#though from time to time I revisit this site and stumble upon the wonderful things you leave in the tags

[juliaaadoodles]

I think I've had this thought before. That's how I know.

Such an honor to be part of the COTRmontage! Check out the vid and the rest of the incredible artists!

[asgardian--angels]

Hello. I've seen your post on thursday and after some deliberation, decided to jump on a throwaway and just give you my opinion directly. To your question, I don't know if there's anyone from the silmarillion days still follows you, especially for angbang content which was most prevalent 5 years ago indeed, but rest assured that during these 5 years people have found you for your content. Your art, your reblogs, your headcanons, your writing. I've been looking at content of ships I like (1/3)

(2/3) as well as new ships ever since qarantine began, and decided that even though some of the ships I like kind of died down in popularity, and thus you could say I may as well not interact with or bother the people who used to create content for it. But I am still thankful that it exists. That you haven't deleted everything. Because so many people who used to write or draw for some of the ships I like have deleted all of that content by now, but you haven't.

(3/3) It's amazing of you to let people come back to it in their own time, and while I always wish there were more people to whom I could talk about the ships I like, even if I joined the party late, I understand that people move on. Still, it's wonderful that you're still giving us the chance to revisit what Tumblr took away from us. And for all of that, I thank you so much.

Hey there, I just wanted to say how touching this was, and thank you for sending. I really didn't think anyone would give that post a second glance, let alone any notes. I certainly have no intention of deleting any past fandom content, because like you said, it's wonderful when new fans get to stumble upon and explore the wealth of fandom history in their own time. I have a bad habit of getting into new media and fandoms far past their prime, and I am eternally grateful to the content creators and archivers that keep those things available for generations of new fans. Fandoms will always wax and wane, and so I know someday (maybe when the Amazon show comes out? or whatever future adaptations happen) it will reach new heights again and people will want to see all the amazing art like Phobs's and others' from years before. The joy they bring is something that lives on. And after all, this is Lord of the Rings we're talking about - what fandom has lasted longer? We will always be here. Don't get discouraged by what seems like an inactive fandom - it will revive, when the time is right. And a lot of those people are still around, even if they don't post that fandom anymore. You're always welcome to talk to me about the Silmarillion - in fact I am looking to get back into it this year! I still also play LOTRO, the LOTR MMO, and that is a great way to meet some new people too and/or enjoy Tolkien's world on your own terms. Lord of the Rings brings people together, and you will always find fans, whether here, on another site, or in real life. It's such an inspiring body of work that has touched so many people, and driven such beautiful creation in writing, art, film, music (have you heard Nightfall in Middle Earth by Blind Guardian???), and more.

I certainly miss the immense creative energy of that special period of the Silmarillion fandom 5 years ago. It's incredibly magical to get to experience a fandom at its strongest, and I'm lucky enough to be a part of that with the Star Trek Deep Space 9 fandom right now. But the least I can do is preserve everything so those after me can find that same spark of joy to start them on their path to what is hopefully a moving, and meaningful relationship with a piece of art that will undoubtedly change your life forever.

[jelanisaeed]

Round 1: VS Venonat - Legends Part 1

Hello everyone, welcome to my story! This is the first book in a series I'm writing. Hopefully, it'll be finished the way I want it to be. I have a lot of plans to manipulate known facts and add my own into the fray as well.

Sorry, y'all! I didn't mean to fall off on writing this. I just got self-conscious. But I'm not going to let that get into the way anymore! I'm gonna stay on top of writing this!

Especially with this new writing style I've got! I've discovered I'm more a slice of life, mystery, fantasy type of writer. Not so much action like I originally tried. So, my chapters will be much shorter than before and will have great character interactions. I hope y'all like it this go around! And I promise I'll do better with staying on top of things!

I've made a lot of changes to the OG story, along with the previous version so I'll make sure to spot them out and let y'all know!

Oh, and quick disclaimer. I'm a black queer writer so all of my stories, including this one, will have characters who explore black and queer themes. I hope this creates a welcoming atmosphere for all to enjoy my stories and see a different perspective on pokemon and what it can be written about.

I also hope to inspire more black and queer writers to write stories on this site. The more the merrier!

Oh and I'm thinking about doing this thing where I tell y'all what music helped me write these chapters. It's a fun little thing. Mainly because music is a big part of my writing process so I thought it'd be fun to share with y'all!

So these three chapters were inspired by the Calling All Lovers album by Tamar Braxton! I love her voice and have been obsessed with her recently! She's always been one of my favs (#piscesgang) but this revisit to this gem just kept me going! I believe the song that helped a lot was Broken Record.

