#it is what it is and in blends the substitutes can work okay

[psalacanthea]

shopping for perfume-making supplies is always daunting, if for no other reason than some of the oils I want so badly are just so out of the price range I'm willing to pay.

curse my stupid allergies.

[devildom-moss]

Valentine's Day Gifts

MC made chocolates for everyone on Valentine's Day, but it turns out that everyone also has a chocolate-themed present for MC. What did the Obey Me characters get you this year?

(All characters - including Mephisto, Raphael, and Thirteen x gn!MC) (platonic for Luke)

(SFW, but some characters are a bit suggestive)

Lucifer

He pulled out a jar of what looked like ground coffee mixed with cocoa powder. You gave him a confused look. He got flustered, realizing that he had forgotten something, and grabbed a card from the nearby table to give to you. You read the card:

Lucifer, thank you for your custom order. Making this Rose Vanilla Ground Cacao for you was a pleasure and an honor. Even without magic, we guarantee this blend will capture the heart of its recipient and soothe their soul. May your beloved be pleased with your tastes and our craftsmanship.

See brewing instructions on the back.

You smiled up at him, striking him with sudden affection. You looked so cute and pleased over his gift. Lucifer was doing his best to contain himself and hide his own joy, “I read that roasted cacao was growing in popularity as a coffee substitute. However, I couldn’t just get you something generic for Valentine’s Day. I could brew a cup for you now, if you’d like.”

“Thank you. I’d like that very much, my beloved,” you teased. His cheeks went pink.

Mammon

“Close yer eyes and turn around.” Mammon demanded.

“Why?”

“Just do it, or ya won’t get a gift at all.”

“Fine,” you complied, turning your back to him. You felt something cold around your neck, realizing what it was as Mammon hooked the clasp of the necklace. He placed his hand on your back and gently guided you across the room.

“’Perfect. Go ahead and look now,” Mammon spoke from behind you. His hands settled on your hips.

When you opened your eyes, you were standing in front of a mirror. A deep brown chocolate-colored pearl pendant, exquisitely carved into the shape of a heart, hung around your neck. It wasn’t traditional chocolate, but it was a uniquely Mammon-esque interpretation. You turned around to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you, Mammon. It’s lovely.”

“I can’t have anyone showin’ me up today, so I wanted to get you somethin’ real special,” he spoke but he couldn’t look you in the eye. He wanted to tell you how hard he had worked to get that – how much trouble it had been, but he didn’t want to sully that sweet smile you had. “Looks good on you, my treasure.”

Leviathan

Levi had practically snuck up on you, popping up from around the corner, and screaming out your name. His entire face as pink as he stared at the ground, hand outstretched to you. He was holding two pink tickets. You could see a few hearts and Azuki-tan on them.

“What’s this?” you asked.

“I managed to get two tickets to an exclusive Valentine’s Day Ruri-chan pop-up café. They only sold 200 tickets, and you had to buy them in pairs. I thought we could go together – if you don’t mind going with a yucky otaku like me, that is.”

“I’d love to go!” You pulled him into a hug as if to squeeze the self-deprecation out of his body. He let out a squeak, but eventually hugged you back.

“Waa! I can’t believe you want to go with me. We have to try their lava cake special. It’s topped with a tiny chocolate Azuki-tan, and there are rumors that it’s baked with a magical charm that’s supposed to make lovers closer. They also have a white chocolate Ruri-chan parfait. The layers match Ruri-chan’s outfit! M-maybe we could get both and share them? Ahh! Just imagining you offering me a bite of either dessert is more than I can handle. This is going to be the best Valentine’s Day ever.”

Satan

“Ah, MC, could you grab the book on my nightstand?” Satan asked you without looking up from his current book.

“There are . . . eight books here, Satan.”

“The one on top, please.”

“Okay,” you grabbed the strange looking book. It was heavier than you expected for its size, and the balance of weight was off. A Love of Books and Chocolate was written on the cover. You handed it to Satan, but he put his hand up and set his book down.

“Open it up,” he smirked at you.

When you did, you realized that the reason that book felt so strange was because it was hallowed out and filled with chocolate bars – seven of them, to be precise. Each one had a wrapper with different cover art on it. Some of them were familiar. In fact, one of those books was setting right under the book of chocolates on Satan’s nightstand.

“They’re literary themed chocolates. Each one has a flavor that matches a popular piece of Devildom fiction. I set each corresponding book aside if you’d like to read them while you eat the chocolate – it has a long shelf life, so don’t worry about having to rush through the books. I could even read the books to you, if you’d like,” Satan informed you. It was so thought out, and you could tell that he wanted to share more of his interests with you.

“I’d love that, thank you.”

Asmodeus

“Happy Valentine’s Day, my love,” Asmo whispered into your ear.

He had crawled into your bed that morning, and was sitting over you, straddling you and smiling down at you.

“Morning, gorgeous,” you smiled up at him, still half asleep. He was already dressed and he had drawn hearts freckles on his cheeks as a part of his make-up this morning. “You sure have a lot of energy. And happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Of course. I thrive on days of love like this. Get up, and I’ll help you get ready,” Asmo gave you a kiss before getting off of you.

He did as promised, going so far as to help you get undressed and even buttoning up your shirt for you. Once you had washed up and were dressed, he asked you to sit down so he could do your make-up.

“By the way, I have something for you,” Asmo grinned and pulled out a fancy, rococo-style lip gloss tube. “Today calls for chocolate lip cream! It’s supposed to leave your lips soft and sweet – like chocolate. Can I put it on for you, MC?”

“Of course.”

He gently applied the lip cream. Asmo nodded, “I knew that color would look amazing on you! Ugh, but now I want to mess it up and kiss you! Can I? I’ll reapply it for you when we’re done.”

Beelzebub

“MC, I have a Valentine’s Day gift for you.” Beel handed you a box excitedly. He was smiling widely, as if he was hardly containing himself. Then again, it made sense that he would be so happy on a day that involved so much candy and chocolate.

“Thank you, baby Beel. That’s so sweet.”

You opened the box to find an array of chocolate syrups. They had unique flavors that looked delicious, but you were taken aback by the fourth flavor: Chocolate Lunatic Pudding.

“Um, Beel, this is a great gift, but I can’t eat this one,” you lifted the bottle slightly, trying to remind him while recalling the one time you tried a bite of Lunatic Pudding and every demon was suddenly all over you. Had Beel forgotten? You felt bad for pointing it out, but you couldn’t risk that happening again.

 “Oh, that one isn’t for you,” Beel remarked non-chalantly before leaning into your ear and whispering, “that one is for me to lick off of you.”

Belphegor

When you got home, you found Belphegor napping in your bed. Lying next to him was a thin blue box with a star map printed on the lid. You leaned over to give Belphegor a kiss on the cheek.

“Mmh, MC, welcome home.” Belphie had the wispy tone you were used to hearing when he woke up from a nap. He stretched.

“Whatcha got there Belphie?” you motioned towards the box.

“Shit, I hope they didn’t melt,” he yawned and handed the box to you, “happy Valentine’s Day.”

“For me?”

“Who else would I get chocolates for – well, aside from Beel? Take a look.”

You opened the box to find an assortment of galaxy painted chocolates – a gorgeous marble of blue, purple, and black with white flecks – and star shaped chocolates. The twins’ constellation (that they now shared with you) was painted on half of the galaxy chocolates.

“These are beautiful! Thank you.”

“You can thank me by joining me in bed.”

Diavolo

Diavolo summoned you to the student council room. When you arrived, he was sitting at his desk. A white box tied with a red ribbon was setting in front of him. Diavolo noticed you in the doorway and waved you in, “come in, MC! I called you here to give you a Valentine’s Day gift.”

He grinned from ear to ear – like a child who had just finished a drawing that he was excited to show you.

“You didn’t have to do anything special for me, Diavolo.”

“Nonsense! I wanted to do this,” Diavolo exclaimed. He pointed to the box on his desk, and it unwrapped itself, revealing a delicious-looking chocolate custard in a heart-shaped ramekin. “It’s common to make chocolate sweets for the one you desire, today. So, with some help from Barbatos, I made this chocolate custard for you. You won’t refuse it, will you?”

His eyes begged you not to refuse him. He looked so sweet and cute that you wondered how anyone ever found him intimidating. “Of course not! Thank you, Diavolo.”

“Excellent,” he laughed, “now, will you also allow me to feed you?”

Barbatos

“I’m sorry to call you here, MC. I’m sure this is a rather busy day for you, but would you do me the pleasure of joining me for tea?” Barbatos asked you at the castle doors. He didn’t show it, but he was holding his breath awaiting your answer.

“I’d be happy to join you.”

“Wonderful. This way, please.”

Barbatos led you to the garden. A vase of rainbow-colored roses sat on a table along with a tea pot, two dark brown cups on saucers, and a covered tray. He pulled a chair out for you.

On closer inspection, you realized that the teacups were actually sculpted out of chocolate. They were more ornate than most cups you had ever used. “Did you make all of this?”

“I did. The roses are from my garden, and I sculpted these cups especially for the tea I’ve prepared today. It’s my own blend of chocolate and cinnamon black tea. I’ve set aside a batch for you to take home and enjoy at your leisure, but today we’ll be enjoying an ice brew version of this blend – so as to not melt the chocolate cups. Feel free to eat your cup once you’ve had your tea, by the way. I also prepared chocolate cardamom shortbread cookies in anticipation of you accepting my invitation.”

“Barbatos, this is too much. I mean, I appreciate it, but wasn’t this too much effort?”

“Not at all. If you enjoy this tea with me, it was more than worth the effort. In fact, that adorable, flustered look on your face right now has already been more than enough,” he teased while pouring tea into both of your cups. Barbatos is the king of doing too much.

Luke

Luke was waiting outside of your first class of the day for you, eager to give you your Valentine’s Day gift. He had worked so hard on it, and he couldn’t wait to see your face – both in reaction to his gift and in general.

“Oi, chihuahua. What’s got ya lookin’ all chipper today?” Mammon greeted him.

“I’m not a dog, you rotten demon! I’m here for MC.” Luke barked back at him.

“What business ya got with them, Fido?”

“Mammon,” you sighed, “stop being rude to Luke and go on to class, I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, yeah. Make it quick,” Mammon rolled his eyes and walked into the classroom.

“Sorry, Luke,” you apologized on Mammon’s behalf with a sheepish smile, “what did you want to see me for?”

“I baked this for you,” Luke handed you a small box. “You’re always helping me out, and I wanted to show my appreciation today.”

You opened the box to see a mini heart-shaped layer cake. The cake was pink with white buttercream and topped with a cherry and crystalized rose petals. It was almost too pretty to eat. He was so precious. Luke beamed when he saw the awe on your face. “The buttercream is made of white chocolate and the cake is cherry and rose flavored. Please eat if before Beel spots it, okay?”

