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crashingmeteorz · 4 years

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jet and zuko escape the fire nation and hope to reunite the ba sing se bimbos

as voted for in my 100 Followers Celebration! credit as always to the amazing @azenkii

zuko makes his speech to his father, and then hurries over to the dai li barracks. he knows azula’s sent them off to defend the bunker, but since jet can’t earthbend, he’s hoping that jet has been left behind.

sure enough, when zuko gets there, jet’s resting on one of the hard cots, nursing what appears to be a broken arm. he’s got a black eye and his nose looks broken. zuko swallows thickly, knowing this is his fault.

“prince zuko?” he asks, standing up and bowing deeply. “what are you doing here? it’s not safe-“

“come on,” zuko says, grabbing jet by his good elbow. “we’re getting the hell out of here.”

“wait!” says jet, digging in his heels. “we can’t go out there - there’s an invasion, you’re too valuable-“ to prove his point, jet runs in front of zuko and blocks the door.

“i’m sorry, but i can’t let you go out there prince zuko,” jet says firmly, crossing his arms.

“stop it!” yells zuko. “call me lee, or just zuko, or fire nation trash but stop calling me prince zuko!”

“no can do, prince zuko,” jet says, and zuko smacks his own forehead.

“okay,” zuko says, thinking hard, “okay, the truth is...i need your help. for...for a mission! yeah. a dangerous mission. to bring honor to the fire nation.”

“i don’t know,” jet says carefully. “i’m supposed to take my orders from princess azula-“

“well, i’m the prince, so you have to take orders from me, too, right?” zuko argues. jet considers him.

“i guess so,” jet agrees.

“so if i say i need help on a dangerous mission, you have to come with me, right?” zuko insists, “to protect me?”

“sure, that makes sense,” jet says, more to himself than anything.

“okay,” zuko says, gently pushing jet out the door, “let’s go.”

they stop briefly at the capital prison, only to find that iroh has escaped.

“oh!” says jet, “we’re apprehending the traitor! i understand!”

“yeah, yeah, sure,” agrees zuko distractedly as they sneak their way to the war balloon, “just be quiet about it.”

when they get to the war balloon, the take-off is loud in their ears, and as jet watches zuko rhythmically stoke the flames something in him snaps.

he falls to the floor of the war balloon suddenly.

“jet!” says zuko, stooping down check on him, “are you okay-“

zuko does not get to finish his sentence, because jet decks him in the face.

“YOU’LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE, FIRE NATION TRASH!” he yells, grabbing zuko by his collar with one hand and shaking him as best he can, and yeah, zuko will admit this is better than Brainwashed Jet, but not by much.

“i’m getting you out of here!” zuko yells back, yanking himself out of jet’s grip and backing away quickly. “we’re escaping!”

“likely story,” says jet, searching for his hooks, “but i’m not surprised, coming from the fire prince...where the hell are my hooks?”

“i’m not telling you until you drink some water and calm down,” says zuko. “if we can just talk about this-“

“you stole my hooks?” jet demands. “don’t EVER take a guy’s hooks!” he says and he tackles zuko to the floor of the balloon.

it feels like a really intense, angry fight, but in reality they look like a pair of wrestling 10-year-olds.

“get off of me!” yells zuko. “you’re crushing my ribs!”

“you crushed my people!” replies jet, trying and failing to choke zuko one handed.

“you can’t kill me,” zuko says, even though jet’s so weak he’s failing at doing just that, “i have to teach the avatar firebending!”

jet struggles for another minute, and then he processes the information.

“aang...aang’s alive?” jet asks, not loosening his grip even remotely.

“i’m sure of it,” zuko tells him. “and he needs a firebending teacher if he’s going to stand a chance against my father.”

jet stares at zuko for a long time. finally, he pushes himself up and watches as zuko stands as well.

“if you so much as think about hurting him or his friends-“ jet says seriously, but zuko cuts him off.

“then you can disembowel me and hang me from the walls of ba sing se, okay?” zuko says, dusting himself off. jet nods sharply, and then turns around to look out the balloon.

“you don’t...you don’t think i’m tricking you?” zuko asks cautiously, knowing he’s looking a gift ostrich-horse in the mouth, but he’s genuinely surprised that jet has accepted this explanation. jet laughs bitterly.

“listen, fire starter, you’re a lot of things,” jet tells him, lips drawn into a smile that looks more like he’s baring his fangs, “but you’ve never been a good liar.”

the second ba sing se bimbos post will be coming soon, and will involve all four of the bimbos together. thank you to everyone who participated!

masterpost

#100 followers #the ba sing se bimbos #jet #zuko #azula #dai li #atla #avatar the last airbender #my stuff

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songsorter28 · 4 years

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Blackpink: The Album Review

Okay, this is the first time i’ve done this and the truth is i don’t know how, so i’ll just try my best.

First of all: I am a Jennie biased blink. That means I have no trustworthy sense of criticism when it comes to them and if you do, this is probably not the place for you. I will try to talk about this album with a sense of criticism, but sometimes, i’m just gonna like a song because it’s blackpink and y’all just gotta deal with it.

BUT, I am not afraid of saying i don’t like things that the pinks have said it to like, which is actually how i’m starting this review. So, if you guys are all about loving the girls and emotion and “think about how they must feel” this is a decision made by the girls, this place is also not for you either. I am a blink and i share a lot of love for those four women, but i am also a consumer of their work as artists. I will complain if I didn’t get something I thought was necessary as a viewer and listener for my money and attention to be spent. I will not, of course, hate on them in any way.

Ok, before anything:

1) English isn’t my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes. 2) Here, we’re gonna talk about the cover, pre-release single choices, writing credits, tracklist and my honest opinion about the album as a whole.

a) The Cover:

There’s not a lot to talk about but the fact that it’s gorgeous, but simple. I didn’t understand why a crown if the name was The Album (something unoriginal to be honest, but i’m not 100% against it) and there’s no reference to royalty throughtout the album besides maybe Jennie’s rap “didn’t want to be a princess”. I did find the cover visually pleasing tho, could be much more embarrasing.

b) Writing credits and Track List:

This one is quick. I’m extremely glad Jennie and Jisoo were credited as songwriters (Jennie as well as a composer) but Teddy gotta give Danny Chung to god. He hates rapper Jennie and he’s the reason Lisa doesn’t write. He’s always in charge of the raps so teddy gets confortable and Lisa doesn’t get a chance to write her own verses, which is something the sure thing cover showed us she can do. Also, he hates rapper Jennie to the point where she had to write her rap on the title track (wich is good, but, you know what i mean) and wasnt even given a chance to write more than 8 seconds. Melanie I hope this is the last time you were here. Loren you can stay. Tommy and Ryan yall were cute we had fun but it’s over let’s move one (seriously, these producers really made me appreciate Teddy more lmao pls sir never leave us). Okay that’s it. Now, to the track list.

I will be talking about the fact this shouldn’t even be called a full album on the My Honest Opinion About The Album As A Whole topic.

1. How You Like That

I say my opinion more detailed on the next topic but at at essence. Cute. A good opener to the album and what is to come, but too much of a bside to even be a pre release single.

6.5/10

2. Ice Cream

Again, my opinion it’s on the next topic. Cute song. Loved Chaennie’s high notes and wish i didn’t know english so the rap didnt sound that silly. Not as bad as blinks and non blinks make it out to be.

6.12/10

3. Pretty Savage

I kinda also talked about that in the next topic lmao. It has everything a blackpink song should have. There’s been some controversy about Lisa “born skinny bitch” but Lisa was talking about herself since she has been body shamed through her whole career. She was right and she should say it. You’re entitled to feel uncomfortable but that’s just the thing she wasn’t talking about me or you. She was taking her pain and wearing like an armor. This was a diss track for the haters. Taking that away from her because of our own issues it’s kinda mistreating hers.

8.82/10

4. Bet You Wanna

Yes you guessed it right I talk more about it next topic. It’s a bop. Loved Jennie here. She has such a versatile voice I was very proud to hear her. And Cardi was also good. Just hope Lisa will get her rap part live cause she didn’t have much lines here. But I loved Jenlisa’s brigde. Rosé’s adlibs peak perfection and Jisoo’s chorus and english that’s what i’m talking about. The chorus can be a little repetitive and it kinda ends a bit suddenly but it doesnt bother me much.

8.37/10

5. Lovesick Girls

WHAT TO SAY ABOUT THIS MASTERPIECE OTHER THAN BEST BLACKPINK TITLE TRACK? Love that for me. It was so different than anything they’ve done so far, the lyrics were AMAZING, the message behind it also, the visuals in the MV, storylinne, RAPPER JENNIE OMG, she got the most memorable line “didn’t want to be a princess, i’m priceless” i love her tf the shade to the yg princess title and her scene in the car and in the mental hospital(will not touch on the controversies cause that was annoying) also Lisa’s rap/singing with a flow in the begining her voice OMG I WAS SHOOKEDT. Jisoo’s high note in the brigde? Rosé?? perfect.

10/10

6. Crazy Over You

Rapper Jennie for the last time with a 8 second rap again but LET’S BE POSITIVE. A bop. I loved the i. went. crazy. over. you. I love the lyrics. It bother a bit this much english but it’s bp’s idendity so i’m fine with it.

8.5/10

7. Love To Hate Me

This was a predictable song in the best possible way. Easily one of their best songs. There’s honestly nothing left to say. Also. Lisa’s rap. Maybe Danny Chung deserves some points. It even felt like she was a feat in the song like her flow yall just perfection.

9.4/10

8. You Never Know.

Great song I left with depression.

I like how this album talks with haters and blinks, it really shows a different side from the pinks. Only a few know the emotion Jennie starting off “but you never know unless you walk in my shoes [...] cause everybody sees what they wanna see, it’s easier to jugde it than to believe”. It was written by Loren, a close friend from the girls and the boy who’s Jenlichaeng boyfriend in the LSG’s MV and Bekuh Boom, a producer who’s been with them for really long, but if anyone got a conspirancy theory that they were involved in the songwriting process of the song, sign me up. You don’t need proves. I believe you. ALSO JISOO GOT MOST LINE ON THIS ONE and we got singer Lisa. After a while, it become my favorite song from the album. Now, it’s my favorite song from their discography. Debate your mother.

9.62/10

c) Pre-Release single Choices:

I can’t stress about this enough. Whoever was in charge for the single choices needs to go to jail. Not that HYLT is bad (at all) but comparing to the rest of the songs, it look MUCH more like a powerful bside than Love To Hate Me and Pretty Savage ever will. I will lecture later how Pretty Savage was the perfect choice to first release single, just wait. Now, to the controversial Ice Cream. To be honest, i found the song super cute and i think the MV was one of their best. It was different and refreshing, love that for me. But the whole sequence of events that turned out to that disasterous twitter timeline, with constant attacks to the girls especially Lisa over things they cannot control such as line distribuition and a sabotage from antis on yt comment section, was something I kinda already saw it coming. Ice Cream is Blackpink’s most successful single to date, but it was a bad choice from the start (I will talk about that in a second). For starters, YG decided not to promote the song well. While announcing the single, they gave us a poster with pictures from a summer package released months before. And each week they kept doing that, only using actual teaser photos in the release week. The hype was pretty much out. I can’t say my timeline is 100% blink because i have way too many fandoms that i’ve been following for longer than i’ve known kpop, but compared to the HYLT hype, they were pretty down and that’s on YGE. Also, ever since coachella, it’s been antecipated by fans and artists the possibility of a Blackpink x Ariana Grande (one of the most popular singes these last couple of years). The idea of an Aripink collab got blinks (who were already with an eye wide open after Blackpink was seen with Tommy Brown, Ari’s basically oficial producer, who has been producing for her ever since her second album and was reponsible for many hits of her latest project, Thank U, Next, such as 7 rings and Thank U, Next) even more hyped when YG announced (one of those old photoshoot posters. I’m sorry I will never let that go that company is so trash) that Blackpink’s second release was going to be a collaboration with a western artist, and Ariana herself like Jennie’s instagram post about the next single. I cannot put in words the reaction of my twitter timeline when YG confirmed that the collab was actually with Selena Gomez.

Now, on a more personal note.

You see, I actually like Selena. I like her songs, besides the critics. Perfect is pop perfection. Waverly Place is the best disney show ever since That’s So Raven. But, to a collab made to the US market, and besides the success of Rare, Selena isn’t a sales force like Adele or Taylor Swift, nor a streaming force like Ariana Grande. Nothing takes my theory that this was supposed to be an aripink collab but, for some reason, she dipped and then interscope (blackpink us label and selena’s label) picked her. Selena showed us a good time and promoted the girls more than YGE did but, it wasn’t a surprise when the song didn’t get a top 10 (a top 13 is really good tho, don’t get me wrong).

Now back to the story telling

Selena was more than a feat, she sang the whole damn song, getting more vocal lines the the entire vocal line. She’s only a few seconds behind Lisa, who got the most lines in general. I understand that it is a collab, but this is the girls’ single. Why would they want to listen to them for only 16 seconds, the amount of time Rosé got? That set a bunch of solo stans (something that exists more in this fandom than everywhere else) to boycoitt the release, a huge fansite even taking out their funds for the full album (that was low, even for a solo account. JisooBar, you aint seeing heaven). Did i think it was a little of overeacting? As someone who’s an army that had to handle Not Today’s line distribuition, and especially since we’re talking about the main vocalist, someone who will for sure have more lines in the future (as she did), kinda. But, like i said, it was a bomb getting ready to explode at any minute. If it wasn’t that it’d be something else. That being said, NOTHING will ever justify the nastyness y’all did with Lisa and even Jennie’s comment section. Nothing. That was ridiculous even for solo stans. BUT for people who got worried about Lisa’s lack of posts after the release, don’t worry. She didn’t post a lot because Thailand is going through some stuff and I don’t think she has YGe’s permission to talk about it (when I catch the ones in power on that company istg).