Special shoutout to Big Dummy by Cocoa Sarai (#piscesgang) as well! That song kept me motivated.

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy it!

…

Pokémon Adventures: Turquoise, Jasper, & Ammolite

Round 1: VS Venonat – Legends Part 1

Location: Twinleaf Town Date: August 4th, 3000 Time: 8:45am

Legends. Paxton grew up on the grand tales of mystery and wonder. Weaved together by ancient people who desired to understand the world around them. From declarations of the universe’s creation to the birth of emotions. A legend existed for them all. And all found themselves scribed and stored in libraries across Sinnoh.

Once upon a time, he believed them. Sat amongst groups of budding trainers in awe as their teacher’s spun these tales. Admired the scholars who backed up these claims with beautifully dressed lies. Part of him wished he believed them. At least then he’d preserve the innocence he lost long ago.

Not that it mattered. Innocence didn’t make for a great travel companion. Clouded the mind and led even the best astray. Paxton knew he’d never succumb to it. Not again.

“Ain’t that right, Kiri?” his little formantis thrilled beside him. She fell in step beside him, having just defeated a wild bidoof. Annoying rodents with the worst aromas.

Under the morning sun, he kept moving. Summers in Sinnoh never made much sense. Despite the heat, a chilling breeze whisked by. Eastern winds—had to be from the lake. Still, a bit musty for his taste. He heard Lake Verity was a beautiful place filled with energetic, young pokémon. Perhaps just another well-crafted lie.

It doesn’t matter. Paxton shrugged and continued his path. He had his mission and pitstops didn’t fit the bill. Soon enough, he found himself inside Twinleaf Town. A cute little place filled with morning folks. They took to the streets with their pokémon and tended to their business. A few merchant stands set up with fresh produce and supplies.

“Pretty nice, huh?” Kiri agreed. She breathed in the fresh air and thrilled. Much better for her than Jubilife City.

Now, if any of them could point him in the right direction—

“I tell ya it’s true!” A youngster wailed to a crowd. Quite the sight, Paxton mused. Clothes tattered and caked with mud. His youthful tan marred with bruises and an odd burn across his forearm.

“There’s a monster in the lake! It attacked me and my nidoran!”

A monster in Lake Verity? Paxton frowned. Too farfetched for his taste. Powerful pokémon never lingered along the lakefront, so the merchants told him. The most dangerous any trainer encountered was a choleric gyarados!

There’s no such thing as monsters, he scoffed but got closer regardless. The kid had a story, no doubt about it. Perhaps it would prove to be a challenge for him.

Though his hopes weren’t high. Twinleaf Town hadn’t produced capable trainers in years—

“The boy speaks truth, if only misguided,” an elderly man took the boy’s side with a pleasant smile. Eyes narrowed with wisdom as leaned against his cane. “There’s always been a force protecting the lakefront. A guardian blessed by Lady Mesprit herself. It serves to protect the grounds from intruders.”

A guardian, the Paxton scoffed. Yet another well-dressed lie. And the crowd around him shared his thoughts if their whispers were any indication.

Clearly, the elder saw no reason to stop. He only adjusted his kimono and tapped his cane against the lush grass. A soft, melodic sound, yet it quieted the confused herd of people. Paxton whistled. Plenty of teachers killed for that superpower, especially on the last day of classes.

“Now, now,” The elder smiled, gingerly tapping the pokéball on his cane. “We all knew of the legend.”

The ball snapped open and released a pokémon before them all. A beautiful feline with glowing, white fur. The perfect contrast to its pitch-black skin and talons. Armed with a scythe-like tail and a crescent horn jutting from its forehead.

It glared at him with glowing red eyes. Eyes filled with frosty wisdom. Lingered on him, demanding something the trainer wasn’t prepared to give.

He flinched. Not his proudest moment. And the pokémon agreed, turning up its nose with a snarl.

“You feel it, Absol?” The man said in a graveled whisper. At once, the strange pokémon—absol, he supposed—growled. The elder stroked its forehead and locked eyes with the trainer. “Young man, what is your name.”

Part of him wanted nothing more than to flip the old geezer off. He hated unwanted attention. Yet the questioning gaze of the crowd made him shrink. Of course, that geezer had them wrapped up in his every word.

“Paxton,” he spoke softly, gathering Kiri closer for comfort. She glared and waved her arms for battle. “Paxton Lotus of Floaroma Town. This is my partner pokémon, Kiri the formantis.”

