#Quick format vs full format

[themyscirah]

Ok game time which 3 series would you just DIE to get a run on ? I'm talking full creative control, can be as a writer or an artist + plotter if that suits your vibe best

My 3 are

Suicide Squad

Wonder Woman

Green Lantern Corps/Green Lanterns

(in that order)

[yunamoona]

formation a !

summary: you’re getting hit on!!! Luckily your friends have a protocol to neutralize this very situation.

content: fluff, satoru gojo x fem!reader (ft. Shoko and Suguru), silliness, gojo vs jealousy. Gege if he was full of joy and whimsy AU where they all at least make it to their last year of school together. Oh and thug Geto (but not really) allusion to the “Formation b” og at the end.

a/n: we all saw how quick Gojo was to reacting to Megumi “getting hit on.” formation b??? yeah, that was NOT his first rodeo…anyways, this is my first oneshot! please be forgiving, but I’m open to constructive criticism! also feel free to send feedback & reqs! info in my pinned.

“I don’t waannaaaaa!”

“Then go home.”

“I don’t wanna do that eitherrr”

Before you can snap at him again, it’s Suguru who smacks him upside the head, “then quit whining,” the man grumbles as Satoru whimpers and rubs the back of his head. “It’s already hot as balls out, you’re giving me a headache.”

Satoru huffs at that, purposefully stumbling along the sidewalk to knock himself into Suguru. There’s an oof as Geto returns the gesture by elbowing him in the gut, and some of your and Shoko’s shopping bags slip down Gojo’s arms as he shoulders the other man again, more intentionally this time. It’s moments before the two break out into a full on scuffle.

“Let’s bring Haibara and Nanami next time, kay?” Shoko jests loud enough for the two behind to hear, her thumb jabbing backwards towards them with that feline smirk on her lips. “They’re way more well-behaved than those idiots.”

“You can’t replace me— maybe Suguru, but not me!” Satoru wheezed out, sputtering a bit. Out of the corner of your eye you can see Suguru tightening the headlock around the other boy’s neck, squeezing a choked sound from Satoru as his sunglasses slipped down his nose. “You’d miss me too much!”

You roll your eyes. “Whatever, we’re almost done shopping, alright? I just wanna get one more thing.” You point a little ways ahead to the shop you’ve been meaning to get to after hearing they had a sale on all their blind packs.

Yet looking backwards, you could see the heat was getting to your friends, making them more irritable and haggard. Even Shoko looked about ready to call it a day, but it was Satoru who appeared to be the least tolerant. He was practically dragging his feet across the ground, cheeks flushed red from the absurd heat and a rare genuine frown on his lips. The sight made your heart pang just a little.

Your gaze traveled around the little outdoor shopping center, landing on something that you were sure would bring up the mood— at least for a certain someone.

“Oh!” You pepped, pointing out a little cart stationed at the corner across from the store you wanted to hit up. Perfect. “How about we stop for ice cream?”

The way Satoru brightens immediately is almost uncanny, azure eyes sparkling and wide. “How’d you know that’s exactly what I was thinking?” He beamed, toothy grin wide and unabashed. “See, this is why we’re soulmates!”

You wish he’d stop saying thoughtless nonsense stuff like that.

The four of you stroll up to the stand, the older man running it joyfully greeting your group as Satoru leaned over the counter, enthusiastically giving your orders. You can’t stop thinking about that shop across the way, though. Clarence. Blind boxes. Marked down. MiniBrands…other people were gonna buy them all out…

“Shookoooo,” You whine, your bottom lip jutted as you reach for her hand, nodding your head towards the store. “Come with me pleeaaase? I’ll be quick.”

Lie.

Both of you told the guys you’d only be a minute, but it’s been at least 15 by now. Where the heck were they hiding your stupid discount mystery boxes??

“I know they’re here,” You reassure Shoko after dragging her into the same aisle you’ve checked three times now. “Somewhere. I have that feeling.” She doesn’t argue, but you feel her unspoken doubt.

After a while still, Shoko taps you on the shoulder.

“You keep looking, I’ll be right back,” she hums, middle and pointer finger tapping her lips. Then she was waving and strolling out the automatic doors, right back to where you both left Satoru and Suguru. The latter was manspread on a bench and scrolling on his phone, the former half-perched on the armrest watching the screen over Suguru’s shoulder. He had his second half eaten popsicle in one hand, taking sneaky licks of your ice cream in his other when he thought no one was looking.

He didn’t pay Ieiri any mind for a good several minutes, not until he peered up into the glass window of the store across the street, tongue frozen mid-lick of your ice cream. You were in there, without them— with some guy— chatting. Laughing. Suguru’s head rose when he heard the plop of frozen dairy hitting the asphalt, following his friend’s gaze after registering his alarmed expression.

The ebony haired man sucked in a sharp breath between his teeth. “That’s rough.”

In a blink Gojo’s hands grip Shoko’s arms with urgency. “Shoko.” He gritted, hand flying to make wild motions toward the shop.

The girl squinted, spotting you inside after a few seconds, talking to some guy. “Oh. Good for her,” she’d acknowledge coolly around the cigarette at the corner of her lips.

Satoru’s frown drastically deepens.

“You were supposed to stay with her— what happened to girl code?”

“I needed a smoke. And what do you know about girl code?”

“Queens before nicotine!” Satoru stressed while jostling the easygoing girl.

“C’mon, c’moonn, we gotta hurry. Do it like we practiced, alright?”

“These what you’re looking for?” The man who’d originally approached you pulled out a small colorful package from a larger cardboard box, lopsided grin on his plain face as he held it out to you.

“Omg, yes!” You cheered, clasping your hands together. At long last, you’ve been reunited with your cheap blind boxes. “Thank you so much, you have no idea—“

Your name is called out somewhere down the aisle, and when you turn to look, you spot Shoko back from her smoke break.

The brunette looked less than enthused, however, eyes flitting down to very obviously scan some note cards between her fingers. She briefly cleared her throat.

“Another one? Damn girl. Isn’t this your third one today? I thought what we had meant something to you.” She exclaimed flatly, articulating every word like a robot. She shuffles to the next card. “Girl, you crazy.”

???

You stare at her with a gaped jaw and knitted brows, lips barely forming the beginnings of the word “What—“ when you hear the chime of the door. And in the storefront’s entrance stood Suguru- reimagined to look…vaguely thuggish?? Your eyes don’t know where to look, between the rolled up sleeves of his rumpled uniform that showed a poorly scribbled tattoo sleeve on the arm of his pocketed hand, and the jagged scar with a smudge of red that’s suddenly appeared on his right cheek. (You’ll learn later they’re sharpie marker and Shoko’s red lip stain.)

“Hey babe,” BABE?? “Sorry to keep ya waiting. There was…a complication.” He grunts around a toothpick. You only notice he’s lugging a bat over his shoulder when he taps it twice against himself for an intimidating emphasis. He begins to stride toward the three of you, unimpressed glare landing on the man who’s now shuffled slightly behind you. “But there’s no trouble here. Right?”

The poor guy looked ready to piss his pants out of fear. You were ready to explode out of shock and embarrassment.

“I—“ You open and close your mouth like a gasping fish, but no words are forming as your baffled expression shifts between Shoko and Suguru. “What the hell is happening?!”

Admittedly, you did feel a sense of foreboding. Like a piece was missing from this debacle of a puzzle. A grand finale that would ensure you would never set foot into this store for at least another decade out of pure shame.

“Would you step away from her? You homewreckers!”

