#i got level 5 fishing before either of them got to level 5 in their respective skills

[theglamorousferal]

Persephone's Binding Part 5

AO3 Prompt Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Jason woke from a start to someone pounding on his bedroom door.

"Jason!" yelled the sing-song voice of the High Prince. Jason shoved his head back into the pillow and groaned.

"Come in!" He yelled after raising his head again. He swept the covers off and sat on the edge of the bed, stretching his shoulders out.

Danny floated in, today he was in his other form, the one he showed the previous night. Unlike last night however, he was now wearing armor. studded leather armor stained black covered his torso, forearms and legs. Held around his shoulders with a stylized D clasp was a fabric cloak with black fur lining, the inside however looked like the fabric of reality. It was like staring into space when traveling with Kori, he looked away to not get too focused on it.

"So, did'ja sleep okay?" Danny asked flying in lazy circles around the chandelier near the ceiling.

"Like the dead." Jason deadpanned. He stood and made his way to where his usual clothes and armor were neatly folded, cleaned and mended. "We heading straight to spar, or do we have time for me to like, eat?" He took the pile of clothes and made his way to the bathroom, and kept the door cracked so he could hear Danny's response.

"We can grab breakfast burritos from the kitchen on our way to the training grounds."

"Okay, fine by me." Once dressed, Jason latched on all of his armor. He stomped out of the bathroom then gathered his helmet, which he held under his arm against his side. "Weapons allowed? And what kinds?"

Danny stopped circling the lighting and floated down to eye-level with Jason. He appraised him for a moment. "We'll start with hand-to-hand and see where you stand, we can move onto non-lethal weapons after that. I don't think Jazz would forgive me if we use projectiles against each other."

"Fair enough, lead the way." Through the corridors Jason was led once again.

"So Jazz mentioned you said the city you live in is cursed? What's that like?" He floated on his back facing Jason not seeming to need to pay attention to where he was going. The cloak billowed around him as if he were in water, galaxies rippling.

"Yeah, Gotham, home sweet home. It's a pretty messed up place. We've got quite a few rogues in out city, and then there are times outside threats come and try and mess with it. It's got the highest crime rate in the country, one of the rogues polluted the water with his special brand of insanity and now we have fish mutated to have a human death grin. That's not even counting the Lazarus Pit under the city."

"Lazarus Pit?"

"Yeah, bubbling glowing green liquid that heals those near death and kills those that are healthy. The Demon Brat's grandfather has one he's used to keep himself alive for 600 years. I was pushed into it when I was basically catatonic and came back with my mind and most of my previous injuries healed."

"Shit that sounds powerful. And another thing that could help in tracking down your dimension." He flew ahead to where a pair of yetis were looking over a scroll. He spoke to them for a moment before returning to Jason. "K that should help a bit more. So you mentioned something yesterday that I wasn't familiar, what's a meta-human?"

"Oh, they're probably called something different on your Earth. So it's people either born with the meta-gene or are powered due to their species or otherwise have extra-human powers. Like, my brother Duke is a meta because he has the meta-gene, but Superman is a meta because his species naturally has extra-human capabilities. Another hero, Beast Boy, got his powers from a lab somehow, he didn't give much details and I wouldn't share it anyway."

They went through a set of dark wooden doors and the delicious smell of chorizo floated past Jason's nose. In the kitchen was a woman who looked like the lunch ladies from school but floating, glowing, and with green skin.

"Hey Lunch Lady, how're those burritos coming?" Danny floated in, careful to stay away from anything cooking or on the counters.

"Oh hello dearie, I was just wrapping them up. I do wish you'd stay and eat a full meal." She said smiling at him. "Oh hello there, you must be the young man who appeared suddenly and set this castle into a tizzy. I hope you're doing alright?"

"Yes ma'am. I've been treated very well since I've arrived." He felt the need to be polite, she just seemed like a sweet grandma.

"Good good, now you two enjoy these and go play." She handed each of them a burrito wrapped in tin foil. They made their way out of the room.

"Jazz mentioned that originally the people studying ghosts thought they were all evil, but every ghost I've seen so far has been extremely kind and nice. What led them to think they were all evil?"

"Oh, don't be fooled, Lunch Lady gave me a run for my money several times. She was the first humanoid ghost I fought, she turned into a giant meat monster because my friend got the menu changed to vegan for a week. It was a whole thing." He rolled his hand. "And I mean, ghosts say 'Hi' by play-fighting. To be fair, I didn't know that at first either and it caused quite a bit of confusion. Once that bit was cleared up I was able to talk with my rogues and they backed off and made sure to keep the fights away from civilians."

"Right, Jazz mentioned you fighting ghosts. So you were a hero then?"

Danny sighs. "Yeah, once I started to gain control of my powers and defeated my first big ghost, I realized I could use my power to fight anything that came through the portal. I had the whole deal, villain of the week, a nemesis who later was redeemed and became a mentor, a cloning mishap, an evil alternate timeline, the whole shebang." He rolled his eyes. "I had the whole secret identity thing for a while too." He smirked.

"Oh, do you normally have a mask on when in one of your forms?"

Danny laughed. "No, no, just turns out face blindness is a common thing in my home town. Even though I'm literally just a palette swap, no one figured it out without me transforming in front of them." He turned serious for a moment. "The town found out in the last battle. It's been a bit of a learning curve for people to get used to." His tone turned bitter. "That the scrawny little Fenton kid could possibly be the town's hero? As if." He scoffed.

"Fenton? I thought your last name was Nightingale?" Jason asked. Danny froze mid-air with his eyes wide.

"Forget I said that, you weren't supposed to hear that. Do not mention it to Jazz." Danny's face was three inches from Jason's and glowing that horrible Lazarus green. He nodded.

"Will do, heard nothing, locked away." He made the motion of zipping his lips and tossing the key over his shoulder. Danny stared at him for a moment before nodding his head once and flying in the direction of a set of stairs ahead in the hallway. Jason jogged to catch up.

At the base of the stairs was what appeared to be a medieval training grounds with several paddocks, one paddock with obstacles for mount riding, one for racing, another had what seemed to be a military-grade obstacle course and yet another held a free-running course. Outside of the paddocks, there were several rings for dueling and weapon racks along the fences and an archery course along one side of the grounds. A green dome was above the entire field, presumably to keep projectiles from hitting passersby.

There were a few different mounts around. Some that looked to be unicorns but had sharp teeth like a predator, some had wings but similar teeth, all the horse-adjacent were colors from blue, to green, to black to purple. There was a large cat with long fangs and a pair of horns, it had a long fur coat that was patterned plum and lavender stripes sleeping in top of one of the lean-to's that held benches for resting. A mechanical horse with Egyptian regalia stood beneath it as it huffed not liking being ignored by the cat.

Jason whistled impressed. "Impressive grounds, reminds me of what I've heard of Themyscira." Activity began to stall at their approach, a tall black suit of armor with flaming purple hair came up to Danny.

"My liege, do you wish us to clear the grounds?"

"No Fright Knight, we are just going to use one of the sparring rings for a bit of the morning once we've finished breakfast."

"Very good." The knight nodded and then turned to the others scattered about the grounds. "Back at it you all!" Fright Knight went back to brushing his humungous black alicorn.

Danny directed them to one of the resting spots next to an empty ring. "Here, let's finish our breakfast and then did you wanna warm up?"

Jason sat and took a large bite as Danny was asking the question and thought for a moment before nodding and chewing. The chorizo burrito with egg, bell peppers and spinach was delicious. Once finished, he worked his way through his usual pre-patrol warm-up. He expected to go a few rounds before Danny was tired of playing with him.

Danny worked his way through some warm ups, stretching in ways even Dickie would flinch at, then made his way to the ring. Jason followed and they faced each other, and for the first time that morning, Danny's feet were firmly on the ground.

"So, best two out of three in hand-to-hand then we move onto weapons?" Danny suggested.

Jason considered for a moment. "Yeah, sounds good to me."

"Alright then," Danny smirked and got into position, "bring it on."

[sunfish-exotics]

Plan for the pond landscaping and a little work done this morning before it got too hot! I'm sure it will change a bit and I'll add some more little filler plants but I'm excited to continue working on my VISION. I'm currently doing a sludge removal / water clarity treatment on the pond itself so it will need to just run for several days before I continue cleaning it. There are some rocks in the bottom still that need to come out but I want to clear out most of the goop before tackling that portion of the project. Still hoping to add fish in May! The pond itself really just needs a deep clean and a few plants added and it will be good to go for fish, the landscaping is going to take me longer especially since I'm working more hours at my 9-5 on top of everything I do with Sunfish Exotics! Don't want to promote hustle culture or anything but that's where I'm at rn haha.

Plants added today: peach canna, aloha elephant ear

Plants bought but not planted: dwarf papyrus, red banana

Plants I want to get: a couple arrow arum, bog canna, obedient plant, maybe a native cardinal plant?, hardy water lily, another canna, couple more elephant ears, maybe some more native ferns for the shade?, lemon grass maybe???? Lots lol

Fish I want to add: either orandas or wakins, tamasabas would be amazing if I could find them but I I won't get my hopes up. I'll initially stock 10 and let them grow some before adding more. Considering the size of the pond if I do fancies I could comfortably keep about 15 adults total, but if I do wakins or hibunas I'll keep the number of adults at that 10 level.

Blah blah I'm rambling bye friends!

[the-scouts-codex]

Summary: The room became tense. Idia was chanting to himself “Please nothing outdoors, please nothing outdoors” crossing his fingers. After a dramatic pause the Headmage announced, “You will all have a slumber party.” “HUH!?”

Scout's Notes: This fic is 10,225 words. Therefore, this fic will be uploaded in parts. This is Part Three. Part One is found here and Part Two is here. You can find the full fic here on Ao3. TheScoutsCodex: Sleep over Shenanigans.

They danced a bit more before finally putting out the extensive pallet of blankets and pillows. All the couches and chairs behind them, the tables in front of them. Trey and Jamil laid their food out for everyone to take from. Azul put the cooler under the table so everyone had easy access. Renmu went to get his Taiyaki for everyone and put the tray on the table. 

Floyd gasped. “Fishies!” 

“This is Taiyaki. I made each one for everyone with different fillings inside.” Renmu explained. “Jamil-Senpai, Leona-Sama, and Ruggie-Senpai have salted caramel.” Renmu said, offering them to the three. “Kalim-Sama and Cater-Senpai have dates, and everyone else has custred.” 

Everyone took from the tray. Floyd, Jade, Ruggie, and Leona bit the stomachs first. Lilia bit its neck, and everyone else that was truly sane bit the face or tail.

“It’s good!” Floyd laughed. “Fishie die!”

Jade laughed. “Yes, the fish has died.

“This is so good. Totally S-Tier food.” Idia commented over a mouthful of Taiyaki.

“Thanks Idia.” Renmu mumbled.

“The custard is delicious.” Vil said in awe. 

