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focsle · 1 year

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Hello! I don't know if this is exactly your wheelhouse, but I was reading about Fredrick Douglass and it briefly mentioned that he used a Seamans protection certificate in his escape from slavery; I was wondering if you had any thoughts/ info about these as it relates to Black seamen in the US, especially the South. If not, absolutely no worries! Love your blog.

Oh yeah, I went down a rabbit hole sometime back about seamen’s protection certificates in the context of what they meant for Black mariners and US Citizenship!

To summarize that above post, Seamen’s Protection Certificates spoke to the contradictory legal status of Black mariners in the antebellum US when naturalization was only accessible to white men. It’s a paper that says that one is a US citizen, but was not considered ‘valid’ documentation for accessing the rights of a US citizen. But for all intents and purposes, it still signaled that the man in question was indeed a citizen when abroad. This contradiction (as well as other legal contradictions) was leveraged by people fighting for access to naturalization and a full legal identity for African Americans.

But while the certificate did not truly grant citizenship to Black sailors, it still served as a form of protection both in states where slavery was law, as well as ‘free’ states, where the Fugitive Slave Act quickly destabilized any sense of security one might have there. The seamen’s protection certificates had only a brief vague description of the holder. As such, some free Black men would take the risk of loaning their papers out to those escaping enslavement who roughly matched the written description, similar to how States’ ‘free papers’ were also loaned out for the same purpose. As Douglass mentioned in his autobiography concerning his use of said papers:

“But I had one friend—a sailor—who owned a sailor’s protection, which answered somewhat the purpose of free papers—describing his person and certifying to the fact that he was a free American sailor. The instrument had at its head the American eagle, which at once gave it the appearance of an authorized document.”

Nearly 1/3rd of applications for seamen’s protection certificates were made by men of color because of the protection they afforded against being kidnapped into slavery. Even though there was a lot of backpeddling from officials saying that the protection certificates didn’t REALLY mean citizenship, it was still an official document stating someone’s freedom and thus had tremendous value in allowing a man to move freely through the world. Here’s an old but good article about seamen’s protection certificates in general that speaks a little more to that.

In the context of mariners in the South, here are some examples. This one, from the National Archives is for a man named William Wright, from Viriginia who applied for a certificate in New Orleans in 1810.

And another from the collections of Mystic Seaport of a man named Jonathan Miller, born in New York but applying for the paper in Galveston Texas. The language is a bit different from the boilerplate seamen’s protection certificates like the one above, so I think it’s slightly different as a legal document—but still, in 1856, would hold the same sort of odd wobbly status.

The museum’s interpretation of this was that it was likely applied for and used as a form of protection in moving freely through the South, rather than Mr. Miller specifically using it for a maritime purpose.

#asks #anonymous #awhalin #and broader maritime history

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runwayrunway · 11 months

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Miss Conenginality, No. 1 - Boeing 377 Stratocruiser

Very recently I was asked what my favorite planes visually are, and I said that I would do a series of posts on the matter for each like the original post received. A lot of people close to me probably had an idea in mind as to what my first post would be, and I'm going to intentionally not give them what they expect.

Today's featured model is a blast from the past, the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser!

Image: San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives

Serving for just over a decade (1949-1963), the Stratocruiser was a member of that weird generation between the flying boat era and the introduction of turboprops and early jets, contemporary to the early Constellation models and the DC-6. For the day it was a pretty advanced design - it had to be, to compete with the two aforementioned giants. It had a pressurized cabin and impressive range but most notably it was a literal giant with its two passenger decks and triple-digit passenger of capacity, and was Pan Am's choice to replace the luxury overseas transport offered by their old Boeing 314 flying boats - they placed the most expensive order in history at the time, for 20 planes. In a very early example of the US government deciding Boeing was their favorite, mail routes flown by Stratocruisers were heavily subsidized for Pan Am and Northwest.

Sounds great! Only problem is that nobody can afford to operate it and the propellers fall off and overspeed whenever they feel like it. Nearly a quarter of the 56 examples built were destroyed in accidents and Boeing lost seven million dollars (in 1950s money).

But this blog isn't about those sorts of things. We Eat Babies Airlines can get a good rating if it has a good livery and the Christmas Bullet could get a feature if I liked how it looked. And can we talk about how the Stratocruiser looks like a plane dressed up as a blimp?

Those wings look way too skinny to lift her! Physics is truly incredible. Look how big those nacelles are compared to the wings! What is this thing! Image: San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives

How did we get here? Why did they design it to look like this? Well, it's actually a bit of a story. We did not start out here. We started out with the B-29 Superfortress, a decidedly normal-looking WWII-era bomber probably best known for the whole...nuclear bombs thing. We then added a second lobe (and some other modifications) for the C-97 Stratofreighter. And then the war ended and, as was not especially uncommon back then, the decision was made to develop an airliner variant of what had been a military cargo plane, and the Stratocruiser was born.

You can really see the transformation into an aerostat taking place.

I do think it really shows that this was a development of a more normal airframe, but I think that almost makes it even more charming. The Stratocruiser is a strange plane, a very large bumblebee made of metal and held together with dollar bills and chewing gum.

Image: William Simpson/US Coast Guard

Here's one being successfully ditched (as Pan Am flight 6), because why not!

And, thankfully, the world of aviation wasn't content to stop there. As aircraft grew in size and the space race began in earnest there arose a need for excessively large freighters. Today you may be familiar with the Airbus Beluga and Boeing Dreamlifter, but you may be a little less familiar with NASA's outsize cargo aircraft, used to carry full rocket stages. The only Stratocruiser-derived aircraft still in service: NASA's Aero Spacelines Super Guppy.

Yes, this feels like the end stage of the Stratocruiser's evolutionary line. This is correct. I love her, and I hope you all do too.

The Stratocruiser is a strange curiosity for sure, an odd-looking relic of a long-bygone era...and so irresistibly silly that I can't help but love it.

youtube

#miss conenginality #double sunrise

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dazai-anon-archive-taketwo · 2 months

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Dazai Anon has threatened suicide many, many times to people when she becomes fearful of the very real potential consequences of her actions. It’s her desperate way of trying to portray herself as the victim in situations she perpetrates, and to try to twist the narrative. She does it to guilt trip the victims of her harassment and to have them back away from taking legal action, and once they do she’ll be right back to targeting them. Legally, she has no standing, as these archives serves the sole purpose of documenting her harassment and cyberstalking, and reporting her accounts. She’s well aware deep down that what she has been doing is wrong, and that it is not anyone’s fault but her own, which is why she is so scared and desperate when people decide to take what she has done to them seriously. None of her victims reached out to target or bully her. She is the one doing that to others.

I thank you for taking the time to create this account to document and bring awareness to her antics because it has been ongoing for years. She has sent death threats, told people to kill themselves repeatedly, threatened suicide over skk/Chuuya stans posting about skk/Chuuya because she states that it “ruins her mental health”, mass spammed harassing messages, self-admitted to having over 50+ burner accounts to “make people miserable”, sent people images of self harm/gore, found people’s pictures to mock their appearances, and continues to cyberstalk despite being banned or blocked. On top of the emotional distress and anxiety she is willingly and knowingly causing people, some for years now, I fear at some point this will lead to something worse because her victims can only take so much (she is currently 20 years old, and she also harasses teenagers).

Her reaction to your blog (along with the previous archive) means that she has once again been reminded of the real and serious consequences and she is scared. Once you retreat, she will do continue doing as she has always done and escalate. It’s a repetitive cycle. I appreciate what you are doing here, and I encourage everyone to also document her actions against them, as I believe at some point one of the victims, or a few, will make a case against her because enough is enough.