“Will do! Thank you, Luke. This is so sweet.”

Simeon

Simeon had requested your presence at Purgatory Hall – “urgently” he said. However, he failed to elaborate, so when you arrived in a bit of a panic, he laughed, “oh, about that. . .”

“Simeon, you scared me,” you told him when he presented a thin rectangular box with a pink bow to you, “a Valentine’s Day gift is hardly urgent.”

“Sorry about that,” Simeon laughed again, “but I really needed to see you and give these to you today. I spent all of yesterday making them.”

You had to forgive him when he smiled so sweetly. Plus, he was giving you a present. You sighed, “next time, just tell me you want to see me. I’d be happy to visit you just for that reason.”

“You would? You really know how to make my heart race, don’t you?” He laughed the embarrassment away. He probably didn’t have to be so sneaky just to ensure he could give you a present, but he didn’t want to risk you declining him. He looked at you with anticipation, “well, aren’t you going to open it?”

The box contained seven macarons, arranged in an ombre color pattern – from a dark brown shell to beige to white. The buttercream and ganache in the center was also in an ombre pattern, going from white to pink to a deep red. They were so pretty, and if Simeon made them, you knew that he must have put a lot of thought into each one. He picked up the one with a dark brown shell and a white center and placed it in front of your mouth to feed you. “This one is dark chocolate, espresso with vanilla buttercream.”

You took a bite. “It’s delicious. Thank you, Simeon.”

“Of course, MC. I wonder, would you allow me to feed each one to you? I could tell you what flavor each one is before feeding you like I did just now.” He couldn’t get the thought of your lips grazing his fingers out of his mind.

Solomon

“MC, I made you something for Valentine’s Day.” Solomon was so cheerful as he said that, but dread filled your veins.

“Oh, Solomon, that’s not necessary. I’m happy just getting to see you today, honestly. I don’t need anything else.”

“Don’t be silly, MC. I obviously had to make something for my lover on Valentine’s Day, especially if you’re going to be receiving gifts from other people. I can’t be the only person to not get you something,” he chuckled and pulled a basket from behind his back. It wasn’t food. You sighed in relief as Solomon continued to explain, “now, the kitchen at Purgatory Hall was pretty packed between Luke and Simeon, so I couldn’t actually cook for you, but I have a lot of experience making beauty and bath products. I made mocha-scented soap, a dark chocolate and lavender bath bomb, and chocolate raspberry perfume.”

You could smell the soap from there, and it was delightful. You weren’t sure whether to be more grateful that Solomon had made you all of those products or that he hadn’t almost committed manslaughter by making you food. You hugged him tightly, “this is wonderful – much better than making chocolates!”

“I’m so glad you like it,” Solomon chuckled before placing a kiss on your neck, “you know, I could help you take a bath tonight if you want.”

Thirteen

“There you are,” Thirteen ran up to you while you were walking around the campus. “Geez, you should make yourself easier to find on a day like today, you know?”

“What?” you asked, confused.

“I shouldn’t have had to try so hard to find you on Valentine’s Day, that’s all. Especially when I finally finished working on your gift,” she feigned her annoyance, an obvious smile giving her away.

“You got me a gift?”

“Don’t act all surprised. Ta-da,” she threw her hands up, motioning towards a mechanical floating sheep that seemed to appear out of nowhere. This was undeniably one of her gadget-like traps. However, you weren’t sure how a trap made for a good Valentine’s gift – aside from that fact that it was cute. “Hey, no need to be worried. He’s 100% safe for you to use. I promise.”

“What’s he do?” you asked.

“Let me show you!” She pulled out a remote and pressed button #1 of 4 – well, actually, it was 3 numbered buttons and one red button. The sheep hovered over you and took out a large chocolate heart and a tiny hammer. It broken open the heart and confetti came floating out over both of your heads. Thirteen laughed, “pretty neat, right? The confetti is made of candy, so you’re welcome to eat it. Want to try another button? Just don’t press the red one.”

“Heck yeah,” you took the remote from here hand. The next button caused the sheep to pull out another heart and break it open. Two small clay chocolate heart charms fell into your hand – one for you and one for Thirteen. The third button dropped a bunch of individually wrapped chocolate hearts. “So, what’s the red one do?”

“This one breaks a heart filled with glitter and melted chocolate over the target. I was wondering if you’d like to try using this one on Solomon with me?”

Raphael

Even though you had made chocolates for Raphael, you hadn’t expected him to prepare a gift for you – especially not one that looked so cute and must have taken a long time. Raphael stood there in the hallway outside of your class, presenting a rather large chocolate macaron plush that required two hands to hold properly. The macaron “filling” even looked like a sheep.

“Did you make this?”

“Yes. I got back into sewing again.”

“For me?”

“Naturally.”

“Oh, Raph. It’s so cute! Thank you,” you took the plush and held it to your chest. It was so squishy and soft.

Raphael couldn’t resist smiling at you. While you were staring at the plush, you heard an airy, gentle laugh. Raphael cut himself short, returning to his placid look when you stared up at him. You had forgotten how sweet his laugh was. He averted his gaze and added, “I figured you could squish it or punch it the next time those brothers give you trouble.”

Mephistopheles

Mephistopheles requested your presence in the RAD Newspaper Club room. He unceremoniously handed you a bottle of Demonus. It was clear, even from your limited knowledge, that this was a pretty expensive bottle.

“What’s this?” you asked.

“Demonus – a special chocolate flavored edition, obviously.” What he didn’t mention was that it was an incredibly rare edition from a top-quality brand.

“I know that, but why are you giving this to me?”

“It was a gift from an acquaintance, but I have multiple cases of this one at home,” he said as if he was irritated that you wanted to know why he would give you a present. “Besides, I kind of owe you since you made chocolates for me this year. I’d hate to feel like I was in debt to you, so take it.”

You stifled a laugh at his arrogant façade. He was actually trying to be kind to you in his way. It was like taking the worst parts of Mammon and Lucifer and rolling it into one demon sometimes – but he would protest that comparison angrily. “Thank you, Mephisto. You’re being especially nice today. Although, you really didn’t have to do anything for me. I made chocolates for you because I wanted to, not so you would owe me.”

“Whatever. You can go now,” Mephisto waved you out, but reconsidered as you turned towards the door, “wait.”

“Hmm?”

He undercut his earlier air of indifference by adding, “if you like the Demonus, let me know. I can bring you another bottle or you can visit me, and we’ll have a drink together. I’m certain my collection is better than anything you would get from Lucifer at the House of Lamentation.”

A/N: surprise bonus this week~ I hope you all enjoy this one. Have a good Valentine's Day, and try to enjoy/celebrate love in whatever way in exists in your life.

[thebiscuiteternal]

Could you explain more about the WIC shrinkflation issue? I was advised to apply for the program and now I'm worried about the complications.

Sure thing.

For starters, while WIC is a national program, states can and do implement certain aspects of it differently, so disclaimer that this is coming from a Tennessee viewpoint.

Okay, so.

WIC (Women Infants Children) vouchers are designed to help make sure that babies and toddlers are getting enough nutrition during early development. It usually runs alongside food stamps, but sometimes someone might be eligible for food stamps, but not WIC, or vise versa.

For infants -> pre-solid-food toddlers, it covers formula and baby food, and for pregnant mothers and/or toddlers eating solid foods, it usually covers fruits, vegetables, and certain staple foods.

WIC vouchers are very specific about what you can get with them, especially when it comes to baby food. They will label

Brands (Usually Gerber, Beech Nut, or other approved affiliate brands)

Formula varieties (usually high-vitamin)

Food type (Typically no mixed flavors, i.e. you can get jars of spinach and jars of turkey, but not a jar of blended spinach and turkey. This also trips up a lot of first-timers.)

Age (Baby foods typically come in development stages, so the vouchers will usually say whether you can have Stage 1, stage 2, etc)

Packaging (Whether it has to be glass jars or you can substitute with the mini plastic tubs. Usually pouch foods are not allowed)

Number (i.e. 12 jars of pureed meats or what have you)

Weight (boxes of baby cereals like oatmeal or rice, the size of the formula cans, or the size of the jars)

Some foods will specify whether or not it has to be organic

(Note: The local WIC offices used to send a pamphlet with the vouchers that included pictures of particular packaging to help ESL recipients, but with companies changing the look of their packaging too frequently, this has stopped in a lot of places.)

So, already a lot to look out for, yeah? And weight is usually where things get fucked. As I said in the previous post, companies (especially Gerber) have a really irritating habit where they will up and change the actual weight of the product without informing the WIC office of the change in time for the next round of vouchers (if they bother to inform them at all, instead of the WIC office having to contact them due to complaints). But of course the store knows about the change due to their inventory programs.

As a result, you'll either get:

A: The parent who has already been through this shit and now tries to verify the labels and is upset because they can't find the box with the correct ounce amount anymore (because it no longer exists).

B: The parent who hasn't been through this shit yet and grabbed the same box they got the month previously and is unaware it's now the wrong box until the register refuses to apply it to their monthly voucher.

C: The cashier who has to deal with this day in and day out and is just as frustrated as the parents, especially if they don't have enough experience to know this is the companies' fault, not the parents'.

I should also note that this has been a problem for a long time. It was already happening back when I was still working. But at least back then, you could count on at least 8 months (or even a couple of years) between sizing incidents, whereas Post-Covid, it's accelerated to practically a fuckup (or more) a month. If this month, it's the cereal, next month, it's the formula, etc. A neverending carousel of corporate bullshit. And the companies don't care, because they've already gotten their government subsidy for participating in the program at all, and if the parents have to pay out of pocket for the things the vouchers no longer cover that month, that's just more profit for the company.

[blazehedgehog]

I have unlocked the power known as "OBS Stinger Transition Masking" and now I'm passing the savings on to YOU!

What the hell are you talking about?

If you stream using OBS, there's something called a "Stinger Transition" that lets you create custom fades between two different scenes. So if you have a static "be right back" scene separate from a live streaming scene, a transition will fade between the two.

A "Stinger" transition is something OBS added that lets you substitute a video file as the transition fade. Essentially, you'd have a (usually transparent) video file and at a specific point, that stinger video would cover 100% of the stream, at which point you'd tell OBS the time code of 100% coverage so it could secretly swap scenes underneath it.

But then OBS added "Track Matte" which lets you do fancy masking. Now there's a whole complicated process where, if you want full color animated transitions, you have to generate a special split video but that's too fancy for me. What isn't too fancy is just basic mask transitions, like the GIF you see above, and "Track Matte" lets you take the easy way out and do this instead. I promise, it's not hard!