“I’m sure it is. I brought it.” Renmu stated bluntly.

The room erupted in laughter. “He had absolutely no shame when saying that.” Trey laughed out. 

“So are we doing next?” Riddle asked, whipping off his hands.

“Idia brought games and movies over.” Azul replied. 

“I-I thought we could save the m-movies for later.” Idia replied anxiously.

“So board games it is?” Jamil asked.

Cater nodded. “Sounds good.” 

They played an array of board games and card games as Cater played music. Renmu snuck off to give Grim his Taiyaki. Grim thanked him and shooed him away. They played a huge game of Old Mage. Kalim ended up as the Old Mage multiple times. It wasn’t surprising to say the least. It took Kalim too long to pick up ques. Jamil even ended up as the Old Mage though he did do well most of the time. 

Somewhere along the 6th game Riddle became the Old Mage and he wasn’t having it. “HOW, how did I become the OLD MAGE!?” he yelled. “Someone cheated somewhere!”

“That’s how the game goes. You picked the Old MAGE card.” Leona mumbled. 

Riddle pouted. “We're playing again!”

The room groaned and they shuffled their cards to play again. The 8th round ended with Vil as the Old Mage. “That’s it, I'm not playing!” Vil declared. “Someone is definitely cheating!”

“He’s rage quitting.” Idia snickered. 

“What, can’t take one loss?” Leona asked, teasing. 

Vil scowled. “Don’t test me, Kingscholar.” 

Leona scoffed. “Wanna fight?”

“Alright, new game!” Cater yelled, trying to break up the fight. Cater used a random game generator on his phone to pick a game. 

“Ooh, Truth or Dare!” Kalim cheered. Half of the room groaned. 

“Alright, I'll go first. I'll randomize our names to make it fair.” Cater pushed the button and waited for a name to be chosen. “For the truth option, we can either ask someone to answer the truth to a question, or you can ask someone a question that they have to be truthful about. Dare’s will be kept to a safe level. Keep it PG people.”

Once everyone was in agreement to the rules, Cater started. “Okay, Riddle Truth or Dare?” 

Riddle whined. “Truth.” 

“What is your biggest regret?” Cater asked. “Remember, you have to be truthful.”

“Letting you pick this game.” Riddle deadpanned. 

The circle erupted in laughter. Cater smiled. “Alright, you got me. Your turn.”

Riddle pushed the button. “Ruggie, Truth or Dare?” 

“Dare.” Ruggie answered without hesitation.

“I dare you to stop laughing for 5 minutes.” Riddle commanded smugly.

Ruggie whined. “What kind of dare is that?” 

“A dare you will lose at.” Leona mumbled. 

Ruggie rolled his eyes and pushed the button. “Hah, Leona, Truth or Dare?” 

Leona snarled. “Dare. I don’t wanna tell you all nothing.” 

“Isn’t that easier than the Dare.” Riddle asked.

“I dare you to lick someone in the room!” Ruggie said with a snicker. 

The room went silent. Riddle looked at Ruggie with a smirk. Ruggie frowned. “Man…” 

“That’s gross!” Vil, Azul, and Jamil yelled. “Don’t do it!” Azul pleaded. 

Leona smirked and began crawling like a lion on the hunt. No one knew who he was trying to target as he crawled. Then they realized he was staring at Renmu. 

“Leona-Senpai, don’t you-”Renmu didn’t finish the sentence. Leona already jumped on him. Renmu scrambled to push Leona off. “Eww, eww, eww, iya, iya, iya!” Renmu yelled. 

Leona pinned his arms down and licked the side of his face. Renmu screeched as the hot wet appendage slid across his skin. “Ewww.” Renmu whined.

“I wanna lick shrimpy too.” Floyd whined. 

Leona got up and moved to his spot. Renmu dashed out of the room and went to wash his face. They paused the game until Renmu returned. Renmu rushed back in and sat back down. Renmu glared at Leona. “Nasty!” 

Leona let out a loud laugh. 

“Leona. Your turn.” Cater said, passing the phone. 

Leona pushed the button. “Kalim.” 

Jamil gave Leona a warning look. Leona rolled his eyes. “Kalim, Truth or Dare.”

“Dare!” Kalim yelled happily.

“Kalim!” Jamil shouted. 

“I dare you to tell Jamil one thing you don’t like about him.” 

Kalim looked at Leona confused. “Huh but I, oh wait…” Jamil looked at Kalim in shock. 

“I hate how you don’t let me take a bath with you anymore.” Kalim pouted. 

“I told you it’s because we are far too old for that!” Jamil said, his face heating up. 

“We used to all the time when we were younger.” Kalim argued.

“Because we were kids, Kalim!” Jamil shouted back.

They laughed at their banter. “Next.” Jamil commanded. 

Leona passed the phone to Kalim. Kalim pushed the button and waited. “Trey, Truth or Dare?” 

“Hmm, Truth.” Trey answered.

“Is it true you have never been collared by Riddle?” Kalim asked.

Trey nodded. “Yes.” 

Kalim passed the phone to Trey to push the button. Trey smirked. “Renmu, Truth or Dare.?”

Renmu didn’t like the look Trey was giving him. Everyone knows that deep down Trey could be a sadist and cruel when he wanted to be. Renmu hoped that he would take mercy on him Renmu gulped. “T-Truth?” 

“Is it true that you think that Vil is sexy in heels?” Trey asked with a evil smirk. 

Vil choked on his drink. Renmu’s mouth was agape, his face beet red. The room was hysterical. 

“I-I don’t want to answer that!” Renmu stammered.

“Your face says it all, dear boy.” Lilia snickered. 

“If you refuse the truth, you have to pick a dare.” Trey explained. 

“F-Fine, dare!” Renmu shouted. 

“I dare you to tell Vil he looks sexy in heels.” Trey command. 

Cater was rolling on the floor laughing. “Trey, you're evil!” Cater cried.

Renmu was sputtering like a fish out of water. “Vil-Senpai, you’re sexy in heels!” Renmu all but screeched. 

Vil hollered. “Oh I know I am.” 

Trey passed Renmu the phone. Renmu reluctantly took his turn. “Malleus-Sama, Truth or Dare?”

Malleus hummed. “Truth.”

“Wimp.” Leona sneered.

“Is it true that you can breathe fire?” Renmu asked curiously.

Malleus smiled. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Small green flames escaped his lips. Smoke billowed from his nostrils.

“Yaba!” Renmu said in awe.

The game kept going. Malleus ended up daring Floyd to dance, which he did very well. Floyd surprisingly ended up getting Jade and he dared him to kiss Azul. Azul was up in arms. Jade gave his Housewarden a kiss on the head. He would spare Azul the embarrassment this time. Jade got Jamil and Jamil had to tell a time where he lied to Kalim. Jamil told him that he lied about what happened to their pet bird. It had died and he told Kalim that it flew away. Kalim didn’t seem too fazed by it. He just nodded his head. Jamil got Lilia. Of course Lilia chose dare. 

“I Dare you to do a handstand.” Jamil commanded.

Lilia got up and effortlessly did one. Now it was Lilia’s turn. Lilia chuckled. “Vil, Truth or dare?” 

Vil sighed. “Dare.” 

“I dare you to kiss someone.” 

“What is up with guys and kissing. So unsanitary…” Idia mumbled. 

Vil groaned.

“He won’t do it.” Leona challenged. 

“Oh, you think I won’t? Yeah I won’t kiss the likes of you, not for even a second.” 

Leona rolled his eyes.

Vil crawled into Rook’s lap. The circle began to groan in disgust. Rook looked far too happy.

“Of course you would pick Rook.” Cater said.

“Of course I would. I use him to test my lipstick.” Vil said, rolling his eyes. “What kind of kiss?” Vil asked. 

“Any kind.” Lilia said smiling. 

Vil kissed his forehead, then his nose. Followed by his cheek then the other. Vil tucked his hair behind his ear. “Told you I would.” 

“Aww, that was totes cute.” Cater whispered. 

“That was gross. I feel like I need to vomit.” Leona whined. 

“Vil, you’re up.” Cater announced. 

Vil took the phone and pushed the button. “Ah, Cater. Truth or dare?” Vil asked.

Cater rejoiced, “Dare!”

“I dare you to expose a secret from a person in the circle.” Vil said with a smirk. 

A few people in the circle went silent. None one wanted something that they held deep down exposed and shared to the world. Cater hummed and looked at Renmu. Renmu swallowed thickly. Renmu wondered what secrets could he know about him? He never did much of anything. He didn’t make a fuss or start trouble, he didn’t even talk in class. How did he let even one secret thing about him  slip!? 

“So sorry Renny, Renmu has no eyebrows…” Cater stated bluntly.

Renmu gasped and they went silent. “Renmu has no eyebrows?” Kalim asked befuddled. 

Renmu whined. “CATER WHY WOULD YOU TELL MY DARKEST SECRET!?” 

“Let me see!” Leona yelled sitting up.

“Iie!” Renmu wailed. “It’s hideous!”  

Cater crawled over to Renmu and pulled up his bangs. They gasped at the sight. “He seriously has no eyebrows!” Ruggie yelled in shock.

“Did you shave them off!?” Azul asked in horror.

Renmu shook his head. “I was born without them…” 

“You have a big scar, what happened?” Leona asked. 

Renmu shuddered. “I rather not talk about that right now…”

Cater could see that the Prefect became very uncomfortable with the subject and that it was something he was not ready to share with the rest of them. “How about we call it quits?” Cater asked to change the subject. 

It was getting dark and Trey suggested that they watch a movie. Idia took out all the movies he had brought with him. Some were sci-fi themes and or action. He did have a few thrillers mixed in. Leona suggested they watch a scary movie. 

“Absolutely not.” Riddle said firmly.

“Why, you chicken?” Leona asked, his big buff arms crossed over his broad chest. 

Riddle’s face turned red. “I am NOT!” 

“Then watch it.” Leona pressed.

“T-The movie isn’t all that scary…” Idia mumbled. “I’ve watched it thousands of times.”

“I'm fine with it.” Vil commented, as he braided Renmu’s hair. 

“I wanna see it!” Kalim yelled. 

Riddle sighed. “Fine. If it gets too much, turn it off.” 

They took the time to clean up, take bathroom breaks, and rearrange the room. Renmu checked on Grim who was knocked out on the bed. Trey was brushing Riddle’s teeth in the bathroom which Renmu thought the sight was funny. Renmu came back to the lounge to find a huge black tent in the room. Jamil was carefully wiping away the makeup off Kalim’s face with a cloth.

“What’s this?” Renmu asked. 

“Don’t come in yet!” Cater yelled from the inside.

Before Renmu could get another answer, Rook picked up Renmu and brought him back to the lounge bathroom. Vil was in the vanity mirror, applying face cream to his face. His hair was tied up in a bun. 

“Bring that little face here.” Vil commanded. 

