#translation: where it’s least expected the hare jumps

[floq]

donde menos se piensa salta la liebre 🐇

[braincoins]

WIP Wednesday

I’m going to do something a little different with this WIP. Instead of giving you a small chunk of one part as a teaser, I’m going to give you lots of little chunks from all throughout the document (so far). 

Mostly just to mess with y’all, but also partly because there are lots of little lines and bits I like and trying to choose one is too hard.

So, yes, anyway, it’s a Shallura story. It will be smut and while it has gotten a bit... mature in some places, it hasn’t hit the bow-chicka-bow-wow yet (or I’d be putting this on the smut blog instead). It’s a twist on a particular trope. Oh! And it incorporates a few aspects of V:LotD because, honestly, I have rapidly-dwindling interest in writing in the actual VLD canon anymore. But this wouldn’t actually happen in V:LotD. It’s... a V:LotD AU? V:LotD fanfic? Even though I don’t have V:LotD anywhere even approaching done (because, let’s face it, rewriting an entire TV show is a hell of an undertaking)?

ANYWAY. Time to jump to the cut.

           “Paladins, let’s clear a path for the lady,” he ordered.

----------

           “I await your cue, Princess.”

           She smiled. Polite as always, even if it put distance between them. She was often torn on whether to correct him on his habit of using her title. On one hand, they were friends, weren’t they? They were all friends and teammates. They’d been in many battles together, saved each other’s lives. This team was all she had; she didn’t want to stand on ceremony.

           On the other hand, he was the only one besides Coran to use her title regularly. Sometimes the other paladins used it, but it was rare. And sometimes… sometimes it was nice to be reminded that she still held a place of leadership. Sometimes it wasn’t, to be fair; sometimes she didn’t want to be the one calling the shots. But for Shiro to acknowledge her title… He wasn’t Altean. He hadn’t been born and raised to revere the Altean crown and throne. He owed her no allegiance due to the accidents of birth – his or hers – yet he gave it to her anyway.

           It touched her deeply. In a way, it was almost an endearment. Not that he meant it as such, or that she even took it as such, typically. It was just… it was nice. It was nice of Shiro to be this semi-formal level of casual with her – if that made sense. She knew where she stood with Shiro – as his princess – and in a universe as chaotic and unsteady as the one she’d woken up in after all that time, that was a precious thing.

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

           “Maybe this is some sort of new Olkari tech?” Pidge postulated as she typed. “Hunk, help me out with the boost.”

           “Oh, right,” he said, settling in to start his own typing.

           “They would have saved Shiro and Allura, too,” Keith protested.

           “Something went wrong with it, maybe. Errors happen, even with great engineers like the Olkari,” she replied. “Think about it: transporting the Castle, all the Lions, AND all of us out of danger, all at once? It’s no wonder something went sideways. We just have to figure it out.”

           “I’ll send a message to them,” Coran said. “Even if they didn’t do this, maybe they can help us figure it out.”

           “Good idea.”

           “But for now we’re safe?” Keith asked.

           “Don’t,” Lance warned.

           “What?”

           “DO NOT fly out there in Red to go look for Shiro when we don’t even have a spot to start looking.”

           “You’re not my boss.”

           “No, I’m your teammate and I’m telling you we’re already down two, let’s not lose someone else! At least wait until we have an idea of where to search; then you can hare about all you want. But for now, just STAY PUT, WILL YOU!?” Lance all but screeched at him.

           “Fine,” Keith sulked, folding his arms. “But the second – the TICK – we have an idea…”

           “Yes, yes, I won’t stand in your way,” he assured him. “I’ll be right out there with you. I mean, gotta have someone competent out leading the search.”

           Coran, Pidge, and Hunk let the two of them bicker. It was like white noise by now, and it helped keep their minds off the worrisome question of where the leaders of Voltron had disappeared to.

---------

           “Interesting. I wonder why they don’t use translator technology? It’s relatively easy to develop.”

           “Says the woman from the supremely-advanced technological race.”

           “We’re only supremely-advanced compared to some others.”

           “Like humans,” he pointed out.

           “You’ll catch up in time,” she replied consolingly.

           “Besides, you have all this magitech stuff…”

           “Magitech?” He was now fully capable of seeing the look of amused confusion on her face.

           He spelled it out for her. “Magic + Technology = Magitech.”

           She snorted. “Alchemy,” she corrected him.

           “Magitech,” he agreed, as if that was what she had said.

           “Anyone could do it, with the proper training.”

           He scoffed.

           “It’s true! Oh, some would always be more adept at it than others, certainly – my father was a superb alchemist by dint of being Sacred, and Honerva was unrivalled in raw talent and diligent study – but anyone could do it.”

           “I couldn’t.”

           “I bet you could.”

           “That’s a bet you’d lose.”

           She grinned at him. “When we get out of this, I’m going to teach you a simple alchemy trick,” she told him. “And I’m willing to bet that, if you apply yourself to it, you’ll be able to do it.”

           “Bet what?” he shot back.

           “Whatever you like,” she replied airily.