No. Nononono—

To your horror, large hands clap over your arms, spinning you around to face teary cerulean eyes.

God knows where his uniform jacket’s gone, or where he’s managed to get a tie to wear at the collar of his white button up on such short notice.

The way he laments your name is already enough to make you cringe, his disheveled white hair cascading as he slumps his head forward between his shoulders, his hands bracing on yours.

“I knew you’d be out here, fooling around! Don’t tell me it was a lie? When you said I was the only one for you?? I slave away everyday at that damn office— to provide— for us!!” He’s sobbing, in the midst of his own soapy k-drama. You half expect cherry blossoms to start raining from the tiled ceiling covered in harsh fluorescent lights, or for some violin-heavy ballad to start playing.

“Come home,” he begs, lifting his face stricken with faux tears to meet your eyes. “the kids miss you…”

There are no words to describe how much you wish to disappear. The blood that had drained from your face comes back tenfold, now buzzing in fiery humiliation.

There’s a too heavy, too long, awkward pause.

“…Okay, well. If you don’t need anything else, I should get back to restocking…” The man who’d been the target of Satoru’s strategic wrath half-bowed his head, anxious to shuffle away with a forced polite smile. “Glad I could help you find what you were looking for, miss.”

“Huh.” Both Gojo and Geto chirp in unison, heads tilting in confusion. Only then do the men maybe register the fact the guy who was “hitting on you” was wearing a uniform and a name tag. And then understanding dawned. Not before you yank at either of their ears, unfortunately, which they begrudgingly accept.

“What is wrong with you guys??” You fume, and either of them shrug, wincing when you tug harder. Best to take this sitting down. “Why would you embarrass me like that— and why’re you dressed like the villain of a low budget movie?” Geto glances sideways and you can almost see the guilty cartoon sweat drop.

With a long suffering sigh you release the both of them, whipping around to Shoko with hands on your hips. “Okay, but why’d you go along with this?” You ask in exasperation. She merely gives a halfhearted shrug.

“‘Was bored.” Figures.

“So mean! We had good intentions, where’s the love?” Satoru pouted, faux tears in his eyes as he rubbed at his reddened ear.

“You,” Was all you could muster in a dangerous tone, accusing finger jabbing towards him. He jolted, at least having the decency to look somewhat fearful even if it was mostly overshadowed by thrill. “I know you’re behind this.”

“Sweetness, hey,” He attempted to pacify you, palms forward. “before you get mad, I—“ The squeal that elicits from him is girlish as he twisted just out of your reach. Then he’s booking it. Slippery bastard.

The way he cackles at you as you give chase makes your cheeks burn hotter, curses and promises of strangling him spilling from your lips. He howls when you nearly crash into the ice cream stand while whipping around the corner after him, the owner shouting his own swears at the two of you and…

…and the remainder of the memory escapes you as sunspots dance in your vision. Bright light sears your eyes the moment you manage to blink them open, a bead of sweat rolling from your forehead down the bridge of your nose. You just sit there for a minute like this, dazedly staring at the sky. Trying to hold onto the vivid imagery before it began to fade back into the recesses of your mind once more. With a grumble you gain your bearings, wiping your face with a sleeve as you stand. You swear there’d been shade over this bench when you sat down…just how long had you been sitting here in this heat?

You look side to side. Where have your students gone? Well, your students, and that overgrown manchild—

“Fushigurooo!!”

“No.”

“But Fushigur-“

“Stop following me.”

Your head snaps to where your students are zipping past the sidewalk, Yuji stumbling after Megumi as he stormed off.

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you, Fushiguro! I really thought she was hitting on you— y’know, Bros before Does!” Itadori placated with a pleading gesture of his hands. With one glance behind him however he jolted, picking up the pace into a sprint almost immediately after spotting Kugisaki barreling towards them.

“Itadori, you idiot!” She squawked, waving a fist as if to clobber him once she caught up. “Making us chase down that angsty sea urchin in this heat! You’re gonna get it!!”

All three disappear around that corner where that ice cream stand always used to be posted, an echo of the past. Come to think of it, it hasn’t been around for years, and you idly wonder what became of the old man who used to run it.

As if on cue, Satoru meanders up to you, ruffling his snowy hair as he readjusts his blindfold over his eyes. He beams simply at the sight of you.

Your glare hardens, and he startles. He knows that you know he’s the mastermind behind that spectacle you’d just witnessed. Was it really that long ago since he pulled this same stupid stunt? He never did quite change.

“Ehehehhh,” He pitters nervously, putting on a wide innocent grin as you approach, index scratching a nonexistent itch at his jaw. “Hi sweetie, baby, love of my life—”

What makes him give pause though is the way you just trudge into his side and nod your head against his chest. You feel an arm instinctively wrap around you, and it makes you uncomfortably warm in this hot weather, but you don’t entirely mind it either. “Hey, what’s up,” he murmurs more sincerely, head craning to get a better peek at you. “You good?”

“Yeah,” Is what you mutter in response, still replaying the dream of that memory in your head. It made you feel poignantly happy, but the aftertaste of the emotion left you…tired. “Heat fatigue.”

“Right.” His grip tightened, nestling you closer. He doesn’t say anything, just letting the quiet fill the air aside from the croak of locusts. You wonder if he’s reminiscing on those times, too. Before everything— “I betch’ya got a nasty tan line.”

“Satoru!”

“I’m kidding! You’d be sexy even if you had a redneck tan.”

“Ew, don’t even say that!” You scold even if you can’t keep the ridiculous smile off your face. You still check under your sleeve for good measure, to which he chuckles.

“Wanna get some ice cream?” There’s a smile in his voice, and you feel his lips stamp a kiss to your sweat damp forehead.

“Y’read my mind.”

[cookierunbases]

-`.~♡ OFFICIAL COOKIERUNBASES GUIDE ♡~.'-

Requests are currently OPEN!! Look for more information below!

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Hey there, welcome to CookieRunBases!

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[ NAME OF COOKIE ] Base - TAGS / TAGS / TAGS / TAGS

SIMPLE/DYNAMIC Pose

Requested by [USERNAME]!

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Bases will always be labeled with the cookie's name. If you're wondering whether or not a pose has already been made into a base, search for the character's name!

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To submit a request, DM this profile with up to THREE total images of the work you'd like turned into a base and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!

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- Angel <3

[dragonnarrative-writes]

My writing process has changed, and I've realized that (in my humble opinion) I'm not a very good author!

This isn't to say that I'm not happy with my writing. I love my writing! I think I'm a fantastic writer and I love all 200k+ words of fanfiction that I've written in the last year and a half. I'm very proud of everything I've shared, and I'm excited about what I haven't posted for public consumption yet.

But, as delightfully summed up in this post about Concept vs Story, I've been realizing that a lot of my fanfic up to this point has been concepts, not fully developed narrative stories. That's part of the reason why some of my ideas have had a lot of momentum, then long hiatuses - there's fantastic ideas, world building exploration, character study, but not much narrative structure.

That's not bad! I think it's a process that works really well for me. I love that Autumn Embers is based on the concept of "What does being intersex look like in the omegaverse?" I'm still in love with Transferrable Skills and the idea of Running Into Your Online Intimate Improv Partner IRL. But neither of those stories are "finished" for a couple of reasons.

The first is that I basically wrote those chapters, gave the barest hint of editing, and then threw the chapters onto tumblr. This is, I admit, mostly because I'm nervous about sharing my writing publicly. I've gained so much confidence in the last 18 months, but I still get self-conscious about sharing my ideas, fantasies, kinks, and worldview. I've gotten much better about writing for myself first, but it's still easier to share if I don't spend too much time staring at the words and second guessing myself.

