We are currently seeking dedicated and talented volunteer storyboard artists to contribute to our upcoming horror drama web series, set to premiere on YouTube later this year (estimated release due to change). This unpaid opportunity offers a chance to be part of a captivating hour-length animation project that explores thrilling narratives and pushes creative boundaries.
Project Overview: The series is rooted in early 2000's digital horror roots, but has evolved over many months to develop a narrative more in line with something outside the genre of found footage. Without specific details, it delves into an alternate history with themes of oppression, political ideologies, flawed social expectations, death, disease, religion, and controversial topics handled with the sensitivity and care it needs to deliver a unique heartfelt and inspiring message to audiences. Our target demographic is adults and late teens interested in serious western adult animation projects.
Plot Summary: In the heat of a growing statewide pandemic, a late teenage emo boy assembles a band with his two best friends to distract himself from the harsh reality of his brother being slowly eaten away by the disease. Meanwhile, the boy's father struggles to do the same running for the county sheriff, becoming more and more self destructive with his own anger management issues. As he spirals into a tunnel of greed and ego, the boy will have to look into his broken mirror to truly redeem himself, even if nobody may ever know what it really costs him...
Timeline and Commitment: Storyboard artists will work collaboratively with the team to bring the scenes to life. While we understand that volunteers have other commitments, we expect a reasonable time commitment to ensure steady progress. Specific timelines and deadlines will be discussed during the onboarding process to accommodate everyone's availability. However, we can say now the series debut episode will be split into two parts; each spanning around 30 minutes long for a total runtime of an hour.
Project Vision and Team: Our team is composed of passionate individuals who are deeply committed to creating an immersive and unforgettable web series. Led by a talented writer and director, we are dedicated to realizing our shared vision and are excited to welcome artists who align with our creative goals.
Compensation and Future Opportunities: While this is an unpaid opportunity, we believe in the value of artists' contributions. As the series progresses, there is potential for future paid opportunities, especially if the project becomes monetized on YouTube with the partnership program. We are committed to fairly compensating artists for their work as the project develops.
Token of Appreciation: To express our gratitude for your involvement, we are exploring options for a small token of appreciation. This may include digital gift cards, exclusive access to project-related resources, or other thoughtful gestures to acknowledge your contributions.
Examples and Collaboration: We have already developed several storyboards for parts of the web series. As a potential storyboard artist, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with the initial artist (me), providing your unique artistic perspective while maintaining the overall vision of the project.
To Audition: If you are passionate about horror, possess experience in storyboarding and or comics, and are eager to contribute to our web series, we would love to hear from you! Please send us a message with the following details:

• A brief overview of your art experience, including relevant projects or collaborations.
  
• Your proficiency in traditional or digital art and any preferred tools or software.
  
• Examples of your previous artwork, specifically highlighting any storyboarding or comic-related work.
  
• Your availability and commitment level, as well as any anticipated constraints or scheduling preferences.
  

We greatly appreciate your interest in joining our team and look forward to reviewing your submissions. Together, let's create an extraordinary series that captivates audiences and showcases the incredible talents of our collaborators!!
(PS. I understand how this may upset some artists, and I completely understand that. However, I'm currently unable to put any funding towards this series as of now since there is no sources of income available to me yet. All of the work gone into the series has been limited to the resources I have available at hand and generous individuals happy to contribute. I in no way mean to pose this request in a way that undermines the value and importance in artists. I would do the storyboarding entirely on my own, but a team of one person is incredibly stressful, tedious, time consuming, and harmful to my mental health. In the process, I hope to build up the portfolio of any artists who want to make a name for themselves in the industry and do this type of work full time, embracing their potential and showcasing their wonderful skills to employers. Thank you for reading, and I apologize in advance.)

Evans Klimavich, part-owner of Kali Cannabis, was charged with cocaine trafficking, marijuana trafficking, possession of a Class C substance to distribute and possession of a Class B substance, according to Scott Croteau, deputy communications director for the Office of Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.
The State Police reported that a “search of Klimavich’s Worcester residence yielded another kilogram of suspected cocaine, approximately 50 pounds of marijuana, hundreds of vape cartridges, a quantity of psilocybin mushrooms and approximately $52,000 in U.S. currency.
Suzanne Melanson, Klimavich’s business partner and co-owner of Kali Cannabis, could not be reached for comment as to whether this development would impact the business’s scheduled July grand opening.
At this time, Kali Cannabis has a provisional license from the Cannabis Control Commission, which is a step required by the commission in the process of obtaining a final license, according to CCC Press Secretary Tim Caputo.

We have been awarded a Best Brand award from Korea Times as the top school in Junior Education for the past eight years. POLY students have won numerous awards in national English aptitude tests, and every student must pass a strict entrance test before being allowed to join our academy. This is a terrific program to work in and we are offering excellent compensation packages!!
Job Overview: • Monthly Salary: 2.6 million KRW – 3.2 million KRW (depending on work experience) • Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:00am- 6:00pm / Tuesday, Thursday: 9:00am-6:45pm • Level: Kindergarten - Elementary • Number of Positions: 1 Position • Contract Duration: Full-Time for one year Benefits and Compensation Package: • One-way airfare provided if the applicant is flying from abroad. • Free Single Furnished Housing or housing allowance provided. • Pension bonus. • Paid vacation plus National Holidays. • Fixed, scheduled teaching blocks. • Severance Bonus: Upon completion of 12-month contract. • Medical Coverage Provided. • No internet/telephone lessons. • No split shifts.
Qualifications: Be a native English speaker and a teacher Hold a minimum bachelor’s degree from an accredited university from English speaking countries Have a clean criminal record from your country Enthusiasm for teaching with an outgoing personality Willingness to cooperate and be a part of a growing team The ideal applicant: The ideal applicant holds a degree in Education, English, Communications, or Linguistics. It is best if he/she has some teaching experience, or at least experience working with young children. He/she is a blend of 3 main ingredients: love, discipline, and intelligence. Korean children are a bit more fragile han their Western cousins, and a little love goes a long way. We used to describe this quality as gentleness, but found that teachers can appear gentle without giving themselves to students, so we emphasize that the teachers must really care for the students. Discipline is required not only to keep up our tight schedule, but also to keep your students disciplined (while still remaining gentle!). There are so many reasons why intelligence is required, but we hope most are obvious. He/she knows that this is a job and not a vacation, despite being far from home. Many people make EFL a career, and we expect such dedication. Above all else, he/she must love being around children because that is what it’s all about. Additional required qualities are self-motivation, inquisitiveness, punctuality, a desire for learning, and professionalism. If you are interested in applying for one of these positions, please submit your resume and recent photo to:
[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) or call us at 02-6285-2909.

Traveling, while exciting, can sometimes be fraught with logistical challenges, particularly when transitioning between different modes of transport. Peliccan Cars understands this challenge and strives to offer you a smooth, reliable, and comfortable airport ride from Southend Airport (SS2) to Harwich International Port (CO12).

Reliable and Punctual Rides

At Peliccan Cars, we prioritize your time. Our drivers are trained to be punctual and reliable, ensuring you never miss a scheduled departure. We monitor flight arrivals and traffic conditions to optimize our pick-up and drop-off timings, ensuring a hassle-free ride to Harwich International Port.

Comfortable Travel Experience

Travel in comfort with Peliccan Cars. Our fleet comprises modern and well-maintained vehicles, providing ample space for you and your luggage. We pay attention to every detail, from cleanliness to temperature control, ensuring your journey from Southend Airport to Harwich International Port is as comfortable as possible.

Effortless Booking Process

Our online booking system is simple, efficient, and user-friendly. With a few clicks, you can book your airport ride from Southend Airport to Harwich International Port. Whether you're planning in advance or need a last-minute ride, we have you covered.

Affordable and Transparent Pricing

At Peliccan Cars, we believe in transparency. The price you see during the booking process is the price you pay. We offer competitive pricing with no hidden charges or unexpected costs. Ouraffordable and transparent pricing system ensures a pleasant experience, free of any financial surprises.

24/7 Customer Support

We value our customers and are committed to providing excellent service. Our customer support team is available 24/7, ready to assist with any queries, booking changes, or travel advice. With Peliccan Cars, you're never alone on your journey.

Eco-Friendly Travel

As part of our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint, Peliccan Cars is proud to offer eco-friendly travel options. Our growing fleet of hybrid and electric vehicles ensures your ride from Southend Airport to Harwich International Port leaves a minimal environmental impact.
Trust Peliccan Cars for your airport ride from Southend Airport to Harwich International Port. Our commitment to punctuality, comfort, affordability, and environmental sustainability ensures a seamless and enjoyable travel experience. Whether you're off on a holiday or a business trip, start your journey on a positive note with Peliccan Cars, where exceptional service is a standard.
Read More...

Just wanted to post my dental experience. Last year my TDIU claim was bundled with a dental exam that was never scheduled since there were no local dentists. It took me a year to figure it out and get a dental exam 2 hours away for a broken tooth from Iraq. I’m 90% and was approved at 0% SC (denied for TDIU) I called VA dental last December and was told by the staff that I wasn’t eligible. I thought it was weird but okay. A couple weeks later, the lead dentist called me back saying their staff had made a mistake and I was eligible but I would have to call back after the holidays since he was retiring. I did and was scheduled a community care exam in February. During the exam, they found other issues that needed work. I tried telling the receptionist that the VA probably won’t approve it since I’m only 90% but she assured me that I wouldn’t have a problem and it would be approved. I just figured it wasn’t approved and felt burned that I never got a call back. Since then my wisdom tooth has completely shattered. My wife told me to call the dental office today and I did. The lady on the phone told me it was weird since the VA usually gets back to them within a month and it didn’t matter that I wasn’t 100% they always approve any other work needing done. She sent a notice to the VA this morning. I let my lack of self worth and trust issues get the best of me again. Don’t be your own worst enemy and be proactive.

It's early, in not a morning girlie, but I'm always up for a little legal terms chit-chat and we have a motion hearing coming up Monday 06/12. Let's talk about it.
I haven't finished my coffee yet, so we're going to take easy street on this one and keep it simple. I'll add some info on different types of motions in the comments.
The common definition of a motion is a movement. In government a motion is a request to DO something. I.E. "I MOVE to ban all people with bad haircuts from moving to Florida", could be found on a motion to ban bad haircuts. (As I far as I know this is a fictional example, but you get the idea).
In the judicial system a motion is a formal proposal to the courts requesting them to take some kind of action. Attorneys use motions to ask the court to do something before a regular scheduled date. Motions can be an effective tool to obtain interim relief while parties await a court date.
-1. Fill out a Motion form In Michigan all motions must be in writing, state with particularity the grounds on which it is based, state the relief or order sought and be signed by the party or attorney.
-2. File the motion Turn in the request for a motion form in-person or by first-class mail, most courts will require you to turn in four copies. Some judges also now accept e-file.
-3. Notice of hearing When the court receives your form and approves the request for the motion, they will complete a "Notice of Hearing". This is an administrative form that states the case number, judge, date of hearing, plaintiffs, defendants, nature of the hwaring...hearing.... all the things MI courts typically hear motions one day a week. In Macomb county they are heard on Mondays.
-4. Serve the motion to the other party After the court completes their part of the forms (including notice if hearing) they will privide you with completed copies of the forms. You should expect to receive back three copies if you turned in four. When you get the three remaining copies of the motion from the court, serve a copy on the plaintiff by first-class mail. If the plaintiff has an attorney, serve the motion on the attorney instead of the plaintiff. Complete the Certificate of Mailing on the bottom of your copy of the form. Make a copy of this and file it with the court. You can do this either in person or by first-class mail.
There are other ways to serve papers; you can ask a friend or relative to serve the papers, or you can pay your local sheriff's department, police department, or a process server. Whoever serves the papers must be at least 18 years old and cannot be a party in your case. If you do you due diligence, but are unable to serve papers, the case can still proceed, but that's another post for another day.
This is good spot to note there are terms set by the court as to when service needs to happen. Typically it needs to be a certain amount of time before a hearing date, so the receiving party has time to formally respond and/or prepare for court. The legal terms of service often become a reason motion hearing dates are pushed or delayed. (Read that again. 👀) There may still be a hearing, but in that case the receiving party should be prepared to explain to the judge they were not properly served.
-5. Attend your hearing You must attend the hearing on your motion. The hearing is where you bring the judge the evidence and testimony(s) to support your motion request. The Respondent will have the opportunity to present to the judge as well.
Disclaimer: this is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to serve as legal advice.

