#<-the dog that waited at a train station for 9 years after it's owner died
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Hachikō route 2.... Sugar & Spice become ghost buddies :]
#hoof draws#replacement ingo au Hachikō edition#<-the dog that waited at a train station for 9 years after it's owner died#neway trauma ghost buddies :]#i imagine the timeline here is the same up until ingo & emmet get uneebied so they've met already#.except spice got tired of trying to fuck w/ the new zoroark and left#so spice & sugar hang out for a few days. spice leaves and discovers that ingo abandoned him (accidentally)#--> stumbles across sugar a couple weeks later and realizes that she's been waiting for her trainer that whole time#poor guys</3
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Ok Mu Qing is definitely a cat. If we are talking a specific breed it would be a russian blue in my opinion since they have plush fur that seems to shimmer when they move (equating to his human fashion sense), are reserved around strangers (human Mu Qing isn't good at making friends either), are very athletic and good hunters (he is a martial God after all), they aren't particularly cuddly/clingy and they are very intelligent (human Mu Qing has better medical skills than a lot of medical Gods even though that ain't his job).
Feng Xin is a dog. Specifically he was a body guard in his human life so it would make sense that his dog breed would also be a guard dog of some sort, but he's honestly kind of hard to match to any specific breed because he doesn't have much patience, he has a quick temper and curses loudly and excessively and he doesn't get along with the /opposite/ sex, which is so unusual. So whatever breed he is he is probably a kind of poorly trained or poorly bred one (sorry Feng Xin 😭😂). After spending hours researching it I've finally decided on a breed though. He ain't exactly as amazingly put together as Mu Qing but he still looks good, always wearing a gold ribbon (so he probably isn't one of the "uglier" looking dog breeds). He doesn't have much patience which probably means that he wouldn't take too well to teasing or to being annoyed in general. We could say that dog Feng Xin is either gay or was traumatized by a female dog at a young age, hence why he gets along better with the same sex. He is also known for being extremely loyal. I was torn between an akita and a german shepherd. Akitas are known to be intolerant of teasing (so not much patience), they are known for being fiercely loyal (think of Hachiko, the akita that waited at a train station everyday for 9 years for his owner, who unexpectedly died, to return), they were only allowed to be kept by royals for a certain period of time (a fun little nod to him being a royal bodyguard as a human), and they are known to be same sex aggressive (which I could see being turned into opposite sex aggressive via trauma or homosexuality) but I run across three big issues. One is that akitas are very aloof. Feng Xin is known to be very polite and courteous but he isn't really seen by others as being aloof. Two is that akitas aren't exactly people pleasers, even to their owners. Feng Xin seems to care about pleasing Xie Lian a lot. Three is that akitas are generally very quiet, and Feng Xin is known for cursing loudly and excessively. This is why I have settled on him being a poorly bred or trained german shepherd (😭😂☠️). When you think of the most loyal and protective dog breeds the german shepherd is one of the first, if not the first, breed you think of. Our boy stayed with Xie Lian for a very long time after his banishment and only left because Xie Lian made him. They care very much about pleasing their owners and a properly bred/trained one should be polite with strangers without being overly friendly with them, which seems to match Feng Xin fairly well. His issues are again a lack of patience, being too yappy and opposite sex aggression, but you know what? Not every dog can be perfect.
But what do you guys think? Maybe he is just a weird akita after all?
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Next up is #Hachiko, a sweet golden male pup of the #HeroPups! Many of you likely know his namesake. Hachikō was a white Japanese Akita born on a farm in Japan’s Akita Prefecture - one of the country’s 47 jurisdictions which were each governed by an appointed prefect. He is famous for loyally waiting for his guardian, Tokyo Imperial University professor Hidesaburō Ueno, for nearly 10 following the man’s death. When Ueno would return to Shibuya, Tokyo on the train each day, he would find Hachikō waiting for him at Shibuya Station. This routine continued for more than 9 years and 9 months, until one day Ueno wasn’t on the train. He had passed from a cerebral hemorrhage whilst giving a lecture in one of his classes. After one of Japan’s largest newspapers, The Asahi Shimbun, published an article about Hachikō, commuters started bringing food and snacks with them to the railway station as a treat for the dog whilst he waited for his owner. Hachikō died in March 1935 at 11 years old. It was determined that he passed from heart worm and terminal cancer. Hachikō continues to be remembered in as chūken Hachikō (忠犬ハチ公, "faithful dog Hachikō") in Japanese, honoured with statues, movies and books. May we all have someone who loves us as fiercely as Hachikō loved his human 🥰. What a very good boy. Thank you for joining us and #LearningWithHamsters. 🐶 https://www.instagram.com/p/ClXBnrCARTp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
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https://usopps-froggy-hat.tumblr.com/post/675748664545886208/damn-even-dogs-in-one-piece-have-inherited-will
Is not my post but I want you to see it.
Damn they are right
Also that dog always reminded me of Hachikō, the dog that waited for it's owner at the train station, i think, for like 9 years after the owner died ... T.T
Link to post!
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Lifeline - Part 11
Summary: (First Responders!AU) Moving to Los Angeles and living with your brother, Thor, was never part of your plan nor was being a 9-1-1 dispatcher, but plans change when you are faced with your own emergencies. In your case, it was leaving behind a relationship that wasn’t as perfect as it seemed. Will this be the fresh start you were hoping for or will your past find a way to catch up with you?
Pairing: Steve Rogers x Odinson!Sister Reader
Word Count: 2500+
Warnings: Heart attack, fluff, angst, language
Lifeline Masterlist / Main Masterlist
It was a slow day at the call center, which was a good thing, and you couldn’t help but wonder what Steve was planning. Earlier, he texted you, asking if you wanted to get lunch together, and you accepted. It’s been a couple of weeks since you hung out and had a movie night, but since then, you’ve hung out a few other times at your house watching movies and talking. It was innocent fun, nothing serious, two friends enjoying each other’s company. But, you did fall asleep on him one night after a late shift, but luckily, he didn’t seem to mind. Neither of you labeled them as dates because neither of you were looking for a relationship. You both joked about them being dates though, but they never blossomed into anything, even though one night you hoped they would.
Your phone line ringing pulled you from your daydream. “911, what’s your emergency?”
“Um...my daddy can hardly breathe?”
“Okay, hold on for a second, sweetie.” The address popped right up since she was calling from a landline and you dispatched an ambulance to their location. It was much easier to send help when they called from landlines; cell phones were tricky because you needed to go through the carrier if you needed to get their exact location. “The ambulance is on their way.”
“Good...they need to get here real fast,” the little girl said in a calm voice.
“Okay, sweetie, what’s your name?
“Duranna Dey. My daddy’s name is Rhomann Dey.”
“Okay. How old are you, Duranna?
“I am five years old.”
“Okay, Duranna, I need to know if your father is still awake?”
“Yeah. He called 911-- then couldn’t really talk--he gave me the phone then.”
“Your dad is a smart man. Duranna, is your front door unlocked?”
“Uh…is our front door unlocked, Daddy? Uh, no.”
“Okay, Duranna, can you go and unlock the front door for me?”
“Sure…okay, I am going to go. Don’t worry, Daddy!” You heard shuffling over the line. “Front door unlocked.”
“That’s good, Duranna. Now can you go ask your dad if this has ever happened to him before?”
“Yeah,” she said as you heard shuffling through the phone. “Dad, has this ever happened before? He says no, and he is still awake.”
“Good. Can you ask him if he has any kind of chest pain?”
“Do you have chest pain? Yes, yes, he does.”
“Okay, hold on for a second, okay, Duranna.”
“Okay,” she replied.
You radioed the paramedics over your headset and told them the situation so they would know what they were walking into upon their arrival.
“I’m back, Duranna. Is he still awake?”
“Yeah, we’re in our jammies. Is that going to be okay, or should we get changed?”
“No, that will be fine,” you smiled at her question. “I need you to stay with your dad to make sure he stays awake.”
“Okay. I got it. Stay calm, Dad.” You could hear sirens coming over the line. “They are here now; should I hang up?”
“Yes, Duranna, you can hang up.”
“Okay, thank you, bye.”
The line went dead, and you couldn’t help but smile. Duranna was one strong, calm, brave little girl in her given situation, where some adults wouldn’t be. It was surprising, and you couldn’t help but praise her parents. You sighed, taking off your headset and setting it on the table as you went on your lunch break.
When you walked out of your building, you saw Steve standing outside holding onto a leash with a beautiful golden retriever attached to it. You smiled, walking right up to them and crouched down to pet him.
“Awww, you must be Cosmo,” you cooed, scrunching up his face in your hands, and quickly licked your cheek. “You’re so cute, yes you are.”
“He wanted to meet you. Wouldn’t shut up about it all morning,” Steve grinned under his baseball cap.
“Well, it is lovely to meet you, too,” You added, bopping him on the nose. You stood up, smiling at Steve. “What are we doing for lunch?”
“Since I brought Cosmo, I thought we could take a stroll through the park. I know there are a few food trucks in the area we could check out.”
“Sounds fun,” you smirked, walking next to Steve with Cosmo out in front. “How has Cosmo been adjusting?”
“He’s doing better. He’s a little off at certain times during the day, but the vet says it’s pretty normal, and it’s all a part of the process.”
“Well, he looks happy.” You let out a soft chuckle, watching Cosmo look around with his tongue hanging out. “And he is so cute.”
“Thanks for the compliment. You know dogs do take after their owners,” he winked, forcing you to roll your eyes.
“Okay, wise guy,” you scoffed, nudging him in his side. “How’s Station 107?”
Steve cleared his throat. “Your brother gave me permission to ask you out a while ago, and he keeps reminding me about it.”
You chuckled. “Did he? Clearly, he doesn’t know how much of a guy you are.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You come off all innocent, but let’s be real, you’re a real troublemaker.”
“I will neither confirm nor deny that information,” he chuckled, waving it off as you shake your head at him.
“It’s crazy how he gave you permission, yet you haven’t done anything about it?” You questioned, narrowing your eyes at him. “And here's Cosmo, who by the way I just met, and he has already gotten further with me than you have.”