The geezer nodded with a strange smile. But Paxton couldn’t place why it disturbed him. “You all remember the legend,” the geezer spoke again. “A child blessed with verity. Discovered by the peaceful flower.” Paxton groaned. Of course, this had something to do with him. No wonder he didn’t trust the geezer. “Tell me, young one. What has brought you to his town?”

Easy. He had his mission. Deliver the package and report back to Professor Kapok. Nothing special. He did plenty of these over the weeks.

“To see the lake guardian with my own eyes,” Paxton spoke, but words felt foreign. “And start my journey with an adventure.”

“An adventure,” The man smiled. A knowing smile Paxton saw plentifully on Father’s face. “An adventure intertwined with the red strings. Yes, you certainly shall receive one. Follow me, please youngling.”

Something tells me I shoulda stayed in Floaroma Town

…

Suddenly, staying in Floaroma Town felt like the right move. Paxton sighed and ran a hand over his green coils. Lake Verity didn’t live up to the legends. No bustling pokémon or fairy spirits. Not even a spontaneous battle—though, Paxton yearned for it well. Just silence and a thick fog.

A strange fog at that. It hung over the trees until they caved to its weighed. Many bent at odd angles. Not even Eterna Forest looked so eerie. And that forest had far too many ghost-type pokémon.

“I hate this place,” Paxton shivered. The air seemed so cold and heavy. And each brush of air prickled his skin with sharpened icicles.

Paxton paused by a familiar tree. Passed it a few times now, he knew. No other tree had these strange cravings on the bark. Some language, he wagered. However, the letters seemed bizarre and had cycloptic eyes. Strange, yet they seemed familiar. As if he saw them in a dream before.

{Paxton…} a voice whispered on the wind. Eyes darted around, but Paxton couldn’t find the source. Yet the voice continued, whispering his name in an offbeat rhythm. {Paxton…}

Great, I’m loosin’ it! Paxton groaned. Yet the voice paid him no heed. Each whisper grew louder than the last with a pronounced echo. Mashed together with words until it jumbled into an incoherent mess. Pain shot through his mind and Paxton stumbled. Braced against the tree, he stared into the fog and froze.

A figure breached the fog. Pale as ice with messy coils and lifeless eyes. Naked yet the wisping streamers of the fog covered anything unsavory. The figure stared at him with shinning sky-blue eyes…and smiled. Giggled even!

Is that a ghost? Paxton swallowed. Spirits weren’t his forte. In fact, they freaked him out!

{Paxton…} the ghost spoke even though its lips never moved. It urged him to follow as it stepped back into the fog. {Paxton…}

…Hell. Against his better judgement, he followed it. Chased it through the shifting fog as Kiri appeared beside him in a burst of light. He needed her. If this ghost was anything like the kind in Kanto, then he couldn’t take any chances! Would’ve been a perfect time to find that guardian though.

Guardian…what if that ghost was the guardian? A chill ran down his spine. He hoped not. Dealing with the undead was Casper’s thing, not his! He had enough of ghost-type pokémon ever since he got lost in that busted down chateau!

Still, he put those thoughts aside and chased its faded form. Even as his lungs screamed at him to take a break. Or his legs struggled to keep up. He fought through it. And Paxton found himself in a clearing. Empty, yet devoid of the heavy fog. Just a soft breeze and lake water as it crashed against the ground.

The ghost turned to him and grinned. Eyes filled with mirth as it lifted off the ground and floated to the lake. Paxton followed and gazed in awe. The ghost danced above, swinging its arms. It spiralled through the morning skies and giggled. Soft and melodious as the soft waves rolling through. And with a grin, the ghost dove into the lake.

Glittering light erupted across the water. Engulfed the lake in a rainbow splendor.

For a moment, Paxton stared into the light. Entranced as thoughts raced through his mind. Feelings, long since buried, unearthed and flooded him in a sparkling array of light—

(Veno-NAT!)

Paxton didn’t realize he moved until the heat hit him. As he rolled along the soft grass, charred dirt sprinkled his skin. Ignited by flashes of green light. Something attacked him, but he couldn’t see anything in the grass. Just rustling as the breeze blew through—

(NAT!)

This time, Paxton was ready. He lunged away as streaks of light smashed into the ground. Unharmed except for the light scarps. Good enough for Kiri as she dashed into the fight. She weaved through the streaks of light and unleashed a spiral of glowing leaves into the tall grass. Trimmed grass fluttered through the air, but the rustled told him all he needed to know.

“Kiri, widen your range and trim the grass! Razor Leaf!”

