#plus I can just set a timer and add them later

[thelastkoalabear]

finally fired up the rice cooker after unboxing and cleaning it yesterday. this is a game changer

[hughes86-43]

Unexpected Summer | J.Hughes

requested - yes; can I request “Wait- we’re having a baby?” with jack? something unexpected like a fourth of july during michigan summers type thing if that makes any sense? thank you so much

note- love this idea! thanks for requesting! :) Masterlist

warnings: mentions of pregnant stuff.

Michigan summers were the type of summers you had dreamt about when you first met Jack and how he told you about how much fun he had at his lake house in Michigan while hanging with his friends that he hasn’t seen all season. Your first Michigan summer with Jack, his family, and friends was amazing. The amount of love that his family and friends showed you during that time was incredible. Everyday mostly consisted of sunny days, boating around, playing tennis and golf, and then having nights around the fire. It was truly everything you dreamed of.

It was now your fifth Michigan summer with Jack. You loved hockey season and getting to spend it watching Jack do what he loves to do, but you were glad to be back in Michigan and spending time with friends and family.

However, this one was beginning to take a unexpected turn. It all started when you woke up feeling not too great. You accounted it for bad seafood, however, you were still throwing up a week later. Plus, you could feel your body changing practically, with your boobs feeling off and more body aches, that you account for your period, but then realized your period was supposed to be here two weeks ago.

You didn’t express your concern to Jack since it could be nothing. However, it made you weary enough to go out and get two pregnancy tests just to be sure. Although, if you had to guess, all the symptoms did add up, but you weren’t going to worry just yet.

It was around 12pm when Jack and the guys decided to go out on the boat. Knowing that the waves would mess up your stomach even worse, you decided to stay back, but mostly to take the tests.

“Babe, are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Jack asked as he put on his swim trucks. “I can hang back if you need me too.” And you knew that he would if you had told him you needed him, but he had already stayed back with you for the past three days.

“No, it’s okay, I’ll be okay. If I need you, I’ll just text you,” you reply as you bundle up under the covers. Jack walks over to you and places a kiss on your forehead.

“Okay, be sure that you do, I mean it! I will turn that boat around to come be with you!” You nod your head as he places a final kiss to your lips.

As soon as he is out the door, and you look at the window to see that they have boated away, you grab the tests from your purse and head to the bathroom. You let out a breathe as you sit the tests on the counter after doing your business. You set the timer and go back into the bedroom to clean up the pile of clothes to take your mind off of it.

The timer going off rattles you out of your thoughts. Since the thought that you could be pregnant first arose in your mind, you had been thinking about how Jack would react and what you guys would do from then on. However, those are just thoughts and it could come out better than what you’re thinking.

You roll your neck and let out a sigh before picking up the test. You turn it over and you’re hit with the results. Pregnant. Two lines. Positive.

Up until this moment, you hadn’t allowed yourself to think too much on if the results would actually be positive. However, now seeing them, it is everything you have ever wanted. You let out a sob as you sit on the side of the bathtub. You have been dreaming of this moment since meeting Jack. He has made you rethink the possibility of having a family. You couldn’t wait to tell him.

-

The boys made it back home around 4. They were all sunburnt but had the biggest smiles on their faces. Finally getting some time to spend with friends. As soon as they got into the house, Jack barreled up the stairs to find you. You were still laying in bed watching Friends like when he left you.

“Hey, baby. You okay?” He asked as he put his shoes away and grabbed a towel.

You look over to him and smile. “Yeah, I’m doing okay. How was boating?”

“It was great! Luke fell off the wakeboard and nearly drowned but he was okay! Sad you had to miss another day out there, though,” he walks over to your side of the bed and sits next to you, moving a strand of hair out of your eyes. “Are up to take a shower with me? It’s okay, if not.”

You smile weakly, you want to but you also don’t want him noticing your body changes yet, because you wanted to tell him perfectly. “I showered a bit earlier,” you lie, “I’m sorry.”

He shakes his head, “No, it’s okay. Also, we’re cooking out later with everyone, so be ready for some good food. You haven’t thrown up today have you?”

“No, I’ve managed to keep it all down today,” you reply as you run your hand over his thigh. “Hurry and shower, you smell. I’m going to head down and see if anyone needs help cooking.”

“I only smell a little!” He laughs. “That’s fine, but good luck, mom and Quinn will probably kick you out, you know how they are.”

“Yeah, but doesn’t hurt to ask!” You laugh as you watch him take off his swim trucks, throw them in the basket, and head to the bathroom.

Well, you couldn’t tell him tonight, since everyone is going to be here you think to yourself.

-

You truly didn’t think your emotional changes would’ve hit you so quickly, but you were wrong. You knew that Quinn and Ellen like to cook, and they don’t want anyone else to bother helping because they have it under control. However, as soon as they said that they didn’t need your help and all was good, you started sobbing.

Ellen noticing this, comes over and wraps her arms around you. “Y/N, honey, it’s okay. You can help if you want, we have it under control.”

Quinn is confused as to what is happening and is trying to stay focused on seasoning the chicken and steak. Just as he decided to speak up, Jack comes down the steps. “Y/N, what’s wrong?”

He replaces his mom in holding you. You sniffly respond, “Nothing, I’m not even sure why I’m crying.” Ellen raises an eyebrow at that. “I just haven’t been able to do anything lately, and I wanted to help.” Jack nods as he looks to his mom for help, she shrugs. Ellen has an idea of what is wrong, but she wasn’t going to bring that up.

Quinn finally speaks up, “You can help chop vegetables, if that’s okay? We didn’t mean anything by it, we just didn’t want to bother you.” He offers a smile before turning back to the steaks.

“Okay, again I don’t why I’m crying. I’ll chop the vegetables.” You say as you turn to look at Jack. He wipes the tear streaks from your face and pats the side of your thighs.

“You go do that, I’m going to find the others and talk to them.” You nod as you go find a knife.

After a while, Ellen comes up to you when Quinn leaves to put the meat on the grill. “Now I don’t want to think I’m calling you anything, I’m just asking, because I care a lot, but is there by a chance that you’re pregnant?”

You swallow and place the knife down and turn to look at her. “Yes, I’m pregnant.” You give her a second, trying to gauge her reaction.

Less than a second goes by, and she’s jumping up and down. “Oh my gosh! My babies are going to have a baby! How long have you known? Is there any problems?”

You shush her before someone walks in because of the commotion. “I just found out this morning, I took a test. I haven’t told Jack yet. So you can’t tell him anything!” She nods as she pulls you into a hug.

She whispers, “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited!”

Just as she says that, Quinn walks back in holding the finished steaks. “So excited about what?” He looks between the both of you, waiting for an answer.

Nervously you blurt out, “We’re just so excited that everyone is here for the cookout!”

He doesn’t fully believe the answer, but he wasn’t go to question it, in fear you’ll break out in tears again. “Okay, awesome,” He places the steak down and turns back around. “Oh, Jack told me to tell you that when you’re done here, he is sitting on the back patio with Alex, Trevor and Cole.”

You nod and reply a thanks. You finish up your vegetables, grab a beer for Jack, and head to the back patio.

-

“Y/N! So good to see you!” You hear Alex say as you make your way out onto the patio. He just arrived last night, but you were passed out asleep by then.

“Alex! Great to see you too!” You give him a hug.

Letting go, you hear Cole say, “Y/N, you bring that beer for me? I needed a new one!”

You laugh as you make your way over to the seat next to Jack. “No, it’s for him,” you answer as you pass the beer to Jack. You can hear Cole pouting as Jack opens the beer.

“Thanks, babe. You aren’t drinking?” Jack asks, looking at you skeptically. He doesn’t care if you don’t drink, it’s your choice, but you usually do in these settings.

You shake your head, “No, I’ve been sick enough, I’m not letting beer destroy me.” Jack nods and places a kiss on your temple.

As you lean back in your chair, you hear the sliding door open again. Trevor yells out, “Y/N! How are you?!”

He sits across the table, you reply back happily, “I’m doing okay, feeling better than I have in the past week!”

Trevor nods, and then blurts out, “For some who has been sick, you can’t even tell!”

As soon as he said that, you can feel the tears coming back. You try to swallow your emotions, not wanting to make a scene, but it’s no use. You start sobbing again in front of everyone. You can feel the eyes suddenly on you. You can feel Jack placing a hand on your back.

You sob out, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Trevor hurriedly speaks out, “I was just saying that you look great!” He’s looking at Jack, begging for help. Jack doesn’t even know why you’re crying.

“Y/N, he was just trying to compliment you, it’s okay,” He’s never been this confused by your sudden emotional outburst, and he’s trying his best to help you. He’s grabs your hand and helps you up, “Come on, let’s go inside and cool down.”

You’re still sobbing into your hands when he pulls you inside and upstairs to your shared room. He walks you over to the bed and helps you sit down. He’s rubbing his hands through your hair, as he knows it calms you down.

Once your sobs lessened, he decides to ask again, “Babe, what happened back there? I get that he can be awful with words, but he was just trying to compliment you.” He tries to reason with you to get an answer.

You know you have to tell him, if not it makes you seem like you’ve lost your mind. “I get that he was trying to compliment me, and I know that earlier that Quinn and Ellen just didn’t want to bother me in helping, but I gotta tell you something, I’m just a bit nervous.”

Jack is rubbing circles on your thigh as he nods, “Baby, you know you can tell me anything, especially if it has you crying all of a sudden.”

You let out a breath and reach over to get the tests out of your nightstand. Holding them, you finally say, “I’m pregnant,” you pass the tests over to him to grab. “I took them this morning. I mean I was throwing up a lot, and my body had some changes. So yeah, I’m pregnant.”

You hold in your breath as you wait for him to respond. He looks at each test before looking up at you. He grabs your chin to get you to look at him before you start crying. “Wait- we’re having a baby?”

You slowly nod your head, scared to speak incase you let out a sob. You finally let out that breath you were holding as soon as Jack gives you the biggest smile.

“We’re having a baby!” He’s instantly pulling you into his arms, not caring that the tests dropped to the ground. “I can’t believe it, we’re going to be parents!” He stands you both up and spins you around.

You grab onto his arms. “Okay, okay! I know we’re excited, but I’m going to puke if we keep spinning!” You laugh as he places you back down with so much concern.

“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry, are you okay? Do you need anything?”

You shake your head and lean in to kiss his lips, smiling you say, “I’m okay, I can’t believe this happening, I’m so happy!”

“Babe, happy doesn’t even begin to describe what I’m feeling, there’s no one else I’d rather do this with,” He leans down to kiss your lips. Pulling apart, he bends down to your stomach.

You ruffle his hair, “I’m not showing yet or anything, but it’s still crazy that it will be growing in there.” Jack leans forward to press a kiss on your stomach.

“I know, so crazy.” He stands back up and pulls you into a hug. You both savor the moment, until you hear knocking on the door.

“Um, guys, I hope all is okay. I just wanted to make sure that Y/N wasn’t going to kill me for what I said, even though I was just complimenting her, but still!” You both laugh as you pull open the door to a scared Trevor. You just pat his arm before walking down the hallway. Trevor looks at Jack to try and decipher if he should be worried, but Jack just shrugs his shoulders and follows in your direction.

When he catches up to you, he puts his arm around your waist, “He’s going to be so confused until we tell him.”

You laugh, “Yeah, he is. That’s what he gets for trying to compliment a pregnant woman!” Jack just shakes his head at your theatrics and kisses your forehead as you make your way back to the patio.

[searchingforakeythatdoesntexist]

DAY 13 - «On Thin Ice» Good Omens AU - Triptych Tribute for @blairamok

Part 1/3: "Falling Angel" Aziraphale

Please, listen to this

Change everything you are

And everything you were

Your number has been called

Fights and battles have begun

Revenge will surely come

Your hard times are ahead

Don't let yourself down

Don't let yourself go

Your last chance has arrived

Best, you've got to be the best

You've got to change the world

And use this chance to be heard

Your time is now

Falling Angel, your time is now!

(yes I know this Muse song has another sense in the On Thin Ice universe - for Crowley. Well, our Fallen Serpent will show us what IS a true Survival, tomorrow. ;-)

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Don't forget to 💕/ reblog ;-)

Personal challenge: a simple sketch each day

Goal: forcing me to keep things simple - inking, shading, just a few sashes of colour

Improvement pursued: to get the movement, the emotion, finding how to add depth, learning how to leave things barely finished

Max time allowed: 2 hours, as usual for my Daily Challenges. Well, this is a very special Tribute for me, and I was on a three-days break. So I didn’t really set a timer for the « On Thin Ice » sketches. Plus, I drew them quite in the same time and on the same file to be sure Crowley and Aziraphale would match. I guess I spent more or less 3 hours on the lineart for each one of them (the clothes and the figures needed a lot of time), plus 1h30-2h on the colouring/shading for each one.

