the Wave, Utah

The Drought of an Ocean

Chapter 11 - Rings Like Gold

Pairing | Finnick Odair x Fem!Reader

Story Summary | Finnick Odair was the youngest victor to ever win the Hunger Games but that didn’t earn him respect as a mentor, at least not until she came along. When a dejected volunteer from District 4 puts her life on the line, Finnick will do anything he can to protect her.

Chapter Summary | A new development from Snow puts Finnick and his victor in a tough situation

Chapter Warnings | canon typical violence, nonexplicit forced prostitution, mentions/situations of sexualizing minors, anxiety inducing situations, explicit language, mentions of suicide

W/C | 3.2k

Taglist | @lem0ns77   @lostintheendlessvoidthatislife @curlycarley​   @bela-nov​ @lilylovelyxo​   @jaydiann @shynypeacekitten​ @dd122004dd​ @jyessaminereads​   @aquawhore420   @qallaghereid  @bazzaza​ @zulpix-blog​

A/N | guys we’re just ruining these people’s livessss fr sorry not sorry-Smoe

Donations |  Link    

|Masterlist|

As the party continued on into the night, the girl faithfully followed Sagan to the point of nearly cowering behind them as they descended further into the depths of the palace. Without Finnick by her side, she was vulnerable to the touches and offers of the partygoers, Sagan clueless to the fact that one might be made uncomfortable by this type of behavior; they meant well but ultimately, they were one of them.

She had seen the first glimpses of Finnick acting like himself when he had snuck away, finding something more important than her safety, than her to occupy his night. The idea of heading back home and never having to see him in more than a passing glance and mentor-related events was becoming more and more appealing. What had he really done for her anyway? She had been the one to impress the judges during training, to get in with the career pack and to fight her way out of that arena. Even with the unfortunate implications that had come from her interviews, she had clearly made an impression in the Capitol given she received a sponsor in her biggest time of need. If anything, Finnick’s presence in her life only made things far more complicated than they needed to be.

“Is the party almost over?” She asked Sagan as they pulled her along hand in hand, “Finnick’s gone and I just want to go home.”

“Over? Darling, it’s barely begun,” Sagan gasped. “You’re the star here. If you go now…well, I suppose it will continue on but at least stay for the fireworks!”

“Fireworks?”

“Exactly! You simply must see them.” As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she was intrigued. At the very least, she had heard rumblings of the President’s speech and the grand presentation being imminent so it wouldn’t be an impossible task to wait a bit longer. 

They were mingling for a little while longer when out of the corner of her eye, the girl saw a peacekeeper approach Sagan. She excused herself from the conversation she was in, in favor of finding a larger crowd to hide amongst. It was no use however, as her escort and the armed guard were by her side in minutes. When a leather gloved hand wrapped around her upper arm, she tried to escape the bruising grip but Sagan stepped in before she could start an altercation.

“It seems you’re a very lucky girl tonight. A private audience with President Snow awaits you!” Sagan said the words pointedly, knowing the girl well enough to urge her to calm herself before things escalated. “Go on now. I’ll be right here waiting to hear all about it!” 

She eased in the guard’s grasp as he led her towards the other man from his post. With the two of them behind her, they corralled her up the grand staircase to the top floor. The dark wooded hallway loomed around her, seeming to go on for miles with different doors. The guards led her to one at the end of the hall, marked in its importance by a wide set of double doors. The two of them took their new position, one on each wall as she looked at them for some indication as to what she should do but their masked faces revealed nothing. She stepped up to the door and before she could reach out a hand to knock, it opened, revealing a familiar face. 

“Finnick, what’s going on?”

Her eyes darted from Finnick’s wide blown ones to Snow’s narrow gaze. 

“Ah, and here’s our victor now,” Snow announced with a gesture of presentation, the room eerily silent beyond those words. Finnick’s mouth was agape as he stared at her, failing to form any sound. His eyes glanced between her and the door as if he was thinking of making an escape. The President cleared his throat. “Please have a seat, my dear. I’ll formally extend my congratulations in a moment but first, Finnick has something he wanted to say. Don’t you, Finnick?”

She took the finely upholstered seat in front of the President’s desk, sitting awkwardly stiff. It was impossible not to feel as if she had walked in on something she wasn’t supposed to be a part of, the air in the room cold and tense. She was angled towards Finnick, eyes moving from the President to her mentor as he practically shook in his stance.

In a moment there was a burst of words from Finnick, rushing out of his mouth where there were none before, “You have to understand I didn’t mean for this to happen this way, there was nothing I could–”

The frantic quality of his expulsion and no doubt the volume caused the peacekeepers to step towards him, hands on their weapons but Snow must have anticipated the reaction for he stopped all three of the men with a tut.

“There’s no need for that, my boy,” The President sighed, turning to her to add, “He’s simply overexcited. Of course, Mr. Odair has taken a special interest in you and as a gift for him, I’ve approved your arrangements.” With the frigid air in the room, she was breaking into a cold sweat, a pit in her stomach growing larger by the minute.

“Arrangements?”

“Finnick, would you like to try that again?” Snow ‘asked’ though it was clear from the look on Finnick’s face that he had no choice. He pulled something out from behind his back that she couldn’t make out but if he wasn’t careful, his shaking hands would surely drop it. With his head pointed down towards the floor, he inched closer to her. His hand made to present the item in his possession to her but the President interrupted before she could catch a glimpse. “Now, now, be a gentleman and do it properly.”

Stinging hot tears sprang to her eyes as she watched Finnick get down on one knee, shaking her head before he revealed the piece of jewelry in his hand. In his palm sat a pearl ring, glittering stones around it forming the shape of a seashell. Finnick’s eyebrows were deeply furrowed, the lines of his frown mirroring the anguish that she too felt. Her vision was blurred by unfallen tears as she looked to Snow who nodded with a ‘go on’ gesture. There was no refusing, no running or fighting to be had; this was inevitable, it was this or death.

She nodded along in time with Snow, turning back to Finnick as silent tears traveled down her face. Grabbing her hand with his own, she flinched at Finnick’s touch briefly before relinquishing, allowing him to slide the ring onto her finger.

Finnick stood up, using her hand as leverage before she yanked her hand out of his. They turned to Snow expectantly, their next move unclear, the rest of their lives essentially up to the man in front of them. She felt the years slip through her fingers, her life already carved in stone. A cold dread traveled her entire body. 

Snow cleared his throat and stood to attention, “I believe it’s time for my speech. Join me, would you?” She could feel Finnick’s gaze on her but she didn’t dare turn to him, resolving to deal with him later. If it weren’t for the President, for the armed guards, she might’ve thought it in her best interest to fight her way out. Though, her instinct for self preservation was dwindling by the minute.

The peacekeepers led the three of them out onto the balcony, her and Finnick flanking the President on either side. The room having been void of life had not prepared her for the thousands of eyes on her in an instant. Seeming to go on for miles, the estate stood in its entirety in front of them, the Capitols citizens cheering as a spotlight fell onto her and the two men. She attempted to shield her eyes from the light as Snow began to speak. 

“Greetings, everyone,” The president’s voice boomed from next to her, echoing across the courtyard, “I know many of you have been anticipating the return of a fine young victor to our Capitol and tonight, I would like to formally introduce you to our very own Pearl, our 70th victor of the annual Hunger Games!” The crowd roared appropriately, a sound she had come accustomed to. Snow raised a single hand with a rehearsed grandeur and not an ounce of force, yet still the audience was immediately silenced.

“But it seems good fortune has fallen upon us. On this, the last day of her tour, I am most honored to announce the engagement of our newest victor to none other than our very own, Finnick Odair.” 

No interview, speech or appearance had prepared her for the uproarious response of the Capitol citizens. People were cheering, hugging, crying. They had not cared so much for her safe return home, for her very life and yet they stood beneath her as though this was the greatest news they had ever heard: the end of her freedom. 

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Finnick smiling and waving as though they were truly some happy couple, as though he weren’t essentially her captor. The lights around her were blurring together as she became dizzy with anger. She imagined joylessly the reality in which she could tell the truth, cry out for help, the reality in which one of these people would notice even a piece of the corruption that their lives were built on. 

An explosion of both sound and light painted the sky above sending her into a panic. She looked around wildly for the source until on her other side, the process repeated, this time a cerulean shadow cast itself over the crowd. Before she could understand what she was seeing, Snow was making his closing remarks and the peacekeepers were leading them back inside.

Her eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden darkness and a hot putrid breath was on her ear, “We’ll be seeing each other soon, my dear. We’ve things yet to be discussed.” The doors were shut behind her without another word, leaving her alone with her fraudulent fiance. Finnick was already walking down the hall, not checking behind him to see if she would even follow but follow she did. When they made it to the stairs, he was running his hand through his hair, the other hand flailing as he spouted excuses.

“Listen, I’m going to get us–”

She didn’t take any time to listen, the object of her rage before her. With a strangled shout and all her strength, she shoved him. Despite her attempt to fully disarm him, she watched as he stumbled down about half the steps before regaining his composure.

“Hey! Listen to me-” She ignored him, stomping down the steps and trying to attack him again. She couldn’t think, her vision completely red and filled with the man who stole her future.

“This is all your fault!” She screamed, still shoving at his chest. In their struggle, they had unknowingly found themselves at the bottom of the stairs from which she could now hear onlookers whispering around them. She made to hit him still, unbothered by the crowd for she had nothing to lose but he stopped her, grabbing her forearms with bruising strength as she grappled against him. 