I looked at a few of the other posts on trains in Italy and didn't see what I was looking for. We are travelling in mid-august from Venice to Florence and then Florence to Rome. I have been looking for the past 6 or 7 weeks from time to time and I see lots of high speed train options between the cities up to Aug 13 but nothing after that. I have looked via a few websites and the same thing.
How far in advance do the high speed train schedules get posted, seemed odd that there was nothing yet for our dates about 2 months out? Are there days there are no high speed/ direct trains?

Hello, I would like to seek fellow redditors opinions, input and recommendation on how I could better finetune my itinerary better. There's only so much I can think of, and plan as an individual, but with everyone's input and comments I can further refine and enhance the travel experience before I set foot into Japan. Do forgive me in advance for the theorycrafting wall of text.
I know it may be difficult to review the itinerary, so to make the review easier I have broken the itinerary down into specific sub-groups e.g. Shikoku, Kinki etc. Specific questions that I have are bolded.
Thank you in advance for taking your time to provide your opinions!
-------------
Baseline information

• 32M, average fitness, solo traveller
• Public transport only (challenge); I have a driver's license but I have not drove a car for god knows how long so I would prefer not to test it against the green hills of Shikoku
• Interest: anime (select few), experience autumn/nature, visiting secluded spots, and just trying random stuff
• JP language skill: rudimentary at best (N4), but I will not shy away from speaking in simple, broken japanese or use a translator to communicate. Reading/interpreting kanji is not a problem (in general).
• Visit history: Visited twice (once to Hokkaido for ~8 days, and once toKyoto and Osaka for 8 days
• Will probably travel around with a (slightly) oversized luggage at ~166cm (A+B+C), that’s the only one I have with me. This will be a problem on the Shinkansen (but hopefully not so much on sightseeing trains/limited expresses).
• Will be visiting during (almost) peak autumn at 11 November, and will depart on the 16th of December
• Jet lag is unlikely to be a problem (1h time difference), but nevertheless I will maintain a low tempo on the first day to acclimatize to the environment
• Only thing firmed as of now is the air ticket, everything else is up in the air.
• I like planning/min-maxing to some degree, though I recognize that I may not fulfill all objectives during the trip and I am totally ok with that [its just a guideline or framework to give the holiday some structure, that’s all.] FWIW, I personally like traveling at a high tempo pace like some japanese travel show do (e.g. ローカル路線バス乗り継ぎの旅)

​
Specific goals/objective:

1. Experience Shikoku in autumn (specifically the views at Iya Valley) and in other prefectures (thus making nature sightseeing more of a priority this time round)
2. Experience Kanazawa for anime stuff
3. Experience the Shimanami Kaido in full (including any sightseeing spots in between the 6 island chains)
4. Bonus - try as many sightseeing trains as possible.
5. Bonus - if weather, time and schedule permits, try skiing as an option in Nagano.
6. Bonus - stay in as many onsen ryokans as possible, without breaking the bank.

​
Locked-in prefectures [i.e. I will definitely go to those prefectures no matter what]:

1. Shikoku (as per above objective)
2. Hiroshima (because its on the opposite end of the Shimanami Kaido)
3. Kanazawa (for anime related reason)
4. Tokyo (that is my starting and end point so it has to be included by default)

All other prefectures are basically float i.e. I am open to consider dropping said itinerary for something else based on your suggestion that aligns with my preferences/interest. Most of the other locations I added are prefectures that are often next to each other, or well-connected (apart from the initial Tokyo Kagawa jump via Sunrise Seto/Shinkansen).
​
Wait-list prefectures (prefectures that I want to go, but I don’t think I can realistically fit in without dropping other locations):

1. Snow skiing at Nagano (depending on how cooperative the weather is in early-ish December (would 2 days be sufficient?))
2. Ehime, Kochi expansion [spend 1-3 more days]
3. Izu Peninsula (~2 days, via Saphir Odoriko)
4. Nagoya + lower Nagano (Kiso Valley) (~3 days)
5. Ishikawa expansion [1 extra day at Kaga]

I am open to dropping a few days in Tokyo/Osaka etc to make that trade off [currently kept 3 days free for further development]. Alternatively, if the planning can be better optimized based on your inputs I might be able to do one of those without compromising on the base set. I would like to hear your opinion on what locations you would drop in the itinerary to make time for one of the above.
​
General planning philosophy:

1. My itineary adopts a breadth approach (cover as much area as I can humanely possible without rushing/touch-and-go) as opposed to depth (i.e. spending much more time within Shikoku than what I allocated); though I would be open to considering more days at selected locations if you have strong recommendations. My thought is to experience how different autumn is at various parts of the country (if possible), and maybe winter too (to a certain degree).
2. Due to the nature of my travel, I note that luggage logistics is a critical consideration when moving between prefectures; my thought is to park that luggage at the next hotel as quickly as possible so that I can free myself for sightseeing within the vicinity, or leave the luggage at the hotel after I check out until I am ready to travel to the next location. I will need to send (quite a fair bit of) emails to the hotels to confirm on this prior to booking.
3. I will attempt to minimize transit time between prefectures to no more than 2~3 hours a day to avoid having excessively long transport days (except the initial Tokyo Kagawa jump).
4. Because of the long trip, I will also need to factor a bit of downtime at night for administrative stuff (e.g. catching up a little bit on work, laundry etc).

---------
Shikoku (~7 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. I will need to exploit Limited Express trains as much as possible to minimize downtime between the 4 prefectures. Fortunately, for the most part these train frequencies are almost hourly, thus missing one train isnt too deadly consequence-wise.
2. The transfer between Kochi and Ehime [Matsuyama] is oddly quicker via express bus as opposed to trains (!)
3. For Kochi, my opinion is that it is best explored on car instead of public transport [it’s a really wide prefecture]; I feel that 1 day may not do it justice, but it is probably adequate for exploring the city centre as a whole.
4. There's a fair bit of uncertainties while planning this leg so I would deeply appreciate any advice you may have.
5. This current iteration is unable to weave in the Shikoku Mannaka Sennen Monogatari sightseeing train [四国まんなか千年ものがたり] ; if you people think its something not to be missed do let me know and I will reshuffle my timetable as such.

Day 0: Tokyo Kagawa (Sunrise Seto) [Saturday, 11 Nov]

• Touch down at Narita at 1720hours
• Transfer to Tokyo Station via NEX or Skyliner
• Settle administrative matters at the Midori-no-Maruguchi (e.g. get all the booked tickets etc from JR Pass, for Shinkansen and all other sightseeing trains) at Tokyo Station.
• IF Sunrise Seto ticket is obtained via the JR West portal booking, chill till 2200 and take Sunrise Seto to reach Kagawa (Takamatsu) at 0700 the next day. Try to snag the ticket online (likely via the japanese portal since there's no option to buy Solo Deluxe through the english/international website. Otherwise, compromise and go for Single)
• IF Sunrise Seto ticket is NOT obtained, proceed to take the furthest possible Shinkansen westwards (probably Okayama) and rest for the night.

Day 1: Kagawa (Takamatsu) [Sunday, 12 Nov]

• Chill around Takamatsu. Drop luggage at coin locker OR the hotel (near JR Takamatsu ideally)
• Look at whats left of Takamatsu Castle en route to the port.
• Day trip to Naoshima or Teshima to visit the art museums (Chichu Art Museum, Lee Ufan Museum etc).
• Ritsuin Garden in the evening (closes 1830)
• Find an eatery with Sanuki Udon for dinner if possible.

Day 2: Kagawa (Kotohira) Tokushima (Iya Valley) [Monday, 13 Nov]

• Morning trip from Takamatsu to Kotohira (either via JR or Kotoden). Visit Kotohiragu [includes inner shrine] and Kanamaruza Theater
• Return to Kotohira to pick up luggage, transit to Oboke via Limited Express Shimanto [Takamatsu Tadotsu Oboke]
• Retire at a local hotel around Oboke. If time permits, take the chance to explore around Oboke Gorge itself.

​
Day 3: Tokushima (Iya Valley) [Tuesday, 14 Nov]
[Post-research note: I realized that there is NO public transport to Mount Tsurugi on a weekday. I will have to rent a taxi direct to Mount Tsurugi, make the 'climb', then thereafter take the taxi down to the other attractions. I am inclined to just go full hog on the private taxi and rent it (almost the whole day, probably 7~8 hours for 4300yen/hour) to save the trouble.
Otherwise, I will need to hike downhill which can be rather rough since its just a single lane road (looking at nearly 10++ km) so I think it wise not to penny pinch in the interest of both time and safety.]
Spend the day at Iya Valley.

• Take a taxi after breakfast to zip to Mount Tsurugi and speedrun it to the mountain peak (aka using the chairlift to speedrun a good chunk of the mountain) about 2.5 hours ~ 3 hours as per the Iya Valley guide
• Taxi from Mount Tsurugi chairlift down to Oku-Iya Niju Kazuraashi and cross it (~1 hour estimate)
• Taxi down to visit the mannequins/scarecrows at Nagoro Village (~3km downhill from Oku-Iya). (~1 hour estimate)
• Check out the Peeing Boy Statue (~0.5 hour estimate [its just looking at the statue that is overlooking the entire gorge is it not?])
• Cross the outer vine bridge Iya-no-Kazurabashi (~1 hour estimate)
• Taxi back to Oboke, and retire for the day (~0.5 hour estimate, thus looking at about ~8 hours taxi rental total, with some leeway for lunch break)

​
Day 4: Tokushima (Iya Valley) Kochi (Kochi) [Wednesday, 15 Nov]

• Transit from Iya Valley [Oboke] to Kochi via Limited Express Shimanto (again) after breakfast. (~1 hour transit)
• Park luggage at hotel [ideally near JR Kochi Station], then proceed to mill around Kochi, visiting places such as Kochi Castle [高知城] and Harimaya Bridge[はりまや橋]
• Transit to Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum [高知県立坂本龍馬記念館] via local bus which is also near Katsumatsura Beach incidentally. Chill at Katsumatsura Beach in the evening
• Return to JR Kochi, dinnesupper at Hirome Market (ideally to try out Kochi's speciality seared bonito). [is visiting the market more preferable during lunch OR dinner?]

