#to the point I now know stuff about the amount of food available

[themadwomanherself]

The most fun thing about researching information for your fanfics is just the wild stuff you end up learning. Along with the massive amount of time just trying to get things figured out and it's literally just background knowledge.

Gods, I love being a fanfic writer. You learn such random things.

Yes. I have spent untold hours just figuring out where the hell the Tsugikuni clan could have possibly been located and who their superiors were. And yes, I have that info figured out.

[hotchocolateandpillowforts]

A Mom Update:

Late Monday night, my husband and I drove up to Oklahoma and stayed the night at a local hotel. We went in on Tuesday to spend the day with her. My brother was also there. We drove back home on Tuesday night since my husband is still going to work during all of this (and I ran out of meds). His work doesn't have paid leave for family stuff like this if it's the in-laws. So, he won't get to be here with us while mom's in hospice unless it's on one of his days off.

Today, my brother was up with mom for most of the day. I had to stick around town in Texas until my pharmacy had my medicine ready. I ran out yesterday so I really had to stay in place until my meds were available. Apparently, Texas won't allow you to have meds that were ordered in Texas by a Texas physician sent to an out of state pharmacy. After the meds were approved for a Texas pharmacy, I tried getting the pharmacy to send the meds to one in Oklahoma. They also said no. All of this just really pissed my brother off. I think he felt like I was getting a break or something. Or that I was choosing to do this. Or he's just feeling a lot of big emotions and not communicating well. I don't know.

So, after the meds were picked up, I drove up to Oklahoma to see mom for a few hours before going to sleep for the night. Around 5:30 my brother left for the night. And around 6:30 someone from a local hospice stopped by. We decided to move her out of the hospice inside the hospital to a hospice that is used to practicing end of life care. One thing that has been really getting to both my brother and I is the number of times we have to explain to people at the hospital that mom is on end of life care so she isn't supposed to have whatever food or treatment they're trying to give her. I know they don't typically treat patients with end of life care and the care they give normally is all about keeping people alive. But the amount of times I have to tell people this is so...It's not annoying. It's hard to tell people that, "no, actually, she's supposed to be like this" when she's in so much pain and suffering. She's on hourly pain meds at this point and the administrator who went over a mountain of paperwork for the hospice with me tonight said that she's a good candidate for the hospice because of her pain and breathing and the fluid sounds from her lungs. The whole time I'm just actively crying. I don't know if it's normal to cry so much that the intake administrator from the hospice feels the need to give you a hug, but this whole situation isn't normal.

I'm back at the hotel now. Mom is supposed to be moved at some point during the night. They said the intake at the hospice will involve giving her a sponge bath, dressing any wounds, and pain management. They also said it's actually better for the family not to be there during intake just because it's a lot to handle. So, I'm going to turn on some GBBO or true crime show for the night and hope I can get some sleep.

[the-haunted-office]

(For Doom!)

your name: Ed

Romantic or platonic?: Queerplatonic

A night in or dinner out or an activity?: Night in or an activity, pending spoons and what you're feeling

Ice cream or chocolate covered strawberries?: Chocolate covered strawberries are safer (limited ingredients) but icecream is also good as long as it's peanut soy and gluten free

What's your perfect date?:

Would you cook for me?: If you want to

Would you let me cook for you?: Gladly, but complexity will depend on spoons available

Can we make-out?: Maybe?

Make out in private or in public?: Private, for now...

Do you like to cuddle?: I AM ALREADY CUDDLING WITH YOU (assuming you're okay with it)

Blankets or no blankets for cuddling?: ALL THE BLANKETS

Couch or bed?: Whichever is nearest

What are at least 3 hobbies of yours?: crochet, hiking, bird watching, and uh... does coding count if it was also my job?

Tell me something about you no else knows: uh. That I haven't already told you? What haven't I told you? Uh... I used to help with costume design and creation for the theatre groups I was associated with in high school and college... and the SCA group I also joined in college. Well, I guess the folks from those groups know that, but I don't usually talk about it... so IDK if that counts? Uh... OH! I've done drag, exactly once. Looked fantastic in that dress, but realized it wasn't... me, or my thing, y'know? Still have that dress, though, and quite proud of it.

Why do you want to be my valentine?: ...because you're my partner and spending time with you is my greatest joy?

What makes you a good Valentine?: I'm attentive to my partner and like to make sure they're comfortable and having a nice time

RP MUSE VALENTINE’S APPLICATION.

Doom is fawning over her Valentine's Day application from Ed, to the point where she sticks it in one of her notebooks to keep it safe and for her eyes only, even though there's nothing particularly private or secret about it. Still, it feels like an intimate little thing that she wants to keep just between her and him, so into her notebook it goes.

She then goes and, without much preamble, picks him up and hoists him over her shoulder while leading Colossus with her free hand, and drags him into her cave-

"Ehehehehehehe! Now you're mine... FOREVER!!! Ehehehehe! There is no ESCAPE!!!" she cackles as she drops him - gently! - down onto her bed.

-where there is an array of goodies waiting for them to share - including pizza and strawberries and chocolate - and an inexplicable amount of blankets piled up on the bed, and a bunch of yarn sitting nearby for them to crochet together while they eat and watch movies and hang out.

She leads Colossus around to the food items to check them to make sure they're all safe for Ed first. "I mean, we can go out to eat if you'd rather and put this stuff away for later, it's not like I'm gonna actually trap you in here, ehehehe. You're still mine, though. Forever. I mean, we're both immortal, so, can't be helped," she says with a silly shrug.

[capriciouscaprine]

Go to grocery list? New to restricting but live with people 😵‍💫 feel like they might catch on

tbh I've been sitting on this message for six months?? at least (sorry anon!) because the answer changes so much; I've done low carb bread, no bread, regular bread, shirataki noodles, cooking my own meals, cooking nothing and buying frozen meals, cooking nothing and buying from the hot bar at Whole Foods, lots of low-cal snacks, no snacks, an apple a day, three apples a day, meal replacement shakes, protein bars, etc etc etc

also, fwiw, a big part of this is gonna be about how you HAVE TO eat, otherwise you're gonna end up with that other thing that eventually leads to seeing Dr. Now on TLC, TRUST ME

(this is so long, I had two coffees this morning, forgive me!)

ultimately, I crave safe novelty; I'll go on a kick for MONTHS, only to suddenly get bored of it and want something different

the only useful advice that anyone can truly give (imo) is to keep track of how much you're consuming; I did actual tracking in an app for several months until I got completely fed up with entering everything I ate, at which point I took what doing that counting had taught me about the numbers associated with different foods and switched to loosely pre-planning my meals

if I'm on a protein-bars-instead-of-food kick (I'm one of those weirdos who likes the texture of the fake chocolate and dough-with-crystals most people complain about), I only buy ones that are close to or preferably below 200c per bar; if I want fruit, I know to go for berries and watermelon and carefully check the nutrition facts per cup of anything I haven't had in a while (did you know kiwis have more cals than apples per gram? that's certainly not the sort of thing I would remember!); if I'm getting pre-made stuff, I check what size the maker thinks is one serving, because no one is eating 4 oz of chicken wings and yet that is the amount that Whole Foods says is a dainty 260c

for me, figuring out what worked required a ton of time spent in different grocery stores ready nutrition labels; in theory, this information is available online, but I found it far more effort to click on stuff, scroll to where the nutrition info was on each individual, and compare different items, and sometimes the website information was different from what was printed on the item in the pictures on that same page!

you've said part of your goal is to not be obvious to the people you live with; apologies once again for being an anomaly, here, because I got so stressed out by our shared kitchen being covered in dirty dishes that I put a mini fridge, combo microwave/air fryer/convection oven (it was the same price as a regular microwave at the time!), and coffee pot in my bedroom and nobody has any idea what I eat, but I'll offer what suggestions I can

don't be at home during meal times; this is easiest for lunch but potentially tricky for either breakfast or dinner, depending on your schedule; they can't question what they don't see, and you have a ready-made excuse for why you aren't hungry

ime SO MANY people don't like having a big breakfast; have some fruit and a coffee or a low fat yougurt (chobani's are 80c per pre-packaged cup) and no one will care; if you take this with you to work or school it can be very easy to 'get busy' and 'forget to eat'

be strategic with your lunches; no one questions a sandwich, even if they call you boring; sara lee lite life bread is 45c per slice (some low carb options go as low as 35c!), and walmart's individually packaged chicken salad cups are 200c, so that's a hearty-looking 300c lunch right there; you could also do deli meat, veggies, and mustard for the same count or less, or make your own chicken salad for less cals, but I wanted fast and easy; you can also do giant salads, just get low cal dressings and avoid cheese and croutons; pre-made salad bags are not bad here, since you can throw out the separately-packaged cheese and crouton packets; I don't do salads often because I have dental issues and lettuce stabs my gums

dinners are TOUGH, especially if your housemates insist on shared meals; if they do, you will just have to practice taking smaller portions (use your government's own nutrition recommendations here; for the US it's gonna be myplate(dot)gov that goes over what a serving of grain/protein/veg/fruit looks like; for example, the recommended serving size for cooked brown rice is only a half a cup!);

if you get to make your own dinner and end up eating at home, go for that gym bro meal: lots of veggies, some chicken (you do not have to boil this or go without seasonings, spices are not a significant source of cals s2g), and a touch of grains; if they aren't being nosey, go for the shirataki noodles and make 'ramen': the noodles are pre-cooked, you can use cubed bullion for the soup, and then toss in some chopped veggies and a fried egg (0c cooking spray is actually super common in most stores) and you look like a normal busy person

DO NOT LET THEM SUCK YOU INTO THEIR BAD HABITS!!! I had a roommate who never wanted to get food alone, and I was influenced by how much they ordered, and after living with them for three years I hit 200+ lbs (hence why I'm here; I already had depression and anxiety before I jumped into this community, I just fit into Brandy jeans and can buy shirts from the youth section now)

DO go out to eat with them now and then! look at the menu in advance, pick something that fits your plan, enjoy it, and take home the leftovers; don't over-explain being full with 'I ate earlier', 'I'm just not hungry', 'I don't feel so good today', etc, because everyone knows those lies and what they mean; have a reasonable amount of fun and enjoy the conversations and atmosphere

don't buy things with 'skinny' or something similar in the name; I don't buy 'skinny pop' popcorn, I buy 'lesser evil' popcorn that not only comes in pink bags but boasts more about being made with coconut oil than being 50c per single serving bag; this is also were doing your research grocery trips alone is important, so that your housemates don't see you checking the sugar content on five different ketchups when they know you aren't diabetic

it's pretty normal to 'develop' a food sensitivity as you get older; my mom can't handle carrots any more, garlic makes my aunt nauseous, and my mom's friend can only eat raw onions, not cooked ones; I've developed a sensitivity to tomatoes: too many of them makes the skin on the roof of my mouth peel off! so, you may as well be proactive and develop a sensitivity to something high in cals; however, be careful! you don't want to be inconvenient or get caught out; saying that you just can't handle lots of fried or greasy food or a ton of dairy like is typically in pasta, cheese boards, or ice cream is typically a safe bet

this is a general tip for being successful: remember to eat regularly! have I had my bonkers low days? absolutely. are they a regular occurrence? nope! rather than doing all of these themed meal plans I see floating around, I chose my daily average intake based on a metabolic rate calculator set to my next goal size, typically -5 lbs per month (semi-aggressive but not that far off from the recommended -3 per month) and first counted and then pre-planned my eating around that; remember, this is a lifestyle, because if you don't treat it that way, you WILL rebound, hence that '95% of people fail to lose' statistic; over time, a meal that other people would scoff at for being 'too small for a child' will become completely filling, so long as you don't fall into a cycle of overindulging and stretching your stomach back out

hopefully this is helpful to anyone reading this! this is the result of constantly reflecting on this message as my eating changed and I've successfully changed my size despite never truly following all of those aesthetic meal plan posts that I personally also love and rb but involve, ugh, actually spending time in the kitchen (please, no, I have lessons to plan and video games to play; if they ever make a meal delivery service for us I'll eat them then, otherwise you can catch me eating cold shredded beef out of a Whole Foods container pretty much every night of the week)

[ohthehypocrisy]

Krookodile for Pokemon Unite!