Wow, that was long. At essence, it was a bad choice for several reasons, but i enjoyed the song a lot. Can’t wait for the live performances with chaesoo’s lines.

Now, back to HYLT. It was greatly promoted, it stopped Zico’s (huge in korea) releases and a bunch of other big artists in South Korea. Got 7 Perfect All-Kills and would’ve gotten more than 12 if the charts weren’t reforming at the time. It also broke a lot of records, and repeated Sour Candy’s position on the bb100 on #33. It’s another very Blackpink song that I enjoyed but kinda aged. Many non blinks didn’t like it but it’s not like they were ever going to admit they liked a bp song. They’re annoying. The song’s biggest problem is probably the 2015 edm in the chorus. Like. Teddy. You gotta let that go. It’s time. He kinda heard us in the album. But, these kinds of songs are very liked by the general public, especially the korean one. An interview was made asking the general public if blackpink should change concepts and they said a bit fat no. So that tells what you need to know. And that it why i think Pretty Savage should have been the first pre release single.

Okay, let me tell you another series of event. Back on november 2019, when we were starving because YGe does not like money, BlackpinkBar, a big fansite, payed trucks to be sent to YG building during a whole day demanding for better treatment to Blackpink. You can find all the demands online, but at essence, when it came to music related, blinks always mention: Jisoo’s lines, screen time and blackpink in your area, Main Rapper Jennie, Lisa dance break, Rosé’s high note. On HYLT, we got nothing. And everyone had to shrug it off saying it was just a pre release single, BUT it would be better hyped by blink and the hype to the second pre release would’ve lasted longe if PRETTY SAVAGE, who has basically all of that, was the pre release single. It would’ve assured us of so much. Jisoo said bp in your area twice, she RAPPED, she was singing, she could’ve had more screetime and center time especially bc she’s on all chorus. Jennie Main Rapper would go back and we wouldn’t have to be blue balled (which caused the ice cream meltdown)every single release and only having to wait till the title track and only to have a 8 SECOND RAP. I won’t talk about that now. Moving on. Rosé wouldn’t get a high note, but she would’ve gotten the brigde all to herself and the next pre release single, bet you wanna (wait for it), she would get those incredible adlibs. And Lisa’s dance break. Not only this is bp’s most danceable song and has a bunch of lisa’s raps, it also has jennie’s outro, where for a least 20 seconds lisa could’ve thrived. Yall we were robbed.

Now, real quick, back to Ice Cream. In a perfect world (or just a world where YG’s current ceo) had brains, if they wanted a collaboration to show the pink side of blackpink, with a poppy song and sassy lyrics, the artist not to be in the whole song, and to have an artist who would driven attention from the locals and is a big streaming force, THEY WOULD’VE CHOSEN BET YOU WANNA. My biggest problem with bet you wanna is Lisa’s lack of lines, which could cause stuff and well we just miss her they could have added a rap even for 8 seconds, BUT, seeing her all around pretty savage and knowing she’s gonna have Cardi’s rap during live performances would cool things down. Since we were in the middle of a pandemic, instead of a mv like ice cream where they had to do it separately, they could’ve done something like IU’s eight. A huge part in animation and a few with people. Literally YG why are you so dumb. Bye.

d) My Honest Opinion About The Album As A Whole:

I did some math (lol) and my rank for The Album is 8.4. It’s easily one of the best releases from this year and I loved it so much, but something were left to be desired and i think i could pass everything and just turn a blind eye at things, except one: the fact we waited for 4 years, watched all ggs and yg groups getting comebacks last semester and only got 8 songs. Loona is releasing a mini album with that amount of songs. Stray Kids and BTS’s mini albums are longer than that. It was bad enough KTL had 4 songs and a remix (a joke) with 2 songs lacking raps and no rapper jennie only for them to carry YG’s dirty name after what their protected boys did. I legit hate it here they didn’t even had 30 minutes, their longest song wasn’t even 4 minutes. Also, before anyone says anything about the girl’s interview about quality over quantity. I’d like to say that i understand them having that when it comes to have one comeback a year and i’m honestly okay with that. But their first full album? 8 songs? Are you kidding me? Like I said, I’m a consumer. I refuse to receive this half assed excuse about quality over quantity when they had more than enough time to produce and write more than 8 quality songs? what, is impossible to write more than one song per moth? these songs have formulas, they can be made more than 8 times. A blackpink album its more than a thousand reals here. That 90% of a sallary. And please don’t come with the “if you don’t want it just don’t buy it” “you can just unstan them” bc that’s not the case. I love their songs. I love the girls. But I’m a consumer of their art and if they want to be takend seriously as artists, they gotta do more than 8 songs on a full album. It’s unfair to anyone that isn’t a diehard fan willing to sell out an overpriced photobook in hours. That’s not the only kind of fan blackpink needs. they need the store locals, the people who are not on twitter or tumblr or instagram. Cause those locals are gonna stay like they stayed with adele and taylor swift. stan twitter is much more likely to leave them with time.

Side note: I’m tired of commenting on rapper Jennie so I’ll just say Jennie deserves better than 8 second raps as the main rapper of the group. That doesnt mean I want Lisa to not rap or to Jisoo not to sing, as many will say bc apparently that’s what people hear when we say main rapper who trained for 6 years to be a main rapper should rap on at least most title tracks even if not on all songs.

But yeah, that’s it. Besides the unfortunate final note, I loved The Album and now Blackpink it’s my second most listened artist of all time. They were top 13 before the album.

#Blackpink Jisoo Jennie Rosé Lisa TheAlbum The Album AlbumReview Album Review Kpop

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seyaryminamoto · 5 years

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Post canon, do you think Azula would regret her actions during the war? As Azula is someone who’s very single-minded when it comes to success, I don’t see her regretting anything. War is war for her. But how can she change? I don’t think she would regret her actions just because people didn’t accept her actions or think what she did was bad. She would need a logical explanation. What do you think?

Uh… that really depends on how a writer chooses to carry her character forward. While Azula didn’t commit any of her worst war crimes in my story, she started out being every bit as remorseless about the Fire Nation’s actions as you’d expect from canon Azula. It has been, of course, an insanely long process, but she has grown to understand the harm her nation did, enough that she even works to fix what little stuff she can nowadays.

As usual, this got long, soooo…

TL;DR: show her the flaws in the Fire Nation’s system, make her bond with new people (preferrably either Team Avatar or other people from other nations), and after a FAIRLY long time she’ll come to understand where the Fire Nation went wrong and regret some of her actions, to some extent.

Now, if you want a full breakdown of what I mean by all of that, feel free to keep reading:

First things first… I’d think Azula needs to see how the war damaged her own nation. The Painted Lady featured the floating town of Jang Hui in the most polluted river the entire franchise had given us so far. ATLA did deal with subjects relating to environmental damage before, but never quite to that extreme: common people were living in the worst conditions because a weapons factory that was operative since Azulon’s time had been dumping their waste in that river for over a decade, if I recall correctly.

Neither Zuko nor Azula ever saw this, only the Gaang did: how would they react if they did, though? How would they feel upon finding their people are facing such dire consequences for the warmongering of their forefathers? You may be inclined to think Azula might not care, these are means to an end, but I’d like to think an Azula who has been developed to some extent would think otherwise (I can outright tell ya’, I’m bringing this up because I literally wrote Azula confronting this specific reality in Gladiator’s 82nd chapter :’DDD).

This without going into the subject of the death toll: how many of their soldiers were sacrificed and how much people have had to die at a war that has lasted 100 years. Efficient, effective Azula would most likely be disturbed to realize how many resources have gone to waste, how much work has been invested into operations that went nowhere because, let’s be real, if the Fire Nation had been effective all the damn time, this war wouldn’t have dragged out as long as it did. Add to this that Azula is outright the most competent Fire Nation antagonist we ever saw on the show, and it’s obvious the Fire Nation armies would leave a lot to be desired for someone who’d expect nothing but the best from her own people.

Point and case being: show Azula the flaws in the Fire Nation systems, and she’ll start opening her eyes to the reality of the Fire Nation’s internal mess. If they’re striving for greatness, wouldn’t they be above such flaws? Shouldn’t they be better than this?

Now, how would she regret her own actions? That’s a taller order to fulfill yet. But, as tall as it may be, it’s not impossible.

For starters, one of the things I dislike deeply about the comics is that Azula doesn’t feel like herself to me because she’s dead-set on the throne as her endgame even though anyone can tell it’s never going to be hers. Why do I dislike it? Because this is the same girl who, upon being thwarted constantly by Team Avatar in Book 2, kept changing her strategies and even changing the battles she was fighting so she could obtain a “big win” and make her father happy. Can’t catch Iroh and Zuko with a Royal Barge and a full firebending procession? Switch to a smaller team with a train-tank. Can’t find Iroh and Zuko yet, but found the Avatar? Try to capture the Avatar. Failed to capture the Avatar? Off to capture Ba Sing Se instead. Failure to capture the city? Again, switching to tracking down the flying bison to find the Avatar: found the Kyoshi Warriors, found a method to infiltrate the city, captured Zuko and eventually Iroh, “killed” the Avatar, conquered the city: AZULA WINS!

But why did she win? Because she changed tactics. Because she was NEVER static, never hung up on a single goal. She needed to be victorious, and she was in the end, but not for a long time: she literally doesn’t win a single violent confrontation until she fights the Kyoshi Warriors. As epic as she may be, I ALWAYS bring this up because it’s part of her character as well as everything else. In the comics, though? She may change tactics on occasion, but the endgame of her plans never really changes: she wants the throne at all costs, like that’s the only thing in the world that she could ever want. And I find that difficult to understand in a character like her because she lost EVERYTHING in Sozin’s Comet, the last we saw of her she was crying desperately after knowing she had been defeated. This, paired with the mirror scene, showed that Azula was shattering inside. A character who went through trauma of that magnitude can react in countless ways… but the way that I would have thought suited her best would be having a severe belief crisis instead: why did her brother succeed when he had always been the failure while she was the perfect child? Why does he have friends who will fight beside him while hers abandoned her? Why, when everything came to a head, she was completely and utterly ALONE?

The interpretation of the comics is that she decided those questions all could be answered with “Hallucination-Ursa brainwashed them all!” and “I must take the throne and my entire life will be fixed again!”, something that still makes me shake my head to this day. When having the opportunity to explore complex subjects through Azula’s character, they picked the most simplistic route possible to deal with it and obsessed her with a throne she only showed outright interest in during… what, four episodes of the original show? :’D

Sooooooo, as far as comics are concerned, I honestly don’t think they’re taking a route to make Azula regret what she’s done. Other people have a different take on the subject, they’re free to disagree, but unless the new writer treats Azula more seriously than Yang did, it’s hard to imagine they’ll actually touch onto the more complex aspects of the character.

Therefore if we went through the route I expected her to take, meaning, Azula trying to figure out why she failed without dumping all the blame on a single hallucination, I can imagine her touching the surface of the fact that something about her methods, something about her actions, couldn’t have been right. The Ursa hallucination already suggests that Azula knows, on some level, where she went wrong: she feels forced to justify why she handled everyone through fear, claiming “fear is the only reliable way”. It’s not so reliable anymore, though, is it? All the people she thought she’d intimidated and frightened are thriving now, while she’s in an asylum, of all things. Something in her methods was wrong, plain and simple. A perfectionist like her wouldn’t like accepting this, but she’d have no choice other than doing it: otherwise she’d NEVER have ended up in the situation she’s in.

Just like with the previous item, begin to touch upon the failures, the flaws, the problems… and slowly, Azula’s concepts of the world would unravel, and she’d be forced to make sense of it all again, only, now she knows and understands it better than she did before.

Of course, changing her understanding of the world would be far more successful with the right help than by having her work out everything on her own. And by the right help I mean… Azula can’t be helped the same way Zuko was. It’s that simple. You can’t have her open up to Iroh, or learn better through him, because she thinks he’s a failure as well and she has as little respect as possble for him. Likewise, she’d most likely be too proud to learn any better from Zuko, who, let’s be real, has a long way to go still in terms of growing and ESPECIALLY developing enough patience to deal with Azula. While everyone wants him to do it, and hell, I agree that him helping her would be the right way to bring his character full circle, the way Ehasz described it, but I can also see it being a REALLY messed up journey, with more hardships than I think Zuko can endure as he is by the end of ATLA. He’d need a much stronger hold on his emotions than he ever displayed, and we know Azula is one very sore spot for him. Therefore, while it would be thematically great? It would take longer than a Gladiator-length story to do this properly, with both Azula and Zuko being IC enough as compared to where they left off at the end of ATLA.

