#now to get some dumbells and things

[sermna]

I got an elliptical for christmas, which is SO exciting because I haven't had the time or money to go to the gym since before I had my son. I really like low impact exercise (my knees are shit) and having this available in my own home is a game changer for taking care of my mental and physical health ❤

[runawaymarbles]

Fanbinding(ish): Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

You've heard of the quarto-legal. Now get ready for the...

Quatro Legal

(ramen for scale.)

Okay. So. Context. For understandable reasons, people regularly say "quatro" when they mean "quarto," when talking about page size. (It's what it sounds like: a quarto is a quarter of a page.) @mourningmountainsbindery @zhalfirin-binds @ficcinghell and I were wondering what a "quatro legal" would actually look like, and decided it would have to be four legal sheets in a 2x2 grid.

So this book is 28" tall, and 17" wide.

I printed it on a large format printer a friend of mine was kindly willing to give me access to, and it's folded accordion style--looks like this when it's fully extended:

and the covers are chip board, though if I did it again I'd shell out for proper davey board, because I ended up spending way more time on the cover than I'd planned.

Here it is at the @renegadeguild retreat, with @mourningmountainsbindery's quarto legal, for scale:

Process pictures and videos under the cut.

So the first question was, how to get the cover on. Because PVA dries fast. I didn't want to use paste, because I was afraid the water would fuck up the boards, but in the time it would take to get glue on the whole board, the first glue would have already started to dry.

The answer:

dumping some glue onto the board, and slowly unrolling the fabric while my girlfriend frantically went ahead with a silicone scraper. So basically, curling.

For decoration, the first thing I knew I wanted to do was make a glow-in-the dark cheshire cat, so I started off by putting lines of masking tape up next to each other, drawing the design on with a sharpie, and then cutting on said lines to make a stencil. I then thought the cover looked a little empty, so I added the title. (Intermittently adding additional layers of glow in the dark paint.)

Then I peeled the tape off and the edges were a little wonkier in places than I'd hoped for. So, obviously, I had to do an outline. And I had all this imitation gold that I'd failed to make work on the page edges of my Good Omens bind, so obviously....

This also ended up requiring a ton of touch-ups: I just did the gilding adhesive directly onto the book cloth, which isn't the recommended method but I didn't trust my ability to keep my hand steady enough for primer. I did have to do two layers. (Pictured above is a bit of gilding adhesive waiting to be dry enough to put more gold on. It takes half an hour or so, and then the sealant that goes on top takes 4 hours to fully cure. So I did not do this on every single letter, though I considered it for one insane second.)

The endpapers are butcher paper a teacher friend kindly stole obtained for me. Getting them on required another frantic glue fest, with the assistance of @eebeesee, who was very nice about it.

Obviously, it was too big for the press. So here it is under a piece of chipboard, the glass top of the coffee table (surprisingly heavy,) 50lbs of dumbells, and then, for good measure, my actual book press plonked on top. Also required the assistance of eebee because keeping all of that aligned was kind of a four-arm operation.

The chipboard still warped a bit because, again, it's chipboard.

Eventually I'm going to make an actual quarto legal with the same cover so it can be compared to its mini-me.

[laugtherhyena]

Can we get some silly facts about your dra/sdra2 ocs :3 (beni, akira, mai, yukari, etc etc)

I added the random facts i got about Akira, Beni and Yukari in thes posts but I don't think I ever made one for Mai sooooo let's change that (even tho there's not many in regards to her)

-She's a huge Godzilla/Kaiju fan since she was a kid and Ippei used to take her to watch whatever new movie of it was coming out (he never understood what people found so fun in movies that are just huge monster destroys the city and fights other monsters). Her favorite Kaiju is Titanosaurs and she owns a bunch of VHSs and DVDs of Kaiju movies.

-She hates cooking and lives of take out and simple to put together meals. Her diet overall is really not that healthy, but Mai works out so much she ends up burning all the calories anyway. (She really loves drinking too!)

-Her apartment (Which is located within the Kisaragi foundation in living complex for those who work there) is very messy in the sense that things are stored wherever Mai finds it best to have them and not by conventional means; Why are there dumbells next to the bed? Morning workout, box of old classic music vinyls on top of the fridge? Easy to ignore his absence, Living room couch on the apartment balcony occupying the entire space there? Mai just likes the view, she's never been a huge fan of Tv anyway and she's put a big gym mat where the couch would be anyway. (Minako for sure brings this up as the reason she's never found a husband)

-Mai's the kind of person that will sometimes look at others around her age and think "What do you mean i could be a mother and ave children by now?? Huh? What?" (I don't think she necessarily wants to have children? At least not on her own account. If she got together with someone who really wanted them she would compromise)

-She often asks Ryutaro to help her put on the prosthetic for work. She like's the little guy a lot! She acts sorta like an aunt to him and became close to Midori by association.

-The reason Mai doesn't like using a prosthetic arm is because no matter how high quality it is it will never feel like how her actual arm used to and this difference annoys her more than having no second arm at all.