Be aware that in my first sketches for this project, Crowley and Aziraphale were supposed to train on the same ice rink, and I dearly wanted Crowley to be watching Aziraphale, and Aziraphale was supposed to glance back to him. I had to give up on this idea later – because the figure I chose for Aziraphale definitely couldn’t allow such a shared glance. (but, hello, it will be a triptyque ! So, guess what? About the third part… :-p)

About Aziraphale, as my « Falling Angel ».

« On Thin Ice » author, @blairamok, describes the Hydroplane ice skating figure as very representative of Aziraphale, and the drawing reference pictures were numerous enough to get some solid inspiration. It’s a complex skating figure. I have watched some ice skating tutorials on YouTube – because I wanted the movement of the clothes and hair to be accurate and, if I understand everything properly, even a slight alteration in the position of the arms can make you fall. Such perfection ! That IS the right move for Aziraphale !

I told sooner on my Gymnast !AU challenge that I appreciated drawing Aziraphale with realistic curves more and more each day – even if it still triggers me sometimes about my own shaming roundnesses. I realised my way of doing art – and my mind too, maybe - was evolving when I got back to check references in the amazing Blair artworks (link AO3). A few months ago, I felt insecure watching Blair’s Aziraphale, which seemed to me too much plump and very soft – not a « good sportive look », I thought then. But now I like him more and more, so maybe my way of thinking is changing, and I think this is for the very best.

My Aziraphale is performing a difficult figure, so he is using all his muscles into maintaining his balance. He seems so statuesque, so powerful, yet very focused and oblivious to the world around him, with his eyes shut. That is why he couldn’t share a glance with my Crowley. T.T

.

Maybe this is my way to guess Aziraphale’s behavior in the so-awaited « On Thin Ice »  next chapters. Focused on his own training, trying to ignore Crowley’s sassyness but still secretly impressed by his partner’s skills. Because they share the same love for Ice Skating, even if they don’t show it in the same way.

Blair, if you ever read this, thank you. For your artworks, for making us dream about a wonderful story that still remains to be told.

Thank you for « On Thin Ice », for your so-kind message last week, and for everything else.

I have faith. I’ll wait for your story. But even if it doesn’t exist yet, I am already dreaming about it, and this is priceless.

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[plumbogs]

Making Sims 2 University Fun: my personal guide

I've noticed that while it's probably one of the most utilized of the expansions, TS2's university is generally seen as a slog. Which makes sense. It has a completely different gameplay loop than the rest of the game. But it's very handy to send your sims to college, especially if you use any of the various mods that limit careers based on education. So here's my big guide to making university an actual fun experience to play through (to me, at least).

The university expansion is, uh, very tailored to the 2000s college party time animal-house tropes. the pack becomes more fun when you treat it that way and let your sims be stupid young adults who streak and fool around on campus and throw parties. which, by default, is tricky because of the gameplay that requires so much skill building and assignments. which the rest of this guide will also deal with.

Note: I make some pretty big changes to normal university gameplay, to the point that it does require a bit of modding and at least one instance of fooling with simpe. there's probably also easier ways to do it, and of course everything is optional. maybe you do like keeping sims in dorms for the entire time and just three-speeding trough it all.

*mods: there are a few absolute must-have mods to me.:

TwoJeff's College Adjuster. It's basically an all-in-one controller to adjust semester timing, change semesters, plus a bunch of other features. The semester timing is the most important to me.

Active Classes is still in testing, but it almost completely changes how I play college sims. Once again, I'll detail gameplay later, but actually sending your sims to class makes for a much more fun campus experience.

No College Time Progression On Community Lots: this goes hand-in-hand with the previous mod.

Community Time: IIRC you have to do a little editing in SimPE to make it work right with University - this post explains what to edit. I don't know if I'm allowed to share the exact edit I made as a download. This might seem redundant after the last mod, but there's a reason for the madness: while one group of sims are in their active classes, the other students can do things on the home lot.

Instant Pledge for Greek Houses: This one is important for greek house gameplay, which is later.

SimBlender: There's like, 500 different edits of the SimBlender, and I think all of them have the main function needed for my college gameplay, which is teleportation. You can use a comparable teleporter if you fancy.

Simlogical's University Break is another important one for me, but it's not really necessary if you don't want it. I usually give the sims one break day per season - more on that later.

Autonomous Casual Romance is not required, but it sure adds a lot of fun to your college experience. You can also do any number of professor-limiting, custom degrees, etc mods and fixes you want.

*mods i do not use: there are mods to change the number of/length of semesters, but I seem to run into issues with them so I use the college adjuster to do the same things. I also don't really use any major overhauls, or mods that make term papers faster. I did have the tuition mod for a bit but grew tired of using it.

*general timing changes: I do seven-day seasons with longer lifespans for all sims and play rotations each day. These are the things I do specifically for university:

Four semesters: I only do semesters 2, 4, 6, and 8. Every time a new semester starts, I just use the College Adjuster to set the correct semester for each sim. I use the default length of 72 hours.

Synchronized finals: I use the College adjuster to reset the timer so the finals are all around 6-8am, and synchronized for each sim on a lot. This makes it easier to keep track of timing and skills. Also, all sims in university run on the same 3-day semester. Finals are the same day for the entire college each round. Once again, that just makes it easier for me to keep track of college-wide events for gameplay reasons.

Because this means there's 3 days per school year, and two school years per season week, it syncs better if they get a day off every Sunday using the University break mod.

Teens are sent to college on the same schedule. I send teens to school when they have 14 days or so left, with maybe an extra day or two if the college is currently in the middle of the semester.

*Gameplay: living situations: Here's where the meat begins. Now all your sims are on the same college schedule, they're all being sent to school, and now they need to actually move into college. I follow a real rule a number of colleges use: Every student spends a year in the dorms. Just their freshman year, then they have to move somewhere else. I find that this gives them a chance to meet dormies, adapt to being on college, and sorta figure out what kind of young adults they are. Plus, this gives them time for joining greek houses, which will be talked about later.

I do this because I like seeing sims as their own little characters with arcs and whatever and it forces me to think about what exactly they would be doing in college. Some sims get so frustrated with the constant mess of a dorm, some sims thrive by making friends with every dormie. Sometimes they start new drama with the others they came from high school with. Nothing quite like losing your high school sweetheart to some stinky dormie, after all.

After freshmen year, the students are kicked out of the dorms. They can get an apartment, they can rent a house, they can move into a greek house if they join one. Either way, they need to live somewhere. You can let them stay in the dorms, but I prefer somewhat smaller college households and divide them accordingly. Which gets into that whole greek house situation:

*Gameplay: greek houses. I gamify the Greek houses. I play SSU in my megahood, which comes with a fraternity and sorority, and you can do whatever setup you like there if you dislike gendered houses. Or abandon them all together and ignore this section. There are a few important elements:

Freshmen cannot live in Greek houses. They can, however, pledge while living in the dorms and move in right after their finals end. This includes dormies. There are benefits to the dorm, such as free housing, more social opportunities, usually more money per household since I cheat to make the greek houses actually nice to live in with things like pools and comfortable furniture, etc.

The Greeks have to be recruiting consistently. To keep the house going, they need to constantly be bringing in new members, either playable OR dormies.

Any recruited dormies are required to move in. You can townify them after graduation if you don't really get attached to them, but every member of the house is moved in. I use the instant pledge mod to get rid of that annoying requirement where they have to hang out on the lot so long before moving in. That, and they also move in after finals. You can teleport or invite them on and just ask them to move in. Whatever you want. Then, you must set them to be sophomores. Beyond that you can do whatever. They're playable now. Have fun.

You gotta let the Greeks party. Throw toga parties all the time and use a teleporter to maximize guests. Generally, ALL members of ALL greek houses are teleported to a party by default. Add more dormies, any friends, anybody in the dorms - the kids need to recruit and the easiest way is by forcing everyone on one lot. If you have autonomy mods or realistic alcohol, sit back and watch the madness unfold.

I don't really play wants-based, so playables that join greek houses is more based on vibes or friendship with existing greek members than wants.

*Gameplay: what do you mean we have to study??? Yeah. I made it this far before even bringing up the whole point of college. This is also where it gets a little more complicated and changed up, so bear with me.

I don't do wants-based, again, so I generally just try to make sure sims are at least passing by default. Whether they go beyond a C is up to whatever. I usually try to get knowledge sims to their 4.0s or sims that just seem like they'd take it seriously to max GPA.

ACTIVE CLASSES ARE SUCH A LIFESAVER. You can use the pre-made lecture hall or make your own. Put some skill-building objects in there, and if you like flavor theme the lecture halls around majors. I have a business/gen ed building, a science lot, and an arts lot, each with two classrooms (plus the library contains a classroom). I do believe I made an edit to the mod to make the class performance go higher with active classes, as well, so attending class every day is the bare minimum to get a passing grade.

The active class lots also contain career reward skill-building objects. These are nice because your sims can request to be taught by other sims on the lot. If you have a mod that allows non-students to visit uni lots, this helps even more with faster skill-building.

Every day, I send groups of sims with similar majors to their class. If there's a mixed-major group, each sim group gets one day in active class per semester. (So if there's an economics major, a bio major, and an art major, each one attends class on a separate rotation and the others do the normal autonomous go-to-class where they leave the lot and disappear). They attend one or both of the lectures and otherwise exist on the college lot to skill-build, socialize, eat, etc.

Outside of class, sims will usually research if they're not doing great. I honestly barely bother with assignments or term papers unless the sim actually wants to do them or are aiming for a high GPA. Maybe they go hang out at the lounge or downtown to fool around. Maybe they just fester at home. Whatever they want.

*other gameplay/storytelling things: I usually will take advantage of the aspiration change after their sophomore year if I realize that their aspiration just doesn't really jive with how they act. It's realistic to me. They had many years since being like, 13 when they first had their aspiration selected. I'd like to implement more in the way of holidays/events, personally, but that's not really relevant either. I usually give them an outfit change as well, and I like to go hard with the idea that they're going through a bunch of weird fashion phases. You know you want to give them a mohawk, just for a few days, don't you? Dye their hair red? Shave it all off? Have fun with it.

All of these things combine for me, at least, to make the college years a lot more engaging/interesting and less of a slow "move to a dorm -> study -> read books -> meet needs -> graduate" loop. There's a lot more storyline development that comes from sims being able to enjoy their time as young adults, too, such as the regular polycule jealousy explosions and party fights. It serves to break up anything they had going on as teens and give them a little direction to enter adulthood with. This concludes my little mini-guide, feel free to steal all my gameplay style or just take inspiration if you please. Or ignore it all and shake your head and call me an idiot. do whatever you want forever.

[lanierecipes]

Linguine, Zucchini and Clams

PRODUCE

4 lbs zucchini or summer squash

1 large garlic head

2 bunches dill and/or basil

2 lemons

PANTRY

⅓ cup olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Red pepper flakes

1 cup dry white wine

1 lb linguine or spaghetti

DAIRY

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 ½ ounces Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving

PROTEIN

3 lbs clams (littleneck or cherrystone)

1. COOK THE ZUCCHINI:

Preheat the oven to 450. Place 2 large rimmed baking sheets in the oven on separate racks as it preheats (you will add the zucchini to them once hot to speed up the cooking/browning process).

Trim the ends of 4 lbs of zucchini, thinly slice crosswise into rounds about ¼” thick. Transfer all the rounds to a large bowl and toss with ⅓ cup olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Once the oven has preheated, toss the zucchini on the preheated baking sheets, spreading out to cover them evenly and roast, switching the trays halfway through, until some of the zucchini are nicely browned and caramelized and others are just soft and cooked through, 30-40 minutes. You will see a mix of textures ranging from crisp and charred to soft and pale depending on where they are on the baking sheet and that’s great! These are all welcome in the dish. Remove from oven and let hang out until you are ready to use them later on. While the zucchini cook, start the rest of the prep.

2. DO SOME PREP:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Place 3 lbs clams in a large bowl, cover with cold water and let sit 15 minutes to rinse/clear of any sand.