On top of it all… my most honest take? I don’t really want anyone from Azula’s old social circles, be it friends or family, being part of the start of her healing process. Why’s that? For one thing, what I said above about Zuko and Iroh. For another, her relationship with her mother is radioactive trash even without factoring in The Search. Lastly, bouncing back from a betrayal like Mai and Ty Lee’s would take her AGES, and I don’t think she’d realistically ever fully trust them again after that, especially seeing how neither of them seem to want to be friends with her again anyhow in the show, not even touching upon how much they seem to hate her in the comics. Therefore? I’d like it better if Azula either started to have her own adventures with Team Avatar or found new friends of her own, as she did in Smoke and Shadow.

… Only, and this is why I’d favor Team Avatar, Azula needs influences who AREN’T Fire Nation. All her life that’s all she’s known. If you give her common ground with any of the other five members of the Gaang, you could actually create an interesting dynamic that involves Azula exchanging experiences (rather than trampling over) with someone with a completely different culture than her own.

For example, she can bond with Aang over being bending prodigies, something she doesn’t have in common with anyone from her old circles. She can bond with Katara over having older brothers who drive them crazy. She can bond with Toph over the same thing as with Aang + they’re bound to share some degree of their sense of humor and they’d likely have a competitive streak about who’s the better bender in their respective element, not to mention they’re both highborn who most likely can relate to each other’s family problems. She could bond with Suki over leadership, over warrior training since youth (of course, because of their bad blood I find this one the more difficult angle but it’s far from impossible). And if you really want me to get started with how much stuff she could bond over with Sokka I’ll be writing this ask until tomorrow, so have this link instead.

All this I bring up also under the logic that Team Avatar has forgiven people who wronged them before :’) no, it hasn’t been easy, and no, I wouldn’t expect her to become instant friends with anyone, but it’s hard for me to fathom that all of them would be 100% against being anywhere near Azula forever and ever. Set up grounds for them to have to work together for one purpose or another and you’ll get somewhere with developing Azula’s friendship with any/some of them before you know it.

The core point of having Azula bond and talk with them, though, is for her to undergo the same epiphany she does in Gladiator: shameless self-promoting time!

“What we used to have was separation, definitions, boxes with labels where you could throw each person depending on what they were. And you and me? We don’t share any of those boxes, do we? We’re opposites in practically every regard. Yet why is it that nobody else who shares my boxes has resounded with me in the way you do?”

“We’ve had our clashes, it’s true” he whispered “We really didn’t start off well. But… I guess that comes with balance too, doesn’t it? We were too different to understand each other right away, but in time…”

“We found a rhythm. A way to coexist without destroying each other” said Azula, smiling “Despite it all… fire and water might not need to snuff the other out of existence”

It only took me 107 chapters to get her to this point :’) realistically speaking, I have a hard time seeing a full-blown development of Azula taking a short time, especially if it means tackling even more problems than I needed to in Gladiator, seeing as it’s an AU where she didn’t really get to join the war.

Point being, once Azula finds common ground and solid friendships well outside the Fire Nation (be it Team Avatar or even other people from different nations), she’ll start to feel empathy for them, even if she doesn’t intend to at first. Their lives will matter to her, their struggles… she will find herself realizing what kind of hardships her new friends have undergone because of what the Fire Nation did. And as much as that means she’ll start caring only about one person at a time, that can be expanded into her opening her eyes fully to the horrors of the war she never cared about before.

I honestly doubt she’ll come to fully regret her successes, such as taking over Ba Sing Se or stopping the Invasion force. But she can regret having stood on the side of the conflict where she did, despite she really had nowhere else to stand during ATLA’s time. I’d think, if given proper time to grow, learn better and understand people who are, in essence, different from her despite sharing so much in common with her, Azula would eventually close the door on her past and begin to work towards a future where she won’t have to fear she’ll lose everything again, a future where she’ll have stronger bonds, where she won’t end up alone and abandoned by everyone she ever cared about.

#anon #azula analysis #man I thought my analysis days were over #can't lie this can be fun to do still #however long it gets

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svpcrnova-blog · 5 years

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( genderfluid ) haven’t seen MARS NOVA around in a while. the AMANDA ARCURI lookalike has been known to be UPBEAT & ADAPTIVE, but THEY/SHE/HE can also be MISCHEVIOUS & DISHONEST. The 20-year-old is a SOPHOMORE majoring in ASTROPHYSICS. I believe they’re living in AUDAX but I popped by earlier and no one answered the door. ( ral. 21. gmt+1. she/her. )

hi hello it is i, ral, let me entertaaaaain uuuu introduce myself and my idiot child, mars: im from belgium, the land of chocolate and fries, an 21, the age of anxiety and tears, and am v excited to join y’all!!! under the cut you can find (a lot of) info about human garbage can mars also here you can find their pinterest board and here some wcs!!

anyways hit me up if you like what you read and you wanna plot!! i’ll complete the first task and post a starter soon (also the second task bc mars’ secret is pretty integral to their whole character lol)

mars’ real name is not mars, it’s a nickname and a fake name too, they change it every few years; they picked a space related one because space is awesome

so mars is genderfluid, but they don’t make a big deal about it; if you ask them, they’ll say you can use whichever pronoun you want, she, he or they. most people just use she, which is 100% okay. they won’t announce it or anything, if it comes up in conversation, they mention it.

also they’re pan but they usually just make a pun about it and that’s it

(tbh i’ll probably change their pronouns as im writing mars is a v inconsistent human when it comes to lol everything but also pronouns. just. chaos!!)

they got adopted when they were around 4 years old after their family was accidentally involved in a shooting. john was around because he was involved as well, felt guilty, and took the kiddo in since they had no other family.

mars is v used to change, they travel around a lot since john does a lot of small jobs here and there, some of them legal, most of them kind of dodgy. ofc no one knows this. (more about this in task nr. 2!)

has lived in a lot of weird places: a boat, a mobilome, a trailer, on random people’s couches, etc. has developed the ability to fall asleep everywhere, in every position

john started saving up for college for mars because they wanted to give them a chance at education and a stabler life and mars said yes when john asked bc a break would be nice. they transferred to lockwood after their first year after starting a year late.

mars is a very upbeat and happy person, they bounce around and babble enthusiastically whenever they meet someone new. they're very sociable and friendly, honestly, they like most people they meet. to be honest, the grumpier the human, the more morph likes them. since their dad is quite silent and broody, they’ve grown to really like that kind of person. but they aren’t picky honestly. if you can put up with their shenanigans, everything is a-okay

at the same time they’re very closed, which means they answer every slightly personal question with a wild, uncoherent story. even their birthday no one knows. like they’re not your typical secretive broody human, you just realise that at the end of the day, even though mars talks a lot, you barely know anything about their personal life

they didn’t know tatiana very well but were still shocked when they found her dead. they didn’t pick her name though so they feel like it’s not their fault

mars loves loves loves pranks. combined with the fact that they have no sense of people’s boundaries and a lot of slightly shady life skills means they’ve pulled up some crazy shit. sometimes they go a bit too far which makes people upset but they pester them with love until they give up.

space is their big passion, also aliens are reals, mars will fight you about this. they study astrohphysics and man nasa better get ready to offer them a job or mars will be….Sad

mars changes their hair and personal style like,,,, every week? one day they have blue hair and wear all black leather, other days it’s bubblegum pink and flowers everywhere, other days it’s just brown hair and oversized t-shirts with ugly 80s prints. karma karma chameleeeooon

listens to a lot of music, a lot of styles, it changes with the day, has many Opinions™. their fave however will always be david bowie

mars is a big ol’ coward, even though they and their daddy-o have done some truly shady stuff, they will avoid confrontation at all cost. like, they could totally fuck you up if you wanna fight but…..they don’t want to fight they’d rather hide until the coast is clear

v weird studying habits (reading upside down works for them okay!!) has marker all over their face 50% of the time. likes to stick pencils in their space buns. once filled in an exam with a glitter gel pen n got excellent marks. procrastinator but pulls everything together at the last moment. gets distracted by………..everything (omg look at that fat pigeon!!)

100% meme trash. will send you pics of funny looking dogs at 3am. speaks mostly in vine references

#(lol the gif is v mars)#water:intro #(also pls hit me up i swear im friendly!!)

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monsterleadmehome · 6 years

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Reylo Fic Rec Masterpost

Since I’ve been asked a couple times for fic recommendations, I decided to create a master list, which I’ll (hopefully) come back to and update. This is by no means comprehensive, but they are works I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and wanted to share. You can also always check out my bookmarks page on AO3.

I have updated these with ratings, but be warned they are mostly M or E. Smut not your thing? Check my smut-free recs here! Remember to mind the tags!

*Indicates WIP

Let’s start with some little known fics. These are all under 100 kudos as of June 19, 2018. Make sure to leave a comment and/or give kudos if you read!

Ties That Bind* by @phoenixsolo -- Rated M. This fic is wonderfully written and jumps between multiple POVs. Also some great Poe and Wedge Antilles interaction which is fun.

Holonet Mail by MelodeeKS99 (not sure of tumblr) -- Rated T. This is the cutest You’ve Got Mail AU one-shot but still takes place in universe. Ben and Rey are both smugglers. Guys, it’s adorable.

A Veil of Smoke* by @binarysvnrise -- Rated M. ASOIAF AU that is just masterfully thought out and so well-written. NO LONGER ON HIATUS.

come and knock on my door* by jadeddiva -- Rated T. This is a really cute modern AU where Ben is a programmer at a startup and Rey is his college student neighbor. They meet because both their roommates have kicked them out to have sex.

every inch between us becomes light years by @spookykingdomstarlight -- Rated M. A beautiful one-shot that is both super sexy and sad. It hurts, but in a good way.

Cloudbusting by @bratanimus -- Rated T. Beautifully written and short. Just read it.

In-Universe Fics:

Sword of the Jedi series by @kylorenvevo -- Part 1 Rated T, Part 2 Rated M. Are you even a real Reylo if you haven’t read this? J/K, but seriously this was one of the earliest fics I read when I fell into the Reylo trash bin, and it is a masterpiece. AU where Rey and Ben grew up together at the Jedi Academy. It reads like canon novels. Not kidding.

Crossroads series by @gizkasparadise -- Part 1 T, Part 2 E, Part 3 T. This is an emotional rollercoaster in 3 parts. It’s got angst, it’s got the pre-TLJ Force Bond, it’s got memory loss, and some really kickass supporting characters. I just love it so much.

You’ll Be the One to Turn by @postedbygaslight -- Rated M. This is THE post-TLJ fic you need to be reading. It’s still a WIP at this point, but it’s sure to be completed soon, and like I told Posted before, if EP IX winds up totally letting me down, this will be the only version of events I accept. It is insanely well-written, gripping, and emotional. Just read it.

Infectious by @dvrkrey -- Rated E. Also known as the sick!fic. It’s a poignant hurt/comfort post-TLJ imagining with a beautiful first time love scene. This one has a special place in my heart.

In The Early Dawn of Happiness by @corseque -- Rated E. GAH! This is beautiful and touching and even though it’s a reylohardkinks fill, it’s so much more than that. It is profoundly sweet, and if we’re lucky, there will be another chapter.

landscape with a blur of conquerors* by @kylorenvevo -- Rated E. I’m assuming if you haven’t heard of this fic, you’ve been trapped on Ahch-To with Luke for too long. The arranged marriage AU with plenty of Hapan couture fashion to keep poor Kylo occupied.

Across the Stars* by @nite0wl29 -- Rated E. A Beauty and the Beast AU set in-universe (on Chandrila!). Rey falls for Kylo without him ever taking the mask off, and I think that’s beautiful. It’s got all the best elements of TFA, TLJ, and BatB. This one also should be wrapping up soon.

Songs of Innocence, Songs of Wisdom* by @cosmo-gonika -- Rated E. Another post-TLJ fic that has been blowing my mind. It has some mystical Force elements and some steamy scenes with Rey and Kylo. It does a really great job of showing where our star-crossed lovers are still not on the same page (but hopefully they’ll be there by the end!).

The Descent of Ishtar by @assortedfruitsnacks212 -- Rated M. This is a trippy post-TLJ fic that is super mystical and really intriguing. It’s so well-written, and I might have to light a fire under the author to get her to update this because I NEED MORE.

Id by @dreamsdescent -- Rated E. A smutty one-shot where Rey fulfills Ben’s darkest fantasy. It’s hot. Do yourself a favor and read it.

Mood Lighting by @raven-maiden -- Rated E. This is based on the closeup of the MF captain’s quarters in Solo. It is a beautiful one shot with humor, soul, and (yes!) smut. Can’t believe it’s her first fic!

World In My Eyes by @mygrandmathinksimsassy -- Rated M. Apparently I had been sleeping on this post-TLJ gem? It’s 96k words and recently completed, so you can settle down with this on a rainy day. Beautifully written, really sexy, and has a happy ending! I loved it.

AU Fics:

Blades Crossed by @the-reylo-void -- Rated M. A really amazing figure skating modern AU a la The Cutting Edge.

Stranger Than Fiction by @daxwashere -- Rated E. Seriously? Probably my favorite modern AU ever. Ben Solo is an author who needs to give his main character a love interest; enter Rey, his muse. It deals with some pretty real shit while also being incredibly full of heart (and some hot smut!).

Left Handed Kisses by @ever-so-reylo -- Rated E. The fuck buddies to lovers AU I never knew I needed. Rey is an Assistant District Attorney and Ben is a criminal defense lawyer. It’s hot, it’s sweet, it’s got lots of emotional constipation - you won’t be disappointed.