           He whistled. “Someone’s sounding pretty confident.”

           “I only bet when I know I’ll win.” But she swapped her almost arrogant expression for a warning as she looked at him. “But you have to try. Really try, not just pretend to try then give up just to win the bet.”

           “Okay, I’ll do it. When we get out of here.”

           She nodded. “When we get home. Or… well, back to the Castle, I suppose.”

           “When we get home,” he agreed, and the smile that bloomed on her face made him smile in return. He almost forgot that they were strapped to chairs, held by thus far unseen aliens who had mysterious, unknown purposes for them. Almost.

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

           “Uh, maybe I shouldn’t be asking this, but when you say ‘genetic engineering’���?”

           It just now occurred to her how that might sound to him, to Shiro of all people, having been a living experiment of Haggar’s for so long. “Oh, they’ve never done anything like… I mean, as far as I know, they haven’t… They’re not…” She didn’t know how to bring it up without bringing it up, so in the end she settled for, “They’re not her.”

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

           He walked back out and heard the princess gasp. She was sitting up in bed now, hand over her mouth as she looked straight at him.

           He blushed and looked away. He ought to be embarrassed, but that wasn’t actually the first thing he thought of. His mind went straight to his scars.

           He’d never wanted her to see them. Never wanted any of them to, because they drew attention and they… reminded everyone who saw them. Oh, sure, some of them were of fonder, more far-off memories, back on Earth: a bike accident when he was twelve, a bad hit in training when he’d been cocky. But far too many of his scars were from the Arena, from when survival was the only duty he had and he’d obeyed it scrupulously. At least, according to the half-remembered snatches of memory left to him.

           “Sorry, it… wasn’t my idea,” he muttered.

           Her hand lowered and she sighed. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and caught her blushing. Maybe she wasn’t focusing on the scars after all. He wasn’t sure if that was better or worse. “No, I know. And it’s not your fault. But twenty vargas and we’re out of here.”

-----------

           He cleared his throat and knocked on the nearest wall, leaning in to say, “I don’t suppose we could get a deck of cards?”

----------

           “Nothing? Again?!” Keith was on the verge of having a fit.

           “No, no,” Hunk told him. “Nothing still. STILL nothing because ‘again’ would imply that we had something at some point.”

           “If you want to tear your hair out,” Lance said, leaning towards Keith, “I volunteer to help. Anything’s better than the mullet.”

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

           Shiro knocked on the wall. “Hey, some water would be nice? Princess?”

           “Oh, yes, please,” she said pleasantly.

           An opening appeared in the wall after a moment, and a tray slid out onto the table with two glasses and a pitcher of ice water.

           “Thank you,” Shiro said. He picked up a glass. “Say when.”

           Her brow furrowed. “Huh?”

           He was pouring water into the glass. “Say when it’s full enough for you.”

           “Oh! When, when!” she rushed to say, as the glass was getting quite full.

           He laughed and handed it over to her. “You can just say ‘that’s good,’ or ‘that’ll do’ or something like that. You don’t have to actually say ‘when’.”

           “But you said to.” She took a drink.

-------

Princess Allura had pointed out that it took being held captive by aliens for either one of them to take a vacation, and they’d both laughed so hard they’d cried.

-------

           There was a pause. “You are both very attractive members of your own species.”

           “THAT’S NOT THE POINT!” she screamed.

           “They’re not wrong,” Shiro murmured before he could help himself. Her legs… those thighs…

           Princess Allura shot him a look, eyebrows raised, and he cleared his throat and excused himself to the bathroom, leaving her to shout deprecations and vent her annoyance at the disembodied voice in the ceiling.

-----------

           I wonder if he’d still call me ‘princess’ if I was in his lap right now?

---------

           Eventually, Shiro said, “You really want to know what happened?”

           “Yes!” Coran replied immediately, actually latching onto Shiro’s arm and looking into his face with anticipation.

           Shiro leaned forward just a hair. “Ask. The. Princess.” He straightened up again.

---------

           “Well?” he asked. “Shiro refused to tell me what happened. He suggested I ask you.”

           “Where are we and how long until we get to Olkarion?”

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

           “Or we can rest now,” he insisted. “Please. Look, there has to be something you can spend this time doing, if it bothers you. Work on your alchemy more?”

           She remembered the bet suddenly: that she would teach Shiro a simple alchemy trick. But that would require being alone with Shiro again. They couldn’t even have a simple “hello, sorry about that, goodbye” sort of conversation right now; how could she be expected to teach him anything?

           “I can work on my alchemy when we’re on Olkarion.”

           He snorted. “You won’t though. You’ll be in conference with Ryner or the rebels or any of the other various Coalition groups that have started working on Olkarion as a base of operations. This is an excellent time to advance your studies.”

           She had to give him that one. “Very well.” She gave him a warning glare. “But be careful about gainsaying me in the future.”

           He smiled; her warning was not having the desired effect. It was hard to cow a man who’d seen you in diapers. “Yes, Princess.”

           It sounded wrong to hear him say it. I want Shiro to say it again. She looked away quickly, hoping Coran wouldn’t catch her blushing and turned to leave.