Peel and thinly slice the cloves of 1 entire head of garlic.

Measure out 1 cup dry white wine.

Coarsely chop or tear the leaves of 2 bunches of herbs (I prefer a mix of both dill and basil. Set aside.

3. COOK THE CLAMS AND PASTA:

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium. Once hot, add 3 tablespoons of butter and swirl to melt . Once melted, immediately add the garlic, two pinches red pepper flakes (you can always add more later on as well), and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is very fragrant and softened but not browned, 3-4 minutes.

Stir in 1 cup dry white wine. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring until the wine has mostly cooked off and reduced substantially – the pot should not be dry but there should be about half as much liquid left, 4-6 minutes. Remove the clams from their cold water, shaking off any excess, and add to the pot. Stir to coat the clams in the garlic butter, then quickly add the lid. Cook, stirring once after about 5 minutes to ensure even coating and returning the lid right after, until all the clams have opened, 8-12 minutes. If you notice some opening sooner than others, pluck out those that have opened and transfer to a plate. Add the remaining clams to the plate as they open.

Once the clams have just begun to start opening, drop 1 lb of pasta into the boiling water and stir well. Set a timer for 5 minutes (or just keep an eye on the clock). You’re going to cook the pasta only part of the way in the pot of water–the rest of it will cook in the pot of clam sauce for maximal flavor absorption.

Once all the clams have opened and been removed and the pasta is about half way cooked, add the pasta to the pot of clam sauce along with 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Make sure to reserve some more of the pasta water (2 cups or so) for adding later on as needed.

Add the remaining 5 tablespoons butter to the clam sauce and pasta. Continue cooking the pasta over medium heat, in the clam sauce, tossing frequently with tongs, until al dente, and adding more splashes of pasta water if its reducing too fast–the pasta should ultimately be quite saucy, loose and buttery, not dry at all, so make sure to add enough pasta water to achieve that consistency.

4. FINISH:

Remove from the heat, add all of the zucchini, and squeeze in the juice of 2 lemons, and 1 ½ ounces finely grated parm and toss well to incorporate. Season the sauce with more salt and red pepper flakes as needed.

Stir in most of the chopped/torn herbs, reserving some for garnish.

If the clams need to be reheated, you can throw them back on top of the pasta and cover the lid for a minute or two, they should rewarm from the residual heat of the pot.

Serve straight out of the pot, or transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl and top with clams. Grate more cheese over top, garnish with remaining herbs and serve!!

[senstless]

Taking a look at the New Summoner Abilites in the new Rebellion Set

Digging into the Rebellion Release

I wanted to dig in and take a look at the new rebellion set that is due to be released later this year. I am still fairly active in splinterlands participating in my guilt brawls and battling it out on a daily basis. If you've read my prior posts you know I tend to focus on a bronze level account and p trying to be as complete as possible moving forward in the modern rule sets. I'm excited for the new rebellion set to be released, as each new release brings a fast change to the go-to and most powerful lineups, providing new OP lineups, while providing an ability to neuter the old op lineups.

New Summoner Abilities

Dual Element

Reasons Why I like it Dual element is going to have a potentially massive impact on gameplay. The ability to be a mad wizard and combined two elements plus the neutral cards in many rule sets will create a whole new combination set of cards and lineups. I think it will be even easier now to go all out on your attack method of sneak, snipe, opportunity, melee etc.

This will also potentially give some of those splinters that in bronze don't have the ability to tank heal access to a card for tank heal. This means potentially you could partner water and fire together, or life and death to now provide that all important healing to your tank while still having your typical lineups.

Ability Choice

Reasons Why I like it Ability choice is one of the abilities that was potentially going to be released that really for giving me some questions on the impact to the gameplay. Not as much an impact to picking or choosing your lineups, but more of a speed and ease of play by adding another selection point, or waiting. Right now you sometimes have to wait the full 2 minutes after selecting your lineup for your opponent who may have timed out for various reasons. Those of us who multitask and use multiple tabs are guilty of timing out without noticing, and others have connection issues for browser issues that cause a town. If there is now another timer added after the initial selection that allows you to pick your tactics I'm concerned it may cause even less games to be played in the same amount of time. As someone who struggles to play more than 10 to 15 matches a day, slowing the play time down will really limit the number of games I'm able to get in.

As far as the actual tactic in the ability to choose whether or not you buff your your lineup, or card, or if you want to debuff your opponent is a wicked twist I like. I think it could even be moved when setting a lineup as most of us will likely have a good idea of what tactic we're going to take and quite honestly I think that in many cases it won't matter no matter what my opponent picks for lineup. A lot of my lineups are in All or nothing lineup and a small tweak won't have an impact.

Target Choice

Reasons Why I like it The target choice is also great, the ability to apply a ability to just one card can really change things around. In the example they gave a hypothetically added armor which looks like The Shield symbol which would reduce a melee attack to a card that also has void and tank heal. Now the only real threat is brain attack from the enemy does the rest have been cut in half. Depending on what abilities they add to what cards, this could have a massive impact in brawls where cards with bloodlust can now get additional abilities to help them ward off the enemy while they stack up their stats.

Get Ready and Don't Miss the Rebellion!

I know I'm currently trying to figure out my plan for the rebellion set. I have some cards I'm trying to sell along with everyone else to secure my funds that will allow my purchases when it's released. Given my terrible luck in packs over my long history for Splinterlands going back to beta I believe I will be buying cards off the market. I also am fearful that I will not be buying right away as the card prices will be after highest right after the release. I will probably try to position myself to look at getting critical cards first as and then work on fulfilling the rest.

Unfortunately I only have about a hundred to $125 left a splinter land assets currently not being played, and I do not have very many untamed cards that will be moved to the market once they are moved out of modern. From the sounds of the rebellion set I expect card prices to remain relatively high as the number of packs opened is restricted to allow players to enter airdrop conflicts.

Either way I'm excited for this new release, and I'm very excited to see what it does to the game play and to re-level the playing field a bit. I have a feeling I'll be doing a bunch of rentals when they first gets released and I'm looking forward to untamed getting removed from the modern rule sets. I did not have any untamed left and it is a massive gaping hole in many of my items.

~~@senstless

[covemains]

Call to arms mod vietnam

Call to arms mod vietnam upgrade#

Call to arms mod vietnam plus#

Call to arms mod vietnam series#

Earlier games allowed you to control units directly from an overhead perspective, pointing directly to targets as needed, but Call to Arms allows you to play it as a (slightly wonky, admittedly) first-person shooter if so desired, popping headshots down rifle sights.

Call to arms mod vietnam series#

It’s a reflection of the most interesting feature of the game: Direct unit control, far in excess of anything the series has previously offered. On top of that, the game has loot crates, keys and all, although these seem primarily geared towards providing cosmetic fripperies for your account.A lot of the promotional screenshots for Call to Arms look like they could have been taken from a tactical shooter from just a couple years back.

Call to arms mod vietnam plus#

Lastly, the Ultimate/Season Pass edition of the game will add German and Russian campaigns plus unit unlocks for them as they’re released, and early beta access to new factions during development. My impressions are based on build 974407 on 29 February 2016. Call to Arms still satisfies me as a new iteration of a favorite game, but I hope between now and its projected release later this year, it finds a way to surprise me as well.is available on Steam for a franchise loyalist-friendly price of £18.99 / $24.99. It’s a good formula, but one that I hope would have changed after five years. It’s still got the fussy and somewhat clunky interface that it always had, and it’s still about infantry and tanks blazing away at each other at close-quarters. It’s a new name and a new setting, but it sure seems like Assault Squad 3. It’s the kind of thing that my old Men of War group might be able to rally around right now, even before it is finished, and even allowing for the annoying progress-gating.But if you wanted the series to evolve with a new setting, Call to Arms feels like a bait-and-switch. If you’re one of those players who really adored Men of War, and want more of that game in new settings and contexts, Call to Arms is a pretty direct answer to those prayers. Black-clad militia race around the map aboard machine-gun equipped pickup trucks, while Kevlar-covered Americans fight to survive ambushes in dusty villages and defend their airbases from enemy assault.That’s not a bad offering, but it is a slightly disappointing one. That’s what sets this series apart.What Call to Arms brings to the table is a new set of battlefields filled with the trappings of modern war. Your AI minions are merely competent soldiers, but your direct-controlled soldiers are all potential war heroes on a detailed and unpredictable battlefield. While the rest of your troops fight automatically from the positions you gave them, you can seize direct control of individual troopers and practically turn them into shoot ’em up characters, moving and shooting according to WASD commands.In multiplayer, that power can really take off because now you and your friends and enemies are all splitting your time between a tactical RTS and realistic top-down shooter. It’s a game where you can reach down into the battlefield, tap one specific soldier or vehicle crew on the shoulder and say, “Now’s your time to be a hero,” and then guide them to individual glory. If you haven’t played these games, let me explain a bit more about what makes this series special.The Call to Arms / Men of War games are a bit like Company of Heroes, except it has an obsessive interest in the placement of each individual soldier, the angle of each individual shot, and the contents of everyone’s backpack. First, you have to block the enemy units from reaching your side, and second, you have to make use of any open lanes and to overwhelm your enemy.If you fill up the territorial control bar, you win, and to prevent each mission from going on potentially forever, there’s also a timer. For this, you have to keep two things in mind. Then use space to spawn units when the cooldown is up.Your goal is to simply get your units to the other side of the screen and fill up the territory control bar before your opponent can do the same to you. Use W and S to select the lanes, and then use A and D to cycle between your units. From there, it’s just a matter of gradually capturing different parts of the map until you have it all.Heed the call to arms and be the Warlord you were destined to be.InstructionsThink of each mission like a set of 8 lanes.

Call to arms mod vietnam upgrade#

Each mission you complete successfully will give you gold that you can use to upgrade your units or buy additional ones. Wage a war of territorial control in this real time strategy game.Pick your faction, select your units, and then commence your campaign of territorial domination.

[miekasa]

AOT characters x their partner on social media is something I love thinking about omg. Eren is the number 1 menace, I swear, he likes keeping an aesthetic and he wants your face on his profile, and he wants to be in yours, and he will brainstorm for cool captions for you both 😭 Jean acts all shy, but that tall mf also lowkey feels the same way as Eren 😭. Mikasa is very relaxed and cute about it, she’s so effortless when it comes posting you on her feed, same with Sasha probably. Connie would post your funny faces 100% while Armin….blonde coconut I feel would be shy at first but is a fan of couple-y posts. Same with Erwin, and Erwin would add the cheesiest suburban dad captions like “my better half” or shit like “forever yours” 😭🥴😭 Hange is just all over, like they’ll be super unpredictable, from wildly funny to very touching stuff. Pick is just sweetness!! All around sweetness that can make you melt. Porco would be…actually I’m not sure, he seems like he’s in line with Eren and Jean 😭 Meanwhile, Levi would not care at all about social media announcements and “instagram official” and people outside his close circles find out about his partner on their tenth-year anniversary because they bumped into you both while you were out on a date 😭😭

No because you hit the nail on the head here anon!!

Eren and Connie are fiends and almost shameless in how much they want to be on your socials. If you do the thing where you record your food when you’re out to eat with Eren, he’ll interject into your video—“And me! She’s with me!! Show me!!” After some time—or if you tease him by purposefully leaving him out of the frame—he’ll just snatch your phone when you’re recording or taking pictures and makes sure to get himself with the front camera 😭😭 oh and you will be on his, it comes with the price of dating him, he loves posting videos that gradually zoom in on your face before you notice he’s recording.

Connie just photobombs everything. Even if just his eyebrows make in the frame, you better post it. He’s watching you. He loves taking funny selfies and posting them with absolutely no context, and videos too!! He reminds me of that TikTok of the guy who pans the camera to his gf laying in the grass is like, “We had a beach date, and, yeah I love her,” and pans the camera to his face, “I’m faster than her tho. We raced. But yeah, love her.”

Jean pretends like he doesn’t care if you don’t post him, but he cares 😭😭 he’s always willing to take a photo for you, but he wants to take them with you too!! He’ll not so subtly be like, “Hey, did you post those pics from the other day?” as a gentle “reminder,” and he’s honestly so cute you gotta give into him. He likes posting pics with you too, and claims he’s gotta keep it updated so he’s got something to show his mom—“She’ll think I’m making you up if I don’t have proof, babe.”