The second reason those stories aren't done, and the one I'm most excited to be tackling, is that I'm realizing that I tend to write myself into knots due to a lack of planning. That's fine for a one-shot or quick drabble (or 30k words of psychological thriller/drama/romance(/comedy???), in the case of Slasher Handler (still unfinished lmao)). I think that's pretty fantastic for receiving and answering asks, and the collaborative storytelling format that tumblr ask boxes are perfect for. But as a long-winded writer, I'm realizing that it's not great for me when it comes to longer formatted works.

I'm really excited about Bump For Short, my current WIP, because it's the first story, longer than 15k words, that I'm writing out the first draft for before sharing more than snippets for WIP Wednesday. It's a little scary, since it means I have more than 30k words with limited feedback. I can't give enough thanks to Mr Dragon and Charlie and the delightful friends I've made on discord for the support they've given me with this project. I'm looking forward to finishing the 50k of this first draft, then going through and adding to it to flesh the ideas out even more and make this not just a concept but a full story.

[kayawolfhorse]

Enter: the End?

My piece for @trafficzine! Check out the full zine for the properly formatted version.

—☾—

FADE IN:

EXT. SECRET KEEPER — MID-DAY

WE OPEN with a greyscale montage of the events leading up to the scene.

SCOTT sacrifices himself to GEM against the SECRET KEEPER’s stony shroud. GEM lowers her head, grief briefly savored, before taking position on top of the boulders that make up the SECRET KEEPER’s shoulders, shooting at the faraway figures of SCAR and PEARL. GEM’s eyes shine, but her mouth is set in a hard, determined line. With one last release of an arrow, GEM steps off the rock, slings her bow across her back, and breaks into a run.

CUT TO:

EXT. OPEN FIELD — AFTERNOON

WE’RE SHOWN an establishing shot of the grassy field behind the SECRET KEEPER. Its surface slopes in gentle hills and the far end borders the lake. Various bases can be seen ringing the edges. The sky overhead is clear, but the early winter air brings a bite.

GEM, a general lacking her army, a red name with mismatched eyes, trudges forward, stopping at the center of the field beside a gnarled oak tree.

GEM

(To herself)

I don’t think I can fight Pearl. I think Pearl wins this.

In the distance, PEARL and SCAR are splotches of red and black.

GEM

Pearl has a lot of hearts.

GEM holds her SHIELD closer to her body and tightens her grip on her SWORD as she watches PEARL, a fiercely loyal ally turned teamless, and SCAR, a smooth-tongued salesman with nothing to lose, draw closer. The pair sports matching bloodlust on their faces, eager to end this.

GEM straightens up. She loosens the tension from her shoulders and steadies the tremble in her hands. GEM knows that this may very well be her demise. She doesn’t plan on going down without a fight.

PEARL stops at the top of the squat hill GEM is standing beneath, and raises her BOW. Her expression is layered as she aims at her friend-turned-foe, her exhale a puff of steam. PEARL has chosen her victor, and she’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he wins.

PEARL

Don’t make me do this, Gem!

PEARL shoots, and GEM ducks behind the tree with a grunt.

GEM

Pearl! I’m not making you do anything!

PEARL

You’re making me do this right now!

PEARL continues to shoot as GEM sprints away.

GEM

What are you doing? We were friends!

PEARL:

(Overlapping)

I don’t know! I don’t know, Gem!

GEM twists to the side and throws an ENDER PEARL, and after a moment she disappears in a poof of purple particles, teleported into the lake. GEM swims up and breaks the surface at shore, SCAR running up to meet her.

SCAR

(Through a sharp grin)

Hi, Gem!

GEM strikes SCAR with her sword, her motions quick and brutal. SCAR stumbles, but is fast to recover. Their swords clash together as they exchange blows, whittling down each other’s rows of hearts. PEARL races to join the action.

PEARL

Gem, do you wanna sword this out with me right now?

SCAR and GEM continue their fight. GEM’s sword snags against SCAR’s poncho and tears the fabric. SCAR grimaces as the blade reaches flesh, and deep red stains the poncho darker.

PEARL

(With a shrug)

Oh, you’re gonna sword this out with Scar right now.

GEM’s WOLVES charge into battle in defense of their master, biting at SCAR’s heels. PEARL leaps into the fray, landing in front of GEM, her sword clanging against GEM’s shield. PEARL darts to GEM’s side to slice at her unprotected flank, and SCAR draws back in at the front.

GEM

(Scoffing)

2 vs 1? Oh, you guys are gross.

GEM retreats, throwing down LAVA in her wake. The edges of it lick at her cape, and GEM must use her WATER BUCKET to extinguish herself.

SCAR continues his pursuit, getting momentarily caught in the spilt water, but it doesn’t slow him for long. With a long sweep of the arm, SCAR thrusts his sword forward, stealing more of GEM’s hearts with a stab.

GEM

You guys are gross!

GEM meets SCAR’s next move with a parry of her own, PEARL standing off to the side, close enough to provide backup if needed, but letting GEM and SCAR fight. SCAR’s next attempt lands, and a sharp gasp is forced from GEM’s throat. GEM staggers back a step, and SCAR uses the opportunity to close the distance between them, slashing once, twice, three times. GEM’s moves become desperate as she returns the blows but is unable to block, taking as many hits as she lands.

PEARL

C’mon Scar, you've got this. You’ve got this!

With a final arc of his sword, SCAR defeats GEM, the remainder of her hearts depleted. WE SEE thunder CRACK across the cloudless sky and WE HEAR thunder BOOM as GEM’s body vanishes.

CUT TO:

INT. COTTAGE — AFTERNOON

For SCAR and PEARL, the game is not yet over. But for GEM, her time has come; lives bled dry.

WE SEE a brief flash of GEM’s cottage interior, empty and eerie, that pulls out through the window into an OVERVIEW of the surrounding area, SWEEPING ACROSS the cherry blossom grove, its cottages and farms marred by destruction, before PANNING OUT to the rest of the server. The camera ZOOMS IN on the SECRET KEEPER, shrouded in shadow despite the sun, and with one final thunderous BOOM, the screen FADES TO BLACK.

FADE OUT:

[bjyx-spelunkers]

First post Previous post (7)

So...you remember when I mentioned how a sane person would plan this trip itinerary given all the places XZ went to?

Here's a recap (I made a screenshot, Tumblr formatting was driving me crazy)

Given the new info provided by The Moon, i.e., XZ only arriving at Lake Lucerne on the evening of 18 June, here's what the trip is starting to look like:

What about the subsequent activities? (which to me all screamed outdoorsy, adventurous, WYB-friendly, probably DaBo-reluctant)

Well, the other line of inquiry that we were following in parallel was— XZ's clothes. Based on the rock solid logic that you tend to wear the same clothes on the same day.

He wore the same black jacket + black shorts + black beanie + black shoulder bag in Parts 1 & 2 for Paris:

Assortment of beige jackets + white top+ black shorts + black beanie for Bern (there are actually more cunning details to unpack here re: wyb's goose laugh but I'm gonna class that under a side-quest, link here)

Lake Lucerne:

Now, this combo is interesting. Still white top + black shorts, possibly the same khaki jacket as that tied around his waist above (hard to tell without seeing the collar). BUT a black cap instead of a beanie.