--------

           Keith shot Shiro a glance and found him looking… mildly uncomfortable. That was odd. Not the look itself: Keith had seen Shiro look like that a hundred times before. It usually meant he was having a flare-up and didn’t want to admit it. But his disease had been cured by the pods. He wasn’t degenerating anymore, so there shouldn’t be anything to flare up.

           He leaned in towards him to ask quietly, “Everything okay?” just the way he had in the old days.

           Shiro’s answer back then had usually been that he needed to sit or stop or he’d request Keith run a distraction so he could slip out, if it was really bad. But his answer today was to put on a thin smile and say, “Yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

           Keith frowned. That was the bullshit he’d always given everyone else, the ones who didn’t know, the ones Shiro didn’t see the need to tell. You’re supposed to tell me everything. You’ve never shut me out before.

           And Shiro caught that. It was a two-way street, after all; they knew each other. He dropped his voice low. “I really am fine, Keith, I just don’t want to talk about it.”

           “Is there something I can do?” Because he always wanted to do something. Standing around, talking, all of that was bullshit. Action produced results.

           “No, buddy. Sorry. Not this time.” Shiro patted his shoulder. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

           He walked away, but he might as well have been running.

[as2015]

Sketch Random + Fanfic Translation.

Translation by: @miguelcool2000

A One-shot follow up story to the comic “Random Sketch”

Title: “If he just…”

“Kill him”

For a second, that idea crossed her mind while her finger trembled over the trigger of her gun.

Her heart would beat painfully inside her chest, suffocating her, the purest and most gruesome hatred was born within her being, rising like hot lava in her esophagus and choking her throat.

The bovine laughed maniacally in front of her , twisting and bending, mocking at what the act one of his henchman had accomplished.

She looked at Nick’s body lying still on the floor, blood starting to form a puddle around his figure.

Judy fought back her own tears.

-          Oh, come on, lieutenant Hopps, don’t tell me you really care for that piece of scum.- Del Toro stated in an annoyingly fancy manner and licking his own lips while stressing each word.

“Kill him!”

-          Shut up! – She rose her voice using all her will not to pull the trigger in that very moment.

“Just kill him at once!”

She heard again her own voice in rage trying to impose its actions. But she couldn’t. She was a police officer, a Lieutenan . She couldn’t let her emotions be shown so easily.

-          Anyway, who’s gonna miss such a scumbag loser like him? It’s a fox, a species that is just a plague to this world…

That was the last straw. How did he dare to say that? What did he know about foxes? What the hell did he know about nick?

“Kill him!”

This time she would follow her instinct.

-          You son of a…

-          Judy, don’t! – shout a voice she thought she was never going to hear again and turned around, her eyes meeting the fox’s looking back at her from the ground, his own shining with an emerald glow, trying to communicate thousands of thoughts, since shouting has left him exhausted – …you are better than that… dumb bunny… - murmured the vulpine with a weak voice and lost consciousness in consequence.

-          Nick!

-          Lieutenant Hopps! – exclaimed a gray hare getting close at full speed while followed by a group of mammals. He went towards his female counterpart whereas the other officers cuffed Del Toro. –Are you ok?

Wilde had interfered at the right time. He have saved her from doing something stupid. She could barely see the metallic cuffs around the ex-politician’s hooves and without even answering to her subordinate she hurried herself next to Nick.

-          Just if you hadn’t save him that day at the court, that idiot would have died long ago and you would live a simple life and I would have everything I ever wanted! – She heard the claiming of the furious criminal, but she ignored him.

-          Nick? ... Can you hear me? ... Hey Nick, Nick! She said without getting an answer. She remembered the first aid course and pressed her trembling paws against the wound. She had to do something, she had to stop all that blood, but the hemorrhage didn’t seem to stop. – Savage!

-          The ambulance is on its way lieutenant. – He claimed as he checked the fox’s vitals. - You’d better hurry. His heartrate is declining hastily. – He shout over the radio on his shoulder.

A few seconds later the sirens could be heard.

-          Listen to me Lieutenant Hopps – said one of the caribous who checked the one with the emerald eyes – Don’t stop pressing, the wound is in a critical state and your paws are the only thing that keeps him alive at this moment. So, until we can make it to the hospital, don’t let go. Understood?

She nodded and the paramedics performed some maneuvers in order to get them both inside the ambulance.

Everything else was blurry in her mind when she less expected it, she was already sat on one of the enormous chairs in the waiting room of the Memorial Hospital Zootopia.

-          You should take a break – claimed Jack Savage forgetting the formalities, after all despite she being his superior, they were old childhood friends. He offered her some coffee.

-          No. I’m not leaving until I know he’s fine… - answered Judy while accepting the bitter drink.

-          The surgery they are performing will at least take another 10 hours and we still have to prepare the reports of the case – but she didn’t move an inch.

-          I can’t leave him – her eyes filling with guilt.

Jack stared at her intensively and sighed – Well, at least go take a shower, your clothes are a mess.

