#(this is during the green rain event btw)

[butteriish]

as if i couldnt love seb anymore. hes so cute <333

[ksenya-and-the-artistic-cucumber]

Critters

Oodles of doodles - from those between classes to small gifts for @silkysong to mid-travel knee-mounted scribblings

Also ft. @kaisumisu and @shkika bc their sonas are so. Scrimbly. In my brain forever

[oathofkaslana]

collei iceberg EXPLAINED???????

plants: "sprout of rebirth" indicative of her continuous growth and healing. seen in both the metaphors that always liken her to a plant, her dendro vision, her being the first sumeru character we ever meet, her birthday being in spring etc. also feeds into the symbolism that fire means for her.

water: imagery of collei drowning often used as a representation of collei having a panic attack or anxiety attack, water is associated with healing, water is a necessity for plants, collei gaining her vision in the rain.

fire: the archon residue is described as a being made of black/purple fire, amber (the most important person in her life) has a pyro vision and is constantly being described as someone warm, she was able to leave the fatui's base she was kept in because it burned down. fire is both a necessity for life (warmth, representative of the sun, forest fires bringing way for new sprouts) and a destructive force (i dont have to give examples for this do i). to collei, it's indicative of change.

sun: okay stay with me. plants need the sun to grow; amber is compared to being "as warm as the sun" in collei's character story; one of cyno's motifs is the eye of ra, which relates to the sun; in the sealing ritual he performs, collei stands in the center of a large sun symbol; the ritual was intentionally performed in the morning because it was when the archon residue was weakest; theres a hidden quest in collei's hut that involves bringing a plant of hers outside so it can get sunlight; the sun is an important symbol for life. the sun represents collei's "rebirth"

rebirth: oh rebirth metaphor the things you have done for me.. obviously sprout of rebirth; her alias in the genius invokation event being "revived serval"; cyno, the person who led the sealing ritual, being inspired by anubis, the guide of the dead; "cats have nine lives" idiom; ouroboros; the archon residue being from a dead archon; the box she was put in during the wt being shaped like a coffin; sumeru's continuous theme of rebirth (ex: nahida & rukkhadevata, dottore & his clones, scaramouche & wanderer, the aranaras, even the caribert archon quest). note that the connections back to sumeru are pivotal bc again, collei is the first sumeru character we meet.

mummy: relevant to the cyno thing but deserves its own bullet point. collei's wraps being undone after the ritual (her point of rebirth); anubis being an overseer of funerary rites including the mummification process; i have to emphasize again that anubis is the guide of the dead this is literally cyno leading collei out of death do you see i feel sick

cats and snake: collei was drawn as a cat in the wt, her constellation is a serval (a kind of cat), the doll she has to represent herself is a green cat. in contrast, the archon residue is represented by a snake. cats and snakes are natural enemies. see above w the "cats have nine lives" idiom and the ouroboros. also relevant to the ouroboros: the archon residue actively fed off of collei's negative thoughts and would thus feed it and her hatred. at the same time, it was often her only means of defense even thought she hated using it because it was something her abuser gave to her. the archon residue both protected her and harmed her.

green and purple: complementary colors; the colors of her hair and eyes, the color of cuilein-anbar and the archon residue; in video games, green is often representative of healing and purple is often representative of poison and harm, wt collei often being cast in purple shadows because of her white clothes vs in game collei who is drenched in green.

dolls and plays: cuilien-anbar being a doll representative of collei; collei having a baron bunny doll in her home; dolls being a childhood toy that lets kids play the roles of others and themselves; her fight with kaeya runs under this play metaphor (which sets them up as narrative parallels btw bc its also a consistent metaphor w kaeya); all of these components coming together when you remember in-game collei has been playing the role of amber and wt collei has been playing the role of the suspect/villain. DO YOU FUCKING SEE.

writing: also relevant to the latter but it puts collei outside of the story, giving her control over her own story rather than being a character in someone else's story. shown in her healing running alongside her learning how to write and her interest in light novels.

clothes/sewing: this one kills me again stay with me okok. when we first meet collei she doesnt even have a shirt. she only has pants, a cloak, a hat, and a bunch of bandages wrapped around her body. amber gives her a set of clothes to wear. when she tears these clothes, she makes an active effort to sew them up and repair them. her interest in sewing also leads to her making cuilien-anbar btw. if you even care.

medicine/healthcare: tighnari and dottore both being doctors of some sort, dendro being representative of healing, her being how we even learn about eleazar, the link between archon residue and health (extends in baizhu's story quest. yk. baizhu the fucking doctor)

[imaginativeamateur]

shoyu broth with chashu and wonton together with some green tea to table 6, please ! congratulations btw, I imagine many more milestones to come too, given the quality of your work.

[Kiba Inuzuka X Reader] Yes, Sunshine

|500 Followers Event|

Order: Table 6: Shoyu Ramen with Chashu and Wonton, Green tea

Pairing: Kiba Inuzuka x fem!Reader

Note: I passed out after writing this because of the sugar it contains OH MY GOODNESS. I find this to be a continuation of "Promised" and "All Over Again". This is so cool, anyway, thanks for requesting :DD I hope you'll enjoy the Ramen!

So far the weather has been nothing but depressing. It rained from when you opened your eyes early in the morning. The sky was still pouring by the time you were ready to snuggle under your blanket to call it a day. A day without Kiba was like a day without sunshine—your sunshine.

The Inuzuka went on a mission with his team three days ago and you have not heard anything from him from the day he departed. You saw him off at the gates like normal and your walk back home was enveloped in the arms of loneliness. Tossing and turning around in your shared bed that felt empty without his warmth, your mind was a void. You reached your hand out to his side of the mattress and smoothed the drapes with your palm, reminiscing his presence when he cradled you to sleep every night. The candle you lit earlier was waning, telling that the night was only going to wander deeper as time fleeted—the rain was your only companion on this lonesome journey.

You drifted to sleep in the quiet melody of the late-night rain, hugging your body as you braced yourself from the breezes that came with nature’s cry. Albeit the chilly atmosphere, you suddenly felt a warm sensation around your waist, then air blowing at your nape. You shuddered, your eyes opened, trying to flip around to see what was going on, but Kiba’s voice muffledly greeted you in the process.

“I miss you.”

His voice was soft, too hushed that you were afraid it would vanish into the thin air, swallowed by the raindrops that padded the window. You clasped your hand on his arms that circled your waist and tilted your head backward to look at his face. Kiba’s hair was dampened, his eyes half-lidded, and his skin warm against yours.

“When did you get back?” You questioned, batting your eyelashes to wash away the sleepiness.

“Not too long ago,” he grinned, “sorry for waking you up like this. It’s still early.”

You shook your head sideways and turned around, diving into his broad and comfortable chest. You greedily inhaled his familiar scent and closed your eyes again, “It’s okay. I'm glad you're back.”

Kiba stroke your hair with tenderness, “Something interesting happened during the mission.”

He stopped speaking, and your glance up at him, “What happened?”

The brunette began to rub circles on your back now as he hummed, “I met a couple.”

“They met when they were still kids, stuck together for years. She was his company and he was her shoulder to lean on every time she felt down. But then she had to leave his side for a long time. They didn’t see each other until they were both grown-ups. When she left, he spent his time thinking about her smile, her voice, her everything. He certainly realized that he couldn’t let go of her, never in his lifetime. And the moment they met again, he knew that he had to make her his. But she became more beautiful then, more…extraordinary that he thought he no longer had a place in her heart. He didn’t know she felt the same way for him, all along, they didn’t know that the other person was their…destiny.”

You listened to Kiba’s narrative, hands perched on his shoulders as you took in the words that spilled out of his lips like you were hypnotized. This narrative was oddly similar to…your own story with Kiba. You gulped, waiting for him to continue with your heart beating nervously.

“And one night, when they were curled up in each other’s arms, listening to each other’s heartbeat, he decided this that it was the moment that he was waiting for his entire life.”

Your breath hitched, hoping that he would pull off a joke, that was more like Kiba’s personality. But as opposed to the playful image of him in your mind, the brunette’s face was serious. Now, you were completely awake. The look in his eyes was the most determined one you had ever seen in those black orbs, and there was also a hint of hope. You chuckled lightly, trying to dissipate your anxiety, “What did he do? Did he give her a jumpscare or something, and then laugh it off? That’d be fun, you know…”

“You’re right” Kiba nodded, “he laughed. They laughed.”

You felt your body relaxing, letting out a long exhale but his next revelation made your breath stuck in your lungs. “He laughed delightedly after she said ‘Yes.'”

You hastily sat up and stared at Kiba, eyes wide. Your voice was trembling as you spoke, “Said ‘Yes’ to what?”

He did not answer your question, and waves of all sorts of emotions washed over you alarmingly. You were too nervous to even notice that the rain had stopped when the sun began rising in the east, silencing the surroundings of your shared apartment. In no time, Kiba was on his knees, pulling something out of his back pocket that had you tearing up.

“He asked her, ‘Will you marry me?’”

You could not find the ability to open your lips or blink your eyes. Even breathing seemed impossible hearing those words from his lips. You whimpered, your eyes were red from holding in the tears that were no longer in your control, dainty pearls rolling down your cheeks as you clasped a hand over your mouth.

“Kiba, I-I—”

You were babbling nonsense and he sweetly smiled, holding out his hand for you to place yours in it. And you did, giving him your quivering hand for him to slide the ring onto your finger and place a warm kiss atop of it. Then you felt something wet and hot on the back of your hand—his tears.

“Yes, I will.” You whispered once you were in his arms again. Tears were still prickling at your eyelashes. “I’ll say it as many times as you want me to. Yes, I will marry you. Yes, I want to be your wife. Yes, I’ll love you forever.”

Outside, the sky was brightening, and the glowing sun showed itself behind the mountain ranges. The trees, the flowers, the birds now had their sun to admire. You also had yours, forever.

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

Taglist: @dai-tsukki-desu @darling-imobsessed @animepickle7 @simping-master-69 @tirzamisu @rinnegankakashi @the-tiniest-one @greenshirtimagines @adeards @chloe-secret @rory-cakes @byyalady

[baka-monarch]

The Borrower Spy

I did that thing I said I was gonna do- the Borrower Me thing- I did it- here it is- (btw it takes place before Dream is in prison-)

I'll reblog this later once I have drawings made since I'm going to count this as dsmp sona-

Roman ran through the rain, trying to get to the community house before the mud would begin flooding. He did not want to almost drown again. Luckily he made it just in time as he jumped onto the wooden floor, the mud where he had once stood caved into mush as the water flooded out of the dirt making a huge muddy lake. As Roman looked around he spotted the Prime Path and suddenly wondered why he hadn't just walked on it….. until the water continued to flood up and cover it. Right. That's why. If he'd been standing on the path when that happened he would've been dragged away with a current- not exactly a good thing.

Either way, he'd made it. Now all he had to do was grab some stuff from a chest and wait out the storm. Roman made his way over to one of the many huge by comparison, chests in the Community House. He didn't even bother to get out his hook, already having a small hidden door in the side of it for him to enter at the bottom. It was something he'd worked with some other Borrowers to make a while back so they could always have access to the extra resources the Beings of this server didn't need. Most of the time Borrowers came here for food, small pieces of wool, or string- but today Ran had a different goal in mind.

Weapons. It wasn't a surprize that any of his fellow Borrowers found it difficult to move around the server, there weren't enough torches in some places to keep the huge mobs from spawning, and it was difficult for Borrowers to get the supplies to make torches (as Beings seemed to have a tendency to burn up coal quickly or leave it in dangerous smealters), it was made even more difficult as they could only move during the night unless they wanted to be seen. So Roman had decided to come to the community to gather supplies for weapons- because even if not all the Borrowers he knew could fight, at least those who did would now have the proper weapons to protect those Borrowers with. What Roman had not accounted for, however, was the thunderstorm that had started halfway to the Community House. Which is how he found himself stuck for the time being- but at least he would be able to make weapons.

There was another problem though that Roman hadn't planned for that he quickly discovered through the all too familiar booming footsteps now accompanied with a loud splash each step. "Shit…" the Borrower hybrid muttered to himself as he looked out of the Community House door to see a human wearing a smiling mask running through the rain right in his direction. In a split second decision, Roman climbed into the chest and sealed the door behind him, but not before spotting a bottle. For once he was glad that his poncho was a dark purple instead of black as he climbed inside and curled up, hoping to look like a potion.