-When wearing it on missions tho, if things get rough, she has a habit of using the prosthetic as a shield/putting it in harm's way since it's just metal after all. The property damage annoys Kinjo at times, but it doesn't happen often enough for him to scold her for it.

-She is often regarded as immature for her age by a few peers. While that is true to an extent, Mai is incredibly proficient when it comes to work. More specifically;

-Bringing @despair-to-future-arcs Kisaragi foundation characters into the mix, Fukumi is one of her closest friends. They hang out outside of work and share secrets quite often.

-She initially got close to Naoto both out of them being assigned to train new members of Kinjo's division and their positions as 2nd and 3rd in command respectively, both of them have lost their families so there's a bond/mutual understanding on that fact as well.

-She may have a crush on him, but there's nothing much happening at the moment because Naoto is in an incredible bad mental health state and Mai doesn't have the ability to really help him given how she deals with a lot of issues through ignorance or distractions, which is really not what he needs. (She does genuinely care for him tho, and her inability to help him in a significant manner upsets her greatly.)

[sorinethemastermind]

Fluffcember 2024: Condensed Breath | Rayllum & Sorvus Callum is determined to ask Rayla to be his girlfriend this Winter Break. But if he can't even start a fire, how is he supposed to create the perfect moment? Soren has decided to stay on campus this Christmas, but with Rayla and Callum as his only company, he's starting to feel like a third wheel. Except maybe it's not just the three of them left on campus after all...

 Every morning, Soren waited for Corvus on the steps that led down from their building. And every morning the pair of them went for a jog around the campus. Three laps, to be precise. And everytime they did it in complete silence, both of them with their earbuds in, Soren listening to a podcast and Corvus listening to… well, whatever it was he was listening to.

 Soren always wanted to ask, but he didn’t want to be the first to break the silence.

 So they did their three laps, nodded to each other (Soren sometimes having to stifle a laugh at the solemnity of it all) and headed upstairs to take showers. It was their little routine. A tradition he somehow liked even better than he used to like going for a jog with his gym buddies every morning. Sure, Marcos was funny. And yes, he liked Rudy. But he swore if he claimed one more time that he had, in fact, invented the Egg McMuffin and McDonalds had just stolen his idea, Soren would kill him.

 Plus, the quiet meant that Soren finally had an opportunity to listen to some of those podcasts he’d been meaning to get to. However it also meant that he was distracted and didn’t hear Corvus when he called his name. At least, it didn’t register until his food had landed directly in the patch of ice and he had slipped, fallen, and planted directly on his butt on the hard cement of the sidewalk.

 “Ow.” Soren groaned, pulling an earbud out and pausing the latest episode of The Dumbells he was currently listening to.

 “Are you okay?” Corvus came to a stop above him, offering his hand. Soren took it gratefully, letting the other man help pull him to his feet. 

 The ground he was standing on was still slippery, and he nearly lost his footing again, Corvus reaching out and grabbing his other arm to help steady him. When Soren looked up, his face was just a few inches from Corvus’. He could see their breath pluming in the air before them, the clouds of condensation mingling in the small space between them.

 Corvus’ face was sort of flushed, and Soren could feel that his own was as well. Probably from the cold. 

 Or the fact that he and Corvus (who was rather cute, Soren might add) were standing close enough that people walking by might think they were kissing.

 They sprang apart, Soren’s feet still slipping on the slick pavement for a moment before he managed to catch himself against a nearby tree.

 “Are you alright?” Corvus asked again, pulling his scarf up to cover his face a little bit. It was that same light teal one he always wore. The color suited him.

 “Yeah.” Soren said. “My butt sort of hurts, but I think I’ll survive.”

 “Well, I’m glad you’re okay. Sorry, I tried to warn you, but-”

 “Yeah, earbuds.” Soren nodded. “Not your fault.”

 “Maybe we shouldn’t wear them in the mornings. Just until it’s not so icy.”

 “Yeah, that might be a good idea.”

 They slowly started down the sidewalk again, going slower now, earbuds hanging around Soren’s neck. They bounced with every step he took, sometimes hitting him in the face, until he finally just shoved them into his pocket.

 It occurred to him that Corvus had been the one to break the silence.

 “So, what do you usually listen to, anyway?” he asked, turning to glance at the man beside him.

 Corvus’s breath puffed out before him in clouds of silvery steam. “Music. You?”

 “Podcasts.” Soren said. “What kind of music do you like?”

 They turned a bend, pausing for a moment to catch their breath. Corvus took the opportunity to answer his question.

 “All sorts of things. I listen to a lot of classical music, but I like trying different things. I listen to a lot of Bowie-”

 “Oh, I love Bowie!” Soren exclaimed. “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust is like one of my favorite albums ever.”

 “Really?” Corvus seemed a little surprised.

 “My Dad has a bunch of old records.” Soren explained as they started jogging again. “I guess he used to be a fan.”

 “That’s cool.”

 “Yeah.”

 They fell silent for a long moment, turning another corner and making their it halfway down the next stretch of path before Corvus asked;

 “What sorts of podcasts do you like to listen to?”