“We can’t do this, not here,” Finnick hissed through his teeth for only her to hear. She was inconsolable, her only objective being to make him feel her pain. Though she held her own, he was undoubtedly stronger, years of training behind him and he stood, hoisting her up along the way. Her arms now free, she made for another strike but he had already snaked an arm around her waist, throwing her over his shoulder before she could make another move. She pounded his back with her fists but he did not relent. 

As always, Finnick performed for his audience, leaving the room with a charming explanation and wink.

“She’s just so eager to get home and celebrate!”

・・・Ψ・・・

Finnick was splayed across the cushioned bench of an unmoving train, contemplating the life he had not even months before and the life that was unfolding in front of him like some child’s picture book though rather than a fairytale, it was the kind of story parents used to scare their kids into good behavior. It wasn’t as though he had any big plans for himself–he always knew his life belonged to the President–but at the very least he had hoped for the comfort of routine, some semblance of peace. Now he was responsible for another person’s life, another person who could be used as leverage against him and if she had anyone in her life, that also traced back to him; it was wave after wave, distending until they would inevitably drown him. 

On top of that, he knew the girl would not make any transition easy, having shown him exactly how she felt the night before when she had attacked him with a bloodlust he hadn’t even seen her break out in the arena. Still, he held out hope that she would come to understand that though unfair, this was the safest option for both of them. If he was being honest, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief at being free from having to give up his body to strangers, to put on a mask that was becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from himself; he had spared her from that and surely that was something to be grateful for.

“Any word on your…fiancee’s arrival?” Sagan asked gingerly, sneaking glances at the window above him. They had been despondent since the party, he figured for feeling scorned having not heard about their ‘engagement’ before the rest of the Capitol. “The conductor is getting antsy.”

“She’s on the President’s time. She’ll be back when he sees fit,” Finnick sighed, an arm slung over his eyes. Peeking over his elbow, he could see Sagan scoff before stomping off, their heels only making a dramatic thud on the carpeted floor of the traincar. He wanted her back more than anyone, he wanted to get home more than anyone but of course, Snow came first. 

The anticipation was killing him, worsened by the fact that he was not there to refute or explain away Snow’s words. Whatever the President was telling her, he was sure it painted him in a bad light and life would be easier for all of them if he could for once find himself in her good graces. He cursed the day they had laid eyes on eachother, wishing Mags had been there to guide her through, the distaste the girl likely still would have had for him only leaving him more determined for the next year.

The sun had nearly set when the doors to the main car slid open, Finnick’s heavy lidded eyes opening with a snap. He bolted upright, smoothing the wrinkles from his clothes as she stepped in. Once she laid slitted eyes on him, she purposefully made her way towards the next car but on unsteady legs he dashed after her, stopping her with an arm wrapped around her middle.

“We can’t not talk about this,” He grunted, “It’s not just going to go away if we ignore it.” She slipped out of his relaxed grasp with ease but he had already whirled around, putting himself between her and the doors.

“Get the fuck away from me,” She seethed. He swallowed the anger that she so specially drew out from him, shaking his head with a deep breath.

“What did he say? If I could just explain–”

“Oh, he explained everything. You’re disgusting,” She hissed lowly, regarding him as if she couldn’t stand to be in his presence. He reeled back as though she had hit him and Finnick considered that he might have preferred that to such blatant contempt. Couldn't she understand that it wasn’t his choice?  

“Everything?”

“Everything.” 

Finnick felt a deep shame well within him. Maybe in another life he would still sleep around but it wasn’t that part, the promiscuity, that bothered him, it was the lack of control over his own body that made him feel ill, feel disgusting. He had never uttered to another person the truth of his situation, the sale of him as a commodity by their own President, their valiant leader. This was just another thing that Snow had taken from him: the ownership of his own truth.

“Snow went on about how he ‘owed you for your…loyalty.’” Her face was twisted in genuine disdain. The implications of what his loyalty entailed made his face flush in humiliation. A long silence fell between them as he tried to regain his composure. It was broken, however, when a gasp rang out from the other side of the room. 

“There you are!” Sagan gushed, rushing over to the pair. “Well, now that the two of you are here let me just say congratulations! Snow’s announcement last night was quite…sudden. I certainly never would have expected it.” A smile was plastered on their face so widely it looked as though it might crack. At that, his girl groaned and used the distraction to slip away. Finnick shot Sagan a ‘what can you do’ kind of grin and followed after her.

“Hey,” Finnick called after her, taking quick strides to follow her through the cars. He managed to grab her upper arm and her attention with a firm, “Hey.” 

She whipped her head back to look at him, her jaw clenched. He took a quick scan of the surroundings and pulled her into a spare bedroom, shutting the door after them.

“Listen,” Finnick began, “I’m sorry, okay? But this–” he gestured vaguely between them, unwilling to put it to words, “this is the reality now. I would take this all back if I could but if he really told you everything, then you know this is for the best.”

“What do you know-”

“Enough. I am speaking now.” She didn’t cower in front of him, nothing even close, but she dignified him with her silence, her head tipped back. “Snow doesn’t take things like this lightly. If we don’t play along–and we’re going to play along–he won’t hesitate to get rid of us the same way he gets rid of everyone but he’ll break you down first, make you wish for it. He’ll start with the ones you love.”

She laughed cruelly, “I don’t have anyone that I love.”

“Well, I do,” Finnick bit back, “So whatever Snow’s idea of a happy couple is, that’s what we’re going to be. End of story.” Her bottom lip trembled but she kept that sardonic grin that made his blood boil.

“You’re a sick man, Finnick Odair,” She scorned.

“Maybe so,” He offered with a grin that mirrored her venom, “but we’re in the real games now and I won’t lose.”

|Masterlist| |Previous Chapter| |Next Chapter|

TNGDH 23

The day was warm and clear.

I stood before Belial, Sen, and the carriage at the castle entrance. Sen, who was gazing up at the castle, wore a thick velvet cloak and had her hair lightly tied up.

As if to prove the description within <Winter’s Heart> was not an exaggeration, she who stood before the Northern sun was more beautiful than ever.

Even a proud prince would fall in love with her. In fact, even the prince may not be worthy of Sen.

“Thank you very much, Your Highness the Grand Duke. ……I apologize for leaving so suddenly.”

Kyle looked down at Sen with his signature reticent expression.

Despite receiving no response back, Sen smiled. Perhaps because it looked as if Kyle was supporting her in silence.

Kyle Blake was that kind of person. Contrary to his cold and blunt attitude, he was someone who truly worried and cared for his people.

Sen smiled brightly.

“I will do well no matter where I am. I will never forget the favor you have given me.”

“Good.”

Kyle replied blandly, but the short response and his gaze conveyed the feelings he had for the one who had been one of his people until now.

I did not talk with Sen. After all, we have already said what was needed to be said and heard out one another. So all we did was exchange a reassuring glance with each other one last time.

Belial stood quietly. He briefly came over to thank me for saving him during the chandelier incident, and then gave Kyle a smug look while exchanging a few words in an arrogant tone. Despite this, the atmosphere between the two was not as heavy as it had been in the study.

Kyle also didn’t seem to want to create any trouble so he held out his hand as a goodbye to Belial.

Yeah, yeah. You must be happy to take Sen with you. Don’t regret it and come crying later and live well. Don’t act rash even if you are going to take revenge, and don’t bother Kyle anymore.

I glared at Belial for him to hurry up and leave. Thankfully, he quickly left as I had hoped. Seeing the carriage move far into the distance gave me a sense of relief.

“I thought something would happen.”

“My words exactly. It’s as if I grew 10 years older…….”

“I still dream about the chandelier. Damn it…….”

Hearing that, I felt Kyle staring at me. I was glad that my back was turned towards him to not be burdened with that gaze.

However, my eyes were still fixed on the carriage. It felt strange to see the carriage move further and further away, slowly turning into a black dot. Why did it look as if it were being swallowed by the fog.

‘……Whatever. I’m just having useless worries.’

The biggest problem is me, who had to live most of the day as a hamster after all.

“You asked me to follow you to the study for a moment to check on the demonic beast, right?”

Kyle caught on my signal that I wanted us to quickly leave. I only had two hours a day. Time is gold so let’s go, Your Highness the Grand Duke.

If it was the inside of the castle, I now knew all the routes like the back of my hand. It was all thanks to my previous life’s ability to find the cafeteria no matter where I was in the company. Office workers who lack energy always do their best to walk even a single step less.

“Let’s see. This way should be the fastest?”

I walked ahead with long strides. Of course, to Kyle, this would be like a duck showing off in front of a swan, but he decided to follow me from behind.

Soon we went up the stairs to the study. Climbing up the spiral staircase, climbing up more, climbing……

……My steps began to slow down. To be more accurate, I began to slow down from the fifteenth step. It seemed even my office worker’s stamina was brought over with the ‘Summon’ skill……

“Shit. What kind of place doesn’t have an escalator…….”

“Hm?”

Kyle came close. I grumbled back.

“Well, it’s nothing special.”

You don’t even know what an escalator is. Sigh, tsk. As expected of a countryside Northern hillbilly. 

“The stairs move on its own, carrying people all the way up to the top without needing them to climb.”

“…….”

Kyle looked at me as if he had just heard the biggest joke of the century, and then picked me up.

“The stairs won’t move as they are stuck to the wall, but I understand that you are feeling tired.”

“No wait, excuse me…….”

He just picked me up like some luggage.

I glanced at Kyle once and then at the top of the stairs in the distance once, and quickly put aside my resistance. Well, we’re only going to the study so what’s the issue anyway.

While he steadily climbed the stairs, I opened the store.

[Love Love Corner~❤]

……I will never get used to this.

[Current Possessing Hearts ｜ ❤×323]

[Replica hamster to sooth the loneliness (Duration : 30 minutes) ｜ ❤×100]

Hold on, the last time I saw it was 320 hearts. Where did the other three hearts come from? Does it increase on its own too?

