#storytime with shikai

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Thinking about Halloween makes me think of my favorite story about my Abuelita.

My Abuelita lived in Mexico for most of her life, but she understood the concept of Halloween...in theory. She knew two things: 1: Kids went door to door in costumes. 2: People were supposed to give them sweets. However, what that transaction typically looked was a little bit of a grey area for her.

My Mom said that every Halloween when kids came to their house and knocked on the door, my Abuelita would invite them in, sit them down on the couch in front of the TV, and hand them each a plate with a giant slice of cake. (...Keep in mind, this was the 70s). The kids would sit there (a little uncomfortable, I'm sure) while slowly eating the cake, all the while acutely aware that this was not how things usually went. Once they were done, my Abuelita would gather up their plates and shoo them back outside. She’d do that all night.

#i talk #storytime with shikai #I wish I knew how long it took for their house to get blacklisted by the neighborhood kids #or maybe some kids were into that #who knows...

[shikai-the-storyteller]

I was doing some work with Tio today, and he complimented me on something and joked “You could be one of those students at the Rainbow Academy!”. It took me a second to realize what he meant, then I said “Do you mean the Umbrella Academy?” and he laughed, so I teased back and said “I’d go to the Rainbow Academy because I’m gay” and we both got a good chuckle out of that.

#i talk #storytime with shikai #mostly posting for my own sake because this convo made me smile #I'd prefer if people didn't reblog this but *shrugs* #we just started watching the series together with Tia #It's fun! #my cousin had us all watch the last episode of the season together a month or so ago #and since then I was like ''Alright well we GOTTA watch this eventually''

[shikai-the-storyteller]

I went to this tiny pet store with my Tio today and they had SO many parrots! I was in heaven. They had this adorable African Grey Parrot that meowed every time I turned my back to it. I wound up talking with one of the workers and he told me about each bird’s personality, then he pointed at this white cockatoo and he was like “This is the baby.” I thought he meant it was young so I asked how old it was and he said “No, he’s the baby because he throws a fit every time someone doesn’t pay attention to him.” When I had to leave, one of the other workers said “It’s alright, we’re trying to teach him manners. See what happens when you walk away” so I did, and as soon as I was out of sight the bird started shrieking bloody murder lmao

#i talk #storytime with shikai #I LOVE BIRDS.........

[shikai-the-storyteller]

My boss' cellphone dinged a couple times today, and I did a double take every time because it sounded EXACTLY like the save-sound from Undertale. During lunchtime it went off again and I finally asked her if that's what the sound really was and she looked a bit embarrassed and but delighted that I recognized it :') She's so cool

#i talk #I LOVE MY BOSS... #IM GONNA BE SO SAD WHEN I STOP INTERNING HERE #job talk #she's getting married this weekend #and theyre cutting the cake with the mastersword #I think I mentioned that before but she is Living My Dream #she also told me how to get that as my text sound #IM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL #she told me ''you're my kind of person'' #that made me so happy #storytime with shikai

[shikai-the-storyteller]

I'm walking back from work rn and I passed a house that had a cat sitting by the window and I gasped and said "Kitty!" in a soft delighted voice, and I waved and made kissy sounds before continuing walking, at which point I saw a couple with their dog walking towards me with a confused / weirded-out expression on their face

#i talk #storytime with shikai #listen...I love cats ok dont you dare jusge me #*judge #I dont think they saw the cat

[shikai-the-storyteller]

I keep thinking about something I once said to my Tio (that's since become a mantra for me). We were talking and I was venting my frustrations about the horrible situation I was in, and he told me "Let it roll off you like water off a duck's back" and I looked him dead in the eye and said "Even ducks can drown."

Just because you can endure a bad situation doesn't mean you should have to.

#i talk #storytime with shikai #I guess #I think that ''even ducks can drown'' phrase that I came up with is still very fitting #People have seen me endure time and time again and now it's an expectation #I'm glad I was able to offer a reminder #But I know deep down I'm still angry about everything I had to endure #I am strong and I am a survivor but it's exhausting to always be that #it's an expectation I used to be proud of but it's become a heavy weight

[shikai-the-storyteller]

I ran into this gorgeous girl wearing a really casual version of the the Gwen Stacy Spider-Man costume and she even looks A LOT like the actress and I managed to tell her she had a cool costume before I clammed up and ran away under the pretext of having to catch my bus

#I talk #storytime with shikai #we ended up getting on the same bus r.i.p. #I'd talk to her more but I already used up my one dialogue option #initiating conversation a second time would be weird at this point #and to do so I'd have to run up to we after we both get off the bus at our stop #(I say out stop because I know she's a student too) #BUT ANYWAYS #I get flustered after complimenting a pretty girl what else is new #she said she has an actual Gwen Stacey spider man costume I THINK THATS SO COOL #gosh #what a cool person

[shikai-the-storyteller]

There was a guy I passed across from my bus stop with a sign that said something about how he didn't want money or anything, he just wanted people to say happy birthday (idk if it was his birthday or something else). He was an older guy and every once in a while someone would stop and say happy birthday and he'd say thank you. He was keeping tallies of the birthday wishes on the back of his sheet, and at one point a girl ran up to him with a card (I think was a birthday card) which she gave to him and she wished him happy birthday and asked if she could hug him (he said yes). He left after that and it looked like he was catching the bus. I don't really know what to make of the situation, it was kinda sad but kinda sweet. I wish I had seen what his sign said when I passed by so I could know what was going on / so I could wish him happy birthday.

#I talk #hmm #storytime with shikai #I suppose #it made me wonder if he had someone at home who would wish him happy birthday #or if maybe he was collecting birthday wishes for his kid #either way it was kind of sad and sweet #and I want to remember it

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Sudden flashback about a horrifying moment of my middle school career: We were doing pamplets about certain prefectures for our Japanese class. I was doing a pamphlet for Aomori, and to make the pamphlet more interesting and eye-catching I added a ton of pictures (from food to nature to birds, you name it, it was on that pamphlet). I had fun with the decoration and translation and I figured I did a good job, so to reward myself I put a cute pixel chibi drawing of Zack and Cloud from FF7 holding hands on the front of the pamphlet because I was in the middle of my FF7 / Crisis Core obsession (not to mention Zack/Cloud purgatory) and I thought it would be cute.

Fast forward a few days: We were all handing in our pamphlets and our TA was coming around to pick them up. I was so proud of mine, especially since I thought I was clever putting a little speech bubble above the Zack and Cloud drawing saying “Let’s go to Aomori!” in Japanese to make the picture ~relevant~ in the event they docked points for the drawing. As I handed my pamphlet to the TA, he paused and stared at the front, then back at me, and said in a really quiet voice “Is this Zack and Cloud from Final Fantasy?” 

IT COULD HAVE BEEN A REALLY INNOCENT QUESTION but the look he gave me was so knowing and judgy all I could manage was an embarrassed nod as he raised his eyebrow and walked away.

#i talk #Storytime with shikai #IDK I'm studying for my Japanese history class and I saw the name Aomori and this memory came rushing back #r.i.p. middle school me #TA knew you were shipping trash #HE KNEW

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Waiting for the bus and saw a guy walk past wearing sunglasses and a black shirt with a skull on it knitting some sort of pink doily. I love my city.

#I talk #I've never seen that before but you know what #that's cool #storytime with shikai