The roaring thunder almost seemed to pause as Roman listened to the footsteps get closer and closer, until they stopped in front of his chest. The world was silent for a minute as the loud creaking of a chest opening rang out around Roman, in a deafening silence that didn't even exist. The Borrower covered his mouth instinctively, as if he needed to stop the Being from hearing his breathing. He listened to the items around him being shuffled around by a huge hand that he could almost see if he looked up just enough- but he couldn't less he be caught, he didn't want to see it anyways.

Time froze when it finally happened. In slow motion, Roman watched as huge fingers wrapped around the glass holding him and began to lift it out of the chest… taking the Borrower with it. As Roman was raised to be face to face with that emotionless white mask, he felt a scream get caught in his throat. This was every Borrower's worst nightmare, and it was now happening to Roman. What was even worse was that he recognised that mask from rumors- he had been caught by none other than the infamous Dream.

"Well, isn't this interesting?" Roman could practically hear Dream's smile as they spoke. It was terrifying, but he forced a glare onto his face as he looked into the green eyes of the masked man. "A brave thing then?" Dream shook the bottle, eliciting a yelp from the Borrower. "Or not." The Being tipped the bottle, shaking it a little more as Roman tried to hold the walls, forcing the tiny hybrid to fall right into their hand.

Roman shivered at the uncomfortable warmth of the hand and tried to scoot away from the Being, but was quickly stopped by a wall of fingers behind him. Dream chuckled, pulling Roman out of his frightened state enough to go back to glaring at them.

"I assume you're here for items?" It was a simple statement, pointed by Dream tilting their head to the chest Roman had previously been hiding in.

"Y- yeah… a- and why's it matter to- to you?" Roman spoke, cringing at his own stutter. He knew it was dumb to try and talk his way out of this, but what else could he do? Even if he followed the rules he'd more than likely be killed by this person.

"Well…" It only took a millisecond for the Being's grip to change, so fast that Roman didn't even process it, before he was being squeezed Inna fist. "I can give you them- for a price" Roman barely listened as he squirmed in the fist wanting nothing more than to be let go and mlg to safety.

"H- how the fuck wo- would I even pay you back?" Roman glared up into the mask, continuing to writhe in a fist that had an unloosening grip.

"Quite easily actually, you don't even have to do anything you don't already- I just need you to listen" Dream shrugged, as if he hadn't just spat nonsense that confused the Borrower even more.

"What's… what's that supposed to mean?" He looked into those ominous eyes with confusion.

"It's your size- I need it for information, I know that you and your little friends hear a lot in those walls of your's" Finally, the Being set Roman down, as if they knew he wouldn't run… and he didn't, he was far too shocked to.

"Y- you… you know-"

"Of course I know! It's my server you think I'm not going to notice a bunch of tiny… THINGS running around?" He laughed a little. "No, I've known for a while… I could've asked any of you for this…" The Being bent over and leaned their face in close to Roman, making the Borrower stumble back. "The problem was catching you. And look! You've practically given yourself to me!!" They stood up straight again, spreading their arms, proving a point… and sending a shiver down Roman's spine.

"S- so…. You… you want information?" Dream nodded. "Information that I overhear… l- like… like a spy?" Roman hugged himself, needing the small bit of comfort as he priced it together.

"Exactly! I knew you things were smart!!" As Dream cackled in victory, the Borrower backed up, a horrible feeling of dread taking over.

"Can't- wouldn't it be better to just have a Bei- a big person- do it?" Roman fidgeted with his poncho nervously. What was he about to get himself into.

"Oh, I already do… but people can't always be around to hear everything… like when someone's alone- which is why using you would be so great!" Roman could hear their smile and hated it. "Now, of course, you'll be payed in whatever items you need"

"...What kind of items?" Roman couldn't stop his curiosity. Of course it was dumb to even be considering this but… it's not exactly easy to borrow.

"Anything you need at the time- not want, need. Food, wool, weapons-"

"Weapons!!" Roman shouted, and immediately raised his arms up in defense as he realized he'd city of what Dream had been saying…. But nothing happened.

"Yes, weapons" Dream said it slowly, a curiosity playing at his words. "Do you need weapons?" Roman hesitated with an answer, but began to nod. He doubted he would have even been able to find stone here anyways. "Then get me the information I want."

"I…." Roman paused. Would this really be worth it? Working with a human- not just a human but one that everyone seemed to hate? If he didn't they'd probably kill him anyways- but if he did…. He could help so many of his friends, and family. Besides, it's not like the events in the Beings' lives would affect Borrowers too much. What'd they even do that'd be bad, blow up all of L'manburg? Nobody would do that again after Wilbur died. "... I can do that. I'll get your information."

"Good. Then it's a deal." The Being gave his finger to the Borrower, who quickly shook it.

With that, the deal was made.

[mysticalrunawayprincess]

Everything He Ever Wanted

Hi Guys! This is a new Jay Park fanfic I’m working on (because we are in a serious shortage and us girls need our fantasy fix!) Its about Jay falling in love and wanting to settle down, and all the headache and heartache that ensues (cue lots of angst, sexy times and love :P). I post the stories on Wattpad as I’m not sure if I’d be able to post the full story on here (Tumblr guidelines and stuff) but I am going to be posting the first chapter here and then every time I publish a new chapter I’ll post the links for you to read. The story is for 18ANDOVER! If you are not 18 this story isn’t for you (sorry). And Jay if you are reading this: its pure fantastical fiction! I don’t mean to embarrass or cast aspersions on you in any kind of way. If you are reading this (PLEASE dont lol), I hope I did your fantasy character justice :P. For the rest of you, happy reading!

Oh BTW: New Chapters every Friday, but you get this one a day early just because I love y’all!!! xxxxxxxxxx

1. Home Is Where The Heart was

An exhausted sigh left Jay's lips in a rush, as he entered through the  open door and dropped his bags on the heated marble flooring.

Having been away on tour for 6 weeks Jay had a lot of bags to carry; all heavy, all full of laundry.

He paused and took a breath in, savouring the smell of home, the smell of Her.

She  hadn't been home in a long time. This was no longer to be Her home;  hell it hadn't even been Her "home" for longer than a few weeks, most of  which she had spent elsewhere (or rather somewhere else). But since She  had been the last person in the house before Jay had left for the tour,  Her scent still lingered. And it was this scent that invaded Jay's  senses, coiling around his synapses and holding them at ransom as his  mind cast back to the last moment he saw Her.

Jay stood watching   Her leave through the polished glass doors of his office building, Her   words still ringing in his ears like a death knell, "We can't do this   any more Jay, I have to go back and live my life..." She took a pause   here, her perfectly soft and plump lips quivering momentarily, almost as  if to hold Her back from completing the sentence,"... and you have to live yours."

Now the thing is, when Jay first saw Her walk  through the doors; Her soft hair in which he loved to bury his face now  framing Her face in a twist-out that beautifully rippled in the light  breeze of the evening night air as She stepped through the glass door,  his heart had soared and swooped the same way it did every day since the  very first day he had seen Her.

His face broke into an  unstoppable smile as he outstretched his arms to embrace Her,   automatically breathing in Her scent as She stepped into his embrace,   clinging to him as though She would be otherwise flung into the furthest  reaches of space.

Jay hadn't noticed the shine of unshed tears  demanding to be released. He hadn't noticed the taxi outside, and he  certainly didn't know that it was taking Her to the airport.

He was oh-so blissfully unaware of  all of these little details.

She had been going back and forth with this for weeks, months even, ever  since  their relationship had first begun showing signs of becoming  more serious (unbeknownst to Jay). And try as She might, She knew this  couldn't work; there were too many moving parts, too many things to  consider and too many sacrifices to be made. She thought it best that  She end this now before it got too serious and whilst they were still  able to at least salvage some sort of friendship from the wreckage.

Noticing She was lost in thought, Jay nudged Her, asking if She were OK.

Now  on the way over here, She had already told herself  that She wasn't  going to cry and do the whole melodramatic stuff; that She was going to  keep it light and factual and hoped he would understand.

And so  when She quickly lifted Her head to meet his eye, Her face had already  settled into a bright and easy smile, belying the ton of bricks that She  was about to drop onto the smitten and unsuspecting Jay Park.

Now,  as he watched Her leave after begging Her to reconsider ("... you don't  have to do this..."). His heart beat harder with every step She took   to the waiting cab outside. He was frozen helpless, unable to stop this  series of Very Unfortunate and Fucked Up Events.

He watched the taxi drive away, taking with it the only piece of true happiness that he had ever felt in a long, long time.

And he had let it happen.

BZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

The  vibration of Jay's phone broke him out of his reverie with a snap. He  thrust his hand into his pocket and pulled it out, glancing at the  screen as he made his way to the kitchen.

BZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

He paused with his hand on the handle of the refrigerator, his thumb hovering indecisively over the phone screen.

BZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

He  rolled his eyes and pressed the green button, putting the phone to his  ear at the same time as he pulled open the refrigerator door.

"Heeeeeyyyyyy  bro, whatcha doin'?" the gravelly voice of Jay's business partner Mike  came through the phone as vivid as if he were standing in the room,  rather than 5,000 miles away.

"Hey, Mike" Jay chuckled. "Not much, just got back."

"How was the tour?"

"Yeah it was good. The guys killed as usual," said Jay, into an empty fridge.

"Did you get any numbers?" Jay could practically hear the Cheshire Cat smile on Mike's face as he asked this question.

He  sighed as he closed the refrigerator door and made his way to the  living room. "No I didn't get any numbers Mike" Jay said, plopping down  dejectedly onto his plush sofa, allowing his head to fall back, eyes  staring straight at the ceiling.

"Jay, you are really wasting your unlimited pussy allowance, man!"  groaned Mike. Jay chuckled in response, closing his eyes and wearily  raising a hand to rub them. "Dude you should be literally DROWNING in  pussy!"

"I'm too busy for all that extra shit, Mike." Jay sighed.

"Extra  shit? Dude." Mike was all seriousness now, leaving a pause so pregnant  that it caused Jay to sit up and open his eyes. "You are never, too  tired, for pussy!" Jay fell back into his original position, another  exhausted sigh leaving his lips as he landed except this time, he had a  little smile on his face.

Mike's dry humour was a welcome salve right now anyway.

"Plus, Jay; I'm married."

"I know Mike."

"So that means I'm living vicariously through you, my dude!"

"Mike-"

"Look,  forget about all that anyway" Mike interrupted Jay, sensing he was not  perhaps his usual playful self and wondering if he had perhaps struck a  nerve.

Mike was quite intuitive, even if he sometimes came off as  oblivious. In his world, he found that feigning ignorance can sometimes  be a better strategy around people, especially when dealing with the  types of sensitive and high-flying businessmen he was used to dealing  with on a daily basis.

Or when his friend had something - or  someone - on his mind that may need to be discussed away over copious  amounts of alcohol sometime in the near-future.

"Remember you  have the interview with Vogue Korea about the new AOMG site and app,"  said Mike making a mental note to revisit this again at a later time.

"Yeah" sighed Jay gratefully, thankful for the change in subject. "When is it again?"

"Friday. 9.30AM"

Jay pulled his phone away from his ear and checked the screen. The interview would be in three days time.

"Cool, my assistant already has the details anyway. I'll check my emails to see when the car will be arriving."

"Sweet. Hit me up later, so we can talk a bit about the Nike deal. But until then; GET SOME SLEEP."

Click

Mike ended the call.

Jay  allowed the phone to slide from his ear onto the sofa next to him,  bringing both hands up to gently rub his face before dropping his head  back and allowing his arms to drop onto the sofa back. The huge floor to  ceiling windows directly opposite bathed him in the light of the  setting sun, as he allowed his exhausted and aching body to sink deeper  into his seat.

As his mind drifted, he remembered a particular  evening spent on this same sofa during a thunderstorm not too long after  he had first met Her. In fact, there were many evenings he remembered  being spent on this sofa (not all of them as innocent as the particular  evening he currently had in mind however, but all of them just as  enjoyable).

Sharing one of those huge soft furry blankets that  She loved so much, with a low fire burning in the marble wood-burning  fireplace to the right of them.

She had been drinking Jack  Daniel's, and he had been drinking soju, both just talking to and laughing with each other in an atmosphere of comfortability, while   outside torrential rain pounded against the monolithic windows and   brilliant forks of lightening spilt the charcoal grey and roiling sky,   causing occasional rolls of thunder which reverberated throughout the   building.

The dichotomy of the chaos on one side of the window pane, versus the serenity on the other hadn't been lost on either of them.

Every  now again She would interrupt the freely-flowing conversation to point  out a particularly spectacular lightning strike or a close roll of  thunder would make Jay jump, which he would then try to disguise by  acting as though he was just moving positions on the couch or picking  up/putting down his glass (which She very politely acted like She did  not notice, or turned away to hide Her smile - which he had gratefully   appreciated).