 “Oh, mostly health stuff.” Soren said, holding up his hands to count them off. “Science Vs, The Happiness Lab, Terrible, Thanks for Asking, The Dumbells, The Mental Illness Happy Hour. I’ll listen to The Ringerverse, sometimes.” he added. “When they’re covering that new Lord of the Rings show.”

 “Lord of the Rings?”

 Soren came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the road, turning to face Corvus who had gone on and had to come back a few steps to face him. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what The Lord of the Rings is.”

 “I know what it is.” Corvus assured him. “I just didn’t take you to be a fan.”

 “Huge fan.” Soren threw his arms out to illustrate just how big of one he was. “Dragons? Heroic quests? Big bad with creepy magic? Sign me up.”

 Corvus chuckled a little bit. Soren grinned. He didn’t do that often. “Well, alright then. I’ll admit I’m more of a documentary type, myself.”

 “Those are cool, too.” Soren said. “Just not as cool as Aragorn facing off against the Forces of Mordor.”

 The both slowed their pace as they arrived back at their building, slowly making their way up the stairs. Soren’s legs felt like they were on fire. In a good way. That meant the work out was doing its thing. And when Corvus flashed him a smile, crinkling his nose up a little, Soren’s face felt like it was on fire, too. Also in a good way.

 “Same time tomorrow?” Corvus asked.

 “Same time tomorrow.” Soren told him. 

[rainyfestivalsweets]

5/13/25

Trying to organize my thoughts.

Although I felt like I made significant progress with behaviors this week, it did not show on the scale today. I feel disappointed although I know I shouldn't be.

In the last week, I had 2 wonderful 25 mile bike rides, a couple dumbell circuits and a shitton of housework. I could have done better on steps.

I finally had gotten on tiktok and discovered skinnytok.... and it disappeared.

I hate that this is so hard. I am trying to get my weight loss going again and am struggling. The eating feels like it has been less of a struggle. Some things were overeaten and I had the power to toss the rest out so that cycle couldn't repeat day after day.

By some weight charts, I should still have 75 pounds to lose. I am shooting for 25 for now, then re-evalutate. I may have more muscle and I don't want to lose that but I really just want this damn process to be over.

I am dreading yet another meeting with me coach where we talk and I haven't lost anything. He knows damn well that I am obviously not in a deficit and have unreported eating somewhere.

I hate that ai struggle so much and I am so jealous of people who easily lose. I was 183 last sept and am 195 today. I am giving myself a day or 2 for my real weigh in but it is a conversation I am not looking forward to because I am just so over it.

And when I eat stupidly, it super sucks. I obviously am delaying my progress which is irritating the shit out of me.

I had an issue Sunday where I ate some dusty ass pecan sandies cookies. I don't even like them! I had them in the cupboard for mom. I served her and I up 4 cookies each because of mother's day or some fucking excuse.

She couldn't eat them she said they made her cough.

So I ate 7 mother fucking cookies! And then! Then I had a blueberry muffin. What the actual fuck. Goddamn it.

That's about 1000 cals. And yes, 1000 extra cals does not make a 13 pound gain. But it is added cals like this that are holding me back.

[nether-before]

I'm gonna be real, I was never huge on your portrayal of Callie before, but after reading that post that explained your headcanons, something clicked and now I'm FEELING it. Up until now I guess I thought you were just drawing her like that just because and thought it didn't fit the character, but after reading the reasoning behind it... omg, flipped like a switch, you're actually a genius.

Like, I LOVE headcanons about the idols that acknowledge how much the industry and being in it sucks moderately to severely for almost everyone in it irl... ESPECIALLY for the Squid Sisters, because they were teenagers when they started being idols, as opposed to Off The Hook and Deep Cut being in their twenties at their debuts. They also, to me, seem to be the most "by the books" idols the game has seen, at least in Splat 1. Pearl and Marina seem to be self-made, and Pearl had the wealth and connections to get the band rolling without signing any contracts. Deep Cut was also wealthy from the start, and thus likely has more power over themselves since they won't lose everything if they go out of style or fail to be 100% optimally marketable. The Squid Sisters, though? Farm girls found by a talent scout. They DEFINITELY belonged to an agency and signed some things they didn't fully understand. Thus, potential for angst, criticism of a shitty industry, something something capitalism...

Also also, I am a fucking SUCKER for the "weight gain as an outward signifier of mental/emotional healing" trope. Makes me go gaga EVERY time. I was saved by antidepressants after a lifetime of being The Skinny Kid, which doesn't seem to be that uncommon an experience on this website, so I connect to this sort of thing a great deal. Thin character who's been through some shit finally finds themselves in a better life, and as a result puts on weight? Already great. If, additionally, they struggle with it at first but eventually realize, accept and internalize that they're healthier in this state than they were while skinny but in a state of constant anguish? EXCELLENT. A+. Just like me fr.