“That hurts.” Steve feigned a pained look, holding his hand over his heart. “In my defense, I didn’t want you to feel pressured or pushed into something you weren’t ready for.”
“You never did, and that’s what makes you a good man, Steve,” you confessed, seeing his signature smirk spread across his face. “But, my life is enough of a mess as it is, and I wouldn’t expect you or anyone else to try and take that on.”
“That’s not it at all. I’m not worried about what happened in your past. I mean, I hate what you had to go through, but it’s never going to scare me off.”
You had no words. No comeback. All you could do was smile. You reached over and grabbed a hold of his hand. “Friends, hold hands, right?”
“Yeah, last time I checked,” he grinned, squeezing your hand. You felt your face heat up under his gaze as you looked away. You tried to weld your lips together, but it was no use. You had a feeling a smile would be plastered on your face all through lunch.
You and Steve settle on getting Mexican at Wade’s Chimichangas truck when you noticed the other truck was an ice cream truck. You stood in line and noticed the guy taking orders was very chatty and looked oddly similar to Ryan Reynolds.
“Next, oh, and what a cute couple you two are,” the Ryan Reynolds look-alike said. “I’m Wade, owner of Wade’s Chimichangas. Oh, and this sugar bear with the mustache behind me is Peter W. He saw my want ad in the paper, and he was an instant hire.” He smiled, but then it quickly turned into a frown. “This is actually the second time I hired him, the first time is when I hired him to be a part of X-force, and he died early on. Then, I time-traveled back in time after stealing this special watch from your universe's Thanos and brought Peter back to life at the end. Oops, spoiler alert,” he shrugged, staring at the empty space beside you.
“I’m sorry,” Steve asked, furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to gauge the situation.
“Sorry,” he smiled. “This--” he twirled his finger in the air “--this is the wrong universe. Well, that universe technically doesn’t exist anymore since Mickey Mouse bought out Fox, and I’m not talking about the cute fox from Fox and the Hound either. No siree, this Fox was more expensive than my favorite shoe company’s net worth.” He shook his head back and forth, chuckling. “It’s going to be crazy fun! My place is safe and secure, but can’t say the same for that Australian Showman.” He nodded but stopped when a realization dawned on him. “Oh wait, dammit, he got out a few years too early. What a shame, he’s gonna miss out on some really big paychecks, but who cares about that guy anyway,” he signed. “Anyways, what can I get you two?”
“I’ll take the Almost Famous Chimichanga with rice,” Steve ordered.
“Oh, being safe and not going with beans, smart move, Captain,” Wade replied with a wink. “And for the lady and canine?” You gave Wade your order and ordered Cosmo a simple taco.
“Cosmo doesn’t need a taco,” Steve added, shaking his head.
“So, no taco for the canine? I am taking copious notes here.” You looked to Wade to see him licking his lips with a pen and small notebook pad in his hand.
“Yes, taco,” you answered, and Cosmo barked.
“Majority wins. Fire up the stove, Peter. It will be a couple of minutes, folks,” Wade announced. “If only there was a superpower to make food. I mean, he or she, I’m not sexist, could solve world hunger with just a flick of their wrist or magic wand.”
“Wow, that guy must be going through something,” Steve uttered loud enough for you to hear as you both moved down the side of the truck to the pickup area.
“Captain, you have no idea,” Wade looked over his shoulder and shot you both a tight smile. “Am I right, Peter?”
“He is,” Peter nodded, placing an order on the serving counter. “Order for the lovely couple and a taco for the gorgeous golden retriever.
“Thanks, Peter.” You pulled your wallet from your purse, but when you looked up, Steve was already handing Peter some cash.
“My treat,” he replied, answering your silent question.
“Next time, it’s on me.”
“Deal,” Steve smirked, getting his change back from Peter.
“Is he a Purebred?” Peter asked, looking down at Cosmo with a smile.
“I’m not sure I rescued him.”
“That’s incredible. My wife, Susan, and I thought about adopting, but she’s been training hard with her personal trainer, Gus, a few times a week, so we weren’t sure if we were ready for a dog. I mean, some of the workouts can last like four hours, but it is doing wonders for her, and it shows.”
“Well, when you both feel ready, give adoption a chance.”
“I will. I’m sorry to keep you from your date with all the questions.”
“Hey, it’s alright,” Steve waved it off. “That’s how you keep customers coming back, right?”
“That’s right,” Peter chuckled. “Thanks for choosing Wade’s Chimichangas. Have a good afternoon, folks.”
You grabbed your’s and Cosmo’s baskets, and Steve grabbed his, making your way over to the open benches near the sidewalk. You plopped down with Steve taking the spot next to you, and Cosmo sat right in front of you, wagging his tail and waiting for his taco. You smirked at him, tearing off a piece and giving it to him.
“Are you getting the feeling that Susan is cheating on Peter, too?” Steve asked, taking a bite of his chimichanga.
“Yes, I thought I was the only one thinking that,” you answered, shaking your head. “Poor guy, he seems like a good one, too.”
A comfortable silence fell between you two as you ate. It was tasty, better than you expected it would be; you weren’t sure if it was the seasoning or sauce, but you would be a returning customer. Cosmo whined, staring into your eyes as you tore off another piece and gave it to him.
Steve smirked. “You’re gonna teach him to be a beggar.”
“Don’t listen to your dad. If you want to be a beggar, you be a beggar.” You patted him on the head, and he licked your hand.
“Wow,” Steve mouthed, making you hit him on the arm. He cracked a contagious smile, leaning into you, and you couldn’t help but laugh as you pushed him off you.
“You’re such as ass sometimes.”
“I am one of LA’s finest asses according to Sam,” he replied, forcing you to scoff.
_______
Taking the last bite of your lunch, you glanced at Steve, finishing off his chimichanga. He wiped his lips with his napkin and winked at you. You rolled your eyes, leaning forward and rubbing Cosmo on the head. You didn’t want to go back to work. All you wanted to do was hang out with Steve and Cosmo for the rest of the day. You sighed, looking down at your watch.
“Should we start heading back?” Steve inquired, placing a hand on your forearm. You looked at his hand, a shy smile appearing on your face.
“Uh yeah, we probably should.”
He stood up, offering his hand, which you took without hesitation. He squeezed your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours, sending a warm, comforting sensation flow through your body. You could feel your face grow warm as you stared at Cosmo walking in front of you. You bit your lip, peeking over at Steve, not missing the smirk you were beginning to love appear across his lips.
________
He pulled you to stop in front of your building, letting go of your hand, and you turned to face him. “Thanks for getting lunch with me and for bringing Cosmo. It was nice to meet him.” You smiled down at the dog, wagging his tail with his tongue hanging out.
“I think he enjoyed meeting you, too,” He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “Listen, I don’t know if you’ve heard about this yet, but there is this first responders charity grill out slash softball tournament this weekend. I was wondering if...”
“Yeah,” you interrupted him. “Thor already invited me, and I was planning on going.”
“Cool.” He nodded, clenching his jaw. “But, I was curious if you wanted to be my date?”
You rubbed your lips together, a smile itching its way across your lips. “Did you finally have the nerve to ask me out?” You nudged him with your elbow repeatedly until he cracked a smile.
“Like I said, I didn’t want to pressure you into anything.” He sighed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
“No, it’s not that. I’m just surprised you’re already planning a second date, and we aren’t even done with the first one yet.”
His jaw dropped open as quickly as he snapped it shut. If you weren’t watching him, you would have missed it. “I never said this was a date.”
“Yeah, but Cosmo told me it was, so who do you think I’m gonna believe. The guy I have been hanging out with or a dog willing to share all your secrets with me.” You shrugged with both hands in front of you, trying to weigh out your best option.
“Cosmo,” Steve looked down at his dog, shaking his head. “You can’t be telling YN all my secrets.”
“He’s a talker. Aren’t you Cosmo?” You cooed, making him bark in agreement. You smiled, reaching out to scratch his head one last time. You peeked up at Steve, not missing the gentle smile fading from his lips.
“How about it, YN? Do you want to go out on another date with me?”
“Yeah,” you grinned, nodding your head. “I’d like that.”
______
AN: Thanks for reading Part 11! We are over halfway through this story and there is so much more to come! And I am excited to share it with you all! The call about the daughter and father actually was something that happened and became national news a long time ago. I came across it while I was trying to find some 911 type calls/scenarios, and figured Rhomann and Duranna Dey would be a good fit for it. And she finally got to meet Cosmo! He is actually the dog from Guardians of the Galaxy! It is just a small cameo in that movie, but I love throwing in those easter eggs if you haven’t figured that out yet, haha! Did you like the Wade Wilson and Peter W cameo?! I thought it would be an entertaining addition and Wade breaking that fourth wall is always a fun time! The slow burn may finally be coming to an end. Let's just hope this charity softball tournament/grill-out date turns into a success! As always, thanks for reading, and don't forget comments are always welcome!
#steve rogers#steve rogers au#steve rogers x reader#Steve Rogers x Female Reader#marvel#marvel fanfic#marvel fanfiction#marvel au#firefighter!steve#firefighter!bucky#firefighter au#steve rogers series#captain america#captain america x reader#chris evans fanfiction#chris evans#avengers#avengers au#avengers fanfiction#first responder au#steve rogers fanfic#steve rogers fanfiction
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Detroit: Become Human - Chronology and timeline of events... (CANON)
The chronology and timeline of events ( https://detroit-become-human.fandom.com/wiki/Chronology ) in the world of Detroit: Become Human.
pre-1960
1915: Birth of Arnold Brook.
1917: Zlatko Andronikov's family flees the revolution in Russia.
1960s
1963: Birth of Carl Manfred (July 13).
1970s
1978: Birth of Michael Brinkley (January 24), Amanda Stern (May 14).
1980s
1980: Birth of Gordon Penwick (June 10).
1982: Birth of Dennis Ward (June 11), Jeffrey Fowler (August 8).