I also hope that you and the op of the previous archive blog take care of your mental health and safety as well! It’s not easy receiving those kinds of messages from anyone. Just know that you did not do and are not doing anything wrong by bringing awareness to something that is clearly happening within the fandom, and reporting on the factual information of the situation is not illegal, nor does it constitute as any sort of “harassment” towards Dazai Anon, especially after you both explicitly stated the purpose of your archive and discouraged people from engaging with her.

thank you once again and stay safe!

Thank you, yeah she's been saying that she's the only real victim here and that I'm a terrible person "trying to destroy her life", I then told her that I don't actually wish anything bad on her and that my hope of this blog is that she'll stop doing this before any legal action is taken. She's been yelling in my DMs all night about that.

Thank you for saying this by the way, I kinda overestimated how much guilt tripping I can take. The blog stays I'm just. feelin shitty is all, the ask helps though <3

#bsd dazai #bungou stray dogs dazai #dazai #dazai osamu

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siena-sevenwits · 4 months

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Jan 13 - Day #14 - Fortnight of Books

A book you didn’t read this year that will be your #1 priority in 2024?

Heh, since we're already into January, let me tell you what I have on the go!

Completed:

The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis (reread)

Reflections on the Psalms by C. S. Lewis

On the Go (Brace yourselves... this is just the way I read right now, and it works for me.)

The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien (Reread - I'm at the Barrow Downs)

Over a Hot Stove by Flo Wadlow (Memoir of a Norfolk kitchen maid who became cook at a great house at age 23)

Plutarch's Parallel Lives, Volume I (Just finished Numa Pompilius, a pseudo-historical king of Rome - read aloud to a sibling)

The New Testament (Reading through in order. I'm at the Gospel of John, and we just had the Samaritan woman at the well + I'm still reading through Scott Hahn's commentary on Romans)

Breaking Free from Body Shame: Dare to Reclaim What God Has named Good by Jess Connolly

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson (reread and read aloud to a sibling - they just got back from the Manor)

On Stories, and Other Essays by C. S. Lewis (I'm in a Lewis mood, I suppose!)

Clear and Simple: How to Have Conversations That Lead to Conversion by Andre Reignier

The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas (read aloud to a sibling - Demetrius has just seen Pilate wash his hands)

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (re-read and read aloud to my Dad - Bridge Four has just learned how to side-carry the bridge.)

Beowulf (reread for school - the Ring-Danes have just turned to praying to the old gods in hopes of driving Grendel away)

Um... am I still technically reading The Silmarilion?

New book you are most anticipating for 2024?

Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson (The Stormlight Archive Book #5)

I don't keep up with most authors, so I have little sense of what's upcoming. But I do know I'm getting another Stormlight Archive book this Advent! We're getting what is effectively the series end and I am excited. Yes, he's said there will more more Stormlight Books, but he's also been quite clear that these first five books essentially form a series in themselves, and this will serve as the finale, even though it will set things up for the future "back half" of the series. Which is a wise choice. Sanderson already has problems with bloated books because he loves to show EVERYTHING when a little telling would do him a world of good. If he had barrelled on without resolution for 10 books, I might give up even though this series has my heart. But I do have hopes for this book. Rhythm of War was a bit of a disappointment, suffering severely from middle book syndrome, far more than Books 2 and 3 did. But the fact that this is a resolution books of sorts has me crossing my fingers that Sanderson will be back on top of his game and that the ending will give it a stronger through line. I don't expect a perfect book, but as long as the aspects that I really love get to shine, and my brother and I have a lovely read aloud time, I'll be happy.

But... seriously, someone else name Sanderson's books for him. This man cannot write a decent title to save his life. (Though from what I've heard, this title is better than some of the others he was considering.)

Sometime I've got to make a blog post about my thoughts and hopes for Book 5, but this isn't the place.

I may add one extra post to the fortnight tomorrow, just for fun.

#fortnight of books 2023 #coreander's old books #recovering reader

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sohannabarberaesque · 9 days

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Postcards from Snagglepuss

Just some thoughts from Old Point Comfort

NEAR OLD POINT COMFORT, HAMPTON, VA: One of a number of small communities in the Hampton Roads region just outside Norfolk to become the City of Hampton sometime in the early 1960's, about the time yours truly made his television debut, Old Point Comfort seems to have one of those interesting sort of names about it ... and makes you wonder about its origins. Even if it requires crossing Hampton Roads via the Hampton Roads Bridge/Tunnel (alias I-64) to so reach.

Yet yours truly, as much as Huckleberry Hound, something of a compadre in these journeys of late, got to thinking in the laziness of a mid-spring morning segueing into the afternoon about the glory days of the Old Bay Line steamers (1840-1962) arriving in the early morning at Norfolk after an overnight run across Chesapeake Bay from Baltimore ... or just leaving Norfolk in the evening heading to a morning arrival in Baltimore. Pretty wistful, you might say, to little ol' Huck.

"Ahhhh yes ... just to sit on a deck chair on one of those Old Bay Line steamers heading from Baltimore to Norfolk ... especially after something of a dinner of the choicest local specialties--fresh oysters, terrapin stew, roast turkey, steamed blue crab ... kind of makes me hungry to be so yearning...."

"I couldn't concur with you more," replied I.

Whereupon Top Cat called us up from his mobile phone unto ours. It may not have been a treasure-seeking assignment for the Jolly Rodger, since repurposed to serve Peter Potamus' Magic Divers, but to have such come "out of the blue," and three hours behind us--

"Welllll, hello Snagglepuss, you old charmer!" was how TC started things along. "How goes it there on the road?"

"I certainly have to admit, speaking from Old Point Comfort--"

"Obviously unrelated to Southern Comfort" was how TC rejoindered that remark, to which I replied "It's just outside Norfolk," for which TC quickly apologised for the humourous misunderstanding. "But at any rate, I understand you paid homage to a certain photograph of one O. Winston Link out Luray way--"

"Correct, TC ... and if I may say so, for some reason or another, the thought came across my mind of maybe having one of our Character Convocations in some small-town July 4th celebration."

"Now THAT would have to be an interesting prospect, especially where the boys can get some meet-and-greet time, yours truly included, no doubt!"

"You still recall the July 4th parade in Bristol, Rhode Island a few years back?"

"Now that you bring that up--"

I handed the phone to Huck, who responded, "Now we were thinking of hosting such somewhere in the Midwest, somewhere a little on the Middle American side."

"Without, I hope, tasteless propaganda overtures as could play--"

"After all, TC, we Funtastics can't help but be the sort to show warmth and good feelings. Especially when we have our Character Convocations, replete with plenty of meet-and-greet opportunities ensuing as much as some convocative time among us...."

(You can imagine how the conversation ensued, but I don't think you'd want to hear further, as such would be unlikely to interest you, the average Old Hanna-Barberian.)

"So where to next, Snag?"

"Make it a surprise."

*************

@warnerbrosentertainment @iheartgod175 @jellystone-enjoyer @ultrakeencollectionbreadfan @funtasticworld @archive-archives @themineralyoucrave @thylordshipofbutts @screamingtoosoftly @thebigdingle @warnerbros-blog1 @groovybribri @indigo-corvus @theweekenddigest @zodiacfan32 @warnerbrosent-blog

#hanna barbera #fanfic #fanfiction #road trip #motorhome life #snagglepuss #huckleberry hound #hampton roads #old point comfort #the old bay line #top cat #hannabarberaforever

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doku-kisa · 1 year

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... yes I’m redesign my oc again

in the meantime I’m posting all of Doku’s old art in this giant post (it is really long so be warned), serving as a sort of archive while I clean out her blog and get things ready for her grand reveal. so enjoy looking through her design changes and my art journey! will probably redraw a few artworks as well

these were her first ever designs! done by MxPastel and TheZodiacLord back in 2019. they were originally a Steven Universe oc, based of the Rainbow Serpent Opal and in her corrupted form the Rainbow Serpent from the Aboriginal Australian Dreaming! might come back to this concept for her redesign, hmmm.