In other words, even though Lake Lucerne was a completely different day vs. citywalk in Bern (18 vs. 16 June), XZ still wore very similar clothes, albeit with a slight variation. I don't know if this was intentional, but it sure led to confusion on our part!!

Here comes the main point:

These are the clothes he wore for all of the wyb-friendly activities:

All the same khaki top + black shorts + black walking shoes combo, occasionally a black puffy vest. And he seems to be taking turns carrying this big black backpack with someone.

In other words, these activities appear to have ALL taken place within one day.

In fact, I'm gonna throw in the leisurely stroll in Part 5:

It's the same khaki top + black puffy vest. But with long trousers + white shoes. However, it appears to be very early in the morning (maybe even a pre-breakfast stroll) and was very near the hotel, so I'm guessing there was time to change his bottoms and shoes before setting off again (it's chilly in the morning!!).

For the sake of completeness, here're the outfits for Mt. Rigi, Zurich and Gordes (though these are less important)

He was wrapped up warm for Mt. Rigi, and it was extremely foggy, so our best guess was that they went there in the morning. Given that wyb would have to fly home on that same day, and XZ had a photoshoot in Marseilles the next day, we think Zurich happened on the same day as Mt. Rigi. Grey top + black shorts in Gordes, France.

With the info above, the itinerary now looks like this:

XZ was in Bern for a full 2.5 days. However, he only shows us a fraction of what he did there (Part 3, but half was about the cola incident and half of Part 4). This was followed by a crafty timeskip (GAR!! that sly bunny!! sent us on a wild goose chase)

He then squashes four activities that could have taken a leisurely 2-3 days into one day.

This point deserves a bit more elaboration.

Think about the hike up Mt. Pilatus: instead of planning a satisfying full-day/half-day hike up to the top, he takes the cable car to almost the summit and then does a short climb up.

Also, the bike trip: instead of doing a full-day/half-day bike trip around the area, he takes the ferry to the spot, does a quick lap around the area (plus a Mads Mikkelsen dance in the woods), then hurries off to catch the ferry back.

Why was he in such a rush? Why rush around like he's going through a to-do list all in one day? He could easily have spent one fewer day in Bern, and then had much more time to enjoy the other stuff.

But no, something, SOMETHING happnened in Bern on 17-18 June. Something very important, more important than the vacation itself. Something so important that his parents had to be there, his best friend had to be there, and WYB had to be there. And it happened on a non-Sunday*.

XZ made a ten-part vlog to mark this occasion. It is clearly sth immensely meaningful to him. Something he wants to share but cannot do so openly. (Please, any older turtles, if you know of any other vlog projects of similar scale, then let me know, I'd really appreciate it.)

There was also a Feb 2025 Portrait interview in which he described this trip. In it, he recalls the moment he hugged his mother and father at the end of the trip: "The movie-like scene was deeply imprinted in his mind. When talking about this scene, Xiao Zhan showed the most emotional expression that day. He closed his eyes and imagined that he was back at the beach, holding his hands in the air as if he was hugging his mother again. This was almost one of his moment of the year. This complete relaxation gave him some lasting strength."

This trip was clearly extremely emotionally significant to him and his parents (he even hugged his dad!). And we can certainly believe that it was because they had not travelled together in a long time, and so it was very emotional anyway.

But, what if it meant even more than that?

So much, so much more that he would close his eyes to recall the trip, and became emotional just thinking about it.

So, I'll just say it out loud here. Y13 and I both truly think that he and WYB got married in Bern on 18 June, and 19 June was their honeymoon on Mt. Pilatus.

A whirlwind but packed-to-the-brim honeymoon, with everything they enjoy doing together.

In the next (and hopefully last) post, I'll try to further reinforce this claim with the emotional tinting of the vlogs. It is far more subjective than the more concrete evidence we've dug up so far, but I think it can still serve as valid support, given what we know.

And I leave you with one last thought. This sketch.

The prevailing theory is that it's a snowy mountain, i.e. BJYXSZD (并肩于雪山之巅 which means “side by side atop the snowy summit”). Nods nods.

Our response to that was naturally: Which mountain?

And our answer: Mt. Pilatus

The mountain is, of course, gonna look different from different angles. However, after looking around the area at different mountains, we're pretty sure only Pilatus had sort of the right shape.

and also I spotted this

and that is Pilatus in the background based on his view (see the farmhouse on the left and the hotel on the right)

So, we can believe that this sketch is simply a random snowy mountain he found to be especially pretty.

Or, is this a specific place with a special meaning?

The place where he spent his honeymoon, on Mt. Pilatus. No matter how short or how nominal, it is still special. And he drew a sketch of it after wyb left to capture the memory on paper.

next post

[dags-over-caravans]

The lovely @hedwigoprah asked me to expound on how I use greentexting as a weapon to battle my doubt-gremlins, so:

Greentexting vs. the Gremlins

(A quick warning, if you go searching online, that this particular text format was born out of 4chan, which is a horrible place full of the worst people on the internet. Stay away. Seriously, I’m warning you. I spent about 5 minutes in r/greentext before I decided there would be no safe samples from that particular armpit, Mierda.)

But just because it was born from filth, doesn’t mean it can’t be useful in kinder pastures.

Basically, greentexting uses angle brackets (>) and an abbreviated style to tell anecdotes that are often humorous, concise, and written in the imperative.

>be me

>writing a greentext example right now

>(intrusive thoughts about Spite purring)

>slowly going insane

I find it takes the pressure off of the words themselves when I just can’t get the sentences flowing. The intention of greentexting is kind of to shitpost, so it allows you to be silly with your work, to TELL before you SHOW, and (as you’ll see in my samples below) an opportunity to cheer yourself on or tease yourself for whatever saucy little minx emotion you’re feeling.

Especially when I’m struggling to start, this has gotten me going again (and enjoying it again because hey! At least I think I’m hilarious 😆).

(I use an app called Ulysses and its bracketed text is blue but… ya know. Same diff?)

[scarlet-cloudfall]

I've been rewatching TOH for the 5th time recently, and this time I wanted to piece together the actual timeline of the show, since a friend of mine thought the show took place over a couple months, while I thought it was over a year.

I just finished S1E7, and I'm already losing my mind. Assuming Amity's journal entries are numbered by the date, and the date is in a day of the month/month of the year type format, the absolute minimum amount of days between S1E5 and S1E7 is 42 days. Let me explain.

(first, I should mention, I know the following stuff is almost certainly mistakes from the creators who didn't bother to make the dates make sense. My goal here is to come up with an in-universe explanation for the stuff that we see, not come up with an explanation for why we see it. I'm also going to mention here that I'm not assuming the boiling isles uses the same date system as the human realm. If I were to do so, it would increase the amount of time Luz would have been on the boiling isles by S1E7 to an absurd degree.)

First, a quick recap. During the wailing star meteor shower, the books in the library come to life. During this event, Luz opens up Amity's diary, and here is where we see the aforementioned dates, along with a phantom Amity reading out the words on the page.

When Luz first opens the diary, the two visible dates are 6/4 (on the left page) and 7/4 (on the right page). The phantom Amity then says "I saw that... human girl again. I may have overreacted. I don't want to come off as cruel, I just... can't show weakness." This makes most sense to be referring to Luz and Amity's interaction earlier in the episode.

Then, Edric opens the diary, and we see 2/19 on the left, and 2/20 on the right. This appears to conflict with the date format from before that seemed to imply the first number is the date, while the second number is the month. The best explanation I have for this is that the day and month switched at some point in the year for whatever reason (it's the demon realm, a lot of stuff is weird, right?) The alternative would be a random month-long gap, and while that is by itself more likely, I have to go with the former explanation for reasons elaborated later.

