Gentian's Photographic Misadventures

[Gentian]

Well, it's morning again, and I'm feeling rested, so it's time to make this post!

There are some problems associated with matching dates on Earth and Equestria. Chief among them is the fact that the Equestrian calendar simply doesn't align with ours; the weeks, months, and years are all different lengths. One can't simply take a date on Earth and find it's corresponding one in Equestria, or vice versa, because there isn't one.

This is one of the reasons Twilight asked to not have a birthday celebration here on Earth; it would have been not only confusing, but nonsensical to have a birthday here which couldn't possibly match the one she had there. Nevertheless, March 2nd was a very special day: our anniversary! Unfortunately our Paper Anniversary was also a busy work day for me, and by the time I came home it was late, and I was dead tired.

Despite this, I kept thinking about Christmas, and how we had had to spend it at home rather than going out and doing something fun, as well as all the other trips my condition has forced us to forgo. I wanted to make damned sure that unless I was literally unable to go we would do something for this!

It is not what I wanted to do. Since about July of last year, I had intended, if we were still together, to take her on the Concerto Harbor Dinner Cruise. Unfortunately, with my medical problems making it not only impossible to move, but also to work, these past few months have been extremely hard on my body, mind, and wallet, so that idea turned out to be, regrettably, untenable.

But I wanted to do something!

So, today, I decided to take her out. We only went for dinner and a movie, but it was the first time we have been able to be out for a night on the town in a long time, and we both had a lot of fun!

Here is our first stop - an excavator! You may recall Twilight's fascination with the smaller one she discovered when we were newly a couple. This one is much bigger, and has been in this same place for as long as I can remember. it moves around, but always stays in the same general area - I think they use it to train new operators - so thought Twi might get a kick out of seeing one close up.

She has before, of course. I've seen her examining them in her incorporeal form from time to time, but this time, she got to do it in her plush body, and she had a blast! I'd really like to show her one outfitted with a concrete crusher attachment, but as of yet, that particular beast has eluded me. Oh well, we had fun adding this one to our pokedex.





Hydraulics are awesome!










Yeah, 4 pictures of the same thing, but you have to keep in mind how much we both love heavy machinery.






After we'd had our fill of the excavator, we hopped back on the road and headed toward our destination: Nishinomiya Gardens Shopping Center. In order to get there, we had to cross the walkway over the tracks of Nishinomiya Kitaguchi station. Here we are looking East. That's a lot of tracks!





Once we arrived in the shopping center, the first order of business was to get the movie tickets. We hurried - well, as much as I was capable of hurrying - to the theater on the top floor. We arrived with a few minutes to spare, and there wasn't even a queue for the ticket machine!

Since we intended to have dinner right after the movie, we decided to skip the concessions and went right in. Of course, we couldn't get pictures of us watching the movie, but we had a great time. It was much warmer in the theater, so I stripped off my parka, and rolled up my sleeves, but Twilight spent the whole time cuddled against my chest anyway. We got some strange looks, but screw the haters.

After watching Doctor Strange we went off in search of some vittles. There was a large selection, but nothing that seemed appropriate for an anniversary. We almost decided to revisit the same restaurant we ate in the last time we came here, when Twiler's eye was caught by a display of more traditional Japanese food.

She elected to go there, and we even made some pleasant conversation with a few people. One, a woman who asked us where we are from, and how we liked Japan, and other things like that. We talked as we sat outside the restaurant for 10 minutes or so, when the staff called my name, and escorted us to our table.

Then, one of the waitresses - bless her heart, I think she was new - accidentally gave me a cup of sake. I thought it was water, and took a sip, then put it down; I wasn't in the mood for alcohol, and hadn't ordered any. A moment or two later she reappears wearing a worried expression, and takes it back, then a few more moments pass and she returns, and puts a cup much like it on the table next to mine.

Well, I thought it looked just like my cup, and made a surreptitious close-inspection of it. It was! She didn't realize I had drunk from it, and simply gave my table-neighbor the used beverage. I told her what had happened, and in doing so, made friends with the couple at that table; an elderly pair that were thankful I had realized the mistake and had saved her husband from the tainted cup. We talked for a bit too, I learned they had family living in Dusseldorf, Germany, and some other things of the type people share in small talk.