Fun fact, Doku’s birthday comes from when she was first designed!

the first time I drew Doku back in July of 2021. I always wanted a theoretical bnha oc to breathe a sort of poison gas so boom poison breathing gal. I named after the Hooded pitohui, one of the world’s only toxic birds. her wrist things were based off Spider-Man, meant to spray more poison.

an attempt at a cinematic screenshot thing! based on a scene from The Owl House.

Doku’s heart going doki doki for the lovely Hikari <3

what the mouse doing?

why are her feet so big good lord

the shoes are cute tho

buncha old doodles

the first redesign I drew of them! lowkey still proud of these. learning how to draw hair and not just weird blobs with lines

her old dorm room!

Doku and Sumiye being friends! I love them they are so cute, buddies <3

first crack at the Sports Festival Arc, Amorette was a tough girl

textured hair finally arrived! decided to make her Papuan because she’s named the Hooded pitohui which is found there. did so much research to get her tattoos as accurate as possible. bird pins to add to the bird theme since their feathers were removed

it was Doku’s birthday!

cousins? nah, siblings

design exploration, in love with this hairstyle! featuring an early Kazumi

her most recent design! adore the feather cape

exploring some formal fits

a comic for the sports festival! explaining the scar on her lip and oh no another crush

return of friends! the one time I could draw a side profile ever, def redrawing this later

I think that’s all of them! thank you all so much for supporting me in my journey (and putting up with my redesigns akjshdjkas)

psst! here’s a bonus Kazumi who I’ll also be tweaking

#bnha oc #bnha oc comeback #archive #knha // kimi no hero academia #mha oc

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perilousplatforms · 2 years

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An Update and a Final Farewell

Wow, I haven’t touched this blog in years... hello to anyone who still follows this! It’s been a very, VERY long time since I’ve worked on this project in any capacity, and by now, it’s a relic of years gone by — just about 10 years, if my memory serves me well.

So, to commemorate that anniversary (which is probably not today), I wanted to properly share something to this long-forgotten blog: a project I did in early 2021 as a “final farewell” to this long-forgotten passion project.

[ RECREATING PERILOUS PLATFORMS ] is a recreation of all the levels from various complete(-ish) builds and demos of my old MLP Gen 4 fangame, Pinkie Pie’s Perilous Platforms - designed with the level-creation suite of Nintendo’s Super Mario Maker 2 video game. If you own SMM2, you can find the course world via my maker ID (DDH-165-L5G) or you can click that link to access its portfolio page that lists every individual level’s ID, a short explanation of my process, and a full playlist of my livestreams documenting the process to replay, recreate, and redesign the levels I made very long ago. Quality notwithstanding, I had a great time working on this. It felt very good to analyze younger-me and their level design philosophy at the time, and to critique my video game developer “debut” of sorts. Probably not a home run by any stretch, but a good first start. Depends, really.

I felt it was fair that I make this update to tell folks (or at least anyone remaining) that a lot has happened since I stopped updating the blog. That teaser from 3-4 years ago (this weird bit) was for another idea I had to finally bookend the development journey, but the RPP project ended being a much better sendoff than whatever I had planned years prior. Through random nostalgia flare-ups, storytelling of my personal lore on my Twitch streams, and tons of self-indulgent Internet searches, I’ve come to discover that a good handful of people have played Perilous Platforms in some capacity — via my itch.io page or the old DeviantArt page link, via downloads on Equestria Gaming’s Arcade, features on Equestria Daily, and other specific sites, via BlueMaxima’s Flashpoint app where it’s been properly archived, and by other means that even I’ve yet to uncover.

Let’s Play videos, written reviews, entries on fan-related MLP wikis, re-uploads on seedy websites, you name it. Thank you so much for playing!

I felt really proud that the game was able to be experienced despite the constant unfinished/unpolished state that it was in, and I just wanted to personally thank everyone for indulging a young rookie game developer that just wanted to contribute so much to a fandom that helped spark their creativity even further, and to also humbly thank everyone for their patronage and support over the years. The last thing I intend to do besides this blog update is to archive the most “complete” version of the game on Flashpoint for everyone to play - at least one that isn’t horribly broken or unplayable. After that, I likely won’t update the blog any further as I don’t use Tumblr in any capacity these days, I’ve long since “left the fandom”, and this is how I’ll finally move forward as a creator. But at the very least, I owe everyone at least a little bit of nostalgia to remember these golden times by. Thank you, and may your lives be filled with as much laughter as Pinkie Pie would’ve wanted. Take care of yourselves. - Sylver

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rianamblings · 10 days

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On Characters and Circles...

Foreword

In accordance with my posting habits, I've come to do my annual update for this blog. My draftsmanship has improved by a smidge, and my story sensibilities... mayhaps they remain the same. I feel like the most grueling part of looking at this archive is reading through my older entries. I've always written with some sort of strange self-important prose, but it gets more evident the older the entry is. Oh well!

I am working hard to update and put together my portfolio for the new year. I want to do better for myself this year, as I wasn't able to put together anything noteworthy in my eyes last year. I'd like to fall in love with the process again.

Funny enough, I feel like learning more didactic approaches to story structure and whatnot has served to hinder me. I'd like to remain far more loose in my approach as I had when I started. I felt my character work tends to suffer when I start ideating too hard about following a clear three-act structure. Pontificating too hard about Save the Cat has not been good for the old creative process as well. And I think that's come down to how I view my characters in my head.

Running in Circles...

To fit a character perfectly inside a circle, have them complete their arc cleanly, while still retaining that bit of human imperfection. How difficult to do in the span of 100-300 panels! And then I'm left to combat against my own need to over complicate things and over-think about a character that needs to fit in said very perfect story circle.

Above is my crude rendition of Dan Harmon's story circle, of similar make to Campbells's Hero's Journey and other literary tools made to delineate the protagonist's struggle. I like circles and structure, and I've come to understand these tools exist as a way to better treat a story when a problem arises. That rather than bringing them in from the beginning, I've found it best to employ them when there's a need to fix a story issue and get to the core of the problem by understanding what purpose a plot point serves. You're better off for knowing the rules and so on.

Yet I would find myself stumbling with them, and I feel that I ended up using it incorrectly in the end. Losing sight of character in the pursuit of needing to hit very particular beats. It's a rough balancing act.

To combat my inclination towards my dry approach to doing story outlines, in lieu of Google excel sheets of plot points, I've opted to just letting the characters lead. I feel that in the story classes I've taken, I wanted so hard to apply what I learned in as clinically academic of a way possible.

This approach seems so simple and almost juvenile. Of course the character leads the story. And grass is green. But for me it has not just been simple enough to make a character and have them move a plot forward. I plot in stray ideas just very loosely connected by threads... And I don't make things easy for myself, of course.

Character First

I've always been advised with character first, and then craft a story around them. And I do think it's a solid approach for the majority of things. Yet I think with the character making process, to come up with something genuine and from the heart, it takes a lot more from me than listing out traits, a motive, and a backstory. And so I went back to how I made characters back in middle school

Performing open heart surgery on my self-homonculus

I take a bit of myself, a bit of my heart, a bit of the parts that I dislike most about myself. Chipping it off, I turn that into whatever my character's core wound is, making it the thing that gives them weight. This is my idea of writing from experience. In that way, no matter how far off the genre or world, I try to ground them a little bit in myself. And in my hopes and dreams and wishes. I see the character as a space to explore that facet of myself, and see what I can make with it.

I don't think it's enough for me to have a cool plot idea, it's seldom enough to keep me interested. I need my own personal stake in there, and that means putting a little bit of myself in it. (Which is difficult for me, as I enjoy being as private as possible) I need a character that keeps my mind hostage, to the point where I have to write about it. And once that part of me is set in place, I like to develop a world around them from there. I'd like for my story sequences to be a vignette rather than the whole story. I want my characters to have lived a life before what I've drawn of them, and to have a life after the last panel. (Yes, so cheesy.)