And so, to cap off this wall of text, can I just end by saying that I'm pretty basic with my Squid Sisters hcs, ok? Yours do not align with mine, but I'm not the kind of person who gets upset about that. To the contrary; I LOVE conflicting hcs. I love when fandom is a conversation, not a consensus. I love when different people see the same character in different ways. And your take is one I don't see ANYWHERE else. I respect the hell out of you for boldly going your own way. I ALSO respect how you were not shy and went all-in on a rarely depicted but very real female body type that's mostly relegated to OCs. Your Callie isn't just chubby or curvy, and she isn't even just fat, she's really fat. She's an absolute unit. She has muscle under that fat, bulky and strong muscle like she pumps iron on the daily. She's got wide shoulders and thick fingers and a chest like a barrel and a huge belly. She's built like a brick shithouse. AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN GIVE HER BIG BOOBS, THEY'RE STILL SMALL.

You NEVER see this in fandom unless we're drawing orcs or dwarves, and hell even then it remains rare, despite women like this existing in real life. You portray a broad-framed, strongfat farm girl with a small chest, and you portray her as not only beautiful, not only a social butterfly, but as an absolute girly-girl fashionista glitter diva material girl supreme. What few instances of truly boulder-suplexing women we get are typically relegated to barbarians or aggressive tanky fighters, and they're almost always butch.

YOU say you can bench press a steer and make cars sag when you sit in them, but still be 100% femme. YOU say a girl can be an arm wrestling champ at the local biker bar AND gossip with her besties at the mall while holding 5 pink shopping bags. YOU say girliness, glitter and the colour pink have no size limit, that a woman can own a wide variety of dumbells and lipstick colours alike, that physical strength and being pretty are NOT mutually exclusive.

I've flipped like a dime on this, OP. Thank you for being so unashamedly original and positive in your portrayal of Callie.

HELL YEAH!! This was great to read, and I'm happy to see she kind of resonated with you with the whole "weight gain as emotional healing" thing. Love when art impacts people! Thanks for this.

[asmomyluv]

HEADCANNONS(BEELZEBUB)

I just realized how long this is wow.. I mean Beel is the LOML so I guess I'm not that surprised

SFW

Warnings: none

- First off Beel is absolutely 7’3 or close to it, I refuse to believe he’s shorter than Shaq… Lucifer would be so mad knowing a human is taller than him eheh

- He’s the type to set off fireworks like idk… he’s the least scared of the sound and flames yk

- Beel definitely blushed harder than the others idk I feel like when something makes him blush he goes red

- Beel is a cuddled through and through not that he has a choice considering his twin but he enjoys knowing someone finds him comforting and would let any of his loved ones lay on him without judgement

-Honestly I think Beel is stronger than most of his brothers, like Mammon as the second born was intimidating when Beel brought up how much he works out which makes me think Beel is crazy strong yk?

- Even tho he loves all food he takes a special appreciation for food cooked by someone’s else for him like when his brothers or MC makes dinner

- Speaking of MC, he cares abt them so much honestly I think Beel is very selfless with the people close to him, and now MC is in the circle that’s an eturnity of loyalty

- Beel is definitely amazing at chess I think he’d play with Lucifer when they’re both free he’s definitely patient and observant

- He has an appreciation for beauty definitely, paintings statues any form of art I just think he’s the type to slow down and enjoy things but he often can’t because of his hunger

- Strong boi workout and,,, he uses MC as weights sometimes it’s nothing compared to his usual weights but they both enjoy it if you two were together he’d love to hav ur kids him after a rep

- And ofc regardless your encouragement keeps him going

- Dry ass humor but it’s so funny from him, like he could say something that’s definitely not meant to be funny but the way he says it so idk he’s just unintentionally funny

- He only has 4 facial expressions smile, frown, straight face no more no less

- Ok just because Beel doesn’t act out doesn’t mean he doesn’t want your attention, he’d prefer you give him attention just because you want to not because you think he’ll be dramatic about it

- He likes to subtly mark people, giving Belphie his jacket as a blanket, letting Asmo bedazzle his dumbell for decór

- He gives off the most body heat, like he just runs hot which is good because his room is always as cold as it can get

- Don’t get fooled, yes Belphie sleeps the most but Beel? He sleeps deeper there is almost nothing that can wake him even the smell of food, he'll just sleepwalk to the source

- I think in his Demon form he had an ACTUAL void in his stomach like anything that goes in is just gone from existence which can be good for making any kind of threat to his brothers especially Levi or Mammon

- Beel has a very deep voice and it gets even deeper when he’s hungry or tired

- Beel gives the best compliments stuff that really reaches what your insecure about and makes you feel good about yourself all day

- He will not hesitate to move anything in his way not violently just pick it up and move it even if IT is another demon

- It’s hard for him to understand just how little humans eat like “Only three times a day :0?” And ofc sometimes not even that he’d think your sick he first time you skip breakfast

- Why did i think his name was Beelzelbub for so long,,, idk where the second l came from

-I feel like he can't get poisoned by anything that's consumed or that gets digested like he won't get sick from consuming bacteria

-Ok so yk he has a tattoo I think it's some symbol with seven lines to symbolize his brothers

-He's such a family guy even tho he's pretty stoic he'd do literally anything for his brothers Levi's too sick to stand in line for a new game? He's got a snack bag to take his place. Satan needs help cleaning his room Beel's on the way. Asmo want's to try some new makeup Beel's already in the chair

-He picks up on the little things, part of why he's so quiet is because he likes to observe everyone else

-I love the idea that he just lets kids play on him and MC like they can just crawl on him and he'll have his gentle little smile

[whimsymiri]

I don't talk enough on this app I think I will be posting more bangers from now own

I digress

I have been thinking a lot about how people take things like sex and relationships for granted, and it makes me feel this unbridled rage bubble within me. A moment I saw on some random podcast or radio show with John Cena on it was probably the epitome of what I don't like about the attitude towards sex.