1983: Birth of Christopher Gray (June 18).
1985: Birth of Hank Anderson (September 6), Cristina Warren (September 15).
1987: Birth of Jonah Graham (December 9).
1988: Birth of Joseph Sheldon (August 14), Gary Kayes (December 3).
1989: Birth of Derek Myers (May 7), Ben Collins (September 12).
1990s
1991: Birth of Zlatko Andronikov (September 21).
1992: Birth of Douglas Mitchell (August 10).
1993: Birth of Rose Chapman (March 31).
1994: Birth of Captain Allen (December 2).
1995: Birth of Edward Dempsey (February 8), Richard Perkins (July 13), Todd Williams (September 21).
1998:
1999: Birth of Isaac Falone (March 10), Elizabeth Wilson (March 25), John Phillips (October 11).
Death of Arnold Brook.[1]
Birth of Chris Roberts (May 16).
2000s
2000: Birth of Michael Webb (September 9).
2001: Birth of Jimmy Peterson (February 1), Caroline Phillips (May 23).
2002: Birth of Elijah Kamski (July 17), Gavin Reed (October 7).
2005: Birth of Pedro Aabdar (January 25), Rosanna Cartland (December 12).
2008: Birth of Carlos Ortiz (October 27).
2009: Birth of Nathan Clark (August 18), Chris Miller (September 30).
2010s
2010: Birth of Leo Manfred (March 21), Joss Douglas (October 24).
2012: Birth of Samuel McCray (April 10).
2013: Birth of Adam Chapman (August 5).
2018: Elijah Kamski founds CyberLife, creates first androids.
2020s
2021: Release of RT600 "Chloe".
2022: RT600 Chloe first android to pass the Turing test.
2024:
2027: CyberLife sells 1 millionth android.
2028:
2028or 2029: United States pass the Android Act.
2029: Hank Anderson promoted to the rank of lieutenant (reported on August 22).
Release of ST200 "Chloe", first industrially produced android.
CyberLife leased a disused warehouse. (Extras Gallery)
CyberLife starts the commercial production of androids.
KNC's interview with Chloe (April 25).
Release of JB100 OR Andy (12-2027).
Death of Amanda Stern (February 23).
Elijah Kamski named Century magazine's "Man of the Century". Later, Kamski resigns as CEO and leaves CyberLife.
Red Ice Task Force dismantles a Red Ice network (reported on February 3).
Birth of Emma Phillips (September 2).
Release of EM400 (2028), Jerry (06-2028).
Birth of Cole Anderson (September 23).
Release of PC200 and PM700.
2030s
2030:
2031:
2032: Release of AX400, Kara (04-2032).
2033:
2034:
2035:
2036:
2037: Rose Chapman starts helping deviants.
2038: the year Detroit: Become Human takes place.
CyberLife reaches market valuation of $850bn.
Release of TR400 OR Luther (01-2030), HK400 OR Carlos' Android (05-2031), URS12 Android Bear (10-2030).
Androids introduced into the United States military and Michigan law enforcement. Red Ice Task Force seizes boat with nearly 1t Red Ice (reported on November 23).
Release of Ralph (/WR600?) and PJ500 (2031), Josh (11-2031).
Birth of Sumo (April 2031).
Release of JB300 336 445 581 (/JB300?) (05-2033), YK500, Alice (07-2033).
Carlos Ortiz spent several stays in a psychiatric hospital in 2033.
Release of PL600 (2034), Simon (02-2034).
April 2034 Season Finals Detroit's Champions Take An Early Lead (Basketball Magazine poster around Hank's Desk)
Release of "Traci"s WR400 and HR400 (2035), North (10-2035).
Death of Cole Anderson (October 11)[8].
Detroit Gears basketball Playoffs (Seen at Hank's desk)
Cristina Warren elected President of the United States.
Carlos Ortiz spent several stays in a psychiatric hospital in 2036.
Release of KL900 OR Lucy, Rupert (possibly plus WB200?).
Reported missing: Simon (February 16), Rupert (October 11).
Death of Rose Chapman's husband (estimated, "died 2 years ago" in 2038[9]).
2038
The year 2038 is the temporal setting of Detroit: Become Human.
global population 10 billion.[10]
January-July
Edit
January
February
The first DPD case file about deviants ("dates back nine months")[11]
March
April
May
June
July
August
RK800 "Connor" released (08-2038).
Birth of Damian Miller ("three months ago" in November).
Aug 15th: Chapter "The Hostage".
around 7:30 PM: Daniel takes Emma Phillips hostage.
Death of John Phillips (estimated 07:29 PM), Officer Antony Deckart (estimated 08:03 PM), and another officer (found dead in the pool). Officer M. Wilson is wounded by Daniel, death optional.
CyberLife sends RK800 Connor as a hostage negotiator. ITM televises the hostage situation.
08:29 PM: Chapter "The Hostage" begins. Connor arrives at the Phillips apartment.
08:30 PM: DPD reports that a deviant android is involved. (ITM report)
September
09/14: An android waiter (AV500 #234 777 821) in Fast Coney Dogs attacks Charles Bell and escapes.
October
10/04: Gordon Lopez's AL series android disappears. North deviates at a customer's home and escapes.
10/05: Eden Club manager Floyd Mills reports to the police that North is missing.
10/06: North arrives in Jericho (North has been in Jericho "4 weeks, 3 days, 11 hours" on Nov 6 after 5 PM).
around 10/17: Carlos Ortiz killed by Carlos' Android. (Based on his body being dead for 19 days on Nov 5th)
10/22: An android (AP700 #480 913 802) attacks her owner Sarah Cornwal, the house, and escapes.
November
Friday Nov 5th: Chapters: Shades of Color, The Opening, A New Home, The Painter, Partners, Stormy Night, Broken, Fugitives
CyberLife zoo opens in Detroit.
Several Russian warships have taken position in the Barents Sea since Saturday October 30th. (CTN news)
09:38 AM: Chapter "Shades of Color" begins. Markus arrives in Greektown to pick up Carl's paint from Bellini Paints.
09:58 AM: Chapter "The Painter" begins. Markus arrives back at Carl Manfred's House.
03:24 PM: Chapter "The Opening" begins. Todd Williams picks up Kara at Android Zone.
04:53 PM: Chapter "A New Home" begins. Todd and Kara arrive at Todd Williams' house.
"around 8" (PM or AM): Landlord calls police because he found Carlos Ortiz's corpse.
09:14 PM: Chapter "Stormy Night" begins. Dinner in the Williams house.
09:42 PM: Chapter "Broken" begins. Markus and Carl arrive home from the opening of Carl Manfred's retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art.
10:58 PM: Chapter "Fugitives" begins. Kara and Alice to get off the bus in Camden.
11:21 PM: Chapter "Partners" begins. Connor arrives at Jimmy's Bar to pick up Hank Anderson.
Saturday Nov 6th: Chapters:
The Interrogation, From the Dead, Waiting for Hank..., On the Run, Jericho, The Nest, Time to Decide, Zlatko, Russian Roulette, Spare Parts, The Eden Club
During the night: Russian carrier and American patrol boat reported to have exchanged warning shots in Arctic, no casualties. (~CTN news[11])
KNC reports on the first artificial intelligence to write a book.
CTN reports that a CyberLife prototype detective android is assisting the DPD. (~CTN news[11][15])
President Cristina Warren makes speech to Congress, demanding that Russian troops withdraw from the Arctic region. (~CTN news[8])
N/A: Severe hurricanes blight Mid-West, dozens killed. (seen under the scrolling header during Waiting for Hank.) (~CTN news[8])
12:41 AM: Chapter "The Interrogation" begins. Hank interrogates Carlos' Android.
03:34 AM: Chapter "From the Dead" begins. Markus reboots in Solid Waste Landfill.
08:42 AM: Todd Williams' dead body is found by a friend and reported to the police. (If killed by Alice or Kara)
09:56 AM: Chapter "Waiting for Hank..." begins. Connor talks to Amanda. Then arrives at DPD Central Station.
10:25 AM: Chapter "On the Run" begins. Kara wakes in Camden.
03:02 PM: Chapter "The Nest" begins. Hank eats at Chicken Feed.
04:30 PM: Chapter "Jericho" begins. Markus travels to Ferndale Station.
06:24 PM (estimated[16]): Death of Michael Graham at Eden Club.
05:13 PM: Chapter "Time to Decide" begins. Markus meets Jericho androids.
07:45 PM: Chapter "Zlatko" begins. Kara and Alice arrive at Zlatko Andronikov's House.
07:51 PM: Chapter "Russian Roulette" begins. Connor talks to Amanda. Then visits Hank Anderson's home.
08:01 PM: Chapter "Spare Parts" begins. Jericho androids raid CyberLife Warehouse and Docks.
08:17 PM: Chapter "The Eden Club" begins. Connor and Hank arrive at the Eden Club.
Sunday Nov 7th:
Chapters: The Pirates' Cove, The Bridge, The Stratford Tower
01:02 AM: Chapter "The Pirates' Cove" begins. Kara's group travels by car.
01:19 AM: Chapter "The Bridge" begins. Connor and Hank in Riverside Park.
09:24 AM: Chapter "The Stratford Tower" begins. Markus sits on a street bench and gets an idea.
Monday Nov 8th:
Chapters: The Stratford Tower cont., Public Enemy, Midnight Train
01:30 PM: Chapter "The Stratford Tower" cont. Markus infiltrates the Stratford Tower.
01:59 PM: Markus is recording the message in Stratford Tower (Connor' "Pupil Reflection" scan is timestamped "13:59:54").
04:06 PM: Chapter "Public Enemy" begins. Connor talks to Amanda. Then Connor and Hank arrive at Stratford Tower Floor 79.
05:10 PM: Chapter "Midnight Train" begins. Kara's group arrives at Rose's Farm.
Tuesday Nov 9th:
Chapters: Capitol Park, Meet Kamski, Freedom March, Last Chance, Connor, Crossroads
01:51 AM: Chapter "Capitol Park" begins. Jericho androids discuss Stratford broadcast.