No matter how much it increased, it was still barely 300 hearts. To need 100 for a single replica hamster…… this would mean it would take a third of what I have now.

How expensive, really expensive.

I glared into a random space in the air.

Do something about the price.

[(〃｀ 3′〃)]

Why. Let’s be honest here, this isn’t cheap at all. And the fact that it’s specifically the replica hamster that I need right now to be so expensive.

……Huh? Wait a second.

[（*゜ー゜*）]

Don’t avoid my eyes.

I narrowed my eyes at the system and hesitantly purchased the replica hamster. Then, a system window decorated with pink hearts popped up.

[‘Replica hamster to sooth the loneliness’ has been stored into the inventory!]

‘No. That’s not it!’

You’ve got to put it in the cage, not the inventory! If I pretended to take my hand out of the pocket and say, ‘Ta-da, your hamster is here~’…… the moment I say ‘ta-da’ would be the moment when my head flies off. Do you not know of Kyle’s personality!?

[‘Replica hamster to sooth the loneliness’ has been stored into the inventory!]

How shameless.

“Haaa…….”

Kyle’s arm slightly shook as he heard my sigh.

“What’s wrong?”

“It sure is hard to make a living.”

“Do you lack in money?”

“I wouldn’t say I have a lot for sure. So, in return for taking care of the demonic beast, please pay me plenty.”

As I said that, Kyle opened the door to the study with the other arm that wasn’t holding me.

“I asked for your help first, so I have no intention of providing just a small compensation for your work.”

Good. I couldn’t use my first payment since I have transmigrated, earning Miracle Points was painfully difficult, and the Love Love whatever spent one point every three minutes. I hope to earn a lot of money from now on.

“I will look forward to it.”

We stood in front of the hamster house. Naturally, he began to look for Cashew by lifting up the nest and other items in the house.

“Where did it go?”

It’s obviously not there, you dunce. Because I’m over here.

I imagined pounding myself in the heart with my fist in frustration. I can’t even tell you that I’m your pet hamster. I’d love to tell you but I can’t!

Anyway, move out of the way.

“If you search so abruptly, wouldn’t the beast be surprised and scared.”

Kyle’s hand paused in place. He then nodded in agreement.

“……That makes sense. I’m sorry.”

The apology was most likely towards Cashew. Well, Cashew was also me though.

I nudged him out of the way and carefully patted around the sawdust. How to take out the replica as discreetly as possible……

“You can just touch it. It's clean.”

He said with pride in his voice.

“Cashew potty-trained itself. Isn’t it a genius?”

……Are you crazy? If I went to the bathroom anywhere I wanted, I’d be a beast not a human…… you might be right, in your eyes I must look like a genius.

I looked at him with conflicting emotions in my heart. Kyle truly seemed happy.

“Sooner or later, it’ll start talking too. How cute and clever it is.”

[Currently Possessing Hearts ｜ ❤×224]

Wouldn’t it be strange if it started talking? No way would a demonic beast would speak like a human. My baby has already called me ‘dad’! Is this what you wanted to happen?

You must be plenty happy just thinking about it……

“You look like you’d cry in happiness if your demonic beast really started talking.”

Kyle quieted down for a moment. It seemed he was really imagining what it would be like if Cashew started talking. What was there to imagine though. Can’t you see me chattering away.

While he was occupied, I quickly took out the replica hamster.

“Ah, here it is.”

Act natural. Act natural.

I’m a magician. I was a magician in my past life. I was a magician that shocked the whole nation with a single dove, a piece of cloth, and a hat. I could definitely fool at least one Northern Grand Duke as easy as blowing my own nose.

I pretended to carefully look over the replica hamster in my hands.

‘Hmm.’

This was rather detailed. It breathed, blinked, and moved around like an actual hamster.

When I flipped the replica over to pretend to examine its stomach, Kyle muttered something strange.

“Something’s a little different…….”

I flinched for a moment. ……He knew the difference? What was different? The appearance? Or its behavior?

The replica hamster cried out a squeak. See, the replica could also squeak. Even the voice sounded the same.

However, Kyle frowned even more after hearing it.

“I wonder if it’s hurting anywhere? It’s usually not this quiet.”

“How do you know?”

The system could take note of the difference. Now, give me a thorough feedback.

Kyle’s response was unexpected.

“I know it through love.”

“Love…….”

He was completely charmed. ……I will never get used to this.

[Currently Possessing Hearts ｜ ❤×225]

Different from the Miracle Points, Hearts could increase without doing anything. Right, let’s cheer up. Who knows when another expensive item will appear.

I glanced at Kyle, turned my back slightly, and moved the replica hamster around to pretend to check on it.

“Let’s see, our cute demonic beast.”

Kyle spoke softly behind me.

“My demonic beast.”

Whatever. Stop being possessive and giving me envious looks.

“There are no problems and it is very healthy. However, its weight is a little…….”

Did I really eat that much? I’m starting to feel guilty now that I’m saying it out loud.

“He’s a bit chubby, but there shouldn’t be any problems. You can just leave it alone for now. Since it is in its growth stage, don’t feed it only vegetables. Raw food can also ruin its stomach. Surely you’re not giving it any mealworms or other live food, right? ”

Kyle flinched.

“……I heard rodents like those kinds of stuff. It can learn to hunt too.”

“How savage. Are you planning to raise and release it in the North in the future?”

I spoke harshly on purpose as I carefully placed the replica hamster back into its house.

“Don’t give it anything weird and feed it what humans would eat. Cooked beef, chicken, or something. Demonic beasts can eat oily food quite well so there is no need to feed it only boiled food. ”

That’s right. Boiled food tastes bad. Would telling him to season it be taking things too far?

“Give it some fruits too.”

Kyle listened and nodded seriously.

“Yes, then I’ll do that. But since Sen is no longer here, it would be difficult to procure all those things…….”

He glanced at me as if asking me to take care of it myself. It’s important to meet Kyle in person like this often anyways, and two hours would be more than enough each day.

I nodded with an earnest expression on my face. All for the sake of a quality life of a pet hamster.

“Thank you.”

Kyle said honestly.

“How should I say this…… Right, thanks to you, I can let go one of my worries. In return for caring for Cashew, is there anything you want?”

What is there to think about.

The price of all hard work is, of course,

“Money.”

I flipped my hand and formed a circle using my thumb and index finger as I said that.

“Money is good enough.”

“…….”

“If possible, a lot.”

Now, let’s start shaking the duke’s wallet upside down. If you want to keep a pet hamster, you have to have a lot of money, alright?

--------------------------------------------------------

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A Vow of Blood - Chapter 62: Waves

preview

As Daenera commenced her ascent of the grand staircase, her gaze inadvertently caught the sight of her brother, his posture taut with tension. His shoulders were hunched, elevated by deep scowl directed at the silver haired, one-eyed menace, who stood leisurely, hands folded behind his back. She could already imagine the provocative smirk on his lips. Her brother loomed over Aemond, his height advantage evident only due to his elevated position–up two steps from the level on which Aemond stood. His hands, clenched into tight fists, hung by his sides, his jaw set in a firm, unyielding line, betraying his simmering frustration.A surge of apprehension unfurled within Daenera’s chest, propelling her feet to quicking their pace up the stairs. The tension between the two was palpable, and she felt an urgent need to intervene before the situation escalated. With each step, her concern grew, her mind racing to find a way to defuse the brewing conflict and avert the likely outfall of a war. Daenera arrived just in time to catch the tail end of Aemond’s sentence, his words trailing off as she approached, “...Ask your sister.”

grand central madison is designed so fucking badly it's insane. you want to know how to connect from the LIRR to the subway? something a huge number of commuters do? you get off the train, climb a flight of stairs up to the LIRR area, and then you see the slow-moving ultra-wide escalator that is the size of 12 consecutive flights of stairs* (minus the landings that stairs would have... don't trip!). Run up that like your life depends on it, and try not to die. then at the top, you turn and run through the most bizarrely sloped maze in history, twisting around several directions before running something like six blocks through a tunnel, then run up another two flights of stairs, now it's time to "buy your subway ticket". now once you get in, you're in the home stretch, it's time to run down a dimmer, dirtier sloped hallway that at least doesn't seethe with hatred as much as the newer parts of the station (iykyk), and finally, at the end of that hallway, there is a simultaneously very wide and very claustrophobic room where you will eventually find the staircase down to the correct subway train. and then you can get on the train. Flights of stairs/equivalent: MORE THAN FIFTEEN, not counting ramps. And after all that you'll still be late for work <3 better luck next time <3

*this is the longest escalator in new york city.

Constructicon Week is here! @constructiconweek

I'll be posting them here as well as reblogging with an AO3 link because they're all short pieces. :)

What Once Was

Day 6: Mixmaster | Welding Rating: T Tags: Minimal Editing, Canon Blender of IDW1 & IDW2, Snippets of Larger Story, Abandoned & Destroyed City, Haunted Houses, Whump, Blood and Injury, updated as necessary Fic Summary: In a moment of peace that was either the End of the War or a Temporary Truce (no one was quite sure where they stood yet), the Constructicons claimed the shattered remains of Crystal City as their own. So far, no one else had raised a fuss, leaving them free to rebuild as they wished. Chapter Summary: When things got ignored, someone was going to bear the brunt when it escalated. Poor Mixmaster had never even noticed anything unusual. Note: Tags have been updated!