And I know not every character calls for such an approach. At times, it's enough to have a story about people with no deeply ingrained trauma, and this method doesn't even always work for me. Not every story needs to be a deep meditation on human nature or a character study. But my intent has always been storytelling to reflect on my experiences and my interests. And I find this way organic and much more freeing!

Perhaps this entry made little sense and offers no real revelations on the art of character writing, but I'm glad to get some of my thoughts on the matter on paper. (hypertext?) I hope to continue making entries like this to see how my process and approach evolves. I hope to create even more genuine stories from the heart!

Yours truly,

Ri ♡

#5.11.2024 #journal

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mxstball · 4 months

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Season Five Patch Notes

// Hey, everyone! Hope you all are doing well! I know that it hasn't been long since I finished the storyline, but I've been spending the past month preparing the new chapter in the crew's RP journey! As such, this Season is probably going to be more focused on stability, consistency and accessibility. This way, people can better keep track of what's going on and it's easier to jump in and out whenever you want and from whatever angle you want to.

// Anyway, here are the changes that I want to highlight.

Muses

As a reminder:

Major muses: The main muses in the blog. They're the main drivers that are moving the story forward, and the faces of the blog. They'll also be used by default.

Minor muses: These are secondary characters on the blog. While they're not the main drivers, they'll still be used on the blog for commentary or story-related situations. They are available to RP, but only on request or if the plot demands it.

The following muses will no longer be major muses: Zygarde, Lillie, Kathy. These characters are now minor muses.

New major muses: Melony (RK Giratina), Nergal (RK Eternatus), Serena, Lati (Heidi's and Rayquaza's child)

Returning major muse: Hilda!

Leaf, Zinnia, Rayquaza, Heidi, and Lauren are unaffected.

Also, each character has a bio now! Go check it out!

Tags

Changing a few tags of existing characters for better clarity:

Heidi's tag (muse arceus) -> #muse heidi

Lauren's tag (muse latias) -> #muse lauren

All tags will use the muse's name instead of their species. This will be the case for all major and minor muses. If they do use the species name because they don't have a nickname (ex. Leaf's Mewtwo), then they will be in the format of "#<mon's trainer> <mon's species>". Ex: Leaf's Mewtwo will be #leaf mewtwo.

The exception to this rule is Zygarde. Old Zygarde posts will just have the tag #zygarde, but future Zygarde tags will have both #zygarde and another tag in the format of #<core name> zygarde. So, for example, if Aphrodite-Zygarde (Rayquaza's girlfriend) is in a post, then the tag will have both #zygarde and #aphrodite zygarde.

One more tag to include: #check in. There may be times where I want to post how each of my muses are doing at a given point in time like I did with the posts prior to the Creator Clash event. You can check those posts in the #check in tag.

Verses

I'm actually going to acknowledge verses for once. Yes, this blog has AUs now, and not through convoluted methods such as using other blogs.

AUs are standalone features that are alternate takes on one or more characters. Each verse can be interacted with on request. Due to Ultra Space shenanigans (and also in part because of Heidi), AU characters do have the potential to visit the main world and interact with the characters there. You can read more about verses here.

For now, there are four AUs:

skypxllar: This verse is a direct AU of this blog and picks up from the end of @skypxllar. Hera (Heidi's equivalent) never becomes Arceus and Helen (Izanami's equivalent) never dies. Think of this as sort of an Ultra Sun to the main verse's Sun.

TAH: True Arceus!Heidi features an alternative version of Heidi where she was always an Arceus. This Arceus does not have a stable name, but she does temporarily take the name of the version of Heidi in the verse that she resides in. This picks up from @pokecheckpoint.

Rainbow Rocket: This is an alternate "bad end" alternate universe where each of the protagonists from the regions join the evil organization. Led by Rainbow Rocket Blue after Giovanni's death, they're an interdimensional criminal organization doing bad things anywhere they go.

Royal Ball AU: A medieval fantasy AU that's Pokémon-adjacent. The AU on this blog centers around a High Priestess that serves an Eldrich Sky Dragon and its prophesies.

As such, I'm going to archive and stop using @skypxllar and @pokecheckpoint

Threads

I should have done this already but, with very few exceptions, I will be archiving every thread that hasn't had a reply since at least 1 December. If your thread has been archived and you wish to continue it, then please let me know and I will unarchive it. Thank you.

Every few months, I'll try to go through the tracked threads. If a thread is older than 2 or 3 months old, then I'll message you either for a check-in or to see if you want to archive it. Depending on the situation. You are always willing to ping me if it's my turn on a thread and I haven't gotten to it in a while, though.

Lore and Headcanons

I want to make sure that, whenever I do have lore that I want to refer to, that I put it on this blog. As such, you may see more HC posts coming from me that will be put in my headcanon tag. Each major muse (and even some minor muses) will have their own headcanon tag as well, so if a HC relates to them, it will be under that tag. the tag is typically going to be "<character name> headcanon".

If a HC post for a certain bit of lore doesn't exist and I refer to the lore, let me know so I can make that HC post. Otherwise, I'll try to link to the HC post related to the lore if I mention it in-character.

If there's been a change due to a plot or an event that's now canon / lore, then I'll likely try to make a separate headcanon post for that lore. That way I don't have to force myself or for you to dig through other people's interactions.

I also updated the Kanka campaign to add headcanons, timelines, characters, events, etc. There's still a lot to add and organize, but if you want to reference everything in one spot, you can try it there. If you can't find what you're looking for, feel free to either send an ask or message me. Either I'll find it and link it to you, or I'll explain it and add it to the list of headcanons!

Plots and Events

I had so many plots and events last year. It was fun, but it was also such a mess. I do have a lot of plots that I want to get to for this season, but I also want to slow down a little. For plots (planned-out solo stuff), I think that I'm going to keep them strictly solo, so it doesn't feel like I'm forcing people to come along with me in the plot; however, if there are times where I actively invite multiple people to do things, then I'll make it an event (similar to the Ghost Stories event).

One event that I will have is the Legendary Adventures event. The Legendary Adventures event is an ongoing event where you can meet other Legendary Pokémon of the world. If you or any of your muses wants to be journeyed through Legendary shenanigans, let me know!

Conclusion

// I hope that these changes are understandable and that they'll keep the blog a little fresh. I've been thinking about a lot of this for a while and I just want to make sure that it stays fun for me while also addressing feedback. If you have any feedback or suggestions on how I can improve, feel free to let me know. Thank you all for staying with me for this!

#ooc #mod #psa #updates

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bakerstreetbabble · 5 months

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It's done!

It took a few days, but I have successfully migrated (almost) all posts from the Original Baker Street Babble on Weebly to their new home here on Tumblr. (I chose not to move just a few posts that were simply about features on the original blog that were new at the time, as they really don't apply to this blog.)

All of the migrated posts have hyperlinks in their title line, connecting them to the original Weebly posts. From here on out, there will be no new posts on the Weebly version of the blog, so it will serve as a sort of backup to this version. (Of course, that means that any dead links on the old site will remain dead. I don't intend to do any maintenance on the old site.)

If you're new to the blog, here are the different pages that you can access via the menu at the top of the page:

Posts: this speaks for itself. It's where all new posts live.

Inquiries: you can ask me any question about the blog or about Sherlock Holmes in general, and I'll do my best to answer it.

About BSB: this gives you some background on how I came to create the blog. I may update this page in the near future.

Links and Such: these are some of my favorite Sherlock Holmes links. I may add more info to this page someday soon.

Sherls on Film: YouTube video of some of the various iterations of the Great Detective that have appeared on film and TV.

Bookshelf: a virtual bookshelf (in flipbook format) of the canon of Sherlock Holmes stories and novels.

The Original BSB: links to the original version of the blog, which I will no longer update.

Pinterest: links to my Baker Street Babble Pinterest page.