Renmu smiled and walked over. Vil Took a cloth hair band and tied it around the edges of his hair. Vil then rummaged through his bag and handed Renmu a tube of pink gel. “It’s face soap. Both of you put that on after you wet your face.” 

Renmu took some soap then handed it to Rook. They wet their faces then applied the soap. The soap smelled sweet like roses and melons. Renmu rinsed his face at the sink once it was lathered. Vil took a washcloth and patted Renmu’s face dry. Vil took out a small spray bottle and shook it. “Close your eyes.” Vil commanded. 

Renmu did and sprayed the liquid on his face. Renmu instantly flinched as the cold droplets hit his skin. Vil chuckled lightly as he ran his hands across Renmu’s face. Vil’s hands felt good against Renmu’s skin. They were surprisingly soft. Vil finished and turned him to Rook. Rook had a weird pancake looking jelly thing in his hands. Renmu then realized it was a face mask. Rook placed the mask on his face. Vil had one on too. 

“Roi du Poison, let me do yours?” Rook asked. 

Vil didn’t answer, he simply walked over and sat down in front of Rook. Rook began to spread the dark purple gel on his face with a little spatula. It smelled like grapes, roses, and blueberries. 

“Once this is on his face, he won’t be able to talk.” Rook said, as he spread more on Vil’s face. 

“‘Ut da ‘ip rub ‘n emmu.” Vil uttered incoherently. 

Rook finished then walked over Vil’s bag and rummaged through the various skin products. Rook pulled out a small container and popped the lid. He took a small spatula and scooped up a small amount of the pink substance and applied it to Renmu’s lips. 

“Let that sit for a bit, mon amour.” Rook instructed. 

They sat in silence as Rook moisturized Vil’s hair. The mask on Vil’s face was hardening. He had an eye mask and lip mask on as well. All of it was like jelly. A timer went off from Rook’s phone. Rook stopped the timer and wiped off his hands. Rook took a new cloth and wiped away the scrub from Renmu’s lips. Rook ran his thumb across the soft muscle. 

“His lips are soft.” Rook said fondly. 

Rook leaned down and gave Renmu a peck on his lips. Renmu flushed red and was thankful for the mask on his face. Rook laughed proudly. Rook peeled the mask from Renmu’s face and discarded it. He then rubbed the remaining substance into Renmu’s skin. 

“And now the cream.” Rook said, applying a generous amount in his hands and smearing it to Renmu’s skin. 

The cream was light and it soaked in almost instantly. Rook took a step back and smiled. “You are done, Monsieur Corbeau.” 

Renmu looked at himself in the mirror. His skin was practically glowing. It looked so soft. 

“Beautiful, non?” Rook said behind him. Renmu nodded. 

Another timer went off and Vil got up. Rook and Vil began pulling their masks off their faces. Their masks were more attached to their skin than what Renmu’s was. “Doesn't that hurt?” Renmu asked.

“Beauty hurts, little piggy. You get used to it.” Vil said as he slowly peeled the mask off. 

Cater peaked inside the bathroom. “We are ready.” 

“Alright, we are almost done.” Vil said applying more cream to his face. 

Cater took Renmu back to the lounge. All the lights were off. There was a faint light coming from the tent. “Ready?” Cater asked excitedly. Renmu nodded. 

Cater pulled the curtains open. Everyone was sitting inside, surrounded by cushions, pillows and blankets. Idia’s laptop and projector were hooked up. The movie projected on the curtain like a projection screen. Vil and Rook walked in soon after. 

“Come sit.” Riddle beckoned. Remuu sat down next to Riddle who was next to Trey. 

“It’s a blanket fort well, more like a blanket tent. Do you like it?” Cater asked. Renmu nodded vehemently. 

Riddle laughed. “Grim was the one who told us that you never had a slumber party. So we made sure to make your first memorable.” 

Renmu smiled. He was happy that Grim thought of him like that. He came off as indifferent and uncaring whenever Renmu was involved. But now he thought otherwise.

“Now that everyone is here, let’s watch the movie.” Lilia announced. 

Everyone picked somewhere to sit and got comfortable. Idia looked at everyone. “Ready?” 

A chorus of “Yep” and “Yes” was heard and Idia pressed play. 

You have reached the end of Part Three. Hooray! ٩(◕‿◕)۶ Thanks for reading.

Part Four, the last part, can be found here.

[uslessnoahtall]

Greek God Legacy Challenge

This challenge was created by CheetahAlyssa back in 2019, and I wanted to give it my own little twist and add a bit to it and figured I would post it. I also really like when Legacy Challenges have colours attributed to each generation, so I added that in based off of my own knowledge of Greek mythology. 

Original challenge rules here: 

Generation 1: Artemis/Diana, Goddess of the Hunt

You’ve never been really understood the joy behind romantic exploits. You’re more content in the forest, with your dog and the trees than around other people. People, especially men, always seem to let you down, so why not avoid them completely?

Traits: Loves Outdoors, Dog Lover, Self-assured 

Aspiration: Angling Ace

Career: None

Colours: Silver/Blue

Rules:

You must not have a job, you have to make money by fishing and collecting items, and gardening

Have a dog with the Hunter trait, and make your dog go out to hunt.

Have a full house (8 sims) but the only people are you and your child, the rest are animals

Finish your aspiration.

Can never Woohoo or Try for Baby. 

Must adopt at least one child.

Can never get married, but can have romantic relationships with women

MUST BE A WOMAN

Generation 2: Apollo, The God of the Sun

You loved your mom more than anything. She was strong and caring and you grew up constantly surrounded by animals and love. That being said, something about her lack of ambition and social life always drove you crazy. As you got older you realized there’s more to life than simple comfort and talentless hobbies.

Traits: Creative, Music Lover, Ambitious

Aspiration: Friend of the World

Career: Medicine 

Colour: Yellow/Orange

Rules: 

Reach level 10 in the Medicine career.

Finish your aspiration.

Reach level 10 in either the Guitar or Piano skill.

Have at least one child.

Have at least two best friends and four good friends

Generation 3: Poseidon/Neptune, The God of the Sea

Your parent was always super ambitious, they would never do anything half-assed. You appreciated this as a child but as you got older you realized, you don’t have to be good at everything or exceed in a career. You prefer lounging by the beach and taking in the sun to caring for other people.  

Traits: Loves Outdoors, Hot-Headed, Child of the Ocean.

Aspiration: Beach Life

Career: Diver (part time)

Colours: Green/Blue

Rules:

Must move to Sulani when you becomes a teenager,

You must become a mermaid (buy Mermadic Kelp from rewards menu.)

Try your best (as an individual) to keep the island clean, and help improve life in Sulani.

Complete your aspiration.

Date at least 3 other people before settling down, and have at least one child.

Generation 4: Demeter/Ceres, The Goddess of Harvest

Growing up, you loved how much your parent seemed to care for the environment, but they never had the talent for gardening quite like you did. You hated the beach life, nothing would grow right, you couldn’t wait to go out on your own.

Traits: Loves Outdoors, Vegetarian, Perfectionist

Aspiration: Freelance Botanist

Career: Gardening

Colours: Green/Brown

Rules:

As a child, be in the Scouts.

Master the Gardening skill and career.

Complete your Aspiration.

Take care of at least three Bee Boxes.

Have only one child, max friendship with them

Generation 5: Aphrodite/Venus, Goddess of Love

Your life was pretty simple when you were little, nothing crazy ever happened. As you got older you realized the easiest was to make life interesting, was love. You were always told you were the most beautiful person alive, and because of this, you always got exactly what (and who) you wanted. 

Traits: Romantic, Family Oriented, Outgoing

Aspiration: Serial Romantic

Career: Babysitter

Colours: Pink/Gold

Rules:

Complete your Aspiration.

Get to level 10 of the Flower Arranging skill.

Can't settle down until after you've finished the Aspiration, and you must have at least five children.

Cheat on your partner and have a kid with the side piece, this will be the next heir

Hook up at least 3 couples

Generation Six: Zeus/Jupiter, The God of the Sky

Your mom didn’t give you the best perception on love when you were little, and because of that you grew up to be jealous and quick to anger. You were always a strong child, and you desperately wanted to do something worth while, save the world maybe, fight monsters (not that they existed) but eventually realized the most worth while thing, was being above everyone else. 

Traits: Hot-Headed, Jealous, Romantic

Aspiration: Leader of the Pack

Career: Astronaut

Colours: Gold/White

Rules

Complete your Aspiration by successfully making and leading a club.

Complete your career.

Get married to someone, and be mean to any sim who shows any interest in them. 

Have at least one child.

Secretly have affairs with other women.

Get the Weather Machine, and often tamper with it.

Generation 7: Hades/Pluto, The God of the Underworld

You were an angsty little child, never got along with your parents. This stemmed into your adult life, as you had a problem with authority and the law. You have a hard time getting along with people, as you come off as pompous and mean. It’s easier for you to be alone, or, in the company of the dead, they dont’ seem to mind as much when you’re mean to them.

Traits: Materialistic, Mean, Self-Assured

Aspiration: Public Enemy

Career: Criminal

Colours: Black/Red

Complete your Aspiration and the Criminal career.

Be friends with at least three ghosts.

Optional occult: Vampire

Other than ghosts, you can only be close to one person.

Be mean to everyone you meet, until you meet the love of your life, who you are kind to and will do anything for.

Have at least one child

Generation 8: Hermes/Mercury, The God of Mischief

You and your parents always got along well, and while you tried to match their level of law breaking, you were always more of a fan of jokes than of crime. 

Traits: Kleptomaniac, Active, Creative

Aspiration: Chief of Mischief

Career: Athletic

Colours: Purple/Green 

Rules:

Complete Aspiration and Career.

Reach level 10 writing skill.

Every time the Flea Market is in town, attend and both buy and sell items.

Have at least one child, either adopted or with another sim.

Have a good relationship with your parent.

Generation 9: Hephaestus/Vulcan, The God of Forge

You were a bit of an odd child, had a hard time socializing, and were constantly made fun of for being ugly. This never bothered you though, as you were more at home working with your hands and making things than in the company of others. 

Traits: Perfectionist, Genius, Loner

Aspiration: Nerd Brain

Career: Retail Store (Selling Works from Woodworking Table)

Rules:

Be much less attractive than others.

Complete Aspiration and get to level 10 Handiness skill.

Successfully run your own Retail Store by selling your work from the woodworking table.

Have an unhappy marriage, and marry a mean and beautiful sim.

Have at least one child.

Generation 10: Athena/Minerva, The Goddess of Wisdom

You always envied your parent’s passion for working with their hands, and it bothered you that you couldn’t just be great at everything. Your desire to excel took over your life, who has time for romance when you can pursue your passions?

Traits: Genius, Self-Assured, Ambitious

Aspiration: Renaissance Sim

Career: Painter, Law Enforcement

Colours: Grey/Purple

Rules:

Get to lvl. 3 in the Painter career, quit and then get to lvl. 10 in the Law Enforcement career.

Complete Aspiration.