He was sure it hadn't been his fault. There was no way Mixmaster tripped over his own pedes and fell down a flight of sharp-edged stairs to land at the bottom, dented everywhere, cracked open in several places, and laying in a growing pool of energon. A large spike of a shattered support truss hit on the way down left him with a large puncture in one side, the source of most of his vital fluid loss. An attempt to cycle the irises of his optics resulted in a disturbing grinding sound that had Mixmaster pausing the attempt mere moments after beginning. Instead, he slowly blinked his optical shutters, holding them closed long enough to let the flowing stream of cleansing fluid give the cracked lenses a good wash. Hook would appreciate him doing at least that much.

This was very not good.

His armor creaked as he tried to roll into a position he could more easily stand from, pain flaring from the wounds stressed by the action. He pushed a bit harder, hoping he might be able to get himself to help under his own power, but it quickly became apparent that wasn't going to happen. Giving up with a sigh, Mixmaster eased his frame back down against the ground and opened the team bond. The likelihood of the others laughing at his predicament was incredibly high, simply because all of them were Like That, but he knew they'd come around to help him before he completely bled out.

::If there's a chance someone's not busy right now, I would appreciate if I could get a little help?::

As the bond crackled with a swirl of curiosity, annoyance, and long-suffering knowing, Mixmaster could only cringe and hope he hadn't misjudged them. Really, of all the ways to go, deactivating in a broken heap at the bottom of a grand staircase in a ruined city had never crossed his mind. And oh, how very big the puddle of his living energon was becoming, stretching across at least half the length of the lobby. He touched his flagging consciousness against the bond again. With luck, he didn't sound like too much of a loser as he added a little extra plea to his request.

::Please?::

It all turned into a bit of a blur after that point. He didn't feel quite so bad about it, though, when what little his optics could decipher through the static haze was familiar green and purple. Might have been nice to be able to hear whatever Bones was saying, but Mixmaster knew one couldn't have everything.

He felt the rumble of the rest of his team as they rushed into the lobby of the medical facility they were searching, felt the heady and worried crush of their erupting EM fields. Maybe a snicker slipped from his intake when one of them slipped in the slick spill of his energon on the old and cracked tiles of the floor. He couldn't have said who it was. Or if it actually happened.

Then, hands were on him, pulling and shoving him onto his back—or as well as could be obtained with his barrel in the way. Whatever sound might have escaped him, Mixmaster kind of found himself grateful he was blissfully unaware of it over the raging agony that swept over his frame from the top of his helm to the tips of his pedes. When the severed lines were tied off he wept. When a piece of scrap metal was slapped against the gaping hole in his side and the heat of Hook's torch touched the edge, welding the panel to his torn plating, Mixmaster remembered no more.

Tented Market - Scrapbook

These are some more rougher photos, taken of the Tented Market before it's closure on the 31st of August 2017.

On a beautiful sunny day in 2017 I decided to visit the Tented Market for 1 last time before it's closure.

It had a special place in my heart as when I was a young child I remember my parents taking me here, it was a different time back then. The Tented Market was alive and well. The thriving market was a bastion for local businesses.

The pristine white roofs were well kept, bright and followed a theme of the town centre. It wasn't the only place to feature such decor, but over time it had been changed.

As the town of swindon grew, the Tented Market remained much the same. It was home to great local businesses but they could not survive against the competitors.

The council invested more into the Brunel Centre, and times changed; the local stores within this once welcoming structure could no longer compete. It was a time capsule still standing but barely.

Even outwardly, they had to remind people the place was still open. Signs were plastered all over the building. An attempt to save the doomed building.

It was clear that those left in this place still actively loved and appreciated the Tented Market. Unfortunately. It did little to save it.

What used to be a grand entrance to the Tented market, had nothing to advertise itself as a bustling store. It's no wonder they needed signs to remind the passersby that the place was still open.

At the staircase to one of the main entrances. It was so neglected, not even the typical unsavoury type had any desire to loiter here. It was that empty.

The placard sign commemorated the market being open for a grand total of 22 years. It's one reason why the closure of the Tented Market hit me.

There are definitely older shopping centres in Swindon. Though that's discrediting what the Tented Market was before this was built in 1994.

Obviously, this was well before my time. I have no photographs of the Tented Market in any other state.

Unfortunately I took 1 photograph of the Tented Market map. I wish I took more photographs of the Tented Market, but 2017 “me” was a bit more afraid of taking pictures inside businesses.

This map wasn't even accurate, there are more businesses that were on there than there should be. Ouch.

In one of the many empty shop spaces I saw a "SAVE OUR TENT MARKET" poster. One of many attempts to spare the market from closure.

Left, you can see the remains of the comic shop. On the right I can't remember what it was. At the only used entrance you could see 2 of the last remaining shops in the Tented Market.

In 2013 when I was still attending college I visited this place for lunch. At this time it was clearly on its way out but the Tented Market had it's share of visitors.

You could walk in here and smell the exotic food. I can say it was pretty good. At the time of this photo, it was nothing. Just an empty stall and a reminder of what was lost.

They still kept the bench and chair used by the very few customers who would wait for their order... yes. When I was at college it was the very chair I sat on waiting for my chicken wrap. Nothing had changed in that time.

It was still advertising the same menu available in 2013, Eggelicious was only a recent move. Setting sights on a new offering opening up in the Brunel Centre...

The Brunel Centre in this year (2017) was undergoing a drastic renovation to one of the interior corridors. They opened it up into a designated food hall. It seemed at this time Eggelicious decided to finally abandon the Tented Market and instead opt for the much newer food court instead.

Included is the photograph of them building the escalator to the new food hall still in progress.

I found some stickers that had accumulated on the door, A time capsule. Including a sticker that read "Never Trust a Hipster"

Here is a collection of empty doors, empty stores. Much appears the same.

For a time I can remember there existing an American Candy store. I can't say I'm surprised they didn't take off. The drink I had was so sugary and expensive... I'll stick to European snacks I think.

They still tried to get people on board. I hadn't taken note of what that sign said until today... I mean if they're still offering up a commercial space for £20 a week. I'd be down to set up a photography shop.

That's not half bad... if you ignore the fact this place is dead. Also not opening ever again.



That is the end of the Tented Market. There are whispers here and there of redevelopment. Like much of Swindon it's destined to become something else.

Something mid. That is.

That isn't all I have to show of Swindon. There are far more parts of the it to be documented!

~ Aercascade

Review: John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Rated R for pervasive strong violence and some language

<Originally posted at https://kevinsreviewcatalogue.blogspot.com/2023/03/review-john-wick-chapter-4-2023.html>

Score: 4 out of 5

John Wick: Chapter 4 is absolute, balls-to-the-wall action movie excess. It feels like a film where everybody involved, given a $100 million budget and carte blanche to make the ultimate action movie as they defined it, decided to throw in everything they could without concern for pacing, just a pure spectacle running close to three hours that is designed to wallop your senses with some of the most awe-inspiring action scenes you've ever witnessed. You've got shootouts. You've got a horse chase in the Moroccan desert that opens the film. You've got hand-to-hand fighting with everything from nunchaku to swords to martial arts. You've got goons wearing heavy body armor forcing the heroes to get in close. You've got a high-stakes card game that ends in, you guessed it, a shootout in a Berlin nightclub where everybody is drenched in falling water. You've got what I've seen described as a lethal game of Frogger in the Arc de Triomphe roundabout. You've got shotguns that fire incendiary rounds. You've got a scene filmed from a top-down perspective that evokes Metal Gear Solid or Hotline Miami. You've got a lengthy climatic action scene on a massive staircase that Rocky Balboa could never. It feels like director Chad Stahelski was influenced this time around less by Hong Kong heroic bloodshed movies than he was by video games that throw an absolute onslaught of enemies at you, knowing that the real appeal isn't the plot but overcoming the next challenge the game throws your way.

And it also has a surprisingly melancholy plot, clearly intended as a grand finale for this series given that Keanu Reeves, as great as he still is as an action hero, is also 58 years old and not getting any younger. Set an unspecified amount of time after the events of the first three films, we start with John, having gone into hiding with help from the Bowery King now that he's wanted dead by the High Table, rigorously training for the day when he sets out to get his revenge on them. We open the film with the Bowery King presenting John with his trademark Kevlar-lined tuxedo and asking if he's ready, and from there, we begin our nearly three hours of globe-trotting ass-whooping that's structured almost like a video game as John has to complete various errands for allies before he finally takes on the Marquis Vincent de Gramont, the extremely wealthy French fop hired by the High Table to take John out. John's hope for the escape from a life of crime he's sought for four movies now is a high-stakes duel with the Marquis where, if he wins, he will claim as his prize freedom from the obligations placed on him in accordance with a series of arcane rules that govern organized crime in the series' universe. The Marquis, who has more than a bit of a dirty coward streak to him, responds by putting an ever-escalating bounty on John's head in the tens of millions of dollars in the hopes that somebody will kill John before he has to face Baba Yaga head-to-head.

This movie is long, and it feels like it, in what turns out to be a double-edged sword that marks its biggest weakness but also does a great job putting the viewer in John's headspace. While there are moments, especially early in the film, that are light on action, they all serve to build up to the film's bloody action set pieces, featuring a who's who of character actors ranging from returning series veterans like Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, and the late Lance Reddick (who died just days before this film premiered) to newcomers like Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen as the blind assassin Caine who clearly respects John and doesn't like that he has to kill him, Shamier Anderson as the mysterious Mr. Nobody who you're not quite sure is an ally of John's or an enemy, Scott Adkins as the slimy German crime boss Killa, pop star Rina Sawayama delivering a surprisingly solid acting debut as a yakuza boss' daughter named Akira, and Bill Skarsgård making the Marquis a truly loathsome villain in his cowardice and brutality. Each and every one of them gets plenty of time to shine in the action scenes, almost to the point of bloat, especially once the film reaches Paris and starts throwing everything it possibly can at John; at some point, you have to ask yourself when enough is enough. It's hard to complain about this much ass-kicking in one movie, but it eventually starts wearing you down, just like the film seems committed to wearing John down on his long and grueling road to freedom. There's easily a version of this movie that, in the hands of a lesser director than Stahelski, could've just turned into a slog.

