leave.

“Well, that should take care of that,” you said out loud to no one but felt happy you were able to help them and hadn’t had to actually kill any of them.

—-------------

“You’re seriously done with all three of those?!” Nix exclaimed when you set the papers and items down on the counter.

“Yeah. Why do you look so surprised?” you asked her, a little puzzled.

She stared at you blankly for a moment, having to pull herself out of her shock. “Normally, someone only takes one, and it takes all day for them to complete it. Plus, they typically come back looking like they got into a fight. You—you’re clean!” she told you, still in a mild state of shock.

“Uh, I did my research before I headed out?” you replied with a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of your head. You didn’t want to tell her that you’d saved the creatures, as that didn’t seem to be how things were done here.

Nix wasn’t sure what to say. You were new to the city, so there was a sense of mystery around you. Plus, it was clear you were feline, but you also lacked the fur of the species. She wanted to ask you so many more questions, but it wasn’t allowed due to the restrictions of her job. She sighed and pulled out your payment, sixty Steamcoins.

“Have you thought about joining one of the guilds? With how talented you clearly are, there are several of the high-class ones that would be interested in you,” she explained as she filed the papers into the correct places in the filling cubbies.

“That’s an offer I’ll have to decline. I’m not sure how long I’ll be staying. I’ll see you tomorrow, though,” you replied, waving to her as you headed outside and back to the room you’d rented.

Before you went upstairs, you paid for a meal, knowing the little you had left in your pouch would only hold you over until then. Sitting on your bed, you unpacked your bag, inspecting your items as you ate one of the sweets from the Hatter. At least half of your articles of clothing would need replacing unless you wanted to repair them, again. 

The flannel Dean had given you, along with two pairs of pants, three shirts, and three pairs of socks, went back into your bag. The rest of the items, which were wearing more than thin and couldn’t be used for anything, went into the trash. You only kept one of the shirts to use as emergency rags or bandages. 

Since you still had nearly three hours before dinner would be served, you slipped your bag over your shoulder and headed downstairs. You found the innkeeper behind the desk. “Excuse me, where is the best place to get some clothes that aren’t expensive?” you asked him.

“That would be Fluff N’ Stuff a few blocks away. She’s got the best prices in the area for quality clothes,” he replied with a friendly smile, which you were still getting used to. It wasn’t every day you saw a hog smile.

“Thanks.” was all you said as you headed out and to the shop. 

You glanced at the merchants and shops as you walked down the busy street. There were so many interesting things you wanted to look at, but you reminded yourself that you had to take care of the essential things first. Sometimes, you hated having to be responsible.

Fluff N’ Stuff was a larger shop than the others in the area. When you went inside, you weren’t quite sure what you were expecting, but it was not what you saw. It was extremely spacious, with several racks of clothes in all sorts of styles and colors. Along the walls were cubbies containing more articles of clothing, shoes, hats, and other miscellaneous accessories. 

What threw you for a loop was when you saw the shop owner, or at least hoped that was who you were now staring at. From her waist down, she looked like a spider with eight legs, and from the waist up, she looked completely human. You hadn’t even realized you were staring or that your mouth had fallen open in utter surprise and awe until she approached you.

“Good afternoon. What can I help you with?” she asked in the softest voice you’d ever heard, snapping you out of your state of shock.

She was a vision of elegance, her appearance striking yet inviting. Her upper half was distinctly human, adorned in a simple yet elegant blouse that complemented her soft features. She had long, flowing brown hair that cascaded down her back in gentle waves, framing a face that exuded warmth and kindness. Her eyes were a deep, calming brown, full of wisdom and a hint of curiosity. Her skin was smooth and fair, with a natural glow that added to her ethereal beauty. 

From the waist down, her body transformed into that of a spider, but not in a way that evoked fear. Her spider legs were slender and graceful, each movement smooth and fluid. The exoskeleton was muted, soft brown, matching her hair and blending seamlessly with her overall appearance. There was no trace of the usual creepiness associated with spiders. Instead, her lower half had a certain elegance and sophistication, enhancing her unique charm.

She moved with a quiet grace, her eight legs making no sound on the wooden floor. Despite her unusual form, there was a softness to her demeanor and a gentleness in her expression that immediately put you at ease. Her presence was soothing, and her smile was warm and genuine, making you feel welcome and comfortable in her shop.

You took a moment to compose yourself and did your best not to stare at her lower half. “I, uh, was told this was the nicest place to get some clothes,” you finally explained, still in a mild state of awe.

“I’m Arina,” she replied with a quiet giggle as she covered her mouth, finding you rather adorable. “I’m going to guess you’ve never seen a Silkith before, have you?”

“Uh, no, I haven’t. It’s… nice to meet you,” you stammered, still trying to process her appearance.

“Don’t worry, I get that reaction a lot. Silkith typically don’t live in cities. Now, let’s see what we can find for you,” she said warmly, her spider legs moving gracefully as she led you deeper into the store. “What are you looking for specifically?”

You glanced around the racks of clothes. “I need some sturdy pants and shirts, preferably something that can handle a bit of rough travel. Also, some socks and maybe a spare jacket.” Arina nodded, her eyes twinkling with understanding. “Got it. Follow me.” She moved gracefully, leading you toward one of the racks near the far wall. She pulled out a few pairs of pants and a few shirts from the rack across from it. They all looked quite durable. “These should do the trick. They’re made from a blend of cotton and a local plant fiber. Very resilient.”

