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starlitangels · 1 year

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St. Cloud

We all know @gingerbreadmonsters is The Queen of the Balance storyline fics. I’m just... campaigning for Princess apparently with all these brother fics lol 1.5k words

This jumps all over. It’s just fun

—

Elliott sat on the roof, staring up into the stars. His knees were drawn up to his chest and his arms were wrapped around them. Inside, he ignored the sounds of shouting. Dad, mostly. He was drunk again. Elliott could hear Mom talking quietly back, but Dad’s uproarious shouting drowned her out.

Aaron was staying the night at a friend’s house, leaving Elliott alone on a bad day for Dad. Normally, Aaron would bring Elliott into his room and they’d put headphones in and watch a movie on the laptop Aaron got for high school. Or they’d hide in Elliott’s room and pour over Elliott’s night sky atlases and Aaron would listen to Elliott talk about the stars. Trivia about constellations or Aaron quizzing him about stars and pretending to care about the difference between a constellation and an asterism.

But not tonight. Tonight, Elliott was alone.

He held still, staring skyward. Maybe if he held still enough, his dad wouldn’t remember he was home. As long as they didn’t hear the creaking of the roof, he wouldn’t have to hear his own name shouted.

A few warm tears fell down his face. He sniffled and looked at one of the only visible constellations he could see with the light pollution. Ursa Major. He ran through the stars as he looked at them. “Alkaid... Mizar... Alioth...Megrez... Phecda... Dubhe... Merak... Talitha... Tania Borealis and Australis...” he whispered under his breath.

At some point, the front door opened and slammed shut. Elliott huddled further back on the roof so no one would see him.

He heard his dad stumbling around the front yard and then hollering as he went down the street. When Elliott peeked, he saw Dad’s arms flailing in an attempt to keep his balance.

After a few minutes, the hollering faded into the distance. Elliott sighed. Later tonight, sometime long after midnight, the cops would probably be knocking on the door with his dad in tow after getting a call about disorderly conduct and escorting him home. Again.

He jolted as a window wrenched open nearby on the rooftop. “Elliott St. Cloud, you get your ass in this house right now,” Mom ordered, looking past the edge of Aaron’s dormer window to see him. “You are going to fall off this roof and break your leg!”

Elliott nodded and scooted toward his bedroom window. “Okay,” he said quietly.

She sighed heavily. “Why you always climb out on this roof I have no idea.”

“I like looking at the stars.”

“There aren’t enough stars to look at in this city.”

Elliott shrugged and climbed into the window. “Sorry, Mom,” he said quietly. He shut the window. He heard Mom leave Aaron’s room—but didn’t come into his.

He sat on the floor at the foot of his bed and picked up a night sky atlas, opening it to a random page. Southern Hemisphere Constellations.

Carina - The Keel

One of three constellations that used to be part of a much larger one. The larger former constellation being of the Ancient Greek ship, The Argo. Referred to as the Keel, it actually represents the main body (or hull) of the ship.

—

Smartass

I slammed the door shut harder than necessary and leaned back against it.

“Hey!” my roommate greeted, her glasses fogged up where she was boiling water for pasta. “How’s the new job going?”

I groaned, bonking my head against the back of the front door. “Fine, I guess.”

“Uh-oh. What’s wrong?” She balanced the wooden spoon she was using across the diameter of the pot and turned to me, pushing her glasses up onto the top of her head, squinting a little at me.

“I finished the generalized training this morning, and got to meet my team this afternoon.”

“Oh no. Is one of your coworkers a nightmare?”

“Coworkers? No. Boss? Yes.”

“Oh nooo! I’m so sorry!” Her eyebrows tilted sympathetically.

I heaved a sigh. “It’s fine. I don’t have to interact with him much. He’s gonna have one of the team members who’s been around awhile finish up my training but we do one-on-ones once a week.”

“What is it about him you don’t like?”

I scrunched my nose like there was a bad smell under it. “He’s got a bad attitude, for one. You should have seen the way he would barely look at me when I got led into his office by the general trainer. Like he couldn’t even give me the time of day.” I scoffed. “Aaron St. Cloud. I mean, the last name alone is an obvious sign the guy’s gonna be a prick. Who needs a two-word last name?” My roommate grunted. “Stupid St. Cloud and his stupid square jaw and his stupid arms looking like they’re gonna bust the seams of his stupid button-down and—”

My roommate’s eyebrows slowly lifted higher up her forehead while I complained. “Ohhh. You’re also mad because he’s hot. I gotcha,” she said, spinning around to check on her pasta.

“I am not mad and he is not hot,” I retorted.

I caught a glimpse of her pursing her lips as she put her glasses back in their proper place. “Uh-huh. Sure,” she said, trying to suppress sarcasm but not at all sounding convinced.

“He’s not,” I insisted.

“Yet you noticed the way his arms look in his shirt and the fact that he has a square jaw,” she remarked, taking her wooden spoon and stirring her boiling pasta.

“Even if he was hot, his attitude absolutely makes him insufferable. And he’s my boss—so it wouldn’t matter if he was or not.”

“Which he is.”

“Is not.”

My roommate laughed. “You’re really doubling down on this. Alright. Suit yourself. But I suspect that if you ever leave that place... I might need to shop around for another roommate.”

I snorted. “Oh please. I’m the one that’s always teased for being perpetually single. Having a hot boss isn’t going to change that.”

She whirled so fast she nearly flung her glasses off. “You admitted it!”

“What? No! I did not—” I swore.

She burst out laughing, throwing her head back and then doubling over.

Rolling my eyes, I pushed off the door. “I’m gonna go change. I’ll see you for dinner.”

“See you theeeeen!” she singsonged as I shut my bedroom door behind me.

“Stupid St. Cloud,” I muttered, stripping off my work shirt and shimmying out of the tight trousers I’d worn.

—

Sunshine

“St. Cloud! You get your ass back here!” I shouted, bending forward and chasing after Elliott while he took off ahead of me.

“Uh-oh! Ray of sunshine is calling me by my last name! I must be in trouble!” he teased.

“Ohhh my Goood! Go get a roooom you two!” Hayden complained, lolling his head back. “We’re supposed to be playing flag football and you two can’t pay attention to save your lives!”

“He’s cheating, Hayden!” I replied sharply, pouncing on Elliott while he laughed. He grabbed my legs to keep me stable, so I was piggyback riding him.

“I don’t know what you could possibly be talkin’ about,” Elliott teased. “I’m doing nothing of the sort! I don’t even know how to play flag football.”

“That’s why you’re cheating, dumbass!” I retorted. “You think that not knowing the rules gives you permission to break them or make up your own! I don’t even know all the rules of flag football and I know you’re being obtuse just for the sake of it!” I wrapped my arms around his neck to keep from falling off. “And I will not allow it, St. Cloud!”

Elliott laughed. “Oh I got double last-named, Hayden. I’m really in trouble now.”

Hayden rolled his eyes. “You two are both insufferable,” he complained.

“Yeah but you love us. Which is why we’re all still here.”

“Unfortunately for me, you’re both good friends,” Hayden admitted.

I laughed—and slowly climbed off of Elliott, snatching the football out of his hands and throwing it at Hayden. “We’re starting that play over, yeah?” I said.

“Like it never happened,” Hayden agreed. “This is what I get for being friends with nerds.”

I whacked him—hard—in the arm as I passed. “We are nerds, but that doesn’t mean we’re not enjoying the game.”

Hayden laughed. “I think you two are enjoying each other more than you’re enjoying the rest of us.”