Her being in Jay's house had been perfectly  innocent at the time, having being introduced through his artist Jarv  Dee, Jay had innately felt at ease around Her. She had an easy-going and  relaxed nature, with a quick wit and genuine smile. He became further  intrigued when he found out that She was a full-stack developer and  promptly discussed possibly working together on something some time.  Which is how the new AMOG website and H1gher app came about.8

That was exactly one year ago from today and 5 months from the day She ripped out Jay's heart and stomped all over it.

"We can't do this Jay..."

Her words echoed around his head like a death knell.

Jay  had spent every waking moment carefully analysing every detail of their  interactions - every facial expression, every vocal inflection - in the  hopes of being able to at least understand WHY She had done this.

Did he say something - do something - to scare her off?

How, when things were going so good between them, could she just end everything and leave so suddenly?

Jay  was aware that he was getting older but, he hadn't really ever thought  of what the future would look like for him and who he would want to  settle down with. The kind of jet-setting lifestyle Jay led meant he had  the luxury of being able to avoid thinking about such things under the  guise of being "too busy".  And with the fast life Jay led, the women he  came across had been just as fast.

That is until he had met Her.

Meeting Her had made him truly question his life dynamic, made him want to change his dynamic.

Made  him think about when would be the time to put down the mic for good and  step back to make way for the younger artists coming up behind him?

Jay  had almost single-handedly built an entire musical empire in a foreign  land, which meant he really had to think about who it was he wanted to  share that with.

A thought he had never needed to have before Her.

She  had awakened something in him that he had been confident was dormant,  something which he had convinced his concerned parents and nagging  brother he wasn't quite ready for.

She made him think more of the life after. After all the parties, interviews, world travelling, and screaming fans.

Of the life he lived when he was just Jay, the dorky kid from Seattle.

Who did he want to come home to? Who did he want waiting for him when the lights had faded and the music stopped?

The  morning after the lightening storm had been the first time Jay had  woken up to Her. They had fallen asleep where they sat in Jay's plush  sofa, having spent the evening bonding over their respective careers,  old 90s RnB and alcohol. Seeing her head resting upon the opposite  armrest of his sofa, the golden rays of the early morning sun  illuminating the golden undertones of Her skin, made something inside  him sing. He knew he liked having Her around, liked hearing Her voice,  liked knowing she was OK.

He loved being in her presence, hearing Her laugh, seeing Her focused frown whilst She was working.

He loved smelling Her, breathing Her in whenever he could.

He loved hearing Her footsteps on his hardwood floor.

He hated not knowing why it went wrong.

But  in just a few days the H1gher app and new AOMG website was due to go  live, meaning She would be coming back to Korea for the launch.

Meaning She and Jay would be in each other's company for the first time since Her departure.

Meaning Jay would not only have to face Her, but once She left he'd have to relive the pain of her leaving all over again.

Jay groaned inwardly.

This should be fun, he thought humourlessly.

Jay reached for his phone beside him and dialled an all too familiar number.

"Hello?" Came the answer down the line.

"Hey, is she free?"

"Good evening, Mr Park. Yes she is free. Regular timing?"

Jay let out a barely audible sigh, his 1000th in the 45 minutes he'd been home. He wouldn't need too long. "Yeah."

"She will arrive in 30 minutes."

Jay ended the call.

He  stood and made his way to his drinks cabinet, pouring himself some  Hennessey before walking over to the window to take a sip, surveying the  evening sky and awaiting his visitor.

The objective of the visit was purely for the purposes of release.

And as Jay's buzzer rang twenty-five minutes later, he knew that's all anyone who wasn't Her could offer him.

[theincompetentgenius]

Hey, could you give me a match up or life generator for IkeSen? Anything is fine. I'm like 156cms (I know ;_;) I'm introverted but curious by nature. I'm also much of a talker when I become friends with someone. Kinda sassy, likes cats,dogs, raccoons (you get it) and philosophy. I get frightened easily, a box falling from my shelf suddenly can get me screaming 😂 I am a dork. Just found your blog btw and I love it 😭💖

Thanks for sending in the request and I’m sorry about the wait! Also, can I say thank you because your request saved my writer’s block because I got carried away?

Thank you for your interest in the world of Ikemen Sengoku. You will shortly be reborn in your new life. The simulation will begin in 3..... 2..... 1.......

B A C K G R O U N D

Your story began right before your first job interview in Japan. You had graduated from college a few months ago with an economics major and a philosophy minor. Many considered it a peculiar blend of studies, but the contrasting subjects allowed you to enjoy your time at college while maintaining the image of a unique candidate. All throughout school, your academics were fairly strong. It wasn’t the golden 4.0, but high enough to land you your first job. The only issue was that your Japanese wasn’t the strongest, so you were worried about not being able to convey your thoughts properly. To deal with this, you practiced in advance. 

On the way to your interview, you noticed that the clouds had become larger and darker. You didn’t want to be reckless, but there was lots of traffic on the road and your interview was in fifteen minutes. If it started raining, then traffic would probably stop moving and you would be late, so you looked for an alternative route on your GPS. Luckily enough, there was a route that would get you to your destination in time. So you took the closest exit and left that mess.

The streets of the detour were small and narrow. The clouds had become so dark that it looked more like midnight than an afternoon. A shiver ran down your spine. The faster you got out of there, the better. It was not long before the rain started, thunder echoing in the background.  You slowed down the speed of your car and proceeded with caution. 

Your car broke down halfway through the detour. After jamming your keys to start the car (with no results), you got out of your car to search for help. You saw a man in a white lab coat with glasses on the porch of a quaint cottage and rushed to him.

“Can you help me? My car broke down in the middle of the road. ” Your voice was filled with desperation.

He was startled by your sudden appearance. “Ma’am, you need to leave. There is a wormhole that is going to open in a few minutes.”

“I can’t leave if my car doesn’t start.” A clash of thunder echoed in the background. You jumped from the loud noise and looked back at the man.

“Alright, I’ll look for some numbers that you can call to help you. However, I think that this area is extremely unsafe for you,” He said, pulling out his phone.

You nodded. As you waited for the young man in the lab coat, the storm intensified. Hints of blue and green sprouted from the clouds. Was this from the wormhole thing that the man was talking about? You wanted to ask but you didn’t want to burden him more than you already had. But the colors were rapidly spreading across the sky, forming a circle. 

“Sir? It that the wormhole you were talking about?” You pointed to the colors.

He pushed up his glasses with his fingers. His eyes widened. “You need to leave now. Just run away from here.”

Although you had no idea where the wormhole would take you, you knew it was nothing good. So you ran as fast as you could, but the wind ran with you. It grew stronger until it lifted you from your feet and threw you into the glowing wormhole. 

F R I E N D S

Date Masamune

After saving Nobunaga’s life at Honno-ji, you tried your best to adjust to the Sengoku Era. However, the different expectations, mentalities, and social concepts made it almost impossible. Your introverted nature made it harder to talk to the other warlords and your fear only added to the distance. There was Ieyasu (who felt that Nobunaga made a mistake in keeping you around), Hideyoshi (who was still suspicious about your affiliations), and Mitsuhide (he’s the one who caused the fire at Honno-ji in our timeline, so you’re suspicious of him).

Your relationship with Masamune was interesting, to say the least. He nearly chopped off your head when confirming that you were from the future, smashed your arm because you had gotten to close to him during his training, and served you the spiciest dish that was reserved for Ieyasu. Yet he still dared to flirt with you, as if he hadn’t nearly killed you three times.

However, he was the friendliest out of everyone else. He would offer to take you around the town and helped you get settled in your new life. For that, you were extremely grateful. Sometimes the two of you would be out all day, as Masamune would bring Shogestu in the forests. You would point out the different animals around the area. Although he knew the forests very well, your observations made him feel that he was the foreigner. 

“Did you see that deer?” You said.

He spun his head around. Then he looks back at you. “Yes, I do. There’s a beautiful doe sitting right in front of me.”

You give him a playful shove. “That’s not what I’m talking about, you idiot.”

“Oh ho, our little lassie is getting feisty!” He laughs.

“I am not little!” You try to shove him, but he doesn’t budge against the weight of your arms. Instead, he howls with laughter.

You stand up straight and clear your throat. “The only thing that’s little is your manhood!”

He freezes in the middle of his laugh. His face momentarily warps with awe and you feel good about sassing him for once. But his face turns into a smirk. 

“Is that so? I don’t recall ever showing you anything.” He moves closer towards you. “Unless we had an encounter that I don’t remember.”

Your face turns red as you push him away. “I think I’m done here.”

He turns away with laughter, calling for his tiger cup. You dust off your kimono and look one last time into the woods, searching for any other animals. There aren’t any.

Except for the one-eyed beast who disguised his feelings of love in the form of friendship. A friendship he could never escape.

Other friends: Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Sanada Yukimura, Oda Nobunaga

**Quick Note: Basically he’s the other suitor in love with you during your time there, but he’s also your closest friend.

R O M A N C E

Akechi Mitsuhide

Although you spent lots of time with Masamune, your sights were set elsewhere. At first, you weren’t interested in this silver-tongued snake for romantic purposes. You assumed he was the one who tried to kill Nobunaga due to the events in our timeline, so you wanted to learn more about his schemes. At first, you kept your distance-- there was no need to interact with a shady traitor. Instead, you got your information about Mitsuhide from other people. The best source of information was the maids, but they had too much information (which were nothing but rumors). When you asked the warlords, they couldn’t tell you much either. He was a mystery waiting to be caught.

At one point, you decided to tell Nobunaga about the future and how it was Mitsuhide that set the fire at Honno-ji. However, you had no proof to back your claims. So against your better nature, you went and tailed Mitsuhide. This was the worst mistake possible because he figured you out within seconds of your investigation. When he asked you questions about your investigations, you didn’t give him any answers. However, that wasn’t necessary because he had you all figured out. 

Soon, the tables turn on you. Mitsuhide investigated you because you had investigated him. While you cluelessly walked around the palace, he followed you to ensure you weren’t a threat. Once he assessed that you weren’t an assassin, Mitsuhide began to talk to you in public. At first, his conversations caught you off-guard. But you grew more comfortable around him, despite the warnings from everyone else. Mitsuhide himself warned about his other side, but you were giving him the benefit of the doubt. After all, your curiosity had shown you that he was much more than his reputation.

You spent your time trying to sass him, causing him to outwit you almost every time. Some times he’d let you have the last word, but you knew when he let you win. Instead, he was drawn to your dorkiness. It was a rare sight in the Azuchi Palace for someone to be so dorky. However, he realized that there was a more mature side to you when serious conversations arose. The mix of purity and realism surprised him; you were less naive than he expected.

However, the worst part of your relationship was when he tried to scare you. Once he figured out that you were easily startled, Mitsuhide used against you with no limits. One day, you were delivering a message from Masamune to Hideyoshi when you felt a cool breeze rush by. 

You spun around. “Whose there?” 

There was no answer. You shivered but continued on your journey to Hideyoshi’s room. Then, you heard soft footsteps behind you.

You jumped. “I know you’re following me! Show yourself!” You voice waivers.

Nothing. You let out a sigh, telling yourself that you were overreacting. A few steps later, you felt a tap on your shoulder. A scream escaped your lips and your feet tripped over each other. You closed your eyes, preparing yourself for the collision between your nose and the floor.

Instead, a pair of light arms grabbed your waist and draws you upwards. You open your eyes to find yourself face-to-face to Mitsuhide. Blood rushes to your cheeks as you are at a loss of words

“Careful, princess. Is that how you want to fall for me?”

F I N A L   F A T E

As you spent more time with the warlords, you felt more at home. The world you once knew had become a distant memory; one that you weren’t sure that you wanted to return to. Time passed as you and Mitsuhide officialized your relationship, you and Masamune bid farewell as he returned to Oshu to take care of some business, and you became acquainted with the Uesugi-Takeda forces. Throughout all these changes, your love for your lover never waivered.

However, when Sauskue informed you that the wormhole to the present would appear in the next month, your whole life fell apart. While you wanted to stay at Azuchi with Mitsuhide, Nobunaga, and everyone else, you had left another set of relationships behind, Your friends, family, and that new job you wanted. Although you had found everything that you wanted in the Sengoku Era, you still wanted to accomplish your 21st-century dreams. So you packed your bags and prepared for the journey. Although Mitsuhide was devastated with your choice, he chose to accompany you until you stepped through the wormhole.