Armin gets nervous about posting you at first—the whole being publicly affectionate thing, plus the internet is forever, you know. But once he sees that he doesn’t necessarily have to post you guys holding hands or kissing all the time, he relaxes. Just a picture together, or a picture of you from one of your dates every once in a while is cool with him. He takes good candids and they’re his favorite to edit and make all pretty. He gets surprised whenever you post him, and he’s honestly not checking for it/on social media all that often, so he finds out through a friend like Sasha who’s bubbling, “Armin you guys are gonna make me jealous!! Your beach dates look so cute!!” And Armin’s a little confused, until she adds, “I saw the pictures on Insta!!” And now he’s slightly pink in the face.

Porco is… more likely than not recording you innocently vibing or minding your own business before he comes to bother you bye. He thinks your surprised face is so fucking funny and needs several video evidences of it. He gets grumpy when you get an off-guard of him, but just show it to him after and suddenly he’s like, “I look pretty good there, actually,” like yeah, dumbass, that was the point 🙄🙄 he posts his shit on Twitter tho, and is always acting like he doesn’t know you—“Girlfriend for sale, willing to trade for Breath of the Wild. At least $30 cash otherwise,” and thinks it’s funny when you threaten to block him. Or he’s subtweeting you when you CLEARLY follow him: “Anybody else know someone who falls asleep 30 mins into a drive?? No?? Just me??”

Erwin and his captions anon please I’m hollering. You know he uses the filters embedded into Instagram, too, and it makes some pics come out grainy/more dull. He comes questioning Hange with genuine curiosity, “How come your photos look so… bright? How do I do that?” Sir, open up VSCO and free yourself from the shackles of Sepia.

Levi could not care less about what and how much you post of him on social media, and his own is so scarcely updated; he really just has it so he’s not a complete ghost to the world, and to occasionally cure a fit of boredom. The pictures he posts are always nice tho, simple, cleanly edited and shot, and sometimes he’s not even in them. He doesn’t mind if you post him or not, but every once in a while he’ll stop by with a simple heart emoji in the comments. (To which Hange absolutely loses their shit every time and loves to joke about, “omgggggg are you and @leviackerman official???? 🤪🤪🤪)

Hange is the undisputed champion of photodumps and you cannot prove me wrong. Above all, they love posting a series of chaotic photos that tell a story—three slides dedicated to photos that caught you falling down; several photos back to back of you stuffing your face with food; frames of the both of you posing for a photo with the front timer but of course something made them topple over you. Their captions don’t help either, almost always unrelated from the disaster that just unfolded. Could have posted a photo dump of you two skipping (and falling) at the park and the caption is like “fun fact: a cockroach can survive up to five weeks with its head cut off!!” (The disconnect between the pics and captions always confuses Erwin. @e.smith: Very cool! But, what do roaches have to do with you guys looking like you broke your ankles? PS—is everybody okay?)

Mikasa is relaxed about posting you, and she lowkey really likes to be posted on your socials. She doesn’t say much about it, but she likes going back through your profile and looking and what you posted, and the comments from your guys’ friends being supportive. The pictures don’t necessarily spell out that you guys are Together, but that’s okay with her; she doesn’t need four pics of you guys kissing on her timeline to make her happy. She has lots of pictures she doesn’t post tho and you’d be shocked to find them, you gotta hype her up a bit to post them, “Mika you look hot here!!! The people need to see!!! Feed them!!!”

It comes naturally to Sasha, too. She likes documenting your dates with pictures and videos and has a blast editing them afterwards, too. Just AirDrop her the pictures you took and she’ll fix them up for both of you to post later. She’s a fan of silly matching captions and is always in your comments with a million emojis.

Pieck absolutely the sweetest girl. Her whole feed manages to naturally come out in soft filters and pastel colors. She always tells you she doesn’t have to edit a thing when you’re in the picture. Definitely posts photo dumps that include pics of food, sunrises, her cats, and a few off-guards of you thrown in there. Abuses the bugs and sparkly emojis in the captions.

Annie literally posts one pic a few months (by a few months, I mean like 11 months) into your relationship with the simple and upfront caption: “This is my girlfriend” and everyone is in the comments immediately bye. Berty is acting super surprised even tho he basically set you guys up, somehow Reiner genuinely didn’t know, and Sasha is clowning him for not catching on, and then he’s like “wait since when????? i thought they were just really good friends????” Mikasa comments a singular scissor emoji and it sends everyone into orbit, even Annie likes the comment.

[becomewings]

BTS Universe Timeline

« previous  |

TIMELINE GUIDE

Content warning: contains references to death, suicide, suicidal ideation, child abuse, domestic violence, blood, homicide, depression, trauma, PTSD

This guide contains major spoilers from all BU media

Revisions and additions will be made as necessary, so please visit the original post for the most up-to-date version (update log is included at bottom of post)

All names are provided as fully as known

Bracketed dates are inferred or calculated from references in the text

While the timeline is presented here as objectively as possible, I acknowledge that there is a level of subjectivity in choosing which information is significant enough for inclusion and in certain connections drawn between entries

Please inform me of any suspected errors; I will investigate and correct them

Do not repost, copy, or quote without permission

School Years: Together & Apart

    - March Year 19 through 10 April Year 22 -

2 March Year 19 Notes 1 (SJ)

Ten days after returning from the U.S., SeokJin and his father visit the principal’s office at his new school. SeokJin learns that he will start one grade lower due to the different education systems. SeokJin’s father grips his shoulder while the principal explains that school is a “dangerous place” that needs to be “tightly controlled.” He asks: “You know you have to keep me informed, right? You’ll be a good student, right?” SeokJin squeezes out a “yes” and his father lets go. Both ChangJun and the principal laugh. SeokJin looks down at their shining shoes, wondering from where the light is coming.

Note: SeokJin’s 25 June Year 19 entry in Notes 1 specifies that his father attended the same high school. JiMin’s 23 July Year 22 entry in Notes 2 reveals that, according to a comment he finds on an online news article, ChangJun and the principal were in school at the same time and fought with each other “as if it would only end when one of them dropped dead,” but they appeared to get along later due to politics.

3 March Year 19 BTS Universe Story: The Boy on the Threshold, ep.1

On the first day of school at Songju Jeil High School, the Dean of Students berates the six latecomers lined up outside: SeokJin, NamJoon, HoSeok, JiMin, TaeHyung, and JungKook. YoonGi arrives even later. The Dean assigns them one month of community service as punishment. When he notices SeokJin, he clears his throat and says he is letting them off because it’s the first day: they must all assemble after classes to clean the annex, a classroom turned into a storage room. This room becomes their meeting place and hideout even after their punishment is finished.

Note: Their punishment for being late is referenced in JiMin’s 12 March Year 19 entry in Notes 1, when he escapes to the old classroom again and finds the others already there. He observes that it feels as though they’ve been “hanging out together forever.” The punishment scene is also similar to a moment in the BTS Begins Middle Scene VCR. Although it includes a few extra students and cannot be confirmed as BU content, it does mirror the canonical detail of YoonGi arriving last.

28 May Year 19 Notes: Answer

In the classroom hideout, JungKook asks everyone what their dreams are because he has to write a paper about future hopes. SeokJin wants to become a good person, and YoonGi says it’s okay to have no dream. TaeHyung poses on a chair and says he’s going to be a superhero. HoSeok scolds him and adds that he wants to find his mom and live happily. JiMin asks him if he is unhappy now, and HoSeok pulls an exaggeratedly worried expression. “Is that how it works?” JiMin is flustered when HoSeok asks what his dream is and remembers that when he was in preschool he wanted to be president, but didn’t know what he wanted after that. Everyone looks at NamJoon, who shrugs and confesses that while he wants to say something nice, he doesn’t have a dream either and just wishes that his part-time job pays more. JungKook looks down at his assignment, divided into sections for “student” and “parent,” and wonders what he hopes to become. He can’t think of anything to write.

12 June Year 19 — The Sea Notes 1

YoonGi’s entry:

All seven boys cut school and decide to go to the sea. They have little money between them, so they must walk to the train station. As they leave, YoonGi almost bumps into JiMin and realizes that he is standing frozen with a trembling face. JiMin stares at a sign that reads “2.1km to Grass Flower Arboretum.” YoonGi flatly tells him that it’s too hot to go to the arboretum. He has an “instinctive feeling” that they should avoid it. He observes that JiMin walks away like a little kid, head bent and shoulders hunched.

JungKook’s entry:

The boys arrive at the beach. They hang around under a torn parasol until HoSeok holds up a discovery on his phone: a large rock that is supposed to grant your dream if you stand atop it and shout your dream out to the sea. TaeHyung encourages them to go. While they grumble in the heat on the long trek, JungKook reflects on how he had recently asked the others what their dreams were. (See 28 May Year 19.) None of them really have a dream to pursue.

YoonGi tells JungKook to stop biting his nails or else they’ll become like his. Then he asks JungKook what his dream is. Having never thought about it, JungKook doesn’t know. He hesitates and then asks what a dream is. HoSeok rattles off a few definitions from his phone. YoonGi questions, “How can something that you want to achieve most in your life and something that is unlikely to come true both be called a dream? … Don’t ever try to have a dream.” JungKook asks why. At his glance, YoonGi stops biting his nails and puts his hands in his pockets. “Because it’s tough having one.” JungKook is curious about why YoonGi bites his nails but doesn’t ask. He recalls that it has been a habit since his childhood to hurt himself. He remembers cutting his finger on a knife badly enough that his mom took him to the hospital, but she didn’t take care of him after they went home. His wound healed slowly because he kept pressing it; the pain helped him feel awake. Even now, he sometimes feels hollow.

TaeHyung asks how much longer they have to walk. HoSeok is puzzled, saying they should be close. They gaze around the empty, pebbled beach. JiMin sighs and reads aloud from an article on his phone. A resort will be built on this beach, and the construction company blew up the rock. They notice the cordoned off construction zone. They try to reassure each other to remain positive, but they all feel the disappointment of walking all that way for nothing. JungKook notices YoonGi biting his nails again and tries to stop him, but he is interrupted by a loud drilling noise. JungKook looks past him at the sea and all that remains of the dream-granting rock, the pebbles under their feet. “Is the world tough for you, too?” he asks, but YoonGi can’t hear him. JungKook screams again. “Do you want to give up on this world, too?” HoSeok and TaeHyung laugh at their mimed conversation. They all look out to the sea and shout their dreams. The drilling is so loud that they can’t hear each other. JungKook cannot even hear his own dream. When the noise stops, they cut off abruptly and laugh. SeokJin suggests that they take a photo. He sets the timer and runs to join their row, the sea behind them. They walk back to the train station. JungKook asks if he can keep the photo. SeokJin writes “June 12” on the back and gives it to him, telling him that his dream will come true. JungKook asks if SeokJin knows what he shouted to the sea, and SeokJin merely taps his shoulder and strides ahead.

BTS Universe Story : The Boy on the Threshold, ep.3

JungKook’s memory of the beach trip follows a similar structure to the scene in Notes 1, plus a notable addition. After they fail to find the dream-granting boulder, JungKook climbs up on the pier railing. He thinks: “I’ve always liked walking on the edge of walls or on top of lines. Focusing on centering my gravity means that I don’t really think of anything else, and the boundary—not quite a part of either place—always felt like where I should be.” Someone grabs his arm while he precariously balances. YoonGi tells him not to do that, and JungKook assures him that he won’t fall.

“YoonGi would often grab my arm when I walked on railings. The others would look after me, too, after seeing him do that. I liked their helping hands. It felt like they were telling me that I should go to them. That this wasn’t my place. Maybe their hands were why I walked on the railings.”

25 June Year 19 Notes 1 (SJ)

Alone in the classroom hideout, SeokJin finds a plant by the window. He takes pictures with his phone but doesn’t think they capture what the human eye sees. He notices that “HoSeok’s plant” is scribbled on the floor beneath the pot and then realizes that the window sills, walls, and ceiling are covered with graffiti and drawings, messages left behind by the students who once passed through that room. He wonders if there were past teachers who used violence and endless tests or students like him who ratted out their friends to the principal. Since his father also attended that high school, SeokJin looks for his name on the walls and finds it with a phrase written underneath: “Everything started from here.”

Note: TaeHyung, JiMin, NamJoon, and YoonGi discover several other familiar names near Kim ChangJun (SeokJin’s father) on the classroom wall in TaeHyung’s 23 July Year 22 entry from 7’s album Notes and the extended version in Notes 2.