​
Day 5: Kochi (Kochi) Ehime (Imabari) [Thursday, 16 Nov]

• Complete any remaining items in Kochi in the morning, then transit to Imabari via train (Kochi Tadotsu Imabari), via Limited Express Shimanto (yet again!) and Ishidzuchi**[TBC: this might be better done via highway bus instead which is faster at ~2-3 hours]**
• Drop luggage at Imabari for the next 2 days, either at Sunrise Itoyama OR Cycle no Ie. [both are well positioned for the Shimanami Kaido, and are also one of the selected hotels eligible for the Sagawa luggage transfer.] Ideally done just around lunch time, so that there's still the better half of the day to explore Imabari.
• Spend the remainder of the day visiting Imabari Castle (closes 1700) and Towel Museum (slightly out of the way) (closes 1800) [TBC: I note this place is quite out of the way from Imabari itself, even the JP website suggests taking a taxi (!) there from the nearby train station. Might have to drop this).
• Attempt to try some Ehime-related food specialties e.g. Taimeshi (Sea Bream), Ehime oranges, Champon for the next 2 days

​
Day 6: Ehime (Matsuyama / Imabari) [Friday, 17 Nov]

• Take the Limited express train Ishidzuchi to Matsuyama day tripping. (~1h one-way).
• Explore Matsuyama Castle, and the nearby Matsuyama Ropeway Shopping Street
• Visit Shiki Memorial Museum
• Visit Dogo Onsen [and attempt to soak in the waters if possible].
• Also consider looking at Ishiteji (石手寺) beside Dogo Onsen.
• Bonus: Subject to train schedule, if possible, attempt to secure tickets for the Iyonada Sightseeing Train (伊予灘物語), Futami leg [双海ふたみ 編] , and also visit JR Shimonada Station (JR下灘駅) at the same time.
• Bonus: visit Yawatahama Port where the movie Suzume took reference from,
• Return to Imabari via the same Limited express Ishidzuchi and retire for the night.

Day 7: Ehime (Imabari) Hiroshima (Shinamani Kaido) [Saturday, 18 Nov]
I am of the opinion that 1 day in Shimanami Kaido is adequate if I attempt just the main route which is about 80km [as a test run, I did 70km and finished it within 6-7 hours with lunch breaks included]. For now I will plan for two full days, however should I truncate it down to one day later, I will add an extra day to either explore Matsuyama or Okayama.
​

• Start off at Sunrise Itoyama [watch the sunrise, have breakfast here, cafeteria opens at 0700, rental opens at 0800] OR Cycle no Ie. Do paperwork to send luggage over to the next accomodation via Sagawa.
• I will (probably) follow the recommended 'extended' route on Cycle no Ie's website and do the following:
  • Take the west coast for Oshima (~13km) and cross to Hakatajima, with possible stop on:
    • Mount Kiro Observatory Point [I am aware that there's a steep incline so this would be contingent on my physical/mental status by then].
    • Nagahama Beach
• Take the coastal route for Hakatajima (~17km) and cross to Omishima and enjoy the coastal scenery
• Take the coastal route (again) for Omishima (~41km) (or lesser depending on how I'm feeling at that point) , with possible stop on:
  • -TBC: Okunoshima (there is apparently a ferry route to the well-known rabbit island via Omishima port. Not sure if anyone else have tried this particular route and if this is a better approach than going through Tadano-umi (though I would acknowledge that there's historical stuff to visit in nearby Takehara), and I would not be able to buy rabbit food in advance).[Based on Google Earth estimate, its about 3km for the entire island loop - seems doable within 2 hours to tour the poison gas museum with a bike and pet some rabbits).
  • Oyamazumi Shrine Treasure Museum
• End the day at WAKKA (Omishima) OR Guesthouse NEST / Soil Setoda (Ikuchijima) just beside Kousanji / The Hill of Hope (closes 1700). If possible, visit before closing, otherwise defer to next day.
• Try the ice cream at Dolce at Ikuchijima if possible.
• Bonus: if for some reason I am still ahead of time at this juncture (<1500), proceed to finish Innoshima and Mukaishima, then take a ferry to backtrack to Wakka/Soil Setoda or cycle back (last boat is ~1700) and rest; however, the next day I will zip straight to Onomichi via ferry after breakfast.

--------
Hiroshima + Yamaguchi (~4 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. Onomichi is a pretty good base to jump to Okayama to explore Okayama, Kurashiki or Tomonoura with the Shinkansen accessibility, but it is impossible to cover them all within a single day. If I finish the Shimanami Kaido within a single day or finish it early on the second day, I will have that extra time to visit those.
2. There's another sightseeing train etSETOra from Onomichi to Hiroshima but it only operates on Monday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday. For now the schedule could fit the train timetable pretty nicely.
3. Would anyone suggest visiting Miyajima in the morning or in the evening? This would help me determine the order for the Kintaikyo Bridge/Miyajima day trip. Watching the sunset at either destination is pretty good in my books.

​
Day 8: Hiroshima (Shinamani Kaido Onomichi) [Sunday, 19 Nov]

• Continue from Ikuchijima towards Innoshima and Mukaishima (~18km) via the western coast route after breakfast, with possible stops on the following areas:
  • Innoshima: Innoshima Flower Centre, Shimanami Beach [open to more suggestions]
  • Mukaishima : there seems to be a lot of brunch places like Willows Nursery etc, soak the view at Mukaishima Rest Park [TBC: open to more suggestions]

Ideally reach Onomichi just around lunch or earlier. Chill for the rest of the day, and if I'm still up for it, explore Onomichi, including but not limited to:

• Exploring the cat alley
• Visit the exhibits at Onomichi City Museum of Art
• Consider walking to Senkoji and Onomichi Hondori Shopping Street
• Look into trying Onomichi-style ramen.

Retire at a guesthouse/hotel near JR Onomichi that I have forwarded the luggage to.
​
Day 9: Hiroshima (Onomichi, Takehara+Kure OR Tomonoura OR Okayama) Downtown Hiroshima) [Monday, 20 Nov]

• Mill around Onomichi in the morning (if not done yesterday), with a side trip to EITHER Takehara/Kure OR Okayama/Kurashiki OR Tomonoura (choose one):
  • Takehara: stroll along the historical townscape [and look if they have any Tamayura-related merch], Okunoshima (if not done during the Shimanami Kaido leg / Kure: look into trying Kure curry/Niku-jaga and visit the Yamato Museum
  • Okayama: Okayama Castle (zip via Shinkansen) / Kurashiki : Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter
  • Tomonoura: stroll along the townscape during the day (zip via Shinkansen, transfer to local bus)
• Return to Onomichi (no later than 1400), board the etSETOra sightseeing train at 1437, and zip to Hiroshima. Enjoy the sunset along the coastline.
• Retire for the night at Hiroshima proper, probably near JR Hiroshima OR the bus terminal. If time permits, take a gander along the streets and see what takes me from there.

​
Day 10: Hiroshima (Downtown Hiroshima) [Tuesday, 21 Nov]
Spend the day surveying Hiroshima proper.

• Peace Memorial Park (平和記念公園) and Atomic Bomb Dome
• Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims (国立広島原爆死没者追悼平和祈念館)
• Hiroshima Castle
• Orizuru Tower (おりづるタワー)
• Shukkeien (縮景園)
• Optional: Mazda Museum / Kure (if not done the previous day)
• Try to source for Hiroshima-specific food: Okonomiyaki, Dandan Noodles

​
Day 11: Hiroshima (with a day trip to Yamaguchi) [Wednesday, 22 Nov]

• Daytrip to Yamaguchi [Shin-Iwakuni] to visit Kintaikyo Bridge via Shinkansen. Also stop by the nearby Iwakuni Castle.
• Try Tonosama Sushi at Iwakuni if possible.
• Take the local train back to Miyajimaguchi and take the boat to Itsukushima.Take the time to stroll around the island and perhaps watch the sunset at the torii gate.
• Exit back to Hiroshima via boat to Hiroshima Port direct, and transit back to hotel.

--------
Shimane + Tottori (4 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. Matsue becomes the main jump point for Shimane just because of the subsidized highway bus from Hiroshima, and ease of access towards Tottori later. There's no direct train between Hiroshima and Izumo/Matsue (!).
2. Tottori is really wide size-wise, to the point that it feels more efficient to have two separate hotels in two nights (Kurayoshi/Misasa Onsen + downtown Tottori) rather than one hotel for two nights (i.e. downtown Tottori). Could be just me making excuses to get into an onsen ryokan however.
3. Is there anything interesting at Yonago (Tottori) that I should take note of? Based on my initial survey nothing in particular pops up (other than the Tottori Prefectural Flower Park).
4. Skipping Tottori Castle since it doesn’t seem to be interesting at first glance. Any other interesting things to at Tottori downtown (or nearby)?

​
Day 12: Hiroshima Shimane (Matsue) [Thursday, 23 Nov]

• Make good use of the 500yen highway bus from Hiroshima to Matsue. (3.5 hours transit). Fortunately the frequency is not too bad (7-8 buses per day, looking at 0800 departure or later); if there are still outstanding places to visit in Hiroshima I will visit them in the morning.
• Check in at a hotel near JR Matsue, and proceed to trawl around Matsue with whatever daylight is left. (TBC: am considering taking a few stops down to Tamatsukuri Onsen 玉造温泉 or Matsue-shinjoko Onsen instead of the typical hotel. Does anyone have any positive experiences there?)
• Attempt to spend the afternoon at the Adachi Museum of Art. Local train to Yasugi, transfer to free shuttle.
• Chill off in downtown Matsue for the night. Prowl for Shimane-specific food such as Naniwa Zushi (浪花寿司), Shijimi clams (しじみ), Izumo soba, Izumo Zenzai (出雲ぜんざい).
• Bonus: visit the Tottori Prefectural Flower Park for the winter Hanakairo Flower Illumination at Yonago at night [which is just beside Matsue. Free shuttle bus at Yonago bus terminal].

​
Day 13: Shimane (Izumo / Matsue) [Friday, 24 Nov]

• Day trip from Matsue to Izumo. (JR Matsue JR Izumo, swap to Ichibata local rail to Izumotaisha-mae)
• Take a stop at Izumo Taisha, as well as the nearby Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo (島根県立古代出雲歴史博物館)
• After lunch, return to JR Matsue and proceed to Yushien Garden (由志園) via bus. Enjoy the sunset over the garden.
• Stop by Matsue Castle on the way back.

​
Day 14: Shimane (Matsue) Tottori (Kurayoshi) [Saturday, 25 Nov]

• Transfer from Matsue to Kurayoshi in the morning via Super Matsukaze Limited Express (~1h).
• Settle down luggage at Misasa Onsen, then proceed to hike up Mitokusan Sanbutsuji Temple (三仏寺). Cater extra time just in case I have to wait for another fellow to pop up to climb in pairs. Estimated climb time excluding wait is about 2-3 hours both ways?
• Excess time to be spent sauntering Misasa Onsen and its nearby area such as the Nijisseiki Pear Museum [二十世紀梨記念館（なしっこ館)] and Kurayoshi Historical Quarter.
• Retire at Misasa Onsen for the night. Bonus: watch the constellations at night at Misasa Onsen on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday, 2100JST. Current plan does not fall within those 3 weekdays
• Bonus: take a short detour to Conan Town (postnote: not a big fan of the show).

​
Day 15: Tottori (Kurayoshi Tottori) [Sunday, 26 Nov]

• Transfer from Kurayoshi to Tottori (~35minutes transfer) in the morning, and proceed to tour around Tottori.
• Drop luggage, take a local bus to Tottori Sand Dunes, and visit the nearby Sand Museum.
• Transfer northwards to Uradome Coast via local bus and spend the remainder of the day there. Watch the sunset over the coast.
• Return to downtown Tottori, stroll around and call it a night.