02:00 AM: Jericho android teams attack the five CyberLife stores in Detroit simultaneously. Markus and North arrive at Capitol Park 10 minutes previous.
11:17 AM: Chapter "Meet Kamski" begins. Hank (+/- Connor) arrives at Elijah Kamski's house.
12:04 PM: Chapter "Freedom March" begins. Markus on roof, reflecting.
04:13 PM: Chapter "Last Chance, Connor" begins. Connor talks to Amanda. At DPD, Connor has to find Jericho.
N/A: Military androids removed from service(~CTN news), resulting in armed forces losing 2/3 of effective personnel. Androids are ordered to be turned over to the authorities, to be delivered to the nearest police station or army barracks, to be put in camps. The lack of androids shuts down services and utilities such as hospitals, schools, water, electricity, networks. (~KNC news[19]) Detroit is under curfew.
09:34 PM: Chapter "Crossroads" begins. Kara's group is driving to find Jericho.
10:45 PM: FBI and military raid on Jericho (~Warren press announcement)
Wednesday Nov 10th:
Chapters: Night of the Soul
06:00 AM: national curfew declared (~Warren press announcement)
Chapter "Night of the Soul" begins.
04:17 PM: Markus visits Carl's grave. (Pay Respects)
07:31 PM: Markus visits Carl's house. (Welcome Home) Then Markus in church (Markus on Sacred Ground). OR Jericho androids in church without Markus. (Connor/North on Sacred Ground)
07:31 PM or N/A: Connor speaks to Amanda (Thin Ice), visits Hank (Hank's House).
N/A: Android leader gives speech in undiscovered Jericho. (Markus/North Among the People)
09:24 PM: President Cristina Warren press announcement on Jericho raid, curfew etc. (Battle for Detroit)
Thursday Nov 11th:
Chapters: Battle for Detroit (events from multiple paths)
N/A: The U.S. Army has set up temporary camps in most major cities (Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Boston, San Francisco) to gather and destroy androids. (KNC News report, which is heard in Kamski's house if everyone died)
"at/since dawn": Androids take to the streets, either in peaceful demonstration (Markus Demonstration) OR fighting to liberate camps (Markus Revolution).
10:48 PM: Connor arrives at CyberLife Tower. (Connor at the CyberLife Tower)
10:51 PM: Kara's group in West Side Industrial on the way to Bus Terminal. (Kara Leaving Detroit)
10:56 PM: Androids march down Woodward Avenue onto Hart Plaza (Markus Demonstration/Revolution/North)
11:01 PM:
11:02 PM: Kara's group reaches Bus Terminal. (Kara Leaving Detroit, Risky Checkpoint)
11:06 PM: Kara's group enters Enclosure. (Kara Captured)
11:07 PM:
11:08 PM:
11:15 PM: Kara's group reaches Bus Terminal. (Kara Leaving Detroit, Safer Detour)
11:15-30 PM: Last bus from Detroit Bus Terminal departs to Canada Border. Cross-border bus service is suspended afterwards.
11:16 PM: Hart Plaza barricade is attacked. (Markus Demonstration)
11:26 PM:
11:30 PM: Kara's group arrives at US-Canada Border. (Kara Leaving Detroit)
11:36 PM: Kara's group enters Canada. (Kara Leaving Detroit)
11:57 PM: Kara's group arrives at banks of Detroit River, Canada. (Kara Leaving Detroit)
presumably before midnight: President Cristina Warren gives speech (Battle for Detroit).
Connor arrives at Floor -49. (Connor at the CyberLife Tower) OR Connor on Hart Plaza rooftop. (Connor's Last Mission)
Androids at Hart Plaza launch attack. (Revolution)
Connor vs Connor-60. (Connor at the CyberLife Tower)
Hart Plaza final assault, Markus vs Connor, vs tank. (Revolution)
Androids in Hart Plaza barricade. Perkins offers deal. (Markus Demonstration)
Kara's group facing destruction in Hart Plaza camp. (Kara Captured)
Hart Plaza androids arrested, Markus killed (Markus Demonstration, surrender)
Kara's group arrives at banks of Detroit River, Delray. (Kara Leaving Detroit)
Friday Nov 12th:
Chapters: Battle for Detroit cont.
12:01 AM: Hart Plaza and CyberLife Tower android groups meet. Android leader gives speech. OR Machine Connor checks on Markus's corpse, after the latter's surrender to Perkins.
07:37 AM: Kara's group wakes in Solid Waste Landfill. (Kara Captured)
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VRainsweek, Day 11
Prompt: VRains goes Hollywood
Day 1: “A moment of silence”
Day 2: “The conflict in the inner mind”
Day 3: Ai-chan fly~
Day 4: “Path to the future”
Day 5: “What destiny shows”
Day 6: “Fighting spirit”
Day 7: “Cyverse world”
Day 9: Music is the key~
Day 11: “Offline blues”
@vrainsweek
Summary: Sharing a body for so long has become a distant, faint, fleeting memory that evades him whenever he tries to remember it. A face, a name, a voice is haunting him since then. But the only thing he can remember clearly is the ethereal glow of a bioluminescent sea in the distant.
“Yusaku, do you... do you remember me... ?”
Words: 1.178
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Sometimes, when I wake up in the morning... I cry, and I have no idea why.
I never remember... what I’ve been dreaming about. But...
But the feeling of losing something... doesn’t leave me for a long time... after I’ve opened up my eyes.
I’ve always been looking for something... or someone.
This feeling doesn’t let me got, not after this day...
Since the day Stardust Road started to glow.
He graduated six months prior but even with his biggest efforts, he hasn’t been able to get a job in his major. Even if he hadn’t quit his job in the library – since he still needs an income of his own – he doesn’t want to stick as a temporary helper. But time drags on and on and he feels like everyone else is moving. Everyone but him.
I’ve been looking for something... or someone all this time. I can’t remember anymore when this feeling drowned me.
“A big city like Den City has a wide network of good working circuits- ”
“But with slack designed security measurements- ”
“Network activity as well as cybernetic criminality increase- ”
“To prevent a breakdown or even a complete shutdown- ”
“The reason I applied to your company was-... I... I wanted to... ”
I forgot if I’m looking for a place, a person or just employment.
For the umpteenth time, he received the sentence “We will call you back.” He lost count on which one was the last interview he had for this day. The sun sets already when he meets his best friends Ai and Jin at the latter’s older brother’s Hot Dog truck. Both of them are already chewing happily on Café Nagi’s main menu.
“How many interviews did you have today?” Ai wants to know.
He only shrugs leisurely. The other boys chuckle quietly.
“Ai got two letters of acceptance!”
“I got eight,” Jin throws in.
It sounds like a subordinate clause. Annoyed, he facepalms. But he gets served food by the food truck owner himself. He even pats his shoulder.
“Don’t give up!” he encourages him. “They just haven’t recognized your potential yet!”
Three years prior, I went on some sort of hiking trip with my best friends, Ai and Jin. But I forgot most of it. The only thing I remember is waking up on a cliff over a long-lost sea with dead, weathered and dehydrated sea plants. Once, it must have been an outstandingly beautiful place. Loved by so many people.
Once upon a time, he wanted to write. Once upon a time, he wanted to draw. Once upon a time, he just wanted to be creative. Be his own boss. Be the only one who determines how he spends his working time. Only to stop when he eats, drinks, sleeps or simply wants to hang out with his two best friends. Once upon a time, he wanted to be an artist. But nowadays, a living artist neither gets recognition, nor enough money for fending himself. He spent years in finding a secondary passion. He never found it but he realized that he’s good with technology as well. Then again, his brain has never worked with only one side.
Three years prior, a comet got into orbit, split almost directly above a rural village far away from his home town. A miracle happened because all 500 residents got evacuated. Not a single person died in this tragedy. The former mayor of the village performed an unannounced evacuation practice. Strangely during the annual autumn anniversary. But no one questioned his decision.
He doesn’t stay long with his friends. Today marks the day of the tragic event. Every anniversary leaves him with a strange melancholy that he doesn’t want to live through with anyone else. He can’t wait to finally get home and spend the rest of his evening with drawing. Or writing. Whatever suits him. But this evening, the memory of that ethereal bioluminescent sea is vivid again in his memory. He had tried to catch its unreal beauty on paper so many times. He had tried to describe what he envisions so many times. Nothing has been good enough. However, his fingertips itch to finally take a pen into his hand and start. He absolutely can’t wait to get home.
I can’t remember anymore why I had the unshakeable urge to read every single article from back then. I’m neither from this village, nor do I know someone from that village. What a strange occurrence...
As he catches glimpses of snow-white hair – shimmering in the evening sun –, his heart begins to accelerate right before his head follows suit. He presses his hands against the train door’s window. The person he’s staring at turns around in the other train. Both of their eyes – right exactly when pale lavender and emerald green meet – widen at the exact same time. They gape at each other. Both of them couldn’t wait until the trains finally stop their drive. He almost presses the yellow button for his next exit like a maniac.
I’ve always been looking for something... or someone.
It takes him agonizingly long to find the other again. He leaves the next train station and wanders through its entrance. He leaves it and runs forward to the streets. But wherever he looks, he can’t find the other. His heartbeat increases painfully. But he’s 100 % sure that what he saw wasn’t an imagination. He isn’t running after a suspicious ghost of his past. His heart yearns for him to continue to search. Giving up is not an option. He catches glimpses of snow-white hair again. His heartbeat stops for a dangerous long second when pale lavender and emerald green meet once more. His breath hitches. He waits for recognition. He waits for any sign of remembering. He waits. But even if his heart still beats like crazy, his mind doesn’t follow up. The face – for whatever reason, he can say that it matured – doesn’t strike him as familiar. Much to his dismay, the other one doesn’t look any different. A mirage. His shoulders slump down in utter disappointment. He lowers his head and starts to walk up the stairs. Three heartbeats after that, the other one does the same. While his mind taunts him for his foolishness, his heart doesn’t stop beating. And when he finally passes him, he can feel some sort of connection. A red string. Musubi. He stops. His heartbeat accelerates once more. He turns around with a hastily, urgent and heartfelt apology.