So, I went through and converted my favorite gradient transitions I have for Vegas to work with OBS's Track Matte Stinger Transition Masks (wow, what a mouthful). And! I'm letting you download them and giving you instructions on how to use them. Before we get to how to install and use them, some credits:

Default Sony Vegas Gradient Transitions

Diagonal Wipe

Side Wipe

Swirl

Puzzle

Curling Smoke

Floral Growth

Iris In

Iris Out

Barn Door Open

Barn Door Shut

Shutters Open

Shutters Shut

Horizontal Alternating Bars

Vertical Alternating Bars

Gradient Transitions I Borrowed From My Old Roxio Gamecap

Quad Clock

Many Clocks

Maple Leaf

Mandelbrot Fractal

Bytes

Star Wipe

Butterfly Zoom

Blobs

Chomping

Diamonds

Checkerboard

Crusty

Balls Out

Burst

Swooce In (Pictured above!)

Swooce Out

Draw Box

Draw Box Smaller

Splat Top

Splat Explode

Overlay Stars

Stargate In

Stargate Out

Scraps

Pinch

(I may have gotten creative with some of those names)

Gradient Transitions I Made Myself

Pixel Infection

Scratches

Slime

Yoshi's Island Wipe

How To Install These

Download your chosen flavor:

OBS Stinger Masks [720p].zip

OBS Stinger Masks [1080p].zip

Extract all the MP4 files somewhere. Preferably to their own folder, and possibly somewhere inside your OBS install if you can help it.

Open OBS. You should have a little menu called "Scene Transitions."

If you don't have this visible, in the drop down menus at the top, click on "Docks" and make sure "Scene Transitions" is checked.

With your Scene Transitions panel available, click the + (plus) icon and select "Stinger."

This will prompt you to give your new Stinger transition a custom name and take you to the customization menu.

In the "Video File" field, we just point it towards one of the MP4s you just downloaded and extracted. In this case, I have chosen "Swooce In.mp4"

You can probably ignore everything else, but make sure to check "☑ Use a Track Matte" and under the "Matte Layout" drop down, make sure it's set to "Mask Only." The other two Matte Layout settings are for the fancy full-color alpha transparency video transitions, but we're just doing simple black-to-white masking.

At the very bottom of the menu (I'd have to scroll down on my sample image) there should be a "Preview Transition" button if you'd like to see a sample of what it looks like in motion.

Click okay, and you should be done! As long as the custom stinger you just made is the one selected under "Scene Transitions", every time you change scenes, it will blend between them using the video you selected.

Can I make these any faster? Or slower?

Not within OBS, no. You would have to change the speed of the video file itself. I tried to be mindful of how good these looked at what speeds, but if you think they're the wrong speed, you'll have to crack open a video editor for yourself and figure out how to change the playback speed.

And, obviously, if you have even minor experience with video editing, you can probably grasp the concept of how this works pretty easily, meaning it should be pretty easy to make your own stinger masks with all kinds of fun patterns. As long as it goes from black to white!

You could also be a psychopath with Adobe Premiere and learn how to do the full color animated transitions too, if you want. This seems like a pretty decent tutorial on how to do that, but like I said, that's way too much work for me.

[amalgamgooze]

the enigma of (art) blend modes, and how doing brain research taught me how to better utilize them

(DISCLAIMER--I'm not actually going in-depth on different blend modes; there's other resources for that sort of thing! Rather, I'm just planning on talking about how they've been captivating to me in the past.)

I've been working with digital art programs for quite some time now, mostly for my game development pursuits, but also more recently just for fun.

Whatever program I'm using, be it Aseprite, Krita, or Paint.net, there's always this goofy little feature referred to as "blend modes". Really, all it refers to is how new colors should be made when two colors overlap on an image--particularly from different layers.

Back when I was young and naive, those layer blend modes hardly did more than just exist. Maybe I'd pull down that drop-down menu and switch around the modes every once in a while, but this was never used to help me during the creation process.

There's something about starting to use a new art program and getting overwhelmed by all the buttons on the UI. Of course, it takes time to master those menus, but when you do, it's nothing short of rewarding.

Which brings me to one of the most interesting programs I've worked with: Fiji.

Fiji isn't an art program--it's anything but. Instead, it's open source image processing software, designed for life science related analyses.

I've had the (mis)fortune of becoming acquainted with this software through my internship. When it was introduced to me last year, it was... overwhelming, to say the least.

This is what it looks like when you open it:

Not too overwhelming yet, right? Wrong. Here's what the dropdown menu for "Analyze" looks like.

(I like how it starts with normal sounding words, before devolving into things like "Helmholtz Analysis" and "Multi Kymograph".)

If any of you are already super-mega-brain-nerds and know how to utilize all of these options, then good for you, I suppose. For the vast majority of the people who are unacquainted with neuroscience (such as myself), however, this is INCREDIBLY daunting to navigate. Imagine something just as confusing as this for the other menus.

Hell, even just importing imaging data proves labyrinthine:

Okay. I'm done fussing over how convoluted Fiji's menus are.

I've worked with them for long enough to understand them a little better, though I still couldn't tell you what half the buttons do.

...like most of the art programs I use.

Yes, I've used Paint.NET since, like, 2018. No, I still have no idea what the "Clone Stamp" button does.

(by the way, if you're still using Paint.NET yourself for art, 1. what are you doing, and 2. Krita is much better for what I needed from an art program, so I might recommend trying that out if Paint.NET is getting on your nerves!)

Anyway, loading imaging data into Fiji usually gives you a video you can pan through. Most imaging data usually either represents a z-series, t-series, or both.

A z-series is imaging done on several layers of the subject's brain at a single time point, to create a 3D stack of images with time substituting for the depth into the brain.

On the other hand, a t-series is imaging done (usually) on a single layer of the brain throughout several time points. (Data I've worked with has ranged from 15-minute-long t-series to 100-minute-long t-series.) This again creates a 3D stack, though this time, time represents, well, time. (This is how most video is stored--even if the video itself is 2-dimensional, you're still "technically" viewing 2D slices of a 3D stack--though only super-nerds call video 3D.)

A zt-series can also be imaged by making several z-series over time, which can be processed into a 4D video. (Usually, though, the slices have to be processed through software to order them properly.)

Last year, I worked with zt-series a lot. This year, however, I've got easier work--I'm just working with t-series this time, to analyze calcium activity.

They're nicer to work with, to say the least. I've worked on automating the collection of calcium activity data by comparing the minimum and maximum values of each pixel throughout the whole t-series in order to determine where there's potentially calcium activity happening.

...in fact, once you get an image of the minimum and maximum values of each pixel across the whole t-series, you then work with those images as layers and use different functions to extract a mask that shows only potential calcium activity regions.

...

So it's adjacent to blend modes in a way.

Specifically the "Multiply" and "Divide" modes.

...

It's a bit of a stretch, of course, but working with these black-and-white images has helped me better grasp what's going on under the cover when I use those same blend modes for art.

Of course, I'm not using them masterfully yet. Really, I'm just using them to add blocky-ish shading to translucent objects.

...I'd show an example, but I can't find any pictures right now.

...

Sorry about the tangent.

I just feel like somehow this contributes to the intimate interconnectivity of everything.

Art and brain research being related on a software level.

[mephinomaly]

[TL] Capture Your Heart/Chapter 1

Season: Winter

Location: Cafeteria

Tomoya: Hello Hakaze-senpai. Is it alright if I sit with you?

Kaoru: Ah, Tomoya-kun. Of course, take a seat~

None of the other Ra*bits are hopping about, so is it just you today?

Tomoya: Yes. I’ve just finished a recording for a drama.

Kaoru: You’re in another drama? That makes sense for such a popular actor like yourself~♪

Tomoya: Nono, I’m not popular. A kid in the same office has gotten sick, I’m their substitute.

I was just a background character, I barely had any lines.

Kaoru: I see… So why did you replace them of all people?

Surely even a newbie to theatre could take that role, right?

Tomoya: I offered to do it. The office staff were having a panic, and I thought it would be a good experience for me.

Kaoru: Experience?

Tomoya: Working on staying in sight whilst simultaneously blending into the scene. When you don’t have a lot of lines, you can really focus on refining your technique.

It’s a great opportunity to get the directors to remember your face. It might be a small role but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take it seriously.

Aha. Sorry for just talking about myself.

Kaoru: Nah, it’s all good.

…Hm, it’s an interesting way to think about it.

I’d basically only been taking roles I’d been offered, so I didn’t realise I haven’t been getting to experience that sort of thing.

You’ve opened my eyes. Thanks, Tomoya-kun.

Tomoya: No problem… But you’re a popular guy, right Hakaze-senpai?

You were in a tennis themed drama the other day weren’t you?

Kaoru: Ahaha, you saw that? How embarrassing.

Tomoya: Why’s that? It was really really good. You were so cool as a hot-blooded club leader!

Kaoru: You think so? When Koga-kun saw me he said I was like a completely different person and laughed at me?

Tomoya: That’s surely a compliment. To seem different, to turn into someone that you’re not - isn’t that what it means to be an actor?

Kaoru: Right… You’re kind, Tomoya-kun.

They do tell me when I could improve on something, but they praise me for the most basic things. Kinda feels like they’re spoiling me.

Tomoya: It’s not just me saying good things, you know? There’s others who praise you, like Anzu-san for example.

Kaoru: Eh…Anzu-chan?

Tomoya: Yup. Actually, when we were taking a break backstage, Anzu-san and I watched it.

When the offer came in, the person who Anzu-san recommended was you. Some people were worried and thought it might be a miscast but—

If a senior was able to do it, it would be good.

Kaoru: H-huh. Right…

(I had no idea… I had doubts about the casting too. But if Anzu-chan says so…)

(I wonder if Tomoya-kun knows why she recommended me. I need to hear more.)

(...Focus man. It’ll sound super weird if I keep asking about it.)

Tomoya: Something the matter, Hakaze-senpai?

Kaoru: No, nothing’s the matter.

Uhh. Since we’re on the topic, could I ask you something about acting?

With the character I play, there’s a bit where he starts to hesitate towards the end.

Tomoya: Oh, okay yeah. I’ll be happy to help.

Time: A short time later

Kaoru: (...I’m glad I asked Tomoya-kun about that. After all it’s no good to base your acting off of someone you know.)

...

(...Why did she choose me? What did she think of my performance?)

(I didn’t end up asking Tomoya-kun… If I’m so worked up about it, I’ll just ask her directly.)

(It’s just about work. As an actor it’s totally normal to ask for others opinions, so there’s no reason for me to be self-conscious about this.)

(Huh? That voice… Anzu-chan—)

(...and Moricchi?)

Chiaki: —Hmm, is that day no good? If Anzu can’t, it must be busy…

Don’t pull that face. Sadness doesn’t suit you.

…Haha. Yup, that’s a quote from my favourite hero show.

But I do mean it. I don’t want you to worry.