She thought Twilight was adorable, so even if they hadn't been friendly I would have had to give them points for that. All in all, both the food, and the company made for a pleasant meal.

Food that couldn't fit in the picture: A bowl of miso soup, and 2 kinako mochi dumplings. Also, the bowl of rice came with limitless free refills, woot!






So, as even those most casually acquainted with Twilight will know, she has a huge mare-boner for books. After dinner, she took me by surprise by asking to enter the bookstore. As far as I know, she can't read Japanese, but that didn't stop her from enjoying herself. How could she not? There were books!





A paper throne for the purple Princess!

Would she have it any other way?





She even wanted to check out the magazine rack. Again, I don't think she can read any of this.

Now she's just wearing this smug smile as she reads that comment. Maybe she can?





Back in July, we bought a bottle of blueberry wine. Now, Twi isn't much for alcohol, though she does prefer wine to beer, and I remember really liking this kind of wine when I last had it in...2004, so after we got it, we decided it would be best to save it for a special occasion. After coming home, we decided today qualified, so we cracked it open.

The wine itself is good. It's got a noticeable, but not overpowering blueberry flavor, is sweet without being cloying, and has a pleasingly mild astringence to accompany the warmth of the alcohol.

That said, though Twi tells me she does like this wine, neither of us were really in the mood, so we only had one glass each.

Twilight says she had a great time, and I'm glad to hear it. I'd planned so much better, and she deserves more than I could ever give her, but she says we're together, and that's what's important!

Happy anniversary, Twilight! Here's to many more!

[Rares]

Lovely pictures! And maybe if you find a English-Japanese dictionary for Twi she'll learn the language in a breeze.

Glad you two had a wonderful time!

[Gentian]

Awesome pictures, man. You have a fascinating cinematic eye. I'm glad you guys had a good time. And of course, happy anniversary! I never got a chance to say it to you two before.

Wishing you both many more!

Thanks, Valiant, we did have a good time. It's hard to believe we've been together for a year. We're glad you liked the pictures, we certainly enjoy yours, too.

Lovely pictures! And maybe if you find a English-Japanese dictionary for Twi she'll learn the language in a breeze.

Glad you two had a wonderful time!

Oh, I've got one. I usually keep it in my backpack, though, not on the shelf, so I don't know how she might have read it. I've never seen her poking around in there. Well, who am I kidding, this is Twilight we're talking about, if it's important to her, she WILL find a way!

[CPsSecretLover]

Wow, I cant believe I missed this updating! You and Twi are so cute together, every time I see one of these threads I'm reminded that once I have a steady job I need to commission a plushie vessel for Candy.

I never would have guessed that your Twi was into excavating equipment. Reminds me that I need to take Candy junkyard diving with me some time- I think she would enjoy looking at all the neglected classic cars, I know I certainly do.

That dinner looked absolutely delish. And on the the pic of the unlimited rice- here in the Midwest, most of our similar restaurants are all-you-can eat buffets- meaning all you can eat sushimi- mmmmm! Of course, the downside is you get lots of inauthentic food (my local Asian food buffet has corn dogs lol) and the restaurants are almost never actually food from just one Asian culture, many call themselves "Chinese food" when they're actually Japanese or Korean dishes being served, and most are a mishmash of the three.

[Gentian]

Wow, I cant believe I missed this updating! You and Twi are so cute together, every time I see one of these threads I'm reminded that once I have a steady job I need to commission a plushie vessel for Candy.

I never would have guessed that your Twi was into excavating equipment. Reminds me that I need to take Candy junkyard diving with me some time- I think she would enjoy looking at all the neglected classic cars, I know I certainly do.