But... this movie has enough killer action scenes to power three whole other comparable movies. Every time I started to ask myself if I'd seen enough, this film grabbed me by the ear, pulled my attention back to the screen, and managed to find a way to impress me once again. I've already given a rundown of some of the highlights, but suffice it to say, just as the first movie helped spur a revival of Hollywood action cinema, I can see many scenes from this one inspiring other filmmakers to try and imitate them. In particular, I'd like to comment on the influence that video games seem to have had lately on action movies, made more obvious than ever here in the scene shot from a top-down view. In games, the action needs to be crystal-clear and easy to follow for a very practical reason, namely that you don't wanna make things unnecessarily difficult and cheap for the player. Bad camera angles used to be the bane of 3D action games, especially before the likes of Resident Evil 4 and Gears of War perfected how it's done in the modern day, and oftentimes, it was specifically because they were trying to imitate the "cinematic" flair of the movies. As it turned out, the same qualities that make action easy to follow in games also apply well to movies, and I would not be surprised if a behind-the-scenes featurette shows Stahelski and others involved with the production openly cite those games as a direct inspiration.

The Bottom Line

This is a movie that's designed to kick your ass as hard as John kicks the asses of the goons sent after him, for better or worse. It makes up for its pacing problems and overly-long ending with sheer overwhelming firepower, demonstrating that quantity is a quality all its own. If you want the last word in outrageous action, then bring a nice comfy seat to the theater and steel yourself.

Universe Hotel

MMO but it's all one hotel.

Each floor is a server.

Server list is the elevator buttons / stairwell floor signs.

Elevator buttons take everyone on the elevator to that floor, even if it's not on your server list.

Stairwells are liminal spaces and are only client-side.

Mutual servers can be linked together with grand staircases and escalators.

Me and Elvis

PART 11

Pairings: Elvis Presley x reader

You had packed one good dress, not expecting to go to too many parties, but it was decent. It was a green dress which strangely enough Sam and a few others at the statesman had complimented, saying your eyes popped in it. It had a silk bodice and thicker material over it. It showed shoulder, rose slightly above your knees, and most importantly it made you feel comfortable and confident. You teased your hair slightly and just as you finished putting on your black pumps, Elvis waltzed in wearing his army best and hat, looking as dashing as ever. "Oh, E..." You say breathlessly and go to wrap your arms around him. He holds you close and kisses your forehead and then your lips softly. "We better go or else Joe will start whining." He chuckled and he lead you to the Cadillac, awaiting your departure.

The large house was where the party was, just a few blocks from where Elvis stayed. It was probably considered a mansion here in Germany with all the windows, the number of bedrooms, and the tall entryway. The inside was already lively with a lot of other servicemen and their dates. You sauntered in on Elvis' arm, smiling proudly. "E.P!" A voice called loudly across the room. Charlie had beaten you both there and he came with another man that Elvis apparently knew. "Come have a drink." The other man insisted. "Oh, he doesn't drin..." Your words were cut off instantaneously, "Sure thing. What whiskey do yall have hiding around?" He chuckled and released you from his arm. Lots has changed evidentially. He was no longer the straight-collared southern boy you first met...if he ever really was that straight to begin with. You watch as he walks through the ever growing crowd in the large living room. You start to wander instantly, trying to occupy your mind. You spot another woman in a corner smoking and instantly feel the need for one as well. You approach her with a smile. "'Scuse me, would you mind if I bummed one please?" You ask nicely. "Sure thing." She said, her German accent thick and stuck one out. You take it and light it instantly, taking a long deep drag. You had picked up smoking while on breaks at the Statesman a lot more and it seemed that stress always seemed to escalate your need. Elvis may have had his vices, but so did you. You take another puff and feel arms wrap around you. "Baby, you shouldn't do that." He teased whispering in your ear, making your spine shiver. "Not until you stop with your pills and this new drinking thing." You shoot back, slightly regretting it. Which it turns out you would later on. "E! Come here, let me introduce you to the Officer Beaulieu and his daughter!" Charlie and their friend called and once again, Elvis was whisked away from you, leaving you to finish your cigarette with the strange German woman.

Elvis sauntered off, following Charlie and Ben up the staircase. He felt happy to have been out and on break and even happier that you were there to relieve some of the stress. As he walked away he spotted Joe flirting shamelessly with a young German blonde. "Joe!" He called. He looked back with an annoyed glance and then stepped to the side. "What, I'm about to take her home." Joe said smiling like he just won a grand prize. Elvis rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah, good job buddy! Can you look out for y/n though, I'll be a minute/" Elvis requested. Joe looked over the taller crowd and spotted you in the corner. "Sure thing boss." He saluted and Elvis continued up the stairs where he was met with the other guys and a tall old man in a high ranked uniform. "Sir, this is Private Presley." Charlie introduced. He saluted and stood tall. "At ease." The man said in a deep voice. "I'm Officer Paul Beaulieu and this is my daughter, Priscilla." He said and stepped aside revealing a short well proportioned girl with long curly dark hair and striking green eyes. Elvis heart lurched slightly which caught him off guard. "Hi there." She said smiling politely and curtsying and all of the sudden Elvis forgot how to speak. "Anyways, excuse me while I go check on the staff in the kitchen. Gentlemen..." Officer Paul said and gestured for Charlie and Ben to follow, leaving Elvis and Priscilla standing alone at the top of the staircase. "Wanna see my room?" She asked smiling again, her smile captivating him. He nodded and followed her to the room next to the stairs. "My daddy says I have to leave it open if I ever have a boy in here. I've never had a boy in here though, you're the first. Not to say there will be others, just that you...oh anyways, I'm Priscilla. What was your name?" She said rambling and making Elvis chuckle and nervously ran a hand on the back of his neck. "Elvis. Elvis Presley." He introduced. "Oh, I should have known! I've seen you in those moving pictures and I saw you and Debra Paget were going together too." She said a hint of jealousy on her tongue. Elvis smirked slightly and continued on with a conversation as he sat on the floor and Priscilla wandered back and forth nervously across the floor.

An hour or two must have passed and you were getting tired of attempting to make small talk with random strangers, half of whom could hardly speak English and who were probably here to just bed lonely G.I's. You excused yourself from another lengthy conversation between a red head and her soldier as they started to flirt rather heavily in front of you. Finally, you spotted Joe with a blonde. He looked like he was about to make a move just as you walked up. "Joe." You interrupted rather obnoxiously. "Oh shit. Y/n, I mean...hey how are ya?" He asked running a hand nervously through his hair. "Yeah good...um where's Elvis?" You ask getting straight to the point. "Elvis? Oh yes, um...hold on I think he was using the bathroom upstairs. Let me go check on him." Joe said, even though he was horrible at lying he ran upstairs. Instead of waiting awkwardly with the blonde he was trying to fuck you decide to go upstairs and instantly regret it. You see Joe speaking frantically with Elvis and a young girl near the closest bedroom. "E?" You clear your throat slightly. Everyone turned to face you and the girl smiles. She was definitely attractive, for her age which looked no older than fifteen, if that. "Elvis, I'm tired, can we go home please?" You ask. He nods and looks at Joe and Priscilla. "Um, yeah, bye now." He says quickly and follows as you rush down the stairs, embarrassment and resentment rising inside you. You make it out the front door, Elvis trailing behind and hold it in long enough until you get back to his rental. The driver opens the door once you arrive and you quickly make your way to his bedroom and slam the door behind both of you. Elvis quickly turns you around to face him and holds your hands, as if pleading for you to hold in your anger. You never had a temper, but seeing Elvis mad a few times had rubbed off somehow and you had about as much as he had. You push his body away from you and cross your arms. "Why if that wasn't the most humiliating moment of my life!" You yell and his face falls. He genuinely is sorry, he just hopes you realize it. You were the last person he wanted to hurt. You attempt to ignore the genuine puppy dog look he gave you which made you just want to go and hold him. NO! He needed to hold YOU! He embarrassed YOU. He left YOU alone at a stranger's party. He wouldn't get off that easily. You shake your head furiously, as if to shake out the feelings and just kept in the anger. "Baby please. I'm sorry. I lost track of time and she was just talking about her father...you know he's an officer in the army." he began to talk quickly, definitely nervous now at your facial expression. "Elvis, I was left by myself for about two hours! I needed you." Tears unexpectedly start streaming from your eyes and he immediately is cradling your face in his hands, using his fingers to wipe your tears. "Damn it Elvis! There's two people in this relationship. Two. Not just Elvis. There's me too. You needed to consider that." You cry through the tears. "I know, I'm so sorry y/n. I'm so sorry baby doll." He pleads and kisses your cheeks over and over. He hates seeing you this upset, let alone knowing he caused the pain. "Elvis, you can't do that to me anymore. Please. I need you." You say, truthfully. You both needed each other. He nods and strokes your hair and holds you to him as your tears stain his uniform. "No more parties..." You say softly and pull away, wiping the remainder of the tears off your face. "No more. You just get me, Joe, and Charlie." He smiles slightly. "Great, all of my favorite men." You giggle slightly. Elvis feels horrible about what happened as well as a twinge of guilt. His feelings confused him now more than ever, but what he knew for sure was he did really still love you...that, he was sure of. Whether he was meant to love one woman...that would be the question to overcome. He kisses you tenderly and that night he holds you and he makes the most gentle, love to you, forgetting your first real fight with Elvis as you slept in his arms once more.