It makes me happy that you take me seriously. Thanks, Anzu.

Kaoru: (What the… What’s with these vibes? Are these…good vibes?)

(I wanna know what they’re talking about, but I can’t exactly interrupt…)

(If I just back up and pretend I never saw them, I can just ask Anzu-chan another day–)

Chiaki: …Hm?

Oho, Hakaze! That’s totally Hakaze!

Kaoru: Oh God…

next

directory

[spooniechef]

Gluten-Free Bread (1 spoon)

Things are a little depressing on the wet little island I currently call home. Okay, by "a little", I mean "this country's government is publicly struggling to find loopholes in human rights law". So as you can probably guess, the whole situation is significantly testing all the coping mechanisms for clinical depression that I learned in therapy.

Therefore, sublimation time - sublimation being where you take all that grief, rage, depression, whatever, and you stuff all that energy into doing something positive and constructive. Now, when I got my fibromyalgia diagnosis, gardening was my primary sublimation activity, but we're into mid-November now and the garden's kind of sleepy right now. That means baking is my primary option. I mean, I need gluten-free bread anyway because I need bread crumbs for various recipes I want to try, and gluten-free bread is expensive, so why not just make my own? Particularly when I might get bread that isn't about 35% air bubble if I make it myself?

I'll say this for those of you who can eat gluten - the consistency of the loaf I baked last night (recipe courtesy the Dish By Dish website) is not the same as your bog-standard supermarket loaf. The results of this recipe are softer, spongier, and somewhere on the texture scale between cornbread and cake. That's not to say it's bad, but if you've got issues with the texture of foods, it's a fair warning. Now, here's the thing that gluten-free bread has over regular bread for those of us with more physical disabilities - no kneading required. Hell, it wasn't even all that hard to mix by hand (though I probably still should have used the hand mixer; still, I was sublimating).

So! Here's what you'll need:

2 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon xanthan gum (unless your flour blend already contains it)

1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup neutral-tasting oil (vegetable, sunflower, etc) or melted butter

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups warm milk or milk substitute (110 F / 40 C)

2 large eggs, room temperature, beaten

Having made regular bread with actual gluten in it, this is an unusual combination of ingredients, and is probably why the consistency is closer to cake / cornbread than actual bread. Still, I figure things like the egg and milk are helping to bind the bread dough in same way the gluten molecules ordinarily would.

Anyway, here's what you do:

Combine all dry ingredients, whisk until well-blended

Add oil, vinegar, and milk, mix for 1 minute or until fully combined

Add beaten eggs, mix for 1 minute or until fully combined (consistency should be close to cake batter)

Add dough to greased 8" by 4" loaf pan, cover with a cloth, let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until it's about doubled in size

Once dough has risen, preheat oven to 350 F (175 C), then bake loaf for 50 minutes, until top is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack and cooling the rest of the way.

No kneading, remarkably little aggravation, and the only real issue is the number of things to wash up. The result is the sort of bread that probably works best toasted, or as the base for French toast, or turned into bread crumbs for breading things. Then again, almost all gluten-free bread needs toasting or similar to be palatable, and this was nice with butter and jam (in a cakey sort of way) when it was just out of the oven. So all that to say that it was a reasonable sublimation activity that left me feeling a little more accomplished and less helpless in general.

Now I have to go out for the ingredients for cornbread.

[genericpuff]

I appreciate your art style! It’s very confident with strong shapes and great body language. Who are your inspirations and do you have any advice for drawing efficiency because I always get hung up on the small things and it keeps me held back

Aw thanks so much! Regarding my inspirations, I grew up on a lot of manga, animation, and video games, so many of my inspirations are Japanese artists in the gaming and manga industry. Included but not limited to: Takeshi Obata (the artist behind Death Note, Bakuman, Hikaru No Go, Ral Grad, etc.), Tetsuya Nomura (FF VII, FF X, Kingdom Hearts, The World Ends With You, etc.), and Akihiko Yoshida (FF III, Bravely Default, Nier: Automata, etc.)

But honestly? I kinda tend to just grab whatever I can learn from whoever's art I feel like studying. There are a lot of webcomic artists and modern digital artists who I've learned so much from over the years just by observing their art and identifying what they do that almost feels unique to them. Like, the creator of Two Guys and Guy? I always like how he draws elbows. Or the creator of Alfie, I love how he stylizes eyebrows and body proportions of all shapes and sizes! And of course when it comes to those aforementioned inspirational artists, Tetsuya Nomura's line quality is top notch, and I learned a lot about how to color from Obata.

I really rambled there, but inspiration comes from so many places! <3

In regards to the second part of your question, honestly, that confidence just comes from a lot of practice and drawing the same things over and over and over and over and over-

Anyways, I've been drawing webcomics for a number of years now, so along the way I've sorta had to learn tricks and shortcuts to make the process a bit more efficient and less headache-inducing. I think after all that, the core things I can recommend are:

Learn how to draw from the shoulder and elbow vs. the wrist. This will allow you new motions that can accommodate long, confident lines and shape structures. Tiny strokes are great for detailing, but long swooping lines are the best for getting in gesture, form, and line clarity! Plus it's just healthier for your body all around, helps engage your shoulder muscles and reduces the potential risk for carpal tunnel ;)

Keep your toolset simple! I know it's easy to sort of want to just collect and own every single brush out there (especially if you're a digital artist) but honestly, the best way to be efficient is to simplify your kit and process its strongest tools. You can accomplish so much with just a good ole' fashioned round brush, soft airbrush, and blur/blend/smudge tool of your choice - all the fancy ones are simply there to make your life easier after you've learned how to draw the fancy stuff those brushes are trying to replace, IMO (ex. I know how to draw things like leaves and bark with the round brush... so having brushes to do it for me is way handier nowadays! But it's only because I know how to draw them normally that I can ensure I'm using those tools properly, if I'm explaining that clearly ?)

Always be open to trying new industry tools, there is no such thing as 'cheating' (barring blatant theft lol). I don't think a lot of people realize just how many artists across every art industry use tools and techniques designed to make the process more efficient, like 3D models, photobashing, gradient mapping, color balancing, tone curving, etc. to help speed up the creation process and turn an okay drawing into a great one. Of course, none of these tools can substitute for actual skill, you still gotta learn how to use these tools properly in addition to learning your foundations, but those super efficient artists definitely aren't working from the same process that everyone else is, it's different for everybody and it's all about finding what tools work best for you! And the only way to do that is to try 'em :)

Remember that the core of creating and presenting art is expressing an idea to your audience. There's no pre-requisite to how 'detailed' that idea needs to be to be understood, because 1.) your audience may interpret it entirely different from how you intended anyways and 2.) your audience is way better at 'filling in' the details than we give them credit for! One such artist that I can recommend you look at is WLOP, their paintings are well known for being gorgeously rendered and almost 'hyper-realistic' but when you actually zoom in on their paintings, you'll find many of the 'details' are very basic, often times just splatters of a round brush. Here's an example:

From that first glance, it looks like an incredibly detailed hyper-realistic painting, but zoom in a little and you'll see all the messy brush strokes and where they used brushes that are all incredibly simple (I could recreate the same look of the owl with just the transparent watercolor brush in CSP!) Regardless of the details not being rendered out as much as we'd assume, we still assume that what were looking at is completely rendered down to the last pixel, because our brains are doing all the work to fill in those details. WLOP focuses on shape, color, and form first before worrying about nitty gritty details, and their art doesn't suffer at all even when they don't bother with detailing at all. Pretty neat, huh?

THAT WAS A LOT LOL But I hope that helps ? I try not to keep it at "just practice" because often times that gets misconstrued as just "draw a lot" when if you don't know what you're lacking or what piece you might be missing in the puzzle, then of course it's gonna feel like you're just bashing your head against a wall! It's like teaching someone how to skate or ride a bike or drive a car, practicing will definitely do more than not practicing, but there are additional things you can learn and apply to make that learning process work for you rather than against you.

That's all for now! Best of luck in your journey! Remember that the key is to just take it at your own pace, be comfortable with making mistakes (it's the only way to learn!), and have fun! Being able to make art efficiently is great and all, but having fun and enjoying yourself is definitely the most important thing! <3

[lesbianslovebts]

I'm looking forward to your reviews on their individual albums/music etc

Okay, I will tell you as long as everyone promises to be nice!

First, I want to be upfront with the fact that I do not have the technical knowledge required to critique their individual singing or songwriting skills in depth, so this is not that kind of review. However, I believe that people should actively engage with art, be it music, painting, or writing, at whatever level of expertise they may have, rather than consume it mindlessly. The following are my personal opinions and observations as a fan since 2015. I will focus mainly on their Chapter Two individual works, but I will also reference their previous solo and group work. And as a friendly reminder, the members of BTS are not above criticism as artists or as people.

"Indigo" by RM

If I had to use one word to describe this album, I would use "growth." More specifically, I would classify the transition from "RM" to "mono." as linear growth, and the transition from "mono." to "Indigo" as exponential growth. This is a project that Namjoon worked on for several years, which is apparent by the way each song is like a chapter of the same overarching story. The diverse genres and moods depict the ups and downs of life really well, and listening to the entire album in one sitting is a cathartic experience for me.

When I first saw the tracklist and noticed how many other artists were featured, I was nervous because a lot of BTS' collaborations feel like forcing a puzzle piece into a spot where it doesn't fit. What I mean by that is, they either cut out a chunk of the original song or insert a blank space and then fill it with a clipping of what sounds like an entirely different song. A substitution rather than a collaboration, if you will. However, that was not the case here. I think Namjoon did an excellent job of blending his own sound, style, and emotion with that of the other artists.

The only thing that I actively disliked on this album is the beat in "Change pt.2" from about 0:49 to 1:00. It's grating on the ear, which might have been intentional given the content of the song, but it isn't pleasant to listen to, and I cringe every time I hear it. As for a favorite, I can't really choose, but I think the objective number of replays would point to "Lonely."

"The Astronaut" by Jin

This one is an outlier because it's only one song, but I will discuss it just the same. I really liked Seokjin's voice in this one. I don't know the official terms, but it's lower and less breathy than usual. To me, that makes his voice sound warmer. Overall, this was a soothing song that left me wanting more when he gets back. I am waiting (im)patiently.

P.S. I know people tend to love or hate Coldplay. I don't listen to them or know anything about them as people, so the fact that this was cowritten by them doesn't really factor into my opinion of the song, if that makes sense.

"D-DAY" by Agust D

The amount of money I spent to see him live in Chicago should tell you how much I liked this album. Similar to what I said about Namjoon above, there's tangible growth from his mixtapes "Agust D" and "D-2" to his studio album "D-DAY." It's to be expected that experience will improve the craft, of course, but I still have to say it.