I bit my lip and glanced over my shoulder at Elliott where he was tucking his beanie in his pocket. God, I loved him and had no idea what to do with it. It wasn’t fair that he was cute, hot, and funny. And smart. “Shut up, Hayden,” I muttered.

He guffawed. “Alright, St. Cloud! Let’s try this again. Take it seriously this time.”

Elliott laughed. “I make no promises!”

#Yes I gave them a last name #it sounds like a snobby boss for Aaron and dreamy name for Elliott. it works.#Redacted ASMR #fic #Redacted Aaron #Redacted Elliott #Redacted Sunshine #Redacted Audio #Redacted Smartass #Starlit Fic #originally i really liked the last name Clearwater for them #but given Elliott drowned... it seemed in poor taste

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mobydicks203-briancarew · 1 year

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Insurance by Day, Whaler by Night? Maybe Not so Exactly.

Nick Ruickoldt is one of the owners of the new bar Moby Dick’s in West Haven, CT on Campbell Ave. Moby Dick’s opened as an upscale oyster bar on August 18, 2022. The bar was made to resemble the inside of a whaler's ship, hence the name which was the name of the place about 50 years before. Ruickoldt and the rest of the team tried their best to keep the original pieces of the bar intact. For example, the authentic paintings inside each porthole, the wood beams going across the ceiling, and the same copper bar with all the carvings of people’s names and so what in the wood going around it. Moby Dick’s obviously isn’t just known for their looks, but their food and drinks as well. Any of the bartenders can make you a one-of-a-kind espresso martini while you enjoy Chef Jeff Lamberti’s signature dish of the week, his classic cast iron mac and cheese, or go raw bar and have some fresh oysters. Ruickoldt explained that he believes the community has taken a liking to Moby Dick’s because of the aesthetics, food and drinks, and the “home feel” the business gives off. Although Ruickoldt has been somewhat successful in the bar business so far, this is not his main interest or where his main income comes from. As a graduate of Merrimack College in 2008 Ruickoldt found himself in the insurance world. He started working at The Russell Agency in 2009 and in 2013 Ruickoldt was elected to West Haven’s city council as a representative of the second district. However, that term came to end but Ruickoldt still stays in touch with many of the other representatives.

Interview

Q: What is your typical day like?

Ruickoldt: “My primary living is in insurance. My real estate ventures and Moby Dick’s are side interests. So I have an ownership stake in it, but we have employees and managers that run day-to-day operations.”

Q: So you would say you are not there on scene front and center?

Ruickoldt: “Yes, exactly. My model is to find other really good people that can manage these things for me on a day-to-day basis and then just report up to me in various capacities.”

Q: What made you get into your extracurricular activities, like the city council position?

Ruickoldt: “I got involved there because I had some issues that I wanted to work on so I decided to run for office to make those changes on that level. I really learned to love it and got more involved. Other opportunities opened up and I was able to serve in multiple different capacities.”

Q: What specific issues were you concerned about?

Ruickoldt: “The two major ones were economic development and how our beachfront was being handled and taken care of.”

Q: When talking to you about how the customers enjoyed the place, you used the term “home feel”. Where does the feeling come from?

Ruickoldt: “I believe the feeling mainly comes from the great staff that has become a close-knit community. We try and have our employees remember as many names as possible and I think that makes a huge difference in customer satisfaction.”

Q: Can you tell me about the trivia night you recently started doing?

Ruickoldt: “The trivia night idea was an attempt to try and bring in more business. We have it every Wednesday and have various topics ranging from 80s music, sports, and close to St. Patty’s Day we did an “All things Irish” edition as a fundraiser for the Greater New Haven St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee.”

Q: Is there anything else you did for St. Patrick’s Day?

Ruickoldt: “Yes actually we had a leprechaun hide bags of gold around the city with the hopes of the public going out and finding them and bringing them to Moby Dick’s on St. Patrick’s Day to win a prize. The people loved the idea. So many people saw the leprechaun and gave him compliments or wanted to take a picture with him. Doing events like these definitely add to the “home feel” we were talking about before.”

Q: What have been the main obstacles you have faced when opening the bar?

Ruickoldt: “It's always people right, in any business. I think the biggest hurdle is always finding the right people. The ones with the right skill sets. It’s finding the right people to bring together because ultimately it’s your people who are going to make or break your business. Dealing with permits, construction, delays, and cost increases due to covid are all other things you have to deal with but I think they are pretty manageable and just a part of the business.”

Q: What is a piece of advice you would give someone who is filling your shoes?

Ruickoldt: “People, Process, Product. We buy the best fish and shellfish that money can buy. We try to pay our people the most we can and still run a business and we are still looking to figure out the best process. That's another obstacle we've encountered is the process. Fine-tuning that process to one, be efficient, and control costs but to give our customers the best experience possible to make a safe environment for your employees.”

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pettishrew · 5 years

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MIND MY WICKED WORDS AND TIPSY TOPSY SLURS; I CAN’T TAKE THIS PLACE, NO, I CAN’T TAKE THIS PLACE.

𝖖 𝖚 𝖔 𝖙 𝖊 𝖘

i don’t feel very human anymore. —7:59 pm 4/28/15; l.m.

Where did you get those big eyes? My mother. And where did you get those lips? My mother. And the loneliness? My mother. And that broken heart? My mother. And the absence, where did you get that? My father. —Inheritance, Warsan Shire

“And I’m a master of speaking silently—all my life I’ve spoken silently and I’ve lived through entire tragedies in silence.”— The Meek One, Fyodor Dostoevsky

How do you move on? You move on when your heart finally understands that there is no turning back. —J.R.R. Tolkien

“There are no permanent friends, only permanent interests”

UNTIL LIONS HAVE THEIR OWN HISTORIANS, THE STORY OF THE HUNT WILL ALWAYS GLORIFY THE HUNTER.— Chinua Achebe

“Self-hatred is only ever a seed planted from outside in. But when you do that to a child, it becomes a weed so thick, and it grows so fast, the child doesn’t know any different. It becomes as natural as gravity.”— Hannah Gadsby, Nanette

You got to take a deep breath and give up. The system is rigged against you. Bo Burnham

𝖇 𝖆 𝖘 𝖎 𝖈

NAME: Peter Thomas Pettigrew NICKNAMES: Pete, Wormtail, or Wormy AGE: Twenty BIRTHDAY: August 22nd GENDER: Male PRONOUNS: He / Him

𝖋 𝖆 𝖒 𝖎 𝖑 𝖞

MOTHER: Enid Pettigrew. 47. Alive. FATHER: Sean Morivan. 52. Status Unknown. SIBLINGS: None

𝖕 𝖍 𝖞 𝖘 𝖎 𝖈 𝖆 𝖑 𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖇𝖚𝖙𝖊𝖘

FACE CLAIM: Alex Wolff BUILD: Moderately Overweight HAIR: In need of a haircut. Curly and unkempt. HAIR COLOR: Brunette. In the summertime, it gets a golden, almost colorless hue. EYE COLOR: Brown SKIN COLOR: Light with olive undertones DOMINANT HAND: Right ANOMALIES: He has a birthmark on his left shoulder. His skin freckles in the summer. He also has faint scars on the inside of both of his forearms. He also has a small tattoo on the outside of his right thigh. Peter got it on a dare and it looks like ( x ) SCENT: He often smells like chocolate or peppermint. Mostly because those are the last things they would have eaten. ACCENT: British. More of the cockney nature than anything else. ALLERGIES: He is moderately allergic to dairy. Not enough to stop him of course, but enough to make him uncomfortable if he eats too much of it. DISORDERS: N / A FASHION: Peter wears whatever is comfortable and fits for the most part. He does tend to stick to neutral colors, like black, grey, and beige. He doesn’t like to draw attention to himself. NERVOUS TICS: He stutters when he’s nervous. He also rubs the back of his neck when he’s uncomfortable. QUIRKS: His quirks are identical to his nervous tics. One doesn’t often happen without the other.