Sharpened leaves ripped through the air and trimmed the tall grass. Amongst the fallen leaves, he caught a glimpse of the assailant. Purple for sure…and were those clodhopper feet?

The creature paused in the epicenter of the field. And…it had to be the ugliest thing Paxton ever saw. Thick, disheveled purple fur mashed with giant, red eyes, stubby paws and insect features. Poor thing. Nobody’d ever train something so hideous.

This must be the monster. Paxton frowned. Ugly or not, he had to get rid of it.

“Kiri, time to water the garden.” Kiri rushed it and slashed it across the chest. The bug cried out, but Kiri didn’t stop there. She slashed and slashed, drawing pained buzzes from the creature. Now that Kiri had a target, that bug didn’t have a chance.

“That’s it! Fury Cutter!”

Once Fury Cutter went to work, it didn’t matter what pokémon Kiri faced. Each slash gained greater strength than the last. A nasty move for sure but made pokémon battles so much easier. The bug stumbled away from a slash and hopped away. But Kiri raced after it, unleashing more spiraling leaves to smash into its back.

“Finish it, Kiri! Leaf—”

Kiri cried out, low and mangled, as she fell forward! Her blades held her up, but she gasped for air.

But how?! Paxton watched in horror as the air rippled and smashed into Kiri, blowing her back. He lunged for her. Caught her just before she crashed. And when he pulled her close, he found streaks of purple staining her green skin. Poison?

(Nat?) The bug hopped over. Body tensed as green light oozed underneath its messy fur. Paxton dipped a hand to his belt. He had the perfect pokémon for this ugly—

“Motha,” A calm, melodious voice washed over the field. And the beast paused. “That’s enough.”

The beast hobbled over to the lake with a certain bounce that Paxton didn’t appreciate.

“That’s enough fighting, please,” the same voice spoke again. And a trainer climbed out of the crystal waters. Clad in only a pair of black briefs decorated with bugs and bubbles. His soaked black coils hung over his eyes, dripping water down his toned hazelnut body. When he finally moved the coiled curtains, Paxton caught sight of sky-blue eyes.

Just like that ghost.

But…his looked so shattered.

“Who are you?” He spoke again with that same melodious quality. Only this time, there was a noticeable edge. Like a cliff blocking a powerful wave. “What are you doing in Lake Verity?”

Paxton scowled. Figures the monster had a trainer. It fought too well to be wild. But it didn’t make sense. Why attack? Paxton shook his head.

“My name is Paxton—Paxton Lotus of Floaroma Town,” he gulped. His heart pounded against his chest. “I’m here to defeat the monster in Lake Verity. That you, ain’t it?”

The trainer paused. And his eyes darkened with flecks of gray.

“I am the guardian of Lake Verity,” he began slowly as a storm brewed behind his lips. “My name is Turquoise. Turquoise Yukule.”

…

How did y'all like that chapter? It took some time to perfect, but I loved the twist it took! I'm happy with it.

Paxton's a new character I made. Lowkey based him off of a mix of the Aroma Lady and Gardener Trainer Classes. I'm starting to really fuse Trainer Classes for some reason and I love it lol

And yay, Turquoise is back! He's literally my favorite little bubble of sunshine. I love his character and did some changes to him too. I'll let y'all know his Trainer Class next chapter!

But I'd to hear from y'all. Feel free to leave a review or PM me. I'd love to hear your feedback. And I'll do my best to respond to all reviews as well!

[benvironment]

Devilla Forest - a bit of a gem

Just after Hogmanay we had a run of subzero days here in Fife, the first such weather we’d seen in almost four weeks. While it mightn’t have been snowy I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to see the landscape in a white cloak of any description, so on a freezing cold January morning I dusted down my mountain bike and headed off to Devilla Forest in Fife.

The air in the forest was absolutely calm, and a frigid temperature of -6C had allowed beautiful hoar frost to develop on the surfaces and for the lochs to freeze over. The scene was set for an exquisite 21km pedal around on two wheels, snapping away with my camera at every turn. 

In this blog I’ve posted some of the pics I took that morning but, before we get to those, I thought I’d give you a bit of background to Devilla and my previous explorations of this enigmatic place.

I’d lived in Fife for several years before I even visited Devilla. I was prompted to do so when I was commissioned by Scotland Outdoors to write an article about the hidden treasures of Fife.

It occurred to me that I probably wasn’t even aware of most of said treasures and I therefore asked the question of the great Scottish public. What ARE Fife’s hidden treasures? Devilla was one of the responses on Twitter (thank you again to David from Alloa!) and so on a beautiful spring day I cycled all the way from Dunfermline (on the 11 mile traffic-free cycle way) and spent most of the day exploring the forest on my bike. 