​
-----------
Hyogo, Kyoto, Osaka , Nara, Mie (10 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. Kinosaki Onsen is intentionally designed to be a slow-paced leg to recover [and also to make time to enjoy the onsens].
2. The limited express train between Kinosaki Onsen and Osaka stops by Himeji thus I thought of resting a night there instead of doing day trips via Osaka.
3. Osaka itinerary does look sparse but that is in large part because I have already visited most of them in the past. Nevertheless, I would like to experience how different it is in autumn compared to summer [based on those few destinations that I loved going previously].
4. I have kept one float day to decompress, OR shift to any of the other prefectures (TBC).
5. There are (multiple) special limited express train by Kintetsu; they're not covered by JR pass but nevertheless I would love to ride on those as an experience. The Kintetsu pass covers the basic fare only but based on my preliminary cost estimate, it is still worth getting it.
6. Is it feasible to compress Himeji and Kobe to a single day?
7. The itineraries for Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Mie are flexible since they're literally beside one another - makes it particularly easy to shift around base on ground situation.

​
Day 16: Tottori (Tottori) Hyogo (Kinosaki Onsen) [Monday, 27 Nov]

• Settle any outstanding sightseeing spots in the morning if required in Tottori, then transfer to Kinosaki Onsen via the Sanin Line.
• Make a pitstop at Amarube ('Sky Station') and marvel at the engineering work.
• Deposit luggage at the ryokan (or put in the coin locker), and stroll around and enjoy Kinosaki Onsen [after all its an onsen town].
• Try to hit as many of the 7 external onsens that are usable. Retire for the night here.
• Optional: go up the ropeway and oversee Kinosaki Onsen in the evening (last ride up ~1630)
• Optional: take a short hike up to Onsenji Temple.

​
Day 17: Hyogo (Kinosaki Onsen + Northern Kyoto (Amanohashidate) day trip) [Tuesday, 28 Nov]

• Optional: take a (very) early start to the day to Takeda Castle Ruins and witness the 'floating castle' effect in the morning (<0800).
• Day trip to Amanohashidate via ToyookaKyotango Railway. Do the funny bend-down pose on the bench at Amanohashidate View Land, and see how it feels like looking at the world inverted.
• Cross the sandbar and look from the other side (Nariaiji Temple / Kasamatsu Park)
• Select one of three additional side-trips:
  • EITHER take a local bus up to Ine to look at the Funaya + sightseeing boat,
  • OR local rail down to Maizuru to look at the Maizuru World Brick Museum + eat at the Michi-no-eki;
  • OR reverse to Toyooka spend time in the city itself e.g. Izushi Castle Town
• Return to Kinosaki Onsen, and continue experiencing the remainder of the onsens. Retire for the night here. Optional: ride the Aomatsu sightseeing train back to Toyooka.
• Optional: Take a trip to Ankokuji Temple (安国寺) in the evening. Likely to visit post-peak autumn which means less than ideal viewing conditions.

Day 18: Hyogo (Kinosaki Onsen Himeji) [Wednesday, 29 Nov]

• Transit from Kinosaki Onsen to Himeji via Limited Express Hamakaze (~2 hours).
• Deposit luggage at the hotel or the coin lockers at the station, then proceed for sightseeing.
• Walk along the Miyuki Street Shopping District which is en-route to Himeji Castle.
• Himeji Castle sector : Himeji Castle (姫路城), Kokoen (好古園)
• Take a local bus at Himeji Castle to go to Mount Shosha and hike up Engyōji Temple (圓教寺)
• Optional : Stroll along Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History and/or Himeji City Museum of Art which is beside the castle, OR Shosha Handicraft Museum which is just at the foot of Mount Shosha
• Optional: Make a detour to the Japan Toy Museum near Koro station (~30 minutes from JR Himeji). Closes 1700.
• Look for Hyogo-specific food: Kobe beef, steamed pork buns, sobameshi, himeji oden, etc

Retire at Himeji for the night.
Day 19: Hyogo (Himeji Kobe) Osaka (Dotonburi) [Thursday, 30 Nov]
Day trip to Kobe, before continuing further down to Osaka.

• Check out from Himeji, transit further down to Kobe for another stop before Osaka. Place luggage at the holding facility within the Shinkansen station.
• Take a visit to the Earthquake Memorial Museum (人と防災未来センター) to look at the devastation wrought by the 1995 earthquake.
• Stroll along Kobe Harborland (神戸ハーバーランド) and Meriken Park (メリケンパーク) , look at the Kobe Tower since its closed till 2024 for renovation, and look at the damage caused by the earthquake
• Optional: Head westwards to Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art.
• Optional: Hit up the ASICS Sports Museum (アシックススポーツミュージアム)
• Look at the engineering feat that is the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge and the nearby Akashi Kaikyo Bridge Exhibition Center at Maiko. (Suzume no Tojimari)
• Return to Shin-kobe, pick up luggage, and transit to Shin-Osaka via Shinkansen, and then to Dotonburi/Shinsaibashi. End the (long) day in Osaka.

Day 20: Osaka [Friday, 1 Dec]
Osaka Nostalgia (acid) trip, speedrun edition: revisiting places that I want to go again

• Day trip to Mino Park and revisit the waterfall (I loved visiting it previously) via the Hankyu line in the morning.
• Zoom down to the Osaka Aquarium after lunch and walk around it (Minoo Umeda Honmachi Osakako Station).
• From there, race towards Abeno Harukas and watch the sunset/nightview at Abeno Harukas.
• Bonus: revisit Sumiyoshi Taisha if time permits.
• Spend whatever time remains at night at Nipponbashi Denden Town (shops close at ~2000) and Dotonburi (some stores are still open near midnight) and/or Shinsekai (新世界).

Day 21: Osaka (Nara day trip) [Saturday, 2 Dec]
Spend a day in Nara.

• Zoom from Namba to Nara via Kintetsu (note: non-JR)
• Explore Todaiji Temple, Kokufuji Temple, Isuien Garden and Kasuga Taisha.
• Optional: pass by Naramachi (奈良町) on the way back.
• Take the Kintetsu line down to Mount Yoshino. [TBC: subject to whether I am too early or late for the koyo.Based on last year's prediction I am about 1-2 weeks too late. Might swap this out to a Uji day trip instead in Kyoto.). Spend time walking around the Shimo Senbon and Naka Senbon and experience the autumn.
• Transfer back to Osaka. Bonus: take the Blue Symphony back to Osaka instead of the typical train. (non-JR)

Day 22: Osaka (Mie day trip) [Sunday, 3 Dec]
Day trip to Mie.

• Take the Iseshima Liner from Tsuruhashi Station (near Namba/Dotonburi) to Ise. Bonus: take the Hinotori from Osaka to Tsu, then transfer to Mie. (non-JR)
• Hit up Ise Jingu (伊勢神宮) [both inner and outer] and Okage Yokocho (おかげ横丁)
• Try to eat Matsuaka Beef or Ise Udon for lunch.
• Head westwards to Futamiokitama Shrine (二見興玉神社) / Meotoiwa Rocks; and if further time permits, go to Toba for the Ama Viewing Platform.
• Take the returning Shimakaze Limited Express train back to Osaka (note: only one train at 1630; if this train is missed, change to normal express trains). (non-JR)
• Retreat back to Osaka for the night. Consider doing any other night activities in Osaka if time, and body permits.

Day 23: Osaka ('north' Kyoto day trip) [Monday, 4 Dec]
(north) Kyoto day trip.

• Take a stop at the Kyoto Railway Museum. Optional: also consider heading to To-ji Gojunoto first if I reach Kyoto way early before 10am.
• Walk back to Kyoto station, and take a bus northwards to Kyoto Manga Museum.
• Hop on the bus direct from the Manga Museum to Kinkakuji. [bus 15]
• Select one of two side-trips:
  • EITHER head westwards to Arashiyama (note: already visited once in the summer but I still think it nice to visit in autumn/winter this time round). Bonus: experience sunset along the Togetsukyo Bridge.
  • OR head eastwards to Higashiyama (closes 1700), Philosopher's path etc (did not visit these in my past trip here so there's the 'new' factor, but it is going to be a physically taxing day. Also, most likely will reach here nearing evening i.e. closing time thus there's a limit to how much I can visit realistically).

Whichever choice, return back to Osaka for the night. Look out for Kyoto-specific food such as Yudofu, Saba Sushi, Warabi Mochi, Nishin Soba (にしんそば) etc.
Day 24: Osaka ('south' Kyoto day trip) [Tuesday, 5 Dec]
(south) Kyoto day trip edition (mainly Uji and Fushimi).

• Zip from Osaka to Kyoto via Keihan to Uji Station.
• Spend the better half of the morning in Uji.
• Visit the Byōdō-in and the nearby Tonoshima and Tachibana Island.
• Hike up to the Daikichiyama Observation Deck to oversee Uji as a whole. On the way down, explore Ujigami Shrine.
• Take the chance to buy some Uji tea as gifts to relatives. Have lunch along the Omotesando Road.
• Head further northwards to Fushimi, and do another hike up Fushimi Inari. (Note: visited once in the past but I liked the experience thus I would like to do it again.) Bonus: if its done in the evening.

Head back to Osaka and retire for the night. Consider doing any other night activities in Osaka if time, and body permits.
Day 25: Osaka (wildcard) [Wednesday, 6 Dec]
Spare day to do whatever I feel like doing OR reallocate this to another prefecture. Intentionally left blank for later planning
-------------
Kanazawa, Gifu+ (4 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. Is it likely for the skiing season to open around 9~10 December at Shiga Kogen or Nozawa Onsen? Would very much like to try skiing for fun, but am uncertain if the snow condition would be satisfactory by then. Some of the skiing website indicates that these two destinations are usually the first to open. I would like to seek advise on this if possible [never skiied before].
2. As an additional question to point 1, is 2 days adequate just to get a flavor on skiing?
3. Kanazawa is a pretty solid jump point to Shirakawago/Takayama via express buses (~1 to 2 hour one way).
4. My initial planning considered going to Kurobe Gorge (Toyama) but apparently the railways are closed from December onwards. Please correct me if I am mistaken.
5. Another sightseeing train in Kanazawa that I can fit in nicely in my current plans (花嫁のれん), runs on Mon/Fri/Sat/Sun.

Day 26: Osaka Ishikawa (Kanazawa (Kanazawa cityside)) [Thursday, 7 Dec]

• Zip from Osaka to Kanazawa via Limited Express Thunderbird in the early morning (~3hours; ideally the 0740 or 0810 service). Drop luggage at the hotel near JR Kanazawa and explore the cityside.
• Have lunch at the Omicho Market (近江町市場), OR at Higashi Chaya District.
• Stroll around Kanazawa Castle (金沢城, Kanazawajō) and the nearby Kenrokuen (兼六園) / Seisonkaku Villa (成巽閣, Seisonkaku) .
• Consider visiting one or more of the nearby museums if possible:
  • D.T. Suzuki Museum OR
  • National Crafts Museum OR
  • 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
• Optional: Head southwards to Myoryuji Temple + Nishi Chaya District.
• Optional: Head northwards to Higashi Chaya District (if not done for lunch).

Any outstanding spots not completed today, to be rolled over to the next 2 days (if possible).