𝖑 𝖎 𝖋 𝖊 𝖘 𝖙 𝖞 𝖑 𝖊

RESIDES: Plainview Point Apartments BORN: St. Mungo’s RAISED: A little outside of London PETS: A Tawny Owl named Eros

CAREER: Obliviator EXPERIENCE: 2+ years in the position EMPLOYER: The Ministry of Magic

POLITICAL AFFILIATION: The Order BELIEFS: Peter doesn’t believe strictly in anything. MISDEMEANORS: None FELONIES: None DRUGS: None SMOKES: Tobacco, and occasionally Marijuana ALCOHOL: Infrequently DIET: Poor

LANGUAGES: English, Welsh, and some Italian

PHOBIAS: Death or Serious Injury. HOBBIES: Reading and Baking. TRAITS: { + }: forgiving, analytical, easy-going, optimistic { - }: fearful, cunning, indecisive, meek

𝖋 𝖆 𝖛 𝖔 𝖗 𝖎 𝖙 𝖊 𝖘

LOCATION: Anywhere that is small, where Peter feels like no one can get to him. SPORTS TEAM: Ireland GAME: Wizard’s Chess. MUSIC: He doesn’t care much for music. If he does listen to it it’s softer sounding music, that’s almost wistful. MOVIES: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope 1980. Alien is a close second. FOOD: Anything sweet. Peter’s sweet tooth is insatiable. BEVERAGE: Pumpkin Juice or soda. COLOR: Pale Yellow

𝖒 𝖆 𝖌 𝖎 𝖈

ALUMNI HOUSE: Gryffindor WAND: UNICORN: Unicorn hair generally produces the most consistent magic, and is least subject to fluctuations and blockages. Wands with unicorn cores are generally the most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts. They are the most faithful of all wands, and usually remain strongly attached to their first owner, irrespective of whether he or she was an accomplished witch or wizard. Minor disadvantages of unicorn hair are that they do not make the most powerful wands (although the wand wood may compensate) and that they are prone to melancholy if seriously mishandled, meaning that the hair may ‘die’ and need replacing. FIR: My august grandfather, Gerbold Octavius Ollivander, always called wands of this wood ‘the survivor’s wand,’ because he had sold it to three wizards who subsequently passed through mortal peril unscathed. There is no doubt that this wood, coming as it does from the most resilient of trees, produces wands that demand staying power and strength of purpose in their true owners, and that they are poor tools in the hands of the changeable and indecisive. Fir wands are particularly suited to Transfiguration, and favor owners of focused, strong-minded and, occasionally, intimidating demeanor. 9 1/2 Inches and unyielding. AMORTENTIA: Chocolate, Peppermint, Garlic, and Old Books. PATRONUS: He cannot produce one. BOGGART: Prior to the war it had been his mother dying. He truly doesn’t know what he would do without her. However, since the war has begun his Boggart is Lord Voldemort.

𝖈 𝖍 𝖆 𝖗 𝖆 𝖈 𝖙 𝖊 𝖗

MORAL ALIGNMENT: True Neutral MBTI: INTP

INTPs are often thoroughly engaged in their own thoughts, and usually, appear to others to be offbeat and unconventional. The INTP’s mind is the most active place, and their inward orientation can mean that they neglect superficial things like home décor or appropriate clothing. They don’t tend to bother with small talk but can become downright passionate when talking about science, mathematics, computers, or the larger theoretical problems of the universe. Reality is often of only passing interest to the Architect, as they are more interested in the theory behind it all.INTPs are typically precise in their speech and communicate complex ideas with carefully chosen words. They insist on intellectual rigor in even the most casual of conversations, and will readily point out inconsistencies of thought or reasoning. Social niceties may fall by the wayside for an INTP who is more interested in analyzing logic, and they may offend others by smallmitting their dearly held values and beliefs to logical scrutiny. Trivia: - more likely than other types to study a foreign language - most frequent type among college students committing alcohol and drug policy violations - have the lowest level of coping resources of all the types - one of the types least likely to believe in a spiritual power - highest of all types in career dissatisfaction in school have lower grades than would be -- predicted by aptitude scores - more likely than average to complete engineering programs - personal values include autonomy, freedom, and independence - Overrepresented among working MBA students - Commonly found in science and technical occupations - famous intps: albert einstein, abraham lincoln, marie curie, and charles darwin

MBTI ROLE: The Architect or the Logician ENNEAGRAM: Type Five ENNEAGRAM ROLE:

The Observer: Fives are alert, insightful, and curious. They are able to concentrate and focus on developing complex ideas and skills. Independent, innovative, and inventive, they can also become preoccupied with their thoughts and imaginary constructs. They become detached, yet high-strung and intense. They typically have problems with eccentricity, nihilism, and isolation. At their Best: visionary pioneers, often ahead of their time, and able to see the world in an entirely new way.

TEMPERAMENT:

Melancholic. The melancholic temperament is fundamentally introverted and thoughtful. Melancholic people often were perceived as very (or overly) pondering and considerate, getting rather worried when they could not be on time for events. Melancholics can be highly creative in activities such as poetry and art - and can become preoccupied with the tragedy and cruelty in the world. Often they are perfectionists. They are self-reliant and independent; one negative part of being a melancholic is that they can get so involved in what they are doing they forget to think of others.

WESTERN ZODIAC:

Leo With the Sun approaching the end of Leo, August 22nd has its peak in creativity and our childish need to present our inner being and express ourselves. This is an emotional date when passions need to be calmed in order for us to swim out of them with a clear mind and a plan we can hold on to, so our dreams can be reached. Those born at this time are connected to others on a different level than the rest of Leo representatives and feel a constant need to set free from ego battles and follow their hearts.

CHINESE ZODIAC:

Year of the Rat The Metal Rat are honest, frank, and optimistic, and will not get depressed no matter how terrible the situation is. They have a quick respond and strong environmental adaptability. They treat people kindly. But most of the people born in 1960 year of the Rat are self-centered. They always think of themselves first. They are impatient, suspicious and kind of vain.

PRIMAL SIGN:

Otter: Social, funny, and outgoing, those born under the sign of the Otter use their warmth and charm as their primary tool in navigating life. Like their animal namesake, members of this sign are clever, feisty, and gregarious. They usually spend a lot of time grooming themselves for their looks are of great importance to them. They are not terribly territorial either, preferring to sleep where their adventure takes them for the night. A nice home will eventually be required, but a young Otter can travel the world for years without getting too homesick. Otters like to be in charge. This way they can not only get what they want, but receive attention and respect while doing so. They can occasionally behave somewhat self-centered and egotistical, but are usually smart enough not to push their self-proclaimed authority too far. Otters want to be the best, and they understand that being the best takes work. As long as they get to do thing their own way, there is little they won’t undertake.Members of this sign have a sense of pride that only a few other signs can top. They absolutely hate looking unintentionally foolish (though they will act the part of the fool if it gets them a good laugh) and have little tolerance for those who don’t respect this important (if unspoken) rule. They like to be seen as evolved, wise, and powerful, which they often are, but this can sometimes cause them to hesitate trying new things. Above all things, Otters don’t like to live by other people’s rules. As long as they keep life in perspective this shouldn’t be a big problem, but out of perspective Otters risk becoming greedy and narrow-minded and there is always a chance that they will take what they want if nobody is willing to offer it up to them. Members of this sign can also be a bit judgmental of others, particularly those who are less successful than they are at that point in their lives. As they mature they tend to realize that everyone operates differently, and will slowly come to accept this, especially if they have a hard road to reaching their goals.