Yoongi is my favorite composer of BTS, by far. "Interlude: Dawn" and "Snooze" give me goosebumps every time I listen time them. Also, I love it when he uses traditional instruments like the haegeum. There's just something about the emotions he conveys in his tone, lyrics and melody that made this album a nonstop repeat for me.

My complaints are few and small. The autotune gets to be too much in the song "D-Day," and I'm not crazy about "People Pt. 2." Personally, I am not a fan of IU's voice. I have nothing against her, by any means, and I know she can sing, but I prefer women with deep, husky voices. And for the life of me, I can't figure out what her part means. I'm guessing this was a direct translation from Korean that didn't really...well, translate.

"Jack in the Box" by j-hope

When I first watched the MV for "More," I stimmed for joy. I was rocking, flapping, and squealing. I braved Lollapalooza as an autistic person, surrounded by a hundred thousand people in the summer heat, wearing the denim jacket I painted and an N95 mask to hear this man live. Hoseok's personality shone through in the concept, the MVs, the music, and the lyrics. He burst out of the box to show who he is as an artist. Perhaps I am (Hobi-)biased, but I don't have much else to say other than that I love this album, and I'm excited to hear more from him in the future.

"FACE" by Jimin

"Set Me Free Pt. 2" was the first single that was released, and it thoroughly crushed my hopes for the rest of the mini album. Though I liked the melody of the chorus, the 9 repetitions of "set me free-e-e" left a lot to be desired lyrically. I think he was trying to portray the desperation he felt by repeating the phrase, but his voice didn't show a progression in emotion as he continued through the chorus. For comparison, in Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name Of," the last line "fuck you, I won't do what you tell me" is repeated 16 times, but the way it starts as a murmur and builds up to a scream is powerful; it hits you in the chest. "Set Me Free Pt. 2" didn't have that effect. Also, the autotune in the middle when he "raps" is awful. I saw people on here reaching to explain why the autotune wasn't actually that bad, but...it just doesn't sound good. And him saying "fuck all your opps"? Yikes.

The other single "Like Crazy" was much better and more in line with what I was expecting. Rarely do I like any of the excessive remixes they put out, but the deep house one is actually good. I liked the music video, too. But unfortunately, the mud on his hand after all that bathroom imagery was a...shitty decision. Overall, I don't go out of my way to listen to any of the songs but "Like Crazy" and "Letter," which is my favorite.

"Layo(v)er" by V

I was underwhelmed by this mini album. I expected R&B and jazz from him, and I think his voice suits those genres well, but none of the songs had a particularly strong impact on me. I would say I like "Love Me Again" the most, but it doesn't even compare to "Singularity" and "Stigma" for me. I have to be in a specific mood to listen to slow music in general, so the odds were stacked against this album from the beginning.

"Golden" by Jung Kook

This album was the biggest disappointment I have ever felt as a fan. Honestly, I didn't think it could get any worse than "Permission to Dance," but I was wrong. Before I continue, I feel like I need to offer some context on my general opinion of BTS' music from 2020 onward before I get too deep into the weeds. So let me start with that.

A lot of people think BTS peaked before or during the "Wings" era and sold out with the release of "DNA." I am not one of those people. Most of my favorite BTS songs come from the "Love Yourself" and the "Map of the Soul" eras. There are songs that tug on my heartstrings, songs that give me energy, and songs that are inextricably tied to certain memories from college and my first job. This was when I felt like I was changing and growing in a positive way thanks to BTS' message and music.

That changed with Covid-19. I loved "Map of the Soul: 7" and had tickets to see BTS in Chicago, but then the concert was postponed. Later, it was canceled. Half a year into the pandemic, BTS released "Dynamite" as a fun summer song to lift everyone's spirits. It was their first all-English song, which might've had more global appeal due to the number of people who speak English as a first language, second language, or lingua franca. Personally, I don't hate "Dynamite," but I do hate what it led to.

This was their first Billboard #1. It succeeded far beyond anyone's expectations, and I was proud of them for that. I was glad that more people were checking out their music because BTS is one of my main special interests. However, a lot of what followed felt like an attempt to recreate the success of "Dynamite" rather than an effort to grow as artists. Whether that desire for numbers came from the company or from BTS themselves, I'll never know. All I can say is, I'm glad DynaButterPTD did not get a Grammy. Let's continue.

"BE" came next, and if I had to describe it in a word, I would say "homemade." BTS were more involved in this album than any other, including the concept, the album design, the photoshoots, the music video, and the songs. Because of that, the overall vibe was different, and combined with the effects of the pandemic, the album gave me the feeling that the members of BTS were struggling with who they were as a group, as artists, and as people.

This continued into "Butter" and "PTD," two more all-English songs, and various collaborations of the puzzle-piece-that-doesn't-fit variety I mentioned above. It was an identity crisis. I can't think of another way to describe it. Eventually, BTS decided for themselves that they had to take a step back, spend some time alone, and regroup later. I was both sad and relieved to hear the news. Releasing "PROOF" was a good way to look back on what they'd accomplished so far and put an end to Chapter 1.

That brings us to Chapter 2. More specifically, "Golden." Now, I love Jungkook. Spend 5 minutes scrolling through my blog, and that much will be obvious. But this album was not it for me. First, I want to make it clear that the members of BTS can sing in whatever language they so choose. Having said that, I do tend to prefer their songs that are entirely in Korean or are a mixture of Korean and English. Why? Emotion.

BTS' all-English songs tend to be written by other people, and those people tend to be the ones who write the same bland, unoriginal songs for overrated American/Canadian/British pop singers. Although Jungkook sings the English lyrics of this album with excellent pronunciation and technique, it doesn't have the magnitude of emotion in songs that he participated in writing, such as "Your Eyes Tell," which is in Japanese and English.

I don't know a lot about song credits, but I've noticed the following pattern: the more the members' names show up in the credits, the more I like the song. Looking at the credits for Golden? Jungkook's name isn't listed on a single song. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. A lot of wonderful singers all around the world can take a song that is given to them and make it their own by contributing their own talent, their own voice. But frankly, Jungkook didn't do that with these songs. I didn't want to say it, but...these are Justin Bieber songs. Especially "Too Sad to Dance," which is nearly indistinguishable from Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself."

On episode 21 of Suchwita, Jungkook said he recorded five songs in a week, which amounted to one song per day in a 3-hour session, give or take. Yoongi said that was a sign of unbelievable growth, and for comparison, Taehyung said it takes him 3 days to record one song. If I remember correctly, Namjoon worked on "Indigo" for 3 years. So, it's really no wonder why this album is the music equivalent of fast fashion.

I've already talked about how much I hated "Seven" (the song and the MV) in other posts, I can't do it again. Jack Harlow's part in "3D" makes me gag. I can't take the lyrics for "Shotglass of Tears" seriously. I mean, "she the life of the party...42 in her body...tell me, am I ever gon' feel again?" Yikes! "Closer" is generic runway music. "Yes or No" is tolerable. The only song I really liked is "Standing Next to You." I'm just disappointed. I don't have anything else to say.

[infernalwitxhcraft]

Home Protection Powder & Cleansing

Hello everyone! I have a protection powder for the doors & windows of your homes to create, along with a quick cleansing that involves the spirits of your home. I'll be doing an entire post on house spirits in the coming weeks for those interested.

Protection Powder:

• Black salt (can substitute with sea salt)

• Rosemary

• Cinnamon

• Blue vervain

• Yarrow

• Juniper berries

• Garlic skin

• Crushed eggshells

• Dried chillies

• Lemongrass essential oil (about three drops)

Grind in mortar & pestle, placing intent into the ingredients. Place in a large bowl/jar. Charge on a waning or new moon, or you may use another method of charging if you need to use it sooner.

*It is okay if you do not have all of these ingredients. I'm sharing one of my personal favorite blends that works well for me. Omit what is needed, replace if you'd like, and add if your gut is telling you to.

Now that we have it made, the home cleansing will require:

• Home protection salt

• Salt mixed into water (if you wish, you may use sun or moon water for a boost)

• Smoke bundle (for cleansing)

• Small stones with protective sigils carved/painted onto them

• Offering for house spirits (milk, honey, and herbs work well!)

1. First, go through your home with your smoke bundle, clearing away negative energy. Whether you go clockwise or counterclockwise is up to you, as well as if you'd like to do the steps room-by-room or by making multiple rounds in the house.

2. Go to your front door area and any other main areas your guests typically come through (ex., the garage door). Place your stones nearby, hidden away. Potted plants work great for this as they can also act as wards. They will keep the stones charged for you.

3. Sprinkle your protection powder at any entrances of the home (doors, windows, and the front step/porch area near the main door). Recite an incantation if you wish.

4. Go around the home with your saltwater. Dip your fingers into the water and seal all windows & doors. You can draw sigils on them as well, which I find to be very helpful. Recite an incantation if you wish.

5. Leave your offerings out for the house spirits. Personally, I leave them in two places. One in the backyard, the other on my kitchen altar. Remember to thank them as you do so and ask them to help protect you & to keep your wards strong. They can assist you in the general cleansing of energy & sealing the home, if you want to do so. Having a relationship built with them prior to these types of rituals will help.

6. Reinforce your home wards now that you have spoken to the house spirits. I will do a post on this sometime in the future, as far as how energetically protecting the home goes.

How often you do this cleansing is your choice. I typically do mine once a month. Some people do it once a week, others once every season, some only once a year.

[albumwalloffame]

Top 10 Worst Album Covers of 1986 - Part 2/2

Part 1

5. April Wine - Walking Through Fire

Again, do I need to say anything here? Nice cropping job guys, you couldn't even align the fire to be with the corners properly? What a joke. I don't know if it would be better if the guitar was in the foreground, or was at the very least more visible in the fire part. Honestly, I think the only reason this isn't number one, is because it's kind of funny, and I can see this working somewhat, but mostly because it's funny.

4. Ozzy Osbourne - The Ultimate Sin

What isn't funny is seeing a horrid mutation of Ozzy Osbourne and one of the Jim Henson company's creatures. The ultimate sin, truly is playing God with life. Shou Tucker bastard.

3. The Rolling Stones - Dirty Work

Here's another one I inducted into the Wall of Infamy, this time in 2022. I reiterate, this is the kind of outfits you would see on a bad sketch comedy show making fun of the 80s. Three blindingly hot pinks, a tacky yelow and orange suit, and a blue suit that blends in with the floor, this is what one of the most iconic bands of the 60s we're doing in the 80s. I'd say "How the mighty have fallen", but compared to other bands that have become fallen titans, frankly The Stones are doing great by those standards.