Once you arrived at your destination, you began having second thoughts. Your life was perfect in this era, you had everything. Why should you leave now? As Sasuke entered the portal, he held his hand out to help into the portal. You looked from his hand to your lover.  Your mind was set.

“I’m sorry Sasuke, but I’ve changed my mind. I think I’ll stay.” You run to Mitsuhide and embrace him in a tight hug. 

Sasuke nods with a soft smile. “You do what’s best for you.”

With that, he disappears along with your old life. And you couldn’t be any happier.

[sailor-cresselia]

HEISEI GENERATIONS FOREVER

I’M GOING TO CRY

OKAY?

I’M GOING TO FUCKING CRY.

Spoilers for Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever below the cut.

also this got really long. Like. 3.8k words long. I am SO SORRY, Mobile Users, I know read mores don’t always work. Just. SCROLL.

20 MINUTES IN AND MY HEART HAS ALREADY BEEN BROKEN MULTIPLE TIMES.

Memories coming and going for everyone - just - just!

Sougo as a smart, smug, asshole.

Tsukuyomi as a ditz.

Then! Then!

Sento and Ryuuga saving a kid from Another Double – who’s design I LOVE, btw.

But Grease and Rogue leap out over the crowd. They remember, when they shouldn’t. When no one should remember them.

When Kazumi Sawatari and Gentoku Himuro shouldn’t remember each other. Shouldn’t be able to become Riders at all, because here they never were exposed to the Nebula Gas that the Rider System requires.

Gentoku forgetting, returning to the stiff, formal, son-of and assistant-to the Prime Minister.

Misora remembering – the cafe’s a bar, and then she forgets. Again.

YA SURE KNOW HOW TO KILL MY HEART, TOEI.

The kid – Shingo – being found by Sento… who doesn’t get the chance to transform. Who looks… he looks like he’s been brainwashed.

A boy who ‘draws Riders to him’. Him and Sougo go to Fuumen – FUUMEN!

TOEI YOU ARE ACTIVELY HURTING ME. Because Another Double shows up… and it turns out. It turns out Shotaro gave the owner of the Fuumen ramen cart the Double Ridewatch to hold onto for him.

And now we’ve lost Geiz, too.

Nobody remembers Sougo – and smartphones don’t exist. Not enough that a small child would know about them.

The first episode of Kuuga airs tomorrow.

Just- hng. Some part of the brainwashed Sento holds out enough to send the Machien Builder to find Ryuuga. To find his partner.

But when he and Sougo get to where he and Tid are.

Tank and Tank.

Just one word.

“Transform.”

And he attacks.

AHAHAHA YESSSS! Ataru points out the “Same Actor Issue” with regards to Kouhei Takeda having played both Otoya and Kazumin THANK YOU I was hoping that would happen. I didn’t think it would but THANK YOU.

IMAJIN NO. No ominous comments about how ‘it might not end well’!

...Shingo. Shingo… Tid brought you here from the past, didn’t he? From the day before Kuuga aired. That’s why you don’t know what a smartphone is. He brought you forward from your little brothers birthday. And you met him here – where he’s 18, and contracted with an Imajin, in order to meet Riders.

I don’t even know these two and my heart’s breaking for them.

...was. Was that Ataru in Another Den-O?!

Okay, yeah, Sento was faking being brainwashed. No surprise there.

BIG surprise that Ataru contracted in order to meet Riders… because he wanted to escape from reality. He’s not worried, because it’s all just a delusion.

Because his older brother disappeared the day he was born. His brother Shingo.

Whoops.

Ataru latched onto Den-O SO HARD that he summoned an Imajin into his world – his world, where Riders are fiction. And that Imajin is trying, but he’s reached his limit. And Tid cares not for what world he’s in, as long as it’s correct.

...it makes sense that sento isn’t torn up about being fictional like sougo is. he’s already been there – twice, even. sento kiryuu was made up in his own world, and no one from the new one remembers he exists. this is nothing new to him.

…

OKAY FOR THE RECORD. I wrote that BEFORE the scene in the rain.

But…

It doesn’t matter if it’s reality or fantasy. They’re Kamen Riders. They do what must be done.

Don’t worry, Sougo. You’ll understand.

Riders always do, in the end.

Also, the bugster virus grunts stand out so badly against all the other mooks. Waste Yummies, Dustards, Ghouls, Inves, numberless Roidmudes, Ganma, Bugsters… It’s. Actually really nice seeing all of these old suits in action. I can’t even say why, but. I really enjoy that.

… Kazumin’s out.

… … Ataru’s had enough of a world with Riders. He’s done. There’s no such thing, after all.

The contract is complete.

The Riders are gone now. But the mooks might not be.

Be careful what you wish for.

Hey there, Woz! Been a while!

Hey there, Sento. Glad you found your kouhai… and that you didn’t blank out when you two left Ataru’s house.

Because I was right. Shingo’s been pulled out of time.

That’s what Imajin are all about, aren’t they? Changing time. (I have not watched past the first two episodes of den-o but that’s the impression I’ve gotten from hearing about it. Shush.)

And Ataru can’t have a brother that went missing if the brother never went missing in the first place. Which is where Tid, the Imajin, and Another Den-O come into play.

Sure, The World of Ataru is ‘reality’ from one perspective, but The World of Riders is reality from it’s own perspective, just like The World of Build. Sento, you’ve done this, don’t dismiss the world you live in now as fiction quite so easily.

(Tsukasa will be disappointed in you. … if everyone else doesn’t beat him up first, for some of the stunts he’s pulled.)

So… since the Double watch came from Ataru’s world, it can act as a link to there from the Rider’s world.

Actually, I really like how much of W they’re working into here. I know it means we most likely don’t get a W arc, but still. Fuumen, and the watch being handed over by proxy – namedropping ‘Sho’. Another W has three faces – Cyclone, Joker, and CycloneJoker. Cyclone’s eyes light up when he uses the tornado attacks, which is a great nod to both how he’s using one side, and to how Philip’s half lights up when he speaks. I mean, the green tornados alone are neat!

(I didn’t think I’d missed the lens-eyes, because they’re creepy, but come to find out, I had! Huh!)

THING IS. I’m a LITTLE pissed about THIS. I get you haven’t been given much to do today, Woz. And I ADORE all of the W references. But the Library is PHILIPS domain. It’s his to explore – his, and Wakana’s, and those who he allows in. Sokichi Narumi, when he was just a tool for Museum, when he got a chance at freedom. When he got to be Philip. And Shotaro. His Partner. Who saved him from himself in there – When the library was BURNING because he was losing himself to Fang, when he was terrified and lost and this is where he is supposed to be.

… Sorry, I have a LOT of W feels, and this movie is hitting a LOT of them right now.

… Basically, Woz, I tolerate you now, but this is December 2018 you, who I tolerate a lot less. Get out of there.

OH, THIS IS INTERESTING THOUGH.

The book is labeled Masked Rider Den-O. Not Kamen Rider. The series has been writing it as ‘Kamen’ when using the roman alphabet since W.

Before that, it was translated into English whenever it was written like that. So it would be accurate to have Masked Rider Den-O, but not, say, Masked Rider Fourze.

Huh. Nice touch.

~Archival footage from Den-o!~

... Woz how did you get that rail pass out from the library?

(Philip would LOVE to know, that seems like it would be a REALLY handy trick, if he could bring even just. Like. Segments of a book, or pictures, or some such. It’d be SO MUCH EASIER to show Shotaro stuff that way, instead of having to copy it out onto a whiteboard.)

… A lot of the time, Another Double sounds like two people speaking in unison.

… can two people be one Another Rider? Could Tid have. Like. Fused some dudes? This is. A valid question right now.

I mean, we never did find out Who Another Double is.

! !! !!!

LUNA!

THIS IS FINE.

(It’s not fine, but only because I hate the Luna memory)

!!! !! !

AH. So. That’s. ONE way to have things happen out of order. Have a watch shoved into your chest after seeing yourself as that Another Rider.

Ataru latched onto Den-O SO DAMNED HARD that he summoned an Imajin, warped time, and became Another Den-O.

Kid… That’s brutal.

Purple Imajin’s lost hope… but Sougo says that they’re not alone.

Tid shows up at the site where the Arcle was found. At the tomb of the first Kuuga. That… if this is the world of Ataru, that shouldn’t exist here.

But he uses the Arcle – still worn by the first Kuuga – to make the Another Kuuga watch.

That’s terrifying, but makes sense. The watches only need the power of the rider, after all. Doesn’t matter which version of the Rider, as we’ll see in Hibiki months down the road and two weeks ago.

TID OW WOAH DUDE

I MEAN

You’re a bad guy but! I’m sorry for you right now! That looks OBSCENELY PAINFUL.

And VERY Time Mazine sized.

Enough to knock Sougo’s Time Mazine into the Another Denliner… which crashes upon arrival in December 2018, scaring ‘Everyday Schoolboy Sougo’ spitless, while carrying Tid as we have known him to this point. Also of note: Another Den-O is posing like Momotaros. That’s a nice touch.

Oh! Hey! I just realized! I like the Purple Imajin’s speech and all, and the exposition’s great, VERY in line with Den-O, but I just realized.

Sougo’s at a point in time where he hasn’t been born yet.

I doubt this’ll do jack all to history, but still. It’s kind of funny.

(Also, hey, Toei, you couldn’t have remembered that Rider used to start in January back during the Fourze and Faiz arc? You had Faiz disappear during an episode that took place in February, thanks to an event in, like, November. I’m still salty about that.)

Cut to 2018.

Sento and Ryuuga step into Tid’s vault.

(brb, snorting with laughter at the bugster stuck in an idle animation on the floor)

Sento’s already altered the world once, and nobody should have remembered him. But one idiot was stubborn enough to remember him. So… who’s to say that can’t happen again? The world has never made sense. Science and physics, chronology and sequence, reality and fiction… all of that went out the window ages ago, as far as he’s concerned. So why not mess around a little more?

Rabbit and Rabbit!

Cross-Z Magma!

““TRANSFORM!””

(cue Build fight music)

I love my boys.

I also love the two busted time mazines basically piggybacking off of each other.

A train whistle sounds.

Oh, Tid. Of course they keep coming back.

You’ve got someone who knows them pretty well right by your side.

AHAHA YESSSSS

YOU’RE FACING THE WRONG WAY BUT YESSSS

‘Sup, Momotaros?

Oh, hold on-

‘Sup, Team Den-O?

Like beats Like. It takes a Rider’s power to defeat an Another Rider.

And the base of ‘imajin’ is imagine. To think up, to dream.

Or, in some cases.

To remember.

Urataros, if you and Ryotaro are going to use the line “Ai to Seigi to” I expect SOMEONE to do a Sailor Moon pose! SOMEONE NEEDS TO!

She is the senpai for EVERYONE HERE. She’s from 1992, after all, Mr. 2007.

Okay, sorry, Moon Fan comments aside.

Sougo gets it now. It doesn’t matter anymore if they’re real or not.

Because here? In this moment? They’re real enough.

I’m willing to bet that under that mask, Sento’s grinning, because he can tell that his junior’s caught on.

Misora – kind, sweet, Misora – guiding civilians to safety, even though she’s a civilian herself… wondering where Sento and Ryuuga are.

They’re a bit busy elsewhere… but Kazumin and Gentoku? They’re available.

Welcome back, Kamen Rider Grease and Kamen Rider Rogue.

Cries for help from two young boys – the right age bracket for right now.

Level Up!

Kaigan!

Welcome back, Kamen Rider Ex-aid and Kamen Rider Ghost.

Two men in their late teens, early twenties.

Cyclone! Joker!

Welcome back, Kamen Rider Double.

A man in his mid-to-late twenties… possibly with his sons, who are wearing the two latest belts. His inner child calls out.

The startup sound of the Arcle

Welcome back, Kamen Rider Kuuga.

A crowd.

Hanamichi! On STAGE!

Welcome back, Kamen Rider Gaim and Kamen Rider Kiva.

A crowd – larger, with more varied ages.

Hii, hii, hihihiii~

Welcome back, Kamen Rider Agito, Kamen Rider Ryuki, and Kamen Rider Wizard.

Three adults.

Turn Up.

Welcome back, Kamen Rider Blade, Kamen Rider Faiz, and Kamen Rider Hibiki.

Change Beetle

Welcome back, Kamen Rider Kabuto, Kamen Rider Decade, and Kamen Rider Fourze.

UCHUU KITA indeed.

Ta To Ba! Ta-to-ba TaToBa!

Welcome back, Kamen Rider OOO and Kamen Rider Drive.