TAROT CARD:

The Fool: The Fool, at its core, represents the unfettered soul. Free of experience and prejudice, they are also free of fear, and therefore come into new events without the trepidation often experienced by those that know what they might expect. This is both a benefit and a detriment to the Fool, their eyes are on the path ahead, or on the sky, but not at what is right in front of them. This can make the Fool easy to trick, to persuade, or to side-line. But they also do not know what others believe is ‘NOT’ possible, and this makes them capable of greatness, new ideas, and innovation. They do not know a thing cannot be done, so they merrily set about to do it anyway. Sometimes they succeed.

TV TROPES:

All the Other Reindeer, The Chessmaster, Cornered Rattlesnake, Dirty Coward, Fair Weather Friend, and Opportunistic Bastard

SONGS:

- Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons - If It Kills Me by Jason Mraz - Sinner Man by Idris Elba - Creep by Radiohead - The Devil You Know by X Ambassadors

IDEOLOGIES:

- Beer is the scum of all the alcoholic beverages. He think it tastes akin to piss and doesn’t understand why anyone would opt to drink it willingly. - Peter has never had a pet aside from the owl. And doesn’t understand the want to keep things in captivity for your own benefit. This principle extends to muggle zoos as well. - Chocolate frogs are the best candy that Honeydukes sells, this is not a matter of discussion that he is willing to hear. - Peter believes that if something is easier done through violence than diplomacy that in those instances the people should be empowered to pursue violence without diplomacy first. - Wool is a terrible fabric and he won’t wear it. It’s itchy.

#dulcetask #TASK: 001 #▲ ĸιlled мy old ѕelғ вυт тнe new мe ιѕn'т мυcн вeттer ( peter hc )#tw eye gore #// kind of #// it's a black eye

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glitched-lullaby · 7 years

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Some More about Sato

As I was writing I Want to Tell You About Sato, I wasn’t able to fit in all the information that I had from my dream or that I came up with to fill in the gaps post-dream, so here’s some additional info and trivia. Sorry for the sheer amount of it, I thought there’d be less but I got carried away.

Information is broken into chunks of related information.

The girl’s name is Sicily, which I completely forgot to go back and edit in. WHOOPS.

Sato is 34 at the time of the incident, and is 41 in the present.

Appearance-wise, Sato looks much like Tosaki from Ajin, though wears a labcoat instead of a suit, and has pure white hair that’s fluffier/less well-kempt than Tosaki’s. It’s even messier after the incident, and the staff at the hospital kind of gave up trying to make his hair look presentable.

Korona has black hair that’s shoulder length. It’s cut flat across the bottom, though the volume makes it splay out a bit, and the bangs are cut the same way. She usually wears red and white. In my dream she was in a red tank top and a white skirt. She also carries at least a small bag with her for her phone, wallet, and keys.

The only think I can remember about Sicily’s appearance is that she had long blond hair and wore a dress that reminded me of a cross between a lolita dress and an Alice in Wonderland dress. It was also light blue.

Like in My Hero Academia, most people in this world have special abilities. The rate is lower in this world though, at ~60% of the population having special abilities. ~50% of those with powers tend to keep quiet about them (or at least around strangers), and ~40% of those people don’t even know they have these abilities. But… are there heroes in this world too? Yes, though there aren’t nearly as many as in MHA.

In my dream, I was experiencing it in an abstract, somewhat 1st-person somewhat 3rd-person perspective, from Sato’s POV. I had no idea that it was a memory that was replaying in his head. In hind-sight, it actually kind of made sense since there were a few observations I made about the world that didn’t line up, like I swear it was some sort of generic sci-fi enemy base’s hallway with vents when I was looking for/going towards the girl as Sato. This led to the idea of Sato misremembering as he replayed the memory of the event, and mixing it up with other events from his time with the I.G.P.A.

I’m pretty sure there’s two subconscious influences that formed Sato’s condition. The time loops definitely came from the Sexy Brutal (along with something else people who have beaten the game will probably notice, but I don’t want to point it out for those who don’t like spoilers). The fading in and out of awareness while many years pass came from something that occurs early on in Wolfenstein the New Order, which I was watching Twitch’s Brownman play a while back.

There were a few gaps in the “memory” portion of the dream too, such as the details of the mission’s setting. The only thing that I can remember about the mission is that it was incredibly important for the team to rescue Sicily, which is why Sato saw it absolutely necessary to risk his life. I think there actually might have been a background plot with a villain organization going on, but that could just be Sato mixing up his memories and it affecting my dream. Who knows?

I also didn’t know what had actually happened between Sato turning around to reach for Sicily and him being hospitalized, as my dream jumped from the former moment to Sato going to lunch with his daughter. I could tell that a lot more time had passed than it seemed, but Korona was still the age Sato remembered her being before the event.

Speaking of Korona, her and Sato’s names popped into my head as I was thinking about the dream. Sato’s was most likely influenced by Ajin, as there’s a character called Mr. Satou in it and Sato’s appearance was very similar to that of the character Tosaki.

Korona’s mom was a one night stand Sato had in college. Sato’s dorm mate had dragged him to a party his friends were having, and after everyone had a couple beers Sato ended up in bed with one of the friends.

In-universe, Korona was named after the beer Corona by her mom. It was meant to be a light-hearted jab by her mom, but Sato found it distasteful and nicknamed her Koko.

Korona’s mom tend to live day by day and was rather carefree, but she knew she didn’t have the money or the responsibility to take care of a kid. After Korona was born, she hunted Sato down and asked if he wanted Korona, stating that if he didn’t, then she was going to send her to an orphanage. Sato decided to keep her, and managed to balance work and child with the help of his older sister. He and Korona’s mom never kept in contact, so they haven’t seen each other since Korona was transferred into his custody.

Most of Sato’s coworkers never knew he had a kid as he usually kept to himself. Only his superiors and his teammates in his MCG knew. Basically, it was on a need to know basis unless he was close to someone.

Korona has met Sato’s MCG plenty of times.

After the incident, Korona moved in with her aunt. She visited her dad in the hospital every day, and later did the same when he was transferred to the psychiatric hospital. She’s always been very close to her dad.

Part of her wishes that she could go back in time to the way things used to be or go back and prevent the incident, but another part of her is happy her dad won’t be risking his life anymore and that she gets to spend more time with him. She feels selfish and guilty for thinking these things. This may be part of the reason she decides to stay in her child-like form.

In the present, Sato has moments of clarity where he’s aware of his surroundings for brief periods of time. These moments are getting longer and more frequent, though the longest they usually last is about hour.

Sato never saw what happened to Sicily, so he firmly believes that she’s dead. Even when people tell him that she’s in hospital, it’s only a momentary relief for him as he can only hold on to the memory while he’s lucid. Most new information is like that for him.

Sato is bi, but isn’t interested in getting together with people. He prefers to focus on his work and spending time with his daughter. He sometimes wonders if Koko wants a second parent.

She doesn’t.

Korona is in an I.G.P.A. funded college studying to become a field researcher like her father was. Her father’s trauma has not deterred her from this, though she is more careful in her work. She doesn’t think he would approve if he became aware of this.

Sato’s old team still visits from time to time, though he doesn’t recognize some of them anymore.

