#edit maple the first speaking

[danidoesathing]

I’m so close to finishing like. Two different fics. Like it’s so close you have no idea

[mxtxfanatic]

TGCF Draft vs. Final: Garment Redder than Maple, Skin As White As Snow

Back at it again with a new arc! Starting from Chapt. 12, we start at Xie Lian back in the heavens and end on the heavenly officials' stumped dialogue about why Hua Cheng would come help Xie Lian. In the 7seas edition, this is all content from Vol. 1, Chapt. 5: Red-Clad Ghost, the Burning of the Martial and Civil Temples, ending on the very first page of Chapt. 6, which shares the same title as this section in the revisions.

Major changes:

Rather than the section starting with a conversation with Ling Wen, it starts with how the fear of another Human Face Disease breakout was a "false alarm," wasting the time and efforts of the Middle Court which dispatched half of its gods to investigate, and Xie Lian immediately joins the communications array upon returning to the heavens.

Minor changes:

Xie Lian says that his reascension has been more tiring than when he was collecting trash.

Feng Xin no longer mentions sealing Xuan Ji. He just says that General Pei needs to come deal with her.

Qi Rong is still not named. He is only "The Green Ghost."

The questions that were previously posed by Xie Lian—what about the corpse forest and was the green ghost present—are now discussed without him asking. Mu Qing brings up the presence of the forest, and Ling Wen (rather than Feng Xin) responds that the Green Ghost wasn't present. Xie Lian speaks up to ask if Xuan Ji was the Green Ghost's underling.

When Xie Lian speaks in the communications array, it does not get quiet or awkward.

Xiao Pei doesn't chime in to defend General Pei. All explanation-heavy responses come from Ling Wen.

When Xie Lian asks about the child spirit, Mu Qing doesn't chime in and play dumb. Ling Wen, once again, responds and say they found no traces of it.

Xie Lian says out loud that he only knows of the "four great tales" rather than just thinking it, and when he asks what the "four great calamities" are, Mu Qing no longer chimes in with a snide comment. This means that Xie Lian's response about how difficult it is to be a mortal is gone.

Ling Wen's explanation of who the Green Ghost is now stops after she says that he's the only "calamity" not in isolation and is also not a calamity. Xie Lian then asks if he just emerged to be annoying rather than this being a part of Ling Wen's explanation.

Ling Wen now explicitly states that Jun Wu is the one who destroyed White No-Face.

There is an added sentence during the explanation of Hua Cheng burning down the temples and shrines of the 33 heavenly officials that Jun Wu "doesn't like conflict" and prefers to focus on maintaining the balance between the three realms, which is why he did not help them.

[dustofthedailylife]

Dehydrated

Neuvillette x gn! Reader tags // brainrot, drabble, crack, fluff

Just thinking about Neuvillette with a Reader who is constantly dehydrated and forgets to drink (it's me, I'm Reader).

I imagine he would make sure to always buy bottled water of the highest quality and with the most exquisite flavor (in his humble opinion).

He would often bring you a cup of water because he cares about you - and we all know, he loves water - so bringing you water unpromptedly is essentially a confession of love.

Anyway, imagine the shock when he had first brought you water and then checked on you again a couple of hours later, after he had finished work, to find the cup entirely untouched on your desk where he had previously placed it.

He would get so worried, asking you if the water wasn't to your taste and if he should head out to buy a different brand right away. An onslaught of questions and statements would be thrown at you which almost sound accusatory.

"Why didn't you drink it?" - "Is it not to your taste?" - "Speak the word and I'll get you something else right away!"

When you tell him that you simply forgot it was there the man almost gets a heart attack. How can you possibly forget to drink? Water is life fuel, yet you willingly decide to dehydrate, and it doesn't even seem to bother you. Your parched state was almost too unbearable for him to witness.

He would make it his task to remind you to hydrate enough from hereon out.

Only to be almost sent into cardiac arrest a couple of days later when he sees you brew tea with just that same high-quality water he always buys.

What a waste of beautiful, fragrant water...

Do not repost, copy, translate or edit - © dustofthedailylife || reblogs, comments, and asks about Genshin or my fics are always greatly appreciated and motivate me! Maple dividers are mine - do not copy.

[electricpurrs]

i am actually so suspicious of this god damn moth post but i cant find any concrete evidence to prove theres something wrong with it other than my gut feeling and i feel insane

like of course first of all this post is from 2013 and im not really willing to believe any given post from 2013 is true specially when the post is this amazing coincidence of this person coincidentally finding those two coincidentally aesthetically pleasing moths and managing to get them coincidentally snuggling together for a picture. yknow. it does feel too weirdly good to be true

BUT SECONDLY im so weirded out by these two moths specifically.

ok bear with me. the little one is very obviously a rosy maple moth. (which is also coincidentally one of the most famous moths specifically for being pretty)

but im willing to believe any given english speaking tumblrgirl at the time could find one considering they live seemingly accross the united states and canada. fair enough

BUT my problem is the big one. of course everybody even in the notes seems to be classifying it as a luna moth (ALSO a famous moth species for being pretty) you can also feasibly find them in north america, ok.

theres also the point of their lifespans

luna moths as adults live only for about 7-10 days, and i had a harder time finding info for adult rosy maple moths but it seems its about the same

the source of this is an old article from someone actively breeding maple moths x but i believe its the same with moths in general, since they literally dont have mouths and cant eat so they just mate and die.

SO youre gonna have a small time span to find one. both moths are also mainly nocturnal, which makes even weirder that op found both of them during the day.

theres also the point of WHEN are they adults. aka maply moths seem to show from from may through the summer

luna moths though, seem to vary in when they show up depending on place. some do include late may or early june on northern regions, ans a generation in july in central states.

which means you could, feasibly, have a span of about a week or so in may, june or july where both maple moths and luna moths are adults and alive at the same time.

BUT THE POST IN QUESTION IS FROM APRIL 16

thats NOT when adult rosy maple moths show up, much less both of them.

though maybe im just being too pedandic with specific dates and theres margin for variation, but its, again, some real big coincidences

BUT FINALLY theres the fact im suspicious about this luna moth IN THE FIRST PLACE.

i might just be going actually crazy here, but for this we've been assuming the luna moth is the species that exists in north america (otherwise these two wouldnt be in the same place at all)

and like this is what the luna moth looks like

(pictures from wikipedia)

and you see how theyre kinda weird compared to the one in the pic.

the luna moths are mostly green, with much less of this pretty pastel pink of the one on the tumblr post. you could argue they have pink markings but in most pictures i see they seem more like a dark red/brown with a remarkable very thick marking on the wings

you see how the moth in the pic just looks kinda weird. but that can also be from filters or editing to make the photo prettier making the colors different.

(i also think the tail looks weirdly long, but there seems to be variation in the tail length in various luna moth pics ive seen, so i cant speak for sure about that)

(i also cant tell you whether the sizes in comparison to each other are right cause i suck at visualizing size comparisons and its not like theres any other pic on earth of the two together so.)

CONCLUSION: i dont fucking know. i spent an hour looking moths up online and didnt get any reasonable answer to my doubts. i guess in the end THERE is, even if small, a chance of you finding both these boths alive at the same time in the same place so i can fully discredit the op. i give up im going to have breakfast

[sillyunicorn]

For the ask game, number 99 and Wilmon.

ty for the ask!! i cheated a little bc song #99 doesn't have words so I picked song #9 instead with is "Maple Syrup" by the Backseat Lovers. first line: "I still have your picture on the wall."

(the game: send me a # and a pairing and I'll write a 100-word fic based on the first line of the corresponding song from my spotify wrapped playlist)

um i wrote 99 words on the first try?? so i added one and am otherwise not editing this 😂 drabble under the cut!

The room is filled with boxes. The photos on the wall are the last thing Wille has to take down. He stares at one in particular, of someone he hasn’t spoken to in a year, someone who may never want to speak to him again. Wille runs a finger gently over the boy’s face. They were so young then. Carefree, with the world at their feet. That was how it felt at least.

Wille pulls out his phone, scrolls to their last message. Has it been long enough? Have old hurts faded? Wille taps the keyboard, hits send.

"Miss you."

[shiningwonderland]

Camus (All Star) Memorial

Translator: Mimi (Twitter: _mimisaurora)

Memorial 1 - Loves Japanese Sweets

The Carrot Club November Issue: Join Myu-sama! Visit Kyoto in autumn, and enjoy enchanting Japanese sweets

Camus-sama, the noble idol recognized among his fans as Myu-sama, will be the guide for this edition.

He will show us some of the Japanese confectionery shops he has recently been into while strolling through the ancient capital in autumn.

By the time our journalist arrives on location half an hour before the meeting, she realizes the Earl was already there!

“I could not allow myself to be late for our appointment, madam.”

Myu-sama smiles at our journalist, who is a little flattered.

“M-My apologies. We’ll be conducting an interview today….”

“Regardless of the interview, you are a lady first and foremost, madam. I, Camus, would be honored to escort you to the very best of my ability. Now, this way, please.”

Following Myu-sama's pace, the first stop is a long-established Zenzai shop named "Konoha", located along a side road off the main street.

The shop’s poster dog, Tanusuke, appears to be well acquainted with Myu-sama.

Their tail whips about happily.

“Do you come here often?”

“In all honesty, I would love to come every day. However, my schedule is quite busy... It's actually for this reason that I was really looking forward to today's interview (laughs).”

Myu-sama reveals a cuter side of himself; a complete departure from his typical perfect butler persona.

His first order was their most popular chilled Zenzai.

“I must say, the refined sweetness of the red bean paste is delightful. It's so delicious that I usually find myself eating more than I should. There was a time I had up to four cups, much to my kouhai’s dismay.”

“Four cups! That many!?”

“How embarrassing… I couldn't help bringing it up. I shouldn't have. May I ask you to keep this between you and I?”

“I apologize, but because this is an interview, I cannot omit any details.” 

“As you wish. I fear I may be scolded once again by my kouhai, but I shall persevere.”

“The kouhai you’re referring to is Cecil Aijima, whom you co-starred in a musical* with, correct?”

*Note 1: This August, the musical "Phantom Thief Nyan Nyaan" held its final performance to critical acclaim. There surely were many ladies thrilled to watch Myu-sama play the role of a super sadistic police dog, a complete 180 from his usual kind personality.

“Yes. You’re right.”

“It was also featured in the June issue of Carrot Club. The long dog ears and tail were so cute and a hot topic at the time.”

“Were they cute?...(laughs) This is something I'm not used to being told, it makes me a little shy. That being said, nothing makes me happier than to know that you ladies enjoyed it.”

“You say your kouhai will scold you, but could it be that nothing you do will ever be good enough for him?”

“How about putting it as… I consider us to have a positive, mutually respectful relationship, regardless of positions.”

After picking up a souvenir for Cecil Aijima, we head south of town along a riverside road where Meiji-era structures remain intact.

This is Myu-sama’s favorite path.

“Despite it bearing no resemblance to the streets of my hometown, it brings me a curious sense of nostalgia. It may be a bit of a detour, but please bear with me for a while.”

“It does have a very pleasant atmosphere, making you feel as if you've been sent back through time to the Meiji Era.”

“It would have been even better if the leaves had begun to redden…. I hope to show you around again next time during the height of the season.”

The road is lined with ginkgo and maple trees, making it a popular spot among insiders.

“Speaking of, were you surprised when you first saw the autumn leaves in Japan?”