Archive: self-explanatory, it enables you to browse through and search all the posts on the blog.

Enjoy the blog!

#migration completed

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whatsapparchiving · 9 months

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Preserve Your Digital Conversations: Exploring the World of Text Message Archives

Preserve Your Digital Conversations: Exploring the World of Text Message Archives We live in a digital age where our lives are intertwined with technology. From social media posts to emails, we rely on these digital platforms to communicate and stay connected. But what about those precious text message conversations that hold special memories or important information? Well, fear not! In this blog post, we're diving into the world of text message archives and how they can help you preserve your most cherished conversations. So grab your phone and get ready to unlock the secrets of archiving texts!

What are text message archives?

Text message archive are essentially digital repositories where you can store and preserve your text messages. Just like how we keep physical letters or photo albums to revisit cherished memories, archive text messages allow us to do the same with our digital conversations. These archives serve as a secure vault for all your important texts, ensuring that they won't get lost amidst the sea of messages in your inbox. Whether it's heartfelt exchanges with loved ones, crucial business communications, or even evidence for legal matters, having an archive ensures that these conversations remain accessible and intact. Not only do text message archives provide peace of mind knowing that your valuable conversations are safeguarded, but they also offer convenience. Instead of scrolling endlessly through endless threads trying to find a specific conversation from months ago, archiving allows you to easily search and retrieve past texts whenever needed. Moreover, text message archives can be particularly useful for those who frequently switch devices or upgrade their phones. By creating backups of your messages in an archive format, you can seamlessly transfer them to new devices without losing any precious data. In addition to preserving sentimental value and offering convenience, archived texts can also play a role in maintaining privacy. Keeping sensitive information within a secure archive adds an extra layer of protection against unauthorized access and potential breaches. So whether it's preserving treasured memories or ensuring important information is safely stored away – text message archives are a powerful tool that grants us control over our digital conversations. Now let's explore how exactly we can go about archiving our texts!

The benefits of archiving texts

The benefits of archiving texts are numerous and can greatly enhance your digital communication experience. One of the main advantages is that it allows you to preserve important conversations and memories. We all have those special messages from loved ones or friends that we want to hold onto, whether it's a heartfelt message or a funny exchange. By archiving your text messages, you can ensure that these meaningful conversations are never lost. Another benefit is the ability to easily search and retrieve specific information within your archived messages. This can be especially handy when you need to find an important piece of information buried in a long conversation thread. Instead of scrolling endlessly through countless messages, you can simply search for keywords or phrases and quickly locate what you're looking for. Archiving texts also helps with organization and decluttering. Let's face it - our messaging apps can become overrun with countless conversations, making it difficult to find important threads amidst the chaos. By regularly archiving old messages, you can keep your inbox clean and organized, allowing for better efficiency in finding what you need. Furthermore, archiving texts provides an added layer of security for your personal data. In case something happens to your phone or if you accidentally delete a message, having an archive ensures that nothing is permanently lost. It serves as a backup of sorts, offering peace of mind knowing that even if something goes wrong with your device, your important conversations are safely stored elsewhere. Text message archives offer convenience when switching devices or upgrading phones. You no longer have to worry about losing all those precious memories when transferring data from one device to another. With an archive at hand, you can seamlessly transfer your text history without any hassle. Overall,text message archives provide numerous benefits such as preserving memories,retrieving specific information,easier organization,data security,and convenience during device transitions. By keeping records of our digital conversations,you not only keep cherished moments but also ensure easy access whenever needed

How to archive texts

Preserve Your Digital Conversations: Exploring the World of Text Message Archives In today's digital era, text messaging has become an integral part of our daily lives. Whether it's coordinating plans with friends, sharing important information with colleagues, or expressing love to our significant others, these conversations hold a special place in our hearts. But what happens when we accidentally delete them or lose access to them? This is where text message archives come into play. What are text message archives? Text message archives refer to the process of safely storing and preserving your SMS and MMS messages for future reference. They provide a way to retain and protect important conversations that might otherwise be lost due to device upgrades, accidental deletions, or technical glitches. The benefits of archiving texts There are several compelling reasons why you should consider archiving your text messages: 1. Sentimental value: Our digital conversations often hold sentimental value as they capture precious memories and moments in time. Archiving allows you to revisit these cherished exchanges whenever you want. 2. Legal documentation: In certain situations, such as legal disputes or business matters, having a record of your text messages can serve as valuable evidence if needed. 3. Personal organization: By archiving your texts, you can keep all relevant information in one accessible place rather than scrolling through numerous threads on your phone. 4. Data protection: Accidents happen – phones get lost or damaged beyond repair. By regularly backing up and archiving your texts, you ensure that even if something happens to your device, those conversations remain safe and secure.

For more information about archiving text messages come and visit our website : https://www.telemessage.com/

#archive text messages #Text message archive

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memoriesoftanalorr · 10 months

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@deenkei-blog tagged me a long time ago at Deviantart and I'm do it only now.

/. Write the rules. /. Write 13 things about yourself. /. Answer 13 questions made by the person who tagged you, and make your own 13 questions. /. Tag 13 deviants. /. Make sure they know that they are tagged. /. Don't say ''You're tagged if you read this". /. It is forbidden not to tag anyone. -. Tag backs are allowed. -. If you don't make this tag in a week, you need to obey a wish of the person who tags you. 13 things about me. /. My name is Anastasia. I'm former archival science student. I'm was really good at English and Literature, also my favorite subjects were are History, Law, Economy, Philosophy. /. I'm left-handed. /. My favorite fandoms are Trigun Stampede 2023, Encanto, Generator Rex. /. I have a Retinitis Pigmentosa, rare eyesight issues but I'm more or less okay with my vision, I'm mean I can see but I'm helpless when it's comes to get outside, only on countryside I can walk without anexiouty. I can read books as long as text is big enough, I'm watching TV but I'm not comfortable watching movies on my PC. /. More of the time spending on the countryside. That's so fun. I'm drawing, reading, walking over the lake and looking for squirrels and frogs. Chatting with our neighbors. /. Dad brought us a mini radio TD-V26 with speaker last winter as a gift. We loved it. It's even has neon lights when the music is on. My favorite bands is Nickelback, Set it off, Starset, Poets of the fall, Jacob Lee and more. /. I love collecting seashells, old postcards, key chains. /. Trying to learn how to draw. I'm interested in soft pastel and crayons and watercolor. For the moment I'm not draw much but I have ideas for drawing. /. I love my bag and my purses and other of my stuff. But I'm wanna a new backpack. / I love detective tv shows like Colombo, Mentalist, Murder she wrote and more but I can't remember all of them now. /. I'm trying to get better at cooking. /. I love pies and ice cream. /. I love to daydream. Questions!:

Soft serve ice-cream or popsicles? Soft serve.

What`s your clothing style? Dark purple puffer coat without sleeves, t-shirts, pants, jeans, shoes or sneakers, sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets.

Any utterly embarrassing moments? Don't get me started, I have a fucking list.

Beach or pool? Reason? As a kid or as a preteen, I'm used to like to be at the beach at summer vacation. But I'm sucker for swimming.

Do you collect any comics, man. As a kid I'm was crazy about Spider Man and W. I. T. C. H. (I'm still do)

What`s your opinion on Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood? Uhm, I'm not into this anime anymore, I'm sorry.

Your favourite OP and ED? What's ED?

How many countries have you traveled to? Cyprus, Bulgaria and Türkiye.

Ever to any sort of expo? What is it sweetie? I'm don't even have an a idea.

Have you played any visual novels or otome games? Probably. Don't remember.

Whos your favourite Mystic Messenger character? (If you havent played it, list down anyone you find attractive 8D) Dunno.

Modern medicine or natural remedies? Ooh , don't get me started to be hating on medicine cause I have a rare eyesight issues that don't even have a care yet.