One of my personal favorite memories of the dream version of this story was towards the end when Korona was taking Sato out to lunch and then for a walk around town. There was a moment where they had to leave the place they were staying in because there were a bunch of guys with aggressive personalities at a nearby table. They were being loud and that paired with the usual noise of a restaurant’s outdoor seating was causing Sato to panic and believe he was in the middle of a mission going south. Korono said, “it’s okay daddy, come on, let’s go this way.” She gently led him away by the hand as her aunt waited to pay the bill, reassuring him the whole way. It was so gentle and caring, and her love for him showed through.

#I want to tell you about Sato #my writing #original writing #gl writes

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yournintendogsaredead · 7 years

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Weirdest day ever

I don't even know how to describe today. Like, I'm convinced it's all a big fever dream. So, I get to the preschool I teach at. I'm super excited because we're starting our Polynesian theme which I've worked really hard on. I get there at 8, my first class is at 9. So I start decorating, and I wait for the smart board to boot up. It starts freaking out. Like really freaking out. So I ask the assistant director to help me with it because she's better with technology. About 5 minutes into us both fiddling around with it, she gets the idea that maybe it's the projector. So she takes a look at it and says, "um, does that look like a flame to you?" Sure enough, the projector is on fire. The night crew left it on all weekend and it overheated. So we get my mom, who also happens to be the director, and she empties a whole fire extinguisher into it because it just will not go out. Boom. Fire alarm. Directors go on the walkie to tell all the teachers, "this is real get the kids out". So the art teacher and I take off down the hallway toward the infant rooms and each go into a different room. Me and the two other teachers in that room start running the babies into the cribs. We have evacuation cribs with wheels, so we've got four kids in each crib. One teacher grabs the sheet we use to track our kids while the other teacher and I start running the cribs out along with the other two infant rooms. The toddler, preschool, and k-prep kids meet us in the parking lot. Now, the babies are obviously screaming, so each of us has a baby in our arms that we're trying to comfort while entertaining the babies that weren't crying yet and explaining what was going on to the other teachers. Here's the issue. St. Louis is hot as fuck. It hit 108 Saturday. Today was better, but still hot. We're in a parking lot. My school is on the campus of a university, so we form a sort of parade led by the cribs and get the kids into a business building with ac. Now, my school is wonderful. All of the teachers got our kids out in under two minutes. Everyone was helping other classes. We had preschool teachers going to get infant bottles and toddler teachers giving preschool teachers diapers and wipes. Since it was hot af and we had just been hauling bigass cribs a pretty fair distance, I went and got the teachers some waters graciously provided by the business center we were in. So the directors send out a message that the center is closed and kids need to be picked up. This is a slow process. The teachers are all incredible. We had people telling stories, playing games, doing fire safety lessons, and more with the kids. I pretty much kept with my infant room, but I stopped to talk to a few teachers and kids in other rooms. It is at this point that I start noticing a lot of irritation in my chest. The assistant director says her throat feels bad, so we decide it's the chemicals from the extinguisher fumes we inhaled. I'm allergic to everything, and the worst reactions are in my chest, so I take some allergy meds and chalk it up to physical exertion (I had to go back to get all the car seats since we couldn't let families in the building) and adrenaline. Finally, around 11 the last kid gets picked up. We clean up, thank the people that let us crash their building, and head back. At this point there are really only the three of us that were there when the fire broke out. I'm noticing that it's getting very difficult to breathe. My chest is tight, I keep coughing, and I'm getting dizzy. So we go to urgent care. Yay workman's comp. They promptly send us to the ER, where I am seen very quickly. I basically live in emergency rooms, and I've never gotten in that quick. I guess the key is telling them you can't breathe. So mom and I go back, I get some x-rays, and then I get to my room. A guy asks me to come do insurance stuff. Bear in mind, I still can't breathe. The nurse is standing there with my breathing treatment tank asking if I can go do it, and he says I have to do this first. Dude, I'm about to pass out. So my mom steps in and makes a few rude comments, but they work and I get to go put a mask on my face and breathe oxygen mixed with drugs. At this point I realize I must be pretty important, because I have two doctors and five nurses. No, I'm not exaggerating. Though one was really hot. But I digress. So then every single one of them needs to take turns listening to my breathing. They call poison control about the chemical I inhaled, and they said it irritates the throat and mouth but does not enter the lungs. Yay! But Odd, because again, can't breathe. So they determine that I'm having anaphylaxis. Wonderful. That explains why the other people who were exposed had other symptoms, but could still breathe normally. While there was slight irritation in my throat, my stupid body that is allergic to everything freaked out, and my bronchial tubes and other things in my chest that I wasn't paying attention to the names of got inflamed and stated to close. So then comes a flurry of activity. Several treatments and unsuccessful needle pricks later, I'm loaded up with an iv full of drugs and steroids. That shit is magical. So after a bit of music trivia with mom to kill time (we're great at it), a single doctor comes in and I tell her I'm breathing easier. She says she thought so because they couldn't hear me coughing down the hall anymore. She listens to my chest, and says, "there we go! Somebody is breathing again!" So then I get discharged, say goodbye to hot nurse man who stabbed me, and thank the literal team who helped me out. Bringing fluids, offering me blankets, telling jokes, asking about the school, etc. Plus, you know, making sure my chest didn't close up. That was helpful. Go get lunch with mom because at this point we're starving, and go pick up my prescriptions which will suppress my immune system in case there's any more powder at work that the cleaning crew missed, and a rescue inhaler that I take every four hours for a few days and then any time my chest spontaneously decides it doesn't feel like breathing after that. Got home, took a nap, started figuring out ways that I can do my lessons from another room in school without a board. Jesus. So that was my day. Started with a fire evacuation of a preschool and ended with an emergency room visit for anaphylaxis. Happy Monday!

#wow #monday #teacher #medical #emergency #ER #emergency room #allergies #anaphylaxis #fire #technology fail #sick #medicine #hospital #kids & family #kids #preschool

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tashonix · 8 years

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I was tagged by @consoledacup - thanks hottie ;)

1. Are you named after someone? Nope, just a name that was liked at the time - though I do have my great grandmothers middle name, Louise :)

2.When was the last time you cried? I have no idea but I can remember crying when I went to watch Hacksaw Ridge a couple of months back

3. Do you like your hand writing? I do actually and have had a few people compliment me on it which is nice :) It’s very small though!

4. What is your favorite lunch meat? Ham, any really but I quite like virginian and champagne

5. Do you have kids? Nope, maybe some day, I dunno

6. If you were another person, would you be friend with you? Of course! Like Janelle I’d like to think I’m pretty loyal and will always have your back, I’m also easy going and love to have a good time :)

7. Do you use sarcasm? Not often, I’m usually just pretty blunt lol

8. do you still have you tonsils? Yep and I usually get tonsillitis at least once a year without fail!

9. Would you bungee jump? Fuck no!!

10. What’s your favorite kind of cereal? Don’t eat it, though I don’t mind cornflakes as honey joy’s or cocoa pops as chocolate crackles heheh

11. Do you untie your shows when you take them off? Yep

12. Do you think you’re a strong person? Yeah I do

13. What’s you favorite ice cream flavor? I’m not much of an ice cream eater and I’m quite a plain Jane so it’s vanilla always for me, though when I visited @cassiannandor we went to Ben & Jerry’s and I had this amazing bourbon flavoured one - very said there’s no Ben & Jerry’s anywhere near me to have some more!

14. What is the first thing you notice about people? Eyes and smiles/teeth

15. Red or pink? Red!

16. What is the least physical thing you like about yourself? Extra padding around the middle heheh

17. What color pants and shoes are you wearing right now?

It’s hot as fuck here again today (though thankfully starting to cool down!) so I’m sitting here in red and white shorts, no shoes (why would I wear those in the house??)