You took the clothes from her, letting your fingers slide across the fabric. Not only did it feel comfortable, but it also felt far more durable than what you already owned. “These are perfect. Thank you.”

She smiled, clearly pleased. “Let’s find you some socks and a jacket next. Any particular color you’re fond of?”

Her question made your heart almost sink, Dean…

“Emerald or forest green,” you replied, far quieter than before.

Arina looked down at you, concern finding its way into her soft features, “You’re missing someone,” she remarked softly. “I have just the color. Come with me.” She moved to another rack, but you weren’t looking at her. You were remembering how sad Dean had looked on the day you ended up in Wonderland, how his emerald green eyes had almost seemed to dim with the dampness of tears he refused to shed.

Arina grabbed half a dozen pairs of plain socks out of one of the cubbies before sifting through the rack of jackets, finding one that was a forest green and very sturdy. “This jacket is water-resistant and has plenty of pockets. It should be handy for your travels.”

It was the same color as his eyes, and you almost debated getting a different color. “Thanks,” you replied, taking the jacket from her. A tear slipped down your cheek.

“Everything okay?” she asked with growing concern.

“I just miss them, that’s all,” you replied, taking a slow, deep breath and looking up at her. 

“Want to talk about it? I know I’m a stranger, but sometimes it helps talking to a stranger instead of someone you know well,” she offered with a sincere smile.

Her kindness made you smile a little. “I appreciate that, and I might take you up on that, just… not today. Thank you for your help with all this. What do I owe-”  Before you could finish your question, something dark blue caught your eye on a rack not far from where you were standing.

You tilted your head a bit as you walked over to it, Arina following you, “See something else?” she asked.

Even with the articles of clothing draped over your arm, you pulled the thing off its rack to look at it—a beautiful dark blue dress. It wasn’t fancy or anything, but it had the most beautiful design of flowers and vines in black from the waist down. The sleeves were short but loose, with a little extra fabric like the skirt of the dress.

“I could modify it for you,” Arina offered, seeing how your eyes almost sparkled as you examined the dress’ simple elegance.

“Oh, I couldn’t… it’s not practical,” you stammered, then went to put it back on the rack, but Arina plucked it from your hand.

“Nonsense. Every girl should have at least one nice dress,” she insisted kindly, then headed to the counter with the other items she was still holding.

With a sigh, you followed her and set the items down on the counter, “I can’t afford things like that right now,” you told her, seeing it as a frivolous expense, wishing she’d understand.

“Alright. Then it’ll be on trade. You can share your story with me in exchange for the dress. In three days, we’ll go to the tavern just up the block, around eight. I’ll buy if need be, and you can tell me your story,” she told you with a soft yet stern tone, and you knew there was no way you were getting out of this.

You looked back down at the dress on the counter, then back up at her, “Alright. It seems like a fair trade,” you replied with a thoughtful smile, beginning to wonder what she’d think of all you would end up sharing with her. “What do I owe you?”

Arina looked at the items, then folded each one neatly before looking up at you, “Thirty Steamcoins. I’ll bring the dress when I see you again. It will be modified for your tail.”

Once you paid her, you put everything in your bag, told her you’d see her in three days, then went back to the inn. Your mind was on the brothers again, as that had been the only reason you had even looked at the dress. At least in your room at the inn, it was quiet. You guessed that perhaps it was magic that kept the sounds of the bustling city streets at a dull roar outside your closed window while you sat on the bed. 

I still have so much to learn about this world. Why do I feel like I need to go to the Clock Tower, and why can I communicate with the creatures and no one else can? I doubt that I’ll be able to keep a low profile here for very long.

The last thought made you sigh as you leaned against the headboard when there was a knock on your door. “Come in.”

A male hog, who looked like he was in his teens, opened your door with a plate of food in hand. “You ordered dinner,” he told you with a friendly tone, bringing it in and setting it on your desk.

“Thank you,” you replied as he was leaving.

He nodded and closed your door, leaving you alone with your dinner and thoughts. Of course, those didn’t stop, even as you sat at your desk and began eating, finding the meal delicious.

There is definitly something strange going on here, and I have to figure out what it is and why I feel like I’m the only one who notices or can do anything about it. Will I be stuck here until I figure it out? I miss them…

After you ate, you clicked off the light and crawled into the bed. You felt homesick, but not for your home world, for Earth, the brothers, and even John. After your last visit to Earth, you felt lonelier these days than you had before that. You knew that it was because of how close you and the brothers had been with each other. Going to sleep in Dean’s arms and waking up to him in the mornings was a feeling you were missing, especially now. You missed the comfort and safety being in his arms brought and the peace that had come from his and Sam’s scent always being around you.

----------------------------------------- Chapter 19 - Mechoria pt. 3

Link to the series Masterlist.

A/N: If you'd like to get in on the Dimensional Traveling, go to this link and leave me with a comment, or several, with as much or as little detail about the dimension you'd like the Traveler to end up in. If you'd like to have something specific happen, share that too. I'll make sure that you get credit for the idea you shared in the chapter in which your dimension is featured. I'd love to have as many readers involved as possible. I think this could be a lot of fun.

As always, if you'd like to be tagged, let me know and I'll add you to the tag list. If I missed anyone, please let me know.