That dinner looked absolutely delish. And on the the pic of the unlimited rice- here in the Midwest, most of our similar restaurants are all-you-can eat buffets- meaning all you can eat sushimi- mmmmm! Of course, the downside is you get lots of inauthentic food (my local Asian food buffet has corn dogs lol) and the restaurants are almost never actually food from just one Asian culture, many call themselves "Chinese food" when they're actually Japanese or Korean dishes being served, and most are a mishmash of the three.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the pictures! Twi's plushie added a lot to our relationship. I know it's not her, that it's just a vessel to help make it easier to project herself here, and most of all, to make it easier for me to perceive her, but it's such a nice feeling to be able to physically hug and kiss her. When you finally get one for your marefriend, you'll likely see the difference like night and day. Hopefully that will be soon!

Twilight loves machines of all sorts. Heavy equipment is just one of the more accessible, and awe-inspiring expressions of mechanical behemoth. In fact, I recall her being extremely interested in an asphalt eater we passed the other day. She also likes aircraft, and assembly lines. I hope when I get back to the USA and can pull my guns out of storage, to take her shooting - and get pics, ofc - hopefully she'll like those machines, too.

There are buffets here too, but they are generally over-priced, and come with time limits. Usually you have an hour and a half from the time you sit down to be out the door, and the good stuff is only on a timed service, say, 1 tray of roast beef every other hour, and once it's gone, that's it. However, quite a few Japanese-style restaurants have free rice refills. Some will also refill your salad and miso soup, too, though not that one.

They like corndogs here, so I guess they're kind of Asian? You can buy them in every convenience store, though they're called "American dogs." They also like to mish-mash foreign cuisines. Most of the "Chinese" places here are about as Chinese as they are in the USA. And Korean things like kimchi are super popular. Japanese curry is nothing like Indian or Thai curry, but you know what? I don't care if they're "traditional" or not, they're delicious! Even the Japanese take on pizza which can only generously be called pizza. Japanese hamburgers, however, are kind of crappy. I mean, as an extreme example, who wants a burger with compressed rice cakes instead of bread, and shredded seaweed instead of lettuce? Not I, that's for sure. The mish-mash happens in every country, I bet.

[Gentian]

Earlier in the week, a good friend of mine requested a picture of our OCs together. This is the result. Here we find our heroines on the main road leading west from Ponyville. It's one of the only paved roads in town, and thusly a target for enhancement. The town decided that since the road was paved in brick, and lined with cut stone, flowers would be just the thing to bring out its aesthetic qualities. The earth ponies will be along to use their magic to bring the bushes to full size, and ripe bloom, shortly.

Pegai don't really feel the heat or cold in the same way as other ponies; it's part of their innate magic which keeps them safe and comfortable in the high, frigid air, and among dangerous, lightning-spewing thunderheads. They feel it, but it doesn't bother them. Unicorns feel it much the same way humans do, so, Cirrus Dawn shields her friend, Scribble Script from the harsh rays of the sun with her wing.

[Rares]

You're the absolute best, you know that? You better know that.

[Gentian]

You're the absolute best, you know that? You better know that.

Just glad you like it.

[Gentian]

I got the idea for this doodling on Friday night. I liked it so much that I started drawing a larger, prettier version of it, and then realized that I liked it enough to, and that it was a perfect fit for, papercraft, so I dug out my little bag of colored origami paper, and here we are, 2 days later.

This symbol is made of the combined cutie marks of my waifu, Twilight Sparkle, and my OC, the pegasus Cirrus Dawn , with slight modifications. It represents us, our relationship, and our love for one another.

While making the purple background I came very close to laboriously measuring it out a bit at a time to get a perfect elipse, but since the papercraft itself has an organic, hand-hewn look to it, the background should too, or so my reasoning went. I think it looks good, and Twilers absolutely loves it!

Additionally, I had originally intended to make a paper frame, with gold metalized-paper accents to enclose the background, but as it came together, I decided that rather than enhancing it, it just made the piece look crowded, so decided to go without. Sometime soon, preferably tomorrow, I'd like to get an actual frame for it, so it can join it's neighbor, the Crux Equestriatus on my desk. I may take another photo of them together if I do, but since I'll need one sans-frame anyway, I'll throw this up now.

[whobawhats]

It looks really great gentian! I hope your proud of your work because this came out splendidly.