18. What was the thing you ate? I’m assuming the word “last” is meant to be in that question, so BBQ - honey soy marinated chicken, potato ‘chips’ and BBQ’ed corn

19. What are you listening to right now? Nothing music wise, but I have got the women’s AFL on which I am very much enjoying :)

20. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Probably red/maroon

21. Favorite smell? Hmmm...I don’t have a great sense of smell. I know you shouldn’t but I do really like the smell of petrol lol Then I guess things like strawberry/raspberry, freshly baked things and dark red roses

22. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? My stepdad this morning when I went grocery shopping and wasn’t sure what type of rissoles he wanted for the BBQ

23. Favorite sport to watch? AFL, Cricket and Supercars. I actually like to watch most sports, except golf

24. Hair color? Dark brow, through grey hairs are starting to come through! :(

25. Eye color? Blue

26. Do wear contacts? Nope

27. Favorite food to eat? Chines for sure - chicken and cashews. Though I quite like Thai too and chips and lollies heheh

28. Scary movie of comedy? Comedy always! I HATE suspense movies, always talking myself into when someone is going to pop out.

29. Last movie you watched? At the cinemas, Assassin’s Creed. I watched St Trinian’s the other night on Foxtel - hysterical!

30. What color shirt are you wearing right now? Navy blue (hahah how funny Janelle!)

31. Summer or winter? I’m going winter because summer here means 40 degree days, bleh. My fave season though is Autumn - t-shirt and jeans weather :)

32. Hugs or kisses? Both! Kissing can be great with the right person ;) I’ll lean more towards hugs though cos they’re easier to come by

33. What book are you currently reading? Hahahaha, I am deep into another romance series and yet again blazing through a book a day (two today actually). Message me if you wanna know :)

34. Who do you miss right now? No one really, everyone is home and happy which is great

35. What is on your mouse pad? It’s black with the Steelseries logo - I use one because I use my laptop on the couch/ottoman in my loungeroom so it’s a nice wide gaming one

36. What is the last tv program you watched? Sense8 with my Aussie fam @leggypeggys and @cassiannandor :D AFLW Collingwood v Melbourne match right now

37. What is the best sound? Bloody hell, these questions... Uhm... I quite like the roar of a good engine and exhaust system hehehe

38.Rolling stones of Beatles? Neither

39. What is the furthest you have ever traveled?

New York :) Currently in planning mode for Europe in 2018!

40. Do you have a special talent? Again this has me stumped! Uhh...I’ve got pretty good pop culture knowledge and a great memory so I’m pretty handy to have on a trivia team :)

41. Where were you born? A regional town in Victoria

I’m tagging @cassiannandor, @leggypeggys (I know Janelle tagged you but suck it up), @delicatelyglitteryperson, @hemnalini, @bioforensics, @inevitably-inquisitive and @bigfunnywords

#tag game #about me #this was fun #although I did have to think about some of the answers!#brain dead on a Saturday evening lol

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donaldmckenzie13 · 5 years

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The patio tour is one of three that I’ve done over the last few years. I’ve decided to take them and combine them all into one story. Tap In Tour

Tour Time Returns

If you read this blog fairly regularly you know that I’m a fan of Food Trucks. I enjoy being able to eat my meals outside. Yet, there’s more than one way to enjoy outdoors dining. Winnipeg also has a large number of patios where you can enjoy you food and drink. Patio dining allows you to watch the world go by and engage with friends and strangers as they pass by on the street.

For years people in Winnipeg have tended to associate patios with Corydon Avenue but over the last few years the numbers of patios in the downtown has increased quite considerably. Back in 2006 there were 22 patios downtown. At that time the Downtown Winnipeg Biz started encouraging the restaurants among their members to add patio space. In the nine years since the number of patios has increased by almost 75%, to where there are now 36 patios downtown.

A corner of the patio outside of Clay Oven

The patio program, which is funded by member businesses, offers an A to Z guide for businesses on how to get started on a patio. Along with the guide several members of the Biz team, including Jason Sivixay, Stephanie Voyce, and Melanie Andrushko, our tour guide, have backgrounds in city planning and urban design. Plus, the patio program helps the businesses navigate the many regulations and licensing steps. Finally, the patio program provides loans of equipment, at no cost. for businesses wanting to give patos a trial run.

Patio Tour:

Yesterday, I was part of an invited group of journalists and bloggers who were taken on a patio tour. The Downtown Biz offers a series of tours throughout the summer. Our group visited four locations, Casa Burrito, Fools and Horses Coffee, Bar Red Sea, and Clay Oven at the Hydro Building. These locations are part of a couple of the tours on offer.

Bar red Sea Sign

This was a walking tour. One of the great things about a walking tour is that it gives you a chance to easily flow back and forth among the other people on the tour. This meant that I was able to visit with just about everyone of the dozen or so people there. Along with mainstream media such as CBC, Winnipeg Free Press, and the Metro, there were a few bloggers.

http://www.cbc.ca/i/caffeine/syndicate/?mediaId=2671362615

It’s always good to touch base with my fellow bloggers. Among those on the tour were Sagan Morrow, Wendy Elias-Gagnon of EatSipSlurp, and Susie Erjavec Parker from Momstown Winnipeg. We were also joined by staff from Streetside Developments.

At each location we were given a sample of the food that each restaurant specializes in. We also heard each owner explain why a patio was a good idea for them. As well, we heard about some of the ways that Downtown Biz patio program had assisted or was assisting them in the process.

Ben Gillies extolling the praises of Fools and Horses.

With four different stops, not only was there plenty of food on the tour, but the variety was equally plentiful. From Mexican at Casa Burrito, Ethiopian at Bar Red Sea, Charcuterie at Fools and Horses, and Indian at Clay Oven the tour featured a little bit of something for everyone’s tastes. Below is a gallery of most of the items we tried.

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Burrito and Salad from Casa Burrito.

Charcuterie Board from Fools and Horses

Coffee From Fools and Horses Coffee

A Selection of Eithiopian dishes served on Injera

Pita and Dips from Clay OVen

Pakora from Clay Oven

Casa Burrito Salsas

The plate set up at Casa Burrito

Skewers from Bar Red Sea.

Tap In Tour

Back to Top Each summer the Downtown Biz offers a series of tours to allow people to sample some of the many food and beverage offerings in the downtown. Last year I was given the opportunity to go on the patio tour. This year I had hoped to go on the breakfast tour, but those are on Sunday’s and for some reason my parish expects me to be at

church those days. However, when that didn’t work out, Emily Ormonde, the tour coordinator for Downtown Biz kindly switched me over to the Tap In Tour. You can find out more information on the various tours here.

Goat Cheese Quiche from Shannon’s Irish Pub.

The secret to making a tour like this a success is having a good tour guide. Susan, our tour guide, did an excellent job. In addition to getting us from stop to stop in good time, she took us along to a couple of other spots downtown, to see some of the interesting activities taking place.

It was an interesting evening. When I arrived I discovered that I was the only person on the tour who was not part of a group. This for me is usually a recipe for disaster. As an introvert among introverts, meeting new people is always difficult. This is especially true when I’m in big groups. However, as the evening went on, I found he various small groups to be quite welcoming which made the event quite enjoyable

Tap In Tour: Shannon’s Irish Pub

The tour started at Shannon’s Irish Pub. I was running a couple of minutes of late so I missed the beginning of the presentation. Our beverage for the stop was a Black and Tan.. Then we found out why we should never order a Black and Tan if we were in Ireland. For the snack we got a crunchy shrimp skewer along with a slice of goat cheese quiche. The quiche was the definite food highlight of the evening. It was smooth, rich and creamy with just a touch of sweetness. It would actually make a nice dessert as well.