“I think I know you!”
The other one stops. His broad shoulders stiffen. For whatever odd reason, he believes to see more muscles than before. Then, almost in slow motion, the other one turns back to him. A single tear runs down his sharp cheekbone.
“ ...I think, I do, too!” he whispers with his deep baritone voice that sends down a pleasant shiver down his spine.
He remembers that voice. He would always remember it. He would recognize it anywhere.
“What’s your name?”
Let’s create a Stardust Road on our own.
#vrainsweek#VRLINK14#yugioh vrains#Fujiki Yusaku#Kogami Ryoken#guest: Ai#guest: Kusanagi Jin#guest: Kusanagi Shoichi#Datastormshipping#Kimi no na wa AU#bA's writing#I was physically weak NOT to ok!?
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My Best Interests…
PLEASE READ
*This story contains mention of suicide. If this triggers or upsets you please don't read*
This is a short horror story I wrote.
-Arthur has known Maaya for a while now. He considers her his best friend who only has his best interests at heart.
But does she really know what's best for him?
~~~~~~~
"She should be here by now."
I looked at my watch impatiently. The time was 9:23p.m. Maaya said she would be here by 9:00.
"If she wasn't gonna show up, why didn't she just call me and cancel?"
I'm sick of her crap. She'll always show up late or not at all. I walked away from the street light I had been standing under, and started heading home. This is last time I listen to her "This is stupid. I'm go- "
"Where do you think you're going?"
I spun around quickly, startled, as I saw her standing there.
"Oh you're, h- "
"Yeah I am. Let's go."
She walked pass me. Quickly. Wherever she was taking me she obviously couldn't wait to get there. I followed after her like a puppy following its owner. And that's exactly what I was to her. A puppy. An obedient little dog. A mindless disciple. A sucker. An idiot who couldn't think for himself. Why do I put up with her? Why do I let her do this to me? Why do I accept to do anything and everything this girl tells me to do?
I clenched my fist in anger. I am not putting up with this anymore. I'm my own man. I glared over at her.
Always. Always. ALWAYS bossing me around and telling me what to do. Well not anymore. I opened my mouth. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna tell her she is NOT in control of me. Not anymore.
"Are you alright?"
All the pent-up anger and frustration shriveled up and drifted away with the evening breeze.
Maaya studied me with her light green eyes. The light of the moon reflecting them. Making them seem even more irresistible. Her short dark brown hair flowing in the gentle evening wind.
I wanted to speak, but everything just turned to mush. My brain. The words of fury that were about to be directed at her. She did this to me. Every time I looked into her eyes...
"Look, I know I'm being rather direct, but I'm so excited. I just want you to... I can't wait for you to...Please just trust me. I know that's kind of a lot to ask, but please. You know I only have your best interests at heart."
Oh. That's why I let her get away with her inane antics. She actually does care about me. She...just wants what's best for me. That's why I don't mind her leading me all over the place. She genuinely cares. Wow, she reminds me so much of my sister, Coraline. She died last year. I miss her all the time. Her laugh. Her smile. Her sense of humor.
"Arthur?"
I snapped out of my thought to see Maaya looking at me with a worried expression. I gave her a small smile.
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay, good. Come on"
We walked in silence for a moment before I realized I had no idea where we were going.
"So, uh...where are we going exactly?"
She glanced at me for a moment, then at the ground, then on the dark road ahead of us. A small smile creeped on her lips.
"It's a surprise."
"A surprise huh?"
"Yes."
"But, the other times we went places you told me where we were going. What makes this time so special?"
"You'll see."
I smiled nostalgically as the previous adventures we had flowed through my mind. Many times, Maaya and I would go wandering. We traveled to the train station, the forest, and my personal favorite, the cliff that overlooked the whole city. All the places were beautiful in their own way, and full of mystery sprinkled with a bit of danger. I loved it.
I smiled. Now I was excited.
"Well, if it's anything like the last few places you took me to, I'm sure it'll be great."
Her smile widened, but she kept her gaze straight ahead.
"Yes, yes it will be."
~
We walked for about an hour. Mom didn't know I was out here, nor did she need to know. She was always overprotective, and became even more so when Coraline died. I don't even understand why she was so worried. I was with Maaya, and she wouldn't let anything happen to me. I tried to introduce Maaya to my mom countless times, but she always declined. She would always say that it was pointless. I never understood that. My mom would love Maaya. She was sweet, pretty, and always wanted what was best for me. What else could anyone want?
"We're here."
I snapped out of my thoughts and saw where Maaya had taken me. We were at the base of the Tyler Clementi Memorial Bridge. My eyes widened and my heart dropped to my feet.
This...this was the last place I saw my sister. The last placed we talked. Hours before she died. Why would Maaya take me here? What's wrong with her?! She knows how I feel about this place. She knows what happened her. Why would she...
"Come on."
She started walking up the bridge. I slowly followed behind her. We stood at the peak of the bridge that overlooked the dark, deep ocean. I rested my arms on the railing and looked over the view, and couldn't help but think about Coraline. She always loved the water...
"You're thinking about her again, aren't you?"
I tilted my head to look over at Maaya. Her face was emotionless as her eyes stared blankly over the ocean. I stood up straight and stared at her as she continued to speak.
"You really should get over it. It's been almost a year. Stop sulking."
I gawked at her with an incredulous look on my face. Is she serious? How dare she?! She looked over at me and continued to speak.
"You should stop being upset about her because you're going to see her again."
Wait...what? No. W-what is she talking about. Coraline's dead. How...I can't see her again unless...
"Calm down, I'm not going to kill you. Why would I do that? I'm not a monster."
I relaxed. Just a little.
"Oh, yeah. I-I knew that. Why would you th- "
"You're going to do it"
"..."
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
I backed away from her. What is she talking about?
"You...want me to kill myself?"
"Well, this is what you wanted."
"..."
"You've been wanting to do this for months"
"W-what?"
"You heard me."
"N-no. NO. I haven't! Why would I...I would nev- "
"Yes, you have. Remember? At the train station you laid right in the middle of the tracks has the train was coming. Then you chickened out and said you weren't ready. Then at the forest. You brought a rope and was going to hang yourself. But you said not yet. Then at the cliff. You were about to jump. You were so close. Just one more step and you wouldn't be here. We wouldn't be having this discussion. But again, you said you weren't ready. You said next time for sure. So, go on. Jump. So you can see your sister again."
I couldn't believe what Maaya was telling me, but at the same time I could. She was right. Every time I went to those places...it was my idea? No-no this isn't true! This can't be true! I would never do something like this! I wouldn't! I couldn't! I mean I missed my sister, but I wouldn't... No. NO she...she's lying. Lying to my face. I trusted her...
"This is what's best for you."
"...no..."
"Arthur- "
"NO! IT'S NOT! LEAVE ME ALONE!! I DON'T WANT THIS!"
"Yes, you do. I'm not making you do this. You are. You went to all those places: the train station, the forest, the cliff, and now here. I didn't force you. You're doing this to yourself. You're doing this on your own free will."
"No!"
"You want to die.”
NO!
"What's going on?"
A new voice rose from the darkness. I looked behind me and saw an old couple who lived on my street. They were looking at me with concern. The old man spoke again.
"Are you alright?"
I quickly answered back.
"NO! I'm not! Please! Get her away from me! She wants me to die!"
The two glanced at each other then back to me. The old women spoke this time
"Who?"
Are they serious? I pointed straight at Maaya. She was standing right next to me! How could they not see her?
"Her! She wants me to jump! She wants me to kill myself! Please! Do something!"
The old man took a hesitated step toward me. He spoke in a calm voice, but the words he said shook me to my core.
"Kid...there's no one there."
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#DailyDevotionals via Our Daily Bread
Outside the Shibuya train station in Tokyo is a statue commemorating an Akita dog named Hachiko. Hachiko is remembered for unusual faithfulness to his owner, a university professor who commuted from the station daily. The dog accompanied him on his walk there in the morning and came back to meet him every afternoon just as his train arrived.
One day the professor didn’t return to the station; sadly, he’d died at work. But for the rest of his life—more than nine years—Hachiko showed up at the same time as the afternoon train. Day after day, regardless of weather, the dog waited faithfully for his master’s return.
When the apostle Paul wrote the Christians in Thessalonica, he commended them for their faithfulness, citing their “work produced by faith,” “labor prompted by love,” and “endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Thessalonians 1:2). Despite harsh opposition, they left their old ways “to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven” (vv. 9–10).
These early believers’ vital hope in their Savior and His love for them inspired them to see beyond their difficulties and to share their faith enthusiastically. They were assured there was nothing better than living for Jesus. How good it is to know that the same Holy Spirit who emboldened them (v. 5) still empowers us today to faithfully serve Jesus as we await His return.
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“A Curious Cat”
The Egyptians had a thing for cats. They even had a religion where they worshiped the feline gods. And If any one of those elusive feline gods had been even remotely as bewitching as my childhood cat I totally understand why.
She was a Seal Point Siamese…with deep blue eyes and a shimmering coat with blonde and brown fur, and even a strand or two of blue and silver mixed in. She was unlike any “normal” cat you’d see loitering in back yards or on front porches – this cat was downright exotic and stuck-out like a fine French restaurant in a trailer park. Great Falls was a simple “all American” blue-collar town, best suited for plain cats like Morris, the fat orange thing from the TV commercials for 9 Lives. Weird cats belonged in places like Missoula or Seattle with hippies and tie-dye and lesbians. She was clearly an outsider and a total anomaly. She might have been imported from Egypt or the land of Siam - wherever that was.
