#the difference between a ferry and a fairy is only a couple of letters and after a time they might start to blend from one to another

[elsewhereuniversity]

There is a ferry on the river

The ferry seems normal, at first glance, a small ship with a ramp at one end captained by a single individual. It looks big enough for a couple cars or maybe two small campus buses at a time, and I guess it runs on a pretty consistent schedule because it’s always there in under five minutes from when I get to the dock.

However, I’ve noticed a couple discrepancies.

It’s always the same person. They look human, as far as I can tell: their voice and gender presentation changes day to day but also they gave me a thumbs up and a wink when they noticed my “they/them/their” pronoun pin so I think that’s probably not indicative of anything supernatural. Might explain why no-one else seems to have noticed it’s just them though. I’ve also never seen them leave or step off the ferry, not even to tie it up to the dock.

I was writing a local history essay and researching the river (which is really hard to get info on?). There are pictures of a ferry on it going back as far as the university’s existed, and as far as I can tell it’s the same person every time, the same age and everything. I asked them once how long they’d been on the river and they said all rivers were the same for them if they were needed? Then they ran over to yell at a truck for not putting their parking brake on correctly before I got a chance to ask them what they meant.

The ferry technology is always about twenty years behind the times, consistently, but I can’t find any records of upgrades or boat purchases or even evidence that it’s run or owned by anyone other than the captain. Or acknowledged by municipal transit systems. Which is a bit sketchy, but also it’s the fastest way to get to my 0800 bio class from my off campus housing because going around to the bridge adds like 40 minutes to my commute so eh

Speaking of commutes, it’s kinda odd bc no matter how late I think I’m running, I always get off the ferry with minutes to spare? Like I used to always go around to the bridge because it looks way shorter on the map, but my commute’s like an hour that way and that’s way too far to bike before 0800. The ferry’s only like twenty minutes of biking and another ten on the water, which is much more manageable. And they accept my campus bus pass, so it’s not like it costs me anything.

I’ve never seen the ferry fill up? There’s always room for me and my bike anyway, but I thought it was only big enough for maybe a couple cars or a bus. Except I was running to class and I saw like ten cars and four big greyhound buses (probably for a campus tour or something) come up the road from the ferry dock and the ferry pushing away, and there’s no other way to get on that road.

Also this one time I was on my way to an early class after an all-nighter (I baaaarely finished that essay on time) and I might have been hallucinating from sleep deprivation but I’m pretty sure this happened. About halfway across the river, the ship was suddenly a really old fashioned wooden ferry, as though it had been the whole time and I just hadn’t noticed. The captain was the same, but they were rowing with a wooden oar, looking off into the water as though they’d seen it a million times.

They looked up and asked me for my payment and I realized that I’d forgotten my transit pass, but I had an energy bar in my pocket so I offered that instead. They laughed and accepted it, but kinda struggled with opening the wrapper one-handed because they were holding the oar in their other hand, so I offered to hold it for a sec so they could open the bar. They laughed again, wryly, ruefully, undercut with tiredness.

“Thank you, but I’m not ready to put this oar down yet and I don’t think you understand what you’re offering. I must row back and forth, taking any and all who come to the banks of the river. But there’s a power that comes with being in between, the passage between one side and another: I’ve borne it for a long time, long enough for the world to change around me, and I don’t think I could live without it. Just know that it’s safe here, and all who wish no harm may come and cross. Thanks for the granola bar though! I also accept payment in sandwiches and stories.”

I mean, I’d just offered to hold the oar for a sec, not take over their job? but they seemed serious and I’ve seen enough at this school to laugh it off awkwardly and back away. The ferry was the normal modern ship next I noticed, all corrugated metal and rusty rivets and sun-yellowed paneling, and I headed off to class. Made it with two minutes to spare!

Anyway, yeah. Does anyone else use the ferry? I know my roommate does sometimes and a couple other people I’ve talked to, but most people just look at me strangely and say they didn’t know there was even a river, so I guess they don’t go down to that end of campus that often. Just seems a bit weird and it’s been bugging me.

x

[madfantasy]

hii! sorry if you've answered this before, but how did you find your own art style? it's nothing like i've seen before, very dream-like (: i feel like with so many artists out there it can be hard to find one's own style but yours is truly unique. if it's not too much to ask, do you still have any of your first drawings? thank you 💕💕

(Oh & I'm sorry if I have answered it before, I didn't find anything on my blog so woop here comes my blaber)

Hello dear!