Tap In Tour: Garrick Hotel

After Shannon’s we headed over to the Garrick Hotel. The Garrick is a classic throwback bar that is something of a downtown institution. In keeping with that idea, we were served Hot Rods and Old Dutch chips. The beverages were tourist choice, and I went with the Rolling Rock Extra Pale. While we enjoyed our food and drink, we were treated to a video show of local bands that appear at The Garrick.

A bottle of Rolling Rock from our stop at the Garrick Hotel.

Tap In Tour: Garbonzo’s Pizza Pub

Our third stop was a place I’ve visited before. This is the one spot where I didn’t manage to get any pictures. I decided to satisfy my inner hipster by ordering a PBR to drink. It was either that or wear skinny jeans, and nobody wants to see that. One of the reasons I didn’t get pictures here was that it was trivia night. Despite being on my own, I managed to attach myself to a table of people who enjoy trivia as much as I do. We played through the first half of the trivia game before moving on to the final stop on the tour. Naturally the food was pizza. I ate a nice thick slice of the meat lovers.

Tap In Tour: Rudy’s Eat and Drink

Our final stop was at Rudy’s Eat and Drink. I didn’t get the name of the beer, which was already in a pitcher on the table, but it was clean and fairly light. As the 4th beer of the evening I appreciated the light quality. Rudy’s offered us a nice variety of snacks. They had homemade crinkle cut kettle chips and dip, Chicken Wings, An asian perogie (gyoza), and finally some sticky ribs. All of the items were very good, with the sticky ribs being a standout.

Tap-In tour Wings from Rudys.

Once again, I switched tables when we got to Rudy’s and was able to enjoy the company of some of the other people on the tour. Thank you to Downtown Biz for inviting me along. Thank you to Susan for being such a great tour guide. Thank you to all the friendly people who turned this into a great evening out.

Tour Time Returns

Tour Time Returns – Along with some New Patios

Back to Top Over the last couple of years, I’ve gone on a couple of the Downtown Biz tours. Last year I did the Tap In tour, and the year before that I went on the Patio Tour. This year, Susan Ainley, tour co-ordinator invited me, along with a group of other social media inclined folks to join her on this year’s edition of the patio tour.

It was National Caesar Day. This is the Classic Caesar from Pony Corral.

One of the first things I noted was that the list of participating restaurants this year was different from the Patio Tour I went on a couple of years ago. Patios in the downtown continue to grow, and so there are always lot’s to choose from.

Patio Stops

Our gathering spot for the day was the patio at Pony Corral on St. Mary Avenue. It was beginning to cloud over but we still managed to find some sun for ourselves. Besides Susan and myself, our social media group consisted of Craig and Michelle Hologroski, Natalie (PegCityLovely) Bell, Lindsay Somers, Cory Beal, and Jaime Vales-Riench. For our first two stops we were also joined by Tineke de Jong of the Downtown Biz.

Being National Caesar day, I made the Classic Caesar, shown above, my drink of choice at Pony Corral. Along with our beverages we were served a platter of chicken bites with tzatziki and pita slices. The chicken was wonderfully moist and well-seasoned.

The patio tour requires a bit of walking, and that’s a good thing, because it allows you to work off some calories and leave room for the food that follows. So, after our stay at Pony Corral we headed over to Carbones Pizza. Here we caught the high point of sun for the afternoon.

The tasting menu was also enjoyable as we got to try both the White and the Tyrol Pizzas. The White is one of the better vegetarian options going. For a beverage I went with the Torque Beer, Helles Lager. Enjoyable all the way down.

The Carbones White Pizza is an excellent, vegetarian option.

Tyrol Pizza on the patio tour.

The Torque Beer Helles Lager

The weather turned a little bit chillier and damp at this point so our next two stops were indoors. We stopped at Moxie’s in the MTS Centre, (at least it was the MTS Centre when we were there). Here we were served their house made hard lemonade. A delightful drink made better by the fact that it isn’t overly sweet. We received a taco for our food portion, and then they went and brought out some of their tried ribs and table smashed guacamole for us to try. Finally, they brought us a shot that featured coconut rum.

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The pork taco at Moxie’s

Our coconut rum based shot

For our final stop we ended off at Rudy’s Eat & Drink. Here we ran into the dilemma of piles of food at the end of the a filling tour. However, we dug in and did our best. There were Spring Rolls, Kyoza, and what looked like chicken or pork bites. They were at the far end of the table and I didn’t try them. There were also two choices of beverage. The Little Brown Jug 1919, and a fruit-filled cocktail topped with Mango slices. Having tried the 1919, I decided on the cocktail. It was delicious. However, it is also dangerous, as you could easily drink 3 or 4 without realizing how much alcohol you are consuming.

As always with the downtown tours the conversation is the best part. Most of the people who were on the tour are people I only know through their social media profiles. So, it is nice to be able to find out about them IRL. If you are looking for a good way to discover more about downtown Winnipeg, the Biz tours are always a good way to go.

Patio season will be starting soon, so I decided to gather all my patio tour posts in one place. Enjoy. Patio Proliferation Enlivens Downtown @DowntownPeggy @FHCoffeeCompany The patio tour is one of three that I've done over the last few years. I've decided to take them and combine them all into one story.

#Bar Red Sea #Casa Burrito #Clay Oven #Downtown Tours #Downtown Winnipeg BIz #Fools and Horses Coffee and Wine #Manitoba Hydro Building #Patio DIning #Patios #Waking Tours

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cleopatrarps · 6 years

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Australia’s Immigration Solution: Small-Town Living

PYRAMID HILL, Australia — A lanky Filipina girl with long black hair stood at the wickets behind St. Patrick’s School, waiting for a pitch from a burly dad with a reddish beard.

The cricket ball came in slow. Her swing was quick as a bee’s wing, sending the ball skyward as a gaggle of kids — mostly Filipino, some white — cheered and elbowed to bat next.

The game, played on a recent afternoon, was a typical mixed gathering for Pyramid Hill, a one-pub town of around 500 people in central Victoria that has become a model of rural revival and multicultural integration.

“I’m still surprised they’re as open to us as they are,” said Abigail Umali, 39, a veterinarian from Manila who works at a local pig farm, and whose daughter, Maria, was the girl at bat.

“This school wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them,” said Kelvin Matthews, 36, the pitcher, as he watched the children interact.

──── Towns of a few hundred people are fading like puddles in the sun. ────

Filipinos now make up nearly a quarter of Pyramid Hill’s growing population. New homes are going up here for the first time in a generation — and both the newcomers and lifelong residents say they have found the answer to rising concerns about immigrants straining resources in Australian cities.

It’s called small-town living.

“People in the country mix, and need to mix,” said Tom Smith, a pig farmer who inadvertently started the town’s revival in 2008 when he sponsored visas for four workers from the Philippines. “It’s just different out here; it’s the only way to survive.”

Rural collapse is a familiar tale, seen across the American Midwest and in many areas of Europe, where small communities have been squeezed by globalization. It’s no different in Australia: an urbanizing country, as physically large as the United States, where towns of a few hundred people are fading like puddles in the sun.

[Read Part One about rural Australia’s mental health epidemic. Comment here or in our Australia Facebook group.]

But the success of Pyramid Hill — and many other small Australian towns — suggests that there are opportunities being missed and lessons to be learned. At a time when politicians in Australia, and around the world, are calling for restrictions on immigration, small towns in Australia are asking for more immigrants.

“There’s a real network of people who know how to make this work, who make it work in their community and can share it with others,” said Jack Archer, the chief executive of the Regional Australia Institute, a government research organization. “This is something we should really be thinking about scaling up.”