We lived on the right side of the tracks….but only by a few feet. As a matter of fact, old railroad tracks remained in our back alley, abandoned since the 1950s when trucks replaced rail cars for local delivery of freight. We were on the last street where the old residential area met the industrial zone, with a giant three-story warehouse and tire repair shop on one end of the block, and a family-owned lumber yard across the alley. Our teeny home was built in 1916 when Great Falls was a thriving metropolis. I’m guessing it was originally occupied by workers from the copper smelter or one of the many hydroelectric dams that were built in the era. Another set of tracks, about a half-mile away between our street and the Missouri River, carried the Burlington Northern freight trains which rumbled by a couple times a day.
Sometime in the mid-1970s my dad remodeled and we got all fancy with expensive Masonite paneling and a velvety couch and love-seat combo purchased from the House of Furniture for $499. We had multi-level shag carpeting and recessed lighting on dimmers, and the cottage-cheese ceiling had shiny silver sparkling bits.
Ours may have been one of the nicer homes on the block - but just barely. I’m pretty sure the only reason it looked as good as it did was because my dad was always trying to out-do his sister who lived across the river in a double-wide. Hers was a very nice, color-coordinated double-wide, with full skirting and tip-outs. But according to my father it was still a “goddamned trailer.”
My dad worked at a glass shop a block away. There was a vacant gravel lot between the shop and that three-story tire store/warehouse, and two tiny old houses between the warehouse and our place. His commute was better than that of a modern day “telecommuter” – his 30-second walk provided a little exercise and just enough separation between work and home to give him a decent “work-life” balance.
The glass shop was essentially our “second garage.” We spent tons of time there when we needed to do big projects that required more space and the big air compressor. I have fond memories of that place. We painted our old Ford pickup in that shop…twice. We did multiple overhauls on multiple engines for motorcycles, snowmobiles and lawnmowers, and we rebuilt at least one transmission in that space - all on nights and weekends after my dad had spent a solid 40 hours working. Who knew a glass shop would be such a good place for honing cylinders and grinding valves?
I was in that shop with my dad and friends Lloyd and Wes the day Elvis died. And it was there where my dad and I had a big one sentence talk about “the birds and the bees” after my teacher sent me home with a note to advise the class had viewed the sex education film that day. “Well, if you need to know anything about any of that shit, you just let me know.” Thanks, Dad. 6th grade was so awkward.
Nobody seems to remember exactly when, but a Siamese cat showed up at the shop and didn’t want to leave. She didn’t need a new pane of glass for her cathouse - she was lost. My father took a liking to this adorable thing and offered up a little food and some attention.
An exotic animal like this must certainly be someone’s pet. Perhaps it crawled from the back of a station wagon when its human came to get a makeup mirror fixed? “Someone will come to get her” my dad explained as he poured Friskies into a makeshift serving dish fashioned from a decorative glass block.
After a couple days and no reports of a missing cat, Red decided he’d take this thing home. It would be easy to retrieve her should the owners come looking, and it couldn’t live at the shop anymore because the manager was allergic.
I was maybe five or six years old and hardly qualified to name a pet, but for whatever reason my parents gave me the opportunity so I decided her name should be Susie. Where that came from I have no idea…it’s not like Susie was the name of a famous movie star, super model or even a family friend. In retrospect, and knowing her personality, that name was way too plain and simple for this enigmatic feline who had few characteristics typical of a domestic house cat. Susie was my spirit animal, and honestly I think she belonged in a circus.
She was a curious cat. Susie didn’t like milk, refused to eat Tuna, and loved the vacuum cleaner. At least once a week my dad would spend an hour grooming her with the old Filter Queen, a beige-colored canister unit the size of a modern day shop vac. She’d come running the second it was brought out of the closet and would lie down in front of him, letting him suck her tail into the tube before extending her legs spread-eagle style waiting for the suction to take away whatever excess hair she would otherwise shed onto the carpet.
Susie didn’t use a litter box. She’d hang by the back door and would announce with a polite meow when it was time for her to do her business. Even if it was ten below zero she’d go outside. The smell of her fur when returning from the frozen outdoors was something I wish I could bottle – I know I’d make millions on that magic scent.
We had a clothes hamper at the bottom of the stairs where she’d hide until we walked by. Then like a Jack-in-the-Box she’d pounce and start gnawing on your Achilles tendon. You’d think we’d have gotten used to it but it was always somehow a surprise.
My father would tease Susie by wagging a finger until she exploded and jumped from the floor into his arms. She’d purr like the engine of a freshly rebuilt Mercury Cougar until she decided she was done with it, then without warning those beautiful blue eyes turned into fire, the fangs came out and she swiped with a vengeance. Felines are so fickle.
Canine Kryptonite.
Susie was like one of the guys. Far from being feminine, she wanted nothing to do with girlie things and could outfox and outrun any of the dogs in the neighborhood. She was far more masculine than Lloyd’s dog, Velvet, who played with rocks. She was far fiercer than Grandma’s Chihuahua, Cubby, and she had bigger balls than Aunt Kathy’s French gay male poodle, Shante.
Neighbor Doug had a police dog, a German shepherd that looked like Rin Tin Tin. Susie scared the shit out of him – he knew to steer clear when she was on patrol.
Susie and our cock-a-poo Peanuts loved to watch my dad and I work in the garage. They had a favorite spot on a 4-foot-high wooden ladder. The dog would sit on the top rung while Susie hung out on the tray intended for the paint can. Peanuts usually slept. Susie, on the other hand, paid close attention. She was probably taking notes on how to operate the equipment and would be preparing a report for her alien overlords on the mother ship.
My brother and his wife were school teachers in the far-away lands of the Tri-Cities in Washington state. Just like the Egyptians, my brother’s wife had a thing for cats.
I recall one trip when they came thru town with a bizarre hairless cat like Mr. Bigglesworth from the Austin Powers movie. This cat and Susie had a lot in common (both being exotic and suitable for the circus) and Gloria fawned over Susie. I can only imagine how pissed-off she had to have been, having spent thousands on exotic cats imported from breeders. And we got ours for free because she was essentially a homeless drifter, rescued at the glass shop.
“Turn Me Loose, Set Me Free…Somewhere in the Middle of Montana.”
It made little difference where we were going, but on the weekends we just had to get out of town. In the summers we’d pack-up the pickup, hook on the travel trailer and head to a campsite somewhere. Whether a forest service campground or a gravel parking lot in a town 20 miles away it didn’t really matter - my dad just had to escape. Maybe something about the glass shop and our house being so close together didn’t provide the separation from home and work that he had hoped for? Hell, I don’t know…
Susie and my dog knew the routine: they’d wait patiently near the back door at 5:15 PM every Friday after work as we prepared to embark on another adventure. Peanuts knew instantly where he would sit in the cab of the truck between my mother and I on the bench seat. Susie usually jumped up onto the dashboard where she could sun herself and enjoy the view.
Susie was a swimmer - not to be left on the sidelines when the guys went fishing, she would jump in the water, “cat paddling” to the rubber raft floating out in the lake. A cat that swims? Yes. And she would jump in the bathtub every so often. This cat was crazy.
Once on a trip to Canada with my Aunt Ruby we met an Australian woman who really took a liking to Susie. When we went to leave the cat was nowhere to be found and my dad was convinced that the Australian chick had stolen her. She insisted she hadn’t, and joined our search party. After an hour of panic and calling her name we’d almost given up. All the while she was in the tree directly above us, sprawled out with her legs hanging over the tree limbs. Immediately upon hearing the truck start she started meowing. Twenty-seven seconds later she returned to the dashboard and international peace was restored.
“Too many motors.”
My mom had reached a breaking point. “We have too many motors,” she exclaimed, slamming down the glass of “Chillable Red” she just filled from the box. She then took a drag from a Newport menthol and promptly called the Tribune to place an ad in the classifieds. We’d be having a big garage sale that weekend, to offload some excess items with engines that included at least one lawnmower, a go-kart, and the Honda 50 mini-bike I’d outgrown.
Other goodies for sale included a collection of my mother’s hand-made doilies - you know those round frilly things that go underneath lamps or get used as an emergency potholder just once until you burn the shit out of your hands? And we’d be offing a ceramic cookie jar, a creation of “Kathy’s Busy Bee Ceramics,” the studio for which was in a trailer next to the one my Aunt Kathy lived in across the river. This cookie jar was in the shape of a Christmas tree. I hated that effing thing, especially when it sat on the counter well after the season was over. I thought, but didn’t dare say out loud: “It’s not Christmas in July for Christ’s sake – so let’s get rid of this goddamn thing.”
The Garage Sale attracted all kinds of bargain shoppers including one family who arrived in a 1971 Plymouth Satellite Sebring station wagon plucked right from a Brady Bunch episode, complete with wood grain paneling, driven by a woman with a black bouffant hairdo and looking a lot like the country singer Loretta Lynn.
Susie got bored hanging out on the paint tray on the ladder and decided she’d explore the mysterious world of the Plymouth. It was warm, with strange smells and plush carpeting. Its humans were different, and there were “stink sticks” (incense) from the Import Depot. A leftover wrapper from Burger Master smelled interesting, but after wondering “Where’s the Beef” she quickly went to sleep in the Sebring. Nobody took notice and Susie went for a ride for a while, cruising the Garage Sale Circuit all over town.
Of course she woke-up and started howling. She was not for sale. The kids wanted to keep her, but she wanted nothing to do with them now. She was agitated, and wanted to get back to her native habitat where she could guard the roost - even if it had too many motors. Those motors belonged to her and she needed to watch over them.
They had to back-track, returning to all the garage sales in reverse order until they found us. “Is this your cat?” asked the Loretta Lynn look-alike. Susie was returned annoyed and unharmed. Like a wayward teenager busted drinking at a party and retrieved by her parents, she was reluctant to show any emotion and quietly leapt from the tailgate of the Plymouth and returned to the paint tray on the ladder in the garage.
“Houston Means that I’m One Day Closer to You.”
In my junior year of high school I took my first trip on an airplane to see my sister who lived in the northern suburbs of Houston. It was around Christmas of 1982 and I’d finally go inside a real building taller than ten stories. I’d go to NASA where astronauts would say they had a problem if there were one, and I’d shop at a fancy shopping mall with an ice rink inside. Everything was fascinating and I tried not to stare, but I’m sure I made a quite a spectacle and an embarrassment of myself.