“Ankh…”

Toei don’t break my heart like this. He caresses the hawk medal. Don’t do this to us.

“Let’s go, Mr. Belt.”

“Okay! Start your engine!”

Hi, Krim. Nice to see you again, too. Ah, man, Shinnosuke’s voice is so subdued.

They didn’t have the same type of partnership, but both Eiji and Shinnosuke lost their partners. This is. Right. This is right, for now. It’s something.

Now. Time to fight.

Momotaros doing his own theme song.

Emu bouncing into the air.

Takeru floating – they’re letting him have powers, letting him have the forcefields that he’s going to prove he has when he shows up in the episode that aired the day before this takes place. To the point of TAKERU CAN MAKE TELEKINETIC TORNADOES THAT IS SO FUCKING COOL! (Further vindication! Takeru gets to be spooky!)

One on one my rear end, Gentaro. Rocket on.

Drumsticks and kicks laced with fire from Hibiki and Haruto, before they and Shinji all set a crowd of mooks alight in a wave of fire.

Shinnosuke getting to use the tires on Type Speed’s boots for once… before… Start up. Clock up! The three speed demons – him, Takumi, and Souji – knock the crowd of mooks aside.

Swords and claws slice through one group, thanks to Kouta, Eiji, and Kenzaki – wait, hang on, his given name is Kazuma? I thought that was his surname?! UGH it’s the Banjou and Ryuuga thing all over again, but before it happened, you know what WHATEVER.

Shouichi and Wataru blasting apart mooks with inherited powers.

Tsukasa on his own… because of course he is.

Likewise for Yusuke.

Sento and Ryuuga struggling against Another Double… but Sougo got that watch earlier today. >:)

Like beats Like.

Er, Woz, this is not the time to IWAE. We’re. We’re in a movie. This. Isn’t in the show, save it for- oh, wait, you weren’t there the first time he used Double in show, were you? Haaaa… fine. I’ll allow it.

...I’d really missed Sougo flubbing the catchphrases. “Tell me about your crimes.” It’s. Close. You’re. You’re almost there. You got the pose better than you did the phrase, anyway.  

Another Double is a bit closer, though, since he thinks you’re half-boiled. And did Shotaro’s stressed out forehead pinch – even though Sho’s usually in civilian form for that, and wearing his hat, it still scans. (HNG MY W FANGIRL HEART.)

Maximum Time Break!

Hahaha! Another Double explodes three times. Once to separate in two, once each for a cloud of green and black smoke for each respective half, and then two massive fireballs. That’s glorious.

Tid, I get that you’re a movie villain, but why are you this dead set on getting rid of the Heisei Riders?

“Where’s Tsukuyomi?!”

“Still fixing the Time Mazines!”

And she’s so FRUSTRATED about it!

Good thing Sento built all of his equipment. Oh man, he’s going to have a field day with this thing. Be careful, you might not get both of them back.

CASE IN POINT. SENTO’S JACKED A TIME MAZINE TO FIGHT ANOTHER KUUGA.

And looks like Geiz didn’t just go to fight Tid when he was in 2000. He made the Kuuga watch from the first Kuuga’s body, same as Tid.

Clever. Like I said. Doesn’t matter which version of the Rider. As long as it’s the same power.

Armor Time!

Kuuga!

It didn’t take long to take Another Kuuga down with that much brute power behind the attacks.

Sorry, Ryuuga, but Geiz just isn’t that excitable. No high fives for you. (I’ll give you one!)

Sento must be absolutely beaming under there.

And Sougo does the thumbs up.

HEY REMEMBER HOW I WONDERED IF TID FUSED TWO DUDES TO MAKE ANOTHER DOUBLE?!

THIS IS WORSE.

THIS IS MUCH WORSE.

Step. Away. From. The. Child.

Let him go.

TID HAS ISSUES.

But! Getting everyone out in to one of The Quarries means.

BIIIIIKE FIIIIIGHT!!!!!

Kudos for the Bakusou Bike jingle, and Faiz’s bike pretty much being a drill. Press F to pay respects for Kabuto’s tires. Wonder how many of those he goes through in a month.

Shotaro, Philip, not breaking out the Revolgarry this time? You did back in Taisen Grand Prix!

...Where are Drive and Hibiki?

Oh, wait, nope, there they are, along with Ryuki.

YESSSSS Ryuuga and Geiz in Geiz’s Time Mazine!

AND LIGHTING IT UP WITH BLUE FLAMES TO KNOCK “ANOTHER KUUGA TWO; CREEPER BOOGALOO” DOWN TO EARTH. Literally.

Twenty Rider Kicks. Straight to the face.

(Okay, technically it’s 22 kicks, since Double is, by necessity, both Shotaro and Philip, and Den-O is presumably Momotaros and Ryotaro.)

And the final three to hit? Zi-O, Build, and Kuuga.

Yesssss.

(Also Gentaro looked so awkward standing with the Drill Module still active. Because DRILL. On the LEG.)

We get a montage of two brothers, growing up together, as fans of Kamen Rider. Mirroring a montage of one boy growing up alone at the opening.

And the speech between Senior and Junior – Sento and Sougo.

Yeah. They were Riders. They always were Riders. The laws of time travel aren’t nearly as rigid as you think, Sougo.

As long as someone remembers. They’re still there.

Why should anything have to change that?

Final notes. Whoever made this movie must love W SO MUCH. Because in the end credits, there’s a montage of shots from every season since Kuuga. It shows the riders themselves, as civilians, their base forms, and their final forms.

The slide for W has two variants. The first has CycloneJokerExtreme at the top, CycloneJoker at the bottom, and Shotaro and Philip preparing to transform in the center. The second – the center photo moves to a different expression from the same exact scene – the same SHOT – Shotaro and Philip looking at each other and smiling. It’s from episode 49. When they were reunited.

There’s some nice care for all of the slides, actually, but most noticeable to me…

The Fourze slide has four pictures –  Fourze base mode, Gentaro in front of an explosion, Fourze Cosmic States, and Gentaro and Ryusei. The last three? Are all from the same episode. The one where Gentaro GETS Cosmic States.

Drive has two ‘variants’ as well – in a similar manner to W, actually. The first time, there’s Chase, Shinnosuke, and Gou together, Shinnosuke and Kiriko – from the last episode, no less, as they’re saying goodbye to Krim, and Drive (Type Speed) leaning against the Tridoron. Really puts that “Let’s go, Mr. Belt” line RIGHT BACK IN THE FEELS ZONE, there doesn’t it? Well, the shot of the three riders morphs to the same scene, but all three of them in their armor. THAT is where they show Type Tridoron. I believe that was the first time we heard Spinning Wheel, actually.

Ghost manages to have all three of it’s Riders on a cliff – in civilian form, but still.

Ex-Aid has Emu’s first transformation – both before he activates it, and in his Level One form right after. There’s the first transformation into Hyper Muteki. But his Base Mode shot, for Level Two? Chronos about to get a Gashacon Breaker to the face.

Gaim features both Kouta AND Kaito in all but one shot, which is the one with Gaim on a horse. The others are Kouta and Kaito in Beat Rider attire, Gaim and Baron while the Woman of the Beginning looks on in the background and… Gaim Kiwami Arms versus Overlord Baron… in the final moment of their last fight.

As for OOO? Well, we’re clearly not getting an answer from Toei as to what his official final form is any time soon. Not with Shirtless Episode One Eiji, and TaToBa OOO on a RideVendor as two of the shots. The other two? One is PuToTyra. And the other is TaJaDor… with Ankh right beside him, Greeed arm on display. (Eiji’s final form is Ankh’s Boyfriend and you can’t stop me from believing that.)

I don’t know enough about the other seasons to know how heartbreaking a lot of them are, but. Well.

Over in Kuuga, that’s a transformation in the snow.

Ryuki has a wide shot with thirteen suits.

Blade as a shot with four riders, and one with Blade and Chalice in the water.

I’m not really happy with their choices for Build. Build RabbitTank deciding that he’s going to take Ryuuga with him, Sento and Ryuuga on the bike – at the end of episode one, so they both look awful, Sento in the opening, of all things, and what is quite frankly a terrible shot of Build Genius. They had a lot more to go off of here.

Especially since at least Zi-O has an excuse for poor selection. A close up of Zi-O’s face, a shot of him on his bike on a bridge from the opening, a slightly battered Sougo transforming – not even his FIRST one, mind you, it’s from the wrong angle for that… and OMA ZI-O. I know we weren’t even fifteen episodes in, he didn’t have Decade yet in the timeframe it takes place, but still. STILL.

But I might do a compilation post of all the ending cards, because there was clearly care put into… well, all but the last two, really.

So! In Conclusion!

Not as bad a movie as I was worried about!

There were a lot of nice touches, and I’m pretty sure that at this point, they were working towards un-doing the whole ‘riders were never riders’ situation. Especially given the time placement of this film.

The present day sections take place on December 3, 2018 – literally one day after the first episode of the Ghost arc aired. It was released on December 22, so… about when Sougo was shot into the future by Decade, and the day before he Did The Thing with his belt.

Ghost was allowed to transform. “Oh, right… I’m a Kamen Rider…” And, of course, Decade was there. As Decade.

The next Legend Rider to appear wasn’t until February – with Ryuki, who would never have been a Rider in the first place, regardless of Time Travel interference. He’d already had his adventures undone at the end of his season. After then, every Legend Rider is still a Rider.

As long as someone remembers.

[waughphotos]

Best Phone Pix of 2017

Yes I have fancy DLSRs but they are for proper work. So here’s my favourite images taken on my phone during the past 12 months. The casual stuff that caught my eye. 

If You Go Down to the Woods Today. 

This is my custom painted David Bowie bike out on it’s maiden voyage after being painted by a company called Fatcreations in the south of England. I was riding along my usual route in Epping Forest on the edge of London when I came across these mahoosive fungi! I mean look at them. Triffids nearly. I subsequently found they prey on the shallow roots of elm trees which could account for the dying and fallen trees that adorn that forest and often make a diversion necessary. The forest is the ancient hunting ground of King Henry 8th so some of them have been there quite a long time... 

Jamming Good with Weird and Gilly

This was a such a great night for me. The film ‘Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’ was screening at the legendary Hammersmith Apollo in London - and showed the gig where Bowie retired Ziggy from his repertoire before he moved on to Aladdin Sane and ever onwards. So I was sitting in a seat at the very same venue watching it unfold like I was there in 1973! It  was no God only small affair. 

Life in the Big Apple

Another major highlight for me was returning to New York and taking our daughters for their first taste of the USA. We stayed mid town and could look up to the top of the Empire State which was right outside our window. I took this picture of the corridor outside our room which reminded me of the scene from The Shining. Sidenote: enormous bagels = happy girls!  

Give the Drummer Some

When a friend asked my band, The Adaptones, to pay at his 50th birthday party saying no was never an option. The event was in the basement of a local hotel and I snapped this pic of my drum kit all set and ready to batter, er, I mean play. The lighting was such that the image had little to no post editing. I think I pulled the highlights back a bit (I use Snapseed btw). Anyway, I was well pleased with the mood of this image and we had a storming night. Jobs done. 

Vive La France

Summer hols found us on the small French island called Ile de Re at the northern end of the Bay of Biscay. Charming little fishing ports and quiet roads meant we could rent a bike and pedal around with ease. My girls - top pic obvs - loved it as did I. Plenty of characters ready to pose for a pic too! 

London Calling

Dawn breaking over the River Thames from Waterloo Bridge towards the City of London with St Pauls Cathedral on the left and the financial district’s newer buildings making the ever-changing skyline of the Uk’s capital. I’m not usually around at this time of the day but I was on a photoshoot for Cat Eye bike lights and we had to be up before the light broke. I love being around the city streets when it is waking up. 

Forza Espresso!

On a break from shooting a bike ride on the white roads of Tuscany, I rounded up all our espresso cups for a swift ‘grid’ type shot. Molto bene! 

Southend Sundown

This was a really frustrating day semi rescued thanks to my phone. I had packed my Hasselblad and a bike with the intent of driving to the ride the Olympic track at Hadleigh and then onto to Southend for some nice square medium format images on film. But, as luck would have it, the shutter on the camera had jammed. I could only watch as the sun dipped into this amazing display of nature. I kicked off my disappointment and drove along the seafront to a likely spot and shot some images on my phone. They still look great and it is still a record. That won’t happen again though. 

Snow in England Shocker! 

Yes, it really happened. Snow fell in December, in the UK. In England. In the south of England no less. And the news channels overheated. Of course, it only lasted 48 hours but the school kids made the most of it. And I went for a nice morning walk at some local lakes where I shot this image of the poplar trees in an empty car park. 