PART 12

[The Keihancarl Diaries: January 20, 2024]

Hi everyone, Keihancarl here. Today I'm heading to the North Avenue Malls for the second time since the pandemic, and my first mall-hopping trip for 2024.

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I decided to wear all-black right now since I feel like it. Anyway, traffic is mostly light along Commonwealth Avenue. I even get to see the old Citimall (near UP Diliman campus), ready for demolition.

Reaching SM North EDSA, I checked the hypermarket first at The Block. There's an escalator access to the second level, though there's no direct access to the supermarket area from there.

I checked Uniqlo at the second level where I bought an awesome Naruto shirt (UT). Quite pricey, but I loved the design so much that I didn't hesitate to buy it.

At the bridgeway to the North Towers, people are lining up for the exclusive artist-made collection by Korean boy band SEVENTEEN at the pop-up store right beside the Park Inn entrance. I also passed by MizuSawa (a milk tea/coffee/dessert place), but I only checked the menu at the counter.

At the North Towers, I passed by Decathlon first. I also checked Muji Cafe as well and had a cafe latte (unsweetened) and a shiopan (salted butter bread).

I also checked the shop adjacent to the cafe. I get to see the infamous tabo, which makes rounds on social media for being pricey.

Checking the rest of the North Towers, there's a sitting moose on the ground floor near the escalators.

Heading back to The Block, I visited a few shops, including Fully Booked and Bocu.

The Fully Booked branch there had a storefront renovation, though it's business as usual.

Timezone opened at the fifth level. The rest of former Fitness First's space would probably be the future location of SM Game Park (just a hunch, though).

The Block looked a lot better and more luxurious (sort of) than when it first opened back in 2008. The layout itself is also different from what it was during the pre-pandemic days.

There are interesting art murals on the bridgeway to the North Towers parking, as well as the LED tunnel on the bridgeway to the City Center.

Heading to the City Center, I only checked a couple of shops, which are the Mi store and Book Sale. I bought a couple of second-hand manga books at the latter.

The staircase at the former cinema wing had a biophilic design like most parts of the mall.

The other staircase at the cinema wing looked like something from a resort swimming pool due to the design that looks like DOST's (Department of Science and Technology) logo.

And I'm off to the Annex. The LED billboard is already gone.

Inside, I checked a few more shops, including those in the Cyberzone area. Passing by MN±LA, I saw an interesting robe jacket (a drape, as the tag says) but I didn't feel like buying it at the moment. I loved the design, though. Hoping to get my hands on it one of these days.

The glass staircase at the fourth level still fascinates me to this day. By the window, I can see the entire Sky Garden (including the Sky Dome), the upcoming Unified Grand Central Station, and the City Center + The Block. And of course, Trinoma and the buildings on top of the Vertis North Mall.

Going back to the City Center, I dropped by the National Book Store branch there and saw a light novel I previously bought. I didn't stay long, though.

I decided to check the Interior Zone first before heading to Trinoma. Nothing much to see, except for a showroom. I passed by The Block one more time and exited through the Sky Garden entrance.

The Chinese lanterns are on display. Chinese New Year is only a few weeks away.

Going to my next stop, the footbridge was already dismantled so we had to use the pedestrian crossing instead. Anyway, I did get to see the Unified Central Station from there. Before reaching my next stop, I also managed to see a tarp regarding a possible connection (from Trinoma) to the upcoming Unified Grand Central Station.

Reaching Trinoma, I decided to check Landmark Supermarket first. After that, I immediately headed to the two Fully Booked branches (I visited the old branch at the basement level first before the other, newer branch at the third level). Having visited both the old and the new branches, I think the newer branch on the third level is smaller than the old one below.

Anyway, at least it does carry the usual stuff, especially the novels and manga books. I couldn't find Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human, though (the one published by Tuttle, both novel and manga).

I also had an early dinner at Pepper Lunch at the mall's Food Choices. It's been a decade since I first had my beef pepper rice at the Power Plant Mall branch in Makati (which had closed, unfortunately). This is the second time I've ever had a beef pepper rice, and a jumbo size too.

I checked the garden area as well. Too bad, the water features near the cinema area (including the fountains, I think) are gone (I never checked the rest of the garden area). Some even had potted flowering plants in their place. I wonder if it's just a temporary setup or a permanent one.

I then head on to my final stop, Vertis North. I only checked a few shops there, including The Craft Central and Uniqlo. Oh, and there's an electric vehicle charging station outside the mall area.

I passed by Japan Town, though the large LED display appears to have been removed. Or so I thought. Still loved the wooden elements, as well as the square lamps and the tatami-inspired tiled flooring.

And it's time for me to go home. I decided to take the UV Express at the Trinoma terminal near the MRT-3 North Avenue Station. Travel time took a lot faster than expected too considering that the traffic situation along Commonwealth Avenue is mostly light with moderate traffic in some parts.

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And so, I get to visit the North Avenue malls for the second time since the pandemic. I was really taking my sweet time visiting the shops in these malls, just like my last visit. Also, I was feeling a little disoriented during some parts of that mall-hopping trip. Later on, I was getting stressed over the Instagram app's greatest defects (I'll cover this in another post very soon).

By the way, did I mention Chinese New Year? Yup, since my next mall-hopping trip will take me to Binondo, but I'll visit the malls at the Ayala Center first, especially the newly-opened One Ayala Mall. It won't be long.

For now, it's back to reality for me. Until next time!

All pics are from my Instagram account, @kcox_105.

The Legendary Galeries Lafayette

Galeries Lafayette Haussmann is a major Parisian retailer located on boulevard Haussmann in the 9th district. It is the most spacious department store in Europe and the second largest in the world after Macy's Herald Square. With sales of 1.8 billion euros in 2014, it has overtaken Harrods in London, Bloomingdale's in New York and Isetan in Tokyo to reclaim its position as the world's leading department store in terms of sales. It is part of the "Grands Magasins" branch of the Galeries Lafayette Group.

Galeries Lafayette attracts an average of 37 million visitors a year, or more than 100,000 customers a day, across the store's four interlinked venues (Coupole, L'Homme, Maison and Gourmet).

The store is served by the Chaussée d'Antin - La Fayette and Havre - Caumartin metro stations, and by the Auber RER A station. Saint-Lazare station is also nearby.

In 1893, Théophile Bader and Alphonse Kahn, two cousins from Alsace, teamed up to take over a novelty shop.

The pair launched Les Galeries Lafayette on the corner of rue La Fayette and rue de la Chaussée-d'Antin in 1894, over forty years after Le Bon Marché. The store is ideally placed near the Opéra Garnier, the Grands Boulevards and the Saint-Lazare train station. The store soon attracted office workers and the middle and lower middle classes.

The Company bought the whole of 1, rue La Fayette in 1896 and, in 1903, the buildings at 38, 40 and 42, boulevard Haussmann, as well as 15, rue de la Chaussée-d'Antin. Georges Chedanne and then Ferdinand Chanut were in charge of furnishing these new purchases. On October 8, 1912, the huge Art Nouveau dome is inaugurated (Art Nouveau is an artistic movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries founded on the aesthetics of curved lines).

Every Achievement Leads to Another !

In 1900, the "Aux Galeries Lafayette" trademark was registered.

In 1908, Lafayette opened its first store on Boulevard Haussmann.

In October 1912, bigger store was inaugurated. It featured 96 departments, a tea room, a library and a hairdressing salon. It had five floors, balconies and a large cupola.

The roof at the peak of the building overlooks Paris and its new Eiffel Tower. The shop windows themselves take on an important role in this decor: they must inspire every desire and mood. It's all about ensuring that shoppers get to feel good and feel compelled to shop.

Fashion and innovation were the watchwords of the store. The trend towards the democratization of fashion was taking hold, and success was in the air. Thus, the store began to diversify its range, adding men's fashion, home furnishings, toys and tableware to its traditional departments.

The Key Years of the Galleries

Various promotional initiatives were undertaken, such as the visit of Édith Piaf, who agreed to come and sing in 1950. In the years from 1952 to 1956, the first escalators were fitted, the interior halls were removed and two storeys were added. In 1969, a brand new store, dedicated to men's fashion, was commissioned on the other side of Rue de Mogador. In 1974, the main staircase was removed and, in 1984, the central first floor was redesigned to allow the opening of prestige boutiques. In 1980, the department store further strengthened its focus on fashion with the creation of the highly successful Festival de la Mode. In 1996, Galeries Lafayette celebrated its 100th anniversary. To honor the milestone, a number of major brands reissued one of their classics. 2010 marked the opening of a Bordeauxthèque, the largest Bordeaux wine cellar in the world (1,500 references). Between 2019 and 2021, the surface area devoted to cafés and restaurants in the department store grows by 20%. Nowadays, the store is constantly evolving and modernizing. Chinese customers are now Galeries Lafayette Haussmann's biggest foreign clientele, ahead of Americans and Japanese.

Written by Houda Belabd for Medium.com

Day 115: Tuesday April 25, 2023 - “Babies Mamas”

This post contributed by Audrie after hosting a pool party with her baby mamas:

I am so grateful for these women. Kate and Bre. They both are saved in my phone contacts with “Stella” and “Otis” attached respectfully. We all met about 18 or so months ago at the Birth-Center-Mom-Baby group. Stella was just a little sprout and Otis had to have been closing in on 7-9 months, William in 4-6 month range, and I just latched on to the positive energy of these two.