2. Raven - The Pack is Back

Oh boy, when I think of "Bad 80s album covers" this is along the lines of something I think about. Cheesy, ridiculous, mildly homo-erotic, this checks all the boxes. Three muscular men bursting out of lockers in… sporting gear? I dunno what sport would ask anyone to wear what the two guys on each end are wearing… not even cheerleading (Yes Cheerleading is a sport, shut up!). You'll also notice the the guys are each coming out of two different lockers, implying the broke the walls in the first locker, which I'd be more inclined to believe if there was any indication of that, like some rubble, or something. This is "bad 80s Album Cover" to the letter, so why isn't it number one? Because…

1. The Human League - Crash

I… want to state that, I can always understand why. The why behind certain choices is something I can see. Why did the Human League make this album cover? Because this was a last minute substitution for their original plans for an album cover. They wanted something better, but the photographer they had hired wanted one of the women to do a pose she deemed inapporpriate, and they got into an argument, and the photographer refused to work with the band, didn't even give them a refund. The "Why", I understand, it's the "What" that I don't. At some point, I feel like evryone just gave up on the album, but they didn't want to make that obvious, so they threw something together just to say they put an album cover together. At this point, I probably would have given them more credit if they just had a blank canvas with the album title on it, or even just looked for old photographs of the band in concert or for publicity shoots.

Honourable Mentions:

Hüsker Dü - Candy Apple Grey; It looks like a fossil... I wish this was Cool Dragon Grey. What does that look like? A fossil... but it's not as ugly. (Managed to squeeze a Simpsons reference on this blog, quota met)

Felt - Forever Breathes the Lonely Word; Does this break the rule of thirds?

Bob Dylan - Knocked Out Loaded; I think I saw this on a "worst album covers" list once... I don't get it, but okay.

The Beach Boys - Made in U.S.A.; Of course it was, it's hideous. Was that joke too easy?

38 Special - Strength in Numbers; Anyone else craving Macaroni?

Daryl Hall - Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine; This is like that David Crosby album cover... except worse.

Yanni - Keys to Imagination; What the Fu-

Black Sabbath - Seventh Star; This was intended to be a Toni Iommi solo project... the cover would not be here if it was released as a solo project.

[wholesomebellies]

Chickpea chocolate chip Cookies

Okay, so these biscuits may sound strange, but trust me, they are a huge hit every time I make them.

And the best part, no one suspects they are loaded with chickpeas. They are so easy to make, have only a few ingredients and honestly, they’re a sweet treat you can enjoy totally guilt-free.

 You must try them. You’ll be totally shocked at the result. 100% whole ingredients too. And so many variations possible. Chickpeas are tiny little legumes that originated from India. They are packed with protein, making them a complete source of vegetarian & vegan protein.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Serves: Makes approx 15 biscuits!

Ingredients

1 cup of drained and rinsed chickpeas (can) – be sure to rinse them well

1 cup plain flour – you can use wholemeal or spelt. Even a GF flour will work

½ cup coconut sugar – you can use any sweetener of your choice .

1 teaspoon vanilla extract – be sure to use good quality vanilla, not essence

4 tablespoons 100% pure almond butter – can substitute for any nut butter, peanut butter is great too

½ teaspoon baking powder – necessary to get them nice and fluffy

½ cup choc chips – optional (but totally a yes from me!)

Method

Preheat oven at 180 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until you form a cookie dough. Once blended

Move to a bowl and mix in by hand the chocolate chips.

Form cookies by taking a small piece of dough and shaping it – then pressing down with a fork.

Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Allow cooling before serving and enjoy!

Equipment you Need

Large mixing bowl

Baking tray

Baking Paper or silicone mat

Mixing spoon

Measuring Cups

Cooling rack

Food processor (if you don’t have one mash chickpeas with a potato masher

Chickpeas are an incredibly great ingredient, and being a high-protein food, they can add a lot of nutritional value to your favorite dishes. Especially for kids, they’ll be none the wiser that their cookie treat is actually healthy.  Chickpeas contain 16g of protein per cup, along with virtually no fat. Now you know what to add to your food if you’re looking for a quality source of protein. Also, they’re high in fiber, potassium, and folate, making them good for your health as well. Chickpeas are an excellent source of protein, containing more grams per cup than both cooked beans and meat. Chickpeas are also rich in fiber, and 100 calories of chickpeas will help you feel full longer 

In this recipe we swap out butter for peanut butter making it vegan friendly too! Peanut butter contains protein, monounsaturated fats, fibre, and Vitamin E. This makes it a great alternative to butter or margarine in these cookies, as it has similar binding properties and they will hold together well.

You can also make this recipe with macadamia butter, or substitute any other kind of nut butter. And if you want to add some fruit flavour, try adding sultanas or cranberries.

To learn how to make recipes like this and more check out our huge range of vegan cooking classes in Brisbane.  Our vegan cooking school has so many classes and recipes where we can guide you toward a  healthy, plant-based diet.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many biscuits does the recipe make?

The recipe makes approximately  12 to 15 biscuits.

How long will they last?

The biscuits should last up to two weeks if kept in an airtight container or jar with a lid.

Can you store them in the freezer?

Absolutely.  You can freeze them for up to three months. Make sure they’ve cooked down and then place them in an airtight container. Before enjoying them let them thaw out at room temperature.

[fantastic-nonsense]

I might be wrong but I figured you'd be the person to ask: Someone in a Discord server I'm in was talking about the "popular fanon idea of Cass learning ASL and sometimes preferring it to speech." And I... don't think this is fanon? Doesn't she canonically know ASL? I know she learned English and (I believe) Mandarin but I'm almost positive there are also lots of canon instances of her signing.

Okay so I'm going to split this ask into two questions:

Does Cass know American Sign Language (ASL), canonically?

Could Cass learn ASL?

The answer to #1 is no, Cass doesn't canonically know ASL to my knowledge (caveat: this does not, apparently, apply to the Young Justice cartoon universe; Cassandra Wu-San does appear to know some form of legitimate sign language). Canon!Cass, on the other hand, knows some basic signs and does use them, but it's more charades, 'loud gesturing,' and basic hand signals than it is ASL. The reasons Cass knowing ASL is such a popular fanon misperception are rather complex, but it largely comes down to two things: misunderstanding how ASL works and misunderstanding what Cass's disability actually is.

ASL isn't just some fancy hand gestures that translate one-to-one into spoken English; that would be "baby sign" or spell signing at best. ASL is a language, with all of the complex grammar, vocabulary, syntax, and sentence structure that implies. It takes years of learning and immersion to understand, learn, and utilize properly, just like any other language. Treating it as anything else is a form of ableism.

Someone like Cass who has difficulty processing language is going to have just as much trouble learning ASL as she would English, Mandarin, or any other language, because her problem isn't that she just "doesn't know English." Cass's disability is not that she can't read or communicate verbally: it's that her brain is literally built different because of how Cain raised her, and that affects how she processes language (and thus how she communicates with other people):

"David Cain…had some unusal ideas about combat. He experimented with infants. Trained them in isolation and deprived them of human speech. The goal was to adapt the language center of the brain to interpret physical movement as a language. She can…read you. Your body. That's why she understands what you're saying when she doesn't know the words. It's why in combat, she knows what you're going to do before you do it." -Batgirl (2000) #1

"The language centers of your brain are all over both hemispheres. Not centralized like with most people. When you try to read or write, your brain doesn't know how to keep it cohesive. But the good news is--you can learn. It's just a matter of figuring out how." -Batgirl #67

It's actually specified somewhere (I don't have the panel on hand, unfortunately) that she doesn't know sign language; Cain wanted her to read natural body language and nuance, not artificial hand gestures. Cass's primary "language" (and thus form of communication) until her brain was semi-rewired was body language.

But body language isn't actually a language; it's a form of non-verbal communication that functions through the (largely subconscious) 'reading' of both conscious and unconscious physical movement. Cass's childhood and training simply elevated that ability to ridiculous heights:

"A special ability to predict my opponent's moves. That doesn't begin to describe it. Time...ran together. The future...blending...into the moment. A blink of an eye...the knife thrust that follows...both one. It was like...like I could predict my opponent's moves. Okay, that does describe it. But it doesn't do it justice. All this knowledge. No substitute for knowing." -Batgirl (2000) #7

We see explicitly how this ability plays out on several occasions throughout her Batgirl run and the Detective Comics Rebirth run, and it's pretty clear she's reading subconscious feelings, thoughts, and movement, not language:

Cass absolutely communicates via hand gestures before and after Batgirl #4, but it's not any form of cohesive language, much less ASL. It's effectively advanced charades mixed with some universal non-verbal gestures:

"You don't speak any language, do you? Except violence." -Detective Comics (1937) #734

"Is he giving you any trouble?" *Cass flaps her hand to indicate the guy is a blabbermouth* "Got you. He talks too much." -Batman: Family (2002) #7

*Cass gestures to Jason's heart, Tim's mind, and Dick's voice to indicate she understands how they work as a team*-Batman and Robin Eternal (2015) #3

People learning a English as a second language already have an understanding of how language works, but Cass doesn’t have that foundation. Her primary language isn't sign language, it's body reading. Thus, she struggles to speak, read, and write in English not because it's a different language than she's used to communicating with but because it's the first actual language she's ever learned. Fanon largely projects ASL fluency onto Cass because they fundamentally don't understand how her abilities work (and thus don't understand how her disability works either).

Does Cass have the ability to learn ASL? Absolutely! Would ASL be a really cool way of depicting Cass communicating with other people and an interesting way to showcase language learning difficulties and communication disabilities in the visual medium that is comics? Absolutely! I would actually be genuinely thrilled if canon and the fandom actually worked with what a physical, visual-based language like ASL might mean for Cass's ability to communicate given her childhood training. But as it stands, "Cass knowing ASL" is a well-meaning but misguided fanon attempt to showcase inclusivity while being...well, frankly kind of offensive.

(As for why she would theoretically "know" Mandarin, it's a product of the incredibly racist and ableist writing that defined the "Evil Cass Era." This culminated in DC putting her on a bus and shipping her off to Hong Kong because "Asian girl knows Asian languages, right? Brilliant! Send her off!" while ignoring literally everything about Cass ever. She's never actually shown speaking Mandarin, Cantonese, or any other dialect of Chinese on-panel, but we can reasonably infer she probably picked up SOME level of comprehension while living there.)

[quandaryqueen]

Pockets

Music Meister X Rogue Assistant Reader

A love story that stems from pockets? Yes.

I love this man, okay??

💜 Say, which villain do you think would be stressful to work with? My rational brain says Edward Nygma, as much as I love him with all my heart I just know it would be so damn stressful to work with him.

As his assistant, you will need to be good at following instructions. Doesn't matter if you're intelligent enough to catch up with him or not, you just need to be good at obeying what he says. Instructions extends to complex things, such as the complicated machineries he works on.