Reach level 10 Painting, Knitting and Logic skill

Never give birth, but you can adopt a child and keep going if you wish.

I want to thank the creator again for this challenge!

[missvoicecrack]

~Disney Villian Legacy Challenge~

I love how random the Disney Princess Legacy Challenge is, but I kind of dislike how there isn't a lot of focus on all of the ICONIC villains of the stories!

So, I came up with a list of Disney villains that are related to the protagonist either biologically or through marriage. This isn't play-tested, but it's too fun not to share. This challenge would have you be VERY involved with ALL of the members of the Family.

BASE GAME FRIENDLY

Gen 1 - Hades 

Jealous, annoyed, and DONE with his younger brothers, Zeus and Poseidon, Hades finally has enough and decides to move out of the Family home and achieve his dream of being a writer! Maybe along the way, he’ll find love (or something close).

Start as an Adult 

Traits 

Evil 

Mean

Hot-Headed

Requirements 

Reach the top of the Writing Career and write the Book of Life

Reach level 5 in the Spell Casting if you have it

Have NO friends 

Never date before marrying Persephone (Freelance Botanist/gardener/florist) - Can be an arranged marriage or true love. (She is NOT Zeus's daughter!! (Demeter is a family friend of Hera))

Have NO biological children  (in correspondence with most interpretations of the myths). You can cheat Hades to have Zero fertility or  have him never Woo-Hoo

Adopt ONE  Teen daughter, Megara, or Meg.

Have a negative relationship with Meg. Leave all the child-rearing to Persephone.

Take in your Niece and Nephew Triton and Ursula once she’s aged up to teens.

Build a NEGATIVE relationship with all your siblings, nephews, and nieces.

Once Upon A Time:

 Finally out on his own as a successful man with his beautiful wife Persephone and his daughter Megara, Hades finally feels right in the world until he gets the call from his sister-in-law Hera that his brother Posideon has died mysteriously from eating poorly made pufferfish and left behind two runts Triton and Ursula! No one else in the family wants them, so you begrudgingly invite them into your home. Triton is just as annoying as your late brother, but you and Ursala get on fairly well here, also having the evil trait. She seems to be a little spell caster, too!

Gen 2 - Ursula

Ursula has always been an ambitious young lady who wants to be on top of the world! 

Start as a Teen

Traits

Evil

Loner

Flirty

Requirements 

Reach the top of the Mixologist career

Achieve a Terrible Reputation

Achieve the Mansion Baron aspiration

Be an A student 

Make at least TWO friends

Have at least SIX pet fish

Have a Maximum of TWO children. Have a daughter the same age as Ariel

Give the child the Evil trait

Have a negative relationship with Triton and all seven of his daughters 

Kill Three of your nieces, including Ariel 

Once Upon A Time: 

Having been ignored by her father while he was still alive Ursula’s learned how to take care of herself and is off in the city making a (bad) name for herself!

Her twin Triton, having inherited all of their father's money as his favorite child Triton, never has to work a day in his life! So he’s shacked up with some girl named Athena and is shaggin his way to have a school of SEVEN guppies! Athena’s a bitch, though,, and Ursula couldn’t have been happier when she died young. :)

A few years later when, Ursula finds out that her youngest niece has gone off and fallen in love with some boy whose already got a girlfriend. HER daughter! She’s had enough taken from her by her brother and his family!  She’s not going to let this little mermaid girl take this from her daughter! A happy ending for her and her little girl. 

With Pack

Achieve the “Purveyor of Potions” aspiration.

Curse Ursula

 Have Posideon prefer Trioton for being a mermaid, unlike Ursula taking after her mother as a spellcaster instead of being a mermaid

Gen 3 - The Evil Queen 

Start as a Young Adult

Traits

Evil

Jealous

Hates Children 

Requirements

Achieve the Fabuoulsy Wealthy Aspiration

Can only make money from partners - If possible, use a sugarbaby mod

Max out the Mixologist Skill 

Build a positive relationship with a Bird

Get married and kill your First Spouse  

With any past spouse, have Two Sons (the fewer children, the better) Give one child the Angelic Trait and the other the Evil Trait.

Kill Snow’s Father once she’s a child

Gain a Terrible Reputation

Become enemies with Snow White

Kill Snow White when she becomes a Teen and gets a partner

Once Upon A Time 

Having been raised by The Sea Witch herself, little Lucille grew up learning from her mother how to be the baddest bitch around town. Seeing the way her Aunt Persephone thrived, having married a rich man, Lucille decided she wanted to marry rich too! But maybe more than once…

Learning from her Mother that violence really is the way to go, Lucille becomes a black widow in her first marriage. The second try really is the charm! Lucille has achieved the life of luxury she’s always wanted! Now she can kick back her feet and have a nanny for those annoying children she somehow managed to keep around from a past marriage.

Gen  4 - Scar

Start as a Young Adult

Traits

Evil

Genius

Ambitious

Requirements

Become Enemies with Muphasa

Reach the Top of the Criminal Career

Kill Mufasa once Simba becomes a child

Date Two Sims 

Discuss evil plans twice

Have Three Sons

Have Kovu with one Sim - Have John and Richard with a different sim

Convince the mother of Simba to marry you

Build a negative relationship with Simba after marriage

Kick Simba out once he’s a Young Adult

Marry Kuvo off To Nala

Have Richard and John's Mother die once they become Children

Once Upon A Time: 

Like his Grand-Uncle Hades, Scar constantly feels upstaged by his Brother Muphasa. Scar ends up a bad egg with no guidance from his mother while his Brother Muphasa somehow blossoms. 

Not being able to join a Business career like his brother Scar turns to crime. Along the way, he has a few love affairs and ends up with three boys. Selfishly Scar wants the ‘best’ for his sons and goes on to murder his brother and takes his place as the ‘Man of the House’. Moving in, his son's Scar lives a good life having taken everything from his Brother. 

Gen 5 - Prince John (Robin Hood)

Start As A Young Adult

Traits 

Evil

Materialistic

Childish

Requirements

Fulfill the Fabulously Wealthy Aspiration

Become Friends with both nieces

Gain a Terrible Reputation

Work on NO skills

Live off of your House Funds ONLY

Treat your nieces like Princesses

If you have the pack, become a landlord

Max out your relationship with your Mom

Kill your niece, Marian’s first partner

Collect at least 3 Magic Beans

Once Upon A Time

History repeats itself once again as John finds himself very jealous of his hotter, more successful, and kinder brother, Richard. John decides to be his father's mini-me and get rid of his brother, but not by death. Locking his brother away in the attic, John takes all of the family wealth and enjoys a lavish and comfortable life. Except for the two daughters he left behind… They’re kind of cute, though…

Gen 6 - Lady Tremaine 

Traits

Evil

Mean

Snob

Requirements

Achieve the Mansion Baron Aspiration

Only make money off of your Spouse

Only move out once Married

Have a max of Five bio-children

Have Three Daughters. Give All the mean trait

Remarry a Wealthy sim who has a daughter

Cinderella's Father must die once they age up into a Child

Sell all of your “Cinderella’s” parents things

Become Enemies with Cinderella

Marry one or both of your bio children off to a rich Townie, i.e., Landgrab, Goth, Caliente, etc.

Work Cinderella to Death

Once Upon A Time

Having been raised in privilege, Young Elanor has gotten very accustomed to the high life but doesn’t want to stay in her family's home forever. Too bad working is for the poor… maybe she should marry rich?

Gen 7 - Meredith Blake 

Traits

Mean

Materialistic

Non-commital

Requirements

Achieve the Vilianous Valintine Aspiration

Max out the Charisma skill

Reach level 3 of the Fitness skill

Marry a sim with Two Daughters

Have a Negtative relationship with your Step-Children

Have NO bio-children

Convince Spouse to Move out all of their children

Once Upon A Time

Marrying for money seems to be a tradition in Meredith's family, and she’s always been up for a Family activity. Meridth is a hot young woman who knows it! Now, she wants to put what her Mama gave her to work. 

[gascon-en-exil]

I think I've found a pretty good rhythm for postgame support/bond grinding in Engage. Sharing here because I like talking through my 100% processes.

Step 1: Pick a battle. Order of priority goes Training (only available at Firene, Brodia, and Solm castles) -> Gold Corrupted -> Silver Corrupted -> regular skirmish, although typically I'll only ever do the first two before the selection changes. Training battles give bonus EXP and money at the end making them generally more profitable than either Gold or Silver Corrupted battles.

Step 2: Fight the battle. On Normal at least you can eventually auto-battle most turns and have everyone survive, once your units start approaching and hitting their caps (note: I got the growth and EXP-boosting DLC skills on all of my units during the main story to speed this up). Emblems should be shuffled around often to maximize bond growth.

Step 3: Grab bond fragments from battlefield and possibly other items before returning to the Somniel.

Step 4: View available bond and support conversations, do all three of the support-increasing activities added in the most recent update, share a meal for more support points, and spend your money appropriately. After maxing out donations and buying a second seal for everyone so they could keep leveling (and doing so routinely when they hit max level again without capping their stats), money should go toward buying everything in the boutique, forging, and finally buying cheap stuff from the armory and item shop to get all the related achievements.

Step 5: Feed and pet Sommie for easy bond fragments. If it's afternoon, go fishing (see next step); if not, go to sleep to get a wake-up scene and do so until it's afternoon.

Step 6: Go fishing. Ensure that Bisot Tuna is the bonus fish, which can be done by viewing bonus fish at other times of day repeatedly until the afternoon bonus changes to Bisot. By casting immediately after beginning the minigame, I find that I mostly pull up Bisot Tuna (1000 fragments with the bonus) and Enchan Tuna (1000 fragments) most often with the lower-value fish appearing 2-4 times per visit to the Somniel. You can just let these break free and not lose a chance to fish, but Sommie's affection will decrease if you keep doing this which can be a problem for hauling in the very difficult Enchan Tuna.

Step 7: If you haven't gone to sleep yet, do so to get a wake-up scene. Go to the arena. You can save scum the standard bouts to quickly build supports, although this is very tedious. Now that the update added faster support building activities, I just do these with Alear since they have the most supports to get anyway. Emblem bouts should be done routinely to build bond supports. By fishing as described above, I find I average about 8-10,000 bond fragments with each round of this process, which is ample to slowly work through the ridiculous amount of bond conversations. Once all bond conversations are finished, fragments would then be spent on obtaining bond rings. Gacha mechanics...yay.

Repeat from Step 1 until all supports, bond conversations, bond rings, and achievements are obtained...which won't be possible until Wave 4 of the DLC has released.

Note that this is all quite repetitive, somehow even more so than when I was doing 100% in Three Houses and replaying the game over two dozen times. At least it all goes pretty quickly once you get the process down.

...I'm still very much looking forward to Octopath Traveler 2 just to have something different to play, though.

[namecantbeblank]

I had the craziest fucking dream last night about a qsmp au I guess?? It was really thought out and weird, I'm being so forreal, I can't even tldr this, it's a lot. This is what I remember.