They asked him if he banged fat girls?? and first of all, what a weird question to ask because how is that relevant to his career??? (I don't know the full context don't come after me), and the way he replied just digested me. He says this with a big smile on his face, btw, "Yeah, no, recently I hit the 280 mark 😄"

Is she just some number to him? Because what... she isn't a dumbell. Plus, the two people talking to him were in awe and almost proud of him, too. Maybe this is too woke of me -I don't know - but it just seems to me like they are thinking of sex and women who are plus size as something that is meaningless.

It's supposed to be a time when you appreciate and love the person you are with. You connect in a way that can't be achieved through words and boiling it down to a "hook up" or just something that you get up to is where we fall down as a society. It creates terms like "bop" and "hoe," which causes shame and embarrassment. That leads to people becoming prude or in the complete opposite direction as a degenerate since it is something that is oh so frowned upon.

The two sides of shaming sex comes in off-hand jokes and comments that are straight up pointed. So either "Oh haha, she a bop" to "How distasteful, does she have no self-respect?" AND IT'S ALWAYS TARGETED AT WOMEN.

The talk about sexism comes another day, but I just wanted to share my thoughts

Have a nice day

[heylabodega]

a weekend

I wanted to take a bath tonight, had been looking forward to it since moving in to this apartment. In my last apartment, longtime listeners will recall, the water never got hot. I found, disappointingly, that the hot water had run out here, tonight, too. But I'd already become attached to this idea. I filled the tub halfway with the lukewarm faucet water, and then began the Little House on the Prairie esque task of boiling water on the stove and in our electric kettle and carrying it to the bathroom. Microwaving some more in a plastic bowl. I felt so efficient and clever, employed multiple pans at once, working in an increasingly smooth rhythm. I left the bathroom light off, tired of the extra step of flipping the switch every time I went in and out. Finally, I figured I must have enough, and turned on the light to find the tub only a quarter full. I laughed a little at myself, realizing the stopper wasn't working and, not Ma Ingalls, I'd actually been a cartoon character filling a tub as it drained out the other end. I dumped in the last couple pots of boiling water, ran the faucet to cool it a bit, and eked out enough hot water for enough time to lie in it briefly. A thirty minute exercise for 5 minutes of relaxation, but I needed to soak the weekend off in epsom salted hot water, even for a moment.

On Friday night, Eleanor had a few of us over to paint candles. I hadn't heard of this new hobby trend, but we wrestled with melted wax of inconsistent consistency, laughing, slowly getting the hang of it each of us ending with a pair of tapers we were content with. Saturday morning I woke up early to coach a run in the park. We went from warm humid fog, to pouring rain, to a limpid blue sky and golden sun like a blessing. I went to the gym and split squatted 50 lbs of dumbells. I drank a smoothie, took a nap, and set out again to meet friends for a long leisurely brunch. After wandering into a vintage store and an old favorite bar, we agreed to split up briefly and reunite to go dancing. We danced until 2, to a great DJ.

This morning I slept in, wasted hours watching Scandal, then got up just before sunset to go for a cold, windy run in the last of the light. I made steak and a caesar salad, sent my little sister a picture of it cooking with butter and rosemary, proud. Then I worked hard to fill my draining tub, plumped my body up with warmth and moisture, and slipped into clean pajamas.

I accomplished nothing and drank too much and loved the task of filling my body with nutrients. With protein, first thing in the morning and just after a workout. With vegetables and fresh fruit cut lovingly for myself, with water and kombucha and green tea. With the good fats and iron of cooking a steak in avocado oil. Felt the various warmths of coffee, of whiskey, of a dance floor, of running up a hill so easily with all my new core muscle, of stovetop-boiled bathwater, of my heating pad during a midday cat nap. Bought Lauren the incense she loved at the bar, let my roommate's dog lick the steak plate, texted my friends about the moon. Did the dishes.

Tomorrow I have some work, for my life and for my job, to take care of, but for now I've capped off a beautiful little weekend of being so so alive and present and noticing where my skin touched the world. Wow!

[thevondoom62]

Well, this has been a bit of a controversial one. From its very announcement to delivery date, the Marvel Legends Retro Venom has been one divisive figure. I've heard people praise this thing to high heaven and others who absolutely HATE it, calling it trash. Where do I sit on the matter?

First thing's first, wow! A Walmart exclusive where preorders were up for a long time and it actually shipped out! Incredible! Congrats for doing the bare minimum, Wally World.