30 August Year 19 Notes: Her

JiMin plays in HoSeok’s shadow while he is on the phone, reflecting on how HoSeok has accompanied him on the two-hour walk home since the beginning of the school semester. JiMin eventually realized that HoSeok didn’t live in the same direction but never questioned him, simply hoping that their time walking together would stretch the day out a little longer. HoSeok finishes on the phone and chases after him while the cicadas sing and their ice creams melt. Suddenly, JiMin is afraid, wondering how many of these days are left.

20 March Year 20 Notes 1 (TH)

TaeHyung sneaks up on NamJoon in the hallway by their classroom hideout. He stops when he hears SeokJin’s voice inside, apparently informing the principal about how TaeHyung and YoonGi had ditched school and got in a fight over the past few days. SeokJin throws open the door, phone in hand, and looks flustered to see NamJoon standing there. TaeHyung hides in a corner and is shocked to hear NamJoon assure him, “It’s OK. There must’ve been a good reason.” HoSeok and JiMin find TaeHyung in the hallway, and HoSeok pulls him into the classroom. NamJoon beams at TaeHyung as though nothing strange has happened. Believing that NamJoon “must have his reasons” because he is more intelligent and mature, TaeHyung decides not to tell anyone about the conversation he overheard.

15 May Year 20 Notes 1 (NJ)

NamJoon visits the classroom hideout on his last day of school. Two weeks prior, his family decided that they needed to move due to complications with his father’s health and their overdue rent. NamJoon tries to write a message on a piece of paper. He scribbles “I must survive” before the pencil lead snaps. He crumples the paper and writes in the dust on the window instead.

“No farewell message would be enough to let the others know how I felt. At the same time, no farewell message was needed to make myself understood. ‘See you again.’ It was a wish, rather than a promise.”

Note: “I must survive” is a recurring message tied to NamJoon in the BU MVs. See also 17 December Year 21.

7 June Year 20 Notes: Persona

TaeHyung’s two month old puppy Dubu slips out of the leash and disappears while he is distracted on his phone. TaeHyung runs around the neighborhood looking for him, first angry at the puppy and then blaming himself. When Dubu returns on his own, TaeHyung is filled with the unfamiliar feeling that he is someone who can be relied on.

11 June Year 20 BTS Universe Story: The Boy on the Threshold, ep.5 Everyone’s Place

In the classroom hideout, JungKook listens to YoonGi playing the piano. The sound of the music makes him feel as if YoonGi understands how he feels and is trying to console him. The Dean of Students forces the door open, demanding why they are there. He berates and slaps JungKook, knocking him to the floor. YoonGi steps between them and shoves the teacher’s shoulder. The dean warns him that he had better be prepared for the consequences of putting his hands on a teacher and then leaves. Despite his throbbing cheek, JungKook smiles because it is the first time someone has protected him, and the feeling of getting closer to YoonGi makes him giddy. For the next two weeks, YoonGi does not come to school.

25 June Year 20 Notes 1

JungKook’s entry:

JungKook tries to play the piano in the classroom hideout, unable to make it sound like YoonGi did. He reflects on the rumor that YoonGi was expelled after the events of 11 June and wonders if YoonGi would still be here playing the piano if JungKook had not been there that day when the teacher appeared.

YoonGi’s entry:

Breathing hard, YoonGi arrives at his bedroom, removes a half-burned piano key from an envelope in his desk drawer, and throws it into the trash can. He remembers a day four years ago when he returned to their burned down home and found a skeleton of the piano where his mother’s room used to stand. He noticed several piano keys on the ground and took one of them, wondering what note it was and how many times her fingers touched it. In the present, YoonGi thinks how unbearable living under his father’s rule is and recalls what happened that day: he is officially expelled from school. He picks up the piano key again and hurls it out the window.

“I couldn’t hear the piano key hit the ground. Now I’d never know what note it made. It’d never make a sound again. I’d never play the piano again.”

17 July Year 20 Notes 1 (SJ)

At the end of the last school day before summer vacation, SeokJin tries to leave quickly but is hailed by HoSeok and JiMin. No one knows that he was pressured by the principal and revealed their hideout, which led to JungKook and YoonGi being discovered (11 June) and the latter’s expulsion (25 June). HoSeok wishes SeokJin a good vacation and to keep in touch, but he can’t reply.

“My first day at this school crossed my mind as I passed through the school gate. We were all late and got punished. But we were together, so we could laugh together. I had ruined all those memories we shared.”

Note: Variations of the sentiment “we can laugh when we’re together” recur throughout BU.

15 September Year 20 Notes 1 (HS)

In the hospital emergency room, HoSeok wants to explain how JiMin had a seizure at the bus stop to his mother, Sim SeonMi. When the doctors wheel JiMin’s bed out, HoSeok begins to follow until SeonMi thanks him and touches his shoulder. He feels like she has drawn a line between them that he cannot cross. He falls to the floor, and when he looks up, JiMin’s bed is gone.

Note: The name of JiMin’s mother is specified in his BTS Universe Story arc, Stopped Time. JiMin’s 11 May Year 22 entry in Notes 1 reflects that he blacked out at the bus stop after seeing the window of the Grass Flower Arboretum shuttle bus open. His 12 August Year 22 entry in Notes 2 reveals the real cause of JiMin’s seizure at the bus stop: he sees the boy that he left behind at the arboretum warehouse on 6 April Year 11. Though the boy’s empty eyes no longer speak to JiMin, this chance encounter awakens his memories of that day.

28 September Year 20 Notes: Her and Smeraldo Books Twitter

JiMin, heavily medicated, has lost track of how long he has been back in the hospital. But he considers this a special day because he lies to the doctor for the first time about not remembering anything.

Note: He is lying about not remembering what triggered his seizure at the bus stop on 15 September and/or what happened at the Grass Flower Arboretum when he was a kid (see Notes 2 comments above). This lie is also referenced in his 11 May Year 22 entry in Notes 1.

30 September Year 20 Notes 1 (JK)

A teacher hits JungKook with an attendance book when he refuses to admit that he still visits the classroom hideout, reminding him of when YoonGi was beaten. Later, JungKook stands outside the room and imagines that the others are waiting for him on the other side. He opens the door to only find HoSeok, clearing out what remains of their belongings. HoSeok walks him out, and JungKook realizes that those days are gone and will never come again.

25 February Year 21 Notes: Her (HS)

HoSeok watches himself dance in the mirror. He has danced since he was around twelve and discovered an ecstasy that came from inside himself. Outside of the mirror, HoSeok is a person who collapses everywhere and takes medicine he doesn’t need, who smiles even when he hates it and isn’t happy. But when he dances, he truly becomes himself, casting away all that weighs him down and feeling that he can become happy.

2 May Year 21 Notes: Persona (JK)

Biking along the Yangjicheon riverbank, JungKook thinks about how his friends left him one by one and that no one at home or in the world smiles at him anymore. He stops in the shadows under a bridge. Nobody comes to this kind of ruined place, and maybe that is the reason no one comes to him either. He feels most comfortable alone in the complete darkness where no one will look for him and wants the moment to never end.

9 August Year 21 Notes: Persona (SJ)

SeokJin walks along a Los Angeles beach and photographs the ocean. It has been a year since he fled Songju and moved to his mother’s family’s home, where he grew up as a child. He doesn’t photograph people anymore and didn’t bring any photos from high school with him, afraid to remember who he was at that time or to wonder about how his friends are doing and whether they still think of him.

17 December Year 21 Notes 1 (NJ)

This lengthy entry details events that transpired since the autumn of Year 20 when NamJoon’s family moved to the village, framed by moments on 17 December itself as NamJoon leaves on his own. His family chooses this village because it has a nearby hospital for his ailing father and employers who will hire someone without a high school diploma. NamJoon serves as a delivery boy for an eatery, competing for work with the other local boys. They grow a strange sense of solidarity, and he privately dubs one of them “TaeHyung,” even though the boy’s discontent, outward behavior is more akin to YoonGi’s. (Quotation marks added to the name here for clarity.) Competition slackens when snow falls in winter. NamJoon and “TaeHyung” are the only ones poor enough to risk the road up to the mountain town’s rest area when orders are phoned to the village below. On an afternoon forecast to have heavy snowfall, the restaurant owner dismisses “TaeHyung” due to his bruised face and gives the deliveries to NamJoon. The old delivery scooter fishtails on NamJoon’s third trip down the mountain, throwing him off. More anxious about the scratched scooter than his cut ankle and aching body, NamJoon finally gets it to restart and returns to the eatery. “TaeHyung,” who has been hanging around this whole time, approaches and asks for a favor. Before he can answer, NamJoon receives a call from his mother relaying that his father went outside alone and fell, requiring a trip to the hospital. NamJoon understands that his father was only trying to keep his dignity but is still frustrated because he can’t earn any more much-needed money this day. He hands “TaeHyung” the keys and leaves to take his father to the hospital.

The next day, NamJoon learns that “TaeHyung” was in a fatal accident during one of the deliveries up the mountain. The police officer blames him for being a poor driver and not wearing a helmet. NamJoon does not speak up that he has never seen the helmet the owner now has placed out on the counter. He visits the scene of the accident, thinking that the white outline on the road could be his if he was the one to make the next delivery—just as it could be his family mourning in the village instead of “TaeHyung’s” mother. On a later trip carrying his father home from the bus stop, NamJoon pretends not to hear his father’s frail voice over the noise of barking dogs. A week after that, NamJoon is making steady deliveries up the mountain. During what is ultimately his last delivery, he speaks with a stranger at the rest area, who cautions him to take care. “Do you know what’s really dangerous? Calcium chloride and wet leaves, not the snow itself,” the stranger blurts as NamJoon departs. NamJoon drives carefully back, not looking at the scene of the accident. This is not out of safety, as he tries to convince himself, but guilt: guilt for surviving, for his relief of being the one alive, for not defending “TaeHyung’s” driving skills. He also wonders if he is “a hypocrite pretending to have a guilty conscience.” Because he scattered wet leaves and sprinkled calcium chloride to prevent the road from icing over where he fell that afternoon, believing that he would be making the next delivery. If he did not do both those things, would “TaeHyung” be alive?

Mind and body numb, NamJoon makes it home from the delivery detached from the world around him. The barking dogs snap him out of the daze, and he remembers his father’s words that he pretended not to hear and dwelled on daily despite trying not to think about them: “Go, NamJoon. You must survive.” The next morning (17 December), NamJoon sneaks away to the bus stop. He is running away from his family’s misfortunes, from his own resignation to his fate, from poverty. The bus is scheduled to arrive in Songju in a few hours—the city he left with no notice and is returning to once more with the same. NamJoon wonders if his old friends still live there and how they are doing. On the frosted window, he writes with his finger: “I must survive.”

Note: The village boy’s real name is JongHun according to NamJoon’s 12 June Year 22 entry in Notes 2, which also reveals that he visited JongHun’s home to give his condolences before he left town.

1 February Year 22 Notes: 7 (SJ)

Summoned by his father without explanation, SeokJin flies back to Korea from Los Angeles. Although he has addresses in both LA and Songju, neither place feels like his home.

———————————————————

Update Log

Posted May 5, 2021

Do not repost.

[digisims2]

Workaround for some T$R annoyances

I’ll put this under read more in case I’ll later have to edit this post since I don’t want wrong information going around in reblogs. Below the read more is two tips for how to make downloading from T$R slightly less annoying than it currently is. You don’t have to turn off your adblock for them and be spammed with shady ads and you actually can often also skip most of the countdown too (not always, this isn’t a perfect method sadly)

Update 2022; sadly it looks like skipping the count down no longer works and instead it errors every time. But you can still at least browse ad free with the other solution.

So firstly: You can totally download stuff with uBlock turned on if you have Fuck Fuckadblock filter list installed (you need to set uBlock in the advanced mode and then under Filter lists tab go to the bottom, click on import and in the field paste: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bogachenko/fuckfuckadblock/master/fuckfuckadblock.txt and then hit ‘apply the changes’ at the top. Then refresh the page at T$R and download away without any nagging about adblocking) 

Another fun thing you can do while the timer is making you wait three years and contemplate about subscribing to T$R is edit the address bar to skip the countdown, don’t touch the item number but do change the bolded parts from:

https://www.thesimsresource.com/downloads/download/itemId/(itemnumber)

to this:

https://www.thesimsresource.com/downloads/thankyou/id/(itemnumber)

You’ll have to give it few seconds (I’ve found that in your regular 15 second wait doing it around 11-8 seconds is the safest, you probably won’t be able to do it much faster anyway) before hitting enter to skip the rest of the countdown but most of the time it works, if it gets stuck or errors then you’ll have to go back to the download, refresh the page and watch the countdown through once then for the next file you usually can skip part of it again. I actually tried making redirector for that but it’s too fast and always errors so that didn’t work unfortunately. I just keep notepad with the thankyou/id link on my desktop and copy paste it from there every time I go to T$R to grab something.