Out of all the women, and all the children, I knew Bre and Kate could be my tribe. It wasn’t more than a few words after hearing Kate & Stellz’s dad were from the STL, that I suggested beers at the brewery and invited a friendship that went beyond Friday’s at the Babymoon.

The rest is history.  We co-encountered and co-conquer all the variations of sleep regressions, teething tenuousnesses, food introductions, and developmental milestone markers along side one another while strolling the zoo, group texting or sneaking away for mamas-only-night at the comedy club.  

Then suddenly Bre and Tom were unexpectedly expecting a second baby and Kate and I didn’t hesitate to throw a warm welcome sprinkle-shower for baby E.

These women have been my go to for mom-talk, ladies nights, and just over all steadfast rocks to recenter on and cling to when the waters became too murky and rough to navigate solo.

These two were always on standby to hoist me back up when the slippery sloping edge that is new-motherhood got too steep to navigate alone.

I love them, and their babies. And we don’t all get together as often as we all would like, or connect as much as we all wish we could to let the kids bond, and the wine and whines flow. And yet, it’s been enough to not ever forget the value of this band of new mamas and the impertinent asset of having a few good women in your corner; walking a journey not exactly right along with you but somewhere…as if on a similar trail…within the same rough square mile of foreign landscapes and wild places…. A square mile made up of rock, and wash gullies, dehydrated shrubbery, and random wondering useless cows.

These women have been a lot like fellow desert hikers: picking their way from the tattered ends of the long dirt road that goes over the grand escalate staircase, and then diverges like the Nile’s Delta into the randomly-organized maze of trails that weave and wonder their way up to the backside of Lake Powell.  

We are all out here looking for the golden goose— that amber glazed sunrise donut reflecting off the red rock and glassy still water in Reflection Canyon.  We are all seeking that piece of peace.  Whether it’s in the wild or it’s in the wildness of the child, we are all set to conquer the peace.

In preparation for the journey, someone might have given you their compass, or their recollection of the way along that similar excursion that they hiked years ago… but until you are in it yourself, and realize we are all on a journey aimed at the same destination, but true north will point in different directions in the same compass for for each mama and child — we all have a yearning for the the prize of that award winning son-rise: a happy and healthy child, a thriving and not-crying and peacefully-sleeping-not-weeping-tiny-human that is not just the product of our cell building and milk rearing, but also our decision making and pathway picking though the neural-network map of endlessly possible passages to the sweet water’s edge.

This singular journey that pushes back and dances with the banks of insanity, also brings grounding and recenter in the small moments with the mamas who cross paths, who find their tribe on this solo journey; who take shelter under the same shade tree, together to breathe, to share, to reflect and to project and then to continue on again, in our slightly different directions and at different paces —yet all arrows aimed to arrive collected again. Down the trail. We all want the waters’ edge. The peace the love the beauty of a contended child, the warmth, the joy, the gratitude reflecting back in that baby’s smile.

We collected under a shade tree again today, Bre, Kate and I. And in the cooling waters of the Finca’s back yard, our hands stayed busy, while our hearts slowed down— for at least a few fleeting moments we rested our mama-souls. Leaning into one another, affirming, praising and recollect.  

It’s never enough, and it’s also always just enough time with these women, and our babies.

Song: Mazey Haze - Back to the Start 

Quote: "What we know of other people is only our memory of the moments during which we knew them. And they have changed since then. To pretend that they and we are the same is a useful and convenient social convention which must sometimes be broken. We must remember that at every meeting we are meeting a stranger." ~T.S. Eliot

The Complete Guide to the Benefits of Domestic Steel Staircases 

Introduction: a staircase is a line of steps built inside or outside a structure (building or external view arena or platform) to facilitate access or mobility within. The staircases can be built in various styles, designs, and materials in line with the original structural design. They are supported by balustrades and balconies (landing areas) for expansive views. So, why are the types and needs of staircases or steps on the structure anyway? 

Types of Steel Staircases for Domestic Uses and Functions 

Curved Staircases - you can add intricate 2D and 3D designs

Open-Plan Staircase - ultra-contemporary modern look 

Contemporary Metal and Glass Staircase - personalized suave cut design

Contemporary All-Glass Solution Staircase - you make a grand statement

Cantilever Staircase - fine hardwood treads and structural glass balustrade.

Top Highest Uses and Functions for Steel Staircases

(a). They Provide Access Between Structure Floors or Locations

A structure with multiple floors can create steel staircases to enhance movement from one floor to another. That ensures a building's full usability & functionality.

(b). They are Emergency Exit Channels Incase of Fire or Other Hazards

Sometimes, due to fire or other emergency exit needs, steel staircases help provide the fastest exit route. They are robust and can handle extra weight incase of stampedes.  

(c). They Enable the Shifting of Useful Input Materials for Businesses

Every business needs items daily or regularly to conduct its business. It needs a reliable way in and out to get the supplies. If the businesses are on the upper floors, the staircase becomes a necessary channel to keep the supplies coming. Moreso, it can keep its services or products available to its customers. 

(d). They Prevent Unfortunate Accidents from Slips and Falling Over.

A steel staircase has multiple benefits of protecting you from slipping and falling over. If used carefully, steel staircases will add safe and secure entry and exit from a building or structure.

(e). They Add Functionality and Appeal to Structures and Buildings

Buildings with escalator access tend to rely heavily on power availability to climb from one floor to another. If there's a power failure or escalator malfunction, it restricts access. That can limit building functionality in that window of a power outage. Moreover, They become deathtraps literally due to the inability to exit or enter. There's also a functional design appeal that staircases add to the structure's look. A case in point is the big ben clock tower in London. 

(f). They Help Manage the Inflow and Outflow of Occupants 

Are the premises or the structures used by several people? Or perhaps the structure has high footfalls all day and all year-around. It is easy and smooth for the users to move from one floor to another without disturbing or irritating each other. Sometimes, the escalators are claustrophobic too. Staircases provide a simple and healthier alternative.

(g). They are the Best Life and Health Boosting Workout Place

Do you hate gyms or other places where people gather to exercise? Your staircases are more than just steps or places that take you higher upwards. They can benefit your health when you climb them regularly. It has been proven they can boost blood circulation, improve blood pressure, reduce stress, and enhance fitness & agility. They empower you if you are trying to reduce weight slowly and keep fit all the time. There are multiple benefits of staircase climbing.

Summary: Whatever your staircase taste, it's obvious they add character to buildings and structures. And when it comes to steel staircases for domestic use, the options and choices are endless at Elysion. 

For More Info :- 

Glass Balustrades in UK

Steel Balconies for commercial

Source URL :- https://sites.google.com/view/steel-staircases-for-domestic/home

survey #011

“... so don’t you die today; no one could take your place over”