Later, when the pages are spilled out of the diary, one entry, labeled 19/12, has a phantom Amity saying "Why won't the human leave me alone?" This makes most sense to be written sometime during or after S1E5, considering Amity's frustrations with Luz at this point (cheating Amity out of her "top student" star, and resulting in her humiliation vs Luz in the duel).

Thus, the core issue is we have two very different dates, both referencing Luz and Amity's interactions. How can Amity know about Luz both on 6/4 and 19/12? At minimum, that would appear to mean 3 full months, each containing at least 19 days, between S1E5 and E7, plus the first 6 of the 4th month, totaling 63 days between those episodes. This is already 2 full months out of the 3 months that Luz is supposed to be at summer camp, and it's only episode 7!

But the number I first said was 42 days, not 63. How does that work out? Well, remember what I mentioned earlier about the day and the month swapping places in the notation? Well, we could instead say that 19/12 is the 12th and last day in the 19th and last month of the year, thus meaning that each month is 12 days instead of 19. The format then switches sometime after 2/20, meaning 6/4 is the 6th day of the 4th month, and we minimize the number of months passed while minimizing the minimum number of days that can be in a month from 19 down to 12. 3 12-day months, plus the first 6 days of the 4th month totals to 42 days.

If anyone has read this far, I know what you're thinking (I'm thinking it, too). Surely it hasn't been almost a month and a half between those two episodes, right? Well, the alternatives are... kind of worse.

First of all, these are not page or entry numbers, unfortunately. One of the pages that falls on the floor is labeled 10/1, and the associated phantom Amity says "Sorry I haven't written for awhile- wait, why am I apologizing?" This implies it is neither the first page nor entry in the diary, and it can't be the 10th page or entry because another page is labeled 6/6, which would conflict with having other pages labeled 6/4 and 7/4.

The other two possibilities that I have managed to come up with are as follows:

Amity is writing the hour and day of the entry

Amity is writing the week of the year and the day of the month

These options, cursed as they are, do decouple the fundamental issue with 19/12 preceding 6/4 by making it so that we no longer have known minimums between how many days in a week/month/year, how many weeks in a month/year, and how many months in a year.

*sigh*

[painsandconfusion]

okay what it the difference between ; and ,

and - and —

thank you

Great questions! These ones are pretty quick, so I'll give the basics.

There's two main instances where you use a semicolon: when you're joining two independent clauses, and when you're making a list of three or more things proceeded by a comma.

Okay quick refresher on dependent vs independent clauses. independent clauses can stand on their own. They're a full sentence in and of themselves. This means they at least have one (1) noun, and one (1) verb that that noun is attached to.

So. Basically. You use them when you want to make two full sentences into one coherent thought. Usually, this could just as easily be achieved by popping a comma and a conjunction in there, but sometimes the sentences are more complex or separate, and a semicolon works as kinda an in-between version of commas and periods.

I'll do some examples with commas, semicolons, and separate sentences so you can see how similar they are. It's usually a stylistic choice.

I went to the store today, and I got three dozen eggs. I went to the store today. I got three dozen eggs. I went to the store today; I got three dozen eggs.

In that example, all of them work just fine. It's more a matter of how long a mental pause you want your reader to have between 'went to store' and 'got eggs'.

(quick reminder that 'I went to the store today, and got three dozen eggs' would be incorrect because your comma cuts off the verb 'got' from the noun 'I'. Either repeat the noun to make the phrase 'got three dozen eggs' independent, OR just drop the comma. 'I went to the store today and got three dozen eggs' is also grammatically correct. I will go more into nuances like this in the comma post).

The other way you use semicolons is in lists, but specifically lists that are proceeded by a colon. You usually want to use a colon list when the listed items are more complex and likely to have commas of their own.

Here's an example.

I need to go to the store today to buy eggs, apples, milk, and bread.

That's a simple list with simple elements. But when the elements get more complex, using just commas gets confusing. For example...

Some of my favorite books are Farenheight 451, Girl, Interrupted, Arcanum Unbounded, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

See how messy that gets? Is 'The lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe' one book or three? They read less clearly, so require a little more precision.

A better version of this sentence would be...

Some of my favorite books are: Fahrenheit 451; Girl, Interrupted; Arcanum Unbounded; and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

By using semicolons, you're able to better separate complex list elements, and the colon lets the reader know to be reading it as such. It's just a little neater. Like a folder inside a folder to help find things easier.

.

Em dash (--) and En dashes (-) are pretty simple. They're called that becuase the double one (which tumblr won't format right, but it's the -- one) is the length of an m and the single one (-) is the length of an n.

Anywho.

En dashes go between words that are being used as one word, while em dashes are used between phrases.

Em dashes are more stylized, used between phrases to expound on the first -- like so.

En dashes are used more practically. When two words are being used as a single adjective. It's just a way to quickly and elegantly compound words to create an image.

A blue-clad knight. Pent-up anger. Ever-falling snow.

En dash (single -) will always be shoved between words without spaces on either side. The em dash (double --) will always be between phrases with a space on both sides.

.

As a disclaimer, I usually just do n dashes instead of m when I write on tumblr purely because the formatting sucks. In more formal environments, I make sure it formats correctly.

Hope that helps!

[jsdominates]

LensCraft Mastery: Elevate Your Photography Skills to the Next Level

Photography is more than just pressing a button; it’s an art, a science, and a means of storytelling. LensCraft Mastery is a comprehensive guide designed to help photographers—whether beginners or seasoned professionals—unlock their full creative potential. This tutorial series delves into the intricate aspects of photography, from mastering the fundamentals of exposure and composition to exploring advanced techniques in lighting, post-processing, and storytelling through imagery.

Why LensCraft Mastery?

The name LensCraft Mastery symbolizes the fusion of technical expertise (Lens) with artistic craftsmanship (Craft). Photography is both a technical discipline and an expressive medium, requiring a balance between understanding camera mechanics and developing an artistic vision. This tutorial series aims to bridge that gap by offering structured, easy-to-follow lessons that cater to all levels of experience.

1. Mastering the Basics of Photography

For those new to photography, LensCraft Mastery begins with the fundamental concepts that form the backbone of great photography:

Exposure Triangle: The Key to Perfectly Lit Photos

Aperture: Understanding how f-stops affect depth of field and light intake.

Shutter Speed: Capturing motion creatively, from freezing action to long exposures.

ISO: Controlling sensor sensitivity for optimal brightness without excessive noise.

Composition Techniques: Crafting Visually Stunning Images

Rule of Thirds: Placing subjects strategically for balanced compositions.

Leading Lines: Drawing the viewer’s eye to the subject.

Framing & Negative Space: Enhancing depth and focus in a photograph.

2. Advanced Photography Techniques

Once the basics are mastered, LensCraft Mastery delves into techniques that can take your photography to a professional level.

Understanding Light & Shadows

The role of natural light vs. artificial lighting in photography.

How to use soft light for flattering portraits and harsh light for dramatic effects.

Mastering golden hour and blue hour photography.

Camera Settings & Manual Mode

How to use manual focus for precision.

Customizing white balance for accurate color reproduction.

Shooting in RAW vs. JPEG and when to use each format.

3. Specialized Photography Genres

Photography is a vast field, and LensCraft Mastery explores different genres, allowing photographers to find their niche.

Portrait Photography

How to pose subjects naturally for candid and professional shots.