“Very much so. I was impressed by the sight of the mountains dyed in five different colors. I had wished to show it to Her Majesty, the Queen of my homeland.”

The next stop was a Western-style café named "Moonlight".

“The sign shows an advertisement for a cake set, but do they serve Japanese sweets here?”

“Yes. Surprising, isn't it? Allow me to show you what's in store.”

“Is this a coffee jelly parfait on the table?

It's covered in a yellow powder….”

“Madam, please have a bite first.”

“Then, if you'll excuse me…

It’s… brown sugar jelly!”

“You’re right. The yellow powder is soybean flour. I've been enjoying its delicate sweet taste lately. It pairs amazingly with soft-serve ice cream, too.”

“Do you also like brown sugar?”

“It’s a favorite of mine. It’s wonderfully rich.”

“I was surprised at the variety of sugars available in Japan. You have not only your traditional white sugar, but also brown sugar and sugarcane… I was especially amazed by the elegance of Wasanbon.”

Since coming to Japan, sweet-toothed Myu-sama apparently carries some Wasanbon on him every day.

“You're well known for always keeping sugar on you, but where exactly do you put it?”

“Heh. That’s a secret, even for you, madam.”

Myu-sama simply smiles and avoids the question.

“Could it be that you don't really have any?”

“Is that what you believe?”

With a snap of his fingers, he suddenly reveals a snow-shaped Wasanbon in the palm of his hand...!

“The beauty of Wasanbon is its ability to take on a multitude of shapes, like this. Of course, coarse sugars like granulated or icing sugar are great too.”

“Surely white sugar is common in Silk Palace?”

“It is very cold where I am from, so before, sugar itself was a rarity. That’s why for me, Japan seemed like a dream destination (laughs).” 

“Then are the sweets in Silk Palace not… well, sweet?”

“No, on the contrary, because of how precious it is, they're made very sweet. It may even be too strong for some ladies to eat. In moments like those, we brew a strong cup of tea together.”

“It’s similar to… matcha tea in Japan. Though not as formal as the Japanese tea ceremony, Silk Palace also has a custom of hosting guests with tea.”

Myu-sama smiles with a cup of tea in his hand.

“I would be happy to brew you a pot of tea whenever you desire.”

In the end, Myu-sama personally picks out a souvenir for the Carrot Club editorial staff.

“Hatsushimo" is a long-established Japanese confectionery shop that has been in business since the Genroku era.

Upon passing through the shop’s traditional noren curtain, one is immediately hit by a brilliant shade of red.

“The wonderful thing about this place is their Nerikiri. Many of them have autumn leaf motifs** this time of year.”

**Note 2:

The selection of Jo-namagashi changes with the season.

Please inquire with the store for more details.

With a twinkle in his eye, Myu-sama began to select Namagashi from the display case.

“These, for instance, are works of art. They’re designed to resemble autumn leaves in the process of changing their color from green to red. It’s beautiful… It would be a pity to eat them.”

A sweet shaped in the form of a bird was the next one to catch our attention.

“This one here must be inspired by the Hyakunin Isshu. Long is the mountain pheasant’s tail that curves down in its flight; but longer still, it seems to me, left in my lonely plight, is this unending night. It’s a love poem about an autumn night that feels as painfully long as the tail of a mountain bird, when one sleeps alone and apart from the person they love.”

“I see… that explains why the bird is atop a backdrop made of black bean paste.”

“To even understand the Hyakunin Isshu… you are indeed well-informed on Japan, Myu-sama.

Not many Japanese people are as knowledgeable in this subject as you are.

It’s fantastic.”

“No. One can acquire all the knowledge they want later in life. The existence of this historic restaurant is proof in itself that the people of this country have long had a love of beauty and culinary delights. I believe that their passion is far more remarkable than their knowledge.”

Yokan, Higashi. The amount of souvenirs for the editorial staff quickly grew.

“By the way, what is your top pick?”

“It would be Botamochi. Only recently did I learn that the name changes from Ohagi in the fall to Botamochi in the spring.”

He speaks with a smile and buys three pieces of Ohagi for himself.

We ended the interview greatly satisfied.

“Thank you for your cooperation today.”

The December issue will feature “Join Ren-ren! Explore Hama's authentic Italian cuisine”.

- - - - - - - - - -

“So Camus-senpai loves… Japanese sweets.”

I jotted down the gist of the magazine article and then looked up.

“I wonder if he would cooperate with creating the unit song if I brought him some delicious Japanese sweets…”

I genuinely considered it, but shook my head.

No, it wouldn’t be a good idea.

Camus-senpai is someone who keeps his private and public life separate. He wouldn't help us out so easily.

“Then… A song inspired by Japanese sweets…?”

That’s just as bad. It’s not that simple.

If I don't get to know Senpai even better and write a song that only he can sing, and would  want to sing, he will never come to acknowledge me.

“In any case, I just have to keep researching.”

I drew in a small breath to get myself in the mood, and turned back toward the stacks of magazines.

[allykakamatsu]

KH X GI Redesigns

As the title says, some people are gonna be getting redesigns for the AU, so I thought I'd show off the ones I've done so far.

Admittedly I didn't change much here, just simplified it down a bit and had both of his sleeves match, but I still had to do a bit of an edit cause, well, as you can clearly see, he lost his eye because in this AU Scara hitting him with lighting was replaced by Vanitas acting like the human cat that he is-

Speaking of Scara, he's special here cause he get's not one but two new looks. The first one (the left) is the outfit he's wearing after the Inazuma Archon quest and most of Sumeru, and it's mainly a middle ground between his first look and his final one. I made his sleeves a lot longer though as I gave him ball joints in this AU and at first I think he'd want to keep them covered if only so no one stares at them and gets annoying about it.

As for his other outfit (on the right) that's the one he gets during the epilogue to the Sumeru archon quest, and it looks a lot closer to his Wanderer outfit however I added a lot more purple not only because I think it looks nice on him, but also because he has a closer tie to electro post redemption in this AU and I wanted to show that. I also swapped out his hat for a circlet and veil to give him a slight visual tie back to Kabukimono while still looking fierce. (I also added some clips to it to represent his new friends, on the back so not seen here is a maple leaf and a heartless clip-)

Sara and Lyney underneath cut:

Also please support me on ko-fi here

Main goal here was just to declutter Sara's top a bit as while I do like her design overall I was never crazy about the over sized golden ornament and random white cloth on her top. I also decided to give her some shorts as she's doing a lot more flips and the like now and I don't want her to have to be dealing with panty shots, plus she looks good in them. Looking at the finished product she looks a bit like Aqua now but hey, Sara rocks it and those two would get along anyway so it's fine.

Finally for the initial batch we have Lyney. First of all, yes I gave him cat ears, what of it-

On a more serious note, he's still wearing his usual look at first and still puts it on for his shows but after some wild stuff goes down at Meropide and he has a talk with Father Arlecchino he has to start doing some new training to get a better handle on his new abilities, hence the new clothes. I was mainly going for something that still fit Lyney's vibe but was a bit more lowkey and matched better with Arlecchino, hence deciding on this. RIP shorts and garter belts- It's also meant to invoke a bit of a 'I'm fine but it's clear to everyone who looks at me that I'm not fine' vibe, which is a bit of a recurring for this AU-

[warmbloodcomic]

Warm Blood: Girls Mode

Written by Josh Tierney

Photo edit by Caitlin Soliman

Pt. 2

The maids completed the routine, which encompassed all 12-and-a-half minutes of the song. The lights on the stage went out, and the customers and floor maids applauded as the stage maids held their final poses for several seconds. The maids on either side of the flyer girl then hopped off, leaving the flyer girl standing casually onstage as she looked at Penny and Eve with a curious smile.

Penny and Eve had already returned their attention to each other.

“You’d think they’d dance to like an anime theme or something,” Penny said. She looked down at her empty plate, only just now realising she had finished her pancake.

“I kept waiting for them to invite a customer up, like at a theme park,” Eve said, her eyes sparkling at the idea. “I totally would’ve gone up if they tried that!”

Penny opened her mouth to speak, but Eve spoke for her: “I know, there’s no way you would’ve danced.”

Eve took a sip of her coffee, then continued speaking with an encouraging smile: “I still would’ve rooted for you.”

The shadow of a maid who wasn’t their own fell onto their table. Penny paused in the middle of gulping down her orange drink to glance at the shadow’s owner.

The flyer girl was standing there, less like a maid in a themed restaurant, or even like a girl who handed out flyers for one, and more like a girl who had just got off work and was about to enjoy the night.

“How was it?” the flyer girl asked. “Did you like the performance?”

“It was sooo cute!” praised Eve. “When you told us this was a maid café, I was expecting way more sweeping and a lot less dancing. But now that I know what they’re like, I want to come to one everyday.”

“I’m so happy,” the flyer girl said. “I choreographed that dance myself.”

Penny and Eve were blown away – they wouldn’t have expected that from someone so close to their age, especially not from someone they had just seen handing out advertisements on a rainy street.

“You must be a higher rank of maid, then,” Eve said with a huge smile.

“S-tier, for sure,” Penny agreed.

The flyer girl smiled appreciatively at them.

“Not quite,” she said. “I’m more of a freelancer . . . I like to be able to come and go as I please.”

The flyer girl pulled out her phone, looked at it, then looked back at Penny and Eve.

“My name’s Maaya,” she told them.

“I’m Penny,” Penny said. She was secretly happy to be having a full conversation with a local in English.

“I’m Eve,” Eve said. “I know someone named Maya back in Canada.”

“Oh, are you both Canadians?” Maaya asked, genuinely interested.

“Yup! We live near Toronto.”

“The Maple Leafs, right?”

“That’s right!” Eve responded, impressed. “You know a lot.”

Maaya looked to her right. Penny and Eve’s maid had appeared as if from out of thin air. Maaya spoke to the maid in Japanese, and the maid nodded in response before heading towards the front counter.

“Your half-hour is up,” Maaya informed Penny and Eve. “You could stay here, but you’ll be charged for another 30 minutes.”

Penny and Eve looked at each other; the look said “as cool as this place is, we shouldn’t waste our money.” They made use of their napkins and stood, satisfied with the experience.

“Is this your first time in Akiba?” Maaya asked them.

“It’s our first time in Japan,” Penny explained.

“What made you decide to come here?”

“My mom came on a business trip,” Penny said. “We’re just tagging along.”

“We have a YouTube channel called Girls Mode,” Eve added proudly. “We haven’t used it in a while, but we have a thousand subscribers on it. We’d post Let’s Plays, reviews, makeup tutorials, game development tips – pretty much anything that came to mind.

“We want to revive it during our trip, and post some travelogue videos.”

Maaya smiled a knowing smile, like she was eager to share a secret with them.

“I can show you a few places, if you like,” she said. “I know Akiba like the back of my hand.”

Eve looked at the back of Maaya’s hand, and found it slender and pretty. She then looked at Penny, as if leaving the decision to her. Penny looked at Eve and could tell Eve would be glad to spend more time with Maaya. They then looked at Maaya together.

“Sure,” Penny said, slightly weirded out. Despite Maaya being close to them in age, Penny knew she shouldn’t be totally trusting of a stranger they had just met in another country, especially since Eve clearly would. She decided she would keep her guard up for both their sakes.

Yes, let’s follow the strange maid, Penny thought as she and Eve followed Maaya to the front counter. What the heck are we doing?

Eve paid for both of them with her credit card, which had been set up for her by her upper-middle-class parents. To Penny, “upper-middle-class” meant Eve’s family was fabulously rich, but she never commented on this out loud around Eve, since she knew it would make her feel bad.