Instead of being on an island, everyone was trapped in an artificial underwater civilization, somehow controlled by a boat or something. Eventually they're forced to come to the surface again by what I assume was the equivalent to the federation, and they were forced to leave their eggs. Everyone is distraught obviously, and the federation is like, aren't you happy?? We let you go! But everyone just wants their kids and to know wtf is going on.

There's then like a cutscene like the videos that play during important events. It says shit like "FIND [NAME]" "SAVE YOUR CHILDREN" "FIND THE KEY" on screen. But in the background it reveals a bit of each characters lore and feelings during everything. What I remember from it are:

1. Etoiles had some sort of rune/code wheel thing similar to E + 2 = Y/6

2. Vegetta was on a fishing boat with a past friend/lover and said friend got taken away by some creature and dragged underwater, fuelling his need to go underwater I guess?

3. There's multiple levels of federation workers. The ones that took care of the island are not the highest powered ones.

4. ElQuackity is working for the federation-like people. The people are more like military and do not like the Islanders. They've been trying to 'get rid' of them for a while, but ElQ and someone else keep convincing them to try more things. One said something to ElQ and he started punching him.

5. Something about Richarlyson??

6. Something about Foolish and Bad and Charlie and Wilbur knowing each other beforehand, they were all together near a beach

7. Something about either Jaiden or Baghera.

Also it's 1999 for some reason, and when they're dragged up theyre in this totally new German area (Germans join the party) where they have to register as citizens. They're told to also register the eggs in hopes to get searches for them. The eggs might have been similar to sea animals in this?? Or at least dapper was some sort of starfish creature and Leo was some sort of seahorse creature. Since when they all got dragged up, dream Bad was like "where are the starfish?? where are our kids??"

Again this is a dream so it was probably just insanity but I like to think that's where my brain was going with this.

Before the whole event there were a couple of moments of just characters talking/chilling.

Anyways it was really insane and I rushed to write this in case I forgot what happened.

[dancing-to-architecture]

11 of 1001 - (officially 1.09% of the way through!)

Today's album: Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978)

I love me some Talking Heads, but i don't know this album too well (that i know of).

My mom was pretty big into new wave, but this was not one she had.

Thank You For Sending Me An Angel -

Okay i know I've heard this somewhere, likely in the intro to an indie movie or something, but i know this one. Weird lyrics, but i dig it.

With Our Love-

Fun fact: the rising guitar riff is the exact sound of anxiety. Then again, the whole song is (probably?) about the horrorshow that is navigating teenage relationships, so that's... likely why.

The Good Thing-

I want the amount of confidence he had in The Good Thing. Also, i really like how playful the guitar work is here.

Warning Sign-

Underwater synth drumming. Kinda funky. Sounds like he's singing through a toy microphone.

...oh shit. it's an overdose song. It's a really good overdose song, but damn when i got what was going on, the realization of it hit me like a truck.

Very disorienting at the end.. makes sense, though.

The Girl Wants to Be With The Girls-

I mean, that's a lesbian anthem, right there.

Found a Job-

This is a weird one, but, you know what? if it works for Bob and Judy, good for them. Seems a bit manipulative, but if everybody's on board, then go for it.

Also, the "minute and a half long funky as fuck outro" is something more bands should try.

Artists Only-

Oh hey, "how i approach art", didn't see you there.

Kinda dreamy in a strange way, i really dig it. This song begs for a way too artsy video.

I'm Not in Love-

Feels kinda like post-extremely bad breakup depression moping more than anything, tbh.

Return of the minute and a half long funky as fuck outro, though.

Stay Hungry-

Okay, a song this aggressively horny should NOT come right after I'm Not In Love. Bad album layout, imo.

At this point my wife said she'd "never thought of Talking Heads as a jam band before", and yeah they did some meandering on this album.

Take Me To The River-

Well, i know THIS ONE. my dad had one of those goddamn singing fish. He (and he alone) thought it was the very peak of comedy.

oh Jesus, this song is 5 MINUTES LONG?

And dude, I'm sorry you didn't get laid at 16, but damn, neither did i. Sorry, this song (fittingly) just makes me want to drown myself. Never been a fan, and i still kinda want to smash that fish with a sledgehammer.

The Big Country-

Kinda feels like it's about the town i grew up in. Quaint and simple small-town...

...and I wouldn't live there if you paid me. (and not just because it's still full of radium. Like, superfund site level contamination.)

Twangier guitars than i would have expected, but not out of place, considering the topic.

Overall, not bad, but definitely not my favorite Talking Heads album. Had a few songs i really enjoyed, a few that just felt like panic, a bunch i don't care much about one way or the other and will likely not revisit, and one that might be a bit more of a sore spot than i had previously thought.

Favorite Track: either Artists Only or Warning Sign. Both are really good in very different ways and i can't decide.

Least Favorite Track: Take Me to the River.

[alyjojo]

Love Reading 😍 - May 2023 - Capricorn

Singles:

Overall energy: The High Priestess

How you will meet: Page of Wands & Page of Swords

How they will treat you: Knight of Swords

Long-term Potential: Knight of Cups

Oracle: Slow the fuck down 🐢

You’ve got a quiet crush on your hands, and they’re probably not going to do anything for quite some time yet, going by the Oracle card. Has to be a friend, you guys talk a LOT, and they’re just terrified of spilling the beans and screwing up the connection between you forever, that’s the last thing they want. You could have mutual friends, and could have grown up together for all I can tell, to the point of you maybe seeing them as like a sibling from another mother type of deal. Not in that way.

So they just stress, and probably pine and stress some more because they’re an anxious sort of person that doesn’t just come out with feelings and things. Also, you pulled two money cards for messages, whatever you’ve got going on in that department seems to intimidate them. They talk to you, hang out with you, act friendly with you, but they don’t make any moves. Long term, at some point, they will eventually make some attempt at romantic action towards you. Or this can just show that for the long term, you’re together, dating, and they’re moving towards a long term commitment with you. They’re a shy one ☺️

Messages -

Their side:

- Eyes for you only.

- Uncomfortable tendencies 🥴

Your side:

- $$$

- Boujee

Signs you may be dealing with:

Gemini 💯 Libra, Cancer & Pisces

Couples:

Overall energy: 9 Swords

Current: The Fool

Challenge: 5 Pentacles rev

How they feel about you: Ace of Pentacles

How you feel about them: 2 Pentacles rev

Outcome: Death & Wheel of Fortune

You’ve pulled Felon for your messages, that’s not going to apply everywhere but definitely applies somewhere, that would be the reason for that story. Either you or your person has major abandonment issues, and they’re the type to cut you off before you cut them off just to save themselves the heartache later. There’s something about you they see as unreliable, and you scare the crap out of them. Or this relationship does. They’ve been hurt deeply before by someone who just bailed, or maybe it’s you if jail is involved, they could be terrified how you’ll be or what you’ll do, if/when you get out, which seems to be soon. Can people get online in jail? I have no idea. This could be a crosswatching read...anyway.

They have no trust for you, idk if that’s based on your own actions in the past or because of someone else’s. You don’t seem to be ready to be with them, or maybe anyone, because your feelings are pure chaos. But that could be because they’re being noncommittal and slippery as a fish. Or you are. They feel there’s a chance to put things behind you and start fresh, being very happy. They don’t necessarily trust that feeling but it’s there. Your feelings are not committing, not ready, can’t handle everything, you’re worried about 50 million things and can’t take this too. Or you’re this upset and worried that they’re going to run off and be with someone else, and be noncommittal to you. You mirror each other in that way. I can’t tell who has Knight of Wands energy in this connection, but it does exist…or it’s intensely worried about. Long term is a karmic situation ending, and a new beginning is attached to that, along with healing and a lot of passion. It seems like the worst will be over with, and cooperation, healing, passion, fun, all of the good stuff follows. But this all has happened for a reason, and it’s definitely a karmic soulmate on some level.

Messages -

Their side:

- I just want to be alone.

- I feel so drawn to you.

Your side:

- Felon

- Not Ready…yet.

Oracles -

The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.

Their side: You can only honor your mother and father - or anyone else - if these people are honorable.

Your side: You can have a partner you love, but don’t forget all the other loves, such as friends, family, pets, and so on.

Signs you may be dealing with:

Capricorn, Aquarius, Scorpio, Taurus, Gemini & Sagittarius

[theofficersacademy]

                           Julius   Sophia   Julia   Tharja                          Marianne   Nino   Phina   Felix  Flayn                               Sara   Eliwood   Ephidel   Hilda

TEAM TAG: #KEflood2023 BASE CAMP PROGRESS: 51%

WEEK FOUR: Hurricane Blank

The eye of the storm offers a return to normal, or as close to normal as you can get in this strange realm of dreams. You do remember you’re merely in a dream, right? Looking for the soldiers of the church to try and convince them to come back home?

Unfortunately, Blank still cannot offer any leads on that front, though they seem to be growing increasingly agitated, or desperate to be of some help. You’ll let them help, won’t you? You won’t just disappear into the horizon in search of your friends? You can’t. You can’t...

Places & Things of Interest

your Camp - What camp? In a turn of events most unfortunate, the storm had intensified and wiped away most of your hard work. Either you stay outside and brave the whipping winds and rains while looking for a more suitable location. Or... You can follow Blank to their home, they say. It’s... Well. It’s something, at least. It’s got four walls. A few mismatched cots. Crude paintings of your surroundings (mostly). A small desk. Cozy but spacious enough, if a bit sparse still. They don’t mind if you redecorate. There’s another cryptic note on the desk. They don’t think it’s theirs, but they happily translate all the same.

        We are witnessing the end of the world.         Hear my last prayer…         Protection for ▊▊▊▊▊▊. Peace for ▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊. My eternal love for ▊▊▊▊.         My heart has become as black as the Fell Star’s, for I have lost my son today.         Let the waters take me as well.

the “Chapel” & Graveyard - Augmented now by your offerings, the area seems more at peace than before. There’s a pervading sense of gratefulness about the place.

the Study - Is kinda cramped huh. And starting to feel a little damp - as in, partially submerged, hinting that the water levels have risen. There may not be much else for you here.

the Teleporter -  Its light grows ever dimmer, but still appears usable for the now... (5 exchanges remaining.)

the Abyss - Those of you dealing with the tentacled monster in the deeps may continue your unfortunate series of events this week. It continues to drag you down, down, down - will you fight back?

NPCs of Note

Blank - Pouting over the race... but a deal’s a deal. You can keep the extra sculls, they say. And here’re 20 of those tokens you guys seem to like so much - they’d give more but it’s all they have left. What else, what else, hmm... What else would you like? They’ll try their best to deliver. They admit they’ve enjoyed their solitude, but they’ve come to enjoy your presence! Do stick around, yes? ...Please? ... Please?

Wisp - Happy to have company. So happy! Still can’t form more than base emotions, but they’re happy!! It sticks to your side like glue.