Best lenses for portrait photography (prime vs. zoom).

Background blur (bokeh) techniques for dreamy aesthetics.

Landscape Photography

Composition techniques for breathtaking vistas.

Use of ND (neutral density) filters for long exposures.

How to capture the perfect sunrise and sunset.

Street Photography

Capturing the essence of everyday life.

Ethical considerations in photographing strangers.

How to blend into the scene for natural compositions.

Wildlife & Macro Photography

Tips for photographing animals in motion.

Choosing the best gear for close-up macro shots.

Patience and planning for capturing rare moments.

4. The Power of Post-Processing

A great photo doesn’t always end with the camera—post-processing is essential for refining images. LensCraft Mastery provides in-depth tutorials on:

Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop Editing

Adjusting exposure, contrast, and white balance for balanced images.

Retouching techniques for portraits and landscapes.

Removing unwanted elements and enhancing details.

Mobile Editing for On-the-Go Photography

Best apps for editing (Snapseed, VSCO, Lightroom Mobile).

Color grading techniques for a unique aesthetic.

Quick retouching methods for social media-ready images.

5. Developing a Photographer’s Mindset

Photography is more than just technical skill—it requires creativity, patience, and an eye for detail. LensCraft Mastery helps photographers develop a storytelling approach, teaching how to:

Capture emotions and narratives within a single frame.

Use minimalism and abstract photography to create intriguing images.

Experiment with angles and perspectives to bring a fresh outlook to everyday scenes.

6. Monetizing Your Photography Skills

For those looking to turn their passion into a profession, LensCraft Mastery includes insights on:

How to start a photography business and build a portfolio.

Selling photos online (stock photography, prints, NFTs).

Social media strategies to grow an audience and attract clients.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your craft, LensCraft Mastery offers a structured, engaging, and practical way to enhance your photography skills. By blending technical knowledge, artistic creativity, and real-world applications, this tutorial series is designed to empower photographers at every stage of their journey.

Start mastering your craft today and turn your vision into reality—one frame at a time. 📸✨

[aaryan-mwa-blogs]

Compact vs. Full-Sized Mixers: What Sells Best in 2025?

When it comes to audio equipment, few pieces are as essential as the mixer. Whether you're setting up a home studio, running live sound for a gig, or managing audio for a podcast, the mixer is the command center. But in 2025, the question isn't just about what a mixer can do — it's about size. Do compact mixers dominate the market, or are full-sized mixers still holding strong? Let’s break it down and see what’s selling and why.

What Are Compact and Full-Sized Mixers?

Before jumping into trends, let’s quickly cover the basics.

Compact Mixers are small-format audio mixers designed to be portable and easy to use. They typically have fewer channels — often between 4 and 12 — and are ideal for smaller setups like solo musicians, small bands, podcasters, or content creators. Many of these mixers come with built-in effects, USB connectivity, and straightforward layouts.

Full-Sized Mixers, on the other hand, are larger consoles built for more complex audio needs. These can handle dozens of channels, offer advanced routing options, have more comprehensive EQ and effects sections, and are often seen in professional studios, large venues, and live touring setups. They’re powerful, but also bulky and often expensive.

2025 Snapshot: What’s Selling Better?

In 2025, compact mixers are leading in terms of overall sales volume, especially among amateur musicians, content creators, and mobile DJs. This isn’t exactly surprising — compact mixers are affordable, portable, and easier to learn. However, full-sized mixers still dominate sales in the professional audio market, especially for venues, production companies, and large-scale events.

This split highlights one big shift: the growing gap between casual and professional users.

Casual users — creators, hobbyist musicians, podcasters — are overwhelmingly choosing compact mixers.

Professionals — sound engineers, touring acts, venues — still need the flexibility and power of full-sized consoles.

Let’s check out the reasons behind this trend.

Why Compact Mixers Are Winning the Popularity Contest

1. Portability and Convenience

In 2025, mobility matters. Whether you're streaming from your bedroom or setting up a small outdoor gig, nobody wants to lug around a bulky console if they don’t have to. Compact mixers often weigh less than 10 pounds and easily fit in a backpack. For anyone doing remote work or quick setups, this is a game-changer.

2. Perfect Fit for Modern Content Creation

The explosion of podcasts, YouTube channels, livestreams, and independent music production continues to fuel compact mixer sales. Creators don’t need 32 channels — they need 4 to 8, with clean preamps, a couple of effects, and USB output for direct recording into a laptop.

3. Affordability

With budgets tighter than ever, especially for students, hobbyists, and small business owners, compact mixers hit that sweet spot between price and performance. Full-sized mixers with 32 channels might offer more flexibility, but they also come with a higher price tag. For smaller-scale projects, the extra expense doesn’t make sense.

4. Simplicity and User-Friendly Design

Not everyone is an audio engineer. Compact mixers are often designed with beginners in mind. Simple layouts, clear labeling, and fewer buttons mean less intimidation and faster learning curves. This matters a lot for musicians who would rather focus on their performance than memorizing a manual.

Why Full-Sized Mixers Still Hold Their Ground

1. The Power of Versatility

When you’re running sound for a large band, a theater production, or a conference with multiple microphones, compact mixers just don’t cut it. Full-sized mixers offer routing flexibility, more inputs, and deeper control over every aspect of the sound.

2. Pro-Level Audio Quality

This isn’t to say compact mixers sound bad — modern ones are surprisingly clean — but full-sized mixers usually come with higher-end preamps, more sophisticated EQ options, and better effects processors. When audio quality is the top priority, professionals still lean toward the big desks.

3. Live Event Dependability

In live sound situations where anything can happen, redundancy and flexibility are key. Full-sized mixers offer more options for backups, routing, and expansion — critical for avoiding disasters in high-stakes environments.

2025 Trends Influencing Mixer Sales

1. Remote Collaboration and Hybrid Events

With more events mixing in-person and online components, compact mixers with USB audio interfaces have become hot sellers. They allow easy streaming while handling mics and instruments simultaneously.

2. DIY Culture and Side Hustles

Whether it’s a musician recording at home or a fitness instructor live-streaming classes, the DIY culture is driving demand for simple, affordable audio setups. Compact mixers fit perfectly into this ecosystem.

3. Professional Audio Consolidation

On the professional side, more venues and production companies are investing in fewer, higher-quality full-sized consoles. This reflects a "buy once, cry once" mentality, where pros want gear that will last for years and handle any event thrown at it.

The key is to match the mixer to your needs, not just to your budget. Buying the cheapest option might save money upfront, but if you outgrow it quickly, you’ll end up spending more in the long run.

The battle between compact and full-sized mixers in 2025 isn’t about which one is better overall — it’s about which one fits better into the evolving audio landscape. From solo creators to massive events, the right tool depends on the job. Whether you’re jamming in your garage, building a home studio, or setting up for a festival, making an informed choice ensures your sound — and your budget — stays on point.

That’s why it’s always worth exploring options at professional audio shops where knowledgeable staff can help match the right mixer to your unique needs. With so many choices out there, getting expert advice can make all the difference.

In the end, whether compact or full-sized, the best mixer is the one that helps you bring your sound to life — without unnecessary frustration or regret.

[welcomehomie]

Sol Brush: Powder Sunscreen vs. Sunscreen Spray — Which Is Better?

When it comes to sun protection, finding the right product can feel like picking your favorite flavor of ice cream. There are so many options, each with its own unique appeal! Two popular contenders in the sun care arena are powder sunscreen and sunscreen spray. Both have their strengths, but which one truly reigns supreme? Let’s break it down.