Tag List: @littlemadamred @mxltifxnd0m @foxyjwls007 @supernaturalfreakout @roseblue373

@flamencodiva @reignsboy19 @stillhere197

[gurugirl]

I'm so excited I just signed up for you patreon! An early birthday present for meeeee 😁

Where should I start? What do you recommend? I don't even know where to begin! I'm like a kid in a candy shop looking through your master list 🤪

Ahhh yay! Happy early birthday sweetie! And thank you!! Also sorry this took so long to post. Took me a bit to put this together for you.

Let's see... where to start 🤔

You could begin with one of my completed series if you want something a little longer to get into.

The Trapper is set in the 1800s and it was nothing but a pleasure to write - Harry is a stoic trapper who goes into Y/n's small town to sell his trappings to the locals and always stays at her father's inn.

The Amateur is ceorry/sugar daddy x down on her luck burlesque dancer Y/n.

Or if you're looking for a one shot or a one-off you could check out a few of my faves...

Maybe Fate - Harry's someone from yn's past and he's a bit cocky but he's cute - pretty light hearted and an easy read

Rainfly (has 2 parts) - friends to lovers situation + camping/hiking/tent sex

The Ranch Hand is one of my absolute faves - it's angsty and messy but has a nice ending. Harry's a ranch hand and Y/n's dad owns the ranch he works on. She's a firecracker in this one.

Off-Menu - Harry and his family run a michelin star rated restaurant and Y/n thinks he's handsome. Lots of food and sex innuendos. Pretty light hearted.

If you're looking for a shorter series with smaller parts...

Loveable Rogue - one of my faves! It's a fully completed mini series with each part being around 3k-5k words. Gets angsty for a bit but happy ending.

F★ck You - enemies to lovers - happy ending. Three parts, shortish.

Poly/Nympho!harry - Harry x many women from Y/n's POV. Mostly just smut with some plot thrown in to keep it interesting. A reader fave!

Boyfriend's best friend - this is a cheatrry series. Reader fave - ongoing. It's starting to get angsty.

Little Flower - stalker harry - ongoing

I also have Tumblr extras and exclusives that won't be posted on Tumblr...

6 extras for ex-boyfriend's dad!harry

An extra for The Unicorn

An extra for The Arrangement

And extra for Best friend's dad

This list is just kind of some of the more popular ones I've got up but there's a lot there, I know!

I hope whatever you pick you wind up loving! Thank you so much for joining and please let me know what you think!

xoxo

[lawyernovelistpersonal]

As a patreon patron of @linkeduniverse, I get previews of new updates, but I'm also on board with the etiquette of waiting to share my thoughts until the whole fandom has access. I saw someone else suggest writing my initial thoughts in a post and saving it as a draft to be posted when appropriate, so that's what this is for Dawn pt 9.

Because I have a lot of feelings about this one, which I'm going to put in a bullet-point list.

Poor Sky, not getting a letter. I hope everything's OK back in Skyloft. His face and the little broken heart is so expressive.

Time's letter looks really long. I hope everything really is OK back at the Ranch and it's just updates of some kind, especially because he looks very serious about whatever it is.

Is it just me, or have I seen this face and this posture on Wind? It looks familiar.

Twilight 100% thought Time was going to yell at him and his expression when Time commented on his courage is cute. He does seem a bit defensive. I do wonder about "Perhaps my current power would disgrace the proud green I wear. Have I cast doubt upon myself?" I feel like the only one doubtful of Twilight's abilities in this moment might be Twilight because Time didn't question them and in fact pointed out Twilight's heroism. This might be a game reference I'm not getting, but in the meantime I'm reading it as Twilight having some self-doubt because he's lost some physical strength and ability and needs to continue to recover, but the experience has shaken him a bit.

She said something about Twilight in the letter, didn't she? (I'll be honest, my instant thought was that she'd said she's pregnant)

Not familiar enough with Twilight Princess to fully comment on this, but ouch.

The little tease about the special lady who's been asking for Twilight and then the reveal of Epona was so adorable and I love seeing Twilight laugh.

"Guys... come on, be normal" Great line, especially after Legend, Hyrule, and Wind chose Chaos rather than walking down the stairs like, well, normal people

The moment that really did stay with me was the reaction to Warriors saying he paid for the inn.

Honestly, if I were Warriors I'd be thoroughly annoyed (and probably pretty upset) about that and I'm curious why on earth Legend thinks it's so absurd that Warriors would have paid for them (and if it's doubt that he'd be able to afford it as what he says about Time suggests, why his first reaction is to bust out laughing rather than checking). I've not seen anything so far to suggest that would be out of character. Likewise, the fact that Sky reacts with shock (though not like he doesn't believe it) but immediately accepts that it was actually Time. I hope that gets cleared up soon and Warriors gets an apology and the thanks he deserves.

[cafecourage]

Pinky Isn't Suffering - Finale

It was a time tm to write this and I'm happy its finally posted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The question of what now and what exactly Twilight’s and Pinky’s relationship was. 

Unfortunately, they didn’t really get a chance to process anything because as soon as they both were spotted, Twilight and Pinky were whisked off to do different tasks around the settlement. Enno was found and still healing in Skyloft but they needed more supplies. Twilight went on a small hunting trip for food with Wild while Pinky was able to team up with Zelda with the other supplies since there wasn’t much supplies on the surface.