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Prev: Iron Valiant - Primarina - Garganacl - Passimian - Incineroar - Cofagrigus - Glimmora - Galarian Stunfisk

Pokemon is a series that is as wild as it is fantastical. But that hasn't always been the case. Did you know that the series was supposed to end after Gen 2? That's why the majority of available pokemon up until Gen 3 was just some form of fantastical animal. It didn't stray too far from the original idea, which is how we got stuff like three-headed ostriches, seals with horns, poison slimes, extra cute ferrets, punchy ladybugs, and two headed giraffes.

When the staying power of pokemon was proven, they got very creative from Gen 3 and onwards. As such, we saw some repeat designs rectified with new and interesting concepts to bring the fantastical nature of the series to light. When Feraligatr came out in Gen 2, it was played safe and made a Water Type. Now that's all well and good, gators are cool, but what if it were a sand gator instead? In comes Krookodile, a sand croc, which is every bit as cool as it sounds.

So let's see what this wicked wader can do in Pokemon Unite.

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In real life, crocodiles are sneaky ambush predators that take advantage of a vital resource point, guaranteeing that they will always have the food come to them. As such, Krookodile has pretty high Attack, as well as decently high HP and defenses. Its Speed is higher than you would believe for a sand croc to have, but these giant reptiles are well known for their burst of speed when going for the kill. Because ambush strategies seldom require much thought, it doesn't have very high Sp. Attack, but it doesn't need it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's the motto of a crocodile. And also the motto of an...

All-Rounder

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Basic Attack - Melee/Attack

Becomes a boosted attack after 4 hits. The boosted attack has the user jump forward and grab an enemy with their jaws. If successful, the enemy is bound briefly as the user bites down hard. The boosted attack deals more damage the less HP the enemy has.

The boosted basic attacks behaves like a Sure-hit Dash Attack. On a successful hit, the enemy is Bound for 0.25 seconds before damage is dealt.

The boosted basic attack deals extra damage based on the amount of missing HP the enemy has. The formula goes +2% damage for each 1% of missing HP.

If the target has Hindrance protection, the attack will still follow through, but can miss if the enemy moves out of range in time.

Nature follows the order of survival of the fittest, meaning only the strong will live to pass on their legacy. The weak or ill will most likely not survive another day, and become food for predators. I say all of that to give some flair to this basic attack, whose boosted attack effect is simply just bonus damage for each percentage of missing HP, which is something we've seen plenty of in Pokemon Unite.

It is quite slow, though, which sort of lends some extra power to the boosted basic attack. See, it takes 4 hits to boost the attack, and the lost HP turns into even more damage for the boosted basic attack when it comes out. Of course, that depends on if you can hold a fight long enough before the enemy can make a run for it.

The binding effect of the boosted attack can hold the enemy down for a bit. Since it's a Bound Hindrance, the enemy cannot use items to escape the hold. It's a very brief hold, a quarter of a second, but if you're bold enough to attack an enemy midswing, you can interrupt an attack with this bite. I mean, Krookodile is one of those bulky-All-Rounders I keep talking about.

But bulk isn't the only thing you've got going. If there's one thing crocs are known for, it's their focused power. You could call it Moxie.

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Ability: Moxie

The user’s Attack increases when attacking an enemy whose Vision is Obscured. When a pokemon on the opposing team is defeated, the attack that KO’d the enemy increases in power until you are KO’d.

Your Attack stat increases by 70% when dealing damage to an enemy suffering from Obscured Vision, or blinded from certain attacks.

When you KO a pokemonon the opposing team, the specific attack deals increased damage by 10%. This boost stacks with multiple KO's, maxing out to 50%.

Any of your attacks can be temporarily boosted by Moxie, such as Crunch, Dig, even your Unite Move, Quaking Crash. The boost applies to all hits within the Move itself. This includes all 5 hits of your basic attack.

When Moxie is passively boosting a Move, there will be a number on it on the HUD to show the power level. Remember, it maxes out to '5' for +50%.

The power level does not transfer over too new Moves when learned.

Remember that crocodiles are ambush hunters, so Krookodile's ability to land a KO hinges on its ability to make surprise attacks count. Also, Krookodile is a Ground Type, which makes it even more dangerous since it doesn't need the water pools that real life crocodiles are dependent on.

Krookodile's idea of an ambush is to throw sand everywhere and strike at the enemy most blinded by the surprise attack. As such, its Moxie Ability powers up its Attack stat by a whopping 70% when attacking a blinded enemy. Now, of course, Krookodile knows some blinding attacks, but in Pokemon Unite proper, there are only three Moves that can blind the enemy; Gible's Sand Attack, Greninja's Smokescreen, and Chandelure's Unite Move, Ignite Midnight. The latter two are the only ones you can feasibly partner up with, but most of the time your ambush efforts will be either without these allies or by yourself.

Now, the effort will not go to waste. If you manage to land a KO, the Ability will permanently boost the killing blow by 10%. Now, when I say 'killing blow', I mean the move used to land the KO, which can be your basic attack, either of your Moves, or even your Unite Move. This Moxie boost can stack up to 5 times per move, so a full team wipe will not max out all of your moves, but can fully empower one attack if you were lucky enough to get all 5 enemies at once. Of course, the boost goes away if you get KO'd in turn, so you gotta be careful about overextending and instead look to ambush your weakened enemies. Once you've fed on enough weak enemies, then you can challenge the stronger enemies on the opposing team to claim your territory.

Rules of nature and all that.

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At the beginning of the game, Krookodile will start out as Sandile. You can choose between Sand Attack and Bite as your first move. By Level 3, you'll have learned both.

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Move 1: Sand Attack (Debuff)

The user buries itself in the sand for a while, slowly building basic attack power. This attack can be activated again to make the user leap out and throw sand everywhere, damaging and reducing the visibility and Defense of any enemy caught in the attack. 8s cooldown.

The pokemon is buried in visible sand for 8 seconds. This effect is purely visual and has no influence on its evasiveness in battle. However, your basic attack will gain boosts each second you are buried.

Sand Attack can be used again to throw sand everywhere, dealing damage to enemies in range and also obscuring their vision and reducing their Defense by 50% for 1.5 seconds.

If you are Thrown, Sand Attack triggers automatically, since it is technically being thrown into the air and forcibly unearthed in this way.

Since Moxie can boost the power of every single attacking effect at your disposal, Sand Attack is decidedly going to be one of your weaker options at the beginning. However, it is function over form, as you need some way to hinder the enemy's vision, as well as their defenses to effectively ambush the enemy.

The enemy will see you coming when you slither in while covered in sand, but they're probably going to keep their distance anyway, with you being a melee attacking croc and all. Still, if you manage to close the gap during Sand Attack, you can pop out of 'hiding' and throw sand everywhere. This little sand blast deals weak damage, but it blinds them for a moment and cuts a huge portion of their Defense for a short while.

What happens next is up to you. If you take your time hiding, your basic attack will increase in boosts passively, until you reveal yourself. You will benefit from being sneaky, hanging back on the sidelines while your lane partner does the fighting. Remember, your boosted basic attack deals increased damage to weakened enemies, so if you pop Sand Attack on a softened up enemy, your boosted basic attack might end up landing a KO from the combined Moxie Boost and Defense debuff.

It is a shallow range, though, so you'll have to pull off the ambush effectively from the Tall Grass, or while the enemy is distracted. Also, the sand covering does nothing to protect you from attacks, so you can still be hit from ranged attacks if the enemy sees you coming. That's why I put emphasis on this Move being ideal for surprise attacks. It's a great move to throw out midfight, but hardly effective for evasive endeavors.

By the way, do you know what time it is? I believe it's tooth o' clock.

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Move 2: Bite (Melee)

A chomp attack that occasionally Stuns enemies. The less HP the enemy has, the more the cooldown of this move is reduced. 7s cooldown.

Bite has a 20% chance to Stun the enemy for 0.75 seconds.

The cooldown of the Move is reduced by 1 second for every 10% of HP the enemy is missing. The move cooldown is completely reset if Bite is used against an enemy with 30% or less HP.

If multiple enemies are damaged at once, the cooldown lowering effect logic responds to the enemy with the lowest HP.

If there's one thing gators are known for, it's their powerful bite. Now, Sandile is just as nippy as any other pokemon, but the species has a penchant for biting repeatedly and aggressively, what with being a Dark Type and all, and that behavior shines through in this attack.

Bite is a quick and powerful short ranged attack, but it's a difficult move to pull off since the enemy will be wary of getting too close to this little reptile. That's fine, as you're supposed to use your ambush attacks to get close to the enemy anyway. Once you're within biting distance, you're to aim for the enemy with the lowest HP.

When I say, 'lowest HP', I mean the lowest HP in percentage specifically. Not the lowest HP in numbers, it's gotta be percentage. See, suppose there's a frail Attacker within range, and you're thinking Bite might get a KO from the attack. That's reasonable, as a KO on a blinded enemy boosts the power of Bite through Moxie. However, if a Defender is low on HP nearby, they're the more favorable target. Why? Because Bite will lower its own cooldown the less HP the target has. If the enemy's HP is low enough, Bite will have its cooldown reset completely, allowing you to tear through the weakened HP bars of any opposing pokemon, frail or not.

All that biting critique also comes with an occasional chance to Stun. Incapacitating the enemy for nearly a whole second is a powerful boon in the early game, especially since attacking a weakened enemy will significantly lower the cooldown of the attack. Combining it with other cooldown reducing effects like the Energy Amplifier Item means you'll most likely hit the chance Stun once or twice before you evolve.

Speaking of which...

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At Level 5, Sandile evolves into Krokorok. At the same time, Sand Attack becomes either Sand Tomb or Foul Play.

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Move 1a: Sand Tomb (Area)

The user buries itself in whirling sand for a while, dealing damage continuously to nearby enemies. The user's basic attack gains boosts when damaging opposing pokemon. While buried, the user can move around, but moving hastens the duration timer of this move. Basic attacks, Bite, Crunch and Dig can be used during Sand Tomb, including your Unite Move, Quaking Crash. This attack can be activated again to Pull in all nearby enemies, Blinding enemies and reducing their Movement Speed for a short while. 8s cooldown.

At Level 12, Sand Tomb becomes Sand Tomb+.

Expands the area of effect and increases the duration of the move.

Sand Tomb creates a whirling circle of damaging sand around the user. The effect lasts for 8 seconds, but the timer doubles while moving. Your basic attack gains boosts each second while damaging enemies actively.

You are hidden within the whirling sand, but you can still be targeted by attacks during Sand Tomb. However, you can use any of your other attacks while Sand Tomb is active, including your basic attack, your other moves, even your Unite Move.

Use Sand Tomb again to turn the whirling sand into a powerful quick sand attack, Pulling in all enemies, Obscuring their Vision for 1.25 seconds, and reducing their Movement Speed by 30% for 2.5 seconds.

Sand Tomb+ expands the size of the attack by 25% and extends the duration of the move to 10 seconds.

Quicksand is made when the structural integrity of a section of land is compromised by a large basin of water deep in the ground. It causes the ground to become loose and shifty, absorbing whatever unfortunate mound of mass that happens to stumble into it. Ironically, quicksand doesn't have to be made of sand, as it can be any form of sediment, including plain old dirt.

If it just so happens to be made of sand, it's probably made from a cavity opening up deep below the surface. Or it could just be a hungry sand croc on the hunt. Or both.

Sand Tomb manipulates the sand around you to whirl with silent rage, damaging enemies within range. As it does so, you gain basic attack boosts, which is great because if this is happening, it means the enemy is within snapping distance. And that boosted attack deals extra damage the less HP they have, so Sand Tomb is technically powering up the boosted attack passively. You know, because it's dealing damage as it boosts.