In the Name of Magic series by @waterlilyrose -- Part 1 E, Part 2 E, Part 3 T. The Hogwarts AU of my dreams! Kylo is a Snape-ish professor in Slytherin and Rey is a Gryffindor professor (of course). It’s great because it incorporates everything you love about Hogwarts, but focuses on the teachers instead of the students. Luke is Headmaster and Leia is Minister for Magic and there’s a very special painting of a snarky muggle that steals quite a few scenes. I absolutely adore this fic.

Dark Horse by @womp-rat-fever -- Rated T. This was a gift to me that I won in a tumblr giveaway. It is the Outlaw!Ben / Sheriff!Rey AU you never knew you always wanted! It’s a one-shot but it’s packed with action and pretty hot, too. I also made a playlist for it here.

The Promise by @nerdherderette -- Rated E. Wow. This is the most enthralled I think I’ve been with a one-shot. It’s 13k words, but reads like a 500 page historical fiction novel. If you like The Count of Monte Cristo, this is the fic for you.

Bedroom Hymns* by @drnucleus -- Rated E. Modern AU where Rey is a psychologist and Ben is an architect. Healthy BDSM where Rey is the Dom and Ben is the sub (although they haven’t quite gotten that far in the relationship yet). This is just really smart and eloquent. I’m a fan.

Fire Away* by @reylolujah -- Not rated. Disclaimer: I’ve only read the first chapter of this, but it’s SO GOOD. Laser tag AU with a really funny and great set up. Excited to see where it’s going! (I have it on good authority that we’re getting a half-naked Ben in a forthcoming chapter.)

A/B/O Dynamics:

Yes, I finally needed to add a section just for a/b/o. Sorry not sorry because I love it now. These are all E, for obvious reasons.

Your Pretty Little Heart by @ever-so-reylo -- modern AU where Ben and Rey are both doctors. And both terrible at admitting their feelings. It’s hot and super-well written. A good starter a/b/o fic!

Hunger* by @benperor-ren -- a canonverse a/b/o that picks up after Crait but with Rey in heat and Kylo coming to her aid, *wink wink nod nod*

Algorithms* by @grey-orchids -- the only first person POV fic I’ve ever enjoyed. This one is done so well it almost subverts the trope? Rey is a feminist and an IT person at a tech company run by Kylo. She goes into heat and things get interesting. *waggles eyebrows*

Summer Heat* by @isharan -- slow burn a/b/o you say? Yeah, and it hella works. Rey goes to spend the summer at her granfather’s cabin in Canada and is drawn to the outcast alpha Ben. It’s soooo good.

the thick of it* by @dvrkrey -- so steamy. It’s got hunter!Rey and lead alpha of the pack Kylo and Dothraki vibes for sure. Just check it out, you’ll like it. ;)

No One But You* by @faequeentitania -- a canonverse a/b/o started for Reylo week that started as mostly smut and now has plot! It’s really engaging and I’m excited for the last few chapters!

Hawthorne House by @strawberrycupcakehuckleberrypie -- I recently binged this and it is sweet/hot/amazing. Rey works at a B&B in Savannah, Ben Solo is a guest during a hurricane.

Oh and since people have also mentioned it, I will link to my works here at the bottom:

Dawn of the Rebellion series -- Rated T parts 1 & 2. This started as a one-shot I couldn’t get out of my head, then got a multi-chapter second part added on by popular demand. It’s my EP IX imaginings and it’s full of soft Reylo. There is a smutty epilogue in the works.

Truth Be Told* -- Rated M. The Alias AU I started for the RFFA exchange and am now taking too long to finish. If you like espionage and UST, I’ve got you covered!

smutty one-shots (all E): Chariot (modern AU) | Training Day (canon-verse) | Code 288 (Brooklyn 99 inspired) | Careless Whisper (80′s AU)

That’s about it for now, but I’ve got about 5 pages of “marked for later” fics I need to dig into, so keep an eye out for this list to be updated!

#reylo fic rec masterpost #reylo fanfic rec #reylo fanfiction #reylo fanfic #reylo fic

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punkwhodrinkstea-blog · 5 years

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The Long Road of the Holidays

The holidays have come to an end, we flew through Christmas and it’s not the new year. People partied extra hard for no real reason and was probably horribly irresponsible for the hollow hope of trying to have a good time and avoid their life. Their attempts will be in vain since life goes on and it will come back to bite them in the butt if it hasn’t already. But nevermind that cause I hate new years celebrations because it has literally no meaning or purpose at all cause it changes nothing.

Anyway, let me tell you a little story. A few days ago my Fiancee and I arrived back at her house to find a girl probably in her early or mid-20s just sitting with a notebook sitting on the curb. It was a cold night and I thought maybe she was waiting for someone to pick her up, but she had a notebook out and not a cell phone, plus she almost looked homeless. So I had a feeling (probably from God) to ask her if she was okay and if she needed a ride somewhere. My fiancee and I got out of the car and walked over to her. I simply said “excuse me” and the first reaction was to ask if that was our house and that she needed to move. Apparently, people get mad if a stranger is sitting in front of their house...in the cold...what? Okay, only a dick would be mad about that. But anyway I just stopped her and told her it was fine for her to be there and then I proceeded to ask her if she needed a ride somewhere. She was not only surprised but she must’ve thought it was a miracle or something based on how she reacted. I suppose it is rare when a stranger asks if you need a ride but I thought it was pretty obvious that she wanted to be anywhere other than on the side of the road in the cold. I’d like to think more people would’ve considered that but our world is dark and no one seems to notice other people anymore these days. Heck according to her first concern, it seems that it would have been more likely for someone to see her as a problem then as someone who needed help. Next, she apologized for having acne….my heart sank a little. For starters, having acne is painful enough and not really your fault; at least most of the time since most people don’t usually choose to have acne. She clearly has had someone in her life complain about her acne or somehow made her feel like she is a problem in many ways in order for her to feel the need to apologize for it. Whoever makes someone feel that bad for something like this should have their balls slowly crushed in a vice. Anyway, she took our offer to give her a ride and we drove her back to her apartment. She was very nice the whole ride and we had a perfectly good and fairly natural conversation along the way. As the overprotective person that I am. I felt that maybe her niceness was fake because she seemed to be in with some bad people or she was down on her luck. Which based on other people like that, it is often because deep down, they are all dicks and it’s often time the reason why they are “down on their luck” or stuck with the bad crowd. My fiancee pointed out though that there are always red flags when someone is a bad person and she didn’t show any other than my vague assumptions, it’s not fair to judge someone on assumptions of any kind. In the end, she asked my Fiancee for her cell number and asked if maybe we could hang out sometime. She hasn’t texted or called at all so either she didn’t care to call/text, she forgot really quickly, she lied and was just being nice or my fiancee wrote her number down wrong which she is already overthinking. But at least we got the chance to help someone so that’s nice, I hope she is doing well because she mentioned that she had a rough holiday season.

Anyway, back to Christmas stuff. Christmas was pretty much the same but with college and so many family gatherings it came and went way too fast and the most joy I got from the season of Christmas was listening to Christmas CDs my fiancee made for the car. We only got to listen to them while driving from one chaotic family gathering to another. But we survived together and I’m glad. Next, I’m going to touch on all my presents this year and keep in mind that I’m a Gamer who comes from a wealthy family.

The first gift was a leather wallet that had only 3 pockets just big enough to hold 3 cards or maybe 2 cards and a small amount of cash that must be folded in half. My brother got this for me because it’s the kind of useless, overpriced hipster trash that he likes. He also accused me of using a plastic bag as a wallet even though he has seen me use my perfectly good and very practical wallet that I will continue to use because the wallet he gave me is pretty much useless. Thanks but no thanks, really shows just how disconnected he is from me and it shows that he thinks that because he likes that stuff, he thinks everyone else must like it too.

The second gift was also from my brother and I’m not sure which is more useless. This gift is a “Roku Streaming Stick Plus”. You probably don’t know what that is. Basically, it’s a USB stick but it’s not, instead, the port goes into an HDMI port. So it can stream audio and video to any display with an HDMI port. Long story short, it makes any display in a really crappy smart TV, aka a Netflix box. Now I rarely watch TV/Netflix/Youtube and I actually hate the idea of wasting away my life just watching stuff, I mean I’ve got stuff to do, I want to live my life, I want to be productive or actually have fun, anything but just sit there and consume content designed to make me dumb and addicted to their cheap form of entertainment. I refuse to be a sheep. Anyway, this is my brother's second gift to me and once again it shows just how little my brother knows me… or he’s trying to turn me into him? Not sure but I might sell his gifts.

Third gift and one of the best, a bag of Beef Jerky. I’ve never really had Beef Jerky before because it’s expensive and probably really unhealthy but…. I had this bag and it was addicting and delicious. It’s already gone but my fiancee helped so I didn’t eat it all on my own.

Next was a pair of PJs, I actually got the exact same pair of PJs last year but they are a different color this time. They are good PJs so I’m glad I got another set.

Second last present was from my sister. She got me a t-shirt which fits me nicely and is just plain blue so I can’t complain. She also said she will pay for a 4-month parking pass for my college parking. That’s a lot of money and I am currently parking at an old friend’s house about 2km away to save money so I asked her to not give me the parking pass and maybe just help me pay car insurance for a month since it’s more helpful and costs less. Also at this rate, I might not have the money to pay for car insurance so the parking pass with be 100% useless. My sister and parents got mad at me when I point out that her gift will be a waste of money and that giving that money to help pay for my car would be far more helpful and cheaper. They said it was rude to not accept the gift and that I have to take it as it is… I guess they just like wasting money? They aren’t very smart. But they’d rather see this “grand” gesture which is just sooooo helpful than to actually be helpful and practical… and they wonder why I think they are foolish. They don’t think with their heads they think the way our culture has trained them to think.

Last and certainly not least. Over a month ago I found a GTX 1070 on for a great price at a local Staples if you’d believe it (it’s a High-End graphics card). Based on my lack of money and the fact that a good new graphics card is a worthy investment that will last me several years into my future I begged my dad to get it for me and said I’d even pitch in to get it. To my surprise, he actually got it for me and didn’t make me pitch in to help pay for it. It was great timing too because my current graphics card was having a hard time running the latest games. Plus the GTX 1070 can run VR which my fiancee and I want to have in the future (but mostly me). Now I knew my dad could afford the graphics card since we’re rather rich but the real surprise was if he was actually going to help me with something gaming related.

To end off this blog post let me just say that I am making a freak’n board game. As a gamer and writer, creating a game is right up my alley. I’d love to make a video game and I was going to do only tutorials and stuff to learn how to make a game in Unreal Engine since they have a logic system that can be programmed without the need for being a master programmer but I know I won’t have the time until probably the summer so I’ll save that for then. But in the meantime I’ll be working on my board game. I realized that my local library has a 3D printer for use by anyone in the public. So I found the software they use online and have begun designing the game pieces. I genuinely think that I would make a great game maker. I have the mind for it and I have lots of knowledge and experience to know what makes a good game and how to balance everything. Plus I love to create and I simply find it so fun. If I somehow get a career making games I’m taking it. Anyway, long story short the game is coming along super well and myself along with some friends are really excited about it. It’s a weird side project I know but even as a kid I actually made expansion packs and my own board games. The main problem was that no one ever played with me. It was a big reason as to why I love video games, with video games I can play against AI enemies or online where there are always people to play with, plus you don’t have to drive/walk to your friend’s house to play with them. Gaming with people in person is usually better than online but the amount of practicality of online gaming far outways the idea of me or a friend constantly traveling and moving our gear.

Next, the reason for the title of this blog post was because I’ve done a crap ton of driving over the holidays and I’m tired of it. My fiancee and I went on a road trip to my old, old house where I spent nearly half my life and I got to show her around and talk her ear off about what life was like in a big rich white neighborhood. Her mother came along to see something that I can’t really explain. Something about birds, I could google it but I’m not going to tell you the name anyway. The real reason she came along was to make sure my fiancee and I didn’t have sex which was a bit insulting since both my fiancee and I have done a great job with boundaries and we are both confident that we won’t. We plan to wait until we are married for those who don’t know.

Okay, one last thing I promise. Growing up the phrase “that’s gay” or “that’s super gay” or some use of the word gay was apart of my vocabulary and was often used to express how dumb I thought something was, I know myself and many other people used the word just like that and no one ever got offended and it was totally normal…. Until one day. The storm clouds blew in, thunder roared, lightning crashed, shots were fired and…. A literal gay kid got offended. Myself and others were slowly trained that using the word gay like that could be offensive that we should never say it again. These were dark times but I have reached the point in my life where I simply don’t give a bloody gay butt fucking care about that overly sensitive bullshit that mentally screwed up gay people brought into our society anymore! So now I use the word gay just like I used too and I use it as often or as little as I want. If someone gets offended then too bad. It’s not my fault you are so sensitive or that you’re gay and I am tired of bending to the will of those who are so messed up. So I AM DONE!