When they finally reconvene, it was the evening at the inn.

The others had already split up the room at the inn to save on time. This led to them sharing a room. Naturally.

Pinky looked at Twilight with a small tired smile “I’ll be in your care again then.” She was teasing him. Twilight’s nerves couldn’t be calmed though. The two of them knew that the talk needed to happen but was it so wrong of him to process this without the crushing realization that she liked him back, and not only that, but have a ranch and family together?

However, fate it seems had other ideas for them.

As when the two of them walked into the room, there was only one bed. Twilight had to stand there for a moment. Two, actually. He couldn’t help but sigh. This had the other boy’s prank idea written all over it. He walks in already taking off his bag and pelt. “I’ll sleep on the-“

“Sleep with me,” Pink said, interrupting him. This caused another long pause as Twilight tried to do the math in his head about what she even meant with that. “I mean sleep in the bed with me.” Pinky clarified quickly, “please… there’s enough room for the both of us.” She walks over, helping him take off the pelt with Twilight frozen in his spot. Then he takes her hands. “We… we also need to-“

“I love you.” Twilight was a little loud with that announcement taking her back for a second. It was very loud for such an intimate moment. “For a while now actually.” He continued. He can’t stop now that the flood gates are open. “Maybe since I’ve first met you.”

With a shaky hand, he lifts it up to cup her cheek. “Your laugh, your smile, your everything. I love it all. I love how gentle yet firm you are, that you look out for the others and me. I love your boundless empathy, your wit, and determination.” Twilight gently tugs Pinky closer, giving her a chance to back off if she chooses to. But she steps closer when he intends to hold her while wrapping her arms around his torso. 

“I love you Brittany.”

“Link…” Pinky tears up then goes face first into his chest. “I love you too.” Just a few simple words and he was tearing up. Holding her felt like he was holding the world in his arms. 

It felt safe and warm having her here.  “Yes, I will share the bed with you.” He adds.

This made Pinky pause for a second and laugh.

Twilight cups her cheeks again, “may I?”

“Yes, finally!” Pinky sighs, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Please.” She didn’t have to say anymore as Twilight swoops in for a long deserved kiss.

[guy60660]

Kendal + Anthony DeLaura | Post Ranch Inn

[vital-spirit]

[ OFFSCREEN POST]

“-And when no one’s lookin’, you pull the string to move the copper. You got that?”  “Mister Lucario, that sounds dishonest..” The Lillipup responded, a glass of juice in front of her at the Saloon’s bar.

“Sure is, but no one wins a card game by bein’ honest. Look at all the games being played in the saloon right now. Pay attention, and you’ll catch every player cheatin’ in no time,” He says, gesturing to a game of cards being played at one of the nearby tables just in time to catch a Krokorok slipping an ace from their sleeves into their hand. 

“Mister Lucario I’ve been payin’ attention this whole time,” she flicks her ear, “I can’t stop payin’ attention.”

“Well that’s just quitter talk! You’ll get used to it eventually! Tunin’ it out is easy once you learn how,” he says before turning back to the bar.  “Bartender! Get me another drink.” 

An Ampharos behind the bar puts down the glass they were cleaning, and pours Lucario another glass of whiskey, shooting him a look. Clearly this is the last one. 

Bingo cringes slightly at the smell of the whiskey, wrinkling up her nose.

Lucario notices the discomfort without even looking at her. “Like I said, you get used to it. If it makes you feel any better, we’ll be out of town tomorrow, so there won’t be as many sounds and smells. ” 

“If you say so–” She was cut off by the loud creak of an old floorboard stealing her attention, glancing over her shoulder as she looked towards the source of the sound.

A Thievul stood at the entrance of the saloon, his tail swishing gently back and forth, kicking up dust as his eyes scanned the patrons who now stared at the newcomer.

Lucario does not turn around, but visibly stiffens. He quickly downs the entire glass of whiskey in one swig, and gets up. “Lillipup, we’re leaving.” 

“What, why?” Bingo asked, the sound of Lucario’s quickened heartbeat picking up in her ears. 

One of the Thievul’s ears twitched slightly in the direction of the two as he slowly walked past Lucario and Bingo, his tail swishing for a moment before he made his way to the opposite end of the bar in which the other patrons went back to what they had been doing.

“We’re leaving,” He repeats sternly. “Now.”

“I.” She hesitated before nodding, “Alrighty, Mister Lucario.” She hopped down from her stool and onto the floor of the saloon, confused. Something was up.

Lucario wastes no time walking out the door, and away from the ranch. He doesn’t even stop at the inn, walking out into the sunset with a confused Bingo on his heels. 

“We’re going to keep on moving all night. I’m not gonna carry you.”

[legofanguy]

Road Trip AUgust

A Inuyasha, Legend of Zelda, Swtor, World of Warcraft, Wildstar, Urusei Yatsura, and Fairy Tail crossover for @promptsbytaurie event AUgust 2024 day 8 road trip AU, featuring my original characters.

A group of families from New York are on a road trip across the USA. The first stop on the road is Hocking Hills in Ohio, and the families park their RVs at the camp site. The younger children run to play in the playground as their older siblings and parents set up the camp, with Inuyasha, one of the fathers, moving a table with his daughter Moroha as his wife Kagome get the food ready.