She was about to refuse again when the one with the blue irises interrupted her.

-          Go to my apartment – he held the keys in front of her – it’s conveniently located just  a few blocks from here, it won’t take more than 30 minutes, I’ll stay here and will call you in case anything happens. OK?

She doubted a little, but ended up accepting and headed to the house of her once neighbor and younger brother’s best friend.

As if she were a zombie, she crossed streets and every mammal she came across stared at her covered in blood, which caused some of the predators to have problems with their collars so she hurried her steps.

She made it to Jack’s place and went straight to the bathroom, she looked at herself in the mirror and became horrified, Nick’s blood was everywhere, her hands, face, clothes, her badge…

In a frenzy, she took off the clothes and quickly went inside the cold water pouring down from the shower since the blood was already dried. Otherwise, it would be harder to wash it from her fur.

Damn it!

How had she let that situation end like it did?

She strongly punched the wall, her knuckles went numb due to the pain.

-          Damn it! - She yelled with rage. She was at her limit, and couldn’t keep enduring her own feelings any longer.

She allowed herself to cry. She cried out of powerlessness, anguish, fury, pain and fear.

She cried for Nick Wilde, a predator, a fox, who she had unrightfully called a murderer and turned out to be the most noble, and kindest of the creatures; someone who was just trying to make his dreams come true and help others with their own.

Someone she labeled as untrustworthy and became my only ally. Someone she came to fear, but now felt a deep regard for to unsuspected levels; because he had earned through all means a very special place in her heart.

Those things she had tried to forget due to the involving circumstances that created a barrier between them. But all those circumstances had vanished the moment she saw him falling hurt, all her prejudice disintegrated in an instant.

Sincerely, what made them different from each other?

Being pray and predator?

A fox and a rabbit?

Male and female?

Though that could be said, that wasn’t what really made them different.

The only thing that could draw that line, where the obedience collars. Those damn collars. She felt embarrassed of the fact that she once thought those artifacts were the best invention in history.

She was wrong. The whole society and she were wrong. It was just a horrible tool to keep the divisions between pray and predator, the generator of an endless cycle of hatred.

Something that wasn’t necessary at all as predators weren’t some insensible beasts. Those things only took away that which thousands of mammals presumed to have granted them, their freedom.

And Nick had been the one to teach her that. He had shown her a whole new world, a cruel image and a beautiful reality of which was actually wrong.

And how did she pay him back?

By letting someone with his own stupid ambitions shoot him right to the heart.

Did she really deserved to carry a badge if she tolerated that the innocent were victims of such atrocities? Not if he died, it would just be a terrible confirmation.

A chill went down her spine.

Nick could really die any second and she was standing there dumbfounded thinking about stuff that didn’t matter in that precise moment.

She shook her head franticly and crouched in the shower.

-          He’s not going to die…- she told herself.

After bathing herself, she turned off the faucet, put on some of Savage’s clothes and hurried back to the hospital.

She made it back faster than she took to leave.

-          Jack. – She called the name of the gray bunny as she made her way to where he was sitting.

-          There aren’t any news yet. – He claimed as he jumped down from the elephant size chair.

-          Good, thanks for the shower, I’ll give these back – she pointed to the black outfit from the ZPD she was wearing – tomorrow. Is that OK?

-          Sure. You know you can give them back anytime.

Five hours passed without any of them saying a word. Hours in which Judy’s heart never stopped beating painfully and aguishly in her chest, just expecting to get some news on the fox’s health.

Her friend’s phone broke the silence that reigned in the waiting room, after all they were in the most desolated wing of the hospital.

The hare with the sapphire colored eyes stepped outside to take the phone call and came back a few minutes later.

-          It was Captain McHorn, he says Superintendent Bogo has given Del Toro’s case top priority, and he wants us to write the reports as soon as…

-          You should go to the precinct first, I’ll call the boss and write the report later.

-          Alright. Do you want me to get your laptop from the office?

-          If you could, please.

-          Ok. Then, I must take my leave. I’ll come back later. Cheer up Jude, that fox is gonna make it – he called her as when they were kids while he smiled at her and pressed her shoulder – excuse me Lieutenant Hopps  - he straightened up before departing and she nodded.

Each minute seemed like an eternity, she looked at the clock on the wall, 4:15 am. The 10 hours Jack had calculated the surgery would last had already passed, but there was no signs of any doctor so far.

As soon as that thought hit her, the red light on the sign “Surgery in process” turned off and an elephant came through the sliding doors.

-          Nicholas Wilde’s family? – He asked as on cue and the lieutenant immediately got close.

-          He has no family, I’m his tutor. - She claimed showing her badge. - How is he doing?

-          He lost a lot of blood, the bullet pierced an important artery and got stuck in a difficult area to operate, he also suffered two heart attacks while on surgery, but we could resuscitate him. The surgery has been a success. We will take him to Intensive Therapy and he will have to stay in observation for the next days, and depending on his evolution we’ll be able to transfer him to a private room.

Her heart burst with joy.

-          May I see him? – She asked after listening attentively to the doctor.