...Thank good night, I hope you’re happy…

*drops the mic*

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scottrunsultras · 6 years

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Never Summer 100k recap

Wow. Where to begin? I’ll start by saying that this was by far the hardest race that I’ve ever run. I realize that I DNF’ed Leadville last year. But if it wasn’t for my terrible hydration management, I have no doubt that I would have finished that. Never Summer is at roughly the same altitude as Leadville, has the same amount of vert but crammed into only 2/3 of the distance, and is orders of magnitude more technical. I wanted a challenge this year since I was still reeling a little from Leadville last summer. Finishing the Javelina 100 was a nice little bounce-back. But I wanted to prove to myself that I could handle a real, difficult, high mountain ultra. This definitely qualified.

Despite all of the hand-wringing in previous blog posts about my dead quads, my legs felt pretty good. The taper seemed to do exactly what I needed it to do. Because I was super excited and energized and my body felt reasonably strong. Though one thing that I really screwed up was sleep. I’m a notoriously bad pre-race sleeper and I tell people all the time that I never sleep before races and it always turns out fine. Well, I really tested that this year. I think I slept very close to 0 minutes the night before this race. I was camping out and had nothing to do. So I was in bed by 8:00. I felt pretty drowsy so I figured that maybe I’d actually sleep. But everyone else was still awake. So I dozed a little for maybe an hour - constantly being woken up by people and cars. And after that, I didn’t sleep again. At about 3:40, I got tired of laying there and got up. I felt super energized, but that could only last for so long. The good news is that I was able to rest my legs, but also keep them loose. So I actually felt pretty good when the race started. No heel soreness or quad issues.

The race started with a couple of easy miles and then a monster climb. And I got a quick preview of what the rest of the race would be like. Rocks everywhere and steep climbs and descents. We’d climb to the top of a mountain and just come down the side of it. No switchbacks here. I maybe ran the very few easy sections a little harder than I should. For some reason I can’t seem to convince myself that my standard pacing doesn’t apply at 10,000 feet. At least not at the beginning. So my legs were already beat by the mid teens. But they came back leading into the Diamond aid station at mile 17 and I was able to get in a few good miles before the real fun started.

The Diamond Peak ascent is the crux of this race and the thing that everyone talks about. Like Maiden Peak in the Waldo 100k and Hope Pass in the Leadville 100. In all it’s a 2200 foot climb in 2.2 miles. But it’s the final climb that was hard to comprehend. Strava claims it was a 40% grade but that feels low. It was a 600 foot climb in 1/3 of a mile directly up the side of the mountain - up to a max elevation of 11,900 feet. It’s hard to describe how difficult it was - and it took forever. But it’s definitely one of those moments that I won’t forget.

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After summiting Diamond we ran along the ridge line over lesser peaks for about 3 miles, getting blasted with 60 mph winds and sideways hail - since it seems impossible to ever be on a ridge line in Colorado without catching bad weather. Once off the ridge, running down a rugged jeep trail I spent a couple of miles talking to another runner about various races. She had run this before and told me the last 20 miles suck because they’re boring and runnable. It sounded great to me. At that point it became a mantra of mine to just survive until mile 44 and then take advantage of the easier finish - hoping that it actually was an easier finish. That made me a little less bummed out when I was struggling.

There was a 10 mile gap between aid stations starting at around mile 30 and that ended up being the hardest part of the race for me. With the much hyped Diamond Peak ascent behind me, it became yet another super rocky and technical climb back up above the tree line. I was really starting to feel the fatigue of not sleeping at this point and I was feeling the abuse of 30+ rocky miles on my feet. I felt okay from a metabolic and strength standpoint and I wasn’t nauseous at all. But physically the race had taken its toll and I started to mentally lose optimism. I was well beyond hoping for a strong finish that I’d secretly hoped for (sub 17:00) and was starting to doubt my main goal of finishing before midnight (sub 18:30). I wasn’t really able to run anything at this point. I struggle on rocks to begin with and my feet were hurting enough to make me even worse. To top off a brutal stretch, I got completely blasted by a thunderstorm a mile or so before the aid station in a completely exposed section of jeep road.

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It was a 5 mile out and back to Clear Lake from the next aid station. 1600 feet up and then back down again. I was feeling super negative at this point. But I still had hope that the trail would magically get easier after this. So I started digging into the bag of tricks (meds) to try to turn my race around. I fear taking too much caffeine because I don’t want to burn myself up. But at this point I was ready for the extra boost. I also started taking advil for the low grade heel pain and feet full of blisters. I got a little boost when at the top of Clear Lake, they told me I was #99 out of something like 340 starters. At this point I thought I was in the back half, so that was cool. By the time I got back down to the aid station, I was feeling better and I was ready for the easy part.

And it actually was easy. At least the 6 miles to the next aid station was pretty easy and I ran (shambled/shuffled) almost all of it. The trail smoothed out quite a bit, with very few rocks. Though there was a lot of mud in places and several river crossings. The mud in my shoes and socks really didn’t help my trashed feet. But this was bliss compared to what I’d been running on.

I had these visions of cruising flattish, easy sections to the finish. Those visions never really became a reality. From 50 to 56 was a 900 foot climb and from 56 to 62 was a 1000 foot climb - this one back on semi-rugged terrain. But I had found it in me to slow-jog basically all of the downhills and flats and slower-jog/power hike all of the ups. I was averaging around 12:00-13:00 miles on the downs and flats and 14:00-16:00 on the gentle ups. And the same-day finish started to look like it could be a reality again. The last 2.2 miles actually was the flat cruising that I had hoped for. I crossed the finish in 18:13:50. Good for #87 of 341 starters (26th percentile).

Again, super hard race. But it was exactly what i wanted to prove to myself that I could do. I DNFed Leadville last year because I couldn’t dial in my hydration and nutrition at high altitude. I had that nailed. Three ultras in a row finishing in the top 30%. I feel like I’ve actually gotten better this year after 3 years of standing still or going backwards since the magical summer of 2014. I’m still a mid-pack ultra runner, but now I’m becoming an upper-mid-pack ultra runner. Also, a strong finish after historically falling apart at the end of races and having to walk in easy sections. I came out of the North Fork 50 the first weekend in June with a plan of how I’d train for this race, and it seems to have worked very well. I actually feel super satisfied with this. Sure it would have been nice to go sub-18:00 or hit some other arbitrary mark. But running very technical terrain is something that I’ve always struggled with and is made worse by my heel injuries. So I think I hit my 2018 potential.

So what’s next? In 2 weeks I’m running the Steamboat Stinger trail marathon in Steamboat Springs. The next weekend I’m pacing a friend in the Leadville 100. Then 2 weeks after that I’m running the Grand Traverse from Crested Butte to Aspen. The original plan was then to run the Javelina 100 again at the end of October. But now I’m second guessing that. I feel like I could have a nice improvement over last year and it’s a fun race. But I have big plans for next year. I’m definitely running Leadville again in August 2019 and the plan is to earn my first Hardrock 100 lottery ticket with the Bighorn 100 in June. I’m thinking it may be a smarter idea to finish my 2018 ultra season in Aspen and get an early start on an off-season of heel rehab, getting faster, and cutting body fat. I have at least a month to think about it.

#Runner #running #runblr #runblog #trail running #ultra running #never summer 100k

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simper-fi · 6 years

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about me tag~

Tagged by @kairisu and @biffysims! ❤__❤

Nickname(s): Chris (family & older friends), Fi (college friends) Gender: female Sign: Sagittarius Height: 5′3″ Time: 1:30 pm Birthday: December 20th Favourite Bands: Radiohead, Sigur Ros, New Order, The Cure, Kraftwerk Favourite Solo Artists: Dion, Bob Dylan, Panda Bear, Dick Dale, Jerry Vale Song stuck in my head: Senses Working Overtime - XTC Last movie I watched: uhhh probably The Room, bf and I went to a showing recently and met Tommy Wiseau lmao Last show I watched: Will & Grace, I’ve been binge-watching the original run and I’m up to season 6 already When did I create this blog: 2012 I believe? What do I post: not enough sims-related stuff lately lmao, but when I do it’s mostly Sycamore Cove gameplay, half-finished Maxis makeovers, or garbage text posts What did I last google: bus tickets from NYC to Philly Other blogs: @simper-finds, @fi-hearts, and @wretched-hive, my long-neglected personal blog that is mostly stormpilot trash <3 Do I get asks: yes, although tumblr is bad at notifying me of them and I’m REALLY bad at answering them lmao Why did I choose this URL: just a play on my nickname/something sims-related Following: 428 Followers: (˵ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°˵) (stole your answer, @kairisu! :3) Average hours of sleep: 5-6 on a work night, 8-10 on a day off lol Lucky number: don’t have one? Instrument: I have no musical inclinations WHATSOEVER What am I wearing: pj pants (aka what I wear 100% of the time I’m at home), t-shirt, sleep cardigan (aka a robe that’s just REALLY SOFT), fuzzy slippers :3 Dream job: anything that’s not my current job, tbh LMAO I always thought I would end up doing something creative (writing, art, design, etc.) since those are things I was passionate about as a child/teenager, but life has a funny way of throwing you curveballs, eh? Favourite Food: SO MANY THINGS omg well for starters, I cannot live without pizza (although I give it up every year for Lent T__T), but I also love pasta puttanesca, juicy cheeseburgers, anything with mushrooms or caramelized onions, truffle fries, MAC & CHEESE, potatoes of any kind, and damn it now I’m hungry 3 favorite fandoms: star wars (always & forever <3), daredevil (well, marvel in general), aaaand ts2 I guess? I’ve also been into naruto lately but idk if I’d say I’m in the fandom lmao tagging anyone who wants to do this! I think this has been floating around for awhile already and I’m not sure who’s been tagged or not :3 go for it!!

#non-sims #nonsims #non sims #text post #meme thing

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hhemeraa-a · 6 years

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☠

Munday Meme on a Tuesday

☠ ; What’s an unpopular opinion that you have?

I’ve been thinking about this question all fuckin day and every time someone asks for my unpopular opinion, I can never think of a good response. I don’t think I have any unpopular opinions??? They’re more like pet peeves.

If you post more ooc stuff than actual RPing/writing, I won’t bother following you. There are some muns here that are super nice and super sweet and all around very popular with the Tumblr RP community that I just can’t fucking stand following because their blogs are just fucking trash bins. I think it’s 100% a difference in RP styles since I’m definitely more paragraph / novella oriented and very heavy into plotting, but some blogs that I’ve seen just use them as a place to shit post 24/7 without actually writing a damn thing. Drives me up a fuckin wall. Then everyone is like “they’re the best!!! best muse ever!!! go follow!!!” and I would love to, they seem like such a nice person and have so much fun, but I can’t stand having my dash just 80+ posts of them writing one liners that aren’t even RP related.

Serial blog makers -- I will stop following your blogs after the second or third because I’ve completely lost trust in the fact that you can maintain a thread of any kind or consistency in a muse. With how Myles is, it takes a lot of plotting to get anywhere and it is usually a slow burn or involves a lot of time to get some place that works, but I don’t want to invest that time and effort if you’re just going to make another blog in two weeks that you’ll just abandon.

If you have over 50+ drafts and continue to make starter calls, I won’t bother making an effort to RP with you and will probably unfollow. I get that people can get behind on things or overwhelmed, but by the time you have that many fuckin drafts it’s just time to delete them. You’re making all those people wait on you??? And yet you’re still making more work for yourself by making more starter calls that will just end up right back in your drafts. I know some people say that you can take a year to reply and blah blah blah, but at what point are you just going to admit that you’re never going to reply to that thread and stop wasting everyone’s time? This shit drives me up a wall.