I was cycling around for hours, happily getting lost as I explored the labyrinth of trails. Devilla is a Forestry Commission site covering 700 hectares so it’s not huge by any stretch of the imagination, but the forest roads are distributed evenly throughout the entire site, and there are innumerable informal paths all over the place:

I’ve revisited the forest half a dozen times since then, on every occasion trying to cover as much ground as possible without covering the same ground twice.

My GPS tracker plots my route when I get home, and no two visits show the same paths being ridden. I always end up missing some out. The simple reason for this is the staggering number of trails, formal or otherwise. No matter how hard I try, even as my knowledge of the place expands I seem incapable of covering every path in the forest in the course of one visit...and I know that there are loads of paths I’ve not yet gone down. 

Devilla rewards repeat visits as it always seems to churn up something new. Furthermore it is crammed full of history, ranging from prehistoric coffins and stone circles, to boundary stones and plague graves. Hiding away among the trees are gravestones, a mausoleum, drystone walls, wooden carvings, an old ice house and WW2 buildings. 

Some of these things you can  just happen upon by accident but the site has been extensively documented by local historians, whose fantastic unofficial maps of Devilla and its features can still be found dotted around the forest at key locations:

My tip for you, should you visit and should you encounter one of these maps, is to take a photo of it and carry it around with you on your phone/camera. It’s a great map anyway with all the historical features marked out, but the Forestry Commission map at the main entrance doesn’t show the whole site nor does it show the smaller paths. Plus of course you are likely to get temporarily lost without a map in your pocket!

Happily, though Devilla is a managed pine / spruce / larch plantation that was mostly planted in the 1950s, the site was established a sufficiently long time ago that it avoids that depressing claustrophobic feel that blights so many modern forests. Forestry as in industry at Devilla apparently dates back to the 1730s, and if you explore the red squirrel trail around Bordie Loch you’ll see this lovely photo of Fife forestry workers at a local sawmill in 1913:

Bordie Loch is just one of four beautiful lochs at Devilla, and regardless of where I go or how much ground I am trying to cover when I visit, I always make a point of visiting all of them. Each one is very different in character and a route that takes in all four is recommended......on a bike, certainly. But you could just as easily walk the trails too. Here’s how those lochs look in the summer and autumn:

Peppermill Dam:

Bordie Loch:

Keir Dam:

Moor Loch:

They’re all gems, I’m sure you’ll agree? And they’re buzzing with wildlife too.

Naturally there is considerably less ‘buzzing’ in winter, but the forest’s charms remain through the colder, darker months, especially on those beautiful blue-sky frosty days.....which brings us back to the present.

On my January bike ride I set off from the car park at sunrise, and got to see the golden light streaming through the forest on my way to Bordie Loch: 

As I stood taking that photo I heard something large and heavy crashing through the undergrowth. A roe deer, fleeing the early morning dog-walkers.

At Moor Loch I took the perimeter path and stumbled upon a festive holly bush that someone had decorated with tinsel and battery-powered lights. An unexpected sight that first made me smile and then made me wonder whether whoever put it there was going to come back and get it once Christmas was over.

On the loch’s eastern edge the rushes were rising into the morning sunshine like sausages on sticks. Gloriously warm in the sun, freezing cold in the shade.

At Moor loch’s northern edge I stopped at a well-worn gap in the rhododendron and snapped a photo across the open water. This was my first visit in the depths of winter and it was surprising just how bare the loch looked in comparison to the summer, when there is no open water to be seen:

Onwards, past old stone walls....

....to Peppermill Dam - the largest of the four lochs. Completely frozen on this day.

Even though the sun was blazing through unblemished skies, white frost stubbornly adorned every tree and every blade of grass.

Pointed and sharp, but even breathing on the ice crystals brought about their destruction:

I lingered longest, and indeed usually do linger longest, at Keir Dam. Hidden away off the main trails it’s a lovely sun trap, but in all my visits I have never seen anyone else here: 

On the fringes of the loch, the woody skeletons of summer growth sparkled against the dark forest interior. The sun didn’t seem to be making much headway in melting the heavy frost:

Indeed, when I arrived back at the car park some hours later the water in my bottle had frozen.

I was buzzing, so headed out for one last circuit of Bordie Loch before heading home. As always it had been a convoluted route within a relatively small space, but at no point did it feel like I was running out of options or risking getting bored. My only real motivation for finishing when I did was my stomach demanding food.