-          Of course, but it must not be more than a few minutes.

-          Thanks doctor.

-          Don’t worry. I’ll tell the nurse in charge the instructions so you can see him, I’m leaving now.

Hopps brought her hands to her chest and squeezed them against herself, shedding another couple of tears, but this time she cried out of relief.

Thank goodness he was still alive.

-          Thanks. Thanks. – She repeated while crouching.

She never thought the day she would be happy to hear the beeping of a vital signs monitor, because it gave her the certainty that, though a bit weak and paused, Nick Wilde’s heart kept beating.

She sat on the booth near the hospital bed, which to her fortune was the right size for the vulpine species.

With some fear, she took his paw between hers, squeezing it gently, trying not to hurt him nor messing with the tubes with saline solutions that were plugged into him.

She admired his red-haired face and noticed how exhaust and haggard he appeared to be, also his fur seemed a bit pale somehow, and she felt a deep sorrow to see him in that state.

She infinitely thanked the fact that by medical procedure the collar that slaved him had to be removed.

-          Thanks for staying alive. Thank you for saving me…

Had he died, she would have gone and killed the son of a bitch who shot him with her own hands. If Nick hadn’t stopped her, she would have become into a murderer. If he had stopped existing, she wouldn’t care about anything anymore.

But he was still here, in the same world as her, and from that moment on she swore that she would do anything within her power and even more to make his dream come true.

To create a world where anyone can be anything they want to be.

However, she knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it didn’t matter. If he just stayed by her side to fight for it, the time they would take to achieve it wouldn’t matter.

After all, she didn’t need anything else but him.

-          …Carrots?...

The End

[sharonchteh]

~31st January 2019~

Leaving El Chalten with a heavy heart as we drove away from one of the most identifiable mountain range. While looking longingly towards the mountain, I was thinking of how I could spend a couple of months here without spending my entire savings.

We had a few camping nights to look forward to before we reach Buenos Aires. It was a long drive before we reached a nice seaside town, Puerto San Julian, where we camped in a municipal campsite. It’s a cute little place with a beach and a promenade for walking and jogging. It was pretty much dinner, sleep, breakfast and on the road again.

~1st February 2019~

Long drive days are a killer to the body, so most people tend to just sleep or unintentionally dozed off. The next municipal campsite was in Camarones, a relatively long drive and I can see that everyone was getting a bit tired it. Overlanding with a large group of people was becoming my least favourite things to do.

Once we were at the campsite, it was routine to put up the tent then dinner and bed. There was excitement in the air that night because we’ll be visiting a penguin colony the next day before we head over to Puerto Madryn.

~2nd February 2019~

Breakfast was nice and early so that we were ready when the guide for the penguin colony arrived. The guide was a nice lady looked like she’s near retirement or retired and decided to educate people about the penguin colony as a guide. She spoke Spanish only, so Oli did the translating for us with Kylie helping from the truck cab.

The colony lives within a protected national park for wildlife like guanacos, hares, armadillos, rheas and many others apart from the penguins. There were broadwalks where the penguins lives, allowing visitors to get closer to them without getting in their way of life.

The penguins are cute and seemed so familiar with the presence of people around them. They just get on with their daily grind of digging out a home, protecting it and waddle to the beach to go fishing for food. We stayed there a while, enjoying the wildlife around us, the walk and being out of the truck.

On the way back, we were able to sit on the roof seats again to enjoy the surroundings. It was great to see people in other vehicles that passed us waving and looking in amazement of the truck. We dropped the guide back at the campsite and continue with our journey to northwards to Puerto Madryn.

We visited the travel agency on the way into town and arranged activities for the next day. It’s a large seaside town with everything you expect such as restaurants, ice cream stalls, beach bars, travel agencies, beach sports and a lot of people.

It was quite late and dinner was cooked in the dark so was putting up the tent. I saw that the campsite was busy and there were a couple of mini parties going on, I kinda knew it was going to be a restless night.

~3rd February 2019~

The campsite is on the edge of town so I thought it’ll be a bit quieter, nope! That didn’t help when people partying till the early morning on the campsite with no rules visible for partying till late night.

Most of us are heading off to do snorkelling to see the sea lions. The tour office kitted is out with two layers of wetsuits that seemed too tight and wet shoes. We were led out o the office towards the beach to board the boat used to take us out to sea. It didn’t take us long to get to the location where the sea lions were but still, a few people were getting a bit sick from the motion of the boat.

We were further kitted out with hoods, fins and snorkels before jumping into the water. It was great to be so close to the sea lions but none were interested in playing that day. Instead, they were just lounging on the rock sunbathing and stretching out to chill. The sea was a bit rough that morning and even though I know I can swim pretty well with fins, I was staying near the guides and floats.

On the way back, there were some green faces that looked like they were ready to empty their stomach at any time and one finally did when we were back on the beach. It was then a race to get the wetsuits off so that we could go to the loo. What a relieve to make it?!