What`s your favourite emoticon? Happiness, serenity.

About tagging and making my own questions. I don't have time for this for a while, maybe I'll add them later on.

#tag game #about me

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peace-coast-island · 10 months

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Diary of a Junebug

Sweet dusk oranges, tea shop exploring, and camping at Tillfolk Cove

Rainy days and hot tea are a perfect combo. Although it’s a shame that we didn’t get to really hike around Tillfolk Cove because of the weather, camping inside one of its many caves was still a lot of fun. It is rainy season, so it wasn’t unexpected. Also, it gave us an excuse to try out all kinds of different teas from their many tea shops.

Jamie and I haven’t been on an adventure with just the two of us in what seems like forever - a couple years, at least. Maybe the last one was that castle hopping adventure, which was like 5 years ago, I think? So around the time I was just starting out with the camp, which is really wild when I think about it. Has it been really that long since I’ve been running things here?

Before coming to Tillfolk, I went with Daisy Jane to meet up with Jamie in Rainbow Grove. There, we also met up with Paisley, who introduced us to Cora, Josh, and Lila. We stayed at the orchard over the weekend as sort of an unofficial celebration of a special occasion. Then Jamie and I went off while Daisy Jane stayed at the orchard.

The special occasion is actually a bit late as the movie My Neighbor, The Poet has been in theaters for a while now. Paisley, Cora, and Josh worked on the movie, which was inspired by a true story.

It’s about a girl who’s an aspiring writer who bonds with her cranky and eccentric elderly neighbor after accidentally damaging her garden. The neighbor comes across as out of touch and a bit of a recluse, so the girl tries to help her get reacquainted with the world. She later discovers that her neighbor was an accomplished writer who’s been struggling for years and decides to help out. They also bond over oranges as the neighbor takes pride in her garden, especially her orange tree as it holds a lot of sentimental value for her.

Later, the girl notices that her friend’s behavior has become erratic and she seems to be struggling with everyday tasks. Her neighbor’s grandson reveals that she’s been struggling with dementia and it’s getting worse. The girl initially tries to act as a caretaker but soon realizes that she can’t stop the inevitable. In the end, she makes the most of her time left with her neighbor during her good days to help her write her life’s story and get her affairs in order, which include achieving her own dreams of being a writer and taking care of the orange tree.

The whole story’s based on events that happened with Cora, Josh, and Lila’s sister Denni and their former neighbor. Denni was a writer who ran a blog that also served as a diary. In fact, she was part of the reason why I was inspired to journal - the art journaling part came much later. She started her blog around the time social media was just starting out, so that’s a long time ago. There weren’t as many communities like there are now, so that’s why a lot of her work isn’t known despite the fact that she did write a lot.

Thanks to Cora and Josh, her blog’s still up after all these years, mostly for archival reasons. Denni was an aspiring writer who sadly never really got to fulfill her dreams. Cora said that she had aspirations to be a novelist, which was where the basis for My Neighbor, The Poet came from. But for various reasons, she was unable to make her dreams come true. Blogging was one of her outlets where she “spilled out her thoughts” and it became her thing.

She also wrote fanfic as well as various articles on a bunch of different topics, but it looks like most of them are gone now, which is a shame. Lila’s part of a big internet archival project, so she managed to find and recover some of her sister’s articles from old blogs and websites that have been inactive for years. I’ve read a bit about the project and I’m intrigued by it.

Part of the reason for the special occasion has to do with the fact that the movie was sitting in development hell for years before finally getting green lit. That was because of the siblings’s father, who Denni had a complicated relationship with. According to Josh, they used to be close until he suddenly uprooted the family overseas. Denni wrote quite a bit about how that time in her life was difficult, especially after her mother died and her father wasn’t equipped to raise four kids on his own.

To add some context, Denni was the eldest, and there’s a considerable age gap between her and the others. She was seven years older than Cora and Josh, and twelve years older than Lila. Their mother died when Lila was about one, so Denni was basically the one who took care of her siblings while their father was working long hours.

Eventually, Denni realized that it wasn’t gonna work out and decided that it would be better if she and her siblings went back home to live with their grandma. Apparently, the father saw it as an act of betrayal and Denni’s relationship with him was irrevocably damaged.

While it’s understandable that Denni had some resentment, she never made him out to be the bad guy. She often write that she wanted to reconcile but whenever they tried, they weren’t getting anywhere. She summed it up as him being someone who easily gets carried away by lofty ideals and becoming disillusioned the second things don’t go as expected. They’re the kind of people who are quick to blame others and refuse to take responsibility when they’re in the wrong.

She also described him as someone with good intentions, but also as someone who doesn’t really listen. Cora adds that his inability to listen was probably the main reason why he pushed the family away. Their grandma, their mother’s mother, had noticed how much he changed since her daughter’s death as she was one of the few people who could make him stop and consider his actions. Denni also wrote a lot about her mother, as well as her grandma, but that’s another thing.

So, with the father, he wasn’t too happy when he found out that Denni had a blog where she was freely writing her thoughts. Obviously, she wasn’t spilling other people’s personal information and such, so violation of privacy shouldn’t be an issue. That’s not really his issue, other than his overblown claims that she made him out to be the villain, which is an exaggeration. I mean, he’s not in the most favorable light, but even if she excused everything about his behavior - which, I think, would’ve made him look even worse - it still doesn’t change the fact that he’s known to be unreliable.

Privacy isn’t really the issue as the real reason why he disapproves is because he just doesn’t like it. Basically, he’s one of those people who criticizes something not because of the media itself, but because they have personal grudges with the creator.

As for why he doesn’t like it, it seems like a lot of it has to do with differences in opinions and principles. Josh described him as an old fashioned Christian authoritarian type, very different compared to their mother’s family. Denni is said to be very outspoken, which has gotten her in trouble, and she admitted that. While her mother would scold her for “opening her big mouth”, she never really discouraged her from speaking her mind. In her mother’s words, she needed to work on her execution and timing.

To be honest, I think the father’s just being petty, which is the consensus. It’s fine if Denni’s work isn’t for him - like, no one’s forcing him to read it, and he’s allowed to have preferences and dislikes - but he’s kinda blowing it out of proportion. Just say it’s not your thing and move on, how hard is that? But apparently, he has to criticize and find fault with it just prove something - I don’t know what, though.

This is just my perspective, but combined with the authoritative thing he has going on, he comes across as someone who takes different opinions as a personal attack. He also seems very closed minded, especially with that comment about his daughter spewing off on “that woke nonsense”, whatever the hell that means.

The whole thing’s fucking ridiculous, but that’s really the reason why My Neighbor, The Poet was held off for so long. Obviously, there’s a lot more going on, but that’s about the sum of it. As for why he seemed to have a change of heart, he actually still disapproves, but not as much anymore since he’ll be getting a cut of the money. And with his half-hearted approval, Cora and Josh are hoping to adapt more of their sister’s works based on her concepts.

The movie itself was very good, highly recommend. In fact, the sweet dusk oranges featured in the movie are grown at the orchard. And like in the movie, they were the same oranges grown by the neighbor. The circumstances in real life were similar as Denni promised her friend that she’ll take care of her oranges, the main difference being that the girl in the movie did not live in an orchard.

According to Lila, sweet dusk oranges have existed since ancient times, and are considered to be rare because they are high maintenance. Rainbow Grove is one of the few places in the world where sweet dusk orange trees can thrive because of its soil. The orchard had been struggling financially at the time until Denni and her grandma started cultivating the oranges, and now it’s what they’re known for.

So, this special occasion also lines up with harvest season, which is a nice coincidence. Sweet dusk oranges are known for its delicate balance of sweet and tart, which people describe as complex and dusky. The scent is like a mix between an orange and a cherry blossom, a bit of an unusual combo, I think, but very distinctive.