Speaking of damage, the use of Sand Tomb does not prevent you from attacking normally. While the ring of rough sand razes all around you, you can use your basic attack, your other chosen move, and even your Unite Move, but more on that later. However, the sand does not protect you from damage as it's mostly just for visuals that you are hidden within the mini sandstorm. Also, the duration timer of Sand Tomb doubles while moving, cutting down 8 seconds of sandy stillness down to 4 seconds of quick quicksand.

It's not for naught, as ideally you'll want to activate Sand Tomb in the middle of a fight rather than approach with it. The fact that you have no protective cover from the move should make that clear. The whirling sand is meant to be used offensively, which is why the move has a second phase which has to be activated manually.

Using Sand Tomb once more, the sand is forcefully engulfed by the earth, Pulling in nearby enemies while also Blinding them and reducing their Movement Speed for a short while. If this where a fighting game, this finisher would be used to reposition a vulnerable enemy to be directly in front of you, allowing you to combo into another string of attacks. In this case, it's for the Moxie boosted attack of yours to let loose and finish off the enemy or enemies, since it is possible to pull in more than one unfortunate victim.

Of course, be careful that you don't pull in an enemy who is adept at escaping tricky situations like this, like Blaze Kick Cinderace or Fly Talonflame, as they can incapacitate you, fire back with a powerful hit, or both. Remember, Moxie is best used to attack and finish off weakened enemies, building up boosts until you can take on their tanks and frontliners. Be a bit selective with Sand Tomb, as difficult as it may be.

Or you can opt to play dirty.

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Move 1b: Foul Play (Melee)

The user slings sand forward, blinding enemies within range and reducing their defenses for a short while. This attack can be used a second time, having the user deliver a brutal tail swipe, Shoving opposing pokemon away. This tail swipe deals additional damage to opposing pokemon suffering from additional Hindrances. The user's basic attack is boosted for each enemy blinded by the sand. 8.5s cooldown.

At Level 12, Foul Play becomes Foul Play+.

Throws more sand and the tail swipe becomes a sweeping tail dash attack.

Foul Play starts with a blast of sand shot forward in a shallow range in front of the pokemon. This sand shot blinds the enemy and also reduces their Defense and Sp. Defense by 75% for 1.75 seconds.

The attack can be used again to turn Foul Play into a strike with the user's tail, Shoving them away a short distance. The second strike deals an additional +50% damage to enemies who are suffering from a Hindrance each. The Vision Obscuring effect is one such Hindrance, meaning the second strike of Foul Play is already boosted if used in time before the effect wears off. You have 3 seconds to use Foul Play a second time after the initial attack.

Your basic attack gains a boost for each enemy you blinded with the sand blast.

Foul Play+ expands the area of the sand blast a little bit, covering a wider area. The second hit becomes a Dash Attack, sending you charging forward.

Pocket sand. If you get the reference, you'll be crowned king of the hill.

Dark Types are not above fighting dirty, and none is dirtier than a literal sand croc. As such, it comes natural to do whatever it takes to win, even throwing sand in the eyes of your enemy. Of course, the sand is far from the worst thing about Foul Play, as it not only blinds the enemy, but will also drastically lower their defenses briefly.

The thing is, the effective range of this dirty ploy is much smaller than Sand Attack. Think something closer in effect to Gible's version of Sand Attack, that's the range you're working with here. It's very shallow, yes, but you're going to be up close and personal with the enemy anyway, so the attack range is manageable.

Oh, but the move has a second part to it as well. Shortly after throwing sand about, Foul Play can be used again to unleash a thick tail strike forward. This tail strike deals an additional amount of damage for each hindrance the enemy is suffering from. Keep in mind, the Vision Obscuring effect counts as a Hindrance, so if the second part of the attack is used soon enough, the Foul Play attack has a guaranteed damage boost.

To recap, Foul Play blinds the enemy and reduces their defense drastically. The blind effect powers up Moxie, increasing the power of the second strike, which also gets an increase for each hindrance the enemy is suffering from. There's no limit to the amount of power Foul Play gets boosted from attacking a hindered enemy, so the damage potential of the attack scales extremely high, even for a bulky All-Rounder like yourself.

This may all sound like overkill, but Krookodile is hindered by its lack of range and movement options. It cannot feasibly get close to opposing pokemon that don't want their personal space invaded, so Foul Play will only be effective against two kinds of enemies, Defenders and opposing bulky All-Rounders. Some of the stronger Defenders can actually tank a direct hit from Foul Play, but only once, as they'll most likely have to retreat before your follow-up attacks finish them off. It's better to think of Foul Play as a wall breaker that's limited in range until it upgrades to Foul Play+, where the second strike gets some extra distance in its swing.

If you're up against a more tankier enemy, remember that Foul Play gets stronger for each hindrance the enemy is afflicted with, so your allies can contribute to the overall damage you deal. With a well timed series of hindrances, you might even one-shot an opposing Defender or All-Rounder.

Now that's teamwork. Just wait until you're actually a fully fledged gator.

-

At Level 8, Krokorok evolves into Krookodile. At the same time, Bite becomes either Crunch or Dig.

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Move 2a: Crunch (Melee)

The user advances forward with three leaping bites, damaging nearby enemies repeatedly and occasionally Stunning them. The less HP the enemy has by the third bite, the more the cooldown is reduced. 8s cooldown.

At Level 13, Crunch becomes Crunch+.

Extends the dash attack distance.

Each bite of Crunch has the user advancing forward a little bit. Each bite has a 25% chance to Stun the enemy for 1 second. The Stun duration is reset if the chance Stun hits again.

The cooldown of the move is reduced by 1 second for every 10% of HP the enemy has lost by the time the third bite lands. This operates just like the move Bite.

Crunch+ extends the distance the user moves during each bite, extending the overall dash distance by about 20%.

Crocodiles use their big gaping jaws to grab their prey rather than biting them through, so that they can either drag the helpless victim into the water or hold them down while they spin, ripping them apart. Such acts of nature are a bit too cruel for Pokemon Unite, so instead, the grim nature of the Dark Type shines through when Krookodile chomps repeatedly with Crunch.

Crunch is a step up from Bite in every way, in that it hits three times, has much higher odds of Stunning the enemy, and even sends the pokemon rushing forward, though not by a lot of distance. And because the cooldown of the move is reduced based on the amount of missing HP the enemy has, Crunch can be surprisingly repetitive, though the requirements to fully reset the cooldown of the move is a lot stricter.

Now, because each bite has a 25% chance to Stun the enemy, this move can be a great opener in an ambush, though you'd have to be really unlucky to not get the Hindrance off. That comes with its own risk in who you target, since bulky enemies will come out of the attack with maybe 80% or 75% of their HP intact, and will retaliate in kind with everything they've got. You genuinely need at least one hit of Stun to make it out of this kind of encounter, as the enemy team will not take kindly to a melee All-Rounder who thrives in close quarters being so close by.

What you see is what you get with Crunch. Perhaps what you can't see is more to your liking if you were to pick Dig instead.

-

Move 2b: Dig (Melee)

The user burrows into the ground for a while, becoming resistant to damage and immune to hindrances. The user can move around at increased speed, shifting the ground noisily as it moves. The attack can be used again to have the user erupt out of the ground with a wide mouthed bite attack, Stunning enemies within range. The less HP enemies have, the more damage this move deals. If this Move KO's an opposing pokemon, the duration of the move is reset. Sand Tomb and Foul Play can be used during Dig. 9s cooldown.

At Level 13, Dig becomes Dig+.

The user's Movement Speed further increases while digging.

The user dives into the ground and can stay there for 6 seconds. While buried, the user cannot be targeted by attacks or affected by hindrances, but can be damaged by Moves and Unite Moves. The pokemons position is given away by a mound of erupted dirt along with its black back spikes peeking out.

Your Defense and Sp. Defense increase by 30% and your Movement Speed increases by 15% while digging. Dig+ increases this Movement Speed buff to 20%.

Dig can be used again to have the pokemon pop out of the ground with its mouth wide open before biting down, damaging nearby enemies. Affected enemies are also Stunned for 0.5 seconds. The attack deals extra damage based on the amount of HP the enemy has missing.

The Dig attack duration is reset if this move KO's an opposing pokemon.

Sand Tomb and Foul Play can be activated during Dig. In the case of Foul Play, Krookodile will erupt from the ground in order to attack, before submerging back into the dirt.

Now you're looking like a true croc. Since crocs and gators ambush from the water, the idea of one being able to ambush from the dirt, where we live, is absolutely terrifying.

Thankfully, ground shifting gators aren't real, but if they were, we'd have to watch out for Krookodile using Dig to invade our spaces and taking out our weakened allies. A Digging Krookodile is almost impossible to stop, since the move grants the grumbling gator a boost to its defenses as well as Hindrance Immunity. Also, the ground obstructs the perception of Krookodile, meaning that, while it is clearly visible as it rips through the earth, it cannot be targeted by certain moves while underground. Manual aiming attacks will work just fine, but Sure-Hit moves will not register against Krookodile.

You only have 6 seconds to move and pick the best spot for your attack for when you resurface. After 6 seconds, or when you press the Move Button once more, Krookodile pops out of the ground with its mouth wide open and chomp with such ferocious power, even those behind you will feel the sting of your jaws snapping shut. It also Stuns enemies, though it's not a long Stun, lasting for only half a second.

The real power of the move comes from landing a KO. If Dig manages to KO an enemy, Krookodile goes back into the ground and uses Dig all over again, effectively resetting the move. Now, technically Crunch will also reset its own cooldown if it KO's an enemy, or nearly takes them out, but Crunch can be interrupted by hindrances, whereas Dig can't, since the move provides Hindrance immunity. Dig also makes you move faster and you take less damage while digging, and the upgrade, Dig+, makes you slightly faster. But compared to Crunch, Dig is a lot more demanding and requires a KO if you want to reset the digging time, whereas Crunch is guaranteed to have reduced cooldown unless the third bite misses somehow.

Also, Dig cannot be used to go under walls or Obstacles. It has to do with the fact that Krookodile keeps close to the surface while digging, as its back spikes are observable while using the move. Now granted, Crunch doesn't move you through walls either, but Dig already provides you with cover, a decent movement speed boost option for rushing past enemies, as well as Hindrance Immunity, so it's got a lot going for you.

At the very least, Sand Tomb and Foul Play can be used while digging. It will look a bit funny seeing Krookodile resurface for a brief moment to throw sand before going back under, but playing dirty never looked pretty anyways. Although, it goes without saying that using Foul Play while using Dig comes with a brief flash of vulnerability, meaning you aren't protected in the split second you pop up. To put this into perspective, Slowbro's Unite Move, Slow Beam, is a Sure-Hit attacks that can only target visible enemies, which you can avoid while using Dig. But if you resurface to use Foul Play while the Slowbro Player is spamming the Unite Move Button, you'll get caught by the binding power of Slowbro's autism, and I mean that affectionately as a fellow autistic myself.

Still, the move is worth a shot as a successful KO means that the dig time is reset and also that Moxie will be boosting the Move until you are KO'd. Against a poorly constructed team of Attackers and Speedsters, Dig will very likely reach max Moxie boosts easily enough. This also goes for Crunch, but Dig has better chase potential in this case.

But crocs don't chase, they ambush. Well, Krookodile isn't a normal croc, in case you haven't noticed.

-

Unite Move: Quaking Crash (Dash)

The user leaps forward and shakes the ground with great power, dealing Piercing damage to all enemies within range. For 6 seconds afterwards, if an opposing pokemon is KO'd by the user, the cooldown of Quaking Crash is reset. Quaking Crash will also restores some of the user's HP when it KO's an opposing pokemon. 125s cooldown.

Quaking Crash deals major Piercing Damage to all enemies in a large area around the user wherever it lands.

If Quaking Crash KO's an opposing pokemon, your HP is restored by 15% for each KO.