The rest of the day was just chilling out with few people lunching and bar hopping. We met a lovely artist backpacking with a puppy, looking for a ride out of town so that she could hitchhike to Buenos Aires. I knew the answer would be no on our truck for many reasons yet some thought it would be possible. I saw the disappointment in her face when she was given a no on the lift out of town.

The truck was broken into when it was parked at a supermarket for cook group shopping. One of the bags got stolen was mine with laptop and money in it. It was fortunate that someone saw what was happening and called the police. The thieves didn’t manage to go through any of my stuff so everything was still in the bag. I’ve learnt a few things from this incident about myself and a few other facts that I have to keep in mind for the rest of the trip.

~4th February 2019~

We’re camping for the last night for this leg of the trip from Santiago to Buenos Aires then hotel in the city where the next trip starts for Rio de Janeiro. It was the usual routine in the morning, all packed and hit the road for a long drive day.

Our campsite for the night was in Bahía Blanca en route to Buenos Aires. The campsite with a pool but the facilities would make you cringe, that’s how I remembered it. Oh…I was more than happy to skip the shower when I peeked at the cubicle.

For the first time I felt like I’m supposed to be somewhere else doing something else. Restless, that’s the word. I’m restless and the world around me suddenly felt foreign because there’s no purpose of me being there. Made me think and force me to focus on why I’m on this trip in the first place.

After a quiet evening to myself, tiredness seeped in and I fell asleep like a baby. My brain probably had enough by then.

~5th February 2019~

Buenos Aires, this was the first time I was looking forward to a city. Perhaps it’s a transition between two trips which will give me time to get my head together before the start of the trip to Rio de Janeiro.

Another long drive day and we were all too familiar with the routine stops for loos and refreshments. When we reached the city, everyone was happy to be checking in to a hotel to recoup from all the camping we did. Roomie with Emma, finishing the trip how we started by sharing a room.

Dee, Emma and I went out for a simple dinner that night then back to the hotel for a good night sleep.

~6th-8th February 2019~

There were a few things I needed to do in BA before we start heading to Uruguay. First thing first was to get my yellow fever vaccination for Brazil then see the city. It was easy enough to get it but the language barrier made it a bit tricky.

So, I went to the clinic early in the morning on the 6th and they told me I must have a prescription from the doctor. They recommended a doctor for me, gave me the wrong address and direction but lucky that I managed to find it. I had to pay for the prescription and it was still cheaper than getting it in the UK. When I went back to the clinic with the prescription, they told me I had to come back the next day midday for the jab. So I went back, paid a small charge and all done within 15mins.

The rest of the time in BA was spent exploring and scheming to do ‘not touristy’ things, which was hard. Walking around the different sectors in the city to get a feel of the cultures and history. To start was a free walking tour after visiting the clinic, then I was looking for something fun to do to end this spell of being tired of cities. Since I had to be back at the clinic at a certain for my jab, I planned to go to Recoleta cemetery and do a fun task of finding and taking photos with cartoon characters around Puerto Madero area.

On the way to the cemetery there is a beautiful bookstore on Av Santa Fe called El Ateneo Grand Splendid that certainly worth visiting. A converted theatre with its stage is now a coffee shop, the features preserved and lined with bookshelves. There was still a feel of the grandeur of a theatre but a bit less than I expected. Now Recoleta cemetery is one impressive place to visit. I love cemetery for its peacefulness (apart from the tourists) and it reminds me how fragile and temporary life is.

I appreciate the present because I knew death from a young age and the Ripper felt like an angel looking after me since father passed away. My closeness with death at times is questionable but the introversion reflective state of mind helped me stay in the present, appreciating the moments I have and live the life. I was wondering whether the feeling of contentment and fulfilled life might be temporary and it’ll just dissipate as I travelled the continent. It didn’t happen. Being in the cemetery reinforced that and if the Ripper decides that it’s my time to go then it’s time to go, hopefully in a peaceful state as father did years ago.

It was a nice stroll from the cemetery to Retiro area and back to the clinic before going off on a hunt for cartoon characters. When I crossed the bridge to port area, the scenery reminded me of Dublin with new buildings lining the canal. Once I found the first cartoon character, it was the thrill of the chase for the rest of them that kept me going. It was a fun non-touristy thing to do, something different from the normal sight-seeing and I have photo evidence of it all!

Buenos Aires…saying goodbye to some of the quirkiest people I’ve ever met and the start of the last leg of this journey around Latin America. Travelling with 22 other people taught me a lot about myself and behaviour in general. BA to Rio, there were 13 of us plus Kylie and Steve (Lewis left us for Santiago to do another trip to Ushuaia). The dynamic changed again with people leaving and joining the group.

Next stop, Colonia where we crossed the border to Uruguay.

Argentina: Puerto San Julian-Buenos Aires ~31st January 2019~ Leaving El Chalten with a heavy heart as we drove away from one of the most identifiable mountain range.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Grimms Notes 1 | Spec Ops Asuka 1 - 2 | Boogiepop 3 | Price of Smiles 2 - 3 | Kaguya-sama 1 | Mob Psycho II 2 | Morose Mononokean II 2 - 3 | Shield Hero 2 | My Roommate is a Cat 2 | Girly Air Force 1

Grimms Notes 1

Somehow, from the opening shot having an easy-to-draw-and-animate non-very-threatening monster, I can tell this is a game adaption.