Tasks

Base camp: send F to pay respects - Can continue building/decorating new base according to past specs - 100% will grant +2 to ALL additional player rolls (minigame specifics potentially not withstanding) for remainder of event - 78% will grant +1 instead (does not stack) 

Scavenging / Foraging / Diving / Fishing / Hunting - See week one tasks - Visibility is somewhat restored, light attempting to peek into the sky whilst you go about your day in the eye of the storm. It’s kind of lasting awhile though, isn’t it? Who knows when it will snap.

Crafting: See prior week specs. - Additionally, Blank wonders if you’ve any interest in experimenting to make something new? He’d love to watch.

[pageseo2022]

Far Cry 5: Embrace the Classic Chaos and Unexpected Surprises

In Far Cry 5, the ‘fish-out-of-water’ vibe is totally clutch, especially when it comes to nailing the whole "getting it right" thing. You’re a US Marshal trying to shut down a cult that's deep-rooted in the fictional Hope County, Montana. Playing as a law enforcer makes the setup pretty wild. If you’re looking to enhance your gaming experience, you might also want to check out where to buy Xbox games to find more thrilling adventures like this. You’d think being on the right side of the law would make it easy to save the day, but nah, it’s not that simple. Instead of a smooth rescue, things go sideways fast—literally, with bodies hitting helicopter blades, and your whole escape plan goes off the rails. It’s actually pretty epic. After you pull off your escape, you might wonder why you can’t just call in the National Guard or Army for backup. Ubisoft’s got you covered with no phone signal in Hope County, so your phone’s pretty much a brick (rip apps). Your Marshal squad hasn’t been killed but captured, and innocents are also getting pulled into the cult’s mess, so duty calls. After a bit, when you’re told by the Ryes that it’s chill if you lose a plane, because they have “a hangar full of them,” you’ll remember the classic Far Cry vibe. So yeah, what you’re getting is classic Far Cry. It’s a wild ride for sure, especially with how real-life drama is syncing up with the game’s release. Expect cars to blow up unexpectedly, skunks to spray you while you’re sneaking around, and bears to pop out of nowhere. But that’s the Far Cry charm we’re all here for!

Far Cry 5: A Wild, Over-the-Top Snapshot of America

The changes here aren’t too wild either. Towers are out. You’re not a voiced character anymore. You can be any gender. Support AI is back, but now with a way bigger roster. Plus, you can roll with your own dog or bear. It’s pretty stripped down, but the way the game lets you play it is the real highlight. If you’re thinking of trying something new, you might want to buy PS5 games that offer this level of customization and freedom. I mentioned before that this game is a chaos simulator, and that’s spot-on. Even when you’re just trying to move on to the next quest or side mission, the game’s chaos will find you. But that chaos actually pushes you to focus on the more structured parts of the game. Far Cry 5 is no walk in the park. You’ll need to use that loot, spend that cash you keep finding, upgrade your weapons to fit your style, and leverage those liberated towns and allies. Honestly, this is the best way Ubisoft Montreal could have done the liberated gameplay. The tone of this Far Cry is dark, gritty, and sometimes a bit on-the-nose—think first-person GTA, but even more over-the-top. It’s like all the wild villains and crazy elements from past Far Cry games rolled into one. Far Cry 5 is silly, fun, brutal, and scary, all at once. It’s like a wild mix of lost and found, and in a lot of ways, it’s also a snapshot of America.

Far Cry 5: Balancing Cultist Depth with Classic Open-World Fun

Structurally, Far Cry 5 mixes things up from previous games by not holding your hand or pushing a set developer-driven path. This is where the GTA vibes come in—though it’s not a dig at Rockstar’s games. Those have a serious tone that works well for them. Far Cry 5, though, leans into the wild and wacky. The HBO-level intro sets a unique tone that shows just how bonkers the situation is. Whether it’s ham radios, landlines, the Internet, or even a postcard, you might think there’s a way out of this mess and a chance to boot Joseph Seed and his crew. But honestly, none of that matters because there’s a bear named Cheeseburger that you need to rescue. The game dives deep into cultist research and real-world parallels, but once you’re a few hours in, it’s all about being a classic liberated Far Cry game, and that’s a good thing. The gunplay is top-notch, the world is rich and diverse, and the less rigid gameplay structure is a breath of fresh air. Distractions come fast and furious, with the game happily pulling you away from critical story missions to race a quad bike, go fishing, or fly a plane through smoke rings. That’s what makes Far Cry 5 so awesome.

Far Cry 5: Outrageous Fun Meets Chilling Intensity

Far Cry 5 comes packed with co-op, multiplayer, and a full-on player-creator mode, and trust me, they’re all used to their max. The game is stunning, with a soundtrack that deserves its own shout-out. It totally channels vibes from shows like Deadwood, Justified, and Westworld, which really helps immerse you in its world. But it also throws in some epic 80s and 90s action movie soundbites and cues, making it clear the studio had a blast making this game. In the end, you get a Far Cry that’s both structured and open, giving you tons of player choice and unexpected moments. It’s a world designed for you to love, get close to, and be totally freaked out by. It’s classic video game fun at its core. Sure, the Seeds are "bad seeds," but that’s part of the joke. It’s one thing to face real-life horrors, but this game lets you have a blast while doing it. Ubisoft’s hit the perfect balance between outrageous fun and chilling intensity.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever had its work cut out. Following one of the best entries in the MCU was tough enough. Then, Chadwick Boseman passed away in 2020. Considering everything, I don’t think this film was ever going to reach the level of success its predecessor did but by biting off more than it could chew, that was guaranteed.

After King T’Challa dies unexpectedly, his sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), is devastated. If only she could have synthetically recreated the heart-shaped herb, Wakanda would still have its king. The Black Panther is needed more than ever as Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía), the ruler of the underwater kingdom of Talokan, approaches Shuri and Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) with an ultimatum: a deep-sea search for vibranium is pushing the surface world dangerously close to his home. Unless Wakanda finds and hands over the scientist who developed the vibranium-detecting technology, he will attack.

This film had to: 1) Give Chadwick Boseman and King T’Challa a eulogy. 2) Address how Wakanda revealing itself has affected the world. 3) Follow-up on the many characters in the first film, which include those previously mentioned and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Okoye (Danai Gurira), M’Baku (Winston Duke) and Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman). 4) Introduce the film’s villain, Namor. 5) Introduce Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne). 6) Introduce a new Black Panther, which also means either finding a way around the destruction of the heart-shaped herb, or bringing it back from extinction. 7) Connect all of these characters, events and pieces together.

It’s no wonder the film lasts a gargantuan 161 minutes - even longer than the original Avengers. I applaud Wakanda Forever for checking all its boxes but it's too much. The most obvious element to cut is Riri Williams. She’s the one who invented the vibranium-detecting machine. Somehow, Namor knows she only built one of them, on her own, and that the plans to make it are non-existent. This excuse to bring in the new Tony Stark into the MCU (I always thought Shuri was going to take his place) takes the film to action/chase scenes in familiar urban settings. They're well done but pale next to everything we see in Wakanda and Talokan. We also get a few “fish out of water” type scenes as Shuri and Okoye search for the college-aged prodigy while trying to remain secretive about it. If they reveal Namor’s existence to the world, he will attack Wakanda. Their decision not to call for help feels contrived. I know all of these shared universe superhero movies take place “at the same time”, that while Wakanda is fighting Namor’s army, Thor is assumed to be away from Earth with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man is busy doing his own thing, Doctor Strange and Spider-Man were exploring the multiverse, etc. Normally, it wouldn’t bother me but the film is too long and at one point, you start thinking “Can’t they just call some of their Avengers buddies to wrap this up?”

I have a lot of good things to say about Wakanda Forever but I must discuss a pet peeve before getting to them: Namor. I remember when we were happy to get any kind of comic book movie. It didn't matter if the source material got bent out of shape. Nowadays, however, fans expect the material to be treated with respect (with a few exceptions; comic book Whiplash sucks). Writers Ryan Coogler (who also directs) and Joe Robert Cole have altered Namor so much he might as well be an original creation. His origin is completely different, he doesn't act the same, look the same, come from the same place or have any connection with the Fantastic Four. He isn't even Namor "in name only" because he pronounces it differently. What were they thinking?!

At bidding farewell to King T’Challa, you couldn’t have done much better than Wakanda Forever and the grief Shuri feels throughout the picture mirrors our own. Though she isn’t going to don the mantle yet, if there’s going to be a new Black Panther, it will be Shuri and she struggles with that idea on many levels. You’re concerned for our heroine and for Wakanda, as Namor is both a credible threat and a compelling character. He’s no Killmonger but you’d be excited to see him return in a later film.

Production-wise, the film is a triumph. The Wakandan and Tanokan costumes are gorgeous. They create the illusion that these people belong to real cultures, the kind with rich histories that we've only glimpsed by viewing this film. The sets and environments are just as good. As for the performances, they’re excellent. Angela Bassett, in particular, shines. You’re not sure how you feel about her character. Though you might disagree with the way she’s doing things, you can’t take your eyes off of her. Even when she’s right, there’s just something uneasy about the way she’s ruling Wakanda. Letitia Wright also does an excellent job showing us her character's inner turmoil. Shuri relates with Namor they're enemies. She has mixed feelings about her mother's decisions on the throne, all while wrestling with the guilt she feels over the death of her brother… despite it not being her fault. Emotionally, there’s so much happening in this film that the action can almost feel like a distraction. The exception is the climax, which will have you biting your nails.