#I get most of this stuff is just a difference in RP styles #so I'm really not as mad as this post makes me out to be #but I'm also not going to bother investing time in you or your blog if you #never answer your drafts #keep making new blogs #and then don't actually write anything #shit posting is only so much fun #bloodlettd

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walmartkaligaris · 7 years

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greetings, fellow ppl. it is i, vina, bringing another trash character to your dashes- and this time, she comes from a long line of trash. you can read her full biography here & check out her plot page here (sike i dont have one but i WILL so keep an eye out for that), but i’ve put some of the more important points under the cut for you all to read at your leisure ( edit its long but u know what.. its important let me live )

if u would like to plot with her, she is here. if u would like to rp with her, i can make that happen. i will prob not reply to starters / post one tonight just bc its late but.. ill be around tomorrow and she will prob be my main focus so

this is andrea pyrena kaligaris ( i like her middle name i am going to say it a lot ) ( she goes by drea - pronounced dray, like, drea de matteo - and not andy but.. someday mayb )

she is eighteen ( soon to be 19 bc i truly dont feel alycia can play so young- she was born oct 25th and she will prob throw herself a big party of one to which no one else will b invited so maybe dont jot that down )

she is hercules and megara’s youngest, their only daughter, alex kaligaris’ ( yes, that alex. i know. even after the first one, they went and made another ) lil sister who conveniently has never been mentioned in ... 4 yrs

the one thing u rly gotta know abt her is

drumroll, please

she is an asshole

ok first off. she is not here to replace alex. nor do i wish for her to become anotHER alex, so, pls keep that in mind moving forwards

but she is kinda awful and i, personally, believe that its just written in her genes

ok so very seriously- u may be asking what kinda person andrea is so, here we go. she’s confident. like. that’s the one big thing i will say about her and it’s going to be the one thing i struggle with moving forward. she isn’t faking this confidence she has- she is sure of herself, her looks, her intelligence, her abilities, her everything, u name it, and she is sure of herself in regards to it. and she’s a lot because of it.

when i was tryna think of negative traits the only one i could think of for a long time ( dont get me wrong she has many, but this was the one that kept popping up ) is she’s really dominating. she’s the kind of girl who walks into a room and immediately commands peoples attention to her, bc she likes having all eyes on her. she likes being the center of attention, and more than that, she feels as if that’s where she should be.

she was a rly big mummy’s girl, too, which is where i feel this confidence comes from but also where her sharp tongue comes from- bc yes, she’s got one. this is another thing which will b difficult for me

basically.. she’s just v confident, v ambitious, v snarky, v smart ( she rly is dont let anything ever fool u she’s maybe too smart for her own good ), v attention seeking, v self sufficient like u wont find her lusting after ppl here to the point she cannot function she is her own woman first last & always. she’s a lot of very’s, clearly, but i also gotta work out the ins and outs of her personality so pls forgive i cant give u everything

also before i forget she’s 100% the kinda person who does that whole chuck bass thing, of, “i’m andrea kaligaris”. and she’s also the kind of person who throws out her fam like ‘yeah pal dont do that my granddad will literally smite u’

and then onto history bc that’s important- andrea doesn’t know this, but she rly should not be here. she is not supposed to be alive- but after her birth (and death), megara made a(nother) deal with hades to give her life. long story short, she gets 21 yrs and then she either serves him, or he claims her soul bc its rightfully his anYWAY. there’s a way around it, but.. imma keep that hush hush, bc it’s rly not going to play a huge role in her as of yet since she doesnt know abt it. but its a thing. and its going to be important, someday, so.. keep it in mind

she’s v close to her mum bc of this ( we’re back @ her being a mummys girl )

she’s not so close to her dad tho its sad

much how i dont want her to become alex 2.0, she also does not want to b rly.. living in his shadow?? its a big thing for her. he’s obvs had a big influence and she wants to be her own person, here, so.. the quickest way to make her :/ @ u is to be like “wow ur alex’s sister!!” she might scream

anyway i think that’s all u rly gotta know

she’s been here since september last yr bc she’s going into sophomore year and thus.. if u wanna plot, we can plot her having met characters before shes by no means new

pls plot with me i am needy

#*・° ♛ － ❛ ₂ sᴛᴏʀᴍs ᴏғ ᴄᴀғғᴇɪɴᴇ ﹠ ɢᴇɴᴇᴛɪᴄs — ooc.#*・° ♛ － ❛ ɢɪʀʟs ʟɪᴋᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʙᴏʀɴ ɪɴ ᴀ sᴛᴏʀᴍ — headcanon.#*・° ♛ － ❛ ʜᴀʟғ ɢᴏᴅᴅᴇss ; ʜᴀʟғ ʜᴇʟʟ — andrea pyrena kaligaris.#pls love her #i gave her everything i had

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lilacfawnx · 5 years

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New update: My story

So i stared this blog in 2010 when i was 19yo. I have changed so much in these last 9 years. I've changed so much and done so much. Although I’m still pretty certain that not many read this blog ,However due to me looking threw my page and my old posts I thought I’d put a little more current info about me on here. For starters, I noticed a lot of melancholy posts about being depressed and lonely. I believe a lot of that was from environment and undiagnosed mental illness. I had/have Bi-Polar disorder. I used to be quite ashamed of it for fear of people not giving me a chance or judging me but I’ve learned that the people that are important and truly love me understand. Since then I was bounced around from Psychiatrist to Psychiatrist and tried the gamble slew of Medications. I learned what worked for me and what didn’t. Currently I actually weaned myself off all Psychiatric medications. I have been off for over 8 months. I have my good days and my bad. I notice a lot less of a HIGH-HIGH feeling. I generally just get down sometimes and stressed but that comes with the territory of planning a wedding. As far as the lonely part, I see I complained about having no friends. I used to really dwell on all my old friendships like I did something wrong. I have came to learn that all of these people were never really true friends. There’s a handful that I can say have been in my past but for one reason or another they became selfish or just harmful mentally. I do look back on memories and I'm glad I meet the people I met and have the memories I do. I have made a few friends since. All in all I have all the friends, love and support I'll ever need and I know when time is right i'll meet a new friend(s). I also noticed in the past I talked a lot of crap on guys and figured what I wanted was a unicorn, didn’t exist. I can honestly say I’ve kissed a lot of “Toads” but after all of that trial and error I got my happy ever after. I don’t exactly know why I dated people that just weren’t right for me. They do say “We accept the love we think we deserve”. That could be why? Call it luck or even fate but on my 26th birthday I made a promise to myself, I would stop allowing myself to be used and treated like trash. With one simply birthday wish, I wished to meet someone of worth for me. My birthday was January 3rd and on the 5th I made one last effort on these dating websites. I searched my normal parameters (men between the ages of 25 and 38). I saw the same old guys, no real matches. So i took a risk i raised my age range cut off to 39. The first one to pop up was a guy named “Direngray_taco”. From first look I saw he had an Oakland Raiders hat and a cartilage ear ring. Also it said he was 39 and he looked young, not what i thought of when I thought of someone 39yo. So I browsed his profile and saw hes a great match. I quickly wrote him. It all started with a message saying, “Hey, I'm Ariel”. The rest is history. If you want to know more about our love story. Click here. But threw these last 2 years I've learned I am capable and worthy of real true love. He has helped me grow as an individual and as a woman. A little more on that update is we are currently engaged and are to be married in about 2 more months in April. I am so thankful for him coming into my life. I saw on my old posts that I was living with my mom and step dad and sisters. A little update on that is I moved from home at 26 in late June of 2017. I moved to Davis, California. I've been threw a few jobs. I was a Barista at a health foods store. Then I worked at a popular pizza place. Also I finished two semesters of community college. My major changed 100 times. It started with Early Childhood Education in hopes to be a Preschool teacher,Then i Re-found my love for science so i choose Biology in hopes to work for a lab of some sorts, Then i flipped flopped on Nursing, Started to go towards LVN then wanted RN and flipped back and forth. I finally landed on the decision that I'm not ready to work or continue school. I want to basically be a homemaker for a little while. I may go back to school and finish my A.S later in life but right now I'm focusing on us and our future family. As far as my family goes a lot has changed there as well. I lost my Grandpa I was raised with on my fathers side. He contracted pneumonia and sadly pasted away November 2015. That really affected me. Then sadly my Grandmother on my blood related fathers side passed away in late 2016. Then my Grandfather on my moms side passed away this last year. So its been some years of loss. My mom and my step-dad, as well as my baby sister moved out of state to New Mexico for My step-dad to follow his career goals to be a Air Traffic Controller. I'm still talk to them but its odd not having then near. Me and my younger sister have become close and realize be actually have a lot in common. My dad, the one I've spoke on here as a “dead beat”, actually has cleaned his life up. He’s found god and remarried. I actually talk to my dad quite often. (If your lost on the technical of who is my dad or Father or Step- dad...Click this)

All in all a lot has changed in these many years. I've loved,lost,learned and so much more but mostly I've grown. I know I'm in no way done learning and growing but I'm open to the journey. I know hand in hand with my best friend and soul mate we can make our own path. I can't wait to see where we are a year from now...even 5 ...or 10. I have faith that no matter the obstacle I face I will have my loved ones by my side. If you read this thank you. More to come later.

#personalfeelings #mylife #personal #mystory

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tumblunni · 7 years

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The big post about how i love my sneasel who is great

Welcome to that post. It might get long.

Reaper the level 100 Naughty nature Sneasel with Keen Eye who experienced pokerus once and has contest ribbons from too many regions oh my gosh Leeeeeeets get going on how much I adore my little guy!

Okay, the story behind him. He is kinda unofficially my starter pokemon?

Cos of course there was no way to keep your mons from RBY and GSC back then, but I’d kinda only had one pokemon anyway. I was a dumb kid who just solo’d both games with my raichu Chuppy. And sadly I ended up losing them even before the whole transfer issue, someone stole my Gold cartridge during school and when I found it half smashed in the playground all the data had been corrupted. It did actually play though, just with some colour issues I think? I never really restarted cos it felt cruel to Chuppy to do it. So I’m happy that the virtual console rerelease let me reincarnate Chuppy and even make them a cool new alola form! (though they had a different gender this time, but meh i get to headcanon my chu is trans like me, haha) So yeah thats the story of my official first pokemon, but Chuppy didnt really have any personality or headcanons back then cos I was so new to the franchise. And Reaper ended up lasting way longer and sharing every single other region with me, so he kinda took the spot of ‘starter’ even if he wasnt ‘first’. (I still was really happy to welcome reincarnation Chuppy home tho!)

Reaper actually came from Pokemon Colosseum, of all places! His OT name is the completely-wrong ‘Tom’ cos he was from when I restarted my game after getting stuck and just buttonmashed one of the default names out of frustration. I actually caught him in a master ball just cos I was that excited to hug the lil guy! Sneasel was my fave gen 2 mon but i never managed to catch one actually in GSC, i didnt know it was limited to a rare encounter in the very last area. And even before I caught him I knew sneasel was in this game via guides, so i was waiting with baited breath and establishing headcanons even before i found him. Then I just COULD NOT WAIT, hence the master ball! XD I kinda preemptivel based him on the iron mask marauder’s sneasel from the celebi movie, cos shadow pokemon are similar to his brainwashing stuff. And I always liked his sneasel, scizor and tyranitar, for such minor roles they are. It was a nice nuance for the bad guy’s pokemon to be shown as VERY MUCH not evil, just enslaved by magic brainwashing and mistreated. It warmed my heart seeing them freeing each other and escaping in the end once the control was broken! But also it established sneasel as a really cool badass fighter that I wanted to have someday, yknow?

So yeah I got this guy from colosseum before I even played RSE, and he ended up being my ‘starter’ in that game so much that i cant even remember which one i picked. I boxed it right away and never thought about it again, I was a callous kid! It was actually really interesting playing ORAS and finally getting to see what the hoenn starters are actually like, lol And Reaper remained my best friend across like ELEVEN OR MORE REPLAYS of every single gen 3 game except emerald. Cos at that time in my childhood i literally did not have any other games. i spent around three or four years with just sapphire, leafgreen and final fantasy tactics advance. (Oh boy that game’s script is stuck in my brain for all time) And getting attatched to the characters and making new ones all the time was how i kept from getting bored this way ^_^ Buuuuut... it kinda meant that I just discarded most of them super fast to make more. the only other pokemon that migrated to sinnoh with Reaper was Nether the sableye, who was kinda his rival/best friend. (Tho I mispelled it as Neava so he’s stuck that way, lol. And both of them are in all caps forever...) Nether is kinda the basis for my recent oc Malachi, so he’s like an entirely different story for another time. But he was my Sapphire buddy and Reaper was one region older via the power of spinoffs.

And oh man yeah i totally loved the shadow pokemon plot lol! I just headcanoned his plot with regards to that was the same as the marauder’s mons. Perfectly nice tiny sneasel boy is kidnapped and experimented upon by evils, but my love saved him and now he is soft once more. He didnt really have much angst from it, but it helped such a wild spirit grow to trust my hero and trust humans in general after such a rocky introduction to them. I imagined it was like training a dangerous dog to be a police canine, with that arm guard thing that they bite! Shadow pokemon training must be WAY more tough than it seems on the surface! So like ash’s charizard plot, where it ends up with really fire forged family love after all the hardship. I think that before he met my trainer he was just like a loner robin hood type character who valued his freedom and thought that tamed pokemon were all wusses. But alas, he was forced to experience human hugs, and now he’s addicted! but he’d still be quite rebellious and wild and have a lot of goofy cute interactions as he tries to learn all this complicated stuff about being a pet. Why cant I pee on the carpet?? Why do I have to eat pellet food? Why are you mad when i bring you dead mice and pidgey eggs?? bad bad influence on the other mons, but also a softhearted big bro who WANTS to be a good influence. He pretends to be all aloof and stoic cliche angsty antihero, but always messes up and looks cute instead! And he gets crushingly sad if any of his lil siblings actually does get afraid of him. Noooo the grumpyness is for the humans! Not for you!! No-one is allowed to pet the sneas except the other pokemon. It my duty to protect my new pack of strangely shaped sneasels! Oh and he likes booze. In human terms he’d be around 25-30, but still its not good for animals to drink human liquor. Never stopped him though! He’d always find ways to sniff it out and swipe half-finished cans from the trash and stuff. Bad angstman! I know thats part of your archetype but stop it!

So... basically he was like.. cloud? original version from ff7 where he was sassy and goofy sometimes, except reaper is like that all the time with less angst and pretty much zero ego. He’s just like a kind yet not completely competant fun uncle who tries his best to put up a cool guy front to impress the kids (and push away scary humans) but his innate sweetness means he always messes up. And he’s super tsundere about the fact he considers his trainer part of his infinate pack of children, even if every other human is DANGER MODE. Must protect this human from the other ones! Must teach them the ways of the sneas! Oh, and I imagined his appearance as a gijinka would be kinda like Squall from ff8. cos he actually started off as a parody of that unlikeable angstman archetype, and i didnt even know Cloud existed until yeaaaars later. (Played the ffs completely out of order...) So i figured he’d be like squall but with dark skin and a kinda sirus black hairstyle. (Cos that guy contributed the kind uncle part of his inspiration!) Oh and of course a sneasely colourscheme for the fur coat. And I ended up making him hold Blackglasses so often that it was an in-joke that he actually wore shades 24/7 even in normal pokemon form XD

When I first got him in Collosseum he was really useful for his Brick Break move, and im actually really happy that the brick break image on bulbapedia is the collosseum sneasel using it! It was very very good as one of the few mons available with that move in the very limited choices you had for that game. But his signature move kinda ended up being Surf, even though his stats would have been awful for it even if I’d ev trained him properly XD I just found it so bizarre that sneasel of all things could learn that HM! I imagined he formed a surfboard out of ice to carry the trainer, cos there’s no way you could stand on the back of a 30cm tall weasel...