A Rainy Night in Soho

It’s gradually being changed beyond recognition, but Soho remains a draw for its (past) reputation and its buzz of energy. I love wandering around the narrow streets, in morning before 11am when it has yet to wake or late evening when it is eyes wide open and ready to roll. The new Fiorucci store on Brewer Street is housed in a building that for many years was a store selling movie memorabilia but now floods the streets with neon advertising its high fashion wear. Good for me that the rain-soaked tarmac made for reflections then. For both these images the neon was the main draw and I waited until the right moment to capture the guy on his own, walking purposefully and the two shoppers silhouetted against the green store lights. 

For the record, I took these images on iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 cameras. I do like to post process and Snapseed is my go to app. Pretty upset that Google decided to dumb it down, but that does seem the way of the world! Here’s to a bumper crop of phone pix and even better technology in 2018. Remember - don’t leave home without it..... 

[pechalka-tyan]

B.A.P’s “Party Baby” Moscow Boom fan account

Hi, everyone! Firstly, I want to put here a little disclaimer: my English is really not so great so please bare with my punctuation and grammar mistakes. So, I went to B.A.P’s Moscow Boom and I want to share my experience with you. 

The concert took place in this club called “Yotaspace” on the 9th of May (which is also a state holiday in Russia). The weather was awful, it was cold (about +1 °C/34°F), it was raining and snowing the whole day so there is no wonder that the members did’t have a little photoshoot outside the hotel (I bet they didn’t even have the proper warm/winter clothes). The concert started with a great opening by DJ B.Shoo. Club/electronic music is not my favorite genre but I actually enjoyed it very much! And it seemed like everybody else liked it too because the crowd became crazy (in a good way) really quickly. Then there was an amazing appearance of B.A.P. The set list was pretty much the same as at other concerts I guess but the greeting was hilarious. I didn’t understand the good half of what they were trying to say were saying in Russian but cheered loudly anyway. However, I know that Russian language is really hard (and not even close to their native one) so no shame here. The whole thing was not funny because of their pronunciation, it was because of this one Russian word “спасибо”. It means “thank you” and is pronounced like “spasibo” (but Korean people usually pronounce it kind of like “shchipashchibo”) which apparently sounds like a swear word in Korean. So every time they said “spasibo” they we dying inside a little bit I guess lol Also I want to mention Jongup’s greeting because it was the most memorable and the shortest of all of them. The year before he said “Privet! Ya Jongup!” (”Hello! I am Jongup!”) and repeated the “Ya Jongup!” part three or four times lol this pup. But this year he took a step further and said “Eto Jongup” (”This is Jongup”), what a precious kid ♥ BTW if you find any fancams from their concerts in Russia (2016 or 2017) please feel free to send me a link and I’ll translate their words from Russian into English  It was Himchan’s turn to pick a winner of the dress-code event and the girl was absolutely hot sexy and special *wink* So Himchan asked if this girl had a boyfriend and she said “No” so he went like “Oh, what a relief!” (lol this guy). Himchan hugged her before she went back to the crowd and Daehyun then hugged Himchan (it was so funny, really). And then the boys were like “Have you noticed that there is a member missing?”. At that moment i was like “Damn you’re right”. It was Jongup’s solo coming next. So, the thing is I hadn’t watched any of the fancams on purpose so their solo stages were a complete surprise for me. A pleasant surprise I should say *wink wink* The next solo stage was Zelo’s and oh boy it was so cute, I liked the lyrics and LOVED his singing voice! I was told that at other concerts there were two solo stages (correct me if I’m wrong) but we also had Daehyun’s solo. This song is so catchy and so nice;; I guess I should now go and listen to Youngjae’s solo. Russian speaking Babyz organized several events for B.A.P. We were given neon green lite sticks, red roses for “Wake me up” and banners for “B.A.B.Y” with words “꽃길만 걷자”, it means something like “Let’s only walk along the flower road”. It seemed like they appreciated our support (I hope so). Boys were also given two Russian flags but Himchan and Daehyun had some problems with one of them because they didn’t know the order of the colored stripes and were afraid of unfolding it upside down. So they looked at Babyz from the first row and were pointing at the flag with very concerned and asking-for-help faces. Eventually, Himchan and Daehyun unfolded it right on the first try. The last song before encore was “Wake me up” and after that the boys said “Oh well, this is the end. Bye.” and walked away and I was like “Lol do you really think I have not check the setlist before the concert you lilttle pranksters?” Then they came back on stage and the encore was BEAUTIFUL! The dance for “Check on” was so cute ♥ And after “B.A.B.Y” they said goodbye and left again. (Yongguk had his eyes full of tears during the last talking part) Then B.Shoo turned on “Wake me up” and left the stage. The crowd was singing along to the song and B.Shoo came back on stage, switched it to “BangX2” and B.A.P ran back and sang the whole song with us, Yongguk was standing on this big thingy at the back of the stage and was looking at us so proudly ♥ Then the song ended and that time they said their last-last goodbye. “Wake me up” was playing again, Zelo and Youngjae stayed with us for a little bit longer, they were about to go but Youngjae turned back, ran to the middle of the stage, turned the microphone at us encouraging to sing further. Then he ran away. This concert was SO GOOD! I enjoyed it a lot (”I guess I need you” was damn hot just like every other song lol). It was great, amazing, wonderful and all other synonyms for the word “good”. I am proud to be a Baby ♥ After the concert I had a chance to take a picture with B.A.P and other Babyz. I was really nervous and shy so I didn’t look them into the eyes (I actually didn’t look at them at all, I was so stupid omg). I was bowing politely and said “Annyeong” several times in a low voise and Youngjae said  “Annyeong” back (I am still shocked that he could hear me lol). However, I don’t look good in the photos (I look awful actually) but if you want I will post them, just write me about it (Jongup looks there like “Bring me to life” by Evanescence is playing in his head). After taking the photos I left right away but there were some Babyz who were waiting for B.A.P at the V.I.P exit. Yongguk was smiling as bright as the sun and even high fived some fans, other boys were to cold to take their hands out of the pockets lol And this was the story of me living my probably favorite day of this year. Feel free to ask any questions, I may also upload some shity vertical fancams of some parts of the songs if you want me to lol Have a great month and STAN B.A.P!!!

[droidsandewoks]

Twin Cities Film Fest: 100 Movies in 11 days

Fire up the popcorn poppers. Beginning Oct. 19, the Twin Cities Film Fest, or TCFF— never to be confused with the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, or MSPIFF — returns for the seventh year. For the very first time, the TCFF will maintain both towns, with the core screenings and crimson carpet parties still in the ShowPlace ICON at St. Louis Park and a new instant screening series in the IFP Theater at St. Paul.

More than 100 films will soon be squeezed into 11 days. As in previous years, TCFF has identified a societal cause that could run as a theme during the festival to construct awareness and support. Past causes have contained displaced youth, sex trafficking, appetite prevention and bullying. This season it is Military Veteran Mental and Physical Support. The opening night film will be the locally created play “Blood Stripe,” to a returned female fight veteran and her struggle with PTSD. Directed by Remy Auberjonois (who BTW is on point at the moment from the Guthrie’s “Sense and Sensibility”), starring Kate Nowlin, it gained a top prize in the L.A. Film Festival. Four more veteran-related films will screen including “IRON Will: Veterans’ Battle with PTSD,” narrated by Billy Bob Thornton and made by Minnesota native Tim VandeSteeg, that is its world premiere here. Sixty-second microdocumentaries on this issue of seasoned support will operate prior to all TCFF screenings, along with a panel discussion will include legislators, pros and veterans.

The festival’s official centerpiece would be “The Eagle Huntress,” a true-life adventure and Sundance hit which follows a 13-year-old woman in Mongolia who encourages to become the first female in 2,000 years to successfully hunt with a golden eagle. The closing film Oct. 29 will soon be “Moonlight,” a coming-of-age narrative about a young man in Miami during the War on Drugs era.

In between: the Michael Fassbender thriller “Trespass Against Us,” the Parker Posey humor “The Architect,” the James Franco-Melissa Leo-Dominic Rains crime drama “Burn Country,” the Dreamworks animated feature “Trolls” (in the producers of “Shrek”), the Dev Patel festival hit “Lion,” and the documentaries “My Scientology Movie,”“The Trans Listing” and “In Pursuit of Silence,” where we learn that the second-quietest area on Earth is a specially designed space in Minneapolis, of all areas. Probably not at the library.

TCFF’s educational events consist of free workshops for filmmakers, specialist panels on directing and sound, a “Minnesota Made” panel on the state of the Minnesota film business and its own sources, a script reading, a Filmmaker Academy for youth, and school visits by seeing filmmakers.

Peruse the full lineup here. Tickets have been available for associates and pass holders; they open until the general public now (Friday, Sept. 30).  

Cedar wins another award for use diehard performers

During March, the Cedar Cultural Center received three nationwide licenses totaling $439,000 in the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to support its work with Somali artists. The lion’s share came from Doris Duke’s Building Bridges program, that operates to progress relationships, improve understanding and decrease bias between Muslim and non-Muslim communities.

The Cedar is situated in Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, home to much more Somalis than any other neighborhood in North America.

Add to this $439,000 an additional $500,000 in the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP), declared earlier this week. Also a Building Bridges grant, it is going to be shared among a Minnesota-based consortium led by the Cedar. The consortium includes the Cedar, Augsburg College in Minneapolis, the Paramount Center for the Arts along with St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, along with the Minnesota State University, Mankato Department of Music Performance Series. St. Cloud and Mankato have rapidly expanding Somali inhabitants.

Each of the grants will support Midnimo (Somali for “unity”), a program that supplies residencies and functionality opportunities to Somali artists from around Minnesota and around the world. The very first residency, featuring Somali hip-hop collective Waayaha Cusub (“New Era”), originally from Kenya, starts in the Twin Cities on Oct. 3. It finishes with a concert in the Cedar on Oct. 22. FMI and tickets ($20/$25).

In October 2015, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation granted the Cedar a $150,000, two-year grant for Midnimo.  

The selections

Friday (Sept. 30) during Sunday: The final weekend of the closing Crossing Borders studio tour.   For 20 years, artists along Minnesota’s North Shore from Two Harbors to Grand Portage have started their own home studios to the public every autumn. It’s a comfortable and relaxing approach to learn about the artists, their function and their own processes. Superior artwork, fine people, fall colors and breathtaking views of Lake Superior make it worth the drive. News that this would be the closing Crossing Borders created us gloomy, but then glass artist Mike Tonder explained, “The Crossing Borders name is going to be retired following this season’s tour. Stay tuned for plans for next fall.” 10 a.m. — 6 pm every day. FMI such as map and contact details.

Photo by Petronella J. Ytsma

Left to right: Angela Timberman, JC Cutler, Eric “Pogi” Sumangil along with Jane Froiland at “The Realistic Joneses.”

Opens tonight in the Park Square: “The Realistic Joneses.” Joel Sass directs the place premiere of Will Eno’s comic play about Bob and Jennifer Jones (JC Cutler and Angela Timberman) along with their new neighbors, John and Pony Jones (Eric “Pogi” Sumangil along with Jane Froiland), who have even more in common than their identical homes and their shared last names. Enticingly, ” the New York Times has predicted Eno “a Samuel Beckett for the Jon Stewart generation.” Don’t you need to learn what this means? We do. On the Andy Boss stage. FMI and tickets ($40/60).

Saturday in the Ordway Concert Hall: The JazzMN Orchestra featuring Terence Blanchard. A huge ring is no small thing, and the simple fact that JazzMN is nearing its 20th season is an outstanding accomplishment. It will be a special treat to listen to the 2016-17 season begin at the Ordway Concert Hall. New Orleans-based Blanchard is a Grammy-winning trumpeter, bandleader, composer and arranger who’s written over 50 film scores, such as each Spike Lee film since 1991. Connie Evingson is going to be the featured vocalist. 7 p.m. FMI and tickets ($42-52).

Saturday at Dinkytown: Open Streets. It’s simply more fun to wander down the midst of a usually busy road than to use the sidewalk. For your final Open Streets Minneapolis of the year (sniff, sniff), you can stroll from Dinkytown all the way to North Memorial around 19th Ave. S. Check out a water pub, enjoy a Battle of the Bands, watch an installment in the Weisman, say hello to Radio K, also stop in at the Cedar. 1 a.m. — 5 p.m. FMI including a link to a free Metro Transit Pass.