There’s no visitor centre or cafe at Devilla but there is a farm tea room / called the Walled Garden, which is a couple of kilometres up the forest road on the eastern edge of the forest. It is signposted from the A985 and is, frankly, fantastic. I stuffed myself silly with soup, sandwiches, scones AND cake the first time I happened upon it, as I was exhausted from hours exploring the forest. It’s the perfect lunch spot to split your ride/walk up or to reward yourself after your exertion. Personally I like to visit it AFTER I’ve ridden Devilla’s trails and before I ride the 7 miles back along the old railway to Dunfermline. One word of caution though. TAKE CASH! They have no card machines at the cafe. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

For more information on Devilla and some of the way marked trails, download the Forestry Commission leaflet.

[shakesonaplane]

“People Seem To Fake Sneeze A Lot Here” - A Weekend in Vilnius, Lithuania

Sveiki and Happy Thanksgiving to all my Americans reading this as they prep for a night of football, feasting and fullness! As the winter kicks in hard here in Europe, you would assume that my travel habits would gear more towards the Equator than into the heart of darkness that is Northern and Baltic Europe. However, as counter-intuitiveness seems to be the life’s modus operandi, Lithuania was the next destination for my continental exploration. Your reaction to that last sentence was probably the same as the majority of people I told about this trip: “Oh wow, that’s so random…won’t it be cold?” To avoid burying the lead too much here: yes, it was cold. I’ve converted myself to Celsius since moving here, and the temperature seemed to hover in and around the -1 to 3° (30 to 40° F) each day (though we did enjoy an unseasonably warm 5° one afternoon). However, if you’ve read any of my exploits from the beginning of this blog (and / or have spoken to me about travel) you’ll know that a little cold wasn’t going to stop us. So, without further ado, here’s why you might think Lithuanian people fake sneeze a lot (and other stories from this weekend)

Just a taste of the street art (and general political feel) you might find in Vilnius

Full disclosure, given the way the weekend went, I didn’t really capture a ton of great photos of the landscape of Vilnius. A logical reason for this would be how short the days were and how cloudy / rainy it was while visiting. The real reason is that we stayed out late basically every day and struggled out of bed wondering how we could be so hungover on such a budget. Actually, that’s a wonderful first tidbit about Vilnius: it’s incredible affordable. As a person living in London, who has lived in SF, and has traveled to many pricey places in Europe, this was a very welcome surprise. Since Lithuanians use the Euro for currency, it was also superbly easy to just bring all my old Euros in to get rid of them slowly but surely. That said, if you’re someone who travels internationally a lot, I can’t recommend Revolut enough. It’s by far the easiest way to convert currency when traveling to so many different countries, with a contactless debit card and an app that gives you everything you need, including a fast way to pay your friends back. But, obviously this is not an ad for anything except my eccentricities in writing and traveling. So, let’s move on…

This was just one of the immaculately cool walls I saw round this city, with artwork I need to seek out for my own abode By this point you’re probably wondering what the title of this post means. And, to be honest, I waited a long time to tell you mostly to annoy…I don’t know how many people ever really get far into these posts so consider this my way of “catfishing” you into more commute / work / toilet reading. Anyways, in Lithuanian, “ačiū” means thank you. If you’re like me and can’t even begin to pronounce letters with too many accents on the top, this is pronounced “achoo”. So imagine our surprise when we heard this word all over the place and quickly figured out what it meant. Couple that with the fact that my nickname was often mispronounced “Anchoo” when I was growing up and you have quite the weekend of vernacular queries. 

Cobblestones and heavy winter boots are not a recipe for comfort, but oh my god is that sunlight!? But this leads me to a really cool aspect of Lithuanian culture, namely, their politeness. I don’t have a lot of experience in Eastern Europe, but I didn’t imagine it to be a particularly friendly place from what I knew. What we found was that this could not be farther from the truth. Once you break through the facade of the grim look (which I can’t blame them for given the weather) you find genuinely nice people who want to have a chat and learn a bit about you. Granted, 3 brown brothers are quite the sight in Lithuania on a weekend. Where I would’ve expected mild confusion and general disinterest, we instead were met with curiosity, jokes and cheerfulness at our decision to visit this small city. This might go without saying, but if you’re an avid traveler, turn on your social extrovert side and you’ll be amazed at how much fun people around the world can be. It could be the pub owner who shares his favorite beer recommendations, the record store owner who plays The Flirts - “Passion” when asked for the song of the day, or the shop owner who hooks you up with recommendations and activities for the whole weekend.