At their camp site, Charlotte Hyrule hold her phone up as she try to get a signal and she ask her mother Zelda while her father Link is put the heavy stuff up, "Mom, where can I get a signal for my phone?" and Zelda tell her older daughter, "Charlotte, the whole point of this trip is to not be on your phone." and Charlotte is spechless.

Meanwhile, Charlotte's young sister Sonia check out the camp with sisters Towa and Setsuna. The camp look nice and it has a swimming pool, but some parts of it look a little old.

At the Mirsan family camp site, the twin girls Kin'u and Gyokuto laugh about the green hair boy Kitaro Moroboshi as he try to start a fire for his little sister Nyoko and her best friend Nasha Dragneel. At the table, their younger brother Hisui is playing a card game with Michael Shan, Ash Dorne, Petra Spar, Kevin Piece, Max Revel, Samson Cadera, and Tao Yaza.

At his family RV, Gramakk the orc read a guide on Hocking Hills as his wife Zanawe put their son Kokdutu to bed.

The next day, the families get ready for a day in Hocking Hills, with Juliasa making sure that her teenage daughter is okay and to not act like her father Crual.

On the park, the families travel around the sites and the girls take selfie of themselves in nature.

Back at the campsite, the adults make plans on where to go next and Inuyasha said to them, "Why don't we travel on Route 66?" and the adults look at each other about the idea.

Soon, by the morning light, the RVs travel on the famous Route 66, starting at Chicago, Illinois. The families first explore the famous sites at Chicago for three days before they hit the road again. While traveling in Illinois, they see the Gemini, the town of Springfield, and Dixie Travel Plaza.

The RVs arrived at Missouri, and they see the World's second largest rocking chair in Fannig, Red's Giant Hamburg, 66 Drive-In, and Ted Drewes on their journey.

The RVs arrived at Kansas, where the families visit Baxter Spring Independent Oil and Gas Service station, drive through Rainbow Bridge, and visit Williams' Store as well Kan-O-Tex Service Station.

The RVs arrived at Oklahoma, where the families visit Blue Whale of Catoosa, Pops restaurant, Round barn, Milk Bottle Grocery, Rock Cafe, and Foyil Filling Station.

The RVs arrived at Texas, where the families visit the Leaning Tower of Britten, Cadiliac ranch, The Big Texan Steak Ranch, and U-Drop Inn.

The RVs arrived at New Mexico, where the families visit Blue Swallow Motel, El Rancho Hotel & Motel, and Maisel's Indian Trading Post.

The RVs arrived at Arizona, where the families visit Wigwam Motel, Standin' on the Corner Park, Jack Rabbit Trading Post, and Meteor City.

The RVs arrived at California, the last stop of Route 66. In California, the families visit Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch, Cucamonga Service Station, Aztec Hotel, and Los Angeles.

In the Los Angeles hotel, the adults start their plans for the road trip back home and the locations to visit.

[nancydrewwouldnever]

Chris talking about Post Ranch Inn (if you are still looking for that info)

https://vimeo.com/231441209

OMG YES THANK YOU!!!!!

Okay, this was a little later than I thought, from the Gucci Guilty campaign interviews. BUT I WAS NOT GOING CRAZY!

It is Post Ranch Inn!

(Although, OMG, I read some recent reviews from decent travel bloggers and it sounds like they're starting to rest on their laurels too much and going downhill. But still charging $2300/night, awesome.)

[merrock]

It's the holiday season! And Merrock is one of the very best places to be to celebrate all things winter, festive holidays, and joy and love. Let this post be your guide to happenings during the holiday season, places to visit, things to see and do, and much more!

Hop under the cut to fill your holiday season with even more joy and love (and plots).

EVENTS IN MERROCK:

December 2 -- winter fun party!

December 17-23 -- holiday market!

December 31 -- new year's eve party!

January 1 -- polar plunge!

January 20 -- winter gala!

HOLIDAYS / FUN DAYS AROUND TOWN

November 23 -- Thanksgiving!

November 24 -- Black Friday!

November 25 -- Small Business Saturday!

December 7 - 15 -- Hanukkah!

December 21 -- First Day of Winter!

December 25 -- Christmas!

December 26 - January 1 -- Kwanzaa!

December 31 -- New Year's Eve!

January 1 -- New Year's Day!

January 21 -- World Snow Day!

PLACES TO VISIT / THINGS TO DO

The Brownstone Inne (downtown) -- help Brownstone decorate their windows on the first floor!

Cityview Park (downtown) -- stroll through the park for a look at their many light and decoration displays, lit up from December 1 - 31 (help set up before!).

Merrock Railway (downtown) -- every weekend from now until the end of the year, catch a train ride through Merrock to look at community decorations at night!

The Mirage (downtown) -- Friday night karaoke night with all of your favorite holiday staples, every Friday night!

Stubs (downtown) -- along with the Christmas movies, the theater will be playing 8 Crazy Nights during Hanukkah!

Azure Spa & Salon (coastal) -- come get pampered with their holiday special treatments! and book your spa time before events!

From Brush to Canvas (coastal) -- a beautiful exhibit of snowy, festive paintings and pieces of art has been put out for the month of December, and decorated up!

Cassidy's Candies (coastal) -- make sure to stop in and grab some Hanukkah Gelt, if you're looking for something special to share.