Additionally: If you use Vivaldi browser and its inbuild adblock then you’ll have to either turn it off for this or also include the list in it too for it to work. I don’t know if this works with adblock plus since I haven’t used it for years after switching to uBlock but if somebody wants to try it out, let me know the results and I’ll add it here. :)

[mypimpademia]

Hi! If you aren't too busy or anything, I'd like to request Izuku, Kristina, and Mirio x reader where the reader has ADHD and is super incredibly behind on homework and is really stressed about getting everything done (online school and executive dysfunction is a terrible combination, I'm so behind on everything but I just can't get myself to start working...)

Midoriya x adhd!reader, Kirishima x adhd!reader, Mirio x adhd!reader

TW: Maybe some swearing

Note: online school fucking sucks, couldn't imagine having adhd on top of it. But I believe that you'll get through it, so good luck anon :)))

Also, im guessing and hoping you meant kirishima😭

For plot purposes, this takes place during fall break

Taglist: @myhoodacademia @bnhainthewoo @iiminibattlehero @ecao @v-vpluto @cheerfulpeople1234 @strawberry-ice @mixxfi @renzai @liltodo @wolfkid22 @mythiccheroacademia @myfandemons @melanimed @sheepydumpling

MIDORIYA.

You call Midoriya over to talk to him about how stressed you are with your work

He can't really relate to what your saying, nor can he fully understood since he doesn't have adhd, but he promises to help you to the best of his abilities

"I'm sorry youre so stressed baby... I dont know how much help I can be but I'll try!"

He starts by helping you email Mr. Aizawa and the rest of your teachers about your struggle with adhd, and asks that they excuse you for late work, and maybe even extend the date on any projects you have

"I'm glad its fall break... now we'll have more than enough time to work on everything!"

Izuku sets up a schedule for the entire week on everything you need to work on

It has work times labeled with what exactly you should be working on at that time (projects, regular assignments, any late tests, etc.), break times, and the days are split up by subject

"Alright so, we'll work on all your core classes first from Saturday to Tuesday since those a priority... then we can work on your elective classes Wednesday through Saturday. Oh, that should give you Sunday off to work on any assignments we missed."

It sounds like a lot to you at first, but when he actually gives you the schedule, he organized it perfectly so you could go about your daily routine while still getting caught up on school

Izuku clears your entire room from any distractions first, unplugs the TV and turns it around, puts away any toys you might have, takes your phone and turns it off, and uses his phone to set all the alarms

Izuku sits right next to you while you do all your work, and helps you when you need it, occasionally tapping you when you start to zone out

During your breaks, he lets you get water, have your phone for awhile, eat if youre hungry, and Izuku cuddles you and tells you youre doing a great job

You manage to finish everything by the end of the break, and get the highest possible grade you can in every class

Izuku treats you by taking you to your favorite restaurant :)

KIRISHIMA.

You call him crying about how stressed you are with school, and hes immediately determined to help you because you're his s/o and he loves you, plus its the manly thing to do

Eijiro rushed to your dorm, all his notes (especially the ones bakugo helped him on) and textbooks in hand

He puts your TV remote far out of reach, and puts the batteries to it in a separate place, takes your phone and other electronics and shuts them off, and uses his phone as a timer

"Alright, let's start with (insert subject youre most behind on)."

You both work on as many assignments as you can with 30 minutes on the clock before you get a 5 minute break

While you type everything down, Eijiro uses his phone to get the answers so you can tag team your work to make it easier, and he gets you back on track when ever you get distracted

Once the w 30 minutes is up, he gives you your phone and sets his five minute timer

You do this routine about 2 more times... but Eijiro doesn't exactly have the best attention span either

So he ends up forgetting to set a timer for your breaks, and next thing you know its been an hour since you did your work

Eijiro calls up Bakugo to come help since he can hardly even keep time

Bakugo yells at him over the phone, but comes in 5 mins later

He takes Eijiros job of getting the answers, while Eijiro is assigned time keeper as well as having the job of keeping you on track

You work for a total of 4 hours, and then you're done for the day

Bakugo recommends repeating the process for another week, so you can work on one period a day

You and Eiji thank him for helping, and Eijiro tells bakugo he doesn't have to help anymore

He promises that he'll help you without getting Bakugo

"I promise to help you without calling anyone else over! It was just today, you're my s/o, I'm supposed to help you. Plus, it's the manly thing to do!"

You manage to finish it all the Tuesday after break

It took a little longer, and you finished late than you wanted, but you were relieved to be finish

You, Eiji, and the rest of Bakusquad went to a bakery to celebrate:)

MIRIO.

You didn't even have to tell him

He already knew you were struggling, so he popped over to your dorm one day with textbooks and notes

"Alright Sunshine, let's start on this work, shall we?"

He lets you set everything up while he puts away all distractions

Unplugs your TV and turns it around, takes your phone and shuts it off, puts away any other electronic device or toy of some sort, or anything else that could distract you

"Alright, lets start with the class you have the least work in!"

Eases you into your work

You start off by doing as much work as you can with 30 minutes on the clock before you get a 5 minute break

When the timer goes off, you get your phone, but its right back to work after 5 minutes

But he adds 30 minutes, and has you work for an hour and then gives you a 10 minute break

Taps you when he thinks you're zoning out even a little, and gives you check ins

"Everything alright, Pumpkin?"

After the hour is up and you get you break then he adds 15 minutes and gives you a 12 minute break, and so on...

He stops when you've been working for about 3 hours for a quick lunch break

Mirio makes sure you eat a good meal to help you focus a little more

You end up working a full 8 hours, but it honestly felt shorter with Mirio helping you

You manage to finish everything in just 5 days

Mirio takes you to a little bakery by campus as a treat

[waumpel]

ADHD STUDY TIPS

I have adhd. I'm taking all online classes this semester for college. Somehow, I'm not failing. Here's what I do that works for me!

1. I have an alarm that makes me do math every morning to turn it off, it's called Alarmy! 📚

2. It also plays a different loud sound every day from random-- I have several hundred(?) ringtones downloaded from Zedge, things like songs from shows I like or Pokemon cries or MBMBAM lines, and this helps me wake up to a different sound I'm bound to like which my brain can't get used to (and then ignore). I highly suggest godzilla roars if you need to be startled awake. 📚

3. This is SUPER HARD but I always try to force myself to sit up in bed when I'm turning off my alarm or checking my phone or whatever, so I'm not tempted to pass out again. I also like to get up and loudly tell my cats "good morning" so I wake us both up 📚

4. PLEASE STOP EATING CEREAL AND BAGELS AND STUFF. You would not BELIEVE the difference it makes when you eat things like fruits and eggs in the morning. NO MORE 10AM NAPS, I'M WATCHING YOU 📚

5. I literally schedule in Duolingo time. If you aren't learning a language you can do some other enriching activity like this, idk. I force myself to do it on my computer, not phone, so I can't lay down in bed when I'm doin it. I have a 101-day streak!! 📚

6. ik this isn't available to everyone but SPACE MATTERS SO MUCH!! I got a gaming desk that we put in our living room and I do ALL of my homework there. I also got a second monitor for my laptop with is SOOOO important if you're multitasking (and we all are, bc we're adhders ibdusvcjkn) 📚

7. HAND WRITE YOUR NOTES!!! I know this is super hard for many people-- I have carpal tunnel so I get it lmao. If you can't, at least type them. YOU THINK YOU CAN MEMORIZE INFO BUT YOU'RE WRONG!! Please write as much as you can i swear it will change ur life 📚

8. COLOURED! PENS!!! These changed the game for me y'all. I take all my notes in at least 2 colours, and I cycle through them a lot. My favs are Pilot Frixions because u can erase them :) (the highlighters are epic too) 📚

9. Make your space fun, but NOT DISTRACTING. I have a plant (his name is Yoshi) and a desk Godzilla (his name is Godzilla) on my desk, but they're out of the way so I can't zone out starin at em. But also, when I'm bored outta my gourd, I can smile at Yoshi and tell him how my day is goin :] 📚

10. SNACKING BAD *BUT*... sometimes i do it anyway... i try to associate certain foods with subjects, like I eat cocoa M&Ms (which are awesome) when I'm reading my Kaqchikel textbook. On the upside, I think it helps me recall Kaqchikel better? but also the language makes me crave mnms adkldigurvn 📚

11. LISTEN TO... CERTAIN MUSIC. I have learned that music with words, even in LANGS I DO NOT KNOW, is HELL for my adhd. Right now I'm listening to stuff like "Pokemon and Chill" (lofi album on YT), Studio Ghibli violin covers, and Night on Bald Mountain 5x on repeat ibjnvc.... I highly suggest songs/videos that are, like, 20+ minutes or else you'll get distracted with the constant change. Also, that No One's Around To Help 1hr vid is REALLY REPETITIVE and therefore PERFECT for when I'm reading textbooks. 📚

12.  EVERY NIGHT... i make a super detailed timetable schedule for the next day, down to the half hour. I don't always follow it but it's a really good reminder of what I gotta do. I write it on a whiteboard but sometimes I also write it on a sticky note and on social media so I don't forget. To do lists are so epic you guys 📚

13. THIS HAS SAVED MY L I F E: at the beginning of the semester I looked at ALL of my syllabi and wrote down EVERY daily task, test, homework, etc BY DATE. this is essentially a premade to do list EVERY DAY for MONTHS and oh my gosh it is the best thing I have ever done. 📚

14. I use the Forest app to track my productivity AND lock me out of apps ndsjv... podomoro timers work well too!!! 📚

15. Ok so for me this is like... a religious thing bc my Patron (my God) is a deity of fire AND working, but I like to light a candle (scented like FALL!!) and do a little prayer on it and I have it next to me when I'm workin on terrible, terrible homework. It helps me feel like my Patron is here with me, but also it’s GREAT for grounding and I can just kinda. Stare blankly at the flame and then get back to tryin to focus. 📚

16. Please drink water lmao, to make sure I drink enough I set little goals like "take a sip after every paragraph you read" 📚

17. Each of my classes has a different coloured notebook which I'm consistent with! Like, all my German notebooks through the years have been green! Also I take notes w green pens a lot in Deutsch 📚

18. HELLA STICKY NOTES... I put em on the bottom of my monitor, on a shelf by my desk, in my books as bookmarks (bad idea lol), on Yoshi. When I wanna go look up something random but I need to focus, I like to write it down on sticky notes to look at later. 📚

19. I'm the most annoying student ever. I like to do a bunch of assignments at once so I don't have to budget my time later, so I'll turn in like 5 things in an hour and then NOTHING for a week. ALSO i email my teachers constantly if I have any questions at all. I work at a pace that works for me!!! 📚

20. I turn off my sound on my phone until I'm done with work bc otherwise I WILL open that notification 📚

22. I make a loooot of chai (and also some overpriced herbal teas). It makes me feel fancy, it's better for me than coffee, and it helps me ground and focus! Plus it's a samefood! 📚

23. Hyperfixating on classic literature would be awesome, except I'm hyperfixating on Gothic and I'm taking a lit class for More Than Just Gothic. But I'm figuring out ways to connect them, which is really helpful, cause I get to enjoy my hyperfixation while learning for school! PLZ TRY TO DO THIS (harder when you're hyperfixating on godzilla :pensivecowboy:) 📚

21. When I have extra time I write my notes like I'm plannin to put em on Tumblr and taggin em as #darkacademia... I never post my notes, but when they look nice it's easier for me to look over em later. Plus it takes me longer to write so I remember it a lil better!! 📚

24. I'm in an awesome academia + studyspo server!! We sometimes study together on call and it's SUCH a good motivator! Here's an invite link if u wanna join, we are nice https://discord.gg/fjuX7TN (this wasn’t meant to be a promo post I just really like this group lol) 📚

OK I hope that helps!!! Feel free to add more if you have any tips that work for you :) Neurotypicals, feel free to RB respectfully!