At a 3am falafel stop, we legitimately disagreed with this and provided two big bear hugs to our server which they joyfully appreciated If you’re wondering who the “we” are in this story, I was joined yet again by my ongoing-yet-concerning-to-my-parents-travel-buddy Rohan and his friend / my friend / “we can be friends” / “we can do this every weekend” Brett who lives in Copenhagen. While this was the first time the three of us traveled together, we quickly found no real issue with that, jumping right into coffees, donuts, and all the vegan-friendly spots we could find. Another fun tidbit about Vilnius is that it’s incredibly Vegan / Vegetarian friendly, which is great for Brett (the vegan / telekinetic in our group). In most European countries this would mean a tricky dining situation everywhere we went, but not so in Vilnius. With spots like ZATAR Falafel and Hummus, GYVAS baras, Holy Donut, Vegcafe and Ramenas ir Pagaliukai providing great vegan options for visitors while not sacrificing flavor, Brett (and other vegans out there) can easily find a full belly anywhere they go. Given the season, I imagine the foods we had were warming and filling, so I do wonder what the warmer weather would bring to this city. Oh, and by filling, I would be remiss if I did not mention that we optimized our weekend here for at least one donut stop / day. If you’re wondering why 3 adult males would ever need to eat donuts that often, you can stop reading this blog right now.

In case you’re stumbling home at some late hour, you’ll be happy to know Zatar is open till 5am so you can avoid that Hesburger stop As an amateur bartender, you’re probably curious to know what I think of drinking in Vilnius. Let me be as clear as I can here: this is a fun place to have a drink. You might not find the most unique and creative cocktails as I did in Mallorca, you’ll find a litany of craft beer and inexpensive cocktails that are made with care and skill. One thing that you learn after moving to Europe is that the night doesn’t really start till 1am in some countries, so you REALLY need to pace yourself. That means that, contrary to British life, eating is not cheating. If you find yourself in Vilnius and need a good craft beer, I would recommend nearly every bar here (seriously). But the ones we stopped by are Nisha Craft Capital, any Šnekutis, and Marsas (for a good dive feeling). If you’re looking for cocktails, we were all really surprised by the tastes at Trinity (probably the coolest looking bar on this list), Dream Bar, and Distilerija. This is not at all an exhaustive list of places to drink in Vilnius, as we literally found ourselves at a hostel bar drinking mezcal at some point (with the worm). But, should you find yourself here, rest assured that when you need your whistle wetted, you’ll be quickly and easily covered until about 5am.

Trying to select a beer is easy…just close your eyes, point at something and say in broken English “yes…that one” Overall this trip was one of the more interesting ventures I’ve had recently. It doesn’t stand as “the best” or “most unique”, but instead was a lovely weekend away with good friends in a location that had lots to offer. You’ll notice how I didn’t really talk too much about the sites to see (cathedrals, street art, and beautiful hidden finds are abundant) or the coffee we drank (literally stopped at Huracán every day for a boost) or even the Užupis neighborhood (a miss on our trip). That’s by design, because sometimes when you travel it’s less about what you see and do and more about what you experience, especially with the people around you (travel buddies and locals). I often operate on the “holy shit see everything on my list”, so this trip was a welcome stroll in the cobblestoned streets of calm travel. 

Yeah, three brown guys standing awkwardly in front of a church in Lithuania doesn’t look suspicious AT ALL…

With that said, I’ll leave you with something new to wrap up the trip. As Rohan, Brett, and I sat for our final coffee before heading out (obviously with a donut), we reminisced on our top 3 things of the trip we just took, as if we were going to write this post together. You’ll notice all the themes are covered here, but I would be remiss if I didn’t put down what I wrote in my journal that evening:

Brett - Our neighborhood’s vibe and cozy feel; Easy access to vegan-friendly options; Amazing craft beer

Rohan - Small city feel to Vilnius; Hospitality and friendliness of everyone; the random Trinity Bar find

Shake - Cathedral / Churches and history of the city, Holy Donuts everyday, Ease of traveling around and meeting people

Would we revisit Vilnius sometime in the future? Probably. Would we wait for it to be warm first? Without a doubt :)

Immediate reaction upon taking this photo: “We’re like a brown-boy light-to-dark spectrum” As always, if you desire some more unique photos from this weekend, check out the album of photos I took. Sadly I couldn’t use my iPhone 7 (due to restrictions from work) so I opted for an iPhone 6 and the photos are just not up to their regular clarity. And here’s the map of our recommendations of things to eat/drink/see in Vilnius:

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Sveikinimai! Abhishek

[1time2study4ravages]

POST #4500

First things first. Check this to see or revisit how The Ravages of Time fleshed out the Battle of Chibi.