Landmarks of Despair

Pyramid Hill is a quiet drive of about 240 kilometers, or 150 miles, from Melbourne, finishing with a stretch of land that is mostly empty except for golden wheat fields and lint-gray sheep.

The community took its name in 1836 from a granite outcrop on the town’s edge. From its peak, I had little trouble seeing newer landmarks, which rose above the countryside and hinted at local despair: grain silos that are no longer used; a pet food factory that shut down in 2008.

Residents still talk about the era before the Filipinos came as one of quiet desperation. Streets without children. Homes decaying. The town’s population bottomed out at 419 in 2011, down from 699 in the 1960s.

“We were in dire straits,” said Cheryl McKinnon, the mayor of Loddon Shire, the municipality that includes Pyramid Hill. “We needed our population to grow.”

Economists often discuss immigration in terms of a multiplier effect. Newcomers don’t just fill jobs, they also create them, by bringing demand for new products and services.

This is especially true in Australia, where the minimum wage is 18.29 Australian dollars an hour ($13.70) and most migrants are skilled workers or students.

“Australia’s focus on skilled migration has demonstrated positive effects for economic growth,” a recently published government report on population growth found, “because our migrants on average lift potential G.D.P. and G.D.P. per capita.”

In many cities and suburbs, though, population growth has brought frustration. Melbourne added 125,000 people during the last fiscal year, its largest recorded increase, and Sydney added 102,000. In both cities, immigration was the primary cause, prompting complaints about housing, crowded schools and traffic.

──── The areas reviving most quickly tend to offer new arrivals not just jobs but a sense of community. ────

The government of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has responded to such concerns by restricting immigration: maintaining harsh offshore detention centers for asylum seekers and limiting the number of skilled-worker visas.

Places like Pyramid Hill offer an alternative.

“There just has got to be some employment opportunity,” said Mr. Archer of the Regional Australia Institute. “There’s more of that than people think.”

Statistics from the institute suggest that many rural communities suffer not from a lack of employment, but a lack of employees.

Labor market participation in regional Australia — the areas outside major cities — is well above the national average. And since rural populations tend to be older, that means many people continue to work well after they might have wanted to retire.

Mr. Smith, the pig farmer, rejected that pattern. He flew to Manila in 2008 to interview job applicants for his Kia-Ora piggery after placing a help wanted ad in a local newspaper.

Two of his four original hires still work at Kia-Ora. Mr. Smith, 66, a taciturn farmer who warms up to strangers at the pace of an autumn morning, has retired from managing the piggery.

To understand the town’s revival, he told me, I would have to visit.

‘They’ve Learned to Adapt’

One morning before 7 a.m., I found myself donning a paper jumpsuit and tall rubber boots for a day of pork production with Kia-Ora’s mostly Filipino work force.

We started in the breeding area, a series of long metal warehouses filled with tiny newborn piglets and pregnant sows big enough to knock a small car off the road.

Gail Smith, the mating supervisor, was guiding Raymond Mabulac, one of the Filipino workers, on the latest methods of artificial insemination.

“When you’re done, you need to hop in the pen and record them,” she said.

“Easy,” Mr. Mabulac said. “No worries.”

That breezy rapport took time. It wasn’t that Mr. Mabulac didn’t speak English; he did. It was just sayings like “rightee-o” that took him awhile to work out. “At first,” Ms. Smith said, laughing, “I don’t think he had any idea what I was saying.”

[Sign up for Damien Cave’s Australia Letter to get news, conversation starters and local recommendations in your inbox each week.]

Kia-Ora adjusted and expanded slowly, bringing in new employees (and their families) over several years. Many of the new hires were old friends of the early ones, or attended the same university in the Philippines, studying veterinary medicine or animal husbandry.

Some were already in Australia, like Ms. Umali, the vet, who moved to Pyramid Hill four years ago from Sydney with her husband and two children.

“It was a big change,” she said.

The work is hard and malodorous, the sort of job few Australians are eager to do. But it is also more sophisticated than many people recognize. Charts on births, weight gain and other metrics line the break-room walls, and Kia-Ora has been expanding into energy by producing electricity from biogas.

Despite the hard work, there has been little turnover among the employees.

“You wouldn’t believe how warm the people are here,” Ms. Umali said. Her voice seemed to crack with emotion. “They’ve learned to adapt.”

Research from the Regional Australia Institute shows that the areas reviving most quickly tend to offer new arrivals not just well-paying jobs but a sense of community.

In the Shire of Dalwallinu, a town in Western Australia’s Wheat Belt that is coming back to life thanks to migrants from the Philippines and elsewhere, residents helped workers move their families from abroad.

In the small town of Nhill, in northwestern Victoria, locals have managed the arrival of ethnic Karen refugees from Myanmar since 2010, helping them find housing, learn English and engage in social activities.

Pyramid Hill’s evolution has been just as personal. Neighbors regularly meet to share food and learn about each other’s cultures.

“Every month there’s one Australian speaker and a Filipino speaker, and we cook for each other,” said Helen Garchitorena, 47, a leader of the exchange. “We explain the importance of the food, and we talk.”

Compared with those in many cities and suburbs, people in Pyramid Hill seem to have more time and interest in building bonds across ethnic boundaries. An annual Filipino “fiesta” was added to the town’s events calendar in 2015, and every week seems to include an opportunity to socialize.

──── “They generalize a lot — ‘Asians are like this, Australians are like that,’” said Fritzie Caburnay ────

A short walk away from the cricket match at St. Patrick’s, for example, teenagers gathered for a trivia night at Pyramid Hill College, the public school where Ms. Garchitorena now works.

The town has welcomed the Filipinos in part because families bring energy. But it also helps that, like the locals, many are Catholic, and they arrived in Australia already speaking some English.

Programs to settle less-educated (or black or Muslim) migrants in small towns have sometimes proven more difficult. Even here in Pyramid Hill, awkwardness and disrespect are not unheard-of.

“We’re trying to mesh together,” said Ms. Garchitorena’s daughter, Fionne, 15. “I think it mostly works.”

Still, she said, there are growing pains. “It’s like when I have rice for lunch and they’ll say ‘You’re so Asian’ — and I’m like, well, yes, I’m very aware of that.’”

Duke Caburnay, 16, whose father works at Kia-Ora, said that he runs up against racism when his team plays Australian rules football in other small towns. White players sometimes hurl racial insults at him.

Some of Pyramid Hill’s adult Filipino residents also say they are expected to outperform white counterparts just to be considered equal.

“They generalize a lot — Asians are like this, Australians are like that,” said Fritzie Caburnay, 46, Duke’s mother, who has a master’s degree in public administration. “Some people say the Filipinos have invaded.”

Still, she said, “we feel at home here.”

It’s a sentiment widely shared.

Ms. Umali eventually explained why she has grown so loyal to the town. Last year, she said, her husband was at Kia-Ora working his usual shift when he collapsed in one of the pig pens.

He died suddenly of a heart attack. He was 44.

An outpouring of support followed for her and her two children, Raphael, 12, and Maria, 10, the cricket batter. Every day, friends and even total strangers would appear at the wood-frame home she rents beside St. Patrick’s, smiling, carrying meals and money, or just offering emotional support.

The principal of St. Patrick’s, Colleen Hampson, had to fight back tears when discussing the tragedy and the community’s response.

So did Ms. Umali.

“What happened to me here, I can’t even compare it to what would have happened in the Philippines,” she said, looking away to gain composure. “It’s actually overwhelming.”

Read Part I: A Booming Economy With a Tragic Price

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dani-qrt · 6 years