After use, you have 6 seconds to KO an opposing pokemon. If successful, the cooldown of Quaking Crash will be reset.

As a gator, Krookodile holds within itself the indefatigable patience of an ambush hunter, silently storing power for bursts of energy for its quick and deadly strikes. But as a pokemon, that power must be tapped into in order to use moves like Earthquake. In Pokemon Unite, however, that power builds through Aeos Energy generation, building up as Krookodile fights. What happens when the awesome power of a sand croc builds and releases all at once? A deafening Quaking Crash.

Krookodile jumps forward with its powerful lower body, using its tail to propel itself off the ground, and touches down with a mighty quake. This quake disperses all of Krookodile's pent up ambush power into one ground strike, damaging all enemies nearby. The power is so great, in fact, that it deals piercing damage, gravely endangering frail and bulky enemies alike.

But that's not all. Because the ambush power is so easy for Krookodile to generate through fighting, the cooldown for the Unite Move will actually reset if Krookodile gets a KO very soon after using it. It doesn't matter if it was the Unite Move that got the KO or one of your other moves, though it has to be a credible KO, not an Assist. Not a problem, as Krookodile is very capable of picking off weakened enemies with its moves. As such, when Quaking Crash is used against fragile or weakened opposing pokemon, it is very easy to reset the cooldown, given that the Unite Move also deals piercing damage.

By itself, Quaking Crash imparts no debuffs to the enemy or boons to Krookodile when it is used, aside from the typical buff all Unite Moves grant to defense and movement. All it does when used by itself is deal piercing damage and restore HP through KO's. Oh yeah, Quaking Crash restores HP when you KO someone with it, I forgot to mention that. Well, since the Unite Move sends you jumping into the middle of a fight, the ability to heal through KO's is necessary for maintaining some form of longevity as an All-Rounder. Although, it has to be done through the Unite Move, otherwise Krookodile might get put down by the enemy team as they're fighting back.

Still, Quaking Crash helps Krookodile take over the battlefield as if it were a lagoon of fresh water, you know, because of the whole crocodile thing. But it's only as effective as your ability to combo together your moves. Quaking Crash complements the moves you choose, instead of completing it. The true power of Krookodile lies in the brutal malice in the animal controlling it.

You.

-

Achievements

Earn a 5 KO Streak by using Quaking Crash.

I wasn't being poetic about that last line either. Playing Krookodile means you have to play mean, picking off the weakened enemies in order to not only activate Moxie, but also to remove problematic enemies that will pressure your teammates.

Speaking of Moxie, keep in mind that it only boosts a move's power if that move KO'd an opposing pokemon while they were blinded. As such, it'll be difficult but not impossible to fully flesh out your moveset with Moxie boosts. You'll need a few of these boosts to get this Achievement, since a 5 KO Streak is easier with a power boost to your deadliest moves.

However, the Moxie boost resets if you get KO'd, so only the most skilful players will get this achivement. That's sort of a Catch 22, isn't it? You need KO's to power up Moxie, but each fight risks your own well-being, quashing the Moxie Boost if you make a wrong move and get KO'd. And the best time to get a 5 KO Streak is when the enemy team is present for the fight at Rayquaza, which is its own can of worms. Losing the fight here may lose you the game, but you will most definitely lose out on this Achievement until the next battle.

An ambush only has to work once.

-

Holowear

Now, here's what I've been waiting for. As a fan of pokemon in stylish clothing, Krookodile is one of the more inspirational choices for a model. However, I'm gonna have to tone things down here so that there isn't any obvious favoritism on display. Results may vary.

Starting things off, we've got Punk Style Holowear, giving Krookodile a mohawk wig, a spiky collar, a leather vest with the face of a bald human on the back, and some spiky bracelets on its arms. Then, we've got Explorer Style Holowear that gives it an explorers hat, a vest full of pockets, a backpack stuffed with supplies, and a charming little bow tie on its neck. For Wanderer Style Holowear, it wears a sharp looking hat and a big, tattered cloak that could fold around its whole body easily if it wasn't constantly billowing in imaginary wind. Outlaw Style Holowear gives it an impressive black cowboy hat, an ascot on its neck, black vest and leggings, and a toy pistol strapped to a belt. Finally, we have Pirate Style Holowear that gives it a tricorn hat, a big coat with a Krookodile skull emblazoned on the back, and a toy sword strapped to its hip.

A croc in pirate gear, sounds a lot like one of my favorite games of all time.

-

Strategy

In the Japanese version of the Pokemon mainline games, the 'Dark Type' is instead identified as the 'Evil Type'. Now, it does not literally mean that these pokemon are evil, rather they incorporate malicious behavior into their element. To put it into perspective, Light and Darkness are two halves of the same coin, and humans are equally capable of generosity and cruelty. It's called balance, and to be capable of good and evil means to be human.

Dark Types have the ability to harness the cruel nature within themselves and it manifests as a dark power for their attacks. In order to play Krookodile well, you must do the same. Is it evil? Or is it just nature? It doesn't matter, as victory must be attained no matter what.

When the game starts, it may be tempting to call the Central Area for yourself. With the passive buffs from Accelgor and Escavalier, you'll have an easy time clearing out the mobs of Wild Pokemon in order to evolve quickly. However, Moxie will only boost your moves when you KO pokemon on the enemy team, and the soonest that will happen is in the middle of either the Top or Bottom Lane. Maybe you can use the EXP lead to boost with Moxie easier, but you could also coordinate with an ally for a cheap KO. The choice is up to you, but you choose at the behest of your team. If you can play the early game well enough, you might make it to the 8:00 minute mark with a Moxie boost or two under your belt.

When you do finally come face to face with the enemy, you need to take stock of the situation, as Sandile may or may not be able to get a Moxie boosted KO depending on who's on the other side of the lane. At Level 3, all you have for damage is your basic attack, Sand Attack, and Bite, and your range and mobility doesn't really get any better than this. As such, ranged Attackers will give you problems if they keep their distance, which is why there's heavy emphasis on making ambush plays all throughout the post. As long as you get the KO, which in turn gives you Moxie power, any dirty trick is a means to an end.

Melee attackers will be easier for you to handle, unless they're Speedsters. You can snap them down with your boosted basic attack, blind them with Sand Attack, or Stun them into submission with repeated hits of Bite, but they'll almost always get away. You need the help of a teammate to deal with them, as well as long range Attackers, and usually it'll be another Attacker on your side who's best suited for such a role. Of course, you're gonna have to do your part to keep them safe, at least until you evolve.

Reaching Level 5, Sand Attack becomes either Sand Tomb or Foul Play, and this choice has less to do with who you can hit the most with a specific move, and more with who you can hit harder. Sand Tomb is surprisingly effective against groups of enemies due to the threat of being Pulled in, blinded, and suffering from a Movement Speed debuff. It doesn't protect you from damage, but it doesn't stop you from attacking normally either, as you can use Bite or even Crunch while Sand Tomb is active. Also, the attack is passively boosting your basic attack as it deals damage, which is another threat the enemy has to deal with. If they can, they will keep their distance and attack from afar, though this risks dispersing the team, at your own benefit. Sand Tomb can be used again to Pull the enemy in, meaning if you want to KO an enemy, you most likely will.

Foul Play, on the other hand, leans heavily into the surefire ambush strategy, as the combination of buffs and debuffs that take place during Foul Play makes Krookodile incredibly terrifying to bump into out of nowhere. Of course the range is shallow, so it has to rely on cheap ploys in the first place. Because you're lacking in ranged and mobility options, Foul Play is a bit overkill with the damage potential it has. If that sounds problematic, don't worry, pokemon like Buzzwole and Azumarill have a similar duality going for them; amazing up close, but lacking in covering distance.

It's not until you upgrade to Foul Play+ that you get some distance to the follow-up attack, but at that point, you've also got your other move upgraded, as well as your Unite Move, so more on that later. Although, it should be noted that Foul Play's second strike deals increasing damage the more hindrances the enemy is afflicted with. And since it leads with the Vision Obscuring Hindrance, it has an innate power boost, as mentioned before. Of course, the boost can still be compounded by other hindrances inflicted by your teammates, but it will only boost with hindrances, not debuffs, so the window of opportunity for damage will be short without proper coordination. Still, Foul Play is your best attack against Defenders and opposing All-Rounders, especially if they have the EXP lead, who can dive into your team unchallenged.

The best time to challenge the enemy All-Rounders and Defenders would be after you've amassed a few Moxie boosts. You will need to take out weakened or fragile opposing pokemon, and do so without getting KO'd yourself, but a permanent boost goes a long way, even if it's just 10%. However, the actual best time to fight would be after you've evolved, because the stats will level up to reflect your new, scaly, form. Evolving into Krookodile comes with a choice of Crunch or Dig, and both moves are as effective as they are gory.

Crunch attacks three times in a short, advancing attack, and each chomp has a small chance to Stun, along with cooldown reduction based on the HP the enemy has lost by the third hit. If the HP of the enemy has dropped low enough, Crunch will reset its own cooldown, letting you attack again instantly. Of course, if you miss, no cooldown reset for you, so try not to be so gnash happy with your mashing.

Against more agile enemies, Dig may be the better option and gives you an in versus Speedsters. See, Dig makes you a little faster, a little tougher from the defense boosts, and if you end up KO'ing an enemy with the resurface attack, Dig will reset itself, allowing Krookodile to bury again and go for another sneaky strike. You can also use Sand Tomb or Foul Play while digging, though be wary of the moments of vulnerability during Foul Play. Also, I've already mentioned this before, but you cannot dig under walls. You're also immune to hindrances, so just take the scenic route to the weakened and vulnerable enemies.

While Dig offers a variety of boons over Crunch, it doesn't compare to the raw damage potential of Crunch, especially since it will always have some amount of cooldown reduced after the fact. Dig does make you more mobile and the enemy will not be able to stop you from tunneling towards their frail teammates in the backline thanks to the Hindrance immunity the attack provides. But once you use up the resurface attack, you'll be at the mercy of the backline unless you were able to secure a KO on your way up.

While all of these attacks and effects are powerful, they're only as strong as their combinations when used in tandem with the Moxie boost, as well as the Unite Move, Quaking Crash. Now, Quaking Crash is an explosive tremor attack that covers a wide area, but by itself it only deals piercing damage and restores some HP for each KO. However, if you do get a KO within 6 seconds after use, whether from the actual attack or from a follow-up, Quaking Crash will have its cooldown reset, and you get to repeat the attack right away, boons and all. Plus, the Unite Move will also be Moxie boosted, so KO's gotten through Quaking Crash result in an additional +10% damage boost on top of the healing.

Though, if you fail to KO anything, then you'll have to wait out the normal 2 or so minutes of charging the Unite Move, not including the short bursts of charge when you KO an enemy or Score a Goal. If you don't like the idea of such a long wait, then make sure that each Quaking Crash attempt ends in a KO, or save the charge by holding back after you've reset it once or twice. You know, so that you'll have it ready for the next fight very soon after.

Quaking Crash, Crunch and Dig, Sand Tomb and Foul Play, Moxie, even the basic attack, all tie in together to make Krookodile into one cool, cruel croc. Because Moxie boosts your attack power against blinded enemies, your opening attack will almost always be Sand Tomb or Foul Play. These two moves also passively boost your basic attack, which deals extra damage based on the enemy's missing HP when boosted. This means that, after the volley of Sand Tomb or Foul Play, Crunch or Dig, and Quaking Crash, if the enemy should still stand after this assault, your boosted basic attack will have enough power to KO the enemy on hit. Of course, you're banking on them being within attack range for this to work, but crocs rarely loose their meals after they're caught, so make sure your attacks strike swift and true.

Being an ambush predator, Krookodile has little to fear up close, but it struggles against long range enemies and bulky stalwarts who can actually muscle through its overwhelming power. As strong as Moxie is, a single use of Full Heal is enough to quash the power boost you would normally get from a blinded enemy. As of this writing, Full Heal isn't a common sight in Unite Battles, but I'd imagine that if Krookodile players are using the pokemon right, you'd see an uptick in usage.