And man lets just have some random sneasel headcanons now!

* Their feathers exist to sense wind fluctuations, which are useful in their natural environment to anticipate snowstorms and track prey in low visibility.

* The ear feather is just for this, its the more sensitive one. The tail feathers are more for manipulating objects and other day to day life. They’re more matted and dont really have the same hearing ability, but the joints are way more flexible so they can be moved independantly like three actual tails. Sneasels can pick up small delicate objects by brushing them up between the tails, then rolling them down their back to reach their mouth. they also use the tails to brush away dirt, hide their tracks in the snow, form surprisingly intricate igloo-like nests and groom their fur with the utmost precision.

* Sneasels will outright resent any attempts to groom them by anyone but their closest human friend, since inevitably humans cant do as good of a job. But humans can scratch behind your ears and give cuddles, so it all works out!

* In the wild, sneasels eat primarily eggs, some nuts and berries, scavenged semi-rotten meat and not so much live prey. Even though they’re very skilled, they’re also very fragile and cautious because of it. They’ll only hunt in extreme situations, instead preferring to confuse and mislead their way to dinner. Sneasels are very social and loyal to each other even if they’re not to anyone else. Their most common strategy is the whole pack wards off a dangerous foe while one lone unit sneaks past and robs that pokemon’s food stores, to share with the family. Even if they’re forced to hunt their own prey, they still follow these strategies and try to just outrun the enemy until it dies of exhaustion or freezes in the blizzard. They’re experts of making cuts that disable but don’t kill- going in close enough to deliver that final blow means risking a valuable pack member’s life!

Not really a headcanon now but back to reaper himself, I always kinda imagine him looking more like a real weasel. I like sneasel’s design but the bipedal humanoid proportions arent exactly the best thing, yknow? i feel like it should have had shorter more pawlike back legs and just been top-heavy with the super claws. Like.. I imagine kinda a furret? just the appeal of actual weasels and stoats plz. I love sneasel but when i looked up weasels as a kid i was like MY HEART!!! they’re sock puppet babies with lint fuzz faces Also I think sneasel’s claws are kinda comically short and boring considering theyre like its Big Feature. I liked when they were drawn a bit longer in older artworks, and i always imagined reaper had longer ones like scyther-y level. Thats why I named him that! Crescent moon claws of awesomeness, striking in the night~! ...he would be really cool if he wasnt such a cuddly dork. I love him so much, he’s my baby. And my dad. And my uncle?? he’s just a very good friend and im happy videogames can touch my heart like nothing else let me love my nonexistant magic weasel from cyberspace forevermore~!

#bunni original vintage post

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sabreean · 3 years

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To start with, plastic-free housekeeping - some of this stuff may eventually warrant posts of their own, I rule out nothing

Paper towels: I have ditched single use tree paper for reusable bamboo paper towels. They can be washed (I wash by hand since I’m not more than arm’s reach from the sink anyway, but they can go in the machine) and reused. I tried cloth towels for a year when the pandemic panic buyers defeated even Amazon but they just aren’t as absorbent as paper, and these maintain absorbency even after being washed and dried multiple times (line or machine). They only get discarded if they are used to pat dry meat or clean up after the dogs. They will probably wear out eventually but there’s no sign of it yet. I use Mavis Miki brand. No, this little mom & pop in British Columbia doesn’t have any of the hippie-charity-ecoactivist bells and whistles of Grove Seedling or others, but I ordered these based on excellent reviews for my first go with reusable bamboo, and I am damned satisfied. Even Grove’s own website has a significant number of poor ratings for consistent reasons that do not apply to the Mavis Miki towels, and I found the same complaints about other brands on Amazon. The towels won’t go back onto a roll after first use of course, but BFD and if that’s a dealbreaker for you, rethink your life choices. Bonus: they are perfectly sized to use on my Swiffer, which their marketing suggests was deliberate. Smart, very smart.

Toilet paper: We are still on our first roll of Cheeky Panda and so far I have no complaints. It’s…toilet paper. I chose this brand because they offered 4 packs (the other big brands in the space didn’t offer less than 10) and their bamboo is sourced so that pandas are not deprived of food. I could also get bamboo Kleenex but since I’m never more than ten steps from the bathroom it’d be kinda dumb, I use the toilet roll. I’ll probably stick with this brand for the same reasons as the bamboo paper towels above; Cheeky Panda also makes them but they are single use. Cheeky Panda is a B Corp that donates part of every pack sold to charities through their Earth, Ocean and People initiative, working towards the UN's Sustainability Goals. Note: I’ve tried bidets and do not like them at all. I don’t feel clean or dry, I feel like I’ve sat on a garden hose. As for washable cloth toilet rolls - are you kidding me? Cloth diapers for the entire household? Yeah, you have fun with that. I even had someone suggest going out and picking leaves or even growing specific plants for toilet leaves, I kid you not. Fucking leaves.

Laundry: Sheets Laundry Club because…well, because they were the first I detergent sheets I heard of but it turns out that other brands make them. The laundry detergent is in sheets in a cardboard box, and they offered a 10 sheet trial pack. I’ve used almost the entire pack and there’s no difference from store bought detergents, so I’m sticking with them. Pro tip: tear them into pieces instead of tossing them in whole, and if you are washing in cold water you can dissolve them in water a bit first. I’d love to wash in cold water but that function is broken on our machine, select it and you still get hot water. I also bought their dryer sheets and again, just as good as store-bought even when it comes to grabbing dog hair and lint, but they are bio-degradable natural fabric with plant-based fabric softeners. Bonus: they work well on the Swiffer. I just learned a couple of weeks ago that you can use dryer sheets instead of the bulkier and more expensive Swiffer sheets because dryer sheets’ whole reason for being is using static to grab lint and dust and hair. I’ve been using Swiffer for almost 10 years and only this month learned this life hack. I am pissed.

Dish soap: Sheets makes dish soap bars so I tried out the starter pack that has one bar and I like it a lot. It doesn’t have the grease-cutting power of Dawn but face it, nothing does no matter what claims other brands make, so I keep a little bottle of Dawn for greasy pans. The bar works great and a little goes a long way. They have unscented as an option and I don’t think we’ve used even half the bar in the four weeks we’ve had it, and we hand-wash everything daily because we have no dishwasher. They also make dishwasher soap. The starter pack came with a coconut scrubber that I knew better than to expect to work at all, I’ve tried coconut scrubbers before. But I bought five more because while they may not scrub, they work great as coasters and trivets and soap dishes and spoon rests. Pro tip: wet your sponge or rag or whatever and run it over the bar a few times instead of running water over it because this stuff suds up a LOT; and don’t use the Sheets soap tray or any wooden soap dish because the bar sticks like glue. They don’t stick to the coconut scrubber so I use that as a soap dish instead.

General cleaning: I’ve been using white vinegar for years; it’s cheap and sold everywhere, it’s multipurpose, it cleans almost anything and you can buy it in glass bottles. I used to keep it in a spray bottle but realized when I moved here that I’d been stupid, just wet a rag or sponge and douse it with vinegar straight from the bottle, duuuhhh. Vinegar & water also works great on a reusable bamboo paper towel for wet Swiffing and I’m just as pissed about only now discovering that hack as I was about the dryer sheet hack, instead buying expensive wet Swiffer pads whose scent I hate. Goddammit. After five weeks of hand washing dishes, my hands are getting dry and itchy so I ordered a pair of If You Care household gloves. These reusable gloves are “…made from FSC Certified latex, i.e. the natural rubber is sourced from a responsibly managed plantation. Furthermore, the rubber tappers, who cut the bark to get the raw material flowing, have received a fair trade premium, and it is their decision how to spend their extra income.” They are also biodegradable if they get worn out, you just scissor them into little bits. I use the bamboo towels for housecleaning but if you really want sponges or scouring pads there are many companies who make such out of a variety of materials: sisal from coconut shells and agave plants, wood pulp, recycled paper fiber, walnut fiber, cellulose, loofah. There are even copper scrubbers out there and some scrap metal recyclers will take them. I will try one when my current steel scrubbers wear out; my partner the trained chef is partial to aluminum skillets and non-metal scrubbers can’t get the job done.

Garbage bags: I have a box of Seventh Generation now but when they run out I’m switching to Unni. 100% compostable but unlike every other biodegradable bag brand on the market, these bags don’t split or tear or soak through. Not at all. Biobags are a great idea but they SUUUUUUCK, you’re lucky to get half the bags off the roll intact and they marinate in the liquid that seeps out into your trash can, and the same was true of every other brand I tried. I found Unni back in Austin when I was collecting food scraps for compost. I wanted to start using biodegradable food waste bags when the city instituted curbside composting, but none of the brands available at Wheatsville Co-Op or Ecowise (OMG I loved Ecowise, please tell me it will be reborn) or Whole Foods were worth the price of a gum wrapper. Then I saw some articles recommending Unni as the real deal, the savior come to redeem us all, so I ordered a box with no hope or expectations. They really worked. They really really work. No tears, no rips, every bag on the roll intact and usable, no soaking through, these things are amazing.

Air freshening: unscented beeswax candles baby! Is your place smelling musty? Can't get that one cooking smell out of the air? Do your dogs fart a lot (our main driver)? Light a candle! It doesn’t need to be scented to consume whatever smell you want to get rid of or whatever room you want to freshen. Real beeswax burns clean, you don’t have to put anything under them to catch dripping wax usually although I don’t know how that works. Note to self: Google that shit cuz now I want to know. Yes, they are significantly more expensive than other candles and if the price is too high, other kinds of candles work just as well for the purpose. I bought mine from a beekeeper here in Hawaii on Etsy and I'm sure that you can find local sellers wherever you are. Or you could buy wax and make your own. Candles are beautiful and calming at night, and I’m one of those freaks who finds joy in looking at flames. Think Milla Jovavich in “Dazed and Confused”, you know the scene.

#hippie #zero waste #eco friendly

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ntrending · 5 years

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The best gear and gadgets for summer camping

New Post has been published on https://nexcraft.co/the-best-gear-and-gadgets-for-summer-camping/

The best gear and gadgets for summer camping

This story originally published on FieldandStream.com

Summer is the perfect time to go camping with the family. School is out, public campgrounds across the country are open now, and, with the snow (finally) disappearing in the high country, the weather is starting to hit that sweet spot. And if you need more convincing—did you know that June is National Camping Month? And while part of the fun of camping is roughing it outside, it never hurts to bring some supplies that will make the experience more comfortable—especially if you’re camping with kids or some friends who might not be the “outdoor type.” So whether you’re car camping, taking an extended backcountry camping trip, or simply taking a quick trip for the weekend, here’s a list of gear items that will help you and your family and friends get the most out of your adventures in the outdoors.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Wise-Owl-Outfitters-Hammock-Hammocks/dp/B016CHAMX4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=0d8711251b1199789cd90552a119138c&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>Wise Owl Outfitters Hammock with Tree Straps</a> (Wise Owl Outfitters/)

Years ago, at the advice of a good friend, I began carrying a pack hammock and tether straps in my pack whenever I hunted elk or mule deer in Idaho’s high country. During the mid-day lull, I fix it between two trees, take off my boots, lay in the cradle of the hammock, and sneak in a quick nap. Pack hammock sets, like the ones from Wise Owl are inexpensive, easy to set up and take down, and a real asset in any camp. I keep one set under the seat in my truck, just in case, but you can stash these things just about anywhere; they’re lightweight and pack down into a stuff sack that’s about the size of a big grapefruit. Made from 210T parachute nylon, the hammocks are strong and weather resilient, and there are two carabineer clips to attach it to the tethers, which are both 9-feet long.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/LEATHERMAN-Multitool-Magnetic-Locking-Accessible/dp/B07P5H9T41/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=b52d130eef63f82af1e70ca9a403a5e6&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>Leatherman FREE P4</a> (Leatherman/)

The Free P4 is the latest and greatest addition to the Leatherman family. There are 21 tools on the outside of this model that pop open with the push of a button, and a magnetic lock reduces friction during deployment. Weighing just over eight ounces, the 4 ¼-inch-long tool feels great in hand and it features a pocket clip for safe keeping when not in use.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-Tough-Tesla-Rechargeable-Paratinder/dp/B07KFQVPTW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=582e418405aab8ccb9333996c013719e&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>Waterproof Tough Tesla Lighter</a> (Survival Frog/)

I’ve been on trips where nothing seems to go the way I planned, and the lighter or matches I brought to start a campfire just weren’t working, especially in windy and wet, conditions. Survival Frog’s Tesla lighter is a great solution in tough situations. Rather than rely on gas or wood to hold a flame, the Tesla creates a double arc of electricity that can ignite anything flammable. What’s more, it’s rechargeable via a USB port, and works up to 300 times between charges. It also has a 10-second time-out to prevent accidents, and it comes on a lanyard that’s also attached to an emergency whistle.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/SAMMART-Gallon-Collapsible-Plastic-Bucket/dp/B07DDHP784/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=24e9443146f33344c95b880a2e124948&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>SAMMART Collapsible Bucket</a> (SAMMART/)