• Retire in Kanazawa for the night. Be on the lookout for Kanazawa-specific food: Gold-leaf ice cream, oden, hanton rice
• Optional: have a stay at Yuwaku Onsen for at least one night for anime-related reasons. (Hanasaku Iroha)

​
Day 27: Ishikawa (Kanazawa cityside) / Gifu (Shirakawago, Takayama) [Friday, 8 Dec]

• Day trip to Shiwakawago and Takayama via Nohi bus (non-JR, ~1h). Grab the morning bus express bus to Shirakawago and explore the place in the morning. Experience early snowfall (?) there. Optional: visit Ainokura on the way towards Shirakawago.
• Take another express bus down to Takayama for lunch (~1h travel time).
• Explore what Takayama has to offer. Stroll along the old town near the bus terminal and visit the Takayama Jinya. If time permits, stroll along the Higashiyama Walking Course.
• Optional: pay a visit to Hida Folk Village.
• Return to Kanazawa via Hida Limited Express to Toyama Shinkansen to Kanazawa, OR take the same Nohi express bus directly back (non-JR).
• Retire at Kanazawa for the night. Last express bus from Takayama to Kanazawa is 1630, arrive at 1845. Alternatively, head northwards to Toyama via JR and transfer to Kanazawa.

​
Day 28: Ishikawa (Kanazawa cityside / outskirts) [Saturday, 9 Dec]
Side trip to Wakura Onsen / Nanao for anime-related sightseeing. (Insomanics after Class, Hanasaku Iroha)

• Zoom from Kanazawa up to Wakura Onsen/Nanao via Limited Express Noto Kagaribi. Do some sightseeing related to Insomanics after Class and Hanasaku Iroha.
• Do some train spotting with two anime along the Noto Railways. Stop at Nishigishi station for some sightseeing. (non-JR)
• Return to Kanazawa in the evening from Wakura Onsen via the sightseeing train Hanayomenoren [花嫁のれん, last train 1630).
• End the night at Kanazawa.

Day 29: Ishikawa (wildcard) [Sunday, 10 Dec]
Spare day to do whatever I feel like doing OR reallocate this to another prefecture. Intentionally left blank for later planning
--------------
Tokyo (~6 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. Specific interest to target: anime/vtuber stuff, music (piano in particular), bookstores etc.
2. This is the point in time I should go ham on souvenier purchase if I have not done so. I'll probably get an extra cardboard box or duffel bag to lug with me to the airport to store extra stuff.
3. Would like to seek recommendation on where I should set my base for the 5~6 days here. For now I am planning to pit at Ginza, subject to availability and cost. My thought is that as long as its along the Yamanote line everything rolls I suppose.
4. Hard pass on Golden Gai on the Shunjuku leg (I do not drink).
5. There's way too many to list in terms of what I would like to do in Tokyo, but I have listed items that are of particular interest to me first within the available time frame. If you have strong opinions on specific locations do let me know.

Day 30: Ishikawa (Kanazawa) Tokyo (Ginza) [Monday, 11 Dec]

• Zip from Kanazawa to Tokyo via the Hoririku Shinkansen in the morning (just north of two hours). (TBC : If I can optimize my schedule better, I can try squeezing two days here for a stop at Nozawa Onsen / Shiga Kogen (Nagano) for a short ski experience).
• Deposit luggage at one of the Ginza hotels (TBC: subject to cost; might swap for another location later on)
• Explore ('south') Tokyo with the remainder of the day.
• Marvel at the architecture that is the Tokyo Station and its surrounding.
• Visit the Imperial Palace.
• Head south towards the Mori Art Museum (closes 2200)
• End the night with a stop at Tokyo Tower (closes 2230).

Day 31: Tokyo (Shibuya, Shinjuku and Nakano) [Tuesday, 12 Dec]
Explore ('west') Tokyo, namely Shibuya, Shinjuku and Nakano.

• Start off with an early day visit to Meji Shrine / Yoyogi Park.
• Head up to Shinjuku. Spend the remainder of the morning and lunch exploring Kabukicho, Hanazono Shrine and Omoide Yokochō (ideally have lunch here). Also make a pit stop at Kinokuniya's flagship store at Shinjuku.
• Head northwards to Nakano Broadway and trawl for anime goods for several hours (closes ~1900)
• Head south down back to Shibuya and experience the crossing in peak night condition. Walk around and soak in the atmosphere. Optional: stop by the Ishibashi music store at Shibuya (closes 2000).
• Cap off the night and look at the night view at Shibuya Sky (closes 2230). Zip back to the hotel at Ginza.

Day 32: Tokyo (Akibahara, Asakusa and Sky Tree) [Wednesday, 13 Dec]

• Kick off the day with a morning visit to Asakusa (i.e. Sensoji).
• Transit over to Tokyo Skytree to watch the Tokyo cityscape in the day.
• Trawl around Akibahara for the afternoon. (Animate, Sega claw machines, etc).
• Also stop by Ochanomizu for sightseeing (Suzume no Tojimari)
• Zip back to the hotel for the night. If time permits, stop by the two flagship music stores along Ginza: Yamaha Ginza and Yamano Ginza. Also, visit Itoya Ginza (stationary store).

Day 33: Tokyo (Kamakura day trip OR Ikebukuro) [Thursday, 14 Dec]
EITHER take a day trip Kamakura, OR explore northern Tokyo (Ikebukuro)
Kamakura leg:

• Make a detour to Used Tyre Market Sagamihara Store to experience the retro vending machines. Then head southwards to Enoshima.
• Look at the giant Buddha statue and stroll along Hasedera.
• Take the Enoden to Enoshiima and explore the island.
• Take the JR back to Ginza and retire for the night.

Tokyo (Ikebukuro leg):

• Visit Otome Road for otaku related stuffs.
• Trawl the usual suspects such as Bic Camera etc.
• Make a stop at the Mejiro Gardens.
• Visit the Waseda International House of Literature (The Haruki Murakami Library) at Waseda University.

Day 34: Tokyo (wildcard) [Friday, 15 Dec]
Spare day to do whatever I feel like doing OR reallocate this to another prefecture. Intentionally left blank for later planning
​
Day 35: Tokyo Home [Saturday, 16 Dec]

• Contemplate life at the hotel, doing whatever I feel like for the morning and early afternoon. Bonus: have an early breakfast at Tsukiji Market in the morning if staying at Ginza.
• Clear any last minute administrative matter (if any), or do (very) last minute sightseeing/buying. Most likely limited to Ginza and Akibahara.
• Get a nice lunch omakase to cap it off if possible. (taking recommendations if anyone has one, ideally meat/beef centric instead of just sushi).
• Head off to Narita from Tokyo Station via NEX just after lunch at 1430 1530 to Narita, flight at 1830.

END
---------------------
If you're still reading up to this point, here's my own personal ramblings/thoughts on JR pass usage:
I have thought of two ways of doing this for the first 21 days:
a. easy-mode : just get 21 days JR global pass before the price hike at 60450 yen, OR b. hard-mode: get a 7 day JR global pass (to cover the NEX fees, the basic fee on the Sunrise Seto to Shikoku, as well as limited express trains within Shikoku) (29650) + 5 days for JR Okayama Hiroshima Yamaguchi Area Pass (15000) + 4 days for JR Sanin Okayama Area Pass + 5 days for JR Kansai Wide Area Pass (10000) for a total of 59230.
The initial conclusion was to go with option A since that reduces the administrative burden, but I realized the individual passes do have its own perk which truimphs over the global JR pass. For instance, the Sanin Okayama Area Pass provides a (minor) discount for the Adachi Museum of Art; the Kansai Wide Pass covers the Kyotango route between Kinosaki Onsen and Amanohashidate which the global JR pass does not cover, JR Okayama Hiroshima Yamaguchi Area Pass covers JR buses within Hiroshima for free, therefore I am inclined to go with the hell option (option B) as it stands.
For the remaining 14 days, I could also get the global 14 day JR pass at 47250 yen but it is not worth it at all, because I will be relying largely on Kintetsu for the Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Mie leg which the JR pass most certainly does not cover.

• For the Osaka/Nara/Mie/Kyoto leg, I intend to make good use of a mix of both local metro and the Kintetsu rail pass for 5 days (4900). If I do exploit Kintetsu's limited express train to its fullest, I should be able to save money by buying the pass. The Osaka Amazing Pass at 2600yen a day does not make financial sense for me this time round, given how little I am exploring within Osaka.
• For the Osaka Kanazawa, Shirakawago and Takayama leg, the preferred pass of choice is the Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass over the global JR pass, in large part because this pass fully absorbs the Nohi highway bus fees (which can rack up quite a lot at ~8000yen for a return trip between Kanazawa and Shirakawago/Takayama). Also this absorbs the Thunderbird fee. One major issue with my current plan is that it does not cover Wakura Onsen nor the sightseeing train.
• For the final Kanazawa Tokyo leg, the preferred choice is the Horuriku Arch Pass that covers the direct Shinkansen back to Tokyo, and the NEX fees to Narita when I depart from Tokyo. Will only break even with the pass at best unless I make a stop at Nagano.

So all in all, there's quite little incentive to get the global JR pass after I worked out my schedule, apart from the initial 7 days for the Sunrise Seto jump which the All Shikoku Pass will not cover.
Through the hodge-podge of multiple area passes, it works out to around 102890 yen for the whole trip of 35 days, contrast with 107700 yen for a 21 + 14 global JR pass. While there's a minor cost saving doing the hard way which sweetens the deal, the additional minor perks associated with the area passes sells it for me, as I would had to pay more out of pocket to cover non-JR pass buses/rails and such which would add up to much greater cost than I would had anticipated. Also, if I did this trip post-price hike in October, the calculus becomes a no-brainer: avoid the global JR pass like the plague.
-----
Thank you very much for your opinions, suggestions and advice in advance!

Currently work a 4-10 schedule at SRS and live in North Augusta. I’m moving to Lexington County. I’m considering staying in my current role and doing the long drive. But I’m also interested in what other options there are that have a 4-10 schedule. Does anyone know what Westinghouse’s schedules are like for engineers? Thanks!

Bonney Lake, Washington, is a vibrant community located in Pierce County. For individuals seeking orthodontic treatment, Bonney Lake offers a range of options to achieve a confident and healthy smile. Braces, one of the most popular orthodontic treatments, can effectively address dental misalignments and improve the overall appearance and functionality of the teeth.
if you're looking for orthodontic services or information about braces in Bonney Lake, Orthodontic Excellence is the best choice for it.
Braces In Bonney Lake are orthodontic devices used to correct dental misalignments and improve the appearance and functionality of the teeth. They are commonly used to treat issues such as overcrowding, crooked teeth, gaps between teeth, and bite problems (underbite, overbite, crossbite, etc.
Types of Braces: There are different types of braces available, including:
A) Traditional Metal Braces: These are made of stainless steel brackets and wires and are the most common type of braces. They are highly effective and cost-effective.
B) Ceramic Braces: These braces use tooth-coloured or clear brackets, making them less noticeable than metal braces. They are popular among individuals who want a more aesthetic option.
C) Lingual Braces: These braces are placed on the back (lingual) surface of the teeth, making them virtually invisible from the front. Lingual braces are customized for each patient and can be more expensive and challenging to adjust.
D) Clear Aligners: These are removable, transparent trays that gradually move the teeth. Examples include Invisalign® and ClearCorrect®. Clear aligners are popular due to their virtually invisible appearance and convenience.
Treatment Duration: The length of time you'll need to wear braces varies depending on the severity of your dental issues. On average, treatment can last anywhere from several months to a few years. It's important to follow your orthodontist's instructions and attend regular appointments for optimal results.
Maintenance and Care: Proper oral hygiene is crucial while wearing braces. You will need to brush and floss your teeth meticulously to keep them clean and prevent plaque buildup. Your orthodontist may provide special tools, such as interdental brushes or floss threaders, to assist with cleaning around the braces and wires.
Retainers: After your braces are removed, you'll likely be instructed to wear a retainer to help maintain the corrected position of your teeth. Retainers can be removable or fixed and should be worn as prescribed by your orthodontist.
The first step towards achieving your dream smile with braces in Bonney Lake is to schedule a consultation with an orthodontist. During this initial appointment, the orthodontist will conduct a thorough examination of your teeth, jaws, and facial structure. They will also discuss your treatment goals and address any concerns or questions you may have.
Once the orthodontist determines that braces are the right choice for you, they will create a customized treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. This plan will outline the type of braces recommended, the estimated duration of treatment, and the expected outcome. Bonney Lake offers various types of braces, including traditional metal braces, ceramic braces, lingual braces, and clear aligners.
Once the braces are placed, regular appointments will be scheduled with your orthodontist in Bonney Lake. During these visits, adjustments will be made to the braces or aligners to ensure progress is being made according to the treatment plan. The orthodontist will also provide guidance on oral hygiene practices and offer advice on maintaining a healthy smile throughout the treatment process.
The duration of braces treatment varies depending on the complexity of the dental issues being addressed. On average, treatment can last anywhere from several months to a few years. It's important to note that each patient's orthodontic journey is unique, and the orthodontist will provide a more accurate estimate based on your specific case.
In addition to the orthodontic treatment phase, a retention phase follows the removal of braces. This phase involves wearing a retainer to maintain the corrected position of the teeth. Retainers can be removable or fixed, and your orthodontist will provide instructions on how often and for how long you should wear them.
For individuals considering braces in Bonney Lake, it's crucial to research and chooses an orthodontic provider that best suits your needs. You can explore online directories, read patient reviews, or seek recommendations from friends and Family,
We believe that orthodontic treatment should be a positive and transformative experience. With our attention to detail and commitment to excellence, we strive to help you achieve the beautiful smile you've always desired.
Don't wait any longer to start your braces journey. Contact Us now in Bonney Lake today to schedule your initial consultation. Take the first step towards a healthier, straighter smile. Our team is ready to provide you with outstanding orthodontic care that will leave you with a smile that truly shines.