And that's not even without going into the Defenders and All-Rounders who actually can out-wrestle a gator like Krookodile. Some bulky All-Rounders can be dealt with just fine, but others with specific effects are a little more difficult to deal with, like Buzzwole and Metagross. These are the ones who also thrive in close quarters, and Krookodile cannot win a fair fight against them. Emphasis on 'fair'.

Since the Moxie boost for each move and attack is permanent until you are KO'd, easy KO's will be your main priority. It has to be a credible KO, no Assists, though Krookodile would greatly appreciate a Supporter or a Defender backing them up.

This would also put pressure on the enemy team to squash you on sight, like a lone ant, since there's no telling how many Moxie boosts they've accrued. Krookodile also has a hard time running away, especially if it uses up its moves to dive into a fight. If Dig fails to KO an enemy or your Foul Play ploy falls flat, there's very little you can do to escape save using up your Unite Move, Quaking Crash, to make a break for it, though such desperate measures rarely work out in the long run.

All the enemy team needs to do is to stick together and attack from afar, disorient the gator if necessary, then go for the KO if possible. In contrast, you need to go for cheap KO's at every opportunity, pick off the enemy one by one, take out the weakened opposing pokemon during team fights, and use your Moxie boosts to take on the Defenders and All-Rounders on the other side. It goes without saying to watch out for hindrances as well, since Quaking Crash is powerful, but leaves you vulnerable to panicky counterattacks.

That is how the croc crumbles. Because sand is crumbly.

-

And that's Krookodile for Pokemon Unite! I love that the mainline games aren't afraid to remix old ideas. Like, we didn't need another gator pokemon after Feraligatr, but I also can't imagine anything cooler than a sand croc. And that's what these posts boil down to, a grand gesture of appreciation to pokemon and Pokemon Unite. Hope you enjoyed reading!

Here's a hint for the next post.

Until next time, see ya.

[like-wuatafauq]

South Africa vs Isnotreal Genocide Hearing Summary

Okay I just finished watching/listening to the South Africa vs Isnotrael and it was actually 3hrs and 40 min long(skip the first 30 for it to start) even though the video shows 4 hrs and 30 min long.

And I'll summarize it for those who don't have that kind of time, energy or cnt even view it due to trauma or putting themselves at risk due to their household.

First of all what the fuck.

The fact that this hearing is happening now while gaza continues to get destroyed is beyond frustrating. As I previously mentioned a very explicit R*pe action is mentioned and for that I would not want someone with that kind of trauma to have to listen to that. Alot of the assault and r*pe is mentioned in the first hour the rest is basically Isnotreal being like "how is it genocide if we are helping them, look at all the aid we bring"

I am not joking.. here's a direct quote by Galit Raguan who was representing Isnotreal.

"Israel remains committed to helping international organizations and states involved in the aid effort to overcome these hurdles and consistently increase the amount of aid and services available to the population in gaza"

And to that I say

Is "consistently increase the amount of aid and services" in the room with us?

Because I know damn well we have seen videos of Bisan starving and eating egg for the first time in weeks, we saw the rotten orange she held, we saw the kids collecting rain, we saw the bulldozers over innocent ppl, we saw when they cut off communication and water,we share links and donate OUR money to UNRWA and other shops to fund their water and food and isnotreal says they do that too and that's why calling it a genocide is a "false statement due to social media favoritism"

That is basically their argument. And because South Africa is putting this case as a Genocide, Isnotreal is trying to wiggle its way on how it's not a genocide because of the warnings they give. They made 1 good point about Hamas(and it was stuff they did to victims), and that was for one second and then they continued to blame the rest on them, like, everything (as if their own ppl who were hostages didnt mention how they were afraid Isnotreal will k*ll them and blame it on Hamas). They also used the argument that if it's considered a genocide then the citizens of Isnotreal will be put in danger. Then they used the Judges/and other judges past rulings in order to favor their not genocide definition.

They had the audacity to say it's "around 20,000 but it's a number given by Hamas so we don't know how true that statement is"

20,000.. compared to 1,200... sure let's say Hamas lied and added 10,000.... that is still way more... no no go on let's say they lied about the numbers, the places they hide, the stuff they steal or how they treat their ppl.

How the fuck

Does that justify over ten times the victims.

You cannot stand there and say "they booby trap the buildings"

When we saw isnotreal missiles hit and destroy a whole refugee place.

You cannot justify that. You cannot blame all of those things on Hamas. Like when are you going to admit that is definitely not self defense???

[elbiotipo]

Apologies if someone has already asked you this, but what’s the fixation with coffee industry in sci-fi settings in particular? I definitely get the potatoes thing, but I didn’t get the point of contention sci-fi coffee. Understanding the sheer diversity of sci-fi as a genre - couldn’t we still say that most human-centric sci-fi settings either have a) more or less the same industry we have now, however dystopian or utopian the setting is, and the characters would have brought a certain amount of coffee for whatever interstellar trip theyre on, or b) food or general replication technology where you can just go up to a machine and it synthesises a molecularly perfect cup of coffee? Compared to how genuinely mind-boggling the idea of a southern hemisphere Andean crop existing apparently endemically in a northern hemisphere European climate, sci-fi coffee seems like something that can be way more easily explained or even just. Assumed or implied. Otherwise we might as well start asking where starship captains get bread, or soap or pillows or anything really. (Should we start asking about that???) Thanks for your time if you choose to answer this, this ask is meant in good faith and as a fellow worldbuilding enthusiast I am just plainly curious what your thoughts are!

Fixation? I wouldn't call it like that. I used coffee as an example, much like potatoes, because it has a really interesting and important history behind it that many people don't know about it because it's considered just a household item. In science fiction, it's natural to associate coffee with hardworking space captains, it feels natural that someone so busy would enjoy it (there's also Picard with tea, no major characters with yerba mate unfortunately, but I'm sure there are, even if they're just mine) , but you say it's just "assumed or implied", and it still somehow shows up everywhere.

The fact is that coffee is a luxury good, expensive to produce and that is only considered a household item by us because of a whole industrial, economical and social history behind it. It's something very unique to... Earth, let's say. Which gets the mind wondering when it shows up so far from Earth. Indeed, WHERE do they get their coffee from? How expensive is it to import it from Earth, or if there's not an Earth, what's the replacement, and why do you still call it coffee if it's something different? Are there worlds that produce it? What are those like, what is the coffee sold like? Do they worry they'll run out if they packed enough for the trip? I did say I want "ethnobotanical papers" but just some throwaway lines about this give a big flavor to the story, one I wouldn't find elsewhere. Just some lines like "the coffee from Saudade Station just isn't the same as from Earth", as silly as they sound, give your world a depth that I relish.

You say if we should start asking where they get bread or soap or pillows? Absolutely. Do you know how expensive would have to lift flour to orbit, or have whole space habitats to grow grain? It's not something you can grow in the hydroponics section of a tiny ship, for example. These are all real concerns that space agencies have been working with for decades in the event for future space settlement, and they are very fascinating to think about. Most sci-fi does tend to even hand-wave the cost of lifting stuff to orbit by making spaceships act like airplanes, but the fact is there still. And replicators are the definition of a disruptive technology, there is literally nothing more disruptive to a story that a replicator that can create anything on demand. A society with widely-available molecular replicators would be so incredibly different from our own that even the fact of getting up to drink some coffee would be questionable to me. Unless you're writing an episode of, I dunno, Atomic Betty, I expect a writer to give at least care a little to adress that.

All these questions are important not because of pedantry or because I find them fun to talk about (I really do), but because they define the setting and the world your characters live in, and so they give them more personality and depth, but also, it's the core of science fiction to me: how science and technology change a society, and the stories that can be told with that, and those stories do include how the world works. If you don't adress that, it's just interchangable with any other genre.

[umichenginabroad]

Week 2: Getting Intense(ive)

Howdy y'all, it's me Connor back after, quite frankly, an exhausting week of classes. When I learned I was going to be taking class here I thought I would be taking ✨Classes✨ but in reality I am going to the library most days. That being said I don't think I have ever been more interested in what I am learning than I am right now.

This is a picture of me and my dorm-mates walking to our first class together.

Intro to Japanese has been nothing but spectacular. Although the class is moving a bit slower I have chances everyday to practice what I learn so I am getting quite confident in my abilities. Also the teachers are so nice and helpful in class even though they do not speak almost any English.

In the afternoons we have Automotive Engineering class, now these are the tough ones. Having a 4 hour lecture every afternoon is not for the weak. What is entertaining though is the people the University bring in to special lectures. We have met employees from Nissan, Toyota, Mitsubishi and more. All of them gave given us amazing lectures on the future plans for these companies and what to expect if we ever end up working there. All of the lectures have been passionate to a point I have never experienced in the United States, everyone truly seems to love what they are doing and it makes the class so much more fun.

With about 5-6 hours of lecture a day I will at least concede the point that the amount of homework we have is light, often only a one page reflection on the information e learned, which is quite nice as I often find myself exploring in the afternoon/night with friends.

Another huge upside of this school is the cafeteria, the food is absolutely wonderful and dirt cheap:

Two of the lunches I've had. On the left a spicy miso ramen and I do not quite remember what the ride noodle bowl was called but it was equally delicious. Both of these cost me about $3 USD and they were amazing.

This first week we also had special tours of a number of different research labs here at Nagoya University.

These are two concept cars designed and created within the university. On the left you can see a small Toyota fitted with lidar and camera sensors, this is one of the universities forefront autonomously driven vehicles. On the right is a built from scratch "Slocal' (A slow locally driven vehicle which often gives verbal directions to the driver) vehicle which has the primary purpose of helping the elderly get around safely.

In addition to the research cars they have multiple highly technical driving simulators used for the research. These things are crazy big and so cool. I was even able to drive in one of them for a short while and the amount of modifications that are available via. software editing is ridiculous.

That was about it in terms of the technical knowledge and class stuff for this week so now we get to FOOD REVIEWS!!!!! <3

After being in Japan for over a week at this point I still had yet to have sushi so me and my roommates went and found this little hole in the wall place.

You can see me and my friends sitting at the bar on the left and the finished food spread on the right. We were the only ones in here for dinner which made sense as the sign outside only said すし which just translates to sushi (So still don't know the name of this place). We had an amazing time and the food was great and we even talked to the chef a bit in Japanese.

Around midweek I was craving something super spicy, and my girlfriend Olivia recommended me aa curry chain before I left called Coco Ichiban so we tried it out

This is the spread of each of our orders. Mine is in the bottom left (The one that is several shades darker than the others) I did not understand how the spice level system worked here and ordered a level 8. It turned out that meant it was about 24 times spicier than level 1. My spice cravings were definitely satisfied and then some. Still we had an amazing dinner and I do want to go back to try the level 10.

The next spot also came recommended from Olivia and it was a cream puff spot called Beard Papa.

This is a photo of all of their types of cream puffs. I got three different kinds: vanilla, peach, and green tea filling all with the original pastry. They were rich, decadent, and sweet; Everything you could want in a cream puff. (My favorite was the peach)

Lastly I did just a little bit of sightseeing towards the end of the week.

This is me at a Chunichi Dragons baseball game. Baseball is huge in Japan and this is the local Nagoya team. This night they won 1-0 against the Hiroshima Carp. The energy was super high the entire game, fans constantly cheering, music playing, it was so much fun. (I ended up buying a jersey because the starting pitcher did so well).

I have felt so much more comfortable in my surroundings this week and cannot wait to keep learning about and exploring this amazing country.

Until next time, さようなら, また 来週

Connor Gilfillan

Mechanical Engineering

NUSIP Automotive Engineering in Nagoya, Japan

[author-morgan]

Hello! I'm currently reading through your amazing backlog of fics, and you are such a compelling and excellent writer. Fan fiction writers add an air of anachronism to anything historical that generally disrupts the flow and takes the reader out of the story, but I never get that when reading your work. As someone who wants to get into writing AC fan fiction, do you have any tips for maintaining historical accuracy? I tried using the games for details but found their info to be lacking. Thanks!