“You can pay me back at the hotel room,” Eve said with a smile. During the trek from

Narita Airport to their hotel room in Akihabara, Eve had taken notice of Penny’s struggles to figure out which Japanese coins were worth which amounts of money. Covering costs for both of them was simply a way of streamlining their experience.

The counter maids bowed and thanked them, so Penny and Eve bowed and thanked the maids back, with Penny blushing as she bowed clumsily and awkwardly.

Penny felt embarrassed by her attempts at interacting with pretty much everyone, especially in comparison to how effortlessly Eve integrated into a society so unlike her own. She didn’t get it – she was the one who was 1000% into Japanese video games, 80% into manga, and 70% into anime, not Eve.

It was like the shyness she had spent her first year of high school breaking free from had come rushing back, wrapping her up in its quiet comfort.

But, also, it was just the first night. She would keep trying.

“Let’s go,” Maaya said.

The trio exited the maid café, descended the green-lit stairs, and made their way back to the slightly rainy street.

“Where are you staying?” Maaya asked them.

“It’s that really tall hotel close to where you were handing out flyers,” Penny said. “We’re staying there with my mom. I forget what it’s called.”

“Oh, that one?” Maaya said knowingly. “That’s a nice hotel. Western-style beds, modern design . . . One of my aunts stays there when she visits.”

Hearing Maaya casually reference her family made Penny feel more comfortable. The trio stuck close together as they walked, with Maaya slightly in the lead.

“We won’t venture too far from it,” Maaya assured them. “It can be fun to get lost in Akiba, but maybe not on the first night.”

“You speak English so well,” Eve complimented her.

“Thank you,” Maaya said. “I’m paid extra when I send foreigners to cafés, so I’ve been taking advanced courses online.”

She then smiled at Eve. “Would you like to practice your Japanese?”

Maaya, in Japanese, asked Eve what she was most interested in doing in Akihabara. Eve picked up on some of the words, and answered: “Penny is a huge, huge fan of games. I want her to see the coolest game store.”

“That’s easy,” Maaya told them. “It’s Super Potato.”

Eve nearly gasped. The idea of going to a place called Super Potato was all she needed to achieve perfect happiness. It didn’t matter what kind of store it was.

“I’ve heard of it,” Penny said, while Eve silently imagined a potato with magical powers. “It’s a big retro store, right?”

“That’s right. It takes up the top three floors of a building.”

It didn’t take long for the girls to arrive at Super Potato, the three sheltered from the rain by Maaya’s transparent umbrella.

Depicted on a big yellow sign was an anthropomorphic potato with a surprisingly Western design, looking more like the mascot of a Canadian chip brand than something used to promote a videogame store in Akihabara. Maaya asked if they wanted to take a picture in front of it, and used Penny’s cellphone to take a picture of Penny and Eve with the potato visible above them. Penny had managed an awkward smirk for the photo, while Eve had a big, cheesy smile.

“I can help record videos for your YouTube channel as well,” Maaya offered.

“Really?! That would be amazing!” Eve responded gratefully.

Eve passed her phone to Maaya, as hers was more advanced than Penny’s. After showing Maaya which buttons to press, Maaya began recording the pair as they climbed the steps to the first level of the store. The climb was slow as Penny and Eve kept stopping to admire the retro game posters, featuring everything from Parodius to a roster of Claymation enemies from Super Mario RPG. Penny took the time to explain all the Japan-only games being advertised, mainly for Eve’s sake but also for their modest YouTube audience.

Locals who were used to the posters had to navigate around the girls, apologising as they did so. Eventually they located the entrance to the first level, and Penny’s legs nearly buckled at the sight of all the old games within, this floor focusing on older systems like the Famicom, Super Famicom and Mega Drive. (Penny then explained that the Famicom was the NES, the Super Famicom was the Super Nintendo, and the Mega Drive was the Sega Genesis.)

Penny grabbed Eve’s arm and squeezed it, needing an outlet for the rush of retro game energy coursing through her veins.

“It’s beautiful,” Penny whisper-shouted. For a moment Eve assumed she was referring to the life-size Fox McCloud statue just past the entrance, but, no, Penny clearly meant everything.

The retro posters continued into the store itself, and CRT monitors displayed the attract modes for Final Fantasy VI and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. In addition to all the games – presented either in their original boxes on the shelves or as loose cartridges in tidy bins below – there were rare soundtrack CDs, strategy guides, artbooks and toys, including an entire row of deluxe Puyo Puyo character figures.

Penny took her time in each section, with Eve happily following, Penny pointing out rare and unique games as Maaya recorded the tour. The artwork for many of the games was quite beautiful, with hand-painted manga-style illustrations on nearly all of them. The games’ original cardboard boxes were also packaged well in clear plastic sleeves, preventing fingerprints and other damage from the many browsing customers. Penny truly believed the store should be listed as a museum in official travel guides.

“Oh, Sailor Moon!” Eve exclaimed, finally finding something she not only recognised but actively enjoyed. Apparently, Japan was treated to an entire run of Sailor Moon games that had never made their way to North America, with a tonne of them on the Super Famicom.

The Sailor Moon section gave Eve an opportunity to speak to the Girls Mode viewers, with Eve explaining that she preferred the monster-of-the-week episodes to the high stakes fever dream finales, and how she preferred the slice-of-life scenes to the actual fighting. What she liked most about the fight scenes was the Sailor Scout outfits and transformation sequences.

She then struck Sailor Moon’s iconic pose, and some other customers asked Maaya if they could have their pictures taken with the blonde girl doing the anime poses. Maaya translated for Eve, and Eve accepted despite being slightly uncomfortable – in her mind, this was the price of fame for a YouTuber.

The trio moved up to the second floor, where the rest of the games could be found, everything ranging from the PlayStation era to software for contemporary systems like the Switch 2. Eve was lucky enough to get a Switch 2 for her birthday, while Penny still had the original Switch that had released when she was a toddler. Whenever Eve visited Penny, Penny asked Eve if the Switch 2 was coming with her.

While Penny basked in the glory of the retro sections, soaking in the history that emanated from their stylish jewel cases, Eve checked out the Switch 2 section, looking at the Japanese titles with tremendous curiosity. Maaya stuck with Eve, recording her reactions.

Eve spotted a case that featured Princess Rosalina on the cover, with no one else on it other than Lumas.

“What?!” she exclaimed as she lifted up the case.

“That’s Super Princess Rosalina,” Maaya told her in amusement. “You don’t have it in Canada?”

“What? No! If we had this, then I’d have it!”

Eve stared intensely at the box art, her mouth hanging open. It was what she had always dreamed of: a Mario game with 0% Mario and 100% Rosalina. Her brain was suddenly filled with different voices, some encouraging her to buy it (would such a game even have a language barrier?) and others trying to convince her not to spend so much money on the first day (who knows what else she might find?).

Eve was sweating while frozen in place. It was the most Penny-like she had ever felt. Finally, she put the case back on the shelf.

“Maybe I’ll come back for it,” she said to the camera with a smile.

Maaya stopped recording and handed Eve’s phone back to her.

“You’re getting a low battery,” Maaya said. “But you do have enough for a few more videos, if you find something else interesting.”

“In that case, we should find Penny and see how she’s holding up,” Eve suggested. “She’s either completely energised by all the games, or all the games have sapped her energy and left her enfeebled. I can never guess which it’ll be.”

Eve and Maaya located Penny between two CRT monitors, the left one running the attract mode for the first Ryū ga Gotoku (or Yakuza, as she knew it in Canada) and the right running Phantasy Star Universe’s, both on PlayStation 2. Penny was hypnotised by the left screen, its fictionalised depiction of Kabukicho reminding her that, yes, she really was in real-life Tokyo, something she had always dreamed of but never thought would one day become reality.

“Are you ready for the final level?” Maaya asked her.

“I don’t know if my heart can take it,” Penny said half-jokingly.

Maaya looked at her in concern. “Do you have a medical condition?”

“Penny’s medical condition is that she likes games a little too much,” Eve explained to Maaya with a smile.

“I think you’ll survive it,” Maaya told Penny reassuringly. “The last floor is a small arcade and snack shop.”

Maaya led them to the next set of stairs, which had some old prints of atmospheric Katsuya Terada fantasy artwork on display.

“Do you come here a lot?” Eve asked Maaya from behind as they ascended.

“No, but I try to learn the area in order to be helpful to tourists. Not just foreigners, but people visiting from elsewhere in Japan. The more helpful you are, the more likely it is the person you’re helping will get around to the maid café you told them about.”

“But you must like games if you work in Akihabara, right?”

The girls reached the final floor. Maaya turned to Eve and smiled.

“Of course, I like games. I don’t own any consoles, though – I do all my gaming on my phone.”

Eve and Maaya then turned to the spot Penny had been standing, but she was already gone, having disappeared into the arcade without a word.

“Oh, we need to record a video of her playing at a cabinet!” Eve said. “We missed our chance the last place we went.”

Eve and Maaya entered the small arcade in search of Penny. They were immediately struck by the unexpected jungle theme, with fake trees and plants set up around the game cabinets, including vines hanging down from the ceiling. The theming made more sense when they stumbled upon a life-size statue of Naked Snake from Metal Gear Solid 3, who was holding a broken wooden gun. Maaya figured the statue came first, with the jungle aesthetic thrown together afterwards.

Maaya took a picture of Eve as Eve copied Snake’s pose, her gun fingers pointing to the floor at an angle. Unlike Snake’s stoic look, however, Eve had a cheesy smile. She was thinking about how big a surprise the photo would be when she showed it to Penny. Maaya and Eve then exchanged contact information, so Maaya could take pics and vids with her own phone and send them to Eve at the end of the night.

“You’re like an unofficial member of Girls Mode now,” Eve told Maaya happily.

“You can pay me when you’re famous,” Maaya joked.

Eve thought about it for a moment.

“We should be thanking you for your help,” she said seriously. “If you see something really cool, and it’s not super expensive, I can buy it for you.”

Maaya smiled in amusement.

“No, I was only joking,” she said. “Please don’t. I’m happy to show Akiba to people. It’s a passion of mine, since I love it so much.”

“In that case, if you ever come to Canada, I’ll be the one to show you around!”

Maaya smiled warmly.

“I’d like that.”

Eve smiled back.

“We just have to be careful of the shadow people,” she said matter-of-factly while still smiling.

Maaya looked at Eve in confusion, unsure whether she was joking or not. Maaya and Eve then looked at Penny, who had appeared from the next row of cabinets. Penny looked at Eve with a somewhat haunted expression.

“I think something’s wrong with the arcade games in Japan,” she said.

“What do you mean?” Eve asked.

“I . . . I’ll show you,” Penny said. “Make sure you’re recording.”

Penny led the girls down the next aisle as if in slow motion, flicking glances left and right; it was as if she expected a digitised creature to jump out of one of the screens and attack them. Maaya recorded Penny from behind, following her like a camera in a third-person videogame. Maaya was also looking left and right, wondering what it was that had weirded out this shy girl from Canada.

Kandy by Fever Ray was playing over the PA.

Eventually Penny brought Eve and Maaya to the cabinet that had concerned her. The marquee made it clear it was a Marvel vs. Capcom 2 machine, but the screen was rapidly flickering black and white. Two players were sitting on the stools in front of it, their hands on the sticks and buttons, a look of concentration on the left player and a joyful smile on the right.