The name "Mangalore" is derived from Mangladevi, a local Hindu goddess. The city, which is an important port for India, is nestled between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. It has been ruled over by several powerful kingdoms, making it a place of enormous cultural and historical significance. Many tourists are drawn to this place by its spectacular beaches, stunning architecture, and rich cultural and historical background. Travellers from the USA regularly book USA to Mangalore Flights to have a vacation in this great nation. The beginning phase of the tourist agenda includes visits to the Manjunath Temple and the Gokarnath Temple. Three km from the city centre, the Gokarnath Temple honours an incarnation.
The first destinations on the tourist route are the Gokarnath Temple and the Manjunath Temple. A manifestation of Lord Shiva is worshipped at the Gokarnath temple, located 3 miles outside of the city. Both its stunning construction and its devotion to Lord Manjunathaswamy have made this temple famous.

The best advice for locating affordable flights from the USA to Mangalore

Be flexible with your travel dates:Travelling throughout the week as opposed to the weekend can frequently result in significant airfare savings. Moreover, think about travelling in the off-peak or shoulder seasons when there are less travellers.
Check multiple airlines and travel sites:Checking various airlines and travel websites is crucial for comparing costs and locating the greatest offers.

• Use flight aggregator websites: You may compare prices from several airlines and travel sites using websites like Kayak, Skyscanner, and Google Flights, which will make it simpler to find low-cost flights.
• Set up price alerts: Many travel websites and airlines include price alert systems that let you know when the price reduces. These notifications can help you find a great deal.
• Consider alternative airports:See if there are any less expensive flight options at nearby airports to your departure or destination.
• Use frequent flyer programs: You can use your miles to purchase a flight or to obtain deals if you are a frequent traveller.
• Avoid peak travel periods: Avoid going at busy seasons, such as holidays or school breaks, when airfares are more expensive.
• Be open to different routes: Route flexibility can frequently result in significant cost savings. Find out whether there are any layovers or connecting USA to Mangalore flights that can help you save money.

Which airlines fly most frequently between the USA and Mangalore?

There are no direct flights from the USA to Mangalore, thus passengers must take a connecting flight from one US airport to another in order to reach Mangalore International Airport. Many airlines offer connecting flights between the USA and Mangalore, with various timetables, fees, and amenities. Some of the most well-known airlines that operate flights between the United States and Mangalore are listed below:

1. Emirates: Emirates is a Dubai-based airline that operates connecting flights from major US cities such as New York, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle to Mangalore. Emirates is known for its comfortable and luxurious flights, offering in-flight entertainment, onboard meals, and other amenities.
2. Qatar Airways: Qatar Airways is another popular airline that operates USA to Mangalore flights from cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Miami, and Chicago to Mangalore. Qatar Airways is known for its award-winning services, including comfortable seats, personalised service, and in-flight entertainment.
3. Etihad Airways:Etihad Airways is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates that operates connecting flights from various US cities such as New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles to Mangalore. Etihad Airways offers a range of amenities, including comfortable seats, in-flight entertainment, and onboard meals.
4. Air India: Air India is India's national airline that operates direct USA to Mangalore flights from cities such as New York, Chicago, and San Francisco to India's major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. From there, passengers can take connecting flights to reach Mangalore. Air India offers comfortable seats, in-flight entertainment, and onboard meals.
5. United Airlines: United Airlines is a major US airline that operates connecting flights from several US cities, such as New York, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles, to Mangalore. United Airlines offers comfortable seats, in-flight entertainment, and onboard meals.

These airlines are some of the most popular options for passengers travelling between the USA and Mangalore, with varying prices, schedules, and services. It's recommended to check with each airline for their current offers, prices, and flight schedules before booking a flight.

Which month is the cheapest for flights from the USA to Mangalore?

Depending on the airline, route, demand, and time of year, the cheapest month to fly from the USA to Mangalore may differ. Typically, May to September are the best months to visit Mangalore.
This is the off-season for tourist due to the monsoon, therefore there isn't much demand for travel to Mangalore at this time. Airlines may therefore decrease their prices to entice travellers. Additionally, Mangalore experiences its peak travel season from November to February, which could result in higher ticket prices.
However, it's crucial to keep in mind that the rainy season may have an impact on your vacation plans. Weather conditions may be unexpected as a result of thunderstorms or heavy rain, causing flight delays or cancellations. It's critical to review the weather forecast and make appropriate plans.

1. PERSONALIA

• Age: 36
• Education: Didn't finish High school - 3d middelbaar highest level.
• Work Experience : 21 years in various roles (of which 12 in IT)
• Civil status: Married
• Dependent children (Kinderen ten laste/enfants à charge): 2

2. TYPE OF CONTRACT - Bediende

• Current job title/description: Customer Success Manager
• (Ancienniteit/Anciennité): in my role: 7yrs
• Official hours/week : 40 official hours/week, average of 45/week, peaks of 60/week
• (excluding transport): 40-60 depending the period
• SectoIndustry: SaaS IT

3. WAGE CONDITIONS)

• Gross wage (brut): 3700
• Net wage (incl. net fees): 2800
• 13th month (full? partial?): Full
• Mobile phone? Laptop?: laptop, Mobile phone plan (not the device)
• Meal vouchers: for each day worked 8€
• Ecocheques: Yes, 250/year
• Group Insurance (% part employer): no
• Hospitalisation Insurance: yes, incl wife and children for a really low price.
• Other advantages (bonus, 14th month, stocks...): Work from home expense (100€/month), Discounted home internet plan (60€/month) after 3 years get to keep hardware for personal use. Personal Company credit card 1000€/month limit for job related expenses

4. MOBILITY

• City/region of work: Europe, HQ is in East-flanders (+/- 30% travel EU)
• Distance home-work (km's): 17
• Distance home-work (time): 20’
• Do you need your own car?: No
• How is the travel home-work compensated: Company car
• Company ca-bike (what's the budget, do you have fuel card?): Volvo V60 + fuel card, unlimited personal use allowed

5. OTHER CONDITIONS

• Amount of official holidays: 24
• (ADV, RTT) : 12 (ADV)
• Other extra holidays: none
• How easy can you plan a day off: About a month in advance (my schedule is usually fully booked at least a month in advance, if last minute cancellations occur, I can easily take the day off)
• Shiftwork or daytime job? Daytime
• Flexible working hours: yes
• Amount of stress (standby for troubles at work)?: Depending on project stage, sometimes 24/7 standby. High workload. Many different clients, all very high level.
• How often does overtime happens: Often, some weeks can be 60 hours, but I can decide for myself to work some hours or half a day less if my schedule allows it. 45hweek on average. Overtime is not paid or officially tracked "part of the job" & allowed to "use common sense for recup" kind of policy.
• Education possibilities: None officially, but can be discussed
• Teleworking (besides corona-period): 3 days a week policy, except for on-site customer visits or in person meetings (often)
• Responsible for personnel (reports): No

Please add your events in the comments below and visit the following pages for events in and around Wilmington:
2023 Events
Holy Trinity Greek Festival - June 5 - June 10
Summer SoCo Art Market - June 10, July 8, August 26
St. Anthony's Italian Festival - June 11 - June 18
Clifford Brown Jazz Festival - June 21 - 24
New Castle County Ice Cream Festival - June 24
Delaware Burger Battle - August 26
Brandywine Festival of the Arts - September 9-10
Wilmington Festival Hispano - September 10
People's Festival - A Tribute to Bob Marley - September 23
Delaware Taco Festival - September 24-25

Summer Concerts

Sunday's and Thursday's in Bellevue State Park
Monday's and Wednesday's in Wilmington State Parks

First Friday Art Loop

Art Loop

Looking to avoid Joe Jam?

Check out President Biden's Travel schedule

Wilmington, NCC, & DE Events Pages & Resources

Live Music in New Castle County Courtesy of u / billy_likes_music)
InWilmDE
Downtown Wilmington
Riverfront Wilmington Events
Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley Events
Friends of Wilmington Parks
New Castle County Happenings
Out and About Events
Delaware Today Events Page
Visit Delaware Events
​
Sign up for city news e-mails here: https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/about-us/sign-up-for-city-enews