They are a bit expensive, but for good reason. Though, I think in terms of the flavor and the amount of care put into cultivating them, it makes sense. They really are some of the juiciest and sweetest oranges I’ve ever had. I’m not really into orange juice, but I can definitely see myself going for sweet dusk juice if it was more accessible.

There’s also wine, which is in the luxury category in terms of price and flavor, so when I said I scored a very good deal for a bottle, I really mean it! I’m not one to spend a lot on a bottle of alcohol without good justification, so since this was very highly recommended by Jamie, I had to try it out. Also, supporting small businesses is good. Plus, where else was I gonna get it?

To further show our support, I bought a couple cartons of oranges to ship to the camp. Cora gave me a bunch of recipes in case we get tired of oranges slices and orange juice. A lot of the recipes look good, so even if we don’t have anymore sweet dusks, I’d still want to try them out with regular oranges. I know it won’t be the same, but I like oranges and I do need to incorporate more fruits into my life.

What better way to enjoy fruit than to share it with friends? It was nice catching up with Paisley and getting to know Cora, Josh, and Lila. They can’t say too much on future projects yet other than it’s something to look forward to. Denni’s blog is something I go back to once in a while, so I’m grateful that it’s still up, even more so now with the movie out.

I wonder what’s next, assuming that it’s another concept like with My Neighbor. Honestly, Denni’s blog is what I consider a treasure trove of stories that show how multifaceted one’s life may be no matter how ordinary they are. Her father’s view of her as someone who did nothing with her life couldn’t be more wrong.

Her life, while mundane - but probably with more bumps and low lows than most people - is an interesting read because of how ordinary it is. Because it’s basically her personal diary, we see more into her thoughts, and I think that says a lot more about you than your retellings of your day. I don’t know if I can explain, but I think it’s the way she treats writing as an outlet, and how she uses that to connect with people. And the fact that she is just some person, not someone who’s exceptional, or extraordinary, or accomplished, just some average person getting by. She was a sister, daughter, granddaughter, aspiring writer, someone who died before her time.

What I’m trying to say is that no matter how small or insignificant we are, we still mean something to someone. Although Denni had an online presence, she never really made it big, so most of her work is pretty much forgotten. Cora and Josh don’t intent to make her famous, they just wanted to show the world what kind of person their sister was and keep her memory alive. Lila’s involvement with the internet archive was what pushed them to hopefully build a legacy with Denni.

And it’s not just with Denni. There’s others who are doing similar things to preserve what their late loved ones and friends left behind. Like I said, I’m now invested in the internet archive. I’d like to think that maybe someone close to me would do the same with my works, whether it be art or journals.

Just a disclaimer, if someone plans to put my journals out there, I ask that you be respectful about it. Like, personal information, names, and such, please use good judgement.

Maybe I should state that if someone is to share my journals, wait until most of the people I talk about are dead too (idk), and if they aren’t - like the immortal ones - then change things up for their protection. Obviously there’s exceptions if they’re ok with it - or if they’re the ones putting my words out there. In that case, then hopefully you know me well enough, so just show some respect for the deceased, even though it’s not their time yet.

Well, that was a tangent I didn’t expect to go off on.

Anyway, so Jamie and I arrived at Tillfolk two days ago. Like I said, it’s rainy season, which we expected, so it’s no biggie. Since hiking’s out, we explored the many tea shops in the area since that’s what it’s known for.

In two days, I think Jamie and I explored six places - so three a day, not counting various stops in between. After all, we can’t be doing nothing but drinking tea. In order to fully enjoy the tea and food, we need to build up an appetite first.

First stop was Milk Street, the oldest teahouse in Tillfolk. It’s known for its signature smoky black milk tea, which is on the bitter side. The black tea blend’s pretty intense, which is why they add milk and honey to balance it out. Definitely really rich, something you’d have as a special treat.

Second stop was Sunny Blossom, signature drink being their orange blossom boba. They use real oranges infused with a blend of green tea and something called plush blossoms. They’re called that because their petals look like it’s made of fabric, though the texture’s like fruit. Very refreshing, the kind of drink that’s perfect for a hot sunny day.

Third was Timeless Blue, which has an unusual menu. That was also where we had dinner. Everything was blue, which was interesting. Their signature drink is called azure skies, a cloudflower tea blend with blueberries, cubeberries, and lavender. The color reminds me of the sky on a slightly cloudy day. I was kinda hesitant to drink it because I didn’t want to ruin the pretty gradient. The same goes for the food. At least everything tasted as good as it looked, and that’s what matters the most in the end.

This morning we explored a different area, so our first stop was Daily Harvest Cafe. Since we had breakfast there, I also ordered a coffee, which I think was a mistake. (That’s totally on me, btw.) The tea I had, Thai tea strawberry, also has caffeine in it. Thai tea, of course, is good, but sometimes can be a bit too sweet. This one wasn’t too sweet, and the strawberry adds to the flavor and elevates it.

Next up was Busy Bean, a cute name for a coffee shop, where we had quite a few drinks. There was a sudden downpour, so we were there for a while. The ambiance is nice, so I didn’t mind.

I first tried a french vanilla red bean matcha milk tea, which was more like one of those over the top milkshakes. It was very good, much better than a milkshake, in my opinion. Red bean and matcha are what I consider to be a good combo, something you really can’t go wrong with. And it wasn’t super sweet, so that’s a win in my book.

Second thing I had was a hot tea to balance out the sugar, this time a black tea blend called foggy dreams. The taste kinda reminds me of pu’er, and I’m pretty sure there’s some sesame in there too. Overall, it’s the perfect drink to have on a stormy rainy day.

And finally, for dinner, we went to Black Pearl and I had another black tea. This one’s called smoky leaves and it’s basically a smoky black tea, kinda similar to the previous one. Black tea is usually my go to, followed by matcha, and then chai, it seems.

There’s really nothing more I can say about the teas except that I enjoyed all of them. I’m no tea connoisseur, so all I can really say is that I’m not too picky. As long as it’s not too diluted in milk and sugar, I think I’ll enjoy it.

All in all, I had a good time. Jamie says it’s been a nice change of pace for her and she was actually kinda happy that we didn’t go hiking. To be honest, I’m not really up for hiking either, especially in this weather. Besides, I think I’m way more interested in tea anyway.

Read on AO3

#animal crossing #animal crossing pocket camp #diary of a junebug #headcanon ramble

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thingsthatmademe · 1 year

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You Shall Know our Velocity

I'm only now realizing how many items in my house are there to serve as memory prompts.

This is a copy of Your Shall Know our Velocity, by David Eggers. I picked it up while I was living back east because it was extremely popular with a certain set of west coast home-page/early-blog young people. People I was desperate to emulate. A group I'd first become aware of in the mid-late 90s while I was in college and whose first literary infatuation, Microserfs, had planted something in me.

I did not care for Your Shall Know our Velocity. To quote the most problematic of favs, it said nothing to me about my life. It's one of the first books I ever bought and put down after a few chapters.

I felt guilty about not finishing it because I was still coming out of a deep clinical depression that had dogged me for most of my life.

A few years later a concert friend and long-time crush-of-mine was looking for a tour companion. We'll call her Q——. I brought along You Shall Know our Velocity because I wanted to make one last attempt at reading it. She was a so-called "merch girl" and tour manager for a semi-famous modern folk musician and wanted a traveling companion for a leg of the tour. My memory begins to fail me here and even my pals at Concert Archives and SetList.FM haven't let me reconstruct the dates. The facts I'm sure of -- it was sometime between 2000 and 2005, and a three-or-four-date jaunt. For me, the tour ended in Toronto. The show previous to that was in a venue outside of Montréal.

My memory of the specifics starts to break down here. I THINK the show before Montréal was in New Jersey, but it may have been in an upstate NY town near the city -- probably Piermont, NY. This wasn't my only tour crushing-on-but-keeping-my-distance-from-because-of-fear-and-insecurity with Q—— and the details tend to mush together twenty years later.