…Likwise, when I have complaints about the birds in the OP being CG, you know this is an anime.

I think this “handing down the role of Red Riding Hood” thing is interesting. However, the humour Tao was going for at the time…was so not me.

I think all Tao said was that it was dangerous (in the audio). I think the subber was trying to insert a Zelda meme…what an evil agenda…(partially joking)

“…scary black thing…” – Do you mean the monster? If you mean the wolf monster and not the other clawed creature from the beginning of the episode, then that’s not black. That’s purple.

I think Brain’s Base is trying to make Red look creepy with her dead ahead stare, but…as much as I don’t like a fisheye lens, we could really use some right now.

Okayyyyyyyyyy…I knew anime could make anything a weapon, but a bookmark? That’s stretching credulity a bit. How is that badass??? C’mon, even healing was – kinda – badass in Merc Storia because it had a purpose. A bookmark is just used for keeping your place in a book. Unless it’s one of those metal ones that falls out of books all the time, they don’t hurt flies.

Seriously, doesn’t Goliath get defeated by David??? In better news, I thought Tao was vaguely hot, but Robin Hood…ooh…

I have no idea why Alice’s weapon is a sword, btw.

Waitttttt…wuh? “I’ll show you how to be a real lady”???? *eyes of skepticism* At least the other ones make sense and aren’t as gendered – but notably Cinderella is a healer when they could’ve done something cooler, like the Little Mermaid or something (to tie into siren mythology).

Obviously Evil Villain is Obvious. Nothing new to see here.

Well…that was mildly unsatisfying…

Spec Ops Asuka 1

For some reason, I call Magical Girl Special Operations Asuka “Spec Ops Asuka”. Well, at least it makes sense…*shrugs*

Karambit. Surprisingly, it’s a weapon I’ve never heard of before…

Exposition dumps have never been this clunky before! Oof!

Whiskey Charlie? Like…WC? Toilet??? (I’m not sure everyone will get that joke, but okay.)

I’d probably translate the episode title to “Comeback of the Magical Girl”. It starts with a relative clause, so it should be that way in English too.

The ol’ transfer student cliché. *sigh* Anime, anime, anime…why you do dis to me? Not that I mind it, I wouldn’t be so deep if I weren’t…

What’s the name of Nozo-chan’s friend again???

“Franz on the Waves” seems to be a play on “Kafka on the Shore”.

Le sigh…I get the feeling this was written by a dude to satisfy male fantasies by pretending to use girl power as a symbol.

Seriously though, if you thought Sailor Moon was bad at keeping identities…Asuka has it worse. I mean, Rapture Asuka = Asuka Ootori. It’s really obvious in English…

A thug man with a metal hand drinking tea from a tiny cup…now there’s a real source of humour!

(Trigger warning: prostitution discussion) - “…whoring yourself out.” – Err…that’s definitely not what I expected to see in an anime like this. I haven’t shied away from Shield Hero, but this I did a really big double take on for all the wrong reasons. Even with Sayoko to hold Nozo-chan back, I still think Nozo’s being really, really insensitive here.

Okay…the rules of long hair state you must pull your hair out from towels. They missed a good opportunity to do that shoujo sparkle thing with that, y’know, even if to create mood whiplash.

There is something to be said about bystander effect here, I think, and how people award proactivity rather than being passive...especially with magical girls and those other kinds of people who act as “heroes” during times of crisis.

Oh, of course, terrorism. Because we want our magical girls political now…*le sigh*

“Live your life for the sake of those who died.” – This reminds me of the situation with cian-aemilian all over again. I’m pretty sure I’ve said something of a similar nature in the past due to it. Update: my exact quote was “…what can the living do but keep those who have gone in their memory?”

…and of course, people who watch magical girls from afar use drones, because that’s going to outdate this show in a good 10 – 20 years. *le sigh*

Well, colour me impressed. I was about to jump ship due to the shoddy quality, but I think that quote at the end felt like a dig at me personally in the best (yet worst) way possible.  I did laugh a tonne at how stupid the gore looked, though, which might be a problem…

Boogiepop 3

Is it just me, or has Echoes cleaned up now enough to be kinda…hot?

Waittttt…which of them is “Niitoki-kun”? Sorry, I just don’t think I’m 100% comprehending all the names being flung about here. Update: Niitoki is the class prez gal.

Somehow I knew he was going to stab Echoes with the pen, but I was still slightly surprised to see it happen.

Hmm…that episode was a lot more impressive than the last two. Things actually made sense, now that we know the background of them,

Price of Smiles 2

I see 2D mechs. They may be stationary, but I’m still impressed…they’re basically a dying breed these days.

Why do these mechs have shields, anyway?

I like how the twins poked fun at Joshua’s “passion and will” thing.

Oh no…judging from their reaction…did Joshua die???

End of episode segment…keep watching.