Santa's Hut (suburbs) -- stop in any afternoon from 3PM until 7PM to visit with Santa! If he's not there, leave a letter in his mailbox. We promise he'll get it!

Children's Museum (suburbs) -- daily Christmas movies and activities held for children after school hours.

Community Center (suburbs) -- games and movies held in the common room every evening for kids and adults alke, as well as free food and warmth for those who need it.

Flour Co. -- is having a class on how to make a traditional Sufganiyot, and will be selling them, as well! they will also have cookie making classes, and gingerbread house making events every weekend.

Cul-de-Sac Diner (suburbs) -- have added latkes to the menu for the holiday season, as well as a few other favorites!

Animal Sanctuary (countryside) -- visit with and have pictures taken alongside some of Santa's reindeer if you bring a donation for the sanctuary!

Blades (countryside) -- perfect for time out sledding, skiing, snowboarding, building snowmen and, of course, doing a little ice skating! Opens December 2nd!

Harmony Ranch (countryside) -- take pictures with our festive, holiday animals, and see the Harmony Healers do their holiday program on December 16th!

Lavender Lane (countryside) -- stop by for wreaths and swags, pick out a Christmas tree from the lot, or cut your own from the farm in the fields beyond!

North Shore (countryside) -- volunteer some time to the elderly in the community, helping them with Christmas crafts and decorating their rooms.

Paradise Gardens (countryside) -- stop by to enjoy some beautifully decorated indoor garden space for the holidays!

State Park (countryside) -- take a hike on one of the many trails around the state park! Just be careful and avoid closed trails that might be dangerous for novice hikers.

HOLIDAY MOVIES AT STUBS

Stubs will be showing holiday movies every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the season (unless an event is taking place!), with Tuesdays thrown in for fun. With a flat fee of $10, you will get admission to the movie, a large drink, and two snacks. Kids are $5. On Christmas Eve, the movie is free with the donation of a toy for a child. Come enjoy with us!

November 24 -- Christmas Vacation

November 25 -- How the Grinch Stole Christmas

November 26 -- Home Alone

November 28 -- A Christmas Story

December 1 -- The Polar Express

December 3 -- A Charlie Brown Christmas (meet Snoopy!)

December 5 -- Miracle on 34th Street

December 8 -- White Christmas

December 9 -- Holiday Inn

December 10 -- Elf

December 12 -- The Muppets Christmas Carol

December 16 -- Rankin Bass Christmas movie marathon night (Rudolph, Frosty, Santa Claus is Coming to Town).

December 24 -- It's a Wonderful Life

STOP BY TO SHOP

HIDEAWAY MARKET -- stop by to do some shopping in Hideaway, whether you're looking for handmade goods at Collabs, custom furniture from Creekside, new crystals from Universal Rocks, or want to do some painting or eating, we have something for everyone.

DOWNTOWN -- Bookends, The Vinyl Hub, Wild at Hart Florals.

COASTAL AREA -- Bella's Boutique, Cassidy's Candies, Malibu & Co.

SUBURBS -- Jack in the Box, Little Corner Market, Sprouts, The Supply Shack, Treasure Chest.

COUNTRYSIDE -- Farmer's Market, Great Outdoors, Pet Haven, Polished Brass Market, Rocky Ridge Hardware

FUEL UP ON GOODIES

HIDEAWAY MARKET -- Rooftop Cafe.

DOWNTOWN -- Cobblestone Cafe, Evolution, Mack's, Rossi's, Taste, Touchback, What's the Tea.

COASTAL AREA -- & Chips, Anchors Away, Deidre's Deli, Fresh, The Hut, Mawk Tales, Sandcastles, Sea Breeze.

SUBURBS -- The Creamery, Cul-de-Sac Diner, Flour Co., The Garden, Golden House, Paco's, Pizza Thyme.

COUNTRYSIDE -- Handpick'd, Overlook, Tumbleweed.

AND MAY WE SUGGEST...

Merrockites are always full of love during the holiday season -- call up a friend and ask if they need help decorating their tree, invite a friend over to do some baking, go shopping together, wrap your presents, do something silly like coloring in an old coloring book, or make felt crafts that you picked up at a dollar store. Make some ugly holiday sweaters, do a photoshoot together in the snow. Dress your pets up and take them to meet Santa Claus, decide to go on a shopping spree to donate the presents to charity, make floral arrangements to put on the graves of loved ones, fix up donation boxes to take to those in need, drive around town looking at Christmas decorations. There is no such thing as too much holiday spirit!

[pluvicor]

Zion is by far one of my favorite OCs and the one whose story I spend the most time trying to continue despite not actively writing him that much anymore.