When I left Montana there was snow on the ground and it was maybe in the 10s. Since I was in the blistering hot warmth of Texas, I could get a little tan before returning to the frozen tundra up north. The neighbors had to wonder WTF as they looked through the shutters at some albino kid wearing shorts and laying out on the side lawn in the middle of winter. It was maybe in the low 60s the day I tried to tan.
At the mall with the ice rink I remember looking for stuff you just couldn’t get in Montana. I was kind of bummed I couldn’t find the platform tennis shoes like those worn by Stewart Copeland of the Police, but I did buy a cool, slightly “off color” dark-comedy cartoon book from one of the novelty stores there. I’m not sure what motivated me to buy it other than wanting at least one souvenir from Texas, and the book was easy enough.
Later that night I called home to check-in. I was having a great time, and I told the parents I’d see them in a week. This town was fascinating and it was fantastic to be in a “real city” with 8-lane freeways and tall buildings and radio stations that played more than classic rock or country.
“Your cat’s been moping around, so we’re going to take her to the vet.” This message didn’t really alarm me. Susie was getting old, but she was bullet proof.
When I got back to Great Falls a week later I was greeted at the door by Peanuts but no Susie. “She was sick so we had to put her down” said my father as he fought back the tears. “She had feline leukemia” my mother said.
It was a bit of a shock, but really….Susie was no spring chicken (I think she was at least ten years old at that point) and it’s not like it was devastating. Cats die. We all die. And it’s not like I hadn’t thought about it.
Oh, and what was the name of that book I bought at the shopping mall with the ice rink?
“101 Uses for a Dead Cat.”
Maybe I shouldn’t have bought the book?
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Die!
Hop on My Train of Thought...
I’ve been anxious and sort of ragey lately (perimenopause seems unlikely...) Not sure why, but I keep having these surges of anger and agitation. Life is annoying, though, amirite?
I noticed it really bad on Thursday when I put the dog in daycare and raced to the Bronx – my tax preparer is in a very sketchy area – to get my taxes done. I only get four hours of daycare for a set price. Anything over four hours is charged at a full day. My plan was to do my taxes and get back with an hour left so I could get my nails done before picking the dog up. Best laid plans, man.
My tax preparer was late by an hour. Steve has been my tax guy since 1993 when he ran a flourishing tax biz in Midtown Manhattan. The line would be around the floor and the wait could span 10 hours but people flocked to him because was the only guy back then anyone could find that would be “creative” with your taxes. I don’t need “creativity” but I am fiercely loyal and hate change. He shared an office with his Turkish wife who ran a travel agency. Year after year I’d make the pilgrimage to see Steve and he’d complain that he was planning on leaving his wife.
Years passed and Steve’s health diminished, he was investigated by the IRS and he ended up taking a desk in a sketchy Bronx tax svc. As even more years passed the owner of that shop basically let him have a vanity job – one in which his loyal clients could come in and make an appt with him and he could sit next to them while a “real” tax preparer would actually do the work. This worked fine with me because they were quick in a way Steve never was, made less mistakes and had all my previous year’s taxes on file for reference. Also they didn’t discuss leaving their spouses with me.
So at this point I don’t need Steve. He doesn’t even have a desk or computer now but insisted on meeting me there at 11:30am. Except he was an hour late and the girl who would inevitably do my taxes took someone ahead of me because my “appointment” was with Steve. When he finally got there she was in the middle of someone else’s and I had to just sit there and waste time while Steve prattled on about his cat and how he was definitely leaving his wife this year -- they are in their late seventies now.
Finally she got to me but the place is shoddily run so she kept having to pause to answer the phone.
Anyway I was livid at everyone and everything, but mostly myself. I should not have waited for Steve and simply made an appt. directly with the girl Sully instead. Still, I know I’ll do this again and again until he dies.
I raced out of there and was surprised I made it to the nail salon in time. I had 50 minute before having to pick up the dog but lo and behold every station was busy and there was a 35-minute wait! Argh! Who the fuck were all these people there in the middle of a Thursday?
Anyway the woman finally started on my nails but halfway into it I had to run to daycare to pick up the dog. By the time I returned 2 people were once again ahead of me. Again, fuck! My whole day was essentially wasted, my nails got smudged while carrying the dog on the way out and just Ugh!
So this sort of ragey, shaky feeling stayed with me. All night my body was abuzz and couldn’t shut off. To calm myself I scrolled endlessly through a cheap clothing site at bathing suits and bought two. This also made me ragey because shopping soothes me but I now own 42 bathing suits. It’s a sickness – one more expensive than popping a Xanax.
Anyway I had an anxiety dream that night and the following. So last night as my body once again was abuzz with something bad, instead of rage shopping bikinis I started trying to think of soothing thoughts. One that popped into my clearly damaged head was taking a train trip. I loved Agatha Christie and conjured thoughts of sleeping cars on the Orient Express. How romantic! (I mean everything but that pesky murder part. #ssdgm) Anyway, I recalled reading a travel essay last year about sleeping cars and had read there was a train trip from NYC to Chicago that offered one. I knew I couldn’t ever get the time, money and energy to do a European train trip like through the Alps or something amazing, but I could get those three to go for an overnight somewhere in the U.S.
So to quell my weird rage and anxiety, I planned out my trip for two hours. I’m thinking about actually doing it. And at least it got my mind – bad thoughts racing as if a train on a track – off my stressors.
Here’s what it’d entail: I’d board at Penn Station at 3:40pm (the only direct trip) and get a sleeper car with a full bedroom and private bathroom, all meals and drinks included. The train also features a car for views of the countryside with full glass walls.
I’d chill, eat, and read till bedtime, get turn down service, wake at 8 and get breakfast and then be in Chicago’s Union Station at 9:50am. I’d leave my luggage at the station (I found a place that charges a small fee) and then walk to Willis Tower and go to the top to view the City. I’d grab lunch and walk to the Art Institute and then cab it to the Navy Pier where I”d get dinner and ride the Ferris Wheel. I’d cab the short distance back to the train station and hope on my return trip at 9:30pm. Again, sleeper car immediately and sleep till morning and then I’d have the whole day to stare out the window like a mental patient, write, read, people watch and chill. The train gets into Penn at 6pm and I’d head home on the subway.
I mentioned it to a casual guy friend who totally doesn’t get me who said, “Why not just fly to Chicago?” even though I amply explained it was about the romance of train travel I wanted to try – not going to Chicago, a place I don’t like that much and have been to a bunch of times. Then I felt ragey all over again and put three bikinis in my online cart. Fuckkkkk!
Still, this trip sounds like a pretty interesting – oh, think of the stories I may have… – way to spend a weekend for an introvert like me. The only thing preventing me is finding a dogsitter for two nights and more importantly the trip is super expensive for such a short time: Each way is $1083. Still, I think I may enjoy it if only for the writing fodder because I’m fairly certain wherever I go, craziness follows.
I have my trip to South Beach for my bday coming up the first week of May and then Montauk trip June 16-19 with my crazy ex again and then am thinking of going to Vegas for 6 days over Labor Day. Not sure when I could squeeze the Fri-Sun trip in to Chicago – I’d only want to do it in warm weather – but maybe late September/early October?
Thoughts?
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It’s time for another fantastic fall weekend in Memphis, including a ton of Halloween-themed events. (Read the full list of pumpkin patches, Halloween parties, and costume contests here.) Here are the five things you won’t want to miss, plus a few extras.
But first, be sure you didn’t miss anything on the blog this week:
– Memphis Really Likes To Celebrate Halloween (Updated)
– How To Make The Most of RiverArtsFest 2019
– 365 Things To Do In Memphis #272 and #275: RiverArtsFest and India Fest
– Don’t Wait Until The Day Before Thanksgiving To Decide You Want To Volunteer
OK, here’s your weekend guide:
1. Day Of The Dead Preview, Crosstown Concourse, Friday, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., free, all ages/kid-friendly
Crosstown Concourse and Cazateatro present a Day of the Dead preview event with music, folklore, dancers, altars, and crafts. Día de Muertos takes place on November 1st and 2nd; it’s a joyful festivity for families to honor and remember deceased loved ones. Celebrate this holiday a little early this Friday night at Crosstown, and be sure to check out the parade and festival at the Brooks Museum coming up on November 2.
2. Kid-Friendly Halloween Fun (I’m cheating big time! 5 for 1!)
This Saturday is the day to grab your costumed children and take them out to celebrate. You have plenty of options, and here are a few:
– 2nd Baptist Church Pumpkin Festival from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. is a free event with trunk-or-treat, games, snacks, inflatables, in a pumpkin patch.
– Boo N Brew Party at Oak Court Mall is outside in “The Grove” from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. with Ghost River beer, shopping, food, kids crafts, and music. Free to attend.
– Halloween Spooktacular at the Children’s Museum offers fright-free fun from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. with crafts, scavenger hunt, magic show, costume contest, trick-or-treat stations, scarecrow building, face painting, and snacks, plus a big petting zoo and train ride. It’s $3 for members and $20 for nonmembers and includes museum admission.
– Flick or Treat Movie Night at the Botanic Garden includes trick-or-treating from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., followed by a double feature of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” at 7:15 p.m. and “Casper” at 7:45 p.m. Kettle corn, food trucks, photo pops, booze available for sale. Tickets are $10 for non-members.
– Germantown Fall Fest at Bobby Lanier Farm Park starts at 4 p.m. with pumpkin patch fun, petting zoo, and hayrides. Then come the haunted trails, burgers, bounce houses, music and more. Fairy Tale Trail 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. and Trail of Terror 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. $4 per person for the trails, some activities are a few bucks. All ages. Rain date is the 27th.
3. Spaceface Halloween, Crosstown Theatre, Saturday, 7 p.m. – 11:30 p.m., $15, all ages
If you want to feel like you’re floating in an ocean of colors and sounds, mark your calendars for Spaceface’s annual Halloween show. Doors open at 7 p.m. with DJ Chandler Blingg, Harlan goes on at 8 p.m., and Spaceface with the UpsideDown Ensemble. For the enthusiastically undead among you: afterparty at 11 p.m. at the Art Bar at Crosstown afterward. They’ll have a vendor market going on starting at 7 p.m., too.