"Oh you're capable of programing a bomb? Well very good, that would be put to good use someday. Now could you please get me a drink? 2/3 caff triple ristretto affogato venti, 2 pump mango, 1 pump classic, 2%, mango to the second line, 3 scoops protein, 3 scoops berries, 2 scoop matcha, add banana, double blended, with whip, caramel drizzle, salted caramel topping, vanilla bean frappuccino. Oh and, would you kindly pick up the new printer at this shop? Oh and I'll need these tools, there's a list that I just sent to your phone. I will need all of that in five minutes."

So imagine yourself balancing a heavy ass printer, paper works, the tools he requested, the complicated coffee order, and your clipboard between your teeth.

You were a versatile worker and he made use of that. You were his calendar as you often note down his schedules of agendas, his alarm to remind him of his agenda, his housekeeper as he really can't keep his space clean and will complain if everything is not in order, his chef because Jesus Christ the dude can't pick up some food to save his life, his secretary, his assistant, auditor, business manager...

💜 And so you were often around him, he takes you in various business meetings with the other rogues and due to that you've went to places and met myriads of people.

As his personal assistant, you're basically a Swiss army knife to him with your capabilities and he appreciates you! Loyal and competent assistants these days are rare to find and because of that, you were loaded with tasks that are often than not, overwhelming because that's how he trusts you... At least he pays good and priotizes you when Batman's there.

One night in particular, you were growing claustrophobic in the banquet your boss had attended. Quietly pardoning yourself, Edward briefly turned to tell you not to go too far as you made your way outside of the venue. You settle in their garden where a swing set sat, dusting off the seat before sitting on it.

In the silence you lightly sway, taking a breather to loosen yourself from the tightness you felt in the building. You took notice that you weren't alone, as you pass by the other guests taking their time alone in the corners of the garden, as you saw Black Mask with a cigarette in the gazebo, taking to someone on his phone. You can still hear him ranting away at someone from the other side of the line, and you opted to go further from the gardens, but Mister Nygma instructed you not to specifically go far.

The music of the banquet was still heard, but muffled by the distance. At least you can still hear the entertainment happening there, but you preferred the performer from earlier. You only stuck around to hear him and once he stepped off the stage, you also stepped out of the building.

💜 Unbeknownst to you, Dennis was wandering around the garden to drink in the wonders of the night in a romantic light. The manor was a picturesque dream with its garden and old money structure. He wished he wore a white, ruffled collar shirt and black trousers and run in the gardens barefoot to greet his secret lover by the fountain concealed by the shadow of the trees. To talk about their dreams and aspirations in a hushed tone, afraid to get caught by forbidding parents... A daydreamer's mind is never dull, what can I say?

Substitute his romantic ruffled shirt with a modern suit and cravat and that secret lover as the stranger he stumbled upon by the swing set and you got yourself a classic example of some good ol' romance. This man is an utter hopeless romantic, I swear to God, keep him or I will.

💜 And he shoots his shot.

"Is this seat taken?"

You snap from your reverie when you heard a voice, quite harshly. Your choice of career had you overreacting over little things and if it had taught you one thing, small noises are a dead give away to threats. Or worse, Batman.

By this reaction, Dennis backs away with his hands held up. "Woah, sorry, did I started you?"

"No, the seat isn't taken and yes, you have startled me."

You've yet to recover from the shock his harmless statement, as you couldn't beat to loosen up when he takes the other swing. You watch as he pushes himself a little on the swing, introducing a steadier motion on his swing compared to your weak little sway. You'd raise a brow and wonder how old this man is, but you've seen worse.

You went out here to recharge from the social thing and yet one has followed you and disrupt your lovely lonesome. It would be your first instinct to leave and find another place, but for some reason you were compelled to stay.

"So what brings you here?" He asks, halting from his playful swinging to match your slow pace. You must've given him a look for him to reel back, but he doesn't lose his friendly smile. He sheepishly adds, "If you don't mind me asking,"

He seems harmless, but so does Edward. You indulge but not fully disclose. "I'm my boss' plus one. Couldn't breathe inside so I got out. And you?" Hopefully this is enough to divert the attention away from you.

"One of the performers of the party on break. Figured I should spend some time outside so I wouldn't be bothered by my manager."

"Wait, you were the performer a few minutes ago?" You raised a brow at him. He bears a proud smile. You didn't recognize him, you were too far to see the stage and not to mention, the sea of formal-clad rich people blocked your view. "Shut up, really?"

"Yes."

"Oh my gosh, you did great by the way. I only stayed inside because I liked hearing your performance and when you stepped off and I left. What are the odds that I'll be meeting you." You didn't know whether this was a ruse to keep the topic away from your business or if it was genuinely yourself spewing out of administration.

"Oh stop it, you're making me blush." He limps his hand and brushes an invisible strand of hair behind his ear.

"I am low-key shocked no one's following you here screaming for you to give them your babies or something."

"You really think that?"

"Hmm yeah. With your voice? Your face?" You snorted lightly, holding onto the handles of the swing and began to lightly push yourself. "Helen who? You look like you'd send thousands of ships to war... Illiad reference, hehe..."

"Hmm, I like me some literary reference. You a bookworm?"

"In a way, I guess? Although I haven't held a book in a good while, boss likes me to run around to attend to... Stuff."

"What do you, exactly?"

Shit, steer away from your job.

"Honestly, a lot. Personal assistant is... A versatile job. It's tiring... Fetch this, fetch that... I feel like a dog. If only I can split myself in five to do things all at once, that'd be a dream." You sighed. "Not to mention, my boss is kind of a pain in the ass-- oop!"

Without your notice, your phone slipped from your lap and with quick reflexes, your foot caught it before it can meet the ground. Sighing in frustration, you pick up your phone grumbling.

"Goddamn it," you attempted to store your phone in your apparel, slipping it on your side when you realised you have no pockets. "Goddamn it."

"Pocket problems?" The man bears a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah. The fashion corporation do love to deprive me of apparel storage privilege."

Not to mention, your outfit was a last minute squeeze. In your haze of sleep deprivation, you forgot about this agenda and rushed to get yourself into presentable, albeit not for the weather. As of cue, you shiver for the umpteenth time at the duration of the night.

"Fuck..." You hissed through gritted teeth, running your palms on your arms. The cold but you in the ass and you wish nothing more than to go back inside if it weren't for the fact you'd be suffocated there.

As you enumerate ways to gain warmth, you feel it in the form of a sudden weight on your shoulders. His black double breasted coat lay on your shoulder, it's warmth tempting for you to slip your arms in. Glancing up at the man with flushed cheeks, you wave your hand frantically.

"Oh, no I'm-"

"I insist. It would be ungentlemanly of me to let you freeze." He chuckles. He then points at the inside of the coat. "And look inside, there's so many pockets."

"Oh..." You sink in it's warmth and you catch a whiff of his musk embedded on the coat. A certain spasm stirs in your belly, warming your chest and cheeks with a lithe glow. Eagerly, you slip your arms within it with a hint of embarrassment. "You didn't have to but... Thank you..."

You couldn't look in his eyes, but he certainly was liking the view of your smiling face.

"You're welcome. Though, I must go. Mister Manager will be biting my head off if I don't show up." He stood from the swings and began to head back.

"Wait, what about your-" he stops you before you can even shrug the coat off.

"Keep it." He smiles over his shoulder, before continuing his path.

Swallowing thickly, the warmth of your body spreads at the back of your neck and you didn't realise your cheeks started to hurt from smiling. You bury yourself in his coat, inhaling the remnant of his scent and sighing.

💜 Mister Nygma had called you in after that and you were leaving. Edward questioned where you had gotten your coat, or rather, who had gave it you. That's when the realisation hit that you didn't ask for his name... Well shit.

Mister No Name Man was occupying your head for weeks and whenever you'd move on, you'd see his coat again and re-light your rampant thoughts about him.

Your fellow goons, mainly Echo and Query, were teasing you to no end for living the Wattpad life, even squealing about the fact that you forgot to ask his name and contacts. Oh and they definitely helped you track the guy online, but to no avail.

💜 You wore the coat during formal meetings and cursed when his scent faded away from it and since then you were trying to find which fragrance he uses and again, to no avail.

💜 Though you were mailing around at the fact you might never get to see him again, but fate has other plans, you just be patient.

Yet another banquet hosted by a rogue and invited his fellow rogues, old and new, where a certain new face showed up at this event.

"My, my," you turned to see a man dressed in a purple and lime green get-up. "Lovely to see you again."

Squinting, you don't particularly recognise the man. Though you have no idea who he is, you continue to hold your polite smile.

"I'm sorry, I'm quite forgetful. Who are you again?" That was a lie, you aren't that forgetful. If you were, Riddler would have you replaced.

"Hmm... How should I say this... You are currently wearing my old coat."

Your face dropped. Before you can speak, he steeps down to bow dramatically.

"Music Meister, my dear." You instinctively held your hand out when he held out his, in which upon receiving it, he kisses the back of your hand. "May I have you name?"

In your flushed state, you sputter out your name in a panic. So you're telling me this guy's smoothness level can increase exponentially?

"Ah, Y/N! I see you've met our new business partner." You snap from your trance when you heard Edward behind you.

"Riddler, it's a pleasure. I look forward to our collaboration."

"Likewise," Edward smiles. "Say, are you available after this party?"

"Yes."

"Would you mind joining me in my office? I'd like to discuss our collaboration further."

Music Meister's eyes darted behind Edward where you stood, before directing his gaze back at your boss. "Of course."

"Splendid. I'll see you later. Y/N would you kindly call in Query and Echo? Tell them not to stray too far." He turns to you.

"Yes sir." Before taking your leave, you glance over your shoulder to see Music Meister's eyes following your figure whilst Edward continued his discussion with him.

You bit your lips at the following night. God, you'd be spending more time with him than you thought.

[art-vvitch]

STUDYING AND FOCUS SPELL

Alright. I am presently doing this spell as I write this so this is a log so far of how it’s going, what I’ve used, and any extraneous notes.

Candle: I’m using a yellow, tapered votive candle with yellow specifically to represent intelligence, learning, memory, and joy.

Kitchen sage (rubbed sage): Wisdom

Rosemary: memory, clarity, intellect

Cinnamon: Energy and success (I used already ground up cinnamon out of the spice cabinet)

Oil: I used regular vegetable oil but if you have special ritual oils that match your intention then that could work too

Gloves: I’m in the habit now of putting on gloves (latex or non latex, something to protect your skin, doesn’t matter) before applying oil and herbs to candles. This is especially important if you’re using essential oils because those are more concentrated and could be potentially very harmful to your skin. 