(pics are: syllabus list, daily schedule, Yoshi the plant, and some fancy notes)

[cherrykano]

i’ve had some people tell me they’re interested in learning how to make carrds but they don’t understand the interface. lucky for you i have no life and spend all my time reformatting mine, so here's your comprehensive guide! this is gonna be long, so strap in. feel free to send any questions my way, ill try my best to answer + update this

this is the first thing you'll see when making a new carrd. these formats are nice and all, but they’re kinda boring. were gonna start from scratch, so click the dotted box at the top right, or ‘blank canvas’ from the text box in the middle

now you have this blank screen with a menu bar at the top right. we’ll go over that first!

plus (add element) - adds a new element (we expand on that later) curved arrows (undo and redo) - pretty self explanatory play (preview animations - shows you what the site will look like when booted up, if you’ve added any animations phone (mobile view) - shows what the site will look like on mobile floppy disc (publish) - publishes the site. when there are unsaved changes, a green dot will appear here 3 lines (menu) - additional actions

here are our elements, aka everything we can add to the site. im only going to go over the free ones here

text - adds a text box image - adds an image video - adds a video. can be uploaded from your device or embedded from a link audio - adds an audio clip embedded from a link gallery - adds multiple images you can click between timer - adds a countdown to a certain time or date list - adds a bulleted or numbered list buttons - adds buttons that can link internally or externally links - same as buttons, but formatted like a text box icons - same as buttons, but smaller icons table - adds a table divider - adds a line or spacer between elements

container - a customizable box that helps with formatting control - adds pages, headers, and footers

we’re going to be using the first few and the last two the most, so ill go over those in depth a little later

publish - see above start over - resets the entire carrd. DON’T CLICK THIS!! you’ll lose all your progress (don’t worry, you can undo it)

background - settings for the background page - settings for the middle of the page, where all your elements go

documentation - gives you a bunch of tutorials, but thats what you're here for! instructions - goes over everything i just talked about, in a visual view. big recommend if you’re still a little confused

dashboard - goes back to the main carrd site. make sure to save before doing this

great, now that you understand that menu, lets go onto the properties panel. this is how you customize your site!

this panel will look a little different depending on what element you’re editing, but the main layout is the same

top buttons - switch between menus arrows - move where the panel shows up on the screen bold text - tells you what type of menu this is (in this case, it’s text) layered boxes - duplicates the element trash can - deletes the element done - exits the panel. you can also just click another one, it will save either way

there are a few different menus, all with different settings. most of these (like text, links, and appearance) are pretty self explanatory, or come with instructions. the confusing ones are mainly container and control, so lets talk about those.

there are two types of containers - default and columns. default is just a box that you can put multiple elements in. columns allows you to make different sections within the container, and put elements in them. it also allows you to make a section ‘spacer only,’ which means nothing can go in it

here’s an example of a container from my commission site. as you can see, the 3 text boxes are sitting side by side, each in its own column !

when you add a control, it adds a line that cuts through the entire page. there are a few different types of control elements

section break - adds a break in the page. anything below a break will be unaccessible unless linked to on the home page header marker - adds a section that is on the top of the site on every page. you can turn the header off from an individual pages’ properties panel footer marker - same as the header, except on the bottom of the page instead of the top scroll point - adds a section within the page you can link to. it will be shown on the page whether you link to it or not.

to link to a page, you add ‘#(page title)’ without the parenthesis or any spaces. this code is what's shown on the blue control bar (’#section01′ on the image above)

to end this off, here’s my commission carrd as an example of all these elements working together

the red and black stripes are part of the background, the grey box in the center is the page, the titles and footer are filled in containers with borders, the contact links are buttons, and the information is all in text boxes!

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: 21 Great Anime You Should Absolutely Watch In 2021

    Happy Anime Day! With every season bringing a plethora of new series, there are now countless shows and movies, both new and old, to watch. Whether it's adventure, comedy, romance, or drama you're looking for, here are 21 anime series you should add to your watchlist in 2021.

      1. My Hero Academia Season 5

When it comes to the next chapter of My Hero Academia, 2021 couldn't come fast enough. Season 4 showed audiences just how high the stakes really are and how dangerous the enemies can be. Season 5, which recently premiered in March, will not only deliver high-level action, but we'll also get more time with the great slate of heroes and villains showcased last season.

      2. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train

After hearing the news of Mugen Train dominating the box office, the time has come for North American audiences to experience this highly anticipated film. Mugen Train will be available for digital release this summer and will help fill the void fans of the series have been feeling since the season ended. And we can always revisit Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba in the meantime.  

      3. The Devil Is A Part-Timer

The Devil Is A Part-Timer! offers lots of comedy with all the appeal of your traditional fantasy series, but it takes place in the modern world. Demon Lord Satan gets transported to Tokyo, and while his original goal was to take over his homeland of Ente Isla, Satan finds a better path to world domination ... climbing the ranks at the local MgRonalds! It's fun, it's wacky, and it's one of those series we never thought would get a second season, until now.

      4. Given The Movie

Talk about a bag of mixed emotions. Like the series, you'll feel proud and happy one minute, and then a pile of mush the next. Given The Movie provides a touching viewing experience following these fractured characters as they navigate their personal feelings, as well as expressing their innermost emotions through music.

        5. Hunter X Hunter

2021 marks the 10-year anniversary of Hunter X Hunter. Whether you've never seen this series or you've re-watched it hundreds of times, come celebrate this epic title's milestone!

      6. MEGALOBOX 2: NOMAD

MEGALOBOX brought all the charm of a '90s anime, but with the story of a futuristic society that takes boxing to a whole other level. Gearless Joe made a name for himself in Season 1, and although things have changed and gotten complicated, he's "not dead yet." For Joe, the fire still burns within him, and he seeks to fight once more. 

      7. Osamake: The Romcom Where The Childhood Friend Won't Lose!

Finally, a series where the childhood friend captures the heart of the MC ... I hope? It is a harem after all! Osamake: The Romcom Where The Childhood Friend Won't Lose! has a whole lot of comedy, a whole lot of shenanigans, and a noticeable amount of ... revenge. It looks like an epic competition is about to get underway!

        8. Chihayafuru

If you're experiencing Haikyu!! withdrawals, then Chihayafuru may be the next best sports anime for you! Now don't be fooled. Although Chihayafuru is all about Karuta, a Japanese card game, it still delivers the same level of development and high-stakes settings as other sports anime. This may be one of those series you always saw around but never watched but if there was ever a time to binge, it's now!

      9. Tokyo Revengers

With the manga receiving much praise, probably one of the most anticipated anime adaptations for 2021 is Tokyo Revengers. Motivated by tragedy, Takemichi Hanagaki finds himself in the past, climbing the ranks of the Tokyo Manji Gang in order to change destiny. He may not appear the toughest, but he's determined to get through the intense situations he finds himself in.

      10. To Your Eternity

Knowing this is a story from Yoshitoki Oima, creator of A Silent Voice, To Your Eternity, will surely be an adventure that tugs on your heartstrings. Audiences will witness an intimate journey of life and death revolving around an emotionless orb with no identity but can take the shape of those around it. There will be elements of time, drama, emotion, plus Hikaru Utada performs the theme? ... Sold! Want to know more? Check out the full manga catalog here.

      11. Shaman King

A Shaman King reboot was the best present fans of the original series could've gotten as the title just marked its 20th year since the show premiered back in 2001. Fans will be transported back to their childhood, all the while looking forward to a new story that reflects the manga. The series recently aired in April in Japan, and fans in North America can expect to watch the series sometime later this year. 

        12. Horimiya

  If you've been searching for a romance anime unlike any other, then you should watch Horimiya if you haven't already. This series takes everything you know about anime romance tropes, and delivers a series of fresh new twists, making for a warm and cozy viewing experience.

    13. Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

If in between all the action and comedy you need a good slice of life series about friendship, Anohana is the series for you! The original series aired 10 years ago, but sometimes a trip down memory lane is exactly what you need. Plus a new visual and news of an upcoming project will surely get you pumped to hit play.

      14. The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2

Thinking he'd be the hero in this new fantasy world, Naofumi Iwatani ended up being hated, shunned, and stigmatized at the beginning of The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 1. But as he journeyed on, he developed genuine relationships, gained valuable trust, credibility, and gratitude from others. Season 2, airing in October, is ready to continue with Naofumi's journey and progression.

        15. Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid S

Miss Kobayashi Dragon Maid has it all! This series draws you in with its cute appearance, but it surprises you with its mature moments and shocks you with some unexpected sizzle. Plus it has dragons, maids, and sweet raps! Be sure to check out the second season's adventures this July. 

    16. One Piece

  If you haven't already committed to the legendary behemoth One Piece, now may be a good time to start. The anime is set to hit its 1,000th episode this year, and while diving into a series that's so far along can seem intimidating, if you've been spending a lot of time binging TV lately, this series could be your next big marathon.

      17. S8 the Infinity

Take the Tony Hawk Pro Skater video games, and mix them together with vibrant, aesthetically pleasing animation and cool action scenes and you have S8 the Infinity. Sports anime has been really expanding its catalog lately, and this series is an entertaining addition to the genre.

  Image via Hulu

  18. The Wallflower

A little bit of nostalgia is nice to mix into your anime watchlist. If you're a fan of Ouran High School Host Club, then you'll love The Wallflower! It's got some handsome boys, a cute and quirky girl with a fascination for all things dark and scary, and all the ridiculous antics of a harem!

      19. Death Parade

Death Parade has stayed under the radar, but it at least deserves to be on YOUR radar. A story about the afterlife where a bar represents limbo and its bartender decides the fate of the souls in front of him whether they experience reincarnation, or disappear into the void by playing a game. This is a psychological, thought-provoking drama with some mystery, as we don't know the true nature of the people in the bar, or what led them to where they are. Those secrets will eventually be revealed as the game plays on.

    20. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Like Hunter X Hunter, this year also marks the 10-year anniversary of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Madoka was and to this day still is a defining series that was a real game-changer for the magical girl genre, showing just how much danger magical girls face. It's a must-watch if you haven't already, so make a contract with yourself to watch or re-watch this series sometime in 2021.  

    21. How To Keep A Mummy

  How To Keep A Mummy is a heartwarming episodic series to watch when you want to have a feel-good time! Friends and classmates spend time together with their mythical creature companions: A precious, tiny mummy who anytime he holds anything will make your heart melt, a somewhat hot-headed but caring oni, a clever dragon, and a fluffy baku. After catching up on everything on your watch list, have fun with this series to round out 2021.  

What anime will you be watching in 2021? Let us know in the comments!

        Veronica Valencia is an anime-loving hot sauce enthusiast! You can follow more of her work as a content creator on Twitter and Instagram.

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: Veronica Valencia

[agentwhiskeysdarlin]

12 Days of Christmas with Jack: Day 1

Pairing: Jack Whiskey Daniels x OC (kind of, written in second person though)

Rating: PG (general rating for the whole series)

Warnings: FLUFF the whole series is fluff, brief mentions of family passing

Word Count: 1,589 (this was suppose to be a drabble series y’all)

Author’s Notes:*cracks knuckles* here comes a hella long note section to start this off with. My lovely friend, Charlotte ( @clint-aww-no-barton​ ) and myself came up with this little series idea. I promised myself if I ever did a longer series I would not do it as a reader name insert so I came with with an OC kind of. Legit just has a name. I did try to make it more gender neutral but it may lead slightly more a female. Most things I tried to keep in mind or not add in so everyone could read it and enjoy it, plus it was a lot easier to write out with a name inserted. This series will be posted over the next 12 days with the last day posted on Christmas Eve. I am serious pray to the writer gods I can keep trucking it to get it completed for all of you. The beginning of some days may not have all this mess before it, I’m not sure how I will go about that yet but gosh I hope all of you enjoy this. It has been fun (and stressful cause its me let's be real). Charlotte thank you for putting up with me during all this and already thank you for putting up with me in the future. I am going to put this in its own masterlist under Jack’s name so you will click on it and it will take you to another one with all the parts. I will also link the previous part because it will have a connection throughout. Now that I typed another story I hope you all enjoy!!

Series Summary: Agent Jack Whiskey Daniels of Statesman agency has not been a fan of Christmas for a long time. Ever since the day he lost his wife and unborn baby the holiday always left him alone and cold. His coworker Ryder finds this out and is determined to make him fall in love with the holiday again. Follow Ryder as they set up different holiday activities to bring the Christmas spirit back to Jack’s life. Will feelings blossom? Will Christmas end up being Jack’s favorite holiday after all? 