Kaguya-sama 1

This is my final premiere…so I’d better make this count. I read somewhere the narrator was overpowering and read the first volume of manga, but otherwise that’s all I know about this.

I think that shot that replays in the OP is part of one chapter of the manga.

Tori…Tottori…geddit? Oh, never mind.

20th Century Fox, much?

The weed was a good touch. I don’t remember that being in the manga. (No, I’m not talking about that weed…which you can smoke…)

“Who’s Hayasaka?” you ask. Good question. Even I didn’t know, so I had to ask Google. Hayasaka…is Kaguya’s valet! If you know that, then you can laugh about it!

If you want a sausage octopus, just go ask your team of chefs for one, Kaguya!

Mob Psycho II 2

I’m pretty sure Ura Sunday is where Mob Psycho is serialised…

Is this the real Junji Ito adaption (LOL)?

Mononokean II 2

Why is Ashiya good at finding metal objects anyway? (If there is an explanation…) It’s only metal items and not anything else, right?

So the Justice is this frumpy purple-haired dude? I think I outgrew this kind of dude once I got over Urushihara…

There are CGI tadpoles, but they’re kinda hard to see against the 2D background…

Come to think of it, Abeno may be the master of the Mononokean, but it seems he reports directly to the Legislator. Is there a guy/youkai like that for the Justice (and presumably the other dude) as well?

Moja falling into the water was too adorable!

Oh great (LOL), the Legislator is basically baiting Abeno with “that’s not water!” from Grand Blue…

I just realised Abeno’s so big in comparison to Ashiya…n-not that I mind of course…(lel)

Aoi? Who dat? Update: Oh yeah…that guy (?) was the first master of the Mononokean. Sorry, I may have watched the 1st series twice, but that was at the start of 2017.

Shield Hero 2

“…is diseased and has a mental disorder.” – Well, I thought it honestly couldn’t get any worse, between slavery and rape accusations. It just did. Again, I don’t condone this stuff, but a story’s a story, no matter how depraved.

Seeing a story about the pits of despair naturally means you can see people get better – I think that’s why we need to have both stories that are light and fluffy + dark and dreary.

I see Naofumi keeps a Balloon (<- how I’ll refer to balloon monsters from now on) at his side all the time now, LOL. By the way, when he bought that ball, I honestly thought he was going to offer Raphtalia a Balloon instead of getting her a proper ball…

Update: Not sure if Naofumi’s inability to taste stuff is because of the betrayal or because of the fact he changed worlds…or maybe even something else?

My Roommate is a Cat 2

I see Bliss wallpaper...either someone has good taste in default wallpapers or a very outdated computer!

Is it alright to feed cats bread…? I’ve never fed a cat.

They say pets are like their owners, huh? Subaru is very much like the cat.

Wait, why are all the pets that are out and about do-Update: Forget I asked. There are some cats outside as well…

I’ve never seen a Japanese word processor with genkouyooshi to type into vertically, come to think of it.

Talking to cats is fine and dandy, I think, assuming they understand you as well. Anyways, I think Subaru got the name “Haru” from “sunny” (hare).

Ah! Kitty too cute!...I wish that could be a review, but sadly…it can’t be.

Post-credits segment…keep going.

Oh, that post-credits segment was so good, even if it did need some explaining to an audience that only knows English!

Update: I read the character bios from the official site, and turns out Haru is a girl.

Girly Air Force 1

I’ve seen mixed opinions about this (as in, read too many impressions on it and they don’t neatly go one way or another), so I’m taking the plunge while I still have time to.

You can tell your protagonist is great when the first word he says is “S***!”

EGG? “Defective girl”? I know I’m watching something with a lot of context here…but seriously, this was definitely made for dudes. Jusssssssssssst saying.

See? What did I say? After your first kiss, it’s only a matter of time before-erhem. I’ll stop ranting now.

So…what languages does Minghua know, exactly?

Wait, so what was Kei doing in China? Better question! (sings in a teasing voice “Eloping, eloping, Kei was eloping!”)

As much as I think free tuition is a good thing…I’m with Minghua. Don’t go risking your life when you just escaped for your life not too long ago.

*sigh* Kei, Kei, Kei…what do you think you’re doing?

…and I LOL. I LOL so hard at how they tossed Kei into the boot but laid down Minghua like a baby.

But seriously, why the name “Daughter”???

Egao no Daika 3

I found and heard Huey! I can leave this show if I wanted to now…

The fact people are red or blue, and sometimes you can’t tell which is which, is powerful colour symbolism.

Spec Ops Asuka 2

Well…that (perception magic) explains one of my questions from last time.

I kep thinking that Sayako is the sort of girl who would become a magical girl…in the traditional sense.

Pigeon fight! The fight I never knew I needed…kind of.

I’ve watched enough anime to know the new transfer student is Kurumi…geez.

Mononokean II 3

For some reason, I didn’t realise this until most of the episode had gone…but Egen is a tengu, right?

Make sure you watch closely for the “like him [Ashiya]” bit…it’s funny when you find out.

I find it the most surprising that Abeno is calling himself an idiot…hmm.