4. Memphis Bigfoot Festival + Monster Mash, Memphis Made, Saturday, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. + , free, all ages
Celebrate our big friend in the woods with films, evidence, and more Bigfoot-themed fun at Memphis Made’s taproom in Cooper Young. They’ll have two different areas set up; the Camp Patterson area is for films and discussions and Camp Gimlin is for getting lit. They’ll have paranormal gear (what is this?!) and cool t-shirts in the Monster Mart, too. Stay after for a costume dance party DJ’ed by Goner Records in the taproom.
5. River Arts Fest, Riverside Drive, October 26-27, Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 10 am.-5 p.m., $5, all ages
Last year was the first time RiverArtsFest was held on Riverside Drive, and they’re continuing at the new location in October. This street festival rivals Cooper-Young Fest with its own selection of fine arts, local music, live artist demonstrations and hands-on activities for all ages. RiverArtsFest last year also included the debut of the Mighty Lights on the Hernando de Soto Bridge, so I’m sure they’ve got something special planned for that anniversary.
Bonus!
Black Lodge Halloween Ritual, 405 N. Cleveland St, Friday – Saturday, $13 per night, ages TBD
Black Lodge is back. They know one night isn’t enough for their annual sleepless rager, so they’re going for two nights of music and mayhem this year. Expect music, lights, fire breathers, zombie mermaids, food and drinks for sale, and more scary stuff. It starts at 9 p.m. both nights and going until everyone dies and turns into ghosts.
And even more ideas…
All Weekend
– HauntedWeb Haunted Attraction at 2665 S. Perkins
– Head Over Heels Musical at Playhouse on the Square
– Zoo Boo at the Memphis Zoo
– Monster Market at 618 S. Main Street
– Mound City Corn Maze in Marion, Ark. (Fri. and Sun only)
– CATS the musical at Theatre Memphis
– Cedar Hill’s Haunted Farm in Hernando, Miss
Friday
– Haunted Happenings: A Victorian Carnival at Woodruff-Fontaine
– Memphis Tequila Fest at Overton Square
– Flicker Fest on Flicker Street
– Day of the Dead Preview at Crosstown Concourse
– Lovelight Orchestra at The Green Room at Crosstown
Saturday
– Make Your Own Golden Snitch at the Metal Museum
– Woof Walk at the Humane Society
– Grand Re-Opening of Overton Bark Dog Park
– Trunk or Treat on Tillman Street
– gather + memphis Market at Hi-Tone
– Cordelia’s 2nd Annual Fall Festival in Harbor Town
– Bluff City Hotwing Fest at Compass Community Schools
– “Rootworkers & Hoodoo In The Mid-South” Book Release Party at A. Schwab
– Murder Mystery Dinner at Central Christian Church
– Justice For All Ball at Halloran Center
– Collage Dance Fall Show at GPAC
– Short In The Sleeve Album Release Show at Otherlands
– Grand Krewe of Ptolemy Halloween Party at Local on the Square
– Naughty Nightmares & The Haunted House of Burlesque at Club Spectrum
– Boos & Brews Bar Crawl downtown Memphis
– Boos & Booze Halloween Party and Costume Contest at Lafayette’s
Sunday
– Raise The Ruff Party at Carolina Watershed
– Collage Dance Fall Show at GPAC
– 2019 Trashion Show downtown
– Tulsa Music Revue at The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Are you a home owner in Memphis, with a broken garage door? Call ASAP garage door today at 901-461-0385 or checkout https://ift.tt/1B5z3Pc
https://ilovememphisblog.com/2019/10/5-things-to-do-this-weekend-10-25-10-27/
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Japan - Day 5 (Shibuya)
Shibuya and the Shibuya crossing - one place in Japan everyone seems to know! It’s like the Times Square of Japan. It’s also one of the major fashion districts with hundreds of trendy stores, and I've wanted to visit for years!
It was another 4:30AM day. However it doesn’t really seem that early considering the sun rises at about 5:00AM. It does leave us in waiting limbo for a while though since everything opens late. We have become pros at being lazy in the morning!
Today was another melon pan and milk tea morning. I just keep rotating between melon pan and salmon nigiri. It’s so good though!
I digress. After waiting around as long as we could stand we got ready and head out a little after 8:00AM. The trip today was a long one. Shibuya is on the direct opposite side of the city from where we are staying. It was the usual Ginza line to Ueno and then hop on the JR Yamanote. The JR makes a big loop around the city so it’s the go to for getting to most places. You will likely see us take it a lot over the next few days!
We arrived in Shibuya about 9:00AM - upon stepping out of the station I was in awe! Shibuya is somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for a long time, ever since I played The World Ends With You in high school. It’s the one place so far I've just stopped and thought ‘Wow, this is exactly how I imagined.’
The one small difference to what I was expecting is that the crossing is much smaller than I thought! Plus when we arrived it was not very busy so there wasn’t much of a scramble going on.
If you wonder about this intersection at all, the reason it works the way it does is that all of the lights turn red at the same time so pedestrians can cross. Not your typical intersection. Though this may be more normal in a large city? I’m not sure.
After arriving and crossing the scramble ourselves, we wandered through the streets so I could get a feel of where things were. We then made our way back to the crossing and into the Starbucks as I’ve heard the second floor is a great place to watch the crossing and get a great view from above.
I ordered some mango tea frappuccino thing, I’m not sure, I don’t drink Starbucks usually. Mr. Husband ordered a matcha frappuccino. One thing to note about Starbucks in Japan, they offer one size. Don’t try to order a grande, they only have tall.
Anyway! There was a great view from the second floor, however it was busy up there. Everyone had the same idea. I only imagine as the crossing gets busier throughout the day, the Starbucks will too. So if you want to get a good view, head up in the morning, even though the crossing won’t be crowded.
Finally at 10:00AM, the magic hour, everything opened! We head straight for the Shibuya 109 - I need to see cute clothes, now!
There was no shortage of cute clothes in the 109. Unfortunately, if you tried to wear most of them in the States you would probably look a little absurd. It’s going to take a bit of searching and planning to pick up items that are cute but also work back home. I will figure it out!
I did find some cute items at CECIL McBEE that i’d like to go back and get, I’m just waiting until I hit up Shinjuku and Harajuku as there are a ton of stores there I want to shop at well.
The interesting thing to me about the 109 is there is this idea lately that Japanese street fashion is dead. If you wander through the Shibuya 109 you can see that is not the case. It may have changed over the last 10 years, but it’s definitely not dead. I don’t know about you but those clothes are not normal everyday clothes and you would not find them in most other countries. That is a street fashion. It’s alive and well, just updated to suit the needs of 2017.
After finishing up the women’s 109 we head over to the men’s 109. Unfortunately unless the husband intends on joining a Jpop/Kpop boy band, I don’t see him wearing those clothes any time soon - it was a quick trip in and out.
We then started wandering through the streets again to different shops. We stumbled upon and adorable Disney store! It was 3 floors and had some incredibly unique merchandise. Things for characters you would never find in the other Disney locations - if this is any indication of what is to come next week at the Tokyo Disney Resort, I’m beyond excited.
That being said, we didn’t buy anything as we will be at Disneyland and Disney Sea starting on Monday.
After our short Disney adventure, we continued our trek to random stores. We found a cute house goods and furniture store, too bad I can’t get any of that back on the plane! Then we went in the huge Forever 21 and H&M. Same items you’d find at home. The husband did purchase a few H&M shirts as they had a style he bought at home a year ago but hadn’t been able to find since.
After wandering around for about 2 hours we decided it was time to eat. This was the point where I had a major internal dilemma. I really wanted ramen, but ramen makes me sick...
I think I wandered through the streets with the husband trailing behind me for a good 20 minutes before I just decided to eat some damn ramen. It was another restaurant with the meal ticket system (again, love this!). I ordered tonkotsu (pork) ramen with egg, and the husband had the same without egg (he’s missing out). And bless them, they had garlic sitting on the table to add to the ramen, don’t mind if I do, I love me some garlic!
After lunch we decided it would be best to head back just in case I did end up sick from the ramen. On the way back to the station we stopped by the Hachiko statue, which I was pretty excited about seeing!
If you don’t know about Hachiko, he was a dog that would meet his owner at the train station each day when he returned from work and they would walk home together. His owner died one day while at work and Hachiko spent the remainder of his life showing up in the evening at the same time he always did to wait for his owner at the station.
After visiting Hachiko, we hopped back on the JR to Ueno. However both of us somehow spaced it, probably because of the long ride, and we missed our stop. Oops. Luckily I noticed pretty quickly and we just hopped off and jumped back on the train heading the other direction. All in all a 5 minute detour!
Once back in Asakusa we head back to the Air BnB, on the way back we made our first vending machine purchase. I picked a peach drink, I’m not a hug fan of peach but it was pretty good!
Mr. husband picked a coffee. I think we both expected it to be a ice coffee situation. It was not, I could barely hold on to it when I pulled it out of the machine, it was very hot! He did seem to enjoy it though!
The remainder of the evening was pretty uneventful. I wasn’t feeling amazing (damn ramen) so we just hung around. It ended up getting very windy and because of the wind, pretty cold. We had planned to go over to Roppongi just to see it at night but ended up opting out.
We instead had a super fancy meal at Burger King! Ooooh, exciting!
Nothing terribly notable about Japanese Burger King - the only interesting thing was my chicken sandwich had a cheese sauce on it, kind of like a nacho cheese sauce.
After we froze our butts off on the walk back, we stopped for morning snacks at a convenience store, and then we were in for the evening!
More shopping adventures to come over the next few days, Shinjuku and Harajuku still to come!
#Japan#Tokyo#Shibuya#Shibuya109#Shibuyacrossing#Hachiko#Starbucks#Ramen#Travel#happysandwichpartyJapan
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