Some of the reason for it is how I, admittedly, became close minded and skeptical about collaborative work on this side of the RPC. But that's for another post (or none at all), I'm here to lay out the things I've established for him, either through development over Discord, ideas that came and stuck with me but were never shared, or a secret third thing, lest I forget and punch more holes into his storyline:

Personal life:

Leads a married life (not on paper yet) with Rickon. It's a very fulfilling relationship, Rickon is the exception to Zion's compromise to never resort to violence and/or dirty tricks, should anyone do anything to harm him. Given Zion's current state in life, that is not to be taken as lightly as it once could, as I'll touch on more down this post;

He's also in a relationship with Samael, though he's still conflicted about putting a name to it, given his aversion to the idea of having multiple partners. In fact, he is Zion and Rickon's boyfriend, that makes it easier alongside the fact Samael is a literal god and doesn't seem to mind how Zion navigates this new state of affairs between them, as long as it's good for everyone;

He's in therapy, has been for a while. His therapist is not human but I haven't decided what or who they are yet. Zion never felt he'd be safe with a regular professional, seeing as his problems stem from very unnatural events - he concluded he wouldn't be taken seriously at all, with less than pleasant consequences and the actual assistance he needs;

Zion has something going on with his mental health, he's on mood stabilizers and some antis;

His blood is haunted. In all seriousness, a regular doctor can no longer provide reliable diagnosis for any ailments he may have, as his body has been permanently affected by years of consecutive and direct exposition to demonic essence. Would an exorcism work? I don't know, maybe not, maybe it'd kill him. Remains to be decided;

And he's still mortal, though;

He no longer lives in an apartment with Rickon, they're sharing a house and have ??? cats;

Business:

The petting zoo that became a ranch then became an inn and is now large enough to be considered a district? Yes;

It's giving him a bit of legal trouble for that. It's expansion is partly due to his impulsivity;

It has over 100 rooms for guests and a sizable staff. He's the owner and head manager, has many sub managers for each department (cuisine, reception, maintenance, accounting, legal, etc etc);

It's no longer in the stock market and he's put an end to contracts with sponsors as means to avoid too much meddling from external parties;

🆕 It has an alchemy department! Cool, yeah?;

The lake is alive and she is moody. She has recently learned to assume a form of her own made of pure water but isn't fond of it and uses it exclusively for communication (when she wants to talk). Skip stones in her and she'll beat you up, try to go for a dive and she'll recede enough so you hit the bottom instead. She didn't quite like Zion at first, he doesn't know why, but now they're on friendly terms;

The animals in its rehabilitation center are no longer exclusively earthlings or from his universe. Guests have started to leave them there for care;

Same with his plants (garden and greenhouse);

Alair, the concierge, is no longer the only Boto working there. Hide your wives when visiting;

It has a growing system for people who want help for any activity, a "help wanted" board that he totally did not take inspiration from Stardew Valley, and if you imply as much he will laugh and deny despite everything. It's loosely supervised by a moderation team just to make sure nothing against the place's rules is posted;

It doesn't run exclusively on regular currency, any item can be evaluated at the exchange office to have its value assessed;

I'll add more as I remember it.

[reogan]

Clean Slate

(Jenny Timeline Project Song-by-Song Analysis #1) (The Jenny Timeline Project is my attempt to figure out more about this album by doing casual literary criticism at it. It started with a post about the viewpoints of songs. The tag to follow or block if you care is Jenny Timeline. I welcome feedback if you see any of the holes in my interpretation.) This is a LONG post, fair warning.

The People: Obviously to those who know the earlier album, this song very directly overlaps with Color In Your Cheeks (All Hail West Texas). In that song, we specifically get a Woman from Taipei, a Man from Mexicali, and (less detailed) Folks from Zimbabwe, Soviet Georgia, East St. Louis, Paris, and Across the Street.

In Clean Slate, we see a Man from East St. Louis; a Breakaway Republic Dude; someone from Copiah, Mississippi; "You" from "home" with a plane change in Taipei. There may also be an additional person encapsulated in "This will be the last time that I do this, I'm pretty sure."

Overlap is clear in East St. Louis. The Woman from Taipei is likely "You" who changes planes in Taipei, though this fascinatingly opens up her/your origin point to be elsewhere ("skin the color of a walnut shell" (Color, AHWT) can narrow it down a little, but that's so hugely wide still that I wouldn't begin to try). Interestingly, the Breakaway Republic Dude is marked on the map in the official lyric video somewhere in Latvia or Lithuania (hard to tell with the size of the dot and the spinning globe), which broke away from the USSR in 91/90, but not Georgia, as referenced in Color.

The Place: In Color, "She" comes in on the red eye to Dallas-Ft. Worth (which is in East Texas, not West Texas as the album title would suggest). How far between that airport and "here" is completely untouched. "He" drives in from Mexicali, which means he first reaches Texas in the west.

In Clean Slate, the lyrics allow the house to be anywhere, but the bandcamp description does say it's Jenny's house in West Texas*. It's worth noting that a later song is Going to Dallas, which suggests that the singer does not begin in Dallas, despite the Woman from Taipei flying into that airport.

Color doesn't mention what "here" is. Personally, I used to hear it as a tavern-inn-heck-even-cafe place. Clean Slate is somehow more opaque. But liner notes and bandcamp make clear that it's Jenny's southwestern ranch style house.

The Time: Describing a Baltic state as a "breakaway republic" suggests that the USSR is still relevant, if failing or gone. This would be a Weird description in 2020. It would be Weird in 1960. Later evidence will place things somewhere after '85, and I like that. Give it a decade's wiggle room here, 1985-1995 where "breakaway republic" would still be apt. It helps that, though Georgia was next, Baltic states were the first to declare independence from the Soviet Union, making them stand out as breakaways.

Since Color mentions Soviet Georgia, that'll place it pre '91. The Song(s): Unusually, I think this analysis needs to include a second song beyond Clean Slate (Color, of course) given it's mighty parallels. We have no proof they're telling different facets of the same story, but I think it's not egregious if I suppose they are.