Thank you, thank you. ❤️🥺🥰❤️🥺🥰

Not to sound like a broken record, but research, research, and more research. I won't sugarcoat it because it takes a lot of time to dig around for good sources about certain historical periods, and more often than naught, I find those in scholarly journals or historical texts themselves. Find historians who specialize in a certain period of history. I like Roel Konijnendijk for Ancient History, and, for example, I’ve read the Histories by Herodotus for my Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey stories, especially the long fics. (Just ask @mrsragnarlodbrok, she knows how crazy I can get when looking into historical stuff for fics, even if it's literally almost a PWP, lol.) 

Watch documentaries and listen to trusted podcasts about history! You'll absorb a surprising amount of information just by listening (I often have some sort of documentary on in the background when I'm working from home—the HistoryHit YouTube and related channels are all great places to start looking, especially for Greek-Roman stuff).   

Even though it is difficult to remove the influences of modern morals, standards, and ethics from my worldview and writing, I try my utmost to be true to what would have been commonplace for the societal views and standards within the respective eras — that means someone living in Saxon England is more than likely going to be a Christian and live by what the Church says until the plot potentially demands otherwise! 

It's also vital to understand the limitations of the knowledge and technology of the time you're writing for. One of the most egregious faux pas I can think of in this respect that I’ve seen repeated (whether it be for historical fiction or fanfiction) comes with wound treatment and care — in a world without proper sanitation and antibiotics, things like gut wounds would almost always be fatal. 

Speaking of wound care, look for old medical books and accounts of battlefield treatments (e.g., the American Civil War era) to know how things would have been treated. Looking into the native vegetation from an area and digging around for any medicinal properties can help you construct your own types of authentic (perhaps not accurate, though) cures. This plays into my next point, don't be afraid to make reasonable extrapolations!

Diction! Language matters. Modern language and slang will distract from the overall authenticity of the story if not done with moderation or intent. Sure, you don’t have to go back to Ye Olde English, but make sure you’re picking words that fit, especially in the dialogue, and that there is consistency. Something that helps me write for the Gilded Age (late 1800s) is reading letters people used to write one another. In general, I feel tossing in a few swears (like fuck) now and then won’t kill the mood so much, but if you can find period-appropriate swears, then even better! This is a case where reading historical documents and texts can help.  

Don’t overlook the small things! The small things can help create a sense of authenticity. This can be something like understanding the fabrics and dyes available during a certain time period and the style of clothing that was common (and how these differed between classes). A commoner in the Viking period wouldn’t have silk pillows or “mounds of silk” on their beds. Are certain foods available during the time period you’re writing for? Potatoes are probably the worst offenders for this. 

One last thing is just watching historical/period films and TV shows. Often, there are common bits of misinformation or tropes you can start to spot once you start researching that don't really fit—once you spot those, don't do it (unless there's a very good reason for it)!

I’m sure I’m just scratching the surface, but these are the key ideas and philosophy that guide me when writing fics for historical (and fantasy based on historical eras — Game of Thrones) times. In the end and given the nature of the fandoms I write for, I personally strive for authenticity over true accuracy.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #104

I didn't do nearly as much today as I thought I was gonna. I had this giant huge list in my mind that included a shower, physical therapy, laundry, dishes, a couple phone calls, steaming some salmon, getting a couple things we need for the house delivered from the internet, working on the thingy that I'm not gonna talk about until it's done, and maybe making some rice pudding.

…But all I managed was the shower, physical therapy, one of the two phone calls, and steaming some salmon. Bah.

I suppose 4 of the 10 things (I'm counting the phone calls as two things) isn't bad, considering that on top of still recovering from sleep deprivation, my body is also throwing a hell of a tantrum over the fact that I'm not actively in the process of building a new human. For me, the amount of loss is about twice as much and for twice as long as what's typical, so the end result is that I lose about 4 times the resources than is normal. And then, of course, there is the pain that occurs throughout this process. Fun, fun.

Supposedly, this process is necessary because human zygotes burrow until they find blood. This causes problems, so it's better to have a layer of it so that they don't burrow too far directly into our flesh. But for a variety of compelling reasons, you can't have a random layer of blood that sticks around for too terribly long without it getting weird and causing other problems, so every once in a while, it's gotta get torn down and rebuilt.

The natural result is that I don't have nearly as much energy as I might otherwise, which is a bit of a bummer. That's all right though. It's only temporary. Ultimately, everything is temporary; even my currently-assigned flesh-vessel ain't gonna last forever. It's the way of things. I'm not sad about it.

I got some new teas and they arrived today. One of them is a decaffeinated black tea with vanilla and nutmeg (which I am about to try!), and the other one is a lychee and rose petal tea. I thought of you when I saw these ones (since it is known that you like the scents of vanilla and also roses), and I thought maybe you'd like them, so I thought to give them a try, just in case someday I might be able to tell you all about how awesome it is, or even share a cup of the stuff with you.

…The vanilla and nutmeg tea is wonderful. I put some honey and milk in it. I really wish I could give you a mug of the stuff. But I can't. So I'll send along the pictures I took for you as I brewed it.

This is the box it came in. It's got a cute little owl on it with teacups for eyes, I guess. I really like owls, especially barn owls, so this is some huge points in its favor, right off the bat, haha!

Here's how it looked before adding milk and honey.

And here's how it looked after adding milk and honey. You'll also see a very curious Hunter. But Hunter is mostly curious because I'm still steaming the salmon, and he thinks that me going to the counter means he's gonna get a tiny piece of salmon. Which, to be fair, is normally a very astute observation on his part, but while the salmon does smell heavenly, it is still not ready, and I therefore do not have any to give to him. Against the law, I know, I know; suppose you better pop by and cart me off to "disappointed cat jail", right? But it's better that he wait than get sick from eating undercooked salmon; I don't think the stuff available at the grocery is sushi-grade, hahaha…

The salmon is done, and it turned out beautifully. I made myself a small bowl of it, for… ya know. Quality assurance purposes. Grilling and pan-frying salmon are also wonderful ways of preparing it, but given how it comes out of the steamer all luscious, juicy, and tender enough to be cut with a spoon, this is by far my favorite preparation method.

…And don't worry; now that it's ready, Hunter was able to get a small piece. But ONLY a small piece; this food is not nutritionally complete for him, so it's important that he eats his usual food instead of filling up on this. Don't worry though - his usual food is made for cats, but it's human grade; it could be argued that they eat better than we do!! Hahaha!

…Wish I could talk to you a bit over a mug of tea and a bowl of steamed salmon with buttered rice and veggies. Wouldn't that be neat. Just for a few minutes. A moment's peace and a good meal for just a few minutes. I imagine it would do wonders for your state of mind. But in the meantime, I'll do my best to carry the vast sense of emptiness that stems from the fact that this is impossible. From there, I'll take that sense of emptiness and pour something so beautiful into it that even you could be proud - just like I do with my trees and my silicone molds. Just, with different materials. You'll see.

Please stay safe out there, okay? I'll write to you again tomorrow.

Your friend, Lumine

[stillgrewup]

tw // for eating disorders, obesity, food, that general genre of discussion, and childhood neglect

oh, you mean to tell me that because my biological parents didn't feed me properly and food was scarce, i developed a LIFE LONG urge to eat everything i can whenever food is available? and that this becomes problematic when food is available all the time??

ffs, someone could've told me that when i started binge eating the second i was old enough to independently feed myself / go out and buy snacks, rather than letting me sit in so much shame and disgust, rather than letting me gain 5 stone in less than a year, lose the ability to engage in all the sports i loved or compete, and letting me have to independently find this out at 21, after years of struggling to at least just maintain my morbid obesity and struggling to actually lose weight.

i'm 22 now, and i've lost 2.5 stone in the last year just thanks to the knowledge of WHY i have this compulsion to eat, even when i feel full, and WHY i struggle with identifying when i'm hungry, vs when i'm full, thirsty, just bored, need something to do with my hands (i always assumed wanting to cook meant i wanted to eat - nope! but i've now put that energy into food prep and giving myself other thinks to do to keep my hands busy lol)

anything, i'm still really pissed off about that one. i told my adoptive mom when i found out why i had those eating habits and she was like "i know" - WHY DIDNT YOU TELL ME ?!?!?!?! WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME!!!!

"that's why i always had healthy snacks available at home" - yOU NEVER TOLD ME WE HAD HEALTHY SNACKS I COULD EAT! I DID NOT PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER! I NEVER KNEW I COULD JUST EAT THE STUFF IN THE FRIDGE! I USED ALL MY POCKET MONEY TO BUY ENTIRE PACKET OF PRINGLES ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL, AND THEN WOULD EAT THE ENTIRE PACKET ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL!!! I WAS A KID WHO SPENT HIS ENTIRE EARLY CHILDHOOD PLAYING THE "WHO CAN PICK THE MOST GREEN BITS OUT OF THE BREAD" GAME, WHY WOULD YOU THINK I'D JUST KNOW THAT IT'S OK TO GRAB FRUIT OUT OF THE FRUIT BOWL AND SHIT LIKE THAT

"you're smart!! you should know this!" - I HAD A HUGE DISADVANTAGE WHEN IT CAME TO ANY INTELLIGENCE FOCUSED AROUND LOOKING AFTER MYSELF, IDENTIFYING BOUNDARIES AT HOME, AND ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE BOUNDARIES!!! NONE OF THESE THINGS EVEN CROSSED MY MIND!! AT NO POINT DID I EVEN QUESTION THIS STUFF!!

"anyway, that's why i stopped your pocket money" - YOU NEVER COMMUNICATED THIS!!! I THOUGHT YOU STOPPED IT BECAUSE YOU HATED ME, OR BECAUSE YOU WERE WORRIED I WAS GONNA USE THE MONEY TO BUY SHIT TO ATTEMPT SUICIDE WITH!! I WAS SO CONFUSED AND PISSED OFF!!!! WHY WOULD I HAVE ASSUMED IT'S BECAUSE YOU KNEW I WAS USING ALL MY POCKET MONEY TO BUY AND CONSUME HUGE AMOUNTS OF FATTY FOODS!!!!! I WAS A TEENAGER RAISED IN AN ABUSIVE HOUSEHOLD AND STRUGGLING WITH DEPRESSION, OFC MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT YOU HATED ME!!!!!!!!

anyway, looking back, these things seem so easy and simple to see. like "oh yeah that makes so much sense". but my brain just didn't connect any of those dots at all. ever. i didn't even think to start googling into the topic until i was 21 ffs, two years after i'd moved out, and three years after i stopped gaining weight / had a stable weight.

ugh.

it's just so frustrating that all this information exists, and very rarely is it communicated to the people who would benefit most from the information

i understand wholeheartedly that sitting me down at 7 years old and telling me all this shite would've been an awful thing to do, but i really wish someone would've had the foresight to give me an age appropriate chat about some of this stuff when i was a preteen, and another age appropriate chat about some of this stuff when i was a teen. or at least seen that i was struggling with xyz issues and chatted to me about why i might be struggling with those things, or how we can help me overcome those difficulties. smh.