Rick had expected that taking an entire tribe to Sinco would be slow. Who wouldn’t? It was a whole tiny village after all, one nearing a handful hundred.
But the Orcs, and by extension all the other maidens, had more than one surprise in store.
When the tribe had set off, they’d done so with a grand demolition. The moment everything of value had been picked up and packaged, the village was then torn to shreds by anyone willing to take part in the little destruction-derby.
Following this, the tribe would split up into hut-family units.
Every “family” would be made of one human and multiple maidens. The maiden with the highest standing within the family unit (almost always an Orc) would be in charge of carrying and protecting the human on their back. And the rest would handle the luggage and supplies that “family” unit would take with them.
And from there, they would break into a jogging pace that, to a human, would have been a dead sprint.
Rick had the distinct “honor” of being carried by Urtha since Monica’s job as the chief meant it was her job to be at the tip of the metaphorical spear. Meanwhile, Rick was left seated on a sort-of-backpack the tall Orc carried.
Kiara flew overhead with the handful of other flying maidens that’d been woken up from the boxes. Leaving Eva and Dia to carry their belongings. It left an unpleasant aftertaste in Rick’s gut.
The smirk Dia kept shooting his way as he petulantly crossed his arms and resigned himself to being glorified luggage. “I could at least be playing the drums to mark the pace or something. It’s not like we’re being subtle or quiet.”
“Humans have no place drawing attention where danger lurks,” Urtha said, the only one present that wasn’t even winded. “Less so the Father.”
“Some feral might think you are a cheesy snack.” Dia, huffing as she pushed herself, still giggled.
“The tribe is tense enough already.” The Orc shook her head. “We rarely bring this many weaklings with us.”
“One of many changes to come.” Rick held the sigh, mostly because he was holding on to the chair to keep from falling over. He didn’t want to think about it, but once they reached Sinco, things would get complicated.
They were effectively marching out, seeking to conquer a city. Whether it be through actual warfare or maneuvering, they weren’t sure just yet. They just knew that they were prepared for the former if the latter didn’t work out. The reports had come in: Sinco was not in a good place. The constant presence of highly aggressive ferals had been chipping away at their defenses.
The only hope the city held was that they would receive reinforcements from Aubria.
Rick would get there faster.
It was in these thoughts that he pondered throughout the day. The tribe traveled and rested too often to the Orc’s liking. There was much friction to be had, and the humans were guarded like the treasures the tribe considered them to be.
When night came, a singular large hut was made for the humans, and the maidens would sleep in rotations. There would be small songs and minor stories that were shared, small moments of comfort. But they were all held under the looming watchfulness of the tribe.
Because they were at their most vulnerable. One missed feral deciding to make a stand could mean a human getting hurt. Rick had to begrudgingly respect them for that. As much as he loathed being treated like some kind of porcelain doll, there was no room to question that the maidens were going the extra mile for everyone’s safety and survival.
Though they would sometimes go a bit overboard against the maidens that “slowed down the tribe”. His role mediating such disputes had become his main role throughout the following days.
One morning, as they were preparing to set out, he heard it.
It started with a scream, then a yelp, and then a rush.
By the time Rick realized what was going on, Monica was upon him. Drenched from head to toe and stinking of salt and seaweed. The massive maiden was looking at him with a smile that threatened to split her head in two.
“Rick!” She hovered over him, dripping water all over. “Come! Come!”
“Is everything alright?” He asked from the discomfort of the portable chair he was currently occupying.
“COME!” she insisted, hopping on her feet and skittishly looking back, aiming her ear in the direction she’d come from. “Quick!”
“The tribe is not heading that way.” Urtha pointed out.
Rick considered it for a second. “Are there any problems shifting course to travel nearer to the sea?”
“It is a bad idea. For many reasons.”
Her words brought nods from Eva and Dia, to which Rick could only respond with a shrug. “Ok, then we could call for a break for the day, give everyone a chance to properly unwind, and I’ll go with Monica.” He pointed over at the feline that was bouncing on her heels, just barely holding back from reaching out and yanking him into her wet embrace. “Seems like the chief is very excited about something.”
“I bet its food,” Eva said.
“Urtha?” Rick waited.
The Orc glanced over at the crowd. “We will set camp for the day. We cannot afford to lose any of the weaklings.”
That was as good as he could’ve hoped. Rick nodded and was immediately snatched by Monica’s fuzzy paw. The maiden picked him up, putting him over her shoulder and trotting through the shrubbery and trees with little regard for who might be following.
Rick got himself a face full of leaves, flinching and batting them away. “Hey, wait, the branches-”
The Sabretooth yanked him into her arms and broke into a full sprint. Dirt and rocks burst forth from where she stood as air whipped about them. Her fang-filled smile only grew. Monica’s eyes were only focused forward. Rick, meanwhile, was trying to avoid swallowing bugs. The insects that kept flying about appeared to prefer smacking against his face.
There was a moment of clarity, light, and blue.
And with a splash, he was underwater.
Rick made the mistake of gasping, swallowing sea-water, wildly flinging his arms to get himself to the surface. Monica yanked him out of the water, leaving him feeling like a half-drowned cat as he coughed and spat.
“LOOK!” she proclaimed, dropping him on the sandy beach as she hurried towards the crashing waves, kicking at them and sending sprays of foam high into the air. “Rick! BIG!” She waved wildly, rushing her way into the water, then back out.
“That’s the sea.”
“Monica see!” With wide arms, she tried to point at all of it at once.
“No, it’s a new word. Sounds similar.” He combed his hair out of his face with his hands, removing his shirt. “Sea. S-E-A. Big, wet, and salty.”
“BIG WET!” Monica was cheering and splashing, kicking her way up and down the shore, jumping into the waves and coming out a dozen meters away and then making her way back to the shore.
“It’s the sea.” He couldn’t help but smile, watching as she slapped the water with her huge paws, creating a billowing tower of water and foam to rise at least a dozen meters into the air.
He put the low-end terrifying notion of how much force was packed into that strike and kept an easy-going smile.
“It’s the ocean.” The voice called from above, Kiara leisurely drifting down and sitting next to him. “Too far away from anything or anyone. Few ships go through here.”
“So chock-full of dangerous ferals?”
“Just like everywhere else.” Her eyes weren’t on Monica. The Succubus’ gaze appeared more focused on trailing the waves as they crashed into the shore. “Likely they’ve been scared off, though. The rush must have eaten everything available near the shore.”
Rick looked at the waves, then at her. “How can you tell?”
“There’s nothing in the waves.” She pointed. “Usually there’s at least the odd Sprite.”
“Maybe Monica scared them off.”
“Doubtful.” Kiara shook her head, turning to eye him with a slight smirk. “You’re drenched. Maybe you’d want to take your clothes off?” Her gaze trailed over him in a distinctly predatory way.
“You’re hungry, huh?”
She leaned closer, hand reaching over to caress his shoulder. “Maybe a little more than that…” Gold eyes locked to his, her hand gently pushing his back into the sand, the Succubus moving in closer so that she could pin him down.
Rick grinned. “Careful with the splash.”
The momentary confusion turned to shock and horror as she was yanked away and flung into the sea. Monica stared with ample amount of self-satisfaction as the Succubus swore and sank into the waves. “No horny time.” The feline declared, looking at Rick with a dangerous glint in her eyes.
“I understand.” He raised his hands, playing the role of innocent bystander.
“Play time.”
His eyes widened with concern. Uh oh.
She reached down, pulling him up by the shirt. “Rick train swim.”
“I know how to swim.” He quickly proclaimed, grabbing hold of her claws as her arm tensed. “BUT!”
Monica hesitated, looking at the water, then at him with narrowed eyes. “But?”
“Don’t throw me like you did Kiara or I will break,” he said, quickly relaxing a little as he pointed up into the air. “Throw me a little up. Gently, into the water.”
She eyed him for a moment, and with a flick of her tail, caught a stone. “Like this?” She grasped the rock and gently tossed it into a high arch that fell into the sea with a little plop.
“Yeah, just like-AAAAAHHHH!!!”
He was flying, body spinning in the air as gravity quickly lay claim. Rick did the only thing he could think of, curling into a ball, drawing breath, and plunge. He was underwater in the next instant, bubbles and light, with the sandy bottom still within sight.
It was down there that he spotted Kiara looking up at him with a smirk, a bubble wrapping her head. The conspicuously naked Succubus used her wings to swim up at him, catching him in her grasp and pulling him down.
Rick clutched his mouth, trying to keep his breath.
Kiara’s amusement was apparent as she held him by the shirt, looking at him with a mischievous twinkle. The iron grip remained, and he could see what her plan was, so he leaned into her, breaking the surface of the bubble with his face.
The breath was cut short with the kiss.
Then she shoved him away, waving off and winking as she swam further away from the shore. The speed she was moving with clearly was one not meant for him to follow, so Rick didn’t, going up to the surface.
Monica was waiting for him, excitedly grinning from ear to ear.
“Again!” he declared the moment he stepped on the sand. “But this time not from the shirt or it might rip.”
By the time others were reaching the beach, the duo had figured out a way to make the launch procedure safer… ish. Mostly in that the victim of choice would stand on Monica’s palm and curl into a cannonball, so that she could then throw.
And the maiden had quite the throwing arm.
The couple of Goblins that showed up excitedly joined in. Then came the Orcs, Mousegirls, and Doggirls, and by the time Urtha had shown her face, the various tribe members had a line of eager volunteers to be thrown into the sea. While the Orcs were competing with one another to see who could get their cargo the furthest from the shore.
Dia caught sight of the glare before Rick could even speak up. “I’ve set up a rotation of guards with the ones keeping watch over the tribe,” the healer proclaimed. “And the water maidens are working as lookouts.”
“Do you think that would placate me?”
“Do you want to play in the launch games?” Rick asked, giving Dia a warning look. “I bet you’d give Monica a run for her money.”
“She is stronger.” Urtha spoke after just a moment of observation, shaking her head. “I would need to wait for her to tire.”
He looked at the Orc as she remained near them, but didn’t sit. He could almost taste the tension within her, that knot of uncertainty. “Would you like to build a sand castle, then?”
“A castle of sand?”
“Exactly that.” Rick sat up. “Just wet sand and more sand, and make a castle with it.”
Urtha’s thick brows furrowed. “That… sounds childish.”
He shrugged. “Sand is fragile and crumbles easily if mishandled. Consider it a test of skill.” A sly smile followed. “Or are you scared a little human will be better at it than you?”
With a scoff, she stomped her foot once. “Show me.”
“I’ll join in!” Dia said. “It’s been a while since I’ve played mud-walls.”
“The what now?”
“It’s a game we healers played when little helped give us finer control over our power.” She crouched down, grabbing a handful of wet sand and proceeding to carefully lay it down in the shape of a very thin tube. A tube no thicker than a straw, and tall enough to reach her knee. “The trick is in pushing the water away at the right time.”
Rick and Urtha shared a worried glance.
Two hours later, things had escalated… a little.
It turned out that the Orc’s ability to make wood nearly as tough as steel could be applied to sand to just enough of a degree that Urtha had made a box tower about two meters on the side and five tall. Rick, working with a knife, carved out details on the tower.
Mostly windows and bricks.
Dia, on the other hand, had built a miniature replica of the fortified city of Balet. Devoid of any details, the city was a configuration of boxes roughly knee height.
It was when some maidens that had tired of the Monica-Launcher™ had gathered to watch that things escalated. With Mousegirls quickly getting recruited by Dia so that they could turn the sand boxes into detailed houses, and Urtha recruiting other Orcs so that they could put together a second tower.
Somewhere along the way, Sheel had shown up to set up an impromptu grill service.
Rick got his fill as he watched the competition unfold, recovering his energy and feeling exhausted in a good way. He caught sight of Kiara emerging from the sea, sans clothes. The Succubus took one look at the gathering, and eventually locked on to him.
The alluring blue-haired Succubus shifted her walk, tucking away tiredness and presenting only assuredness and grace. Her ample hips swayed with a mesmerizing rhythm, tail punctuating every step with a flick. The maiden made a show of pushing her sky-blue hair over her shoulder, presenting her bare chest for him to drink in.
There was a twinkle of enjoyment in her golden eyes when his gaze locked on to her body. A sly smile played on her lips, seductive and coy.
As she reached him, the succubus knelt down and whispered in his ear, her voice soft and alluring. “Is this spot taken?”
Rick felt his throat dry, and he coughed a little. “Sure.”
Kiara grinned wider, taking his lap, tail reaching under his shirt to caress his chest. “It is very comfortable.” She punctuated her words by grinding against herself against his crotch a little. “You seem thrilled to see me.”
He wrapped his hands around her midriff, pulling her against his chest, ignoring the slight discomfort of her wings. “Be warned that Monica is looking our way,” he whispered. “Engage and you will get launched. She’s gotten great at it.”
The tail twitched. “Noted.” Her tone was begrudging. “I meant to ask, are you familiar with… this? The sea? The ocean? The depths?”
“I’ve been on my fair share of boats, and went diving in a reef once.” He admitted freely. “And I’ve flown over the clouds in one of the most boring technological marvel my world built.” A little chuckle followed. “But I think you were meaning to lead this somewhere else?”
Kiara shifted, staring over her shoulder for a moment. “I’d like to hear more about your world sometime.” Her voice held an edge of hesitation to it, and Rick had the distinct impression she was trying to hold something back. “But yes, I was meaning to lead the conversation to this.”
The tone was gone; the look was gone, replaced by smug satisfaction as she held up a blue gemstone. The object was the size of a pearl and a deep, glimmering blue.
“An impure elemental stone.” The Succubus declared. “Take it.”
Rick obliged, lifting it to get a better look. Light wavered and refracted within the sphere, adding a shimmer that made it look as if there was a tiny sea contained within. Twisting and shifting the stone did not make the illusion of change, making the little sphere appear like a looking-glass of some sort.
The refracted light swayed and shifted against his palm like an aurora.
“It’s… this is really impressive.” He declared after a moment, glancing back at her.
“I stumbled onto this while looking for something else. It has some minor value, but is mostly useless since it has a very low purity.” She shrugged her lithe shoulders, trailing his jaw with her sharp nail. “Consider it compensation.”
He frowned a little. “Compensation for what?”
She shrugged, beating her wings once and hopping on to her feet. “I will go get myself a change of clothes and a snack.” She turned to leave. “You’re more than welcome to join.”
Rick could only chuckle. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m exhausted right now.”
“Have it your way.” The maiden vanished into the thicket, sauntering off to the tribe. “If you’ve got nothing better to do, pay some attention to the little leech. Wouldn’t want her to feel neglected, now would we?”
Where had that come from? Rick watched her go, taking a moment to stand up and check that the little get-together was going nowhere. From there, he turned his focus inwards and sought the bond to Eva. It was tougher than he’d expected, especially with the noise from all the other bonds trying to drown out everything.
He found her sitting on a rock, at the very edge of the sandy shore, staring off at the setting sun. The maiden had her knees tucked against her chest, body covered under her black cape, only her red eyes and pale face exposed to the sunlight.
She noticed his approach, but didn’t react.
Rick took a spot next to her, not quite within arm’s reach. “You’ve avoided talking with me. Anything I should worry about?” His question caused the intended result. Eva looked at him with wide eyes. “Don’t look at me like that. I know you don’t like small-talk, and this is just about the most important subject I could think of.”
The Fledgling turned away. “True.” She acknowledged. “I cannot answer your question, sir.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Can’t.” She hugged her knees, turning away and towards the horizon.
Was she hesitating to take a stance, or was she unsure of what stance to take to begin with? Rick nodded a little. “If it’s any consolation, it’s weird for me, too.” He lay back on the stone, looking at the orange clouds above. “Especially with how stiff you’re acting.”
“The Wildling-King calls me his property, and then complains he is treated with the due formalities?” Eva glared.
“Point taken.” Rick sighed. “I just expected that you’d learn from the others.”
“I cannot compare myself to the monster that is Monica or Kiara, nor consider myself to hold a fraction of the trust you give Dia,” she summarized. “I am a Fledgling. Anywhere within the kingdom, a slip of the tongue, a mistake, or a perceived fault would earn me severe punishment.” The maiden glowered, then sighed. “I myself have given such for less.”
“So you don’t know what to expect from me, but will avoid talking with me about those expectations.”
The glare intensified. “I would trust you of all would understand the matter is not that simple.”
“You’re not calling me sir.” He replied with an arched brow, watching her flinch. “I don’t want to insult your intelligence, but it seems like you’re intentionally running on a groundless hypothesis. So my question would be, why have you kept at it?”
She deflated with a sigh. “I don’t know.”
Rick reached out, ruffling her hair. “Well, while you think about it, how about spending some actual time together with the others? Brooding didn’t get you the answer you were looking for, so how about trying to change the pace a little?”
The glare intensified. “I was not brooding. What do you take me for? I am older than you! I was the head of a noble house of great prestige!” She shot to her feet, glaring, lips curling into a snarl.
Rick stepped closer, directly into her personal space. “Evangeline.” He declared, his tone holding only the barest edge to it.
The Fledgling flinched, looking away, hands hiding under her cape. “You are right.” She spoke, deflating. “I… am Evangeline now.”
She moved to kneel, to lower herself, but his hand on her chin held her in place. He raised her gaze so that they would meet eyes. “The only line you stepped over was baring your fangs at me. Nothing else.”
He wanted to step away, to turn around and go to the beach with the others. But something else held him in place as he looked down to those ruby red eyes, the way she trembled against his palm, how she inhaled deeply and her eyelids fluttered. The maiden leaned into his touch, taking a hesitant step closer.
“Th-this…” Eva stammered, swallowing.
Rick leaned closer. “This is your chance to step away.”
She didn’t.
The Fledgling followed the gentle tug of his palm, raising herself to her tiptoes, leaning into the kiss. She froze, opening her mouth a little and scratching his lips with her fangs in hunger. They pierced, only enough to draw a drop of blood, only enough to make him flinch.
Eva recoiled, eyes wild, face beet read. “I, no, I-… This isn’t…”
The maiden vanished into the shadows before he could say anything. He could sense her quickly making an escape through the darkness. The human was left mostly amused at the reaction, chuckling as he took the long way back to the others.
He could understand why Kiara found entertainment out of teasing the Fledgling. Idly, he wondered if they could exchange some notes.
​
----
​