It’s a rather detailed recap from a dedicated Chinese fan (and translated by another dedicated fan), which goes a long way to show the meticulousness of Ravages when it comes to ruses and stratagems (I wonder which other series can claim to match this sort of plotting and scheming for just a single battle...)

That being said, there are a few things that I’d like to add as a fellow student and admirer of such a masterful piece of work that is Ravages.

1. The analyst forgot to mention how Zhuge Liang’s early scheme (with Sima Yi’s collaboration) to detain Hua Tuo allowed a significant portion of Cao Cao’s troops to suffer the endemic disease as seen in chapter 417, which in turn weakened the defense of certain outlying camps and facilitated Liaoyuan Huo's (decoy) infiltration that would help ensure that Jiang Qin burns the rations of Wulin unopposed.

2. It may be conceded that Lu Xun near Haihun seeing the fire in Chibi is too much of a stretch (I mean, he doesn’t even have the thousand-li vision of Xiahou Dun’s lost eye, haha). But it’s also possible that Lu Xun didn’t actually see, but merely remarked about Chibi upon receiving a message (then again that presupposes that messenger boats or pigeons can travel quickly even on the eve of battle). Or maybe the surrounding ‘empty’ camps burned by the Cao army resulted in a huge conflagration visible over a hundred kilometers away (but even so, can fire - or worse, just the smoke - be seen from such a distance at night, notwithstanding possible twists and turns of the river path and the surrounding vegetation).

3. I agree that Jia Xu and Cao Ren would have needed ships or boats to be able to reach Jiangling, but considering that chapter 436 shows Cao Ren already on the march and receiving a report from Jia Xu, another plausible explanation (aside from Chen Mou making a careless mistake for the sake of plot) would be to assume that both of them were somehow able to procure (off-panel) the necessary transportation to cross the river. What isn’t clear though are the number of days from the actual battle in Chibi to the capture of Cao Cao in Huarong, and such ambiguity allows for multiple interpretations and extrapolations.

4. Zhang He’s absence is very glaring, especially if one considers that a figure resembling him can be seen accompanying Cao Cao’s southward march in chapter 381. Maybe he was assigned elsewhere in Jingzhou after Liu Bei was driven out. Admittedly, Xiahou Dun, Cao Chun, and Yu Jin were not positioned well in the campaign. Perhaps they’re supposed to act as a followup force to finish off the remaining opposition (but then Zhou Yu and Jiang Qin reversed the tide, and no one but Zhuge Liang expected the weather shift). Another way of looking at it would be that Cao Cao underestimated his enemy, the very flaw that Zhuge Liang wanted to exploit from the start.

5. As for Cao Pi, he was shown overseeing the implementation of the empty fire scheme meant to deceive Zhou Yu into thinking that Huang Gai’s initial plan succeeded, plus he accompanied his father Cao Cao in an encampment near the battle site. It may be that he was simply assigned to watch over said base, and he might have had a small fleet at his disposal in case he needed to retreat to Xiangyang more quickly in the event of a serious crisis. It’s also revealed in chapter 438 that Sima Yi somehow helped facilitate Cao Pi’s successful withdrawal. Yue Jin’s case is the more boggling one, and for that he needed to have been lucky enough not only to escape Lü Meng’s fire in chapter 432 but also to stumble upon a relatively quick path to Xiangyang, floods and swampy terrain notwithstanding. One would also have to generously assume that Yue Jin was able to reach north before Cao Ren and Jia Xu arrived in Jiangling, and that Zhou Yu no longer bothered to harass Yue Jin’s path of retreat. Possible, but rather implausible and a bit contrived for a defeated unit.

6. Last but not least, I agree that Jiang Qin is a crucial key to the victory of the Sun-Liu alliance. However, two questions bother me. In chapter 420, how in the world did Jiang Qin’s team swim across the long river carrying their armor, their flammable materials, and extra Cao army uniform? Maybe an advance team was already waiting in advance, in charge of the crucial materials for the fire attack on Wulin (and thus Jiang Qin’s team didn’t need to carry everything with them). And in chapter 425, what happened to the second infiltration team ordered to blend into the Cao army for their next assignment? Perhaps the agents finished their mission off-panel (or they may come into play in some future chapter)

The crucial lesson? Right time, right place, right people. Cao Cao lost the Battle of Chibi because those factors were ultimately secured by his external and internal enemies. And Ravages would be easier to follow if Chen Mou becomes more precise in his handling of duration and location and troop mobilizations...