[phantomcat94]

Hello this is just a vent post for the void to get my thoughts out without stressing out my friends (I already talk with them a lot about this, hopefully soon my insurance will get approved and I’ll get a therapist to do this with instead) TW suicidal ideation/language, abuse/abusive language

Today was frustrating. I almost got duped by one of those job scams that lists on job searches as a job but is actually a course to learn the skills to *potentially* get a job. Which, like, I initially thought I was a contracted “work when work is available” sort of job, but it was fitted pretty much exactly to my skills, it was remote (so I don’t have to worry about finding out the hard way how much my POTS still affects me in the workplace), it paid decently enough that a few hours a week would have been. You know. ENOUGH. Not to get out of my mom’s house but to have my own money. To afford the things I would really like to have without having to use my moms money, or the very smallest residual amount I get from my OnlyFans, or just putting it on a wishlist where it will rot until the day I die and looking at it wistfully sometimes. Think clothes that fit and aren’t almost 20 years old, a blender that works, a replacement for my sad melted phone case and broken pop socket, little things I don’t NEED but would be nice to have. (Mostly I was hoping to have a little money for a trip mom and I are taking in October. I’d like to visit my high school best friend and pay for my own food. Maybe get a trinket or two at the ren faire, nothing extravagant but some earrings or a necklace maybe, something to remember the trip by)

Anyhow so. The job wasn’t real but was somehow listed on Google jobs literally 50 times in a row from different companies which all linked back to the same site (it’s social sale rep btw) and then I was just. SO ANGRY and FRUSTRATED I had ti scrap todays plans to try to emotionally regulate (ahh, autism)

Some other highly frustrating stuff happened today and it led to me having a meltdown trying to tell my mom that, no, that job I was so excited to apply to wasn’t real, just like the last 20 I’ve found that are suited to my needs. And I’m so ashamed of having my friends say “are you coming to see me” and realizing that, no, I simply can’t afford to. I can barely afford to inhale. My mom had to unretire not only because of me (bitch is SHIT at financial decisions) but I’m certainly making things worse. A very dear friend of mine jokingly pointed out I’m not contributing and I couldn’t look at them and say “I know. It makes me want to kill myself. I spend every day maddened and sickened by the knowledge that I’m a black hole that does nothing but cost money and eat food. I am aware.”

And mom was (for once lmao) so supportive because she offered to have me move home so I could recover from fainting 3 times a day (2022 was a nightmare, man). So that I didn’t have to worry about work, after losing my dream job twice in one year for being disabled (Disney ghosted me and then I was forced to quit my performing job because you can’t perform when you’re unconscious and I just needed to move home). But I carry the shame and guilt of forcing her to unretire because she couldn’t make ends meet without working and I simply couldn’t. And now that I’m able to cognitively, I’m still scared to approach the physical workplace because I’m physically and socially disabled, I don’t know what the stress of work will do to me anymore. Also, getting people to comply with the ADA is like pulling teeth, and most people would realize I need accommodations and just not hire me.

So while mom was being supportive and saying she’d pay for some of the stuff I’m stressed about having to choose between… I remember when she used to threaten to kill me because of how much money she wastes on me. I remember the screaming matches. I have spent my life trying to be worthy of existing, trying to pay my own way and not need anyone to pay for me, and being back where I was at the height of moms abuse is… harrowing. Hearing her be so supportive and comforting is a dissonance that makes my skin crawl because… no. I look at her and think, “but you hate me for SPECIFICALLY this. You’ve said so. For almost 30 years. Many times and in many ways.”

I remember being the burden, the thing that ruined moms life (as well as the only thing keeping her alive, yes at the same time) the reason she never had money or got to do the things she wanted to do— etc etc. It’s not something I’m just gonna let go of and feel less stressed over, that’s the nature of the C-PTSD I got from this whole ordeal growing up.

Anyhow. That’s how my day’s been.

[auroraboringaliceinwonderland]

Modern AU where Arthur is one of those rich assholes until Merlin teaches him to be better than that:

Merlin was buying himself a burger from some fast food place, when his card declined. Arthur happened to be nearby, conversing as he ordered, and paid for it of course. He wasn’t an evil man.

As they walked outside to the tables made for enjoying the nice weather, he said, “You’d better pay me back every- bit- of that.”

Merlin chewed thoughtfully in his seat for a moment, but it seemed as though he’d already had an answer to that the whole time. “Hmm, no.”

No?? “What?! Merlin! Don’t you know how immoral that is?”

The man merely shrugged. “Don’t have the money.”

“‘Don’t have the money’, c’mon,” Arthur said under his breath. As if he didn’t have the money.

“After I pay rent, I’ll only have enough leftover for…” He thought for a small moment, then set his burger down to pull out his phone. “Hold on.” Arthur watched with a raised brow as Merlin checked his bank account. “Yeah, I’ll only have enough for a few groceries.”

Arthur almost laughed at that. “What?” He scoffed next. “That’s ridiculous.”

In one motion, he was able to snatch Merlin’s phone away and looked down at the screen. Merlin was not pleased.

“Hey!” He leaned over the table to try and snatch it back, to no avail. “That’s private; don’t you know that’s immoral?!”

Arthur stared at the low number of money, almost in awe. “Where’s the rest?” He looked up at Merlin desperately. It— this couldn’t be right - this couldn’t have been all of it. “Personal savings? Any— anything?”

“There is no rest; that’s all I’ve got ‘til I get paid more. It’s called living paycheck by paycheck.”

“What? But that’s— c'mon, that’s not real, that’s…” It wasn’t real but he was looking at it right now, before his eyes; Merlin’s sad amount of money. For rent, and then a few groceries.

A few??

“What’re you going to buy with it?” Arthur asked, handing the phone back. “After paying rent?”

Merlin shrugged and took another bite of his food after pocketing the device. “Prob’ly the usual stuff: bread, milk. Uhm… eggs - you can make a lot of stuff with eggs.”

“How are you even alive right now?” Arthur wondered aloud.

Truly, it was a thought meant to stay in his head, but Merlin still answered: “Perseverance.”

“Well, do you— do you need more money? I can give you some—”

Merlin scoffed, pushing the offer away. “I’m not a charity case.”

“But you… you have no money. You can’t live like this!”

Merlin laughed at that. “Have been my whole life.”

“What??”

His whole- life? How was that even possible? How did he get the stuff for home projects? How did he— did he buy presents for his friends’ birthdays? How much did he have to save up for a visit to the vet for Aithusa? How much food did he have to sacrifice for repairing a toilet?

And what about therapy?! Merlin needed therapy; they all did, honestly. The only reason Arthur hadn’t signed up yet was because it was such a hassle scheduling things around his already-busy schedule.

Sure, he’d come out here with Merlin, but that was different. This was Merlin.

Did he even have the money for therapy sessions? Was he even in therapy at all?!

Merlin suddenly leaned in closer and pointed around at the other families and people at the other tables. “Most of them are here as a treat.”

“A treat? It’s fast food!”

“And more expensive than regular old groceries right now. Did you really think poor people didn’t exist?”

“No, I knew; I have seen a homeless person before, Merlin.”

He rolled his eyes.

“But I didn’t… You can’t pay for anything.”

“Not true.”

“No, but like. Like you can’t— you can’t…” Arthur didn’t have the words for it. “I’ve been an asshole.” To many.

“I know.”

Was Arthur a bad person after all? An evil man? He didn’t want to be, but…

“You’re poor but you won’t accept money?” Arthur asked. “I could just pay you and you’d—”

“No,” Merlin said, tone firm. “No offense, but I don’t trust you enough to not suddenly turn around and ask me to pay you back one day - either through money, a favor, or something worse.”

“What?” Merlin didn’t trust him?

“Arthur, you are my friend and I care for you. But you’re the rich friend. Regardless of our friendship, you still act like a pompous rich asshole towards us.” Their other friends. “Not to mention, rich people like you have constantly made our lives harder for the past— our whole lives; for thousands upon thousands of years. Last time I trusted a rich person and gave them a chance, it came to stab me in the back later.”

“Oh…. I see.”

“Besides, you already paid for my burger today; that’s enough for now.”

“For now…” Arthur muttered to himself. “Do I have any chance at gaining your trust, then?”

“Of course. You’re a rich asshole, but you’re still my friend - I think that says enough.”

“Then…” Arthur looked into his eyes, determination filling up his chest, down to his very bones. “I promise to gain your trust. So I can help you more, and so you know that I’d never betray you.”

So that they could grow closer.

Merlin smiled, and said, “I—”

“And so you can go to therapy,” Arthur interjected quickly. Merlin rolled his eyes, but his smile remained. “You really need it.”

“I promise- to try and trust you as you trust me,” Merlin continued, ignoring those remarks. He took another bite of his burger and added, “Thanks for this, by the way. It’s a good start.”

The smile that grew on Arthur’s face may have been a bit sad at the lack of trust he wasn’t aware of being between them, but it was also full of hope.

“You’re welcome.”

[transgenderer]

hmm. im not gonna engage with your claim that valuable aeshetic experience is relative. i don't agree, im KIND OF an aesthetic realist, but i dont think i can make a convincing argument. even if you grant aesthetic realism, surely many HGs had an artistic vision they were unable to reach due to limited supplies. i mean first of all just color, you only had a couple limited colors of paint! you couldnt like...decorate something blue! imagine, living your whole life without a blue piece of clothing, a blue wall, a blue bag

its true that travel was much less limited by legal forces. but i mean, come on, it was much MORE limited by technological and social forces. you could only get somewhere by walking. you could only walk somewhere if you knew you could find food along the whole way. often the people around you needed you to contribute to the community, they depended on you, you couldnt leave without significantly harming them. i agree we should have more open borders, its bad that we restrict movement. but like. a hunter gather could only go so far! and to do so would require immense sacrifice!

its true that you could be exposed to other cultures, but these werent cultures that had thousands of years to develop mostly independent of yours, they were nearby, similar cultures. they were cultures that you would regularly swap people with. they were different, but they weren't that different, they werent...india and mesoamerica different, europe and bantu different. they were germany and france different.

and yes, they knew things, but come on, they didnt know things the way we know things. they knew practical, specific things. not hate on practical specific knowledge! but is loving knowledge, loving learning, just learning the skills to survive on, learning the political mythology your culture has passed down? surely not, surely its more than that. and they could do independent inquiry, they could rebuild philosophy and science and math from scratch, but they didnt have a technology to pass down a vast body of disagreeing and widely-ranging texts. they just had what they could pass down orally, what verbal culture and people's memories can support. and unlike, say, early india, they didnt have a large class of people whose whole job it was to memorize long works and pass them down orally. everyone had to work to survive, they could do other stuff but they couldnt dedicate their life to this. i mean, mostly you cant now either. but because almost *no one* could, there wasnt a large diverse body of material passed down

and sure, anti-civ arent advocating for an abolition of literacy, but how do you support literacy without civ? making paper, making writing utensils, learning to write, caring for archives, physically writing books, its all HARD, it requires resources, it requires specialization or machine manufacture or both. our society devotes a huge amount of resources to literacy, maintaining it, maintaining written resources, etc etc. our society devotes more resources to literacy than any HG society ever even had, in total. HG societies were small, and didnt benefit from scale!

i think your point about work-communities is your best point. i think its plausible that this is one of the ways a life can be valuable, a way that is not available to most modern people. but i think its difficult for such communities to not end up coercive. they dont HAVE to be coercive, at their best theyre wonderful and voluntary. but that voluntary nature comes from the fact that they are a tiny part of a much larger society, a part you can opt out of. and for HGs, you couldnt really opt out of them, you depended on each other in a real material way. if you didnt like the people in your community, well, tough titties!

So the standard argument against primitivism is about food and medicine. I'm not talking about that argument. Grant for a moment hunter gatherer life, minus famines and infectious disease. I think this life is still much less valuable than life in modern society, and I think this gets at a broader question I struggle with, of "calibrating" our idea of what makes life worth living by history

OK, so what is valuable in life? In my subjective experience, it's mostly beauty and knowledge. Or maybe, as experiences, aesthetic satisfaction and intellectual satisfaction. Learning new things, reading good books, making art, listening to music, going to museums, taking classes, all that stuff.

And Hunter gatherer life is just..worse for this? I mean sure, they genuinely had a lot of free time. But their options were so paltry, for what to do with that time! They lived...not "in nature" in a literal sense, because they influenced their environment so much. But in an unconstructed environment, say. And that's beautiful! The unconstructed environment is beautiful. But like. I can go to that too! And sure, they had an encyclopedic knowledge of their local area. But like. If they wanted to learn other stuff, they were out of luck! That sucks! And they could make art, listen to stories, but surely beauty is so much more than this! Their options were so limited. They could only make with the circumscribed supplies available. And they can see beautiful things, but only those made by their culture, or some nearby ones. Some HGs had long trade routes, but surely almost all of them were only seeing local art. Spending your whole life, only knowing one culture! No reading, just storytelling. Nothing wrong with storytelling, but surely the form of the book allows other things, it's better to have both!