Hello, I'm back, kinda.
Things have been a monumental mess over on my end. Lots of things happened over the past couple months.
I'll be clear: Reddit isn't a convenient place to post stories. Yes, there's a community, but the website is very clearly designed for other kinds of content creators. Story writing is more of a "Despite" thing. Combined with the upcoming policy changes ^{(what with the site being sold off and wanting to coerce users into their App, at the cost of all else}), I don't think I'll be sticking around.
The story will continue being regularly posted over at Royalroad and Scribblehub.
There's practically a full volume already posted over there. Seriously, as a writer I can't stress enough just how monumentally important the post-scheduler is for me. My life is far too chaotic and sometimes I spend weeks without time or energy to prepare the posts, and then just dump 15 of them into the auto-loader.
I will try to get the next full volume (up to chapter... 62?) posted here throughout the next couple weeks, and unless something changes, I'll mostly stick to those other sites from there onward.
See you guys around, and thanks for sticking this long with the story.

[First]
[Standard Patreon Link].

Hi All,
I've been working an a bit of medieval fiction for a while now, and I've only got the proofread left. I have been working on the blurb for a while now, and would appreciate any feedback.
I've narrowed down my many attempts to two versions:
​

1. 1308. Palman, a disfigured second son is charged with proving his family’s loyalty in a place where nobody tells the truth. Sent away from home for the first time, to squire for Heinrich, the Count of Gorz, Palman believes that his best chance of success is to keep his head down. But when a band of fugitive knights come to Gorz, threatening to plunge the land back into war, Palman finds himself thrust into a secret quest where he must choose between loyalty to his lord, his family, and himself.
2. Palman has spent his childhood being told who he is: a lesser son, an unwelcome guest and a cursed boy. But when he is sent as a hostage to the County of Gorz on the fringes of the Holy Roman Empire, he will soon find out who he really is; the only one who can truly keep his new lord alive.

The year is 1308. Palman has always known that his curse made him a danger to those around him. It’s why he never expected to leave home, let alone be sent away as a hostage to prove his family’s loyalty. It’s why few people in Gorz can stand the sight of him.
What he wants above all else is to keep to himself until he can devise a way to leave.
Unfortunately for him, he has arrived at the court of the Count at the wrong time to be withdrawn. Strange fugitive knights are being hunted through the county, the neighbouring Patriarchate of Aquileia spies an opportunity to avenge past losses, and an assassination is being planned that could alter the future of Gorz.
Palman cannot help observing things that others do not, nor can he force anyone to heed his warnings. But he can do the unthinkable, set aside his fears and take responsibility for his own fate, and that of his lord, by embarking on a self-imposed quest that will prove everybody wrong.
​
I initially quite liked the first version, but received feedback that there was no real hook. It also felt quite short to me. The second one is longer, but feels like a bit of an info dump as I started off trying to make his character relatable but then tried to add enough context to give a sense of what actually happens.
I feel like the answer may be somewhere between the two versions, but would really appreciate any opinions.

Hello! Quick question here, So a couple months ago I was called in for jury duty. Because I’m a student I had to postpone. Ive already postponed 3 times because of school schedule changes and now the date I’m set for my doctor is insisting I have a much needed dental surgery. He scheduled it, so I emailed my county’s office about this issue and I’m worried about the reaction. Im very frustrated and Im hoping I will be excused rather than asked to reschedule. Being a student who is in school all 4 semesters usually, its so difficult. Any thoughts?

Sorry the post is so long, I just need your expert opinions! The more I read here I want to consider a nanny, but I don’t want to have unreasonable expectations or lowball anyone. We need part-time childcare for our 6mo; anywhere from 35hrs-90hrs a month. My husband works a rotating schedule so it’s predictable but we need care on different days/times each week. I’m a teacher so we don’t need childcare at all in the summer, over any holidays, nights, or weekends. Would you even consider a part time position? Do I need to pay more for part time? Would you rather be paid salary or hourly? Paid less but salary over 12mo or more but salary over 10mo? I looked up the average nanny hourly rate in our area and it’d be tight, but doable. I don’t want to put up a listing if it isn’t reasonable. Care for my child is valuable and the person caring for him deserves to be valued.

So hi I'm f(19) from Ireland and very new to the subreddit, However from reading through for the last hour I felt like typing, even if I don't post this. So a bit of background I was diagnosed in 2022 with Bipolar Type 1 literally the day after my birthday. For me I'm prone to Mania more so than depression and Bipolar destroyed my life. I had to move back to my family home, lost my 3 year long relationship, lost the trust of my family and friends, my job and my college career.
Now onto the title I was on Holidays and lost my structure i.e. didn't take my meds at the right time, did HHC and didn't eat right. But I did take my meds however, once I got home I had an appointment to get new prescription for abilify and lexapro but I missed the appointment and was told just to call my GP. Now i should note I have horrible anxiety when it comes to asking for meds due to CAMHS. Anyways I' m trying not to make excuses I still should have worked through it I should add my therapist was sick for three weeks so I was on my own. If my mom found out she would have kicked me out no questions asked. In the end my therapist called my doctor for me and I got my meds and I am back on them REILGOUSLY So this went on for weeks to a month, I was ashamed to tell my therapist I won't lie and I only told her I was off them for a week cause I'm still scared she'll tell my mom and I will be homeless.
Pretty much sucky situation that I put myself in and you have full right to flame me for it. But I come here for advice on what should I do, like I think I'm going manic but I don't feel manic I just feel happy but really anxious and I am doing behaviors' that I have worked out could be mania symptoms but I really don't know what to do cause a few months ago I had a false alarm where I thought I was going manic but really my sleeping schedule fixed it and I'd feel really stupid if I told my phycologist that I was feeling manic I feel like they wouldn't believe me since I had a false alarm . BUT I LITERALLY CANT SLEEP I TRIED FOR FIVE HOURS TONIGHT. I tried sleep sounds, videos, put my phone out of reach. I also keep saying out of pocket things like confronting people the moment I feel upset like I have no emotional control at the moment which is weird cause I was doing so well for months. This is all so new and upsetting to me. Thanks if you read all that I'm sorry its so long just really wanted to get insight from people that suffer from the same disorder and maybe someone has been through this already. Thanks
TDLR; Went off meds now I think I could potentially be going towards mania and I'm scared and new to bipolar and looking for advice.
​
​