Black Panther: Wakanda forever does so much right. The fact that it falls short of what it could be feels like an extra big disappointment. In a way, I almost wish they hadn’t made the film but then again, we’re promised more during the end credits and this is likely to be the rough middle chapter in an impressive series. (March 25, 2023)

[fusionfood-fissionfood]

Tteok-rikás (Rice Cake Paprikash)

crimes against food, innovations of food....s'all the same right?

apologies about the measurements/notes on this one. this is a recipe i cook using augury to tell me how much I need.

onion (...I think I used a whole onion? idk, i get huge bags of them, preslice them and then freeze them for later)

1 tbsp garlic (very optional, i'm probably gonna stop using it in my own, but for those who are garlic fiends, it still goes fine)

protein of choice (i used beef in this iteration, going against every fiber of morality in my body, but in my defense my chicken was still frozen)

1 tbsp neutral oil ...or partisan oil...or crude oil if that's your taste [revs engine]

paprika; if you broke like me 1/2 a 8 oz. bottle minimum of whatever you got. if you bougie and wanna really spice it up, splurge for real hungarian paprika. wanna make sure it's real? Anything you can’t pronounce/is in its native hungarian/comes in a tube like a prescription ointment will Fuck Severely - a quote from my partner

1/2 cup-ish of rice cakes (my pan is small, couldn't fit more :sadface with sunglass emoji: )

1-3 cups liquid broth/stock; i had chicken stock, but whatever you've got on hand. paprikash is traditionally made with just water but....[looks around] yeah...this is not a place tradition often treads

1 pinch oregano; idk, i just felt like it

1 pinch cayenne; for just a lil kick

seasoned salt as necessary

also, keep 1 or 2 extra bowls on hand to rotate stuff to. this is 'technically' a one pan dish, but i pull stuff out and add it all back together at the end to make my life easier.

protein time in your cooking vessel of choice, you can either raw dog it since it'll soak up flavor later, or season now to make the deglaze that much tastier. i usually season with the seasoned salt, oregano, and cayenne at this stage

once cooked to appropriate level remove meat, set aside in bowl 1

add neutral oil, add onions, add garlic. turn heat to low-medium, lid, and caramelize...if you want. otherwise just wait til onions are tender. i just go sit and watch a ten minute youtube vid during this most of the time

add liquid stock, 1/2 cup at a time. will deglaze the onions/garlic first, then add enough that the caramelized mash is just covered by broth/stock.

paprika time [insert patrick batement 'he bought? dump it' gif here]

let simmer 2-5~ minutes

add more stock if a lot of liquid has simmered off. add rice cakes. i get the dehydrated kind, so they need time to soak up the liquids, but in exchange they thicken the sauce super nice with the rice glueten, which means I don't have to add any other thickeners. diversity win!

add meat back in when rice cakes are soft and cooked through. stir to incorporate, and bask in the multicultural mess you've just made

ideas for next time: alternate proteins (fish cake? more like tteokboki? fish balls?), separate out onions and use butter to deglaze before making a roux base for the sauce? (mixing glutens? ehhh)

[garbagefarm]

Garbage Farm #53

2024-05-13, session #53 of Garbage Farm! Spanning Spring 10 through Spring 18 of Year 5!

cast:

me ( @mothmute )

E.B. ( @blueherin )

Kimi ( @2kimi2furious )

Highlights include, but are not limited to the following:

Spring 10:

Kimi found the “butts” sign, hehehehehehehehe

Grandpa Jr. is getting underfoot and in my way!!

Kimi is off to level up her Combat skill

EB is silent, but the sound of deforestation says everything

I spend most of the day reorganizing the storage shed

rip EB, killed by the beans

Kimi want to convince some Junimos to live on the farm.

Spring 11:

My day begins with an iron bar from “clint, the blacksmith”— hey, why’d you sign it that way? do you think I don’t know who you are?? is that just literally your name???

Kimi goes to fight skulls

More reorganization!!

and I end up ignoring the animals all day, oops

EB puts a mannequin in the storage shed

Spring 12:

EB envies my farming mastery and my iridium scythe

I spend all day working on the storage AGAIN. Somebody's gotta do it!!

Kimi does not like the mannequin, and dies a hater. rip Kimi.

WITCH SIGHTING

Spring 13, egg festival:

you're no good, ducks.

(I decide to just ignore the animals today.)

Jas worries about Vincent getting all the eggs, but he's terrible at this.

Pizza hides in the bushes like a weirdo, Harvey walks off without his kids, and my kids—Bartholomew and Theophania—merge into a single entity before splitting. Why can’t any of our kids be normal??

egg egg egg EGG EGG EGG

EB wins!!

Kimi may’ve been hindered by thinking Jas was an egg

Spring 14:

Elliott took care of some animals for us, the man is a saint

desertfest tomorrow! Kimi hunts skulls in preparation

EB and I both drop what we're doing to go see the train. (I borrowed Kimi’s horse, Pie-O-My, to get there in time) I don't think either of us got anything from it.

I have a bunch of trees planted up there for tapping, and I’ve been meaning to redo them all. EB and I rip them all out while we're up there.

when we get back, the animals are acting ... weird. Kimi asks “how weird?” and I say they remind me of Pizza, to her absolute horror. They're just standing there, staring, perfectly aligned. (See Gallery)

The wine can wait until later, right?

Spring 15 (Desert Fest, day 1):

Desert fest is here! Kimi and I get there early and start scoping things out

I head to the Skulls and get to work, before eventually deciding to just use staircases to get down to level 100 and finally get the Iridium Snake Milk.

Kimi bets on King Sting and loses, bad luck

We all get dressed up by Emily, I look like Super Mario.

All of us want free cactis!

Kimi does not like the free food pervert. She gets a casserole, EB got nachos, and I got “rumpled fruit skin” earlier in the day

Spring 16 (Desert Fest, day 2):

I hit the skulls again, and ... !!!

I got an auto-petter! It is possible!!

Linus held on to the bottom of the bus in search of spicy desert trash, and approves of Kimi digging through the festival garbage.

Emily dressed me up as a cop. What the hell, Emily.

Barely made it to bed

Spring 17 (Desert Fest, day 3):

Marnie is thinking about milk, apparently.

EB and I root for Cactus Crawler, Kimi picks King Sting ... CACTUS CRAWLER TAKES IT, wooooo!

I want what Caroline's selling (if you know what I mean ... her Exotic Palace)

Emily dressed EB up as a possum, not a mouse. It's her “pos-play”

spend all my remaining eggs on miscellaneous trash just to spend 'em

Spring 18?:

non-canon day

Everybody comes over to check out my exotic palace 😏

-

TO-DO:

Kimi wants to get to level 10 combat so she can begin her masteries, get started with starfruit so we can get Junimos, and improve her house

EB wants those things too, though is indifferent about the starfruit and the Junimos

I found a golden animal crackers, nobody's sure what we're doing with it yet.

Gotta finish Qi's Crop! Speaking of which, there should be another Qi quest available...

I need a rainy day, might use a totem to get it

Additional fish pond?

(my to-do list is so long...)

GALLERY:

the alignment.

Good Garbage, everybody!!

[theonlinebrat]

Bachelor of Science? BS.

Dear reader,

Admittedly, I left this “letter” halfway, getting caught up in another one I’ll post soon. Then, like a Christmas miracle in the middle of January, I stumbled upon a video that reignited my inspiration. But then I got a creative block and left it again.

Anyway, big thanks to That News Girl for nudging me back to this piece, and for spreading positivity online daily!

Now, let's get down to business. Or, Bachelors, if you may.

I'm all about fact-checking before forming strong opinions about someone. Or something. That said, I'm no supporter of what I call ✨ universities/colleges as businesses ✨, and this whole thing with older folks from my country thinking it's the ONLY road to success… or basic survival, even.

I mean, universities almost seem to be profiting off subtly controlling the distribution of higher salaries among all socioeconomic classes, don't they?

After all, the more renowned AND pricey the university where you'll study one of the “top 5 best-paying jobs in the world”, or the higher (and even pricier) the degrees you add to your list, the better your chances in the workforce are supposed to become when you're middle to low class.

There's just something funny about paying an entity for 4-8 years to (hopefully) teach us valuable information, which won't even matter much by itself unless we've received a piece of cardboard that will unlock… *drum roll*... entry-level office jobs that we have to compete for and oftentimes will take us YEARS to get promoted from!

Alternatively, there's the promise that you MAY meet ✨ contacts ✨ who MAY get a nice job later on and then refer you to that nice job.

All that gatekeeping around well-paid, less physically demanding jobs must be precisely why a ton of folks think college is the non-negotiable next step post-high school; it's like the fabric softener or mouthwash of life choices - not a necessity per se, but everyone's doing it and saying they’re getting nice results from it.

How convenient for the owners of private universities.

Personally, if I had a child who's passionate about something like dancing or baking, I'd back that up instead of forcing them into medical or law school against their will just for the “stability” that a college degree grants… which they can lose anyway if they make the other wrong choices in life.

If kids allegedly don't have the maturity to make their own choices, then why do we allow them to choose the career they'll dedicate their entire life to at such young ages? Also, how will they know what they want to do if they haven't experienced it?

Sure, college can open the doors to some great networking opportunities, various life lessons, and precious guidance from your professors, but you still need to make an effort and have a sense of responsibility, discipline, and perseverance if you want all that to pay off.

You reap what you sow.

While I don't like professors who constantly ditch classes, having them around all the time won't magically boost our grades either if we're the non-studying type of student.

If you want to be a great professional in whatever field one day, it all boils down to paying attention, practicing what you learn, and throwing in all your questions - you know, the usual student stuff.

Is it always worth going to college, though? Well, as Chat GPT likes to remind me with every question I throw its way, it depends.

Every single human is separate and unique, and our youth are no exception. As this video mentions, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it's stupid.

Where I come from, we joke about how studying any sort of arts instead of something more mathematically inclined is almost a synonym for failure, mainly because most graduates can't come up with a way to thrive in their field.

But I genuinely believe that, if there are students capable of excelling through hours of independent research and studying for their thesis, then it's 100% doable to pursue certain careers without going to college in the "traditional" way.

You wouldn't have much of a choice if you're into accounting or law because these are some sort of “by-the-book" career paths.

However, thanks to people like Tim Berners-Lee, we can now pursue options that tend to be remote, more flexible, and usually based on experience/portfolios, like web development or graphic design.

Can it be a plus to have formal education in fields like these? Absolutely. Will that alone make a difference in your life? Lol no.

Giving more importance to certifications than possessing real skills is just silly. This mindset dates back to the Industrial Revolution, when artisans were driven into factories by unlivable wages, forcing them to participate in mass production and abandon their craft.

Fast forward to today, and now a lot of us are stuck aspiring to "climb the ladder" in boring office jobs and getting paid for our time rather than our passion, for the sake of maximizing some random entrepreneur's profits.

Choosing “alternative” or entrepreneurial paths might seem overwhelming since it requires discipline, responsibility, and perseverance... and then it becomes ironic when you realize that reputable universities demand the exact same.

So, it's okay to have different preferences.

Let's not entirely disregard the power of making the most of your education, though. There are many success stories of "the university route" that I've heard of in my country.

For example, there's Sheyla Morales and Roxy Williams, two Nicaraguan women making significant contributions to the world of science that prove you can aim for the stars AND reach them - no, seriously, they're both in space-related fields.

Heck, I even have a Facebook friend who studied in the same school I did and works for the United Nations nowadays.

But, what about the rest? What about us ✨ commoners ✨?

In my case, just like my family feared, I “chose money over education”, mainly to avoid unnecessary stress from them and find a career path I did enjoy at my own pace.

Plus, my career dean himself once said “We wouldn't be able to find a job after graduating anyway”, and I’m not passionate enough about accounting to tolerate that. Btw, looks like someone has never worked in sales, huh?

I'd say dropping out of college wasn't as atrocious a decision as my family thinks it is. In fact, it was one of my wisest moves because I chose a quite versatile career path: customer service.

Customer service roles can be a wonderful stepping stone for people with no higher education or previous work experience, no family connections, and enough conversational English skills in countries like Nicaragua or the Philippines.

And I happen to be one of those people!

Two years, two job switches, and no classes later, I find myself being semi-independent and having a job that fulfills me, earning the same as my cousin who invested years in college, an English-teaching job, and the English certification she may have needed to complete before teaching.