  “Wait you’re telling me Jack doesn’t celebrate Christmas at all?!” You stared in shock at Ginger who sat across the break table from you.

  “Hasn’t for awhile as far as we all know. He has no family to spend it with so he either goes off somewhere tropical or covers Statesman for emergencies so we can spend time with our families. We have all tried to invite him to things but he won’t have it,” she shrugged her eyes full of sadness as she spoke.

  “That’s so sad. Someone needs to revamp his Christmas spirit,” a smirk played on your lips and Ginger stopped chewing to look up at you.

  “I mean you can try Ryder but I don’t know if he is going to take to it.”

  “Oh he will. I’m going to make sure of it. That man deserves to have a good Christmas and I’m going to make damn sure he does,” you smacked the table under you lightly.

  Ginger let out a laugh at your determination.

  “I wish you all the luck.”

  You gave her a smile and continued your lunch. When you were finished you went back to your desk to work on some more paperwork for Tequila. You had been working for Statesman for a few years now as a secretary. You helped the agents with the paperwork and the rest of the desk work some of them couldn’t sit still long enough to do. You loved your job. They were all incredibly sweet to you and treated you like one of the family. Jack and yourself especially had taken a liking to one another right off the bat. Constantly flirting and finding excuses to be together or hang out but as Christmas grew closer you noticed a slight change in the usually perky cowboy. You had finally broke down and asked Ginger about it exposing Jack’s distaste for the holiday season. You understood completely and didn’t want to overly push the ordeal on him but you wanted to at least try to bring his spirits up. You sat a notepad in your reach so when a thought ran across your mind you could jot it down. After the day came to a close you had twelve ideas to bring Jack’s Christmas spirit back and you were going to give all twelve a shot.

***

  There was two solid rings before his southern drawl interrupted the third one, a smooth hello making you smile slightly.

  “Hey Jack. Are you busy today?” You asked cautiously.

  “Not a thing darlin’ what’s wrong?”

  “Weeeell there is a leak and I’m not sure where it is coming from or how to even fix it.”

  “I’ll be right over alright,” Jack was urgent with his words and you could already hear him getting up and moving around.

  “Thank you so much Jack it sure would be a big help,” you tried to hide the smirk in your voice.

  “It ain’t no problem darlin’ see you in just a few.”

  You spoke your goodbyes before hanging up and glanced over your apartment. Everything was already set up for your little plan for the day. You almost felt bad lying to Jack but you weren’t sure if he would come over if you told him the truth of your plans for the day.

Your normal all out Christmas decorations were out and soft Christmas music played from a bluetooth speaker in the kitchen which was already set up as well. You thought Christmas cookies would be something small and simple you could ease Jack into this little plan you had for him. You were just finishing up getting things out and tying an apron around you when there was a knock on the door. You smiled before hurrying to the door and opening it. Jack stood there in casual wear but still topped off with a cowboy hat, his toolbox in hand. His eyebrows knitted together at the sight of you.

  “Okay I lied to you to get you over here,” you gave him an innocent look as you moved for him to come in.

  “What is going on Ryder?”

  “Ginger may have told me how you were always alone on Christmas and never cared for it because of it so I thought maybe I might do a few things for you so that you are not alone and to well maybe get you back into the spirit,” you fidgeted with your hands and looked up at him.

  “Oh Ryder you don’t have to do this darlin’,” he shook his head and gave you a chuckle.

  “No I want to. I can’t even think of you being alone on Christmas Jack or even during the season. I know what it’s like and I’m not letting it happen,” your voice was firm and a smile tugged at his lips.

  “So what’s first on the list then?” He glanced you over as he set his toolbox down and took his hat off.

  “Christmas cookies, small and simple,” you smiled and pulled the apron you had been hiding behind you out for him.

  He chuckled before putting on the apron and following you to the kitchen where you had already made the dough and had it rolled out and ready to cut.

  “I did the worst part but now we get to cut them out and decorate them,” you were beaming and Jack couldn’t hid the smile that spread across his face at your excitement.

  “I think I can manage doing this,” he glanced over the cookie cutouts that were spread all over the counter next to the dough.

  He picked up a Christmas tree one and carefully placed it down in the dough moving it slightly to get it all the way through before carefully pulling it up. You smiled even wider as he picked up the Christmas tree and smiled showing it to you.

  “See perfect!! Now just place it behind you on the pan and after we get enough we will bake and decorate!”

  The two of you cut out cookie after cookie, re rolling the dough when need be until the two pans you had prepped were full. You slid them carefully into the ready oven and then it was time to wait.

  “You can fix yourself a drink and relax. I’m just going to clean up a bit,” you spoke brightly to Jack before moving around the kitchen and dumping bowls in the sink.

  You had gotten everything used in the already soapy warm water when Jack came up next to you.

  “You wash and I’ll dry?” He gave you a smile and you couldn’t help to return it.

  “We can do that.”

  You started to wash things off and then handing them to Jack. You realized after a few moments that he was humming the Christmas song that was playing and you couldn’t help smiling to yourself. You washed the last bowl off and handed it over to Jack whose hand brushed yours and you swear you felt a shiver run down your spine. You glanced up at his eyes when he didn’t move his hand away either and caught him watching you. The two of you stood there froze in a stare down and you felt the butterflies erupt in your stomach. You let your eyes move from his to his lips for a mere second and then he was leaning in slowly. Just as the two of you were a few short inches apart the timer on the oven went off causing the both of you to jump and clear your throats. Jack took the bowl from you finally and began to dry it off as you rushed to the oven to remove the now baked cookies. You planted them on the counter and looked back at Jack with another wide grin. You pushed your little moment to the back of your mind for later and made yourself focus on the task at hand again.

  “Time to decorate!!” You were all too excited and Jack let out a laugh as he came back over.

  You moved around the kitchen quickly getting the icing, the sprinkles and metal tips for the icing. You fixed some icing up for Jack before handing it to him and getting a very questionable look from him.

  “I’m going to show you. I promise it’s not super hard.”

  You fixed your own icing and started to instruct Jack on how to pipe the icing onto the cookies. You watched him and smiled at how well he was doing. You couldn’t help but to giggle slightly watching this cowboy pipe icing.

  “What are you laughing at?”

  “Just seeing you of all people pipe icing is just wholesome,” you shrugged and elbowed him earning a smile from him.

  The two of you kept decorating until all of the cookies were done and you stepped back to look over your creations.

  “I don’t think they are half bad,” Jack spoke with excitement.

  “I think we did good too. Now to eat them!”

  You both grabbed one and very softly hit them together before taking a bite and sighing at how good they tasted. You quickly fixed the both of you some milk and you finished your cookies and downed the milk. 

  “Hey Ryder I really appreciate this,” Jack turned to you as he set his glass down.

  “You’re welcome Jack. Trust me I have much more up my sleeve,” you gave him a smirk as you turned to him.

  “Oh darlin’ of course you do.”

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[laheyyisaac]

Overdue

chapter 2 — bittersweet

SUMMARY: Guinevere Bailey just moved to McKinney, TX in order to figure out her life. She meets Captain Hank Syverson at the local library, and she finds out she might have bitten off more than she can chew. PAIRING: Syverson x OFC WORD COUNT: 1070 A/N: i will only say that i am sorry TAGS:  @promptandpros @alyxkbrl @completelybonkersentirelymad @mylifefallingupthestairs @kissthatlifeaway @dangerouslovefanfic @michellemybelles-world @poledancingdinos @speakerforthedead0-blog @omgkatinka @marswritings @misslalaland @oddsnendsfanfics if you want to be added, IM me!

PREVIOUS CHAPTERS: 1

hello. this is gwen bailey. we met at the library?

Gwen had sent the text over an hour ago, no response had come yet. She was partly afraid he forgot about her. She was partly afraid he didn't want to talk to her. 

She waited for however long before she decided to relieve some stress through baking. Her apartment was small, and it was made up of her bedroom, a small living area, a kitchenette, and a bathroom. The bathroom was blissfully outfitted with a bathtub, so she could shower or bathe however she wished. 

But for now, she baked, content to make cupcakes to bring to the library tomorrow.  She often brought baked goods to work. Her co-workers adored her for it. 

Except Lacey. But she never ate the sugary sweets. She was attempting to maintain a figure. Gwen had maintained her own figure for quite some time, well rounded and not all that skinny at all. She loved herself, her body. She felt comfortable in her skin. At least, she tried to feel comfortable. It didn't always work.

She was just about to put the cupcakes in the oven when her phone buzzed. She quickly bundled the cakes in the oven and hit the timer faster than she ever had before. She rushed to her phone, picking it up with too much excitement.

Yeah. Hey. Sorry. Had to help my mom with my nieces and nephews. I built them a jungle gym.

Gwen debated on texting back right away. She didn't want to seem desperate, right? She worried over it for a few minutes before she tossed the idea out of the window. Surely he wouldn't think she was just waiting by her phone for a response. Even though… she technically had been.

fun! was it easy? i would assume it wasn't too difficult.

No. It was easy. The directions made it simple. Plus I had my brother helping me set it up. He tried to convince me we could make it without directions. Thankfully I never listen to him anyway.

Gwen smiled and laughed at the last message. He was funny, but she already knew that. When she’d spoken to him at the library, he’d seemed so nice and gentlemanly. She wouldn’t get her hopes up. A man like that? Had to be taken. 

smart man. i was super excited when lacey gave me your number!! i was feeling pretty dumb that i didn’t ask for it earlier.

Well, I figured you were at work. Thought I’d make the first move and let you make the second if you wanted to. Speaking of making moves, would you want to go get lunch sometime? Or coffee? I’m not quite sure how people make friends anymore. I’ve fallen out of practice.

sure! i, for one, love eating food. it helps me live. 

She hopes Sy laughed at that. She sat her phone down and went to go check on her cupcakes, eager to hear back from him. 

She wondered what had been so interesting about her. Perhaps he thought she was funny? Perhaps he thought she was pretty? Perhaps she was just nice, and he was looking for a friend. Either way.

Her cupcakes were coming along nicely, and she left them in the oven a touch longer to check on her phone. One new message from Sy.

You been to that Mexican restaurant that opened up recently? La Olla Roja? If you wanted, we could go there tomorrow around lunch time?

i'm working tomorrow at lunch. how about we make it dinner? 6:30?

Perfect. See you then.

Gwen wanted to scream with joy, but she settled for kicking her feet and laughing. What an awesome turn of events.

She stood and checked on her cupcakes, pulling them out to let them cool down. Gwen went to pick out the outfit she wanted to wear, opting for a cute but casual look. High waisted jeans with no rips, nice boots, and a cropped Grateful Dead t shirt. La Olla Roja, from what she knew, was a casual restaurant. Nothing exceedingly high end. This was a casual hang out. Not a date, right? Gwen threw in a nice leather jacket to add extra niceness to the look.

She was excited. For once, it felt like things were looking up for her.

The next day, work was not so great. Three patrons had yelled at her thus far, and Lacey was being annoying. She hadn't stopped talking since they'd started working, and Gwen was a breath away from socking her in the mouth. She tried to look forward to the date/not date later tonight. She was dressed up already. All she had to do was drive over. She'd given herself a half hour too. The library closed at 6, so she would have a whole half hour. In case traffic was bad. Hopefully it wasn't. Hopefully everything went right. Hopefully.

Work ended, and Gwen was exhausted. But her date kept her going. She was going to have fun, damn it!

She walked out of work and started towards her car, pulling her phone out to check it. She had plenty of time.

She goes to her car, an old beat up Chevy, and she starts it, feeling it rumbling beneath her. She pulls out and starts towards the restaurant. She remembers what Sy said: "being on time is being late." It makes her smile. His habits were already rubbing off on her.

She made it to the restaurant in no time at all, and she spent a few minutes reapplying her make up. When she felt ready, she finally made the trek inside.

"I'm waiting for someone. Real tall? Buzzed hair."

The server shook her head. "You want me to get you a table, and I’ll send him your way?” 

Gwen just smiled and nodded. “Sounds great.” She led Gwen to a table near the front, letting her get a good view of the door. She waited until 6:30. Then, she started to worry. Once an hour had passed, she texted him.

hope you’re okay. i’m headed home. 

She paid for what she had gotten, a drink and plenty for a tip. She waved to the server who had helped her, and she replied in kind with a sad smile. Then, Gwen walked out the door, and by the time she got into her car, she was crying.