Saturday in Northrop: Grupo Corpo. They danced in the Olympics Closing Ceremony at Rio, and they will dance on Northrop’s big stage. For the 2016-17 Northrop season opener, the globally known Brazilian company will exhibit their repertoire and virtuosity from “Dança Sinfônica” and defy the laws of gravity at “Parabelo.” 8 p.m. Come early for a free performance trailer in the Best Buy Theater in 6:45. FMI and tickets ($30-62).

Saturday and Sunday close Cannon Falls: Sogn Valley Craft Fair. This small honest — only about three dozen musicians — onto a private farmstead north of the Twin Cities was performing its quiet, quality item for 44 years. Nice art, crafts, local and artisanal foods, local songs, along with a relaxed attitude towards rolling hills, farmland and woods. Saturday 10 a.m. — 5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. — 4 p.m.  

Courtesy of the performer

Tiny fabric foxes by Alice Strand, who will be in the Sogn Valley honest

Hot tix

The major Bösendorfer piano, that was on loan to Crooners for many weeks, is coming back with its first owner. What is next? A brand new concert Steinway will take up permanent residence from the Dunsmore Room. A series of celebratory concerts starts Sunday, Oct. 2 with Dan Chouinard along with vocalist Prudence Johnson. On Oct. 4, Laura Caviani will play and Claudia Schmidt will sing. Oct. 5 will include the songs of Billie Holiday using Debbie Duncan. According to Oct. 9, Benny Green, a master of the jazz movie who learned in Betty Carter, Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown, will give a solo concert. FMI and tickets for many. Costs change.

from droidsandewoks http://www.droidsandewoks.com/twin-cities-film-fest-100-movies-in-11-days/

[junker-town]

U.S. Open 2017: 10 things watch for at Erin Hills

The U.S. Open can be golf’s most entertaining mess. Here are 10 things (and players) to watch for going into the 117th edition at Erin Hills.

Although the host USGA is trying to get away from it, for years the U.S. Open has marketed itself as “the toughest test in golf.” Whether your love it or hate it, it’s unique and has its own strong to quite strong identity. There will be frustration, yelling, anger, absurd drives, exquisite shots, and a major champion. Here are 10 things to watch and know for this week’s 117th edition at Erin Hills in Wisconsin.

Mad About Grass

The always entertaining wall-to-wall coverage of some course feature or controversy has centered around the high fescue grasses of Erin Hills this week. We always get something every U.S. Open, whether it’s the debate over “native sandy areas” at Pinehurst, wrecked greens at Chambers Bay, and now this in Wisconsin. It’s hilarious to watch, if you just keep a little perspective.

Kevin Na, of all people, ignited this year’s controversy on Sunday, when he posted an Instagram video ranting (maybe half-jokingly) about how thick the fescue was just off the fairways here.

Erin Hills is a great design course but the fescue is almost unplayable. BTW never found the ball. So don't hit it in there lol. straight hitters have a chance! #usopen #erinhills #mikedavis #lostball #usga

A post shared by Kevin Na (@kevinna915) on Jun 11, 2017 at 10:24am PDT

There’s fescue at British Opens and other American venues, but what made this different was how dense it was just off the fairway. It was basically a hazard — you’d struggle to find your ball and if you did, you might not be able to hit it more than a couple feet. The best case scenario was a hack out into the fairway maybe 40 yards or so. There was also the legitimate problem of the fescue being the most dense just off the fairway and thinner farther off of it — rewarding those who actually hit a worse shot that was more off line and into the thinner stuff.

So this grass became the talk of the championship and the USGA made it even more of a drama on Tuesday when they just started removing huge chunks of it while players were out practicing. It looked like a pretty significant alteration just 36 hours before the championship started.

They've listened to the complaints and chopping down the rough on the 4th. Make room in the compost bin #USOpen http://pic.twitter.com/XLwPaNsifp

— Iain Carter (@iaincartergolf) June 13, 2017

The USGA was adamant that this was part of a “prescribed plan” of maintenance and not some reaction to Na and other players saying it was too much. They cited heavy rains early in the week making it “lay down” and become even more dense.

So that led to a reaction to the reaction, with Rory McIlroy being the most vocal. Rory’s biggest issue was that these are the widest fairways — 60 yards in many spots — in the history of the U.S. Open and if you can't hit them, maybe you deserve to lose your ball or go into that stuff. And if you’re mad about it, you should go home.

In the end, the USGA removed chunks of the fescue and mowed it back on four holes. But the move looked panicky so close to the start of the major and that combined with player social media complaints to give us a big ol’ grass controversy that sucked up all the oxygen of the practice round days.

So be on the lookout for players trying to play out of that stuff and hollering about it when they do.

Air Phil 1

Unfortunately, it looks like Phil Mickelson is not going to make it to the U.S. Open. Phil said he needed a four-hour delay on Thursday in order to get from his daughter’s high school graduation to Wisconsin before his tee time. Thursday looks like the only definitively clear weather day, with a 0 percent chance of rain until late afternoon. So Phil will not even board his private jet to try and make the mad dash to Erin Hills, which is a real shame -- tracking Air Phil 1 all Thursday was going to be so much fun.

Here's how Phil is going to slide into Erin Hills next week. http://pic.twitter.com/rNOb1b5Hs9

— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) June 11, 2017

Phil’s unlikely arrival means this will be the first major without Mickelson or Tiger Woods since the 1994 Masters. We’ve accepted this “young” crop of superstars — Rory, Spieth, DJ, Day, Rickie, Hideki — as the changing of the guard awhile ago. But that’s a narrative you’re going to get this week with Tiger and Phil officially off the premises.

Pace and Space

The fescue may be a cause of what will become interminably long rounds. When players hit into it, it’s going to take time to find the ball or they will exhaust the allotted time they’re allowed to look before giving up and having to play another one. And if they do find it, they’re not going to advance it far and we’re going to be adding shots and adding time. This is also a course meant to be played in the wind, and if it’s up and blowing the way the USGA didn’t expect, then that’s going to add a ton of time too.

But that’s just a part of what will make these long rounds. A U.S. Open is always slow and deliberate -- it’s the “toughest test” for a reason and players always take an extra mental beat before playing a shot. This Erin Hills property, however, is going to make the physical challenge a demand too and probably have everyone moving a little slower.

Players on the ground are saying this may be the longest and most demanding walk they’ve had at a U.S. Open. Kevin Van Valkenburg of ESPN called the place “too big” on Wednesday.

My initial take on Erin Hills: Too much. Too big. 650 acres is an insane piece or property. Will be like walking 24 holes each round.

— Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg) June 14, 2017

The biggest issue is the walk from green to tee, some of which are 200 yards. The course is extremely hilly and about an 8.5 to 9 mile walk -- an average pro round is usually in the 6 mile range. Justin Thomas measured that he took almost 20,000 steps during one of his practice rounds.

Now, you might scoff at theses millionaires having to walk a bit more and that’s fine. But play a U.S. Open at the same time in June heat and the 9-mile walk becomes a little different. And it’s going to slow things down — the USGA is allotting 4 hours and 52 minutes for threesomes the first two days. If that’s what they’re hoping for, expect rounds well in excess of five hours.

Rahmbo

A trendy pick to win this week is Jon Rahm. While he might not be the most mainstream name, it’s not exactly a longshot. The 22-year-old is likely the next superstar in golf and absolutely has a major in his future, and real soon. This time last year, he was winning low amateur honors at Oakmont. Now as a pro, he’s already worked his way into the top 10 in the world rankings, which is an astoundingly fast rise.

Rahm has the full 14-club game, but he’s been strongest tee-to-green this year. He’s second on Tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green, third in SG off-the-tee and second in SG total. Rahm is a world-class player and a big personality too. One of those facts you’ll hear every single broadcast to fill up the profile will be that the Spaniard learned English at Arizona State by listening to rap records.

So familiarize yourself with Jon Rahm. This venue sets up well for him and he’s a talent that will soon, if not already, be joining the cadre of DJ, Spieth, Rory, Day, and other more recognizable superstar names.

“Kettle Moraine”

The U.S. Open always bashes us over the head with some new word or term of art that we hear all week during the wall-to-wall coverage. Expect to hear a lot over these next four days about the Kettle Moraine, the geological name for this land formed by the collision of two glaciers. The “natural land movement” (another term you’re hearing a lot) is spectacular and should provide the players with lots of sloping and uneven lies, a different kind of test that maybe the modern player is not used to so much. The course architects hardly moved any dirt and relied on this natural topography. It’s visually stunning when a camera is able to capture the rolling terrain, which also apparently occurs within bunkers too.

So if you want to sound informed, or like an enormous dork, throw Kettle Moraine out there when watching with friends this week.

Is Rory ready?

This is Rory McIlroy’s best chance for a U.S. Open win since his 2011 runaway at Congressional. It’s all right there for him. It’s a long course, but wide enough to let him use the biggest weapon in his bag, the driver, as much as you’ll ever see at a U.S. Open. The rains that have pounded Erin Hills during practice days also play right into his hands. He admitted as much, saying he definitely wasn’t crying when he saw storms roll in on Monday. He’s also been adamant that he “loves” the course, which is usually half the battle at a U.S. Open, where players often psych themselves out of the tournament before they ever hit a competitive shot.

A long, soft course is where McIlroy thrives, hitting the high ball and making it stick right on top of the flag. Those were the exact conditions that led to his dominant 2011 U.S. Open win, which set records.

So he loves the course, the conditions are perfect, and the setup gives his biggest “skill,” as he will remind you is the word to describe his driving power, a huge advantage. What could go wrong? We’ve not seen much of Rory this year, and when we have, he’s been aggravating a rib injury that’s bothered him since January. He’s played just once since the Masters and in that event, The Players, he told us immediately he was having a back problem. Some argued he should have withdrawn but McIlroy played through all four rounds, got a scan, and then skipped every tournament between then and this week.

His former Ryder Cup captain and Irish friend, Paul McGinley, says he’s too rusty and not healthy enough to win this week. Rory insists there are no limitations on his swing. Given how the setup plays into his strengths, and the fact that we’re already without Phil and Tiger, here’s hoping Rory is full-go over four days at Erin Hills.

Rules drama

I want more rules drama. I need more rules drama.

The talking point coming into the championship was that the USGA needs a “clean week” after the mess of the prior two years. Chambers Bay had “broccoli” greens that they made almost unplayable and Oakmont’s final round became a circus when we didn’t know what Dustin Johnson’s actual score was and if he’d been assessed a penalty.

The USGA is the keeper of the rulebook in golf, and yet last summer they tripped over themselves multiple times in figuring out how to assess penalties in high profile moments. This year, they announced a change in how they set up their rules folks, with each group no longer getting a walking rules official for all 18 holes. Instead, an official is assigned a stationary spot on the course and responsible for a couple holes that he or she can hopefully master.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be controversies or contentiousness. It’s never fun for the USGA or the players, but for everyone watching from afar, it’s always entertaining. Remember Twitter last year when DJ played the back nine not knowing his actual score? We need some rules drama.

A DJ Defense

Ben Hogan and Curtis Strange are the only players in history to go back-to-back at the U.S. Open. For many of the same reasons noted above with Rory, this course is a perfect setup for Dustin Johnson to join that exclusive club. And it’s not like he’s receded since he won at Oakmont a year ago -- he’s only gotten better. This will be his first major as world No. 1 after an unfortunate tumble at the Masters took him out of a tournament where he was the heavy favorite and gunning for his third straight win.

Going back-to-back is really hard, but DJ’s the favorite this week again for a reason and it would not be a surprise at all to see him holding the trophy again on Sunday.

The Players v. The USGA

No championship is more tense than the U.S. Open. The players simply don’t like the host organization and are now going on the record about it often. Just on Wednesday, Brendan Steele threw out this subtle jab to Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner.

Not so at the U.S. Open, which is always rife with controversy and vitriol.

“And usually for good reason,” Brendan Steele said. “The USGA makes a lot of mistakes.”

During last year’s rules mess, Rory called the USGA “amateur hour,” Jordan Spieth said it was a joke, Rickie Fowler tagged them using words like “ridiculous” and “laughable.” That memorable screw-up just seemed to bring out what had been a quiet and seething player distaste for the USGA.

It’s a mix of factors — the tricks they’ve played with course setup, rules issues, perhaps money, as Geoff Shackelford noted on his podcast this week that players are mad not enough of the billion dollar deal between FOX and the USGA is coming their way.

At the start of the month, Adam Scott was happy to take a shot and we weren’t even at Erin Hills yet. “If their major pinnacle event for them requires courses to be the way they are then it doesn’t set a good example for every other bit of golf that they try to promote.”