But the point of this post is not anti-primitivism, it's trying to calibrate what I hold valuable. Because it troubles me, to know that the vast majority of human lives were so relatively impoverished in valuable experience. Most people were illiterate, couldn't learn on their own by getting a book. Most people never saw a great painting. They saw sculpture, but only the best in their village. Surely such a life is missing the most valuable parts? But that seems wrong. It seems silly to conclude that most human lives were so much less lived than ours. Surely it was possible to live a good life, as a hunter gatherrer, or a peasant. I mean, obviously it probably wasn't possible to live a good life as like...a slave. I'm not saying ALL lives should have been possible to live well. But surely *most*!

I think the issue here is that actually, most people find human relationships the most valuable part of life. And ofc those were always available. But I'm not sure I get this perspective. I like my human relationships, but I like them for beauty and knowledge reasons. They say interesting and funny things, they teach me things they've read about, they expound new perspectives, they find holes in my logic. But if it was just us, if we weren't all bringing new interesting things from outside some closed community, that would suck! I wouldn't find that nearly as valuable. So that wouldn't be sufficient, for me. But maybe it would be, for most people?

[mochikeiji]

Looking Like U Got Me

Request: "Prompt no. 56 and 55 for Gojo ＼(^o^)／"

55. "You look like my husband/wife"

56. "Keep doing that and I'll marry you faster"

↠ Pairing: Gojou Satoru x Reader

↠ Warning: none! Simply fluff

↬ Word Count: 1.7k

↠ a/n: i accidentally mixed up prompts 55 and 57 ;-; but still hoping this turns out good!!

↳ from Go! Go! Gogatsu Event!

All he wanted was to wake up in bed, next to you— who would cuddle deeper in his arms even in slumber so he'd smother you with his kisses and tighten his hold around you and drift back to sleep longer, finally free of responsibilities for once and enjoy quality time with his only favorite person. But instead he wakes up with a groan passing through his lips, supporting his back side with his hand while shuffling to his side in a different position as the light sun rays shun through the window blinds, softly fanning his eye and forehead.

Gojo chuckles a bit before wincing. His lower back so tensed that he feels himself get older by the day. Pouting at the empty space next to him, he palms the cold sheet in wonder of where you are. Up so early in the morning when you could've just stayed in for him. How annoying. His eyes shut for moment when the scent coming from outside the room intruded his senses. Ah, you must be cooking breakfast. How sweet of you.

Thank goodness it wasn't another batch of dried crackers or cup of noodles that'll enter his mouth. He was never one to cook meals when he was on solo or when you weren't around. The very thought of not only the meal was awaiting for him outside, but also you excites him that it made him feel tingly inside. Call it dramatic, yeah, but it's not every day someone gets to wake up and immediately feel this full of love in the morning. You were the only and last love he's ever wanted to have in this world. It was so surreal even to him.

Sighing before pushing himself up, Gojo yawns out the remains of drowsiness in his system and stands. He didn't bother wearing a shirt since last night, claiming that he misses how his body rubs off yours in both comforting and suggestive ways. Plus it was just you and him home, he'd rather walk naked than wear the usual long sleeved uniform on a warm day.

The scent of coffee got stronger as he closes in his journey towards the kitchen. There was faint sizzling coming from the pan as you stood there in attendance. Stuck in your own little world, swaying to the sound of the radio playing, U got Me by Yung Heazy. It was one of the few songs that reminded you of Gojo back when you were both high schoolers. The exact song you remembered playing when you both hung out on a small cafe in Tokyo. Where he was so flustered, attempted to hide his blushes with his round glasses. The little things that reminded you of that memory never fails to make your heart race.

Of course Gojo knows this one as well. Because it was on that date as well he had call you, "his" after masking his embarrassment and from obviously checking you out every minute. How could he contain himself? He was a young man who was having trouble in the arts of love. Nevertheless he was glad to have grown up from those years. If his younger self could see him now, he'd be gagging at the sight of a softer version of his older self.

Snaking his arms around your torso carefully to avoid surprising you, he places his chin above your shoulder. Salivating at the sight of thick bacon in deep frying, shamelessly letting you know he was hungry from the sound of his stomach growling. "This is a nice way to greet me." you smile at the man behind you, who had his eyes closed in delight while rubbing his cheek against yours like a cat in need of attention. "Good morning to you as well, sweet cheeks." he says after  pressing a kiss on your skin.

"You got up early." whining softly, his hair and nose tickling the side of your neck and shoulder, "I was hoping to stay longer y'know?" trailing his hands underneath the his shirt you were wearing, mapping out on all the skin he could squish and hold with his large palms. Noticeably pressing himself closer to your body, the much needed space gone but you weren't complaining. After all, this was Gojo, a man who knows no boundaries.

"I wanted to make breakfast for you. We haven't had one together since we're both busy." you say as you grabbed the nearby plate, turning off the stove as the now cooked meal sizzles softly from the pan before sliding down to the porcelain surface. In attempt to lick his lips at the now prepared food, his tongue grazes upon your skin, sending you to jolt a bit, hearing the joyous laughter from him as he places a kiss on the spot as an apology.

"W-why don't you go sit down, there's rice bowls and cooked eggs prepared already." stammering, you quickly excused yourself away from his embrace to clean out the mess from the counter. Gojo sighs out the adoration but obliges to your command. Not long after you had finally settled down in front of him. Seeing him in all smiles as he scarfs down on his food made you smile as well. Thank goodness his blindfold was off, they looked adorable twinkling in happiness.

This felt nice. To have an opportunity to be a normal couple once again. So many times you could only daydream of scenarios like this. He could say the same as now that you were present on the usual spot he'd come home to empty. Often dozing off during meetings thinking of where you were or how you were, the multiple times Megumi has fed up with his whining about how he never gets to see or have more time with you. Nobara even pointed out a fact saying, "You act as if you're both married." and Yuuji, being the happy child of the three had said something that always ponder in his mind, "Why don't you marry each other yet, sensei?"

It was a statement he's been considering for a long time. Marriage. Of course Gojo wanted to marry you after years of torment love. To have his precious students say that you both already looked as if you were married got him all heart racing, and very very happy. He's had vivid images of a life with you. Not far from what it is today, but imagine. Unlimited happiness after so long of fearing it. Perhaps maybe even tiny legs running around, giving him such big love as his grows for the family he's craved, watching you smile beside the doorway and calling them in for a meal.

If marrying you means he can have that every day, then the hell with it.

"You look like my wife."

The spoon drop echoes. Slowly his face erupted into a faint blush while staring back at your widened eyes and opened mouth. "What?" gulping down the stuck food in your throat, Gojo bites his lips watching you maintain your composure. So cute. "Y-you know you say funny stuff when you're out of it. Maybe some daifuku would help? Yeah! Wait a sec." quickly getting up from your seat and rummaging in your fridge, you breathed out the heavy puff of air from your lungs.

He did not just say that so directly towards you. Maybe you were dreaming? You wouldn't be if your heart wasn't practically being forced out. Gojo is always fun and games, right? He doesn't mean that.

Sad to think of it that way.

"Ow!" thumping your head above the fridge as you grabbed some of the take outs of Daifuku you got yesterday, closing the fridge back before returning shortly to Gojo, who seemed as out of it as you were. "You did say your brain functions best when you eat sweets. Luckily for you I bought these yesterday. That's why I cooked earlier now because I wanted to try it out with you!"

Gojo can't tell if he wants to be offended at the fact that you think he was joking or just now, cover his half of his face to hide his laughter and igniting squeals. God he wished he had his phone right now, the moment was just so priceless and precious as you were.

"...ter"

Muffles from behind his hand was heard. Tilting your head to the side, trying to process what he said but no avail. "What was that?" you moved a little closer next to him, tapping his hand away almost eagerly. When he does, you spot that knowing smile present on his lips and the uncharacteristic blush still painted on his cheeks.

"Keep doing that and I'll marry you faster, honey."

You've gotten more shy when his hand held yours in the most loving way while drawing patterns. Searching through his eyes if he was playing around, but you were met with ones you know of when they were full of sincerity. "I-i. You know, they were so cheap anyways and I figured you'd want them." he snorts before leaning his head on your arm and laughs hysterically. It was painfully obvious that you were in state of shock that you couldn't even process his words.

Up until now the effect he has on you was still there like before.

"Sweetie." he turns his body away from the table to face you, pulling you so that you were standing in between his legs looking down shyly on the floor. "I'm serious." his fingers reached for your chin to pull your head up to meet his features. His other hand still holding your smaller one; index finger tracing your ring finger in circular motions as if he was creating a make believe ring.

He should thank himself for falling in love and be trusting once again.

Because now, staring back at your eyes filled with the same amount of emotions as his. Reciprocating the exact thing he was feeling. Waking up just to start the day already wanting him to be there. Knowing all the littlest things he's shared. Hearing the erratic sound of both of your heart beats.

He knew he's made the right choice.

"You really do look like my wife. My future."

© all content belongs to mochikeiji. Please do not repost or copy, ありがとうございました!! (=^･^=)

[entertainment]

Entertainment Spotlight: Anthony Alabi, Family Reunion

Anthony Alabi—actor, writer, and former NFL player with the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers—currently stars in Netflix’s Family Reunion. He left the NFL in 2010 and moved to Los Angeles to fully immerse himself in the process of becoming an actor and training in drama and comedy before seeking auditions and representation. Anthony’s other credits include Shameless, Bosch, Raven’s Home, and guest-starring roles on NCIS, Modern Family, The Mick, and a supporting role in Pee Wee’s Big Holiday.

What is an experience from your personal life that you think would make a good storyline on Family Reunion?

Well, in a funny way, the storyline of Moz is close to a personal experience I have had. I left the NFL and had to transition into a new career. Moz is going through the same thing. He’s trying to figure out what he wants to do after dedicating a lifetime to his previous profession. It’s really exciting to watch and even more interesting to experience...again.

What would you change about the experience of the entertainment industry for Black talent?

Well, I think that when it comes to Black actors, they have often been pigeonholed into being a certain type of character or only fitting into one genre. If I could change anything about the Black experience in this industry, it would be that more roles become available to Black actors. Instead of one size fits all, make the possibility of a Black scientist or photographer as plausible as a Black athlete or bouncer.

You’ve played in the NFL and starred on screen—what’s the next skill that you’d tackle if you had infinite time?

If given an infinite amount of time, there would be several things I would want to do. I’m an avid golfer, so I would love to get better at that. Unfortunately, golf is extremely difficult, so I’m gonna pass on that one. I would say photography or cooking would be the skill I’d want to get into next. Both bring me so much joy, and I find myself indulging in them when I’m not busy. Maybe it’s taking food pictures, who knows!

What’s the most ridiculous thing that you bought or did during quarantine?

I built a 300-piece slide/swing set for my kids. It was ridiculous! I thought it would be like an IKEA piece of furniture. Turns out I had to get my engineering degree to complete it. So if you need a plane or a car or even a rocket, I got you. Haha!

What was going through your mind on the field during a game, and what’s going through your mind when the cameras are rolling?

It’s funny because the thought process is very similar. I go over everything beforehand and make sure I’m prepared. Then, right at the moment before I start the game or the director yells “action,” I completely forget everything. My mind goes blank. I guess you could say I’m in the zone at that point. Nonetheless, it scares me every time.

What’s next for you?

Developing shows with my writing partner and getting my production company off the ground. I’m fortunate that I’m able to stay busy with voice-over and acting work, so there’s lots of stuff coming!

Thanks for taking the time, Anthony! Family Reunion is now streaming on Netflix.