The emotional truth of that tour is crystal clear though. My falling out of crush with this woman (which puts it more in the 2003 - 2005 era of my timeline, when I was finally shaking off my depression and insecurity). It wasn't a disaster -- but the Quebec show was uncomfortable for a number of reasons.

It was at a venue that also had a -- former? -- hostel above it but the venue owner seemed reticent to let us sleep up there. I wanted to start figuring out a hotel but Q—— shrugged and said it would work out and, for what it's worth, it did.

But the larger problem was an internet friend of Q—— who we met up with -- Gabe. Gabe was a shy, awkward, male presenting human and Q—— just seemed to delight in teasing him in a way that, between longtime friends, might be acceptable but sat wrong with me. Gabe seemed occasionally uncomfortable, and he reminded me of who I'd been just a few years earlier before I'd learned to mask better.

I also found in myself an ugliness that wanted to join in with the teasing to bond with Q—— at odds with wanting to stand up for the older, shyer, version of myself.

That night spent on the old hostel mattress I journaled about these feelings. They seem trivial now but at the time felt incredibly important to get down on paper (which means they were incredibly important to get down on paper). I had no journal so the inside cover of You Shall Know our Velocity served.

We had breakfast the next day with Gabe (and a pretty funny conversation about an infamous New York City dick dock) and then headed off for Toronto. I sort of detached from Q—— for this show -- I recall having a bit of a joint outside the venue (on the street? in broad daylight? what decriminalized paradise was this?!?) and spending a bit of the show with a woman, C——, who we would have described then as a baby-dyke. She was from our mutual concert-going community and had fooled around with Q—— and Q——'s partner in the past. She was desperate to see Q—— after the show and I recognized that intense draw to Q——'s charisma -- likely heighten by an actual sexual relationship instead of dissociative longing.

I had a good time hanging out with this young, impossibly beautiful baby-dyke whose name I can't remember. She hustled me for loonies to tip the bartenders with (or perhaps just buy another cheap beer) and I was happy to give them up. Queer energy was something I was desperate for in those days for reasons I didn't always realize.

At some point, Q—— and C—— talked and it sounds like it didn't go well. Q—— put the freeze on her and I distinctly remember a distraught C——, crestfallen, mumbling out loud "she doesn't think of me at all".

Q—— was also visibility uncomfortable, and as we packed up was trying to sell me on the idea of my taking a bus home to Rochester instead of us driving there together. Exhausted by her antics (or, in retrospect, angry at myself for not seeing her clearly for who she was and not knowing who I was) I insisted on our previous agreements. It was an awkward three hours.

This week of my life was an emotional turning point for me, but I also felt bad about it for years. I tore off the book cover with my journaling. It may be lurking in some box in my basement or may be floating in a trash heap somewhere. I still have not read You Shall Know our Velocity.

Years later, in 2010, I would meet up with Q—— and her partner in Los Angeles. I was there for work. I'd been out west in Portland and Seattle for five years and had come into myself. These were very much peak young person (if late blooming) years for me. We had a pleasant time but I remember seeing Q—— as an anxious nervous bundle of insecure energy. So many things about that tour jaunt in the early 2000s came into focus for me then and I realized I'd probably never see her again.

It's thirteen years later and outside a note when Carol Channing died (there was a comedy bit, it's not important) I haven't spoken to her since. When I went poking around my long discarded drag/transvestite twitter feed from that era I saw she was still active and going hard with the "continued masking is oppression" brain worms.

If I was who I am now I'd probably try to gently engage with her about these things -- but if I was who I am now I never would have been in that situation. I even thought about reaching out to her after writing this but -- that's probably just vanity. Also the "continued masking is oppression" brain worms thing would be a lot to get past.

All that from a book I'll probably never read. Objects contain ghosts and we can talk to them if we want. Gabe, on the off chance yous see this, sorry for being a jerk 20 years ago. I hope you turned out OK.

I felt guilty about no finishing it because I was still coming out of a deep clinical depression that had dogged me for most of my life.

A few years later a concert friend and long time crush-of-mine was looking for a tour companion. We'll call her Q——. I brought along You Shall Know our Velocity because I wanted to make one last attempt at reading it. She was a so called "merch girl" and tour manager for a semi-famous modern folk musician and wanted a traveling companion for a leg of the tour. My memory begins to fail me here and even my pals at Concert Archives and SetList.FM haven't let me reconstruct the dates. The facts I'm sure of -- it was sometime between 2000 and 2005, and a three or four date jaunt. For me the tour ended in Toronto. The show previous to that was in a venue outside of Montréal.

Memory of the specifics start to breakdown. I THINK the show prior to Montréal was in New Jersey, but it may have been in an upstate NY town near the city -- probably Piermont, NY. This wasn't my only tour crushing-on-but-keeping-my-distance-from-because-of-fear-and-insecurity with Q—— and the details tend to mush together in middle age.

The emotional truth of that tour is crystal clear though. My falling out of crush with this women (which puts it more in the 2003 - 2005 era of my timeline, when I was finally shaking off my depression and insecurity). It wasn't a disaster -- but the Quebec show was uncomfortable for a number of reasons.

But the larger problem was an internet friend of Q—— who we met up with -- Gabe. Gabe was a shy, awkward, male presenting human and Q—— just seemed to delight in teasing him in a way that, between longtime friends, might be acceptable but sat wrong with me. Gabe seemed occasionally uncomfortable, and he reminded me of who'd I'd been just a few years earlier and still was, really.

I also found in myself an ugly part that wanted to join in with the teasing to bond with Q—— at odds with wanting to stand up for the older, shyer, version of myself.

We had breakfast the next day with Gabe and then headed off for Toronto. I sort of detached from Q—— for this show -- I recall having a bit of a joint outside the venue (on the street? in broad daylight? what decriminalized paradise was this?!?) and spending a bit of the show with a women, C——, we would have described then as a baby-dyke. She was from our mutual concert going community and had fooled around with Q—— and Q——'s previous partner before. She was desperate to see Q—— after the show and I recognized that intense draw to Q——'s charisma -- likely heighten by an actual sexual relationship instead of dissociative longing.

At some point Q—— and her talked and it sounds like it didn't go well. Q—— put the freeze on her and I distinctly remember a distraught C——, crestfallen, mumbling out loud "she doesn't think of me at all".

Q—— was also visibility uncomfortable, and as we packed up was trying to sell me on the idea of my taking a bus home to Rochester instead of us driving their together. Exhausted by her antics (or, in retrospect, angry at myself for not seeing her clearly for who she was and not knowing who I was) I insisted on our previous agreements. It was an awkward three hours.

This week of my life was an emotional turning point for me, but I also felt bad about it for years. I tore the book cover with journaling and it may be lurking in some box in my basement or may be floating in a trash heap somewhere.

Years later, in 2010, I would meetup with Q—— and her partner, Mark in Los Angeles. I was there for work. I'd been out west in Portland and Seattle for five years and really come into myself. These were very much peak young person (if late blooming) days for me. We had a pleasant time but I remember seeing Q—— as an anxious nervous bundle of insecure energy. So many things about that tour jaunt in the early 2000s came into focus for me then and I realized I'd probably never see her again. It's thirteen years later and outside a note when Carol Channing died (there was a comedy bit, it's not important) I haven't spoken to her since. When I went poking around my old drag/transvestite twitter feed from that era I saw she was still active and going hard with the "continued masking is oppression" brain worms.

If I was who I am now I'd probably try to gently engage with her about these things. I even thought about reaching out to her after writing this but -- that's probably just vanity. Also the "continued masking is oppression" brain worms thing would be a lot of get past.

All that from a book I'll probably never read. Objects contain ghosts and we can talk to them if we want. Gabe, if you're out there, sorry for being kind of a jerk 20 years ago.

#books #feelings #david eggers #dan bern

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