This is a much more public spat now and one the USGA reportedly is trying to quell with better communication. But it’s juicy fun for us and absolutely something to watch for all week at Erin Hills. The USGA will take some body blows.

Tracer Time

The U.S. Open has become the Super Bowl of ProTracer, that shot tracking technology that everyone loves and has changed golf coverage. FOX’s Shane Bacon likened it to the first-down line in football. But the cost and nature of a golf broadcast spread out over 18 holes has made it hard to have ubiquitous tracer, which is what the people often want and demand.

FOX will have either ProTracer or their own tracking technology (the side-by-side screen with the live-arc of a shot from an overheard map of the hole) on all 18 holes. They also get tracer out there in the fairway for approach shots too.

"Shot of his life." #USOpen https://t.co/tuQqgun5d1

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 20, 2016

FOX is not out on the PGA Tour each week like -- this is their one big golf event and they pour everything they have into it.

The coverage was a mess in their first year at Chambers Bay, but the problems seemed correctable and and big pile of smaller issues (except for one big Shark). Oakmont was a massive improvement and this year should be even crisper. I can’t wait to watch hours and hours of it over the next four days.

[thewanderingmacy]

Vienna and Graz

Oy vey. I forgot to write. I’m currently in Salzburg where Mozart was born (or as Mother likes to say, some famous composer).

Alright so I arrived in Vienna in the evening so the first day I just went grocery shopping. Surprisingly, the stuff I bought has lasted me a week later. I bought some amazing chocolate coated wafer cookies and just finished the bag today. It’s funny, every stop, I go grocery shopping and ended up having a main meal/snack to associate with that trip. Dublin was pasta with feta cheese and chicken and fries and chicken strips, Prague was PB&J sandwiches, the rest of Czech was hot dogs, Budapest was pizza, Vienna was rice dishes and pasta with veggies (I only ate out like twice in a week).

Vienna was obviously stunning. It’s where the Habsburg’s (the Austrian royal family) were centred around for like 800 years I think. Whereas Prague was Easter coloured and detailed, this was similar but was slightly lighter and less saturated, making it seem more glamorous and sophisticated. Cream coloured buildings galore but the actual texture and design of the buildings was similar. The area I was staying in was a 5 minute walk to the summer residence of the Habsburg’s and the surrounding gardens. I could see the palace from the apartment airbnb I was in. It was a strange airbnb. A bunch of people lived in this huge apartment and my room was above the loft- I had to climb a ladder to get inside. It was like 4 feet tall inside so I had to sit and only had a bed but hey, it was cheap and did the job. I didn’t speak too much to the other people there. They always spoke in German and I just for the most part have no interest in conversation, as it’s always small talk. I spoke to one girl who was talking about the political situation in Austria but I didn’t have much to offer. There was also a strange man who limped around all day and cleaned. Almost everyone smoked (there was about 5 people in the apartment) and I’ve found that it’s super popular in Austria.

Anyway, the first day in Vienna, I started a bit late. Vienna has a bunch of City Bikes stationed around the city where you can rent a bike, the first hour being free (and tbh no way am I gonna be on a bike for a full hour) and drop it off at one of the dozen other stops in the city. That was my main mode of transit, since it’s free, but it was terrifying. First of all, I haven’t been on a bike in years so I’m not super fluid with it. Second of all, I have never ridden a bike in the city, not even Toronto, so the thought (and the reality) is terrifying. Bike lanes randomly begin and end, and sometimes I was riding with cars on the road. One time I even went between two lanes of moving cars and (I’ll never do it again, don’t worry Tami) I was screaming inside. So the first day I learned that the google estimate for biking time is wrong, for me, as I consistently took double the suggested time. I get that I’m slow, literally everyone was passing me, but double? I was moving. It was supposed to take me under 30 mins to get to the city centre and it always took me almost an hour. So the first day, I left at 1:30pm to attend a 2:30pm walking tour and arrived with a couple minutes to spare. I thought I was at the right one, since it had a “Free tours” sign but after a few minutes, they said it was a Hitler walking tour and I looked around and couldn’t find the one I wanted. So, instead, I thought I’d take a day to check off all the churches in the city centre and my god, there was a lot. They were some of the most extravagant churches I’ve ever seen. Decked in gold, and huge statues, and paintings everywhere. Ironically, the most boring one was the one that the Habsburgs used for weddings. I checked out the main city square, got some pics and wandered.

The next day, I’d planned to catch the 11am tour and arrived late because of my damn bike time. So, since I was in the city, just a bit later, I wandered til the 2:30pm tour. I started with a large food market (called the Belly of Vienna) and wandered up to a palace called Belvedere. There, I learned that I had a Great Thing. It was my youth card where it lists my birthday as 4/10/1998 and, at the palace when I went to get tickets to the art museums inside, they said I was free since I was 18 (I’m 19 btw). I looked it up and in Austria, the day comes first so to everyone, with my youth card, my birthday wasn’t until October 10th. I used this trick (and continue to use it) everywhere, cashing in on discounts and free admission. I was, and still am, ecstatic. I’m a Jew, what can I say? So I wandered the art museums (I was mostly there to see the inside of the palace) and saw the largest collection of Gustav Klimt pieces, including the Kiss, so that was nice. Then I went to a fashion museum in the city centre, inside a Prince’s old apartment, but it had a lot of modern fashion, which is nice but also not what i wanted. After that, I finally did the tour, where I learned about a horrifying monument in the city centre (in WWII, a house used to be there and during bombing, a ton of people went into the bomb shelter but then the house collapsed and their bodies are still down there) and I learned about the Habsburgs various buildings and monuments in the city centre. I had a Good Time and felt accomplished afterwards.

After that number, I went BACK into the downtown (I was biking BEAST. I even went uphill sometimes, which I hated) and went to a museum (because free entry, baby!), and saw the Habsburg’s library which was just stunning (and this time, you could walk around whereas in Prague you could only look in through the door) and then I visited the palace gardens (there’s the Volksgarden- Folks aka regular people’s garden and then the royal garden). Then I went to Maria Thresia square where I was reminded of how much I don’t connect with Youths. Maria Thresia was an 18th century Queen who pretty much built the country by doing what the Habsburgs were famous for, arranging politically charged marriages. She was Marie Antoinette’s mother AKA the French Queen who was beheaded during the French Revolution (I’m fascinated by Marie Antoinette but that’s another story). So in this square that Maria Thresia had fashioned, some sort of Youth music scene was going on where there was a large speaker set and a bunch of youths sitting and drinking in these stunning gardens while listening to garbage music that sounded like a computer with a virus. I quickly got my photos and walked to the other gardens to read (like an Intellect) but I could hear them from about a 5 minute walk away! I was so mad that they were disgracing that historically important area but then I was like, maybe this is our era putting the garden to in a culturally symbolic way? I don’t know, I was just mad that I had to sit next to a fountain to drown out the noise. The reason I was hanging around reading, was because I was waiting for the Vienna Fest concert to start. It started at 9:20pm and I wasn’t super interested in it but, since a cool event was going on while I was there, I figured I should check it out. It was held at the town hall- a stunning building- and was pretty crowded. I listen to one song by, I learned later, a famous Austrian singer whose name I forget (not that any of you would care lol).

ThE NExt day (btw I keep having to look at my photos to remind me because it’s already all jumbled), I took a day trip to Melk. I had to wake up early (wahh) to catch the train. It said it was gonna rain that day, and it did it but only in the morning for a bit and, being the Smart Traveler that I am, I brought an extra pair of socks. So I took a train to Melk, a couple hours outside of Vienna. I was there to see the Abbey. I arrived at 10:30am, just in time for the 10:55am English tour. Honestly, the tour was pretty lame (as was the set up) because they’d taken all the beautiful rooms and made them modern showcases of history. Like they made the first room all white and with neon green light to represent nature or some shite. The NICE part of the place was the views from the balcony over the town and the river, and the library, and the church inside. The library was very beautiful (not as nice as the Habsburg one but still quite nice). The church was gorgeous. You weren’t allowed to take photos but I snuck some blurry ones in because I’m a rebel who can’t be tamed. I wandered the gardens a bit and then made my way to the pier where I boarded a cruise for 2 hours. It was a nice cruise- the rain was definitely gone- with castle ruins and villages long the banks. I got off and boarded a train back to Vienna and that was that day. At this point, I was getting a bit of cold. I remember thinking, at the time, it was a 4/10. So I was blowing my nose a bit but felt fine.

The next day, it became an 8/10 so I did almost nothing. I slept in and lounged. I didn’t have much planned so I was content to take a day of Rest. That evening, though, Swan Lake was playing at the Vienna Opera house which is like the main performing art centre. I looked it up and it wasn’t playing again during my trip so, after a few hours of relax, I biked back down. They had $5 standing room tickets which is a sweeeet deal so I had to take my chance. I’m really good at doing things to please my Future Self. Taking my present self out of the equation which really helps me make good decisions. So I popped a cold pill the limping man gave me and got a ticket (don’t worry, it was a pill in packaging). For the first third (it was three hours) I was standing in the very back in the center of the top balcony. There was two rows of standing people in front of me and the group of women directing in front of me where crazy annoying (like they kept sitting in the wheelchair spot and being told to move and then they’d go back) and the guy next to me was breathing so heavy I could hear it. So, I switched to the side, front row. I could see about 2/3 of the stage but that was like same in the center with all the people in front of me. The show was done really beautifully and music was glorious- I actually know the theme pretty well from previous Youtube listens. I honestly couldn’t tell you what it’s about though. My only reference point is Black Swan and all I got is Black Swan, White Swan. And she didn’t collapse at the send like Natalie Portman so what was that about? Anyway, I was mostly there for the experience (and for $5, I had no complaints) so I had a good time and was proud I forced myself to go. I even had to battle myself wanting to leave at the intermissions since I was sick and uncomfortable but staying til the end, I saw the finale which was just amazing. And then the cast came out and gave like 20 bows for about 10 minutes which was hilarious. I kept thinking it was done, and then the Black Swan would come and bow again. Over and over.

After that day, on my last full day in Vienna, I finally saw the palace I was close to. Schonbrunn was it’s name. With my trick Youth Card, I got a Grand Tour ticket, where I saw 50 state rooms. They were just stunning. Again, there was a no photo rule but I got a couple shite ones. The decor is just out of this world. It makes me want to decorate my room like that but that’d be really weird. Once that was over, it started to rain which actually worked out pretty great for me because everyone evacuated the main entrance area and I got some sick photos of the palace without anyone around. The rain slowed, and eventually, stopped, so I explored the gardens for a bit before calling it a day.

The following morning, I took an early bus to Graz. The route was lined with great views of the mountains and surrounding villages but they never look as good in photos through a bus window.

After I arrived and checked into my airbnb, I walked to the centre of the town to see the Sights. I was gonna start with a mausoleum, but they were closing for lunch when I got there, so I walked around the old castle but you could only go up a famous double spiral staircase inside. I went into the gardens to cross to see a church but became hungry so I found a thai restaurant and ate some delish pad thai. Afterwards, I went back to the mausoleum which was nice and creepy, since I was the only one there in the crypt. The ticket included a walk to the top of the building tower so I did it and, as per usual, got very winded from the stairs. I decided now to cross the park to see the church since I’ve literally since dozens at this point. Instead, I walked to the town centre and wandered the shops, before heading up to a famous clock tower. What I didn’t know is that the clock tower is on a cliff that you have to climb. I knew Future Me would be pissed if I didn’t do it so I tackled it like a bitch, taking breaks quite literally every few steps, but I made it and got my damn photos. Once that was complete, i was exhausted so I called it a day.

The next day, I went back out and went back to the city centre to buy a travel adapter because I realized I forgot mine like the schmuck I am. Then I crossed the river that ran through the town to some more shops before taking a tram to a palace outside of the city centre. Let me tell you, this palace was something else. Since it was in Graz and it was a bit out of the way, my tour only had 4 people in it. The guide took us through 24 phenomenally decorated rooms. What I loved about it was, there was no lights on, only the windows open, giving a very authentic feel to the rooms. The rooms had bare furniture in them so we could roam and see the walls and ceilings perfectly. It was a really unique experience to me as it really felt like I was stepping back into untouched history. So many of the museums I visited feel so artificial and set up, this really took me back. I was so happy I did went. The guide also told us about some of the wall paintings which were hilarious- when you really look at them, you realize how crazy and silly some art was. Afterwards, I bought myself an Oreo ice cream and sandwich and inhaled it in the gardens before going back to my airbnb to collect my things and take another bus to Salzburg (where I am and have been for a full day).

PHEW

That’s it.