Similar to me, my boyfriend was able to land a job that pays $800/month, armed with just a year and a half of college, customer service experience, and refined communication skills.

It’s all about acing those dreadful interviews.

I'm proud of my cousin's hard work, but it's disappointing to see the flaws in the wealth distribution system.

Other college grads who give their all in classes are not as lucky as either of us and can't work in their field because they tend to only get accepted in jobs that pay $200-$300/month - a sum that doesn't even cover a decent rental in Managua, let alone groceries and other expenses.

How do I know this? Simple: back in our “call center days”, my boyfriend and I met many coworkers, naturally.

Among them were professionals from various fields, including engineers, business administrators, journalists, and lawyers, just to name a few, a lot of them with at least over a year of experience in call centers.

What did they all have in common? They chose to work smarter, not harder.

Why would they choose to wait half a lifetime to start earning roughly $400/month, when they could have THE job that had entry-level positions of $500-$600/month AND dozens of growth opportunities?

Not only will the work experience look solid in their resume, were they to choose to pursue their degree later on, but they’re also getting a financial head start that can unlock many possibilities for them. 

Following that line of thinking, I don't understand why it'd be such a huge deal for a teen to choose to get a job for a couple of years while they figure out who they really are and what they want to do. They'd only be gaining valuable life experience, granted their parents inherited at least an ounce of common sense in them.

It's because of this whole concept that you have to pay and get that diploma to finally become “someone” in life in the long term that many companies act as if someone with no degree could never be qualified for simpler, repetitive job positions with a bit of guidance, such as data entry clerks or the coral-breeding guy from the video I told you about in the beginning.

Labeling it "higher education" won't automatically make us superior, more intelligent, more capable, or more valuable than non-billionaires who haven’t gone to college or manual laborers like farmers and janitors. Who are, by the way, extremely underpaid for such significant and community-relevant tasks.

It's super inaccurate and lowkey rude to defend that enrolling into a university automatically means a better future, almost disregarding - or simply not knowing, maybe - the huge mix of factors involved in the path to success.

You know, like telling your kid to study so they won't end up being a cashier at McDonald's, when these cashiers tend to be college students trying to pay off whatever they have to pay off.

I think it's the combination of this college-centric mentality with other factors that set the perfect conditions for those leech-y students who will most likely become awful professionals because they don't even know what their career consists of, and there's always someone else doing their homework.

I've met them firsthand in Accounting, which I guess wasn't that bad as long as they didn't mess up my grades with their laziness, but come to think of it, I'd be terrified if my nurse didn't know how to do shit because she was cloud gazing in class.

I can't blame them entirely for not feeling motivated about their future, though.

There's always a big chance you'll do badly despite your many degrees if you weren't born into a rich family like the Nicaraguan Pellas, or are lucky enough in general.

Since I couldn't understand OECD’s charts for the life of me and it's not easy to say for sure whether a majority or minority of students get to practice their profession worldwide either way, I'll pick the post-COVID U.S. for statistic purposes.

According to Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF)’s January 22nd, 2023 Question of the Day, “What percentage of college graduates work in their field of study?”, the answer is 46% out of the 1,000 people that were surveyed. You can check out their full data somewhere in here.

Due to the size of the study sample, this website doesn't tell us much other than 1) the people who did get to work in their field of study don't have much of a great salary and 2) there are at least 640 people that are either working in a different field or straight up unemployed.

So. I was never great at calculating odds and possibilities in high school math, but less than a half doesn't sound like a very “American Dream” to me. Even less so after having heard stories of people who have the necessary experience to excel and still get rejected by the understaffed companies they're applying to.

Some people give these institutions a bit too much credit when most of the merit truly falls on us because humans are lowkey scared of the consequences of their own actions.

It's not graduating from university on its own that ensures you get your dream job or good pay; it's your own decisions and priorities, along with circumstances.

If you're choosing to go to college, you’ve got to put yourself out there. Get out and meet people, participate in extracurricular activities that will look cool on your resume, apply for and renew scholarships, do internships, and so on and so forth.

Then again, as The Washington Post mentioned in an article they published all the way back in 2013, using data from a 2010 study, your location plays a big role in the opportunities you'll have access to after graduating, too.

I'm not trying to say it's best if you drop out of college or that we should cancel college culture. What I am trying to say is it's pointless to criticize others' educational choices without looking at their bigger picture rather than our own.

Don't be the killjoy who defends that going to college after high school is the “correct” or “best” way of living for everybody.

People have different ways of learning and unique paths to follow, and they're all valid. If not, we would render the phrase "people from all walks of life" useless, as there would only be one walk.

Plus, no matter what you do in life, it's less likely you'll get anywhere without knowing someone, having good luck, or being somewhere at the right place at the right time anyway.

If a majority of us were born with a higher chance to fail in life already, then maybe we shouldn't be set on discouraging the next Tyler Perry or Steve Jobs and focus on finding our true happiness instead, don't you think?

Until next time!

- N

P.S.: This girl's story also partly inspired this whole post.

[bike42]

Wednesday September 27, 2023 - Day 4

Due to “hurricane fragments,” the morning part of the hike was cut out. It had rained a bit overnight, but wasn’t raining when we set out just after 9am.

Shuttle 45 min to Hemmick Bay - plan to hike up to Dodman (Deadman’s) Peak (400 ft), dangerous part of the coast (for boats, not hikers). We met Mike in the parking lot, near Lower Penare Farmhouse, where his Great Gran was born. Six branches of his family lived here when he was a child. They lived self sufficiently - no running water, electricity or gas until the 70s.

We walked through a mile long “Iron Age Ditch” more than 2000 years old (500BC). They think it was a hill fort, as it’s a fabulous defensive position, but there is no evidence that people lived within the fort. The trench was fantastic. In spots, it had been cut away to give farmers access to fields on either side, so we could see the underlying rock level with massive hedges on top.

At the top was a large granite Cross, erected in 1896 as a monument to seafarers that wrecked on the rocks below but were able to scale the cliffs up here to safety. It was thought this hill might possess some special mystical powers.

Near the cross was Coast Guard watch hut / signal station from 1810 - Napoleanic Wars. Had a system of large posts they’d raise flags that could be seen at the next station. Watching for invaders and smugglers (before free trade). For over 100 years, smuggling was a big industry here. Legend says Cornish had donkeys with lights that would lure ships to wreck. Wrecking / recovering from a wrecked ship was an industry as well. Mike says his family are caretakers of the hut, and inside someone had inscribed a nice tribute to Mike himself on the wall! The hut was fenced in to keep the Dartmore wild ponies outside the hut! We saw about 5 and Jeff pulled an apple out of his pack and fed it to a couple of them. They were skittish, but they took the apple from his hand!

We stopped for Lunch at Gorran Haven beach - famous fish n chips shop. This is Mike’s home town and after lunch we did a walking tour with Mike around town. Mike had talked about rowing, and he showed us the boat he rows in on the beach. It’s called “Gig Rowing” and the name comes from racing out to a boat to be able to ferry the captain, therefore “winning” the gig. There were a few people with dogs on the beach, but the wind was growing quite strong, and even though the harbor was quite protected, the waves were serious. The Quay was built in 1818, and it was primarily a fishing harbor.

Next he took us to St Just Church - built by a lovable pirate, foundation goes back to 1200, most of the rest of it is from the 1400s. Methodism took roots in Cornwall, and this church fell into a state of disrepair. In the 1880’s the Church of England was revived church was rebuilt (it had been used to store fisherman supplies).

Walking tour continued through a tiny little street that has been restored to the cobblestones of the 1800’s, complete with the trough where sewage would run downhill. Mike pointed out the cottages are built with an outside stair kneading to the second story. Typically, the family lived up there and fishing supplies and sardine presses were stored down below. We stopped at the Mermaid Cafe, where most of us got an ice cream cone to go, and then we resumed walking uphill.

It had been windy all day, but after lunch we had periodic episodes of rain and the wind picked up significantly. I put on my rain coat, but not my rain pants or gaiters. It was quite warm, and when the rain came, it came sideways! I tried to take a video, but was unable to hold my phone still! I’d never hiked in wind like that, and while we were on a ridge over a cliff, the wind was blowing us away from the cliff so it didn’t feel unsafe. It was actually fun and I was laughing so hard. You had to stay low and move strategically - planting your poles hard and only lifting your foot after you had a secure pole plant. I didn’t see the wind blow anyone over, but it sure felt like that could happen!

Eventually, we turned and headed downhill and the gusts weren’t so bad. We passed a small beach with a boat launch and there were three seals there riding the waves.

Eventually, we arrived in Mevagissey where we said goodbye to Mike. It was fantastic to have him along to teach us about Cornish history and culture. We met up with the van that had driven some of our tour mates from lunch to town. There were two spots on the van heading to the hotel, but Drake had just had a fall and needed to have his arm iced and bandaged so we let him and Karen go. The other van was giving us time to shop, which we didn’t feel the need to do, so we headed into a pub and had a whisky. From Mevagissey, we were supposed to have a 45 minute boat ride to Fowey, but the ferry wasn’t running due to the high winds. Instead, we had a 45 minute van ride. I was surprised the area we drove through was so developed, we’ve just been in these quaint little villages!

Foley is a Commercial sea port with a big harbor. We checked into the Fowey Harbour Hotel, a sister property to our first hotel. Happy to see complimentary gin in the room again! Quick showers, then we were back down for Sian, a

Storyteller who they’ve arranged to entertain us tonight! Sian told us that Cornwall is a place of legends! She told several stories of Giants; one that lived at St Michael's Mount that was killed by Jack the Giant Slayer. She also told us about Piske (pixey) that live in the forest … you can be piske-led / and need carry salt or turn a piece of clothing inside out to keep safe. Finally, she told a few tales of Mermaids, including the story of that “Sand Dume” that Perry had told us a few days ago!

We were on our own for dinner, so Jeff and I walked down to the village where there were lots of options. We settled on a pizzeria where we split an arugula (rocket) salad, pizza and half bottle of wine. We had a nice buzz on then, and ran into Kathy & Henry who helped lead us back to the hotel!

I’m working hard to stay in the moment, but I can’t keep my thoughts away from the end of this trip. We’ll layover in Atlanta for six nights as the BrightStar Owners Conference starts there on Tuesday (Monday for Jeff’s Performance Group) and it didn’t make sense to fly Atlanta to Madison and then back to Atlanta the next day! The BrightStar annual meeting has always been a highlight for me, however it’ll be a lot different for us this year given that we’ve sold our HomeCare franchises back to BrightStar and are the only franchisees of BrightStar Senior Living. As I’ve been hiking I’ve been thinking about how different it’ll be and how other owners may react to us this year in our different status.

I also found myself for the first time missing “home” and family. Wondering how my plants are doing, wondering what’s going on at our Lake Home and sorry to miss our first “fall” season change up there. One of the best benefits of travel might just be the appreciation of “home.”