Let's address the biggest issue upfront here: that neck. Right out the box, that head articulation is nigh worthless. You get some tilt, but the up movement is PITIFUL. I normally like to mince words, try to be nice, but it is actually just bad. I took an exacto knife to it and carved it up until it got better movement. Then I sanded it down to make it look smoother. I shouldn't have to do that. Hasbro seems like it just can't figure out the dumbell joint, except when they can. Like, classic War Machine, Baron Helmut Zemo, and NWH Green Goblin all have pretty good ones. Even movie/KiB Venom was passable to me. This, though? No good. Might be a safety standards thing, but if so, they're better off sticking with disc hinges.

With that fixed, the second biggest issue I've heard is that it's gummy. Well, mine doesn't feel that gummy. Certainly more solid than the Pulsecon Animated Venom felt. It's about par for the course with Hasbro, maybe a little softer but not by much. It's certainly no first release movie Ant-Man, that's for sure. That one felt like it was made of Twizzlers.

The paint has been another sticking point, quite literally. The logo feels thick and tacky, which... yeah. It does. My Pulsecon Venom and Retro Carded Symbiote Spidey had the same issue. Both of those eventually destickied and I can already feel the same happening to this one. It has to be the process they use to print the logo on so cleanly. However, I do have one major complaint with the paint! The inverted ab crunch clashes with the pelvis when pushed fully forward. This has resulted in paint damage on the logo, which I had to patch up. Now I can mod a figure no problem, but I HATE painting them. My hands are too damn shaky and the way the colors never fully match unless you mix, augh. Paint wear is inevitable, especially with how I handle my toys, but it would have been nice if they designed it with extra clearance between plastic.

Wow, that's a lot of words! A lot of this might seem negative, but I'm just addressing the current conversation. I've seen a lot of varied opinions on this one. I feel you can tell by how many pics I've taken that I fall on the very positive end of the spectrum. It is probably the closest I've gotten to that ideal Venom in toy form. He's so squat and chunky looking, while still being appropriately tall. Not overly hulking, proportions are juuuust right. Articulation is superb, neck aside. Everything feels fluid, even if I'll always want more movement at the hips. Sculpt is good. I wasn't crazy about the tongue lashing head at first since it skews so modern, but I kinda dig it now. The real prize is that grinning face, though! Looks like a mix between Bagley and McFarlane, it rocks!

I don't know if I've ever typed this much out for a toy before. I try to keep as brief as possible, but there was a lot to say. It's for sure got problems, but I can't help but love it.

[hot-take-tournament]

Klapollo isn't for everyone obviously so I won't say that it is, but they actually foil each other really well and I think that's where the shipping aspect comes in. Apollo wears his heart on his sleeve and is super distrusting of pretty much everyone. Klavier hides his true thoughts and feelings away to be the person he thinks others wants to see and throws himself into trusting people, he wants it so desperately. The people closest to Apollo trust him while the people closest to Klavier don't. They're both grieving so many things, running from and fighting them. They have the potential to help each other in a way that no other characters presented can (in aa4 imo. Not out here saying you couldn't possibly ship them with anyone else, I'm a multishipper myself lol). Some people might be looking for wrightworth, but tbh this ship is the opposite of them. I totally understand not liking the ship, it's hard to be as compelling as wrightworth when capcom decided to do ALL THAT to Apollo rip my guy, hope you can reconcile your 8 backstories, and then do absolutely NOTHING with Kalvier rip my guy, hope you're doing something somewhere and didn't like join Clay offscreen or something. Probably moved to Borginia with Apollo's mom /j I could say more but idk the character limit on an ask and you don't want my essay in your ask box.

TLDR; It's not for everyone but it's not baseless.

(so... now that persona 3 is getting a remake, i can't stop thinking about this one time i was on my way home and i passed by this weird family-owned sweetshop i'd never seen before. so on impulse i decided to go in and buy something, and i ended up buying this huge novelty lemon sherbert, because i needed to study and i wanted something that would last a long time. so i get back home, sit on my bed and look for some calming study music to put on, and for whatever reason the first thing i think of is kimi no kioku from persona 3. at this point, i remembered i had the sherbert, so i put the song on loop, went to get it, and then got back onto the bed to eat it. and because i live alone and there was no one around to make fun of me, for fun i decided to eat it all sexy like cleopatra eating grapes (you know, when you lie back, tilt your head towards the ceiling, hold it above your head, and lower it into your mouth). but as i'm holding it over my head, the sherbert slipped out of my fingers, bounced off my tongue and went straight down the collar of my shirt. i immediately forgot where i was, panicked, awkwardly fished it out and just flung it straight into the back of my throat and accidentally swallowed it whole - at which point it immediately got lodged in my oesophagus and completely cut off my airway, and no matter what i did, i just couldn't get it out. so i stumbled out of bed and started frantically clawing at my throat as i tried to find the door, unable to breathe, unable to scream, until my vision began to darken around the edges and i couldn't see - and the next thing i know i'm lying on my back gasping for air, with a dumbell that i had left lying on the floor now lodged between my shoulder blades, and the massive sherbert fused to my eyelid. so what must've happened is i'd blacked out, toppled backward and fell on this dumbell in just the right way that it dislodged the sherbert and launched it out of my throat, sending it arcing through the air and landing it on my face. and ever since that day i've always wondered - what if i had just died there? if i had fallen very slightly differently and missed the dumbell, would i have died alone on that carpet, desperately begging for help that i knew would never come? and if i did, how long would it have been before someone even noticed i was gone, let alone care enough to come check on me? and what would've happened when they did? since i had the song playing on loop, and my laptop was plugged in, there's a chance that when they did finally find me, they'd find me lying on my back, eyes closed, with kimi no kioku playing on repeat in the background)