Do you know anyone that has a black belt in karate? Maybe, but not that I'm aware of. Would you rather take the elevator, escalator, or stairs? Escalator. I have a mild phobia of elevators and don't like the feeling in my stomach when you start to move on them, and I physically CANNOT climb but a very small number of steps in a stairway before my knees have completely given up. I would take THE sketchiest elevator over a decently-sized (by *my* standards) staircase. So basically, elevators are easiest for me. Do any lights stay on while you sleep? My snake's light does. Ugh, I have GOT to replace that lamp, considering red light is improper for her. I got ill-informed advice when I got her. Like it's not going to do her harm, it's just not optimal, which is what I want to offer my pets. It's just the ceramic heat emitter I got for her wasn't a high enough wattage for her terrarium, so I went back to the old light so she didn't freeze. If you have a notepad in your phone, what do you use it for the most? Oh GOD, I keep a lot in there. Just some include my dream tarantulas and ball pythons (plus ideal names), most desired pets as a whole (also with names lmao), drawing ideas, tattoo concepts, gift ideas for Girt, etc. Who is the last child that you took a photo with? Emerson, I believe. It was one of those miracle days she wanted to sit with me. How often do you wear hats? Never. Would you ever get a nature tattoo? Plan on many, dude. Will you be moving soon? Ugh, Mom and I both wish, but it's unlikely. Have you ever had a crush on someone of the same gender? Yup. Is there an artist or group that you didn’t used to like but has grown on you? With In This Moment, I initially wasn't a fan of Maria's voice, and now here they are up in the faves, haha. Have you ever cooked a meal for a large group of people? Nah. Do you enjoy being outside in the rain? No, I don't like getting wet. Who has the best hair that you know? *shrug* Have you ever been to an aquarium? Yup, at least one multiple times, and quite frankly it's a pretty shitty and dull aquarium, lol. I mean as an experience it's still cool, of course it is, but in the grand scheme of 'em all, this one is very underwhelming. Oh, and I went to SeaWorld (never do it) as a kid, and ig that's really just a big aquarium. Are you currently happy? "Happy" isn't the right word, no. I'm not sad, but not that, either. Share some lyrics to the last song you heard. Did a quick scan and it's only really fun in German, haha; the lines translate to "we only live once / we love life / we love love" which is nice and positive and all, but it's cool in its native tongue because "love" ("Liebe") and "life" ("Leben") can be pronounced very similarly or identically in certain sentence structures so it's just interesting to hear in a flow. What’s a TV show you’ve gotten into recently? Oh god, Mom likes this show with Guy Fieri called Diners, Drive-thrus, and Dives aND IT'S REALLY INTERESTING because he's basically checking out these totally random and obscure but very successful restaurants and Girt and I have developed a problem of watching it for entirely too long lmao Have you ever or are you on any type of anti-depressant? I've been on them for half my life and am now. Donuts or muffins? Donuts. What’s something you’ve been thinking about? A lot about the future and what I want. Do you or anyone you know have asthma? My mother does, and her mother did. Never gonna forget a childhood birthday party where Mom had to be taken to the ER for an attack. God that was terrifying. When did you last pump gas? I myself have never done it, oops. God I would be helpless on my own. Do you have a lazy eye? *I* think I look like I do when I smile, but no one's pointed it out before, so... Do you enjoy windy days? NO. Wind stresses me the fuck out because even on a crystal clear day, my brain connects it to tornadoes. I don't like the feeling of it, either. A breeze, cool. Wind, no. Do you experience secondhand embarrassment? Schadenfreude is a VERY real emotion, like I experience it painfully. ANYONE'S embarrassment makes me want to puke like I'm no joking, it makes me so fucking uncomfortable. What’s something that makes you feel young? Well, my insane ignorance regarding the ways of being an adult makes me feel like a child, and not at all in a good way. What makes you feel confident? Nothing, if I'm being honest. Do you have a flower bed or flowers planted around your place of residence? No, but there are some small bushes. Who is someone you find to be pretty? Oh JESUS, who to pick. You know what we goin' with Richard Kruspe as tribute to my fucking Tumblr reblogging meltdown with that man last night, get a fucking permit for that face sir What’s the heaviest weight you’ve ever lifted? Oh jeez, I don't know. Absolutely not a lot. I've always had weak upper-body strength, even when I was fit. Have you ever sat under a bridge? Yep, many a time since they're nice fishing spots. What is something you want? Since I'm consistently losing weight now, it's built up this momentum of just wishing it was all gone like, NOW NOW NOW when I know it's going to take time. To be entirely honest I think I'm already losing too fast anyway. Does your town have a lot of graffiti? It depends on what part of town you go to. In the sketchy area Hurricane Floyd rawdogged, even some residential houses are sprayed. The abandoned buildings are painted. Downtown where there's a lot of action, there's obviously not as much because you WILL be seen doing it, and there's already enough of a cop presence with the crime rate. Do you like mozzarella sticks? I actually don't, not into that kind of cheese. I mean like, I can eat some of it, but I won't be really enjoying it. Have you ever stepped on glass barefoot? AHHHHHHHHHHH not that I remember, but I once witnessed Colleen drop something and a shard jab up into her foot. It was actually extremely weird, my reaction: I felt somewhat like fainting, while blood and stuff doesn't even bother me. I guess it was just knowing my best friend got glass in her and me not knowing how deep yet. It was just a minor cut. What’s your opinion on The Beatles? I honestly am not and have never been a big fan. I never seek them out. The only song off the top of my head that I thoroughly enjoy is "Hey, Jude." Do you think it’s possible to fall in love with someone online? I wouldn't doubt it. Do you ever pluck your eyebrows? Not anymore, no. What is a TV show that you find annoying? The fact Teen Mom ever existed and still exists annoys the fuck out of me because I do NOT care what your intentions are, you're glorifying and monetizing an insanely difficult and unhealthy ordeal. Have you ever been scared of something you’ve seen on the internet? HAHA oh my god what was this stupid site I for some dumb reason knew as a kid... I'm quite certain it doesn't exist anymore, I think I even checked LONG ago, but something like "Black Sheep" or so? Anyway it had some I'm-trying-way-too-hard-too-be-scary videos on it and Mom eventually blocked the site because Nicole and I got scared laksjdflkajdfsljlkajklwje jesus take the WHEEL Do you share any of the same favorite bands as your parents/guardian? I sure do! It's funny, this is Mom's favorites list: 1.) Metallica, 2.) Ozzy Osbourne, and I'm her inverse, haha. She also enjoys most of my other faves, and I also am fond of Dad's #1, Van Halen. Do you or anyone you know want to run for any political office? No. Do you have any alcohol in your house? I feel like there's a bottle of something that's been in the fridge forever. Would you want to know if you were adopted? Are you adopted? I would absolutely want to know, but I'm not adopted. Is there a tv family that reminds you of yours? Possibly, idk. What was your parents’ opinion on same-sex relationships? Mom, full support. I don't know about my dad with certainty, but he probably is "whatever, weird, but ain't about me" regarding it. At least, I can easily imagine that just given his general outlook on life. His wife is homophobic, however, so I have my sad doubts. What is one animal unique to your country/area of the world? Bison. Buffalo =/= bison, btw. What’s one alcoholic beverage that you do not enjoy? God, I won't forget that white wine at Colleen's. Absolute bitter garbage. Have you ever had someone throw up on you before? NO laksjdf;akwejoawjer this is one of my top reasons I am VERY apprehensive to the idea of kids because *I* would add to the puke trying to clean it up. I just can't, dude. Do you prefer pads or tampons, if you need them? I find both uncomfortable in different ways, but I'd rather suffer through a tampon. I've thought about testing other products BECAUSE I really hate both of those, but y'know, squeamishness and unfamiliarity and all. Do you iron your clothes at all? Mom only irons something if it really needs it. Do you like candy corn or hate it? I loathe it, that shit is wax. Do you always shower immediately after sex? I'd go to the bathroom, but I'm not immediately hopping in a shower. How old did your oldest pet live to be? What kind of pet was it? I want to say Teddy was our oldest, and he lived to either 12 or 13, I'm oddly spacing on it right now. When was your curfew when you were younger? I want to say it was 10:30? Have you ever busted a window accidentally? No, but oh lord this reminded me of some shit my nephew did, throwing a ball way too hard and it shattered the glass door to the house. I am GLAD I wasn't there for that shit, apparently Nick nearly exploded. It's replaced now btw, haha. Do you own any pocket knives? No, I really don't like knives. How many languages can you greet somebody in? Like... five? Idk there's a lot of obvious ones that I'm probs forgetting. Do you have a favorite planet? Saturn has always been the reigning queen, but I am also a massive Jupiter fan. Neptune is pretty as well! Man, all the planets are. Space is cool. Do you know how to play the flute? Oh wow, one ACTUALLY targeted at something I can play lol, yes. I played it all through middle school and then I want to say my first two or three years of HS. I was actually pretty good at it; I remember once being second chair in middle school (my best friend Hannia was always the first chair champ), but I remember nearly nothing now. What’s a medication that has really helped you? Latuda is lit-er-a-lly why I am still alive. Do you forgive easily? Yeah, honestly. Have you ever broken up with somebody? Yes. What was the biggest phase you went through when you were younger? Uhhhh... idk Have you ever seen a spider consume another spider? It's possible I've seen this happening on a small scale irl, idk, but I've only ever very briefly seen female tarantulas killing/starting to eat their partner on video if the supervisor was incapable of separating them in time. It's unfortunate but very normal. I do want to take a moment to point out though that I do not and would fucking never watch those appalling "bug vs. bug"-type videos where some asshole just throws two critters into a little tank and see who wins and who dies. I CANNOT wrap my head around YouTube keeping those up. You are LITERALLY broadcasting animal cruelty, get that shit out. Have you ever been to a church camp? Ugh, yes. One of things i just... *did* with my sisters because my mom wanted us to. I remember having good times, but also not-so-good times at them because yeah, let's teach little kids about hammering nice men and his believers onto crosses and throwing rocks at them 'n' shit, gg. Please just let your kids choose if they want to pursue religious education, ffs. Have you ever been dehydrated? I am like... 100% of the time dehydrated, legit. I've heard it enough. Would you say you’re well-educated on religious topics? I spent most of my life trying to validate religion. I'm long done with it. Do you like Skittles? I LOVE Skittles, especially the sour ones. Did you used to read Dr. Seuss books as a kid? Of course! Green Eggs & Ham was my SHIT. God I remember my mom reading that stupid book to me so much, lmao. What’s the longest you’ve had to wait in line for something? It would without a doubt have been something at Disney World, but I have zero recollection of an approximate wait. What’s the sickest you’ve ever been? I'm actually gonna cover this on the physical AND mental front for the helluvit: Physically, it was this stomach virus I once had while still in my school ages. I don't remember any time more specific than that, but I just remember how BAD it was. I just would not stop vomiting to where even bile was barely coming up anymore. I couldn't keep saltine crackers down. That experience SUUUUUUUUUUCKED. Mentally, I think the answer's blaringly obvious to anyone who knows anything about my mental health struggles: 2016, the breakup aftermath. I remember eventually reaching such a low where not only was I practically bedridden, but I would sometimes nap like five fuckin times a day. I didn't want to exist, but was scared to die. I pray to god, to life itself, that I never, ever experience an emotional darkness that black ever again. If you had to be named after an inanimate object, what would you choose? Uhhh... I don't know. I want to say something nature-oriented, but plants and stuff are very much alive and to some extent animate, so. Oh, maybe a gem, like Ruby. Yeah, Ruby. What is one food you would not like to give up? Not exactly a food itself, but GLUTEN. Oh dear god, I am a bread FIEND and I think having such a restrictive diet would murder me. Would you ever donate a kidney to a stranger, if applicable? It's selfish, but to be entirely honest, for a stranger, no, unless of course I'm already dead, seeing as I'm a keen organ donor and encourage everyone to be. Do you have any unusual things wrong with your body? (I have different length arms and hands for example) I'm aware my breasts aren't entirely congruent, but that's very normal and isn't something you'll really notice unless you're like, me. My weight also isn't distributed totally evenly, something *I* think is very obvious when you look at my stomach. What search engine do you use? Google is That Bitch Have you ever had a flat tire? I've never had my own vehicle, but I do remember ALL the way back when my parents were together and we were going some place far, one of the tires on the van gave out and we had to use the spare donut one.

Grand Staircase

Turn here to go to Reflection Canyon. The directions were hike about 7 miles, not to close to the cliff, but not too far away either. Then when you see this cliff turn left. No official trail just follow the footprints. Sounds like a nice adventure.