One of the most important things to remember at the conclusion of any camping trip is to drown out any remaining flames or hot coals from your campfire. In years past, I’ve filled up 2-liter bottles, or any other sort of container I could dig out of the trash, to transport water from the campground water pump to the fire ring. I’ve since upgraded to a collapsible bucket like the one from Sammart. Compressed, it’s just 13-inches round and 2 ½ inches tall; extended it’s almost 10 inches tall and can hold 2 ½ gallons of water. The plastic is BPA free in case you need to transport potable water, and the handle is thick and solid, which makes carrying a full pail just a little easier.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Flask-Insulated-Stainless-32-Ounce/dp/B01GW2H09S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=880dfbdb21f44b38e8f6f3a96436c7c4&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>Hydro Flask with Straw Lid</a> (Hydro Flask/)

An important consideration on any camping trip is hydration. Instead of paying for water bottled in unhealthy plastic carafes, consider a safer and environmentally-friendly canteen like those from Hydro Flask. Each bottle has a grippy, powder-coated finish, double-walled insulation, and a non-toxic stainless steel reservoir. Add a wide-mouth straw lid, and you have the perfect companion for hiking, boating, fishing, or any other excursion you embark on from camp.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/GSI-Outdoors-Commuter-JavaPress-Backcountry/dp/B00T3WH2QQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=f35ca38e4339fc119dc89e0fc6d8a61d&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>GSI Outdoors Commuter Javapress</a> (GSI Outdoors/)

One of my favorite little pleasures in life is rolling out of my sleeping bag on a cool, crisp morning, and enjoying a fresh cup of coffee. And while I’ve tried preparing it with all sorts of different devices and accessories, a simple French press consistently produces the best cup of Joe. The Commuter JavaPress from GSI takes the French-press concept a step farther by replacing the sliding rod with a sliding inner carafe. Simply add the coffee into the bottom of the outer mug, add hot water, and slide the carafe inside. Small ports in the bottom let water through while keeping the grounds out. The lid is spill-resistant, a rubber foot prevents the mug from sliding, and a cloth sleeve insulates your drink until you’re finished.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/WolfWise-Dressing-Portable-Changing-Backpack/dp/B01FXNRA42/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=d6643e2a705317b0d1cc1ae095b6e55f&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>WolfWise Pop-up Shower Tent</a> (WolfWise/)

I am not fond of showers, and anyone that’s spent any time with me in elk camp, knows I’m not lying. But there is something to be said for occasionally washing off the stink now and then. If you’re not blessed with a camp trailer or some other rigged apparatus to spray warm water, a pop-up shower tent, like the one from WolfWise, might be for you. Deployed, this single-person stall creates privacy and is roomy enough to hang a portable shower bag and shower head. When you’re not bathing, you can use the tent as an outhouse for your portable toilet.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Drysure-Extreme-Boot-Dryer-Snowboarding/dp/B075QM3R5K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=c4add08d29fcd9655fc9c93c1c6b0b4f&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>Drysure Extreme Boot Dryer</a> (Drysure/)

Cold and soggy boots can make life miserable, but when you’re far from an electrical connection, drying footwear is tough—if not impossible. The Extreme Boot Dryers from Drysure are a good alternative when you don’t have a powered dryer. Slip one into each boot at the end of the day, and when you wake up the next morning, they’ll be dry. Drysure says the devices make boot-drying 12x more effective than just air alone, and help keep odors, fungus, or bacteria from building up inside. The inserts are typically good for up to 10 drying sessions before you’ll want to reactivate them in direct sunlight, on a warm radiator, or inside a fan-assisted oven (100 degrees) for one to two hours. They’re safe for all shoes and boots and won’t damage leather or custom-made footwear like some heated dryers can.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019NMTVH8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=f3507e452ae15139051cf26be03ca0ce&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>ORCA Chasertini Martini Cup</a> (ORCA/)

After camp is set up, the campfire is glowing, and the kids are getting ready to make s’mores, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying an adult beverage. If you like to enjoy sipping a martini or margarita in the great outdoors, the Chasertini is just what the doctor ordered. It has a large bowl (8-ounces) and a sealed lid to prevent the accidental spill. The upper is double-walled, vacuum-sealed stainless steel, and the inside of the cup is copper clad, which will keep your drink cold for hours—not that you will need that long to finish your cocktail.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Survive-Outdoors-Longer-Origin-Survival/dp/B007RN33V6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=4d3931d794ec67688daedc64fdd23b7c&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>Adventure Medical Kits SOL Origin Survival Tool</a> (Adventure Medical Kits/)

Nobody wants to find themselves in a survival situation, but even the slightest bit prepared-for-the-worst planning boosts your odds of making it back to civilization alive. The Survive Outdoors Loner (SOL) kit is small, light, and designed to fit inside a small pouch in your pack. It contains a knife, sewing needle and pins, fish hooks and line, aluminum foil, a fire starter, signal mirror, compass, LED light and whistle, and a handful of other useful tools. Weighing just six ounces, everything fits into a small, indestructible plastic box.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018YJQTJY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=842ae6d7646ff1d9d55e7fde45b7f490&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>CampSpark 34-inch Telescoping Roasting Sticks</a> (Kelv/)

If you’ve ever spent any time in a popular campground, you might notice the lack of firewood—and suitable marshmallow roasting sticks—available on the forest floor. To keep the kids from getting disappointed, bring along some CampSpark Telescoping Roasting Sticks. A set of four comes in a heat-resistant canvas bag for easy storing. Extended, the sticks are 34-inches long to keep kids a safe distance from the fire, and each one has two prongs on the end to hold two marshmallows, or hot dogs, or whatever other roasting combination you can come up with. Made from stainless steel, these skewers are easy to clean, reusable, and come with a bonus e-book containing 10 marshmallow recipes.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Collapsible-Brightest-Lighting-Flashlight-Rechargeable/dp/B013UCC65G/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=757d7b585e79ff9717caa0e0f63cb7c0&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>SUAOKI Collapsible LED Camp Light</a> (SUAOKI/)

The advent of LED lights has made camping life in the dark bright and inexpensive (LED bulbs don’t use as much battery power compare to halogen bulbs. LED lights and power sources are so light, some tent makers are incorporating small bulb strings on the inside of the frame. If you’re not ready for a tent upgrade but still need a light, consider the collapsible clover-style light from SUAOKI. Under each arm are six small LED bulbs (18 total) with low, high, and blinking settings. You can prop the unit on all three legs for a tabletop lantern, or use the attached hook to hang it on a tent ceiling. It charges via a USB cord and packs down to the size of a smartphone. But probably the best feature of this little light are the three solar panels located on the reverse side of the LEDs. In an emergency situation or for those places where you don’t have electricity to recharge the battery, you can use the sun to reenergize the device.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000F38YHI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=d421616bf342b40e4b6787a4b105d0d9&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>TETON Sports Mammoth Queen-size Sleeping Bag</a> (TETON Sports/)

It doesn’t matter if you’re overnighting out of the back of your vehicle on some designated space, or trekking for miles into the backcountry with four days worth of supplies on your back, a sleeping bag is just one of those items that goes hand-in-hand with camping. Depending on the adventure, I’ve done both, and can honestly say I have multiple sleeping bags suited for different occasions. Typically, when I have the family in tow, I like a thick, heavy, soft bag that feels as good as my flannel sheets at home. Teton’s Mammoth bag is exactly that. Rated for either 20 or 0 degrees and measuring 94×62 inches, it’s slightly larger than the average queen-sized mattress. It weighs just over 16 pounds (which doesn’t really matter if you’re car-camping) and packs down in an included stuff sack to roughly the size of a sack of potatoes. It’s a great option if you like to spread out while you sleep, or you’re snoozing with your significant other on an inflatable pad.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Country-Archer-Grass-Fed-Sriracha-Jalapeno/dp/B078PZ3V6H/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=7452fc462a09efee11476d7d983c3b9e&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>Country Archer Jerky Variety Pack</a> (Country Archer/)

When I’m bivy camping or just hiking and hunting in general, there are two things that are always in my pack—trail mix and jerky. Nothing beats homemade jerky, but if I’m running low at home and have to purchase a few bags, I like Country Archer jerky. What I like about Country Archer is they’ve broken free from the standard teriyaki, peppered, and other common flavors that all of the brands stick to, and created their own unique flavors like crushed red pepper, sweet jalapeño, and Sriracha.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Klymit-Static-Lightweight-Sleeping-Green/dp/B007RFG0NM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=65e7fe5e9b511ce0a8806edca7b9cd2f&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>Klymit Static V Sleeping Pad</a> (Klymit/)

My favorite way to rest in camp is atop a cot, but a thick sleeping pad is a close second. A good pad creates an insulated buffer between a sleeping bag and the ground (which can rob body heat) and is gentle on the back, hips, and muscles that might be stiff and sore at the end of the day. You can easily spend over $100 on a pad, but you don’t need to. Klymit makes a thick, lightweight pad for half the price. Deflated and in its 3×8-inch pack sack, a Static V pad weighs just over 1 pound and inflates to a whopping 72×23-inch sleeping area that’s 2 ½ inches thick. Made from thick polyester, it has an anti-microbial laminate that prevents the spread of fungus and bacteria, and it inflates with just a few breaths of air.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Jetboil-Genesis-Burner-Stove-Size/dp/B019GPCYDK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=7d7a5723771af1de228a60c00ea7fbe2&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>Jetboil Genesis Basecamp Camping Stove</a> (Jetboil/)

I’ve been a fan of the Jetboil single burner water-boiling setup for a long time because it’s lightweight and brings water to a boil faster than anything I’ve used before. More recently, I’ve found another Jetboil product, the Genesis Basecamp stove, that is equally useful when it comes to camp cooking. Closed, the unit fits in small spaces and weighs just over 6 pounds. But open the clamshell design and there are two small stoves capable of putting out 10,000 BTUs—enough heat to boil water in less than three minutes. There’s a windscreen to improve the burner’s performance, and you can power it with a 16-ounce propane tank.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/SOTO-Soto-Pocket-Torch-2019/dp/B005G3PQJQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=1836d5caacc309d029fbf19475914205&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>Soto Pocket Torch</a> (Soto/)

Starting a fire in wet or windy conditions can be a frustrating experience. Even if your fuel is dry and resting on a nice bed of kindling, matches or disposable lighters still might not produce a sustainable flame. But you can turn just about any disposable lighter into a blue-flaming torch with a Pocket Torch adapter from Soto. Simply slip a lighter into the sleeve, attach the cap, press on the top button, and it will turn the lighter’s weak flare into a blazing, wind-resistant igniter capable of reaching temperatures over 2,000 degrees.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Talkabout-T800-Two-Way-Radios/dp/B07HRSP2ZV/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=d0cd0192539e231df91409ef76c16b2a&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>Motorola T800 Two-way Radios</a> (Motorola/)

When Motorola first debuted their Talkabout two-way radios decades ago, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a set. I used them to stay in touch with my hunting buddies, coordinate float trips down rivers, and stay in touch with home. Every year since, Motorola’s technology took a step forward, and now, with the T800 models, users have the option of Bluetooth connectivity and off-grid messaging or broadcasting. The company says these latest models have a 35-mile voice range, and 20-mile data range and with 22 channels and 121 privacy codes, there are 662 available ways to have a conversation. Each radio also provides real-time weather updates, time, and LED flashlight, and can recharge via USB.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Tailgating-Collapsible-Insulated-Barbecue-Tailgate/dp/B01DCIKFNI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=18623a9e3df31ba7f3dfb1d05f740d13&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>Camerons Products Tailgating Table</a> (Camerons Products/)

One of my father’s favorite lines in camp is, “Hold my beer and watch this,” which is typically followed by some act of idiocy. But with Camerons’ Tailgaiting Table, I can stash his beverage and mine so my hands are free to react to whatever foolishness is sure to come my way. The table expands in four directions and provides four cupholders, and mesh basket for food or anything else you want handy, and a zippered “bucket” that sits low to the ground and is perfect for keeping cans on ice. It’s light, easy to carry, and has tension straps to make the most stable surface possible and sturdy feet that don’t sink into the ground.

<a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Woods-Insect-Repellent-Ounce-Spray/dp/B00GJWJI88/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=popularscience-20&linkId=39b5421107c6f7346929c9cd3cf8abc5&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow” title=””>Deep Woods OFF!</a> (OFF!/)

When it comes to biting bugs, my blood must taste sweeter than the average person because I’m a magnet for mosquitoes. Deep Woods OFF! has saved my neck, arms, and legs from becoming a bug buffet many times. A 6-ounce aerosol can contains just 25 percent DEET, which is less (and less toxic) than many other sprays that can contain up to 100 percent, and because it offers up to 8-hours of protection, you don’t need to constantly reapply it. However, one word of caution: Remember that DEET can cause chemical reactions to many types of plastics, so when you spray, be sure to keep it from contacting things like nylon clothing, fishing lines, and sunglasses.

Written By By Ben Romans/Field and Stream

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