[neighborhood-villain12]

(Suggested by u/SadenJamuel07) On the nineteenth day of The Festival of Gifts, Victor Vain worked out with a living orange, Citrelle Calor, who had to use the rock things found in Orafall Valley because she forgot her dumbell. Merry Christmas, was a drawing of your oc or another fictional character meeting a Altterra character on your list, if it for some reason was you can get that gift just by asking me. I was originally going to draw Victor lifting up his axe but that would've been annoying so I instead gave him a dumbell that looked like his weapon. Probably not a good idea for him to work out in his armor but he's never been the brightest. Now I show the third previously unreleased artwork and the second painting I made this year, a water color painting of The Shadow Mistress. I made it during a water color demonstration thing, the painting is very off color since i was only given like three paints, I believe I had to mix them to get that purple. Honestly gives me the vibe of a painting you'd find of the Shadow Mistress in the ruins of ancient civilization.

[eruchiu]

Higheky forgot about this app, been busy but some thoughts

I am glad I am able to be more productive now and actually do things. However, I still have things I am not doing (ex. My trips to the gym has gone considerably low--I still exercise in my room with my dumbells) so arm day is ok but shoulders, chest, and back needs to be at the gym in my case hmm

Also for legs since I am still recovering from knee dislocation i should take it slow. I might wanna get back more at the gym

[mayonaise-lips]

a psa to all the p.e teachers in the world and to anyone else who has this problem: don't fucking discount my chronic illness

you think it's fun? you think I use this as an excuse to get out of doing stuff? you don't take this even remotely seriously?

well, go fuck yourself.

I'm lying in bed right now, crying, missing my friends birthday party and also a fun shopping trip I had planned for the day cause I can't fucking move without being in pain pain pain. I cannot hold up my head on my own. without being in pain.

every single fucking thing I do I have to think about whether this would affect my back/shoulders/hips/neck. sitting in a car with a window down, throwing a volleyball above my head, doing homework, painting, piano, literal standing, sitting and laying.

I'm lucky. it's not constant for me. like yes maybe I am in a bit of pain as a part of regular life but I can still do stuff. but compared to people without any health issues I can't. I'm 18 years old and have to go to pilates and yoga despite hating it. the women 40 years older than me are pulling this shit off without difficulty while I'm failing at the simplest task.

I'm not avoiding push-ups because I'm tired or lazy, my shoulders crack and it hurts. no I can't just do 40 laps of sidestroke. and no I can't do a fucking handstand cause it hurts.

fuck you to the teacher who said "a handstand is with a straight back. it shouldn't affect your back. you're telling me you suddenly have problems with your shoulders too???" fuck you to the teacher who never believed me when I couldn't participate in p.e. because my back was acting up. fuck you to the teacher who had me pull back my scarf concealing my supportive neck brace that I wore on a really bad day. i didn't want other kids to know I couldn't support my head and found the idea of having a cold less bad than that. I was 12, back off!

and fuck you to every single kid not believing me, thinking I'm skipping class. when it gets so bad that I can sit for longer than it takes me to eat my meals I'm not going to school. when getting in and out of a bathtub or even just getting out of bed proves a challenge I'm staying home. when I can't even move my head 90 degrees I'm not leaving my bed. when it's acute it just is. there's nothing I can do about it.

I don't think people without chronic pain can understand what it feels like. I barely have the gall to call myself chronically ill because mostly, I'm fine!!! it's okay! I can do sports. sure, sometimes I need some physiotherapy, but its okay. but when it's bad, it's just so THERE. like a dumbell I have to carry 24/7. and it's always kind of there in spirit. but when it's there physically, shit sucks so fucking much.

because its not supposed to feel like this for people your age. people your age should not have such an issue sleeping in the bad beds on your class trip, so much so that they spend the boat ride to the nearby island on day three just laying down on a bench in the boat cause they can't be vertical anymore. people your age should be able to touch their hands to their toes standing up. people your age should be able to rotate their arms without hearing it crack.

it's hard not to hate yourself when it gets bad. it always comes at the most inopportune of moments and you can't work around it. it's this force in your life you can't control. not properly, not fully. you always have to try and work on it, try to be good for it. but it will always come crashing down. it'll be there for the rest of your life like a toxic spouse, always knocking you down a peg.

and you can try to accept it as much as you want, but somewhere deep inside, you will always hate that its there and hate that you are inhibited in that way. and then you'll hate yourself for victimising yourself so much because there's people who have it so much worse than you but you still feel like crap and at this point you've cried so much you're dehydrated but you can't be dehydrated because that's not good for your system when you're like this but you also can't move, can't do anything because you're stuck, laying on your back, confined in warm blankets, tears streaking down from your eyes to your ears, drying and running over the dried marks over and over again.