More than Color does, Clean Slate very explicitly makes it clear that these people are leaving behind everything. There's the leaving under the cover of night ("It's never light outside yet when they climb into the van"), the itinerant, brief stay ("rest until you're rested / climb back onto the caravan).

I would like to raise a reading to which I don't subscribe and which doesn't mesh perfectly with comments John has made, but which I find interesting. I think there's room to suspect that the Woman from Taipei is the Lodger. The use of the second-person pronoun in Clean Slate ("The house was almost full that day / We made a space for you"), which is the final person introduced before "this will be the last time that I do this I'm pretty sure" could suggest that the Lodger is this woman. This will also be a fun toy for the Lesbian Jenny squad. I don't buy it, chiefmost of all because John refers to the Lodger as "he" multiple times, though Death of The Author etc. etc.

In various interviews and in this album, we learn this place is a place for people to rest, hide, and catch their breath. The little epigraphs on the vinyl call it a "safehouse" which is such a beautiful thing. That adds a dimension of mutual don't-ask-don't-tell to the line "We let the silence that's our trademark / make its presence felt" (Color). A nice 'hey man, we don't know what you've been through, we don't know what you're going to do, but while you're here, you're cool.'

Later on, in From the Nebraska Plant, the narrator (Lodger?) says that "it wasn't in [Jenny's(?)] nature / taking in the strays" which I think is entirely wrong. He's very much mythologized her because that is her role. But in this song, I think it's Jenny's conviction which says "This world is sad and broken / gotta fix a crack or two." She is compelled to give aid. Given the references in this work to Seven Against Thebes, I'm interested in seeing whether we can apply the concept of hamartia to Jenny, and this compulsion is already a candidate for her tragic flaw. Let us name it Justice and deify Jenny as Nemesis in our further analyses.

The final refrain of Clean Slate says "Every endpoint fixed forever on the day its arc began." This is in line with oracular proclamation in Greek tragedy. We know what will happen. Oedipus was fated to marry his mother and kill his father, and we can be sure of that result. When Tiresias tells Creon his actions will doom his son, we can already plan Haemon's funeral. We are now entering the Tragic Zone, and it's going to be as the Oracle proclaims. *In the interest of being transparent to those who choose not to click the link, technically, it says it's Jenny's house and that a West Texas town is uncomfortable in it, but I don't consider it a grave liberty to then assume that her house is in that West Texas town rather than, say, Bergen County, New Jersey or something.

[rabbitcruiser]

Black Sand Shores, CA (No. 5)

In 1909, an advertisement for the Idlewild Hotel on the Little Sur River stated that the camp would be accessible by auto as soon as the "Cerro Grade", the stretch of road from the coast to the Little Sur River near Cerro Hill, was completed. In 1910, the Monterey Daily Cypress reported that Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Cooper "motored down to Mrs. Martha M. Cooper ranch at Sur, leaving Monterey at 12 midnight and arriving there at 2 a.m." But the road was still very rough, and most goods including cheese produced on the Cooper Ranch was still shipped by boat to Monterey. The Idlewild competed with the Pfeiffer Resort for guests through about 1920, when the Idlewild was forced out of business by Martha Cooper, who acquired the land. In 1904, residents extended the unpaved road from the Pfeiffer Resort to the Post Ranch, and then it was extended another 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south to Castro Canyon, near the present-day location of Deetjen's Big Sur Inn.

As late as the 1920s, only two homes in the entire region had electricity, locally generated by water wheels and windmills. Most of the population lived without power until connections to the California electric grid were established in the early 1950s. The region has always been relatively difficult to access and only the sturdiest and most self-sufficient settlers stayed.

In July 1937, the California Highways and Public Works department described the journey, "There was a narrow, winding, steep road from Carmel south ... approximately 35 miles to the Big Sur River. From that point south to San Simeon, it could only be traveled by horseback or on foot."The southern portion, which was for many years merely a foot and horse trail, became known as the "Coast Ridge Road". It used to begin near the Old Post Ranch. It is currently only accessible on foot from near the Ventana Inn. It passes through private land and connects with the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road. It follows the crest of the coastal ridge south about 34 miles (55 km) to within a couple of miles of Cone Peak.  Both the Old Coast Road and the Coast Ridge Road are often unusable during and after winter storms.

The southern region of Monterey County coast was isolated from the few settlements in the north by the steep terrain. The southern homesteaders were more closely tied to the people in the interior San Antonio Valley including the Jolon and Lockwood areas than to coastal communities to the north. Those who lived in the vicinity of the Big Sur River were connected with Monterey to the north.

A horse trail connected Jolon through present-day Fort Hunter Liggett to Wagon Caves, and from there over the Santa Lucia range, from which two trails split to the coast or to the Los Burros Mining District.

The horse trail across the mountains was widened and improved into a road beginning in 1931, and completed in 1937. The road was constructed by crews composed of men from the Civilian Conservation Corp, U.S. Forest Service, and state and county relief agencies.

Source: Wikipedia

[thelonesomequeen]

So where the picture of Chris sitting with the wine glasses from? That looks like the ocean…anybody has any idea? I feel like I saw that balcony before🤔 /

Big Sur. Post Ranch Inn. Alba posted a story from there on 18th Feb 2022. It was taken on Jan 13th 2022 (after her friends returned to PT).

Thanks!