But their hands weren’t moving, and neither were their bodies, their expressions frozen unblinking on their faces. Maaya recorded the players, and at this point she was a bit freaked-out as well.

“Don’t look at the screens,” Maaya warned Penny and Eve seriously.

Penny and Eve then looked around them, and noticed that all of the screens were now flickering, and every single one of the players was frozen in place. They then glanced at the exit, having noticed some movement in that direction, and spotted one or two women just as they were leaving. They had only caught a glimpse, but they’d swear the figures were wearing black-and-pink maid outfits.

“Is it some type of seizure?” Eve asked Maaya.

“That seems most likely,” Maaya responded.

Maaya leaned down and spoke to the frozen Marvel vs. Capcom 2 players in Japanese, asking if they were okay. The players failed to respond.

“If it’s a seizure, we shouldn’t risk moving them,” Penny offered shakily.

Maaya nodded and contacted emergency services on her phone, explaining the situation as calmly and clearly as she could.

The girls then headed to the snack counter, hoping to find an unfrozen attendant, but the space past the counter was devoid of life, and they didn’t want to head into the small back room uninvited.

Their next thought was to head back down. They exited the arcade and went into the down-only elevator, where the only options were the emergency button and the button for street-level.

“What do you think they’re seeing?” Eve asked Penny curiously.

“What do you mean?” Penny asked back. “It’s just flickering screens.”

“But . . . what if they’re seeing what we saw in the other arcade?” Eve hypothesised. “It wasn’t normal, right? Maybe we were frozen, too.”

Penny looked at Eve, wondering if she was right. Then she looked down, not wanting Eve to see just how anxious she was.

The elevator door opened, and the girls stepped into a dark, shadowy hallway with flowers hand-painted on its wallpaper.

[annieqattheperipheral]

Long post. It's a heartbreaking read from Rodion's father's pov about his son's life. Truly worth the time if you have the emotional space and energy. I've posted a few links as you may want to share in others' thoughts and feelings after reading.

Original interview (Russian site Google translated to English)

Reposted by a reddit user (excerpts + Leafs mentions)

Linked to on Twitter

Interview excerpts transcript (I've edited for clarity) and a few of the photos:

My main motivation for giving an interview, as a father and a witness to everything that happened to my son, is to thank people from the bottom of my heart. Thank you from our family and from Rodion, although he himself can no longer express it in words.

We thank you for the attention and participation that the hockey community, clubs and organizations, and fans have given us. Thanks to the Toronto Maple Leafs, personally to Brendan Shanahan and Kyle Dubas. For the way they accepted Rodion, empathized and participated in his fate.

I was generally removed from financial and organizational issues: “Ruslan, take care of your son, don't even think about it. We will solve everything." The club was always in touch 24/7. Both the doctors and the team management. Dubas, who made the draft choice, was very fond of Rodion. They corresponded a lot, supported each other both before and during the illness. In recent days, Kyle even wanted to fly to Munich - Rodion left on August 14, and Dubas already had a ticket for the 11th.

I told agent Dan Milstein: “Rodion is in such a state, he can't see anymore, he's heavy. Well, is Kyle coming just to raise his weak hand and shake it? They won't even communicate.”

- “Ruslan, he wants to do it. This is his personal desire."

Dubas wrote and called, but my son could no longer see his messages. I was worried and was eager to go to the airport. The doctors stopped him: “There's no need to fly anywhere anymore...”

Toronto has released 100 medals that will be awarded to the most respected people who have made significant contributions to the history of the club and the NHL. So, Shanahan himself came to Rodion at six in the morning, when it became known that the disease had worsened and he needed to fly home from Toronto, and presented him with this medal - the very first of a hundred. Rodion brought this award to Ufa and was very proud of it.

The agent in Russia, Stanislav Romanov, provided great assistance, solving many everyday issues and refusing to take a commission for the contract when he learned about my son's illness. From business people, he and Dan Milstein transformed into caring and loving fathers.

Separately, about Dan Milstein. I said at the funeral when I gave the speech that Dan is with my family for a reason. For everyone, he is a great agent, a professional. His actions speak louder than words. But he is also a man with a huge heart. When Rodion was fine, Dan did a tremendous job. The draft, the agreement with Toronto, advertising contracts with CSM and Bauer - all these pleasant and useful things, uniforms, budgets...

And when Rodion Amirov ended as a hockey player, we came to know Dan Milstein as a father and friend. I told everyone: “For us, this is not an agent, but a member of our family, a close relative.” He flew to Russia two or three times a month just to visit and support our son and bring some things. All everyday issues and treatment were resolved immediately. No questions like: “Why? For what? How much?”

- What do you need? Please.

All accounts were closed. When Rodion's body left from Germany, and a bunch of organizational matters piled up - how to negotiate with the embassy, how to deliver the body, what to do with hanging documents - Dan said: “Ruslan, you are not touching on this topic . I take everything upon myself."

I can't imagine how long he slept. No matter how you call, he is always in touch. After all, my son was brought from Germany at night, three hours before the funeral. The flight was through Turkey, the plane cost a lot of money. But Dan solved a million questions.

* * *

Moscow clinic in Skolkovo - doctors and all the people who took part in Rodion's treatment. We were there from November to July. I would like to thank all the medical staff - who cared, treated, tried to save the child and did everything in their power. The bills were paid alternately by Salavat Yulaev and Toronto.

People in Ufa helped with warmth no less than the Maple Leafs. It touched the soul when the leadership staff of “Salavat Yulaev” visited their son in full force - it was very important and valuable for us.

General Director of Salavat Yulaev Rinat Bashirov was available day and night - at any time when you needed help. Without their help, it would have been very difficult for us to live these two years.

People on both sides of the ocean took a huge part in the fate of our boy. In such a difficult time there were no borders, no politics. There is just a person. And many good people who united around him, supported him, and showed attention. Humanity, help, mutual assistance and unconditional love for a young boy from Ufa who was in trouble. It's so touching when all the contradictions fade into the background. All that remains is the fate of man.

Ordinary fans sent pies, wrote letters, sent pictures, gifts, met him on the street and said kind words. And in Russia, and in North America, and in Europe, when we were treated in Germany. Children and adults wrote how they prayed for Rodion. Humanity, kindness, love, relationships between people - and no disagreements between countries.

I remember how many guys came to our Moscow clinic with whom my son played in the national team, in the club and in the youth team. I didn't even know many of them. Physical training coach Pavel Markidan was a constant participant in these trips. Rodion was either taken to a restaurant or taken to the river bank. “My brothers,” as my son called his friends.

At such moments, it is important to show concern, care, and unconditional love. It is very valuable when you donate a piece of your time and yourself towards a person who is going through this valley of the shadow of death.

And all the brothers who took Rodion and communicated with him gave him a breath of fresh air. And for a few hours my son became just like everyone else. Healthy, beautiful, strong, joyful. Forgetting about the terrible days he spent in the dark.

* * *

Until the last day I talked with Rodion. We were sitting at the dining table in a Munich hospital.

- Son, I'm wondering... Do the blind dream? You've been blind for eight months now. What do you see?

- Dad, I dream.

- What are they like? Who's there? Me and mom? You've probably already forgotten what we look like.

- Dad, I constantly see ice. And there's a match. I play hockey.

- Listen, Rodion, you had another life besides hockey. Nature, sun, forest, friends. You can and should see something different, right?

- I'm always in the game. I see ice. You know, dad, it's probably because I've been playing hockey since childhood and love it very much. When you have love for something in your heart and you really want it, you see it in your dreams.

I am a grown man, I have seen a lot of things in my life. But I learned many things from my son during these two years. Rodion matured a lot during his illness.

Courage, willpower, patience, perseverance. I don't understand where this came from! I always saw him as a teenager - young, immature, not knowing everything in life.

But I'm a father, I have to put my son on his feet and inspire him by personal example. Our family is a believer, and I must teach my son strong faith, which helps in the most difficult situations.

You know, at the age of 10, Rodion wrote on paper in uneven handwriting what he dreamed of.

“To become the best hockey player in the world and glorify God. Win the Olympic Games, Gagarin Cup, Stanley Cup. Glorify God. Become a good person."

Twice - “glorify God.” And in the end, the most important, most important, valuable thing is “to become a good person.”

How deep... My taught son me simple and important things.

And I think: Lord, my God, what would I do in such a situation?

I probably wouldn't have been able to stand it.

The Bible says that God does not give a person more trials than he can withstand. I don't know how embittered I would be, who I would reproach—the doctors, fate, the Almighty, I would throw stones at the sky, cursing everyone...

But this boy showed an example of perseverance. And he taught me to live.

* * *

In general, I was tough on raising my son. I was principled and did not allow praise, avoiding pompous words. In our family, we believed more in principles such as modesty and hard work.

“Dream. Pray. Work hard” is a motto that Rodion knew from childhood.

I asked him: “Son, what are we doing? How are we living?

- Dream. Pray. Work hard.

When our son was six years old, we sent him to hockey. Somewhere 15 km from Ishimbay there is the city of Salavat. An ice arena was built there, and we came to see it.

The first group of hockey players was just being recruited there, and I asked: “Are you going to train?”

I used to go in for sports myself. And all men want their sons to be strong and strong. Rodion watched hockey and liked it. We agreed with the coach and brought the child straight from kindergarten. And they started studying.

In spirit, his son is a gamer. He didn't like to fight or grapple. I wanted to run with the ball and the stick. He was very interested in hockey.

At first everything was difficult. Another city, we traveled constantly by car, life was on schedule. When we started school, the loads became heavier. Not only hockey appeared, but also chess and checkers, volleyball, basketball, and football. Of course, a couple of times a week. But this is how we worked on game thinking.

He also played tennis and practiced swimming with coaches. Acrobatics, gymnastics, figure skating, trampolines, stretching, work on the musculoskeletal system. The preparation was very powerful; we laid a very good functional foundation for Rodion. This helped a lot when we moved to Ufa at the age of 10, and later, when my son started playing for Salavat Yulaev.

By the time he was 17-18 years old, we continued to work on the base, and it gave results. His hockey career developed rapidly. But in our family one postulate remained unshakable - modesty. I said: “No matter what happens in life, son - and you will definitely succeed, I'm sure of it - you must always remain a worthy person with a big, honest and sincere heart.”

My son's favorite toy was a stuffed albatross that his younger sister gave him. An albatross is a bird flying against the wind.

So his sister said: “Rodion, I wish you to always go against difficulties and be a winner, without giving up.”

Difficulties arose, like all young hockey players. But Rodion always followed our motto.

Dream. Pray. Work hard.

Our family had evening prayer hours. My wife and I opened the Bible, I chose one of the chapters, and read it to the children. We analyzed it, I explained the meaning of the phrases. And then we all prayed, thanking the Lord for the past and tomorrow.

I said: “Son, in order to achieve something, you need to dream about it. You need to visualize your desire. Let this be born in your heart. You must want it and be absolutely sure that it will happen in your life. To do this you need to pray. Everything we have - life itself, breath, our talents and abilities, gifts from birth - is a blessing from God.

Pray about what you want in life. And you definitely need to work.”

We talked a lot about this since childhood. Rodion knew this, and it was always in his heart.

* * *

Everyone understands perfectly well what a brain tumor is. To date, there is not a single case in which a person has been cured of this form of cancer. At least I don't know about it.

But Rodion told me: “Dad, we will still defeat the disease. With God's help, we will do what no one has done before.”