Something fireproof to burn the candle on

PLATE/TRAY/WHATEVER FOR DRESSING THE CANDLE: Mine is a tin “serving platter” I got at the dollar store that I poured my herb blend onto in order to roll the candle in the herbs

OPTIONAL (I already had these so I used them as well): Carnelian (creativity, because my studying is for my comics workshop specifically), fluorite (mental clarity, peace), regular white quartz (amplifier for energy), previously made spell bottle for creativity (too much to get into right now LMAO)

Frankincense for cleansing my tools and space

Okay. So, I lit up the frankincense and cleansed what I had. I don’t have special incantations or anything, I literally was just saying like “This is now cleansed, this is now cleansed too, etc”. Once that was done, I blended up the kitchen sage, rosemary, and cinnamon in my teeny tiny mortar and pestle but I imagine a food processor or herb grinder could do the trick. If all else fails, just mix how you can. 

I put on my gloves and dabbed some vegetable oil onto my fingers to rub onto the candle, and then I poured out the herb blend onto my tray for rolling the candle in it. I used a bit of extra herbs to try to sprinkle onto the tapered part to really get it as coated as I could and talked outloud about what I was doing this spell for. After that, I lit it.

It’s currently surrounded with the crystals and my little spell bottle for the extra oomph and has been burning beautifully for about an hour now. I think it is a success.

Miscellaneous notes under the cut. 

So far, I’ve been pretty focused on what I needed this spell for! I’m trying to catch up on work for my online comics residency but taking a break now to have a bite to eat and log this for future reference. I’m sure there are color and herb substitutions that can be utilized here if you don’t have what’s listed. 

Whenever I try to do spellcasting I always try to include one thing that corresponds with success to ensure a more successful working. Most of the time it’s cinnamon, either in stick form or ground up as I used here, because it’s what I have on hand and I like the smell. 

IMPORANT: I have ADHD and am currently medicated but please do not try to do this as a substitution for any kind of medications, in lieu of studying, or anything else. This working is meant to be used in conjunction with studying, with what you  normally use to try to help focus, etc and not as a substitution for the above. Please witchcraft responsibly!

[kuroosmikasavolleyball]

Her Game

Abendrot

(n) the color of the sky when the sun is setting; a certain afterglow.

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

previous | next | masterlist |

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a/n: I’m so sorry this is late! I got really busy with school work and other stuff and Part 4 wasn’t ready to post on Sunday. Here it is though, I hope you enjoy. This is the second to last part of the series(I think). I hope you understand the connection to the series title now a little bit but it gets better😏 I don’t know if this counts as slow-burn but…yeah. Anyways, feel free to like, republish, and message me. Requests and taglists are open! This is a safe and loving place for everyone and any hate will be shut down. Enjoy reading<3

Part 4 summary: Ravenclaw and Slytherin verse in the second and last quidditch game of the season. New strategies, doubt, nervousness from what happened earlier is bundled up for (Y/N), and all she needs to focus on is winning this game. Will Slytherin take the win and bragging rights, or will Ravenclaw emerge victorious?

pairing: cedric x fem!reader(in ravenclaw)

genre: fluff

warnings: uh nothing

word count: 1.6k(how did this happen-)

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“What’s got your mood down the drain?”

Kimball peers at (Y/N)’s woeful face, “Don’t tell me you’re nervous; this new plan has already got me shaky.”

She would’ve told Kimball what had happened last night if Roger wasn’t right next to her.

(Y/N) leans her head on the palm of her hand. “It’s nothing. Can we just continue planning, please?” Roger looks at her, a bit worried as well.

“Maybe..this plan should stay a draft. I’ll go tell the team.” Roger almost gets up but (Y/N) stops him. “No, wait. I’m ok; I promise. Let’s do this.”

Fred and George walk in and (Y/N) speaks, “Just gimme a sec.” and goes towards them.

“Hey hey! How’s my favorite Ravenclaw?” Fred ruffles her hair and she swats the hand away.

“She’s..ok I guess. Kimball and Roger came up with a plan yesterday and somehow the whole team liked it. We’re gonna test it out during the pre-game practice but I’m a little terrified.”

“You smarties always come up with something, huh? Don’t worry about it; you’ll be great. I even got my special edition Ravenclaw hat!” George playfully lifts a blue and bronze homemade hat made by Mrs. Weasley. (Y/N) has the same kind for Gryffindor, but she’s smart enough not to wear it in public.

“You don’t have to cheer me up; I’m fine. By the way, have you seen Ced? He hasn’t come down for breakfast yet.”

“Nope, we haven’t; he must be off on his ~prefect duties~.”

George scrunches up his face in disgust.

They say their goodbyes and head to the Gryffindor table. Just as (Y/N) is about to go looking for Cedric, he walks in with a painful expression.

“God, I should’ve listened to you, these hangovers are not worth it.”

Huh? How is that his first sentence? Doesn’t he rememb-

“You ok? You know you have nothing to be nervous about today, right? Ravenclaw will definitely win.”

“Oh yeah, yeah I’m fine. I just..do you remember last night at all?”

Cedric cocks his head to the side. “Uh.. a bit. I remember coming into the Ravenclaw common room, we played a drinking game..then it gets fuzzy. But I remember you walking me to my common room; thanks for that.”

Oh? He..doesn’t remember.

“Ah ok..that was most of the night so you didn’t miss too much. Go eat and drink water; you’ll feel better.”

The warmth in her ears and cheeks felt a bit too overwhelming once in the Ravenclaw locker room. Normally, a quidditch game wouldn’t have struck up such nervousness in (Y/N), or just the Ravenclaw team in general. They knew how to calm down in time for the game and bring all their assets to the table. Except now, there was only one match that determined everything.

Roger was almost roaring. “Alright guys! I know we’re all a little on edge right now, but let’s get to the point. We know Slytherin plays a dirty game but we’re staying fair. Don’t let rage take you over, think and focus, we got this. Let’s go out there and win this!”

He continued to give separate instructions to the beaters, the keeper, and the seeker. He turned to (Y/N) and Kimball, firing up to go.

“Before you say anything, Davies. We know what to do, we’ll try the plan out right now during the practice, ok? Now calm down.”

Kimball was surprisingly stable today and it was no doubt she was going to have a good match. Roger visibly deflated but kept a smug look in his face.

Hooch told them Ravenclaw was going first for practice so the team kicked off into the air.

(Y/N)’s hair was tied back and the breeze tickled her face. She missed this feeling; so freeing and beautiful.

Before long, Kimball nodded towards (Y/N) and took off. She stayed higher up and Roger acted as an opponent chaser. They released the Snitch, the Bludgers, and the Quaffle, and started a mock game. Roger zoomed past (Y/N) and she went behind him. Kimball followed (Y/N) but from above. (Y/N) stole the Quaffle and headed to the three goals, where their Keeper stayed, and scored.

(Y/N) kept the Quaffle and tried to score again, but Roger stole the ball and that’s when Kimball came into the playing area. She quickly picked the ball from Roger and scored while (Y/N) flew up. This was their plan; have one chaser on the pitch and the other two above, following the movements. As soon as the ball was stolen or the chaser runs out of stamina, another substitutes in. If all three chasers from the other team started tagging the one chaser, the other two will come down to help. Roger had checked with Hooch to see if the tactic broke any rules and she allowed the Ravenclaw team to use it.

The Slytherin team practiced regularly and it was a relief to not see any crazy strategies.

We can win this.

The houses filed in, chattering their heads off as the teams got ready to enter the field. The Ravenclaw team was introduced and they flew up, similar to the Slytherin team except for Lee’s backhanded comments.

“The game is the last one of the season! But don’t worry, I’m sure the Triwizard Tournament will be entertaining! Let’s get on now; today’s match is Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin. I hope you all cheer for the right team!”

He got a slight warning from Mcgonagall and that was it. Marcus Flint and the other players were all mounted on their fancy brooms; (Y/N) was a tad jealous, but her Comet 290 did the job. Hooch gave warnings and blew the whistle, and before (Y/N) knew it, the game began.

The strategy had worked so far except for a short period where Draco Malfoy was chasing the Snitch and almost crashed into (Y/N) and Kimball, who were waiting above and had to move away really quickly.

Roger was running out of breath and (Y/N) noticed, so she flew down after telling Kimball and took his spot. A red-haired Slytherin chaser had the Quaffle, so (Y/N) speeded towards them. One of the beaters hit a Bludger towards the chaser and (Y/N) swooped in to take the Quaffle when they were distracted.

“Nice hit, Jason!” She yelled as she went past him, dodging Marcus Flint.

“and…(Y/L/N) scores! The score is now 50-35 with Ravenclaw in the lead.”

Cheers grew even louder and (Y/N) swore she locked eyes with Cedric as she flew past the Hufflepuff tower.

Ravenclaw’s seeker, Cho Chang was a little quiet and the year below (Y/N), but she was amazing on the field. There was a point in time last year where Cedric took an interest to her, but it faded..(Y/N) hopes.

The game was similar to the last, taking a long time and the players started to lose energy. As the year had just started, it was fall and the sun set earlier. The breeze up above was chilly and the chasers of Ravenclaw went back to the regular strategy, even though the one they were using didn’t require a lot of stamina, they were getting tired of having to fly up and down. The score was 140-145 with Slytherin in the lead.

It was a little early for the sun to have set completely but the horizon line was blending. (Y/N) remembered a time where Cedric told her a word for this scenery...abendrot. The violent tango of the blue and orange hues made for a majestic view.

She was temporarily distracted since Roger had the Quaffle when she heard Lee’s voice booming, “Just as Davies scores..Chang is closing in on the snitch..SHE’S CAUGHT IT! RAVENCLAW WINS!”

The team quickly flew down and cheered for Cho, but it felt like a mutual celebration since everyone did so well. Kimball hugged (Y/N) tight and whispered about how her legs are going to be so sore.

They giggled amongst themselves until George’s voice ripped through the crowd and screamed (Y/N)’s name. The other houses were rushing up too, congratulating their friends and other players. (Y/N) was lifted and hugged by the twins and she spotted Cedric running up.

“Hell, if you think our game was good, this was amazing!” Fred laughed and set her down.

“I feel like most people weren’t watching towards the end since it was so long.”

Cedric finally caught up and spoke, “Nonsense, (Y/N). You did so well today, especially when you swooped in near the goal when Warrington had the Quaffle; you just stole it and dropped it in. He didn’t even realize.” A smile graced his face.

He noticed details..

“(Y/N)? You okay?”

“..Thanks! Yeah..um, sorry that was a really long game so I’m just tired.”

The twins and Cedric went back to their common room as Ravenclaw celebrated in a more calm way than Hufflepuff did.

A few students sat around the fireplace, but most of the players went to bed early.

“Did you see Malfoy’s face? He looked like he was about to kill someone with that grimace.” Inglebee chattered.

Kimball and (Y/N) went back to the dorms after signaling to their friends that they’re going because they couldn’t keep their eyes open.

(Y/N) thought back to how the sky looked when the sun kissed the mountains in the distance and fell asleep thinking about the fond memory of today and of when she learned from a certain someone about what that sunset is called. Abendrot.

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