I can't help but feel sorry. apologise for when it's bad and when others have to take care of me. when I burden someone with my venting or when my mum strokes my hair or my sister brings me tea or my dad has to drive me to my appointments cause I do deeply feel that, somehow its all my fault.

because I could've behaved more responsibly when it was good. not pushed it, been more careful. I could've done more sports or swam more or done more yoga and exercises or worn warmer clothes or drank more tea or sat and stood and laid straighter, better, healthier.

maybe I could've prolonged the wait between the bad times. because i know for a fact that it's just a wait. the good times don't last forever. no matter how well I do. and when it does come crashing down, when I come crashing down, I blame myself. and I hate myself. and I hate it. the fact that I have to deal with this. that this is what my life looks like.

and so I'm laid in my bed, calming down from a cry and trying not to look at the floor to the birthday presents I packed or the clock telling me how late it is and how much of the party I've missed.

I dare anyone to tell me I'm choosing this. that I want this. that this is a convenient excuse.

in some crude, perverse way I want them to feel what I feel. not that I want them to be in pain. just for them to know, for once. just a regular day in my skin, or rather my bone and muscle structure. or better yet, a day like this. a day that's fucked from start to finish. experience that and try "calling my bluff" then, you utter arsehead.

[kimchae-won]

5 Simple Exercises You Can Do To Kick-Start Your Fitness Journey

Many people would like to start exercising regularly and increasing their physical activity, but occasionally they could feel intimidated by trained fitness professionals, competitive athletes, or other gym goers. They could believe that there is no use in exercising today if they haven't lifted a dumbbell in the previous 25 to 30 years. You might not be able to become the person you want to be because of this poor attitude! Remember it is natural to have some anxiety while you are still getting the hang of things.

The fitness industry makes things extremely easy. It won't matter that your parents weren't the fittest people in the world, that your grandparents didn't exercise, or that you've never set foot inside a gym before once you become addicted to it. You will only change into a better version of yourself! Therefore, you may start doing basic things to increase your fitness level and help you unlock the athlete within you rather than allowing worry and fear to rule your life.

You may start off little and build a fitness schedule very quickly!

Even if your level of fitness isn't very high right now, there are a ton of easy physical activities you can undertake to benefit your body and elevate your mood. Start out simple and you'll quickly realize how much you have been missing! Here are a few enjoyable and straightforward activities you may incorporate into your everyday schedule.

Practice a little and you'll eventually see the benefits!

Even if your fitness level isn't great right now, you may still benefit your body and boost your mentality by doing a variety of modest physical activities. Begin with little steps and you'll quickly realize how much you've been missing out on! Here are a few fun and easy workouts to incorporate into your everyday routine.

EXERCISE 1 – Go for a brisk walk using the comfort of an athlete's sneakers

Yes, it is that easy. Walking can enhance your cardiovascular health and reduce your blood pressure, according to several studies and researchers. Start with 30 minutes of walking every day, but be sure you do it!

Even if you are not in the mood, are fatigued, or stressed, doing this will make you feel better and will become easier to accomplish in the long term.

EXERCISE 2 - Take the Stairs using dumbells

Keep in mind that this is a simple activity that we are concentrating on. How many times have you truly put this into practice, even though you may have heard it several times before? Choosing to climb the stairs over the elevator works your quadriceps and increases your heart rate. It is an easy but challenging exercise and toss in the dumbells as well. You'll feel proud of yourself if you do it as frequently as you can. Your fitness mindset will develop as a result, and you'll start to pay more attention to your body and what it's capable of.

EXERCISE # 3 – Do 10 squats

Begin with 10 squats every day. Make sure you're putting all of your weight into your heels and exhaling as you raise higher. This is yet another excellent aerobic exercise that can be performed anywhere! If it's raining outside and you can't go for a stroll perform those squats instead. There is no reason for you not to exercise!

EXERCISE # 4 – Do 20 jumping jacks with your workout headphones

Because this workout is so simple, you can do even more. You also don't have to jump too high; just an inch off the ground is sufficient. Do these first thing in the morning to get your circulation flowing throughout your body, and you've already laid the groundwork for a beautiful, productive day! If you have a greater degree of fitness, you may combine them with squats. You see, you don't have to go to the gym to work out; you can do it in the comfort of your own house.

EXERCISE # 5 - Do 10 pushups using pushup handles

Even though pushups are a little more physically taxing, you don't need to perform a thousand of them. Make careful you lower your chest to the ground and maintain a straight back. Pushups improve your upper body strength, cardiovascular endurance, and muscular definition. If these are challenging at first, consider doing your sets while kneeling on the ground.

I do hope you enjoy this quick read, and at least try to perform any exercise on this list. You can start in small amounts and then build up your strength and energy training. At the end of the day, you will at least get in some regular exercise to ensure a balance of healthy living.

For additional motivation and inspiration visit my store "Stay Inspire while Healing" https://beacons.ai/stayinspirewhilehealing

[tardis--dreams]

Just said to my dog "those dumbells aren't play stuff" (instead of toys) and i think i should drop out of uni because of my horrible English skills