The Case for Powder Sunscreen

Powder sunscreen, like the innovative Sol Brush, is gaining traction for good reason. Imagine protecting your skin from harmful UV rays without the greasy residue of traditional sunscreens. Powder sunscreen comes in a compact, easy-to-apply format that fits seamlessly into your daily routine.

Here’s why people love it:

Mess-Free Application: Powders glide on effortlessly and don’t leave your hands sticky or greasy.

Perfect for Touch-Ups: Unlike creams or sprays, powders are ideal for reapplication throughout the day, especially over makeup.

Travel-Friendly: The lightweight packaging makes it easy to toss into your bag without fear of spills or leaks.

Great for Oily Skin: Powder sunscreens often have a mattifying effect, making them a go-to for those with shiny or acne-prone skin.

That said, powder sunscreens aren’t without limitations. They typically offer a lower SPF range and can require a bit more diligence during application to ensure full coverage.

The Case for Sunscreen Spray

Sunscreen sprays have been around for years, celebrated for their convenience and efficiency. With just a quick spritz, you can cover large areas of skin, making them a favorite for beach days and outdoor adventures.

Here’s why sunscreen sprays are a fan favorite:

Quick and Easy: Sprays are perfect when you’re in a hurry or need to cover hard-to-reach places like your back.

Great for Families: Covering squirmy kids in sunscreen has never been easier!

Even Coverage: When applied correctly, sprays can provide a nice, even layer of protection.

However, sprays come with their own set of challenges. Windy days can make application tricky, and it’s easy to miss spots if you’re not careful. Plus, some sprays can feel sticky or leave a shiny finish.

So, Which Is Better?

The answer ultimately depends on your lifestyle and personal preferences. Here’s a quick guide to help you decide:

On-the-Go Professionals or Makeup Lovers: Powder sunscreen, like Sol Brush, is your best bet. It’s discreet, compact, and perfect for touch-ups.

Outdoor Enthusiasts and Families: Sunscreen sprays win for their speed and ability to cover large areas quickly.

Why Not Both?

If you’re serious about sun protection, there’s no reason you can’t use both! Start your day with a sunscreen spray for base coverage and carry a powder sunscreen for reapplications throughout the day. This combo ensures you’re protected no matter where life takes you.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, the best sunscreen is the one you’ll actually use. Whether you gravitate toward the lightweight ease of powder sunscreens like Sol Brush or the breezy convenience of sprays, the key is consistency. Sun protection isn’t a one-and-done deal; it’s a daily ritual that keeps your skin healthy and radiant.

So, which team are you on? Powder sunscreen or sunscreen spray? Let us know in the comments below—and don’t forget your SPF!

[xxtha-blog]

I can't really understand Ace's psychology... In the comic he seems to me to be a funny dandy, a bit of a tease but not a bad guy, with a trauma that has led him to do stupid things for reasons who were moral. Given that the comic ended on a hopeful note thanks to Dream, we can only imagine that things will get better for him afterwards... Whereas in the Asks, the commentaries and all the information outside the comic, he comes across as much more cynical, tragic and negative... In fact, over and above what I'm sure is a lack of understanding of the comic, it's a difference in the aura of both that I feel that's confusing me... Perhaps you can enlighten me?

There's definitely a difference in how Ace acts outside of the comic vs how Ace acts inside the comics. A lot of it is the difference between Ace being essentially shackled by Joker vs afterwards.

He really doesn't break the fourth wall very much within the comic so you don't get much of his active disdain of us. It's a contained story-line, he can't interact with creators in real-time. Whereas, on a medium like tumblr or in an rp event, he's real-time talking with creators, and he loves to antagonize creators, hence, being pretty cynical.

His nature as a character is something that isn't resolved and 'things will get better' doesn't mean he's doesn't have like. Fifty different mental illnesses still. In fact, Ace in the comic recognizes this by not saying that things are better, but that they could be better, and in two parts of that, his goal is to 1. Enjoy himself. And 2. Get over what he lost, both of which he is doing in most of the post-AU stuff. When he references his tragedy he usually does so mockingly or ironically. When he talks to creators he's also doing the same. The ask blog isn't that great of an example for his post-Au character given it's intentionally a non-canon and actively antagonistic format, so he's just constantly not enjoying it. A better example would be RP events on discord, which most people never saw, or this really old one-shot I made when I was like 16, which you can read here (it's not the best written but still in character):

This is a pretty typical way he'd react. He's not really overly cynical or negative, mostly just chaotic and quick witted. If he thought you thought that about that, he would be offended, and then he'd act much more positive, just for you. He'd give people gifts and sing funny musical numbers, full orchestration. Do some dances, really bring the energy.

If people thought he was too upbeat and positive, he'd kill a rabbit with a playing card in front of them, electrocute someone, and threaten to burn their house down (whether serious or not is up to you).

His personality is always revolving around his weird way of speaking and general oddities, but he'll essentially do anything as long as an illusion is fuelling it because illusions allow him to do anything. Which includes acting in a very wide variety of ways.

The power of illusions just lets him make the world his playground.

He plays the hero, he plays the villain, he plays whatever role he thinks is something you haven't seen him play before, because he can do whatever he wants (except cliches, they'll kill him dead), and he's going to do whatever he wants, to keep you on your toes. If he's talking to creators he's almost always going to be sarcastic though, simply because he doesn't like them very much. He uses other characters as vectors for his silly hi-jinks, which he just fundamentally can't pull when talking to creators directly.

You can also find a more in depth overview of his personality here:

[mrhomebodii]

How to Have 2 Perfect Days in Portland

So you’ve decided on a quick visit to Portland, Oregon and you wanna make the most of your time, get a full Portland experience, and come back with a pocket full of memories and a gallery full of pictures to look back on. Let me assist you in this exciting venture. I lived in Portland for 2 years (No I'm not an official local but I do think I've got enough intel to advise you on 2 days in the city. Don’t be a hater.) and when I would plan visits before I moved, I was always overwhelmed by the myriad recommendations on sites like Trip Advisor (I still linked their list of activities down below. You’re welcome.)

Anyway, here’s how I would spend 2 days in Portland if I were planning a trip…

When to visit: This is extremely important especially if you consider yourself especially partial to the sun or gloom. Personally, I believe summertime is THE MOST amazing and beautiful time to visit. The whole city is in great spirits, nature is in full bloom, and no activities are off limits due to rain or snow. That being said I recommend planning your trip between late June and early August.

Hotel vs. Airbnb + where to stay: I definitely recommend staying in one of the many airbnb’s listed in Portland. Airbnb is huge in the area and many homeowners have created beautiful stays as it is part of their monthly income. I will include a photo on what part of the city I recommend staying in below. I have had great stays in tiny homes, guest houses, and even in shared spaces! I would recommend however, avoiding basement apartments.

Day 1: Let’s get into the actual activities. I would recommend flying in early, around the time that you can check in to your stay. Contact your host and see how early they are able to take you; the earlier the better.

Day 1 Activities:

Coffee and breakfast at Petite Province Boulangerie and Patisserie

Walk off breakfast at Mt. Tabor park

If you’re into shopping, explore the many shops on Hawthorne Blvd.

Go back to the airbnb to reset, change if necessary, and get ready for lunch

Enjoy many different cuisines in one meal for lunch by visiting one of Portland’s many food truck lots (My favorite food trucks are Demarco’s Sandwhiches, and Jojo’s). Alternatively, great traditional lunch spots I would recommend are Devil’s Dill, and Pizzacato.