Thank you so much, you flatter me and my bit-som of art-som, heh. Specially that you have called it dream like— cuz 1/4 of my creations does come from my dreams. I even had a dream about Severus a couple of days ago- was explaining to him the concept of gestures in smartphones, I told him it's like pulling down a scroll, to get the notifications, lol.

Before I start side-tracking too much, yes- I can't say I do know how it happens, I guess I wasn't on the base of looking for an art style for myself, or ever considered myself an artist— or a real one? Idk. The idea of having an 'art style' doesn't register with me so I'm possibly always confused what to make of it.

I mean, I didn't go into art for art's sake. I don't enjoy beauty just for beauty's sake. It has to have a meaning, purpose, hidden dilemma you need to solve just by looking deeper; is it speaking to me, or am I speaking for it?

My only concern since the beginning of time of Mani apparating this earth and what got them into drawing anyway is: telling the story as best as possible.

I was drawing before I learned speaking. It was my instinctive language. I had something to say? Illustrated it on a piece of paper to show.

Everything I see in my surroundings or mostly in mind, I had a story to tell about. So I didn't even consider that I was making art.

I remember when I developed enough cells to be aware- I started trying to copy or capture the basics of family members, making stories about them, also games or shows I played; I drew Crash bandicoot, driving into a cliff because he was hated by his family, Tiny wearing an abaya. Pink panther cuz how tall he was weirded me out in a fascinating way, Tarzan and his special muscles, a story about an abused squid lady that eventually turn into a mermaid, a guy turning into a hero coz of some near death experience.. mmm stories about my favourite stuffed rabbit CeCe Bobo— probably the only innocent adventures I drew as a child— I wanted so badly to make them into a video game, having their parents fall into a pit of flames, heh.

And because I had daily TV episodes in my brain of whatever to occupy me from unsanitary real life; I associated with many people I love to see materlized; my characters. So I had to try & draw them exactly how they look/feel, and that's what my art slowly developed based on; is this guy the way I seen and felt him look like? If not, try other ways.

At first, I drew them with literal basic shapes, like a character would have a square face, and another heart, and if I couldn't draw circle, I used my pencil sharpener that was shaped as a circle. A method still I use to differentiate my characters (without the pencil sharpener lol)

Later, since my characters have generally my favourite things, or things I enjoy, things I appreciate— basically things from me directly or from my choices, conscious they were or not—had them chopped and scattered between the lot of them. And to learn how to do some favourite factors of them is what drives my art style I suppose. I knew I didn't want it realistic, but I also didn't want it unreal. What makes art real? That's probably the always questions I face.

Ofc, I was face with so many problems to deteriorate my passion for drawing. Like, not being allowed to draw in the first place. I had wait till everyone is gone or occupied, had to always look over my shoulder and must constantly hide every inkling of any art making, and act like the project I'm making is for school, and draw in breakfast breaks at school. I used to draw under my blanket and store my art between my books or under my pillow (never related to anything so hard like when Harry was studying magic and Dursley keeps checking on him, honestly heh). Either all that or I get the whip.

Or being told what's the point of having a style like that while everybody obviously enjoys popular styles like anime or cartoon? Why don't I draw like the popular to get noticed? I don't know how to draw anime or cartoon even if I tried. It will just show as my art style, no? Exactly like speaking two different languages with the same letters.

Or like the idea of strictly sticking to gendering things while the idea never occurred to me. The base line of how men has to be ugly and women pretty. My motto is showing beauty in everything, even in scary or messed up things hehe. But I had to consent to making my guys 'ugly' as possible to continue drawing, and if u notice a line on their throats, that's one other thing I had to do, wasn’t allowed to draw girls either. And I wasn't happy with any of that at all.

But I was able to win my right to draw anytime I like in recent years, and able to draw how I like how I use digital means. So it got better heh.

And no it's not too much, if anything, it was took me on a dusty beautiful trip of nostalgia, I thank you for it. Sadly I don't have my first drawings, and I do treasure them but they all been tossed, torn and burned before me over the years, heh.

The oldest thing I got is this, a comic made, was 11 years old I think:

Medo, a guy so beautiful that he was forced to work as a femal model, concept that felt the best to me, heh. Even tho I was in no contact with the outsider world.

He is my first solid character and I made endless comics of him.

He's develop into this -dated 2014- , he's fairy sentinel.