And this faith held him until the last day. Not a word of self-pity. There is no question of what will happen next or how everything will turn out.

There is only one absolute and clear confidence that all this can be overcome, and the disease will end.

...As doctors in Canada and Germany told us, Rodion played with the tumor for six months.

Somewhere closer to the New Year, my son went to a training camp in Novogorsk - preparations were underway for the 2021 World Youth Championships in Edmonton. We talked, and Rodion told me:

- Dad, I can't understand. Something happens to me on the ice.

- What's happened?

- I can't catch myself on the ice. I'm shaking. It happens that I lose the puck out of the blue.

He started having problems with coordination. And I attributed this to the fact that my son began to actively grow. He was of late development, he didn't even have stubble. And I said that this is normal, it happens.

But other symptoms also arose. At the World Championships it was enough for three matches. He pulled out the last game of the group stage against the Swedes with all his strength.

And then... “Dad, no matter what shift I have, I'm very tired.”

Rodion ended the season in this state. And you remember those moments. Either he makes an incomprehensible loss, then he goes to take a penalty, and the puck comes off the hook, or crashes into the goal from scratch. Rodion flies into the frame and sits, not understanding what happened to him.

I didn't recognize my son on the ice. He was always composed, with good coordination and a clear sense of the puck, movement and skating. Everything we've been working on since we were six years old. And suddenly it was gone.

Already before the next season, in one of the test matches, the son was hurt on the side. He just crashed when no one was stopping him, hitting his shoulder and head. Couldn't even dodge the heavy collision.

“Rodion, what's the matter?”

- “Dad, I couldn't pull myself together.”

* * *

The pressure jumped periodically. We did an MRI. But if there is a suspicion of a tumor, a tomography with contrast liquid is needed.

A month after the injury, we had an MRI in Ufa. Some doubts were attributed to the consequences of a concussion. Then my son recovered, played, traveled with the team. But after each shift he said: “I can't, I don't have the strength.”

Closer to November 2021, we flew to Germany. We went to a good professor and did an MRI with contrast. And then he told us for the first time: “Guys, you have a tumor. Moreover, I think you've had it for a long time. Do you agree to a biopsy?"

Rodion did not agree, and I was afraid. Because there were risks. When a robot gets into your head and takes a piece of tissue right from the center of your brain, then anything is possible - a blood vessel bursts, a stroke, and you die on the table. You can make a person deaf, blind, paralyzed. No one gives guarantees, and you need to write papers that you agree to such responsibility.

And the doctor was amazed that in the picture he saw a suspicion of cancer, but did not see a sick person in front of him. After all, Rodion played hockey, his legs and arms worked, and everything was fine with the tests, except for the MRI.

Therefore, the professor did not insist on a biopsy. We decided to take a break for a month and take a look. The doctor said that if it is malignant oncology, then it will definitely give symptoms.

We flew home, the New Year was approaching. And in the last matches Rodion already began to have problems with his vision. He lost the puck and couldn't find his way on the ice. Such moments could no longer be ignored.

We called Germany and arrived in January. We went for a biopsy, and we were diagnosed with a malignant tumor in the fourth stage.

Foreign doctors are simple, they don't hide anything. They sit a person, their parents, in front of them and tell them about their fatal diagnosis.

All this was said in front of my son. And I was amazed: he was absolutely calm.

Rodion, do you understand what the point is?

- Yes, dad, I understand. Don't worry, everything will pass.

Can you imagine?! A person is diagnosed with brain cancer. A diffuse tumor, that is, without borders, is inoperable. That's it, the verdict.

But this guy is sitting in front of me: “Listen, dad, let's go. I need to train."

I couldn't understand - either all hockey players are such ignorant, or this is incredible self-control.

I was shocked. I cried. I cried and cried out to the Lord: “My God, why? What have I done wrong in my life?

I didn't show such emotions in front of Rodion. With his family he was confident and calm. But this guy amazed me from the very days when he learned about the diagnosis.

“Dad, let's quickly do a biopsy,”

“let's quickly finish this topic,”

“let them prescribe treatment, but we have a season and the playoffs are coming soon.”

* * *

When he was undergoing radiation and chemotherapy in Germany, my son persuaded me to talk to Dan. He reached an agreement with Toronto, they immediately paid for the ice arena and gym. Rodion skated three times a week, ran small cross-country races, and worked out in the gym.

At the same time, he received radiation therapy. If anyone knows what it is - when they burn out your brains, and everything melts there, your hair falls out.

But after the most difficult chemotherapy, he took two or three days to recover and began training again. “I have to get ready, get into gear, we have playoffs.”

This was the potential of the body! I was very worried about the treatment. But at the same time he spoke with the professor who was guiding him. He said: “If he has such a desire and thirst for life, and the functionality allows him to do this, then let him study. It is clear that without fanaticism. But there's no need to stop him.”

Well, Rodion had already found an amateur team in Germany and wanted to play in it. I couldn't believe my eyes.

He began to train more actively, even gaining weight. It seemed that he was feeling better. His condition looked good. We have already been treated in Moscow and even held a consultation via video link, where there were German and Canadian doctors. After the meeting, they approved the flight overseas.

We talked a lot about this at the family council: is it worth going to Canada? After all, it's a flight, a foreign country... But in Russia everything is nearby, and you can quickly resolve any issue.

But Rodion lived a dream. He comes up to me: “Dad, I had a dream.”

He is generally so interesting, he constantly had dreams.

“And I dreamed that I was in Toronto.”

- Son, you will be there one day, for sure. Now we'll finish chemo, you'll skate for a season, and then you'll go to the NHL under your contract...

- No, listen. In this dream, I am already sitting in the locker room with Matthews, Tavares, Samsonov... All the guys from the Maple Leafs. I'm wearing a light Russian national team jacket. We just practiced. Now we sit together and talk.

Forgot this topic. A medical consultation was held. And my son makes the decision: “I will fly. I want it, dad. I should be there."

We talked with Dan and the Toronto doctors. During the preseason, the Maple Leafs had the time and opportunity to work with Rodion individually.

In the end, we decided to combine good with good. And so that he could take his mind off things by going to Canada to pursue his dream and work on the ice.

The plan was that Rodion would stay there for two or three months, and fly back closer to the New Year in good physical condition. And if he is allowed, he will play on the team.

* * *

But on the third week of training, after one of the exercises, Rodion says: “Dad, I sprained my leg.”

I encouraged him. Massage therapists started working with my son, but his leg got worse and worse. He couldn't do anything during training; he was terribly tired.

I asked questions over the phone, but Rodion never complained. This was my big mistake as a father. But how do you know that your son is really unwell? Only when he collapses on the ice? After all, he was eager to train all the time! And he hushed up the problems, making them a secret. He worked and was silent, clinging to his dream.

In those days, Toronto decided to watch Rodion on the ice. There was even a thought that he could play in the preseason game versus Ottawa. They wanted to give him this opportunity. At least one or two shifts, as long as he can handle it.

Kyle Dubas and the entire club management arrived. We looked at our son... But I don't see what's there in Canada, I don't know. Well, my leg hurts, I pulled it. But he did not talk about his general condition. And it's not clear what's going on in his head until you do the examination again.

And they did it, they hired the best oncologist professor. There was a huge queue to see this neurosurgeon, but the Maple Leafs management took everything upon themselves. An MRI was performed, and Dan called me via video call the same day. Rodion is sitting, Canadian professors. And they translate to me what the doctors are telling me.

“This is the situation,” they say. - Take your son. There's no way to even treat it anymore. We won't keep him. At such a moment he should be with his family. He has three, maximum six months left. And even if it's six, it will be a miracle. We don't give that much.

...I remember that after those words I just fell. Just yesterday the guy showed hope and was training. He had some pain, but they thought about letting him out for the NHL game. And here it is. I was cut...

Then my son takes the phone: “Dad, don't worry. Don't tell mom yet. Everything will be fine."

And he began to calm me down! His voice didn't even waver from the doctors' words.

“Rodion, how interesting you are. Do you have no fear at all?”

“I just believe that everything will be fine. And I don’t even allow the thought of something tragic and terrible.”

Dan picks him up and brings him to Moscow. He should have received radiation treatment immediately a second time. All the equipment is in Skolkovo, and the staff is great.

When Rodion arrived, he could no longer see well. Cancer cells have gotten very close to the eye center. The optic nerves were affected, and the tumor reached there too. Metastases have descended to the spine. That's why my son's leg almost gave out in Toronto. And when they started doing radiation therapy, after a week his vision completely disappeared. And since the end of November he no longer saw anything - neither day nor night.

At the same time, Rodion, when he more or less came to his feelings, began going to the cinema a couple of times a week. His little sister or boys went to see with him.

- Son, are you going to the cinema again? For what?

- I'll sit and watch. I want to live like a healthy person. And this will definitely happen. Today I go to the cinema and I don't see. But tomorrow I'll go to the cinema and I'll see.

...He lived the dream, as we agreed with him, visualizing reality. He lived like a normal person who wants to be healthy. As long as there is at least the slightest hope.

What is faith? It is the expectation of what is promised and the confidence of the unseen. My son taught me hope, patience and faith with all his life and actions.

Between chemistry courses, Rodion, in a rented Moscow apartment, when he came from the hospital, did certain exercises, did push-ups, squats, pumped up.

He tried to live.

But it was extremely difficult. Every month he got worse. Not only did the man not see at all, his legs and arms began to weaken. But the goodness of God is that with a tumor, when many functions of the body are knocked out, this began to happen to my son only in the last days - before going to the hospital in Munich.

He walked himself, retained absolute diction, clear speech, clarity of thinking. The Lord preserved the ability for him to think, make decisions, realize what is happening, be in touch with us - and not turn into a vegetable.

Yes, the body was weakening, we were already lifting it up and down, rolling it around in a wheelchair. There in Germany it became very bad, and he could no longer turn over in bed, his legs and arms gave out, his condition was extremely serious.

But at the same time, always: “Son, how are you?”

- “Dad, everything is fine.”

We haven't been apart in recent days. Rodion ended up in intensive care. The clinic made an exception, and the doctors allowed my wife and I to stay in the room.

We sat next to each other and didn't leave. We talked with him, although my son could no longer speak and was breathing through an oxygen mask...

* * *

On September 11 in Ufa, before the match with Metallurg, Rodion's jersey with number 27 will be raised.

We were still in Germany when Rinat Bashirov called. He said that “Salavat Yulaev” was establishing a youth pre-season tournament in memory of Amirov, and the sweater would be raised under the arches of the arena.

I have always taught my son modesty. But when I heard it, it alarmed me: “Rinat Rashitovich, maybe these are emotions? We are all united around this grief, and everyone wants to do something. But maybe it's not worth it?"

I was against it. Just imagine - a young guy. Yes, he achieved something for a young person. He was talented and showed promise. And I told him then: “Rodion, your journey is just beginning.” We haven’t even jumped to a cloud yet, let alone a star.”

And now his number will hang among the legends who devoted decades to the Ufa club, went to the World Championships and Olympics, won gold and cups.

Not a single name raises any questions. And then suddenly among them was a young boy. Years will pass, tears will dry, emotions will subside. And someone will say: “Listen, who is Amirov? What did he do for Russian and Bashkir hockey? What is his merit?"

I really didn't want my son to be associated with such a question. Let the good name remain, everything will be on the sly.

But I was told that the captain of Salavat Yulaev, Grigory Panin, came to the club's management and, on behalf of the team, asked that Rodion's number be raised. And the management itself wants this. And this is what ordinary fans want. And for them, my son is not just a young hockey player, but a symbol of people's struggle against a terrible disease, for which no cure has been found.