Head to Forest Park and hit as many of the activities up there that you can before attractions close. Attractions I highly recommend are The Japanese Friendship Garden, The arboretum, The Lan Su Chinese Garden, and The Pittock Mansion.

Now it’s time to eat again because you’re gonna be hungry after all that activity! Dinner spots I would recommend to end the first day with an bang include Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine and AFURI Ramen.

Day 2 Activities: You’ll want to rent a car for today

Start with coffee from Kind Coffee Cart and breakfast from Pine State Biscuits or City State Diner and Bakery

In your rental car, make your way to Multnomah Falls OR The Trail of 10 Falls (The second is a 10 mile walk but it’s worth every step). If you’re gonna go to the second stop, bring lots of water and snacks!

On your way back into the city, stop by The Columbia River George Scenic Area if you have time (if you’re like me, I would also recommend Collin’s beach… it’s a nude beach.)

Once you get back into town, pick a dinner spot whether that’s a food truck or traditional brick and mortar (I’ll leave this one up to you).

If you’ve got time left in the evening and still have some energy I recommend hitting up Quarterworld for some late night arcade and bar vibes. (Most games require more than one quarter. I’m letting you know so you’re not disappointed like I was.)

That’s it! I plan on revisiting this blog once I learn formatting and integrated links on tumblr to provide more recommendations, photos, and videos of my visit. All in all, Portland is an amazing place and I hope you enjoy your stay!

P.S. Besides the incredible nature and food scene, Portland is also known for having the highest amount of strip clubs per square mile. Just throwing that out there as I have visited my fair share and have always had a ball. That’s just me.

With Care,

Mr. Homebodii

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g52024-Activities-Portland_Oregon.html

[theunwellkingdom]

IRL #1: Packs, Proxies, and Playtesting

Designing a bunch of cards is all good in theory, but it means nothing until people actually shuffle up and play some games with them! Iteration is the most vital step in game design, so the sooner you can get from concept to playable, the better!

For the Unwell Kingdom, this meant I needed to create quick mockups of each card, rather than waiting until they all have art and formatting. I made simple proxies in Microsoft Word that would be easy to edit and cheaply print.

A prototype proxy (left) vs. a card with full art treatment (right)

Since I printed the proxies in black & white, I had to go back with markers to color in mana pips. There's a fine line between rapid prototyping and player readability, but the less time players need to spend decoding their cards, the better your test results will be. Then, I simply slid the flimsy paper into sleeves in front of real bulk cards I had lying around, so they feel right in players' hands.

With cards made, the next step to a playable limited set was some way to simulate real packs...

After some research, I decided to commit to buying a set of Cubeamajigs and have been impressed so far! They're a little fiddly and intimidating for folks the first time they try to open one, but they hold cards (and tiny dice!) perfectly and feel very sturdy for lots of reuse. And while it takes awhile to sort the set by rarities, shuffle, and put them into the packs, there's really no better substitution when it comes time to play. (Side Note: the stickers weren't necessary for the fronts of each pack, but they do look real nice and help everything feel more official!)

And with that, this set was ready to begin playtesting! I'll go more into detail on the lessons learned in each test. So far I've held 6 or 7 playtest nights, trying a few different formats, and every time we find SOMETHING that needs tweaking. Stay tuned!

[meandmyechoes]

Kingohger ep19

i know i said this is the first week i hadn't felt nervous but i turned on the computer to write the little pre-essay and got myself worked up thinking about hcs lol the magic of midnights i guess also i woke/was woken up at 5am this morning

homemade extended nitiasa with Blazar-kun :)

START!!

scream JERAMIE DOES SLEEP IN A NET!!!!! HC CONFIRMED

gosh i'm like dying for more Kagu-Yanma common man combo

lmao the throne room has to have best only reliable internet reception

take the crumb of Rita naming Yanma first? But! Rita is on first-name basis face-to-face with the team now!

The OP visual is one continuous shot of them all standing together 😭😭😭😭

"You were worried about me, Kuwagon?" "I'm alright :)" talking-to-the-Shugods Gira is the cutest

Blue and White are making up? YESSSSS Grandson combi? Kidult combi? Prankster combi???

I'll never not laugh at Jeramie calling Racles 'that brat'

Racles stress relief squeeze ball… merch it bandai or you're a coward

hi jeramie you know that iiko grandson of yours called you the culprit 2 episodes ago

they don't have to be showing Jeramie and Yanma walked right past Kaguragi but it's so funny

Suzume can make outward calls the whole time??? (or she's just benefitting from the chaos)

Suzume carrying the whole Shugoddom National Theatre troupe they should've let her train one in those 15 years if only she needn't be kept secret

the reaction difference between improv theatre with kurokos vs. with Shuggodom guards lol

i'm not entirely sure but… if Suzume is helping Racles make sure his guards are safe (because they both know the guards are too loyal to leave their king)…

Douga-san… his old-fashioned loyalty + quick to adapt. lately Douga-san has been shown quite positively huh HEY WHERE'S BOSHIMARU

hi i'd like to donate to the Get Shugoddom's Green Screen A Real Carpet/Brick Road Fund

gawd did not expect my tears to break formation at the orphange reunion

fking flute ver of inferno

the people's recognition *single tear*

this ep is just full power Racles whump huh

Grandson combo

yo nkosopa bgm new arrangement

is racles overacting here 🤔 (racels's second-rate villain act, not yano-san's)

"The King will not escape"… (ep17 title)

??? who's the villain here???

did Jeramie just called Racles worse than 'what came out from the bottom' (shit. he meant racles is shit.)

so Gira doesn't want his brother dead 😏 or does he not want Yanma a killer? 🤔😏

eh iyaiyaiya kingoh can you stop with the tone whiplash??

*claps* good the script remembered to resolve Yanma and Jeramie' conflict in ep13. Grandpa-son combi YESSS

omg Rita-sama 🙇🙇 late to the group henshin and had Morfonia work over time so they can fit Ohsama Sentai into the acronym NERD

[outside the gate] Kaguragi: do we still wait for rita or go in first Himeno: well the boys can't stall much longer i'll have to make sure rita's timing is perfect

[jumping up and down from the awesome fights to OP]

this level of female-female ranger combo action… used to be the crossover extravaganza 😭😭

they can perform such a compliated choreo in such narrow space SAs saikou 😭😭

YES I LOVE THANK YOU FOR BOTH KAGU AND YANMA CROUCHING while dismissingly shooting at MOTW like the grassroots they were

they have six people but divide into 4 groups

literally i'm 3 years old again what's better than Super Sentai

"The only crime I should be accounted for" sigh I know this line will come back to bite us re ep1

Himeno-sama you can't keep acting cute towards Rita to get what you want… They are about to run out of social battery

WINGS WINGS WINGS WINGS WINGS WINGS [FOAMING AT THE MOUTH] WINGS WINGS WINGS WINGS WINGS WINGS [FOAMING AT THE MOUTH]

them getting in each other's way - what kind of basis is this for me to develop a partnership obesession with these two

rita scream i asked for just last night?

duel? DUEL? DUEL??? MY EPISODE 18?? brothers showdown i asked for last week??

they chose a low ground to duel this time

ohohohoohoooo WEDDING YANO MASTAO YOUR RING BETRAYED YOU

Yano Masato = Tom Holland of Kingohger

that's the same mantle as Lionel's…

ngl slightly disappointed at Suzume's boring white dress

this man's soul has left his body