And I found few of my old or first time drawing them pics of the main characters in my stories, I'd love to share:

Juicy and X-bi— second ones I made. But these drawings are maybe 2 or 3 years after I made them

I know I said that lots, but x-bi was a mask wearing imaginary friend I translated into X-bi. He has almost always cold hands so I used to put my skin on cold metallic surface and imagine it his hands trying to ease the pain.

And since I had no audience home, my stuff showed at school as i drew alone, always with various replies of 'its good, but'

Juicy got me in trouble with a teacher, by a careless student that was browsing my drawings In front of them, and I was classified as mentally deranged and need help for not drawing the usual princes and white knight.

Fernando and Carlos are also old characters that expressed romance in everything they do, so when I had a drawing of them Carlos tending to a fevered Ferry, and it was snatched from me, everyone considering it intimacy and I had to punch my way through them to get it back. Being called perverted and sick in the process, even tho all they talk to me about is marriage and the process of making babies. One of them literally told me on random occasion that their heart was like a ten story building for rent, there's always someone new in and out.

Carlos is Fernando's soul guardian💛

I created General Pumbkin in school! expressing fashion in strictness with my fav hooked nose!

Axel was my joy in everything, and the most common character I got beat up for, for being girly. I don't draw him too much anymore but seeing him again made me auto happy , hes all about giving loff, darling hehe

Candy, a less brain developed babyy

Brain and Pain, my sibs fav characters from my bag, heh

And Sabine was said to me that he should be a girl to be that scared in a scary story, his story is like dark and twisted fairytales vibe that I love dearly. I'm trying to continue writing his story.

Despite whatever, I love doing art, I have to. It what gives me soul juice heh.

And thank you for sticking on my prolonged answer. I hope I didn't bore too much, I'm flooded with memories happy and bad, and they are all okay. It made me feel passionate again, so thank you for the opportunity 🙏

1.5.2020

[iz1986]

MEAT/MATÉ

Before researching South America I had no idea how easy it is to get between Argentina and Uruguay. In around an hour after leaving Buenos Aires on a high-speed ferry (at a nice, slow pace on board though) I was in Colonia Del Sacramento. It’s a strange feeling crossing country borders, and it was fairly surreal to be in such a different country and town to where I’d started out. It was also an easy but odd journey that was far more relaxed than flying between countries, and I quickly realised that Colonia would be a more relaxed experience than Buenos Aires, all together. As a capital city, I find BA pretty laid back, but not in comparison to the River Plata back-drop, art galleries and cafe culture of quiet, quaint Colonia.

I came to the main, modern drag of shops, cafes and bars with the spacious main square of Colonia off it first, and wasn’t blown away. When I literally turned a corner and came to the cobbled streets, cute cafes and fairy tale buildings of the old town though, I was totally won over. There was such a charming, chilled and friendly feel to the place. I’d soon found a sunny patio to sit out on for a buffet lunch. I luckily understood just about everything the waitress said to me in Spanish, so knew I was to make my way to the grill for meat (main event in both Uruguay and Argentina), and add the rice, bread and salad I wanted to it. To be honest, I’m not much of a carnivore, so the trimmings were attractive to me. 

Meat is certainly a big deal here though, and they know how to deal with it. I’ve met only one vegetarian in this part of the world, and he said it was hard at times to eat meat-free or find healthy food here. I’d agree, although there are excellent independent, colourful fruit and veg shops, the occasional health food shop and a lot of options in the bigger cities at least. 

As well as meat, (switch a couple of letters around, and add an accent, and..) another culinary priority in both Argentina and Uruguay is the hot, herbal and caffeinated drink Maté. It is made from a herb named Yerba, which boasts all sorts of stimulation and health benefits. The Yerba is put in a little, bulbous pot with a metal spout, and mixed with boiling water. This water will often come from a thermos flask for portability, and in Uruguay there are even a lot of tailored bags about, from shops centred around all this stuff, available in various models. 

Along with all this apparatus, the social side around maté consumption is key in Argentina, and even more so in Uruguay. The drink is often treated a lot like tea to pick people up in the mornings and during lulls in days. There are also always gatherings of people sipping and passing the small pots around their groups in public places. It’s become quite a comfort to observe, even if I can’t tolerate the bitter taste of their tipple. I’m not even a fan of familiar British-style tea, so it’d be miracle if maté took my fancy.