A lot of people want this. And how can we be against it? We are grateful to everyone. To everyone who wrote letters, worried in their souls and helped our boy.

A very important point that we told the management of Salavat Yulaev: we gave permission to use number 27 if someone on the team wants to play under it. Even if the sweater is raised under the arches of the palace. But we do not call for the number to be taken out of circulation.

...Rodion often said: “By my example, fight for life and confidence, I want to give hope to everyone who is fighting against cancer.”

You can't give up. We must move on with our lives. And be grateful for every day.

The parables say that children are a gift from God. We are grateful to the Lord for these 21 years and for every moment that we lived with our son.

And when Rodion, at the age of 10, wrote on a piece of paper that he wanted to become a good person...

He must have accomplished something if so many people remember him now in their hearts, sharing our pain.

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

SPROUTING THORNS TIMELINE

I haven't been paying full attention to the seasons and moon-paces of the chapters when I first started, but now the story is more important to me than the simple "background thing" it was before, so here is the official time + some edits that I had to make!

SEASON:

Greenleaf [Chapters Quiet Here--Clanmates] (Two moons, making the months most likely July--August, or possibly August--September)

Leaf-Fall [Chapters Clanmates--??]

BREAKS IN TIME:

After Myrtlewing meets Nightfly, half a moon passes and they meet again at the gathering. This is where Myrtlewing's plan starts its formation.

Another half-moon passes when the Half-moon meeting takes place, and Myrtlewing goes to WindClan to speak with Nightfly. This is also the same time Alder starts bonding with Hootpetal.

Another half-moon passes between this and when Myrtlewing kills Fleetsong.

Another half-moon passes after Alder discovers Myrtlewing's murders and commits his own. He has been avoiding him for this time before deciding that he had to see it for himself to stop his spiraling thoughts--when Maplefall interrupts them by giving birth.

There! That's the part I had to fix--Maple got pregnant just before Myrtle met Nightfly, and I realized that she gave birth too early, so I created longer gaps and one gap where there wasn't one before (but it still reads fine).

[Cats are pregnant for about two moons, and this is half+half+half+half=two full].

----

Alder "finding out" / thinking that Myrtle likes him romantically and also him realizing his own feelings occurs in the last half-moon.

[raitrolling]

its time for the yearly 12th perigee present post (yeah i know its still christmas eve in other timezones im Impatient)

nancor gifted gliese some sunflowers in a cool gothic-style vase since he thought she'd appreciate the contrast, as well as some dark chocolate

dismas gifted maidel a really rare and difficult to find video game that she mentioned wanting to play once. he may have also blackmailed everyone who tried to bid on it on the online auction website he found it on to ensure that he was able to get it at a good price

callan gifted gerrel those clawed gardening gloves because he thought they were funny and also useful (and the pair he bought are in his shade of green, the most fashionable colour out there of course), and some seed packets so he can grow all the veggies he needs to put on a pizza. which callan totally doesn't want to taste test

ashell gifted cheran a couple books, as well as a set of inks and brushes that he thought cheran could use for his anatomical sketches (which he bought from jikiro's company lmao). he gifted jikiro a little hamper filled with different types of berries and some fancy glass jars because he read that they can be used to make ink as well as be eaten, as well as a box of chocolate truffles and a cute tanuki print stationery set because he got anxious that his initial gift idea wasn't good enough lmao

velour made jamie a couple button-up shirts, one covered in subtle star patterns that show off different constellations, and another that has an embroidered kookaburra peeking out of the shirt pocket. he also made a couple bow ties as well, which he says when he's feeling better he'll enchant so the fabric is a bit more interesting. he also made socks and gloves for jikiro and kana, ji's pair being black with classy striped accents in all his quadrant's colours, while kana's pair are patterned to look like tanuki paws

mikiel was a bit unoriginal and gifted both lyvere and thrixe cookbooks, but he did make sure to buy them books based on whatever cuisine they're currently most interested in

lusien gifted anirus a really nice and expensive bottle of scotch (the kind that you only want to drink on special occasions) as well as a fresh batch of homemade jams and preserved foods they can keep on their ship without worrying about them spoiling too quickly

sharle gifted jamie books on how to speak italian, french, and monegasque (remarking that it took him hours to find the last one) since he knows that jamie was trying to learn those languages. he also gifted tira a limited edition snapback (because he collects them), gave quinne a fishing rod (because she mentioned that she likes catching fish but didn't own a rod), and ropikk a bottle of very expensive perfume (because he googled 'gifts for women')

viltau gifted jikiro some custom-tailored silk pyjamas decorated with a regal japanese maple design, a matching silk robe, and would treat him to a candlelit dinner... provided that ji can solve the scavenger hunt vil has prepared for him first. kitaer also gets send on a scavenger hunt, but his reward is the bodies belonging to the perpetrators of a crime kitaer was trying to solve. and also a traditional 12th perigee pudding and some homemade mince pies, because he is capable of catering to his kismesis' lack of a sweet tooth sometimes. viltau's employees also got a big bonus of extra cash and some gift cards

glasya gifted mikail another new plant for his apartment, and will take him out on a trip to the beach so they can go look at the rock pools together and then get a nice dinner at a beachfront restaurant. they also made bags of candies for all their friends using thematically appropriate candy moulds

vallis gifted epsilo a life-sized moray eel plushie, while zanzul and tuuya were gifted starfish and sea snail plushies respectively

linnae went out and picked some pretty wildflowers and ingredients to make potions with for arctus, and also gave a couple wildflowers to his other friends as well

everyone else also gave gifts to their quadrants / close friends but i couldn't think of something specific because i'm braindead. imagine a really cool gift here for every ship (romantic or platonic) i missed

[leahodom]

How to Choose the Right Gold Bar for Your Investment Portfolio

Gold has long been regarded as a safe haven for investors looking to hedge against inflation, market volatility, and economic uncertainties. As a tangible and stable asset, gold offers the potential to preserve wealth over time. One of the most popular ways to invest in gold is by purchasing Shop Gold bar Online, in particular, are often chosen for their purity, ease of storage, and lower premiums compared to gold coins. However, with a wide range of options available, choosing the right gold bar for your investment portfolio can be a challenge, especially for beginners.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the key factors to consider when selecting the right gold bar for your investment portfolio. From understanding gold bar types to evaluating dealers, we’ll provide all the information you need to make an informed decision.

1. Understand the Different Types of Gold Bars

Before you start shopping for gold bars, it’s essential to understand the various types of bars available. The term "gold bar" can refer to different forms of gold, each with unique characteristics. Broadly speaking, gold bars fall into two main categories: investment-grade bars and collectible bars. Here’s an overview of both:

1.1 Investment-Grade Gold Bars

Investment-grade gold bars are primarily purchased for their gold content and are considered a direct investment in the metal. These bars are typically made by government mints or private refiners and are valued based on their weight and purity. The two most common sizes for investment-grade bars are:

1 oz Gold Bars: These are small and affordable, making them a great option for first-time investors or those with smaller budgets.

10 oz Gold Bars: A popular choice among investors looking for a larger size while still maintaining affordability. The premium over spot price is often lower for larger bars.

Other larger sizes include 100 oz gold bars, which are often purchased by institutional investors or individuals looking to buy in bulk.

1.2 Collectible Gold Bars

Some gold bars, often referred to as "numismatic bars," are bought for their collectible value rather than just the gold content. These bars may be limited-edition pieces, have unique designs, or come from prestigious mints. While these bars can appreciate in value based on their rarity and desirability among collectors, they are generally not considered the best choice for investors focused on the gold market price. For beginners, investment-grade bars are usually a better option.

2. Consider the Purity of the Gold Bar

Gold bars come in various purities, but the most common are 22-karat and 24-karat gold bars. The purity of a gold bar plays a crucial role in determining its value, so understanding what to look for is important.

2.1 24-Karat Gold Bars

Most investment-grade gold bars are made from 24-karat gold, which is 99.99% pure. These bars have the highest level of purity, making them the most sought-after option for investors. 24-karat gold bars are widely recognized for their purity and offer the most value per ounce of gold. The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf and PAMP Suisse bars are prime examples of 24-karat gold bars.

2.2 22-Karat Gold Bars

22-karat gold bars contain about 91.67% pure gold, with the remainder made up of other metals like copper for added durability. These bars are generally more durable and less likely to suffer from scratches or dents, but their lower purity means they are less valuable than 24-karat gold bars per ounce.

For most investors, 24-karat gold bars are the preferred choice, but 22-karat bars may appeal to those looking for more durable options, especially for bars that will be handled more frequently.

3. Choose the Right Size of Gold Bar

Gold bars come in a variety of sizes, and the one you choose will depend on your investment goals, budget, and storage preferences. The size of the bar directly influences the price and premiums associated with it.

3.1 Smaller Gold Bars (1 oz, 5 oz, 10 oz)

Smaller gold bars are ideal for beginners who want to ease into the gold market with a more modest initial investment. These bars are generally easier to sell and trade because they are more affordable and can be broken down into smaller pieces if needed. However, smaller bars often come with slightly higher premiums over the spot price compared to larger bars, which means you’re paying more per ounce of gold.

1 oz Gold Bars: Perfect for investors with limited budgets or those who want to start small.

5 oz and 10 oz Gold Bars: These are more affordable than smaller bars on a per-ounce basis and are a popular option for investors looking for a balance between cost and storage ease.

3.2 Larger Gold Bars (100 oz, 400 oz)

Larger bars such as the 100 oz or even 400 oz bars are typically bought by institutional investors or individuals looking to make substantial investments in gold. These bars usually come with lower premiums, meaning you get more gold for your money. However, their large size makes them difficult to trade and store, and they can be harder to resell. If you’re just starting as an investor, it’s best to stick with smaller bars.

4. Consider the Brand or Refiner of the Gold Bar

The brand or refiner of the gold bar can have an impact on its resale value and liquidity. Bars from well-known, reputable mints and refiners are more easily traded and are generally more desirable than those from lesser-known sources.

4.1 Trusted Mints and Refiners

When buying gold bars, look for bars from established and reputable mints or refiners. Popular and trusted brands include:

PAMP Suisse: Known for producing high-quality gold bars, PAMP Suisse is a respected refiner in the precious metals industry. Its bars often feature intricate designs and are in high demand globally.

The Royal Canadian Mint: Famous for producing the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coin, the Royal Canadian Mint also offers 24-karat gold bars with a reputation for purity and quality.

Johnson Matthey: A prestigious name in the precious metals market, Johnson Matthey is known for its high-quality gold bars.

Valcambi: This Swiss refiner produces high-quality gold bars that are recognized globally and highly liquid in the market.

Bars from these established names are easier to sell and typically retain their value better than those from unknown refiners.

5. Evaluate the Premium Over Spot Price

The price of a gold bar is not only determined by its weight but also by the premium over the spot price of gold. The spot price is the current market price of gold, while the premium is the additional amount you pay above this price for the minting, distribution, and dealer markup.

5.1 Premiums and Price Comparison

Premiums vary based on factors like the brand, size, and purity of the gold bar, as well as market demand. Smaller bars, such as 1 oz or 5 oz bars, tend to have higher premiums because they are easier to buy and sell. Larger bars like 100 oz gold bars tend to have lower premiums, as the cost of producing and selling them is more spread out.

Before making a purchase, compare the premiums across different dealers and ensure that you are paying a fair price for the gold bar you want to buy. Keep an eye on the spot price of gold as well, as market fluctuations can affect the overall cost of the bar.

6. Secure Your Purchase with a Trusted Dealer

The final step in choosing the right gold bar for your portfolio is finding a trustworthy dealer. Your choice of dealer is crucial because they will not only provide you with the gold bar but also guarantee its authenticity and secure delivery. Here’s how to find a reputable dealer:

6.1 Research Online and Physical Dealers

Reputable dealers can be found both online and in physical stores. When shopping online, look for dealers who offer secure payment methods, transparent pricing, and clear shipping and return policies. Some well-known online dealers include:

APMEX: A leading online precious metals dealer with a wide selection of gold bars.

JM Bullion: Another trusted online dealer that offers competitive prices and secure shipping.

Kitco: Known for providing real-time market information, Kitco also offers a range of gold bars for purchase.

6.2 Check for Certifications

Look for dealers who provide certification of authenticity for the gold bars they sell. Many established refiners offer certificates verifying the purity and weight of their bars, which is essential for resale or insurance purposes.

6.3 Ensure Secure Payment and Shipping

Your dealer should offer secure payment options, including credit cards, bank transfers, and trusted online payment systems like PayPal. Make sure the dealer ships your gold bar securely and provides tracking information. Ideally, the dealer should also offer insurance for the shipment.

Conclusion

Choosing the right gold bar for your investment portfolio requires careful consideration of various factors such as purity, size, brand, premiums, and dealer reputation. By understanding the types of gold bars available, selecting bars from trusted refiners, and comparing prices, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your investment goals. Remember to assess your budget, storage preferences, and long-term financial strategy before making a purchase. With the right approach, investing in gold bars can be a rewarding and secure way to build wealth over time.

[insignificantstrawberry]

Oh hey speaking of cbc, I’m going to be on CBC Radio tomorrow as a question asker for the show What On Earth! It’s airing on 99.1 fm from 2-3pm Eastern

My question was about the reality of a warming climate and the affects it will have on maple syrup production. Did you know our flag 🇨🇦 isn’t even 60 years old yet? (It was officiated February 15th, 1965. For context the first Tim Horton’s opened in May of 1964) how embarrassing will it be for us on a national stage when in another 60 years we could theoretically run out of authentic canadian maple syrup? I have no idea how they will answer it or how they will edit my question.

I guess I’ll find out!!!!

[wtf-amiru]

General Information

Name: A'miru Fhey

Name Meaning: I literally just hit the random generate button until I found a name and surname I liked. I removed an h from her first name to make it flow better.

Other Names: Miru (G'raha, Thancred, Urianger, Y'shtola only), kitten (only by husbands or boyfs), gremlin, idiot

Gender: Female

Birth Name: She's entirely not sure if her name was even given to her by her birth parents, she's never known them.

Birth Date: 17th sun of the 6th umbral moon (december 17th)

Birth Place: Yanxia - no memory, was in Ul'dah as long as she can remember

Dominant Hand: right

Astrological Sign: Sagittarius

Appearance

Height: 4'10

Weight: i genuinely don't know how to estimate this bc she's so short, if she was my height (5'7) she'd be about 120-130 lbs but she's almost a foot shorter than that? Maybe like 115-125?

Ethnicity: Seeker of the Sun Miqo'te

Birthmarks: nope, just some freckles that come out when she tans and her miqo face marks

Hair Color: Dark blue

Hair Length: Mid-back

Hair Type: thick, fine, super soft, big natural waves

Hair Style: ponytail for function, down and wild for casual

Eye Color: pink, very slight cool undertones

Eyebrows: a little bit on the wild side tbh

Teeth(Ex. Cavities/dentures): I know seeker miqo aren't supposed to have fangs but gosh dang they're cute so fuck it she's got fangs like keeper miqo (fight me) and they're well looked after, however she's missing a back tooth (maxillary second bicuspid) from an accident when she was younger and probably chipped an incisor in that final Zenos fight.

Face Shape(ex. Round/flat/etc): somewhere between heart and round (face 3 for fem seeker miqo)

Complexion (Ex. Acne, blemishes.): Clear, 2 facial scars across nose and on cheek from pre ARR

Shirt Size: probably extra small tbh, she's tiny

Pants Size: 5-7, she small but she got a butt

Shoe Size: idek how small, does 5 sound right? Maybe 6?

Health and Image

Diet: boy this girl can eat. Metabolism for days. Something about all the shit WoL has to go through just makes me think that they probably have to intake more to keep up. Health wise she doesn't really have that much of a sweet tooth anymore but she does like her junk food.

Exercise: lots of squats and calf raises (normal, seated, single leg and toes in), box jumps essentially anything that targets her quads and calves, knees and ankles (all that poofing around as a ninja, yknow) and a ton of stretching and toning like yoga and pilates.

Fitness: has always been pretty fit out of necessity, doesn't take to routine well however so exercise outside of work is not a scheduled thing except for when Emet-Selch took G'raha at the end of SHB then it was dragging Thancred to 6am workouts BC she so so angy

Posture (lazy/proper): usually pretty terrible honestly

Abnormalities: well y'know, there's that whole Azem thing. Normal abnormalities (lol) just what would be referred to as "loose joints"? like her shoulder's dislocate by accident and she can just shrug them back in and she easily hyper extends her knees if she's not paying attention.

Vulnerabilities: alcohol, addiction, mild ptsd (have you seen the shit WoL has to go through?) affecting mostly her sleep (insomnia, nightmares/terrors)

Handicaps: her boyfriend lmao

Medications: ??? Magic ✨

Allergies: nope

Diseases: Chaos gremlin syndrome

Illnesses: G'raha sickness

Disorders: full adhd

Imperfections: look at all those scars

Broken Bones: probably all of them at least once at this point

Reason for Health (ex. Cigarette smoking/accidents): being the WoL?

Wardrobe: she used to dress moderately professional but then G'raha called her to the first and she recognized him right away and got frustrated about halfway through. Started wearing the shortest skirt she could find just to torture him and it stuck. Her standard outfit is skirt, light top (tank, t-shirt etc, nothing bulky) and some sort of shitkicker boot for most classes (her look is very Tifa adjacent tbh) for dark knight she wears the same armor Fray does, reaper she wears armor more on the lightweight/slender side. I can't remember off hand exactly what I put her in, I just did her reaper glam too dangit.

Accessories: she has an earring of tiny Elpis blooms from Hades and a blue crystal necklace from G'raha that she never takes off

Equipment: I guess I kinda put this up in wardrobe

Musical Instruments: she's a lvl 80 bard but does not play music lol

Piercings: just her ears

Hygiene: good when she's at wherever home is at the time, on the road is another story. On the road you bath when you can lol but otherwise yeah, she actually really loves baths and hotsprings and swimming, bodies of water in general

Makeup: black eyeshadow and lipstick

Perfume / Cologne: Soap?

Scent: ...Soap?

Scars: like freckles peppered everywhere. Big one across her right ribs on the side, on her left shoulder blade and on the front of her right calf

Tattoos: nope

Voice

Accent / Dialect: It changes a lot tbh

Voice: soft midtone

Volume: quiet

Laughter: Fairly quiet, melodic

Impediments: None

Psychology

Vocabulary: she can talk the talk if she has to but usually doesn't.

Memory: Great, sometimes to her dismay, her memory is very good

Temperament: quiet chaos gremlin, but again, can play the part if she has to

Emotional Stability: honestly pretty fucking bad up until recently. She has a support system now and the scions are like her family. Urianger has developed a Spidey sense for when he needs to bring blankets and tea and books to read but the occasions are getting fewer and fewer.

Mental Health: This girl's a wreck but she's fairly self aware and isn't averse to asking for help anymore.

Instincts: great but also impulse makes her big dumb sometimes

Philosophy

Religion: she's kicked their asses a bunch so...

Superstitions: No lol

Morality: isn't evil I guess

Etiquette: she's not rude or messy, again she'll put on the show if she has to but is def the bowl of popcorn on her tummy and slouched so far down on the couch she doesn't need to use her hands to eat kinda girl when she's at home lol

Alignment: chaotic good

Character

Priorities: her found family and obvs WoL stuff

Motivation: her found family, her boyf, and her soul's ancient husbands

Self Confidence: Yup. It's there.

Self Control: TERRIBLE

Self Esteem: It's gotten a lot better

Quirks:

Hobbies:

Closet Hobbies:

Guilty Pleasures:

Habits: bad for clenching her jaw, picks at her hands/nails

Desires:

Wishes:

Traumas: have you played msq? It's littered with trauma. Off the top of my head G'raha in the crystal tower, the scions poofing after that banquet at the end of ARR, seeing Estinien almost die in heavensward, hourchefaunt, watching zenos kill himself in stormblood, literally yotsuyu's entire storyline, the sewerside in Garlemald, having her body stolen by zenos, returning from Elpis, all of Ultima Thule, I'm probably forgetting some, (I know I am bc there's nothing from shadowbringers in here but I'm tired) but these have all fucked her up deeply.

Worries:

Nervous Tics(ex. Finger tapping, fidgeting): tremors, zoning out/dissociating, jaw clenching, lip chewing, violence

Soft Spots: literally any of the scions, G'raha and Hythlodaeus' voices, Sidurgu and his struggle to emote literally any feeling other than anger (that one job quest where he's like "I like you. I respect you. And I'll always be here for you, if you need me." literally made her cry), Hades smiling, any time G'raha is flustered, so many more

Accomplishments: Look at them all

Greatest Achievement: I guess probably saving the world

Failures:

Biggest Failure: her view of the events of heavensward are a bit skewed

Favorite Dream: the ones that aren't nightmares

Worst Nightmare: waking up to G'raha being gone, not left but gone. Like she'd dreamt the whole thing. Zenos coming back and taking her body again and people not catching it in time

Earliest Memory: not sure, it'd be after she was in Ul'dah, more thought required

Fondest Memory: idk if it's THE fondest but that first time Thancred caught her stealing when she was young is an important one (big headcanon)

Worst Memory: there's actually so many

Funniest Moment: i don't think it's THE funniest one, I'm not sure I could pick a funniest one, but the one that came to mind first was walking into that meeting with everyone in the exarch's crystal tower in that tiny skirt for the first time (funniest for me, because I hold the headcanons that made it funny as g'raha bluescreened and thancred fell into absolute confusion because she has complained long and hard about how short skirts are just not practical in combat when she was still a street rat in Ul'dah, and emet just shook his head like 'yeah ok azem's making some sort of point, i just don't know what it is yet' and urianger and y'shtola just nodded sagely in the corner. That's what makes it funny)

Happiest Moment: oof, both times she's gotten G'raha back and also getting to hang out with Azem's husbands for a couple days.

Saddest Moment: the one that affected her in the worst way was G'raha locking himself in the tower. Returning home from Elpis also really fucked her up and gave her a lot of sads; made her have to call in the support squad (Y'shtola, Urianger, Estinien, Thancred. Ofc g'raha but he's always on duty lol)

Most Prized Possession: The only 2 pieces of jewelry she wears (mentioned above)

 Most Valuable Possession: what even is money in this game

Collections: fucking boots. How many kinds of shitkickers do you need? All of them apparently. (no one look at my glamour dresser and how many boots I have for her lol)

Embarrassments: I don't know but Lianhua's probably got more than a few embarrassing stories of her, lets be honest.

Mannerisms:

Humor: sarcastic/satirical

Regrets: yes

Secrets:

Darkest Secret:

Pet Peeves:

Phobias:

(1 lowest-10 highest)

Confidence: 7

Creativity: 5

Generosity: 8

Honesty: 10

Loyalty: 10

Insecurities: 6

Patience: 4

Predictability: -10?

Reliability: 9

Respect: 8

Responsibility: 7

Trustworthiness: 10

Home, Work, and Education

House: i suppose she and g'raha are living together now? according to my writing?

Hometown: Ul'dah

Citizenship: ^^, Eorzean

Culture: street rat culture bb

Traditions:

Sleep Patterns: Probably the worst

Eating Habits: tends to skip breakfast, have a decent lunch and a massive dinner

Pets: the shaggy shoat! (I really should give that thing a name by now)

Employer: uh... Krile? Tataru? Somewhere there's probably a lala telling her what to do

Job Title: Worrior of Light?

Social

Mother:

Father:

Guardians: legit Thancred for a bit at first, no one of note before that

Siblings:

Children: None

Close Relatives: not that she's aware of

Distant Relatives: unknown

Best Friend: Estinien has been her bestest besty since the end of Heavensward.

Close Friends: the twins and a lot of other people, Lyse and Aymeric off the top of my head

Confidantes: Y'shtola, Urianger, Thancred

Friends: yes

Allies:

Acquaintances:

Followers:

Subordinates:

Rivals:

Enemies:

Inspirations:

Role Models:

Mentors:

Heroes:

Reputation: Probably had a rep for being a trouble maker but, yknow, that whole WoL thing kinda comes with it's own reputation

Dominance: occasionally

Sociability: Prefers to let people come to her in social settings

Isolation: actually struggles being alone these days, she doesn't like it

Romance

First Love: G'raha

Love Interests: G'raha, was casually hooking up with Estinien post Heavensward for a bit

Marital Status: dating a really old catboy (it's G'raha)

Also somehow married to two ancient ghosts

Orientation: disastrously bisexual (there's a reason she bully's Y'shtola on purpose. I'll let you connect those dots)

Significant Other: G'raha

Love Style: unorganized chaos

Flirtiness: I don't know how to describe it, somewhere between actually being very good at flirting and punching Thancred in the face (she's not with thancred anymore but i'm leaving this because there's no other way to describe it that's this accurate)

Turnons: wit, emotional vulnerability, soft boys, strong women, intelligence, uh...strength 🙄....(can you pick her up and slam her against a wall?), dominant personalities (I'm lookin' at you Emet/Hades, this is your fault), collar bones, hands, eyes

Turnoffs: i hate listing turnoffs bc they feel so obvious like large egos and a tendency for disrespect; things that normally turn people off.

Fetishes: we're not going to go in depth here and just leave it at "restraints welcome"

Virginity: lost it drunk in Ishgard, doesn't remember to whom

[aroaceleovaldez]

I’ve seen quite a few people discuss TSATS specifically in the manner that it’s supposed to be a middle-grade book, and I’d like to throw my two cents into the hat.

Particularly, I don’t think it’s reasonable to excuse the failings of TSATS just because it’s supposed a middle-grade book. The failings of the book are primarily structural, both narratively and just in basic writing structure, neither of which are excusable of a middle-grade novel - Especially given this is Mark Oshiro’s first major foray into middle-grade, as they typically write YA. It also seems that TSATS’ rating is actually upper middle-grade, so there’s even less excuse for the quality of the book. The problem isn’t that the book is bad to a non-middle-grade reader, or even bad as a middle-grade book, the problem is that the book is bad in general. So much of the book’s quality and execution feels just so poor in ways that you would typically expect to get caught very early on by the editorial team. Being middle-grade doesn’t excuse it being structurally bad for any reading level. It feels like the editorial team didn’t care about the quality of the book at all. There’s an unreasonable amount of places where the sentence and paragraph structures are poor, the writing is unclear, there’s basic continuity errors within the same sentence, the pacing is bad, and an overall lack of grammatical consistency (you can actually tell which portions of the book are written by Rick Riordan versus Mark Oshiro based purely on the use of s’ or s’s - if you see something like “Hades’s palace“ then it’s Riordan, and if it’s something like “Hades’ palace” then it’s Oshiro - this type of inconsistency should have been made consistent by the editing team).

The book also completely fumbles its attempts at handling its intended themes with any kind of grace or respect to the reader. TSATS being middle-grade (particularly upper middle-grade) doesn’t mean it can’t feature heavy themes, or that it has to dumb them down for a younger audience! I speak as someone who is extremely familiar with the Animorphs series - which is actually lower middle-grade. It’s basically like the poster-child for presenting complex themes and ideas appropriately in a middle-grade series. The way middle-grade is formatted is it’s about the writing structure (how simplified vs complex it is and so how easy is it for a middle-grade reader to understand) and how the concepts are presented, not about the actual concepts themselves. Animorphs is a really good example of this in that most of the books are less than 300 pages and the language is very simple. However, it doesn’t shy away from strong topics or dumb concepts down for the audience. It balances heavy topics with jokes in stride (see: The entire book about psychochemical warfare and the ethics of that, but the psychochemical warfare in question is dumping instant maple and ginger oatmeal on space slugs). And a lot of Animorphs books are actually ghostwritten! I would also argue the Warrior Cats books are another good example, particularly the novellas. They’re a similar length to TSATS, again written by a team of authors, are middle-grade rated, and don’t shy away from some pretty graphic stuff. They’re not the best books in the world, I mean, they’re rapidly churned out cat books for middle-schoolers. And they also tend to be full of errors. But at the very least most of the errors in the Warrior cat novellas aren’t basic structural stuff that you’d expect an editor to comb out within the first couple of passes or major basic details for a very prominent character or worldbuilding. Something equivalent to the types of errors in TSATS would be like a warrior cats novella about Brightheart not remembering how she got her scars or who Swiftpaw was or what Shadowclan is called, and every three chapters you read the jankiest sentence you’ve ever seen.

There are absolutely ways for the types of themes they were trying to handle in TSATS to be presented to a middle-grade audience appropriately, effectively, and with respect. TSATS was not even close to that. Again, I point to Animorphs! You wanna talk about writing PTSD for a middle-grade audience? Animorphs is your series. Animorphs gets into some heavy shit. But the way it’s presented is always appropriate for a middle-grade audience. Middle schoolers can handle more than people give them credit for (have you ever read middle-schoolers roleplaying warrior cats? I have. they do not hold back.) - they’re at the exact age where that type of stuff is not only interesting to them and they want to read about it, but that it’s important for them to begin to be introduced to those types of concepts in a way that’s appropriate for their age so that they’re prepared for when they encounter those topics or themes when they’re older.

The first Percy Jackson series actually does this really well! Percy has PTSD in the first book from Gabe! This is very clearly acknowledged and referenced throughout the first series (and even into Son of Neptune!) - and it’s specifically from Gabe, not being a demigod. We see characters grapple with grief and witnessing death and being in shock from that (the “dam” scene post-Bianca’s death, and the explicit acknowledgement that all the characters are so emotionally exhausted and harrowed from witnessing Bianca sacrifice herself for them that they get all giggly over stupid “dam” jokes). TSATS refuses to allow any emotional pay-off from the scenes. The Gorgyra interludes are the only thing keeping the pacing from being absolutely abhorred for half the book. There’s tons of narrative set-up that goes nowhere. There’s sentences that are so disjointed you wonder how they got written in the first place. This book shouldn’t have gotten past the editors, honestly.

[violettadecalda]

Elements: Air Edition

About the air element: The air element is linked to things such as divination, concentration, visualization, and prophecy. Air teaches us how to hone our scattered energy and focus it toward what we want. It teaches us to use our intention. Air can be a big cleanser and also a big charger. Just stand outside for a few momenrs on a windy day, letting it blow around you and play through your hair, and you will feel renewed.

Air in magic: The air element is often used in combination with smoke, feathers, trees, flowers, and plants. It is common to use the air element in both spells that require letting go, and in spells that bring you new information. After all, rumors can travel on the wind. Aromatherapy, hanging objects up, playing the flute or other woodwind instruments, and tossing things to the wind are all examples of using the air element in magic.

Forms of air include: wind, still air, breath, vibrations

Some air spirits include: Sylphs, zephyrs, faeries

Color: Yellow

Direction: East

Tools: Censer, athame, sword, wand

Tarot suit: Swords

Zodiac signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Symbol:

Air in daily life: The most obvious form of air in our daily lives is the air that we breathe. Everyone does it, everyone needs it. Speaking requires the element of air as well, as it carries the vibrations of our voices. We use air to cool off, and every time we look up at the clouds in the sky, we are interacting with the air element.

Air in the home: Similarly to how fire is used to keep our homes warm, air is used to keep them cool. Whether you are opening a window, turning on a fan, using an air conditioner, or fanning yourself with the playbill for your little brother's school performance of Legally Blonde in the stuffy auditorium, you are using air to cool yourself down. Air can also be very healing. How many times have you stepped outside to get some fresh air and take in the breeze while you were feeling sick?

Air in the kitchen: Though it may not be obvious at first, there are some cooking methods that utilize the air element. Perhaps the most common is drying, whether you are drying meat for jerkey or herbs for tea. Then there is cooking with convection heat, which is growing more popular, or cooking with microwaves. Also popular, as seen by the amount of fizzy beverages and whipped toppings available, is carbonation and aeration. There are several foods and ingredients associated with the air element, including~

Almond, anise, bamboo, brazil nut, caraway, chicory, dandelion, endive, hazel, hops, lavender, lime, mace, maple, marjoram, mint, mulberry, parsley, pecan, sage, acorn squash, artichoke, bitter melon, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, fennel, okra, rhubarb, spaghetti squash, alfalfa, cannelini beans, lima beans, mung beans, celery seed, chamomile, rosemary, scallions, amaranth, puffed rice, rye, apple, apricot, blackberry, currants, lingonberry, pear, pineapple, tamarind, pomegranate, black tea, chocolate, coffee, white vinegar, cabbage, celery, grape leaves, mustard greens, daikon, sunchoke, parsnip, hibiscus, macadamia nuts, walnuts, stevia

Herbs associated with air: Frankincense*, myrrh*, pansy, primrose, vervain, violet, yarrow, dill, clove, acacia, aspen, beech, benzoin*, bodhi, bracken, bromeliad, clover, fern, goldenrod, horehound, houseleek, mistletoe*, papyrus, pine, slippery elm, tobacco, rose petals

Stones associated with air: Fluorite, moonstone, turquoise, amethyst, rhodochrosite, topaz, pumice, alexandrite

Animals associated with air: Doves, hawks, eagles, foxes, turtles, ravens, spiders

Incense: Lavender, lemon balm, linden, frankincense, myrrh, violet, anise, chicory, mace, pine

Air on the altar ideas: yellow feathers, feathers in general, bird imagery, incense, censer, bells, flute, objects hanging above the altar

Divination with the air element: Nephomancy, austromancy, alveromancy, feather divination

Air work for spoonies:

Open up the window to watch the sky

Collect feathers or scatter them to the breeze

Keep a handheld fan nearby for when you need to create a breeze of your own

If you dont have your own windchimes, ring bells or listen to recordings of chimes on your phone

Use yellow pillowcases, blankets, sheets, curtains, or wall decorations

Hang beads or ribbons in your window

*Some herbs are unsafe or even deadly to ingest and can be dangerous to use. ALWAYS do research.

Sources: