#triangles and cones are your friends!

[rocketbirdie]

How do you draw cloud's hair... and well spiky hair in general without it looking odd? As a person when I draw I do spikes or neat spikes (semi flat but flooffy) so I'd like to learn your tricks

Embrace the ridiculousness of the spikes. Do not shy away from the geometric nature of the spikes. Replace spikes with bigger spikes. Become the spikes.

[inkskinned]

you spent hours in libraries and in art supply stores trying to absorb the artist tips from books your parents didn't want to buy you. on each page of every "how to draw" is a version of the same four things: this is how you shade a sphere. this is how you shade a cone.

this is what a man looks like. he is hard and angular and jutting. his chest narrows a triangle down to his sharp hip and long legs. his jawbone is a square. he is powerful, imposing, his hands are big and meaty. he is a leader.

this is what a woman looks like. she is soft and her hands tuck her long hair back behind a delicate ear. she is big-eyed and round (but not too round, she is skinny, here is the faint sketch of her abs showing), she is smaller and lighter and pretty. she has thick black lashes and her tits do not come with a massive ribcage to offset the weight we put on her - she has curves, but they are impossibly slim without giving her backache trouble. there is a large red hourglass outlined on top of her figure, the way there is a triangle outlined on top of the man. her face is a heart-shape, and her lips are pouting.

here is how you draw the woman and the man together. the man should be in action shots. the woman's ass should be in action shots. she should fit against the man to compliment his negative space - she should slot into his shadow so when they hug, they become one uniform space. here is how all the other artists have done it, see how good it looks when the man (angles, fire, passion, action) and the woman (roundness, water, emotion, supplication) complement each other? he begins the sentence, she is his ending.

do you want to kiss another girl? that is round-to-round. that is fitting the wire into the wrong socket! how would the faces look together? a single silhouette you sketch and then hide, scribbling over it.

do you want to look like a girl? by sheer genetic happenstance, you absolutely don't look like that, and you never have. you don't look like a man, either, though, do you. you don't feel like you truly belong to either gender, but there is not a "neutral/fluid" drawing in the book. there is male (triangle) or female (hourglass).

but you have a square jaw and square hands and "masculine" proportions. but you have curves and roundness and full lips and "feminine" features. someone online says, definitively, that any form of gender noncompliance is "a mental illness." this comment has over one thousand likes from people who agree.

here is how you shade a square. none of the clothes at the store look good on you, you always somehow feel like you're wearing a weird kind of costume. here is how you shade a sphere. your friend's mother calls the school because she's horrified you're in the same changing room. here is the neutral body figure: it is a wooden man. technically the wooden man is genderless, but that is because masculinity is the default, and everyone calls the figure "a wooden man." you must be small and posable and skinny and featureless, then you can be masculine enough to not have gender.

here is how to draw a person. begin with some shapes. choose the right shapes to get that person's gender correct. do not kiss her. shade in short, sharp lines.

when she laughs, look away.

[buddydollysims2]

TUTORIAL: HOW TO BUILD A UFO ROOF HOUSE.

yo! one of my friends asked me how I do this, so I thought I'd put together a little tutorial and share. here's a preview of what a "ufo roof house" might look like once you're done:

this is just a little one I built in Strangetown on a 10×10 lot, read below to learn how to do this yourself.

→ Step 1: Build your foundation (if you want one) + your first floor. The easiest way to do this is to make your walls an octagonal shape with the diagonal walls being half as many as the straight walls. As an example, you can see in the image below my straight walls are 6 units, so the diagonals are 3.

→ Step 2: Go up one level and lay a square of flooring for your roof to sit on, twice the size of your straight walls. My straight walls are 6 units, so my "roof square" will be 12×12.

→ Step 3: Using the small cone roof tool, drag from one corner of your square to the other, minus 1 unit. My square is 12×12, so the cone roof will be 11×11. You can see in the image below where to place your cursor to start:

→ When you're done with the small cone roof tool, it should look like this:

→ Step 4: Delete the excess flooring. You can press F to toggle from a full square unit to a smaller, triangular unit to trim the corners. Unfortunately, you can't click and drag to remove the corners from the diagonal walls, you can only shift click to delete one triangle at a time, but it saves you from having to put down walls or fencing you're just going to remove anyway.

→ Step 5: Decrease your roof's angle. On my normal houses, I usually use a 25 degree angle, which in this case, looks like this:

→ Step 6: You don't want your walls sticking out like this. So, adjust your roof's angle until they're not sticking out. The lowest I could get the roof's angle on this one was 39 degrees, which looks like this:

→ Step 7: Much better! Don't worry about that spiky bit in the middle, because we're going to add a dome roof to cover it up. You can start fiddling around with the dome roof tool by using the same amount of units as your straight walls, or you can go smaller. A 6×6 dome on this house looks like this:

→ I like my UFO domes a little smaller, so I went with 4×4. TIP! If you have an even number of straight walls, your dome will also be even, if it's odd, your dome will also be odd. If you had 7 unit straight walls for example, your dome could be 7×7, 5×5, 3×3, etc. Here's how my 4×4 dome turned out:

→ Step 8: Nice! We're pretty much done! Decorate however you like!

→ Step 9: Enjoy your UFO roof house! All content shown on this one is maxis, except for the deck support posts, which are default replacements available HERE, thanks to @psychosim! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Feel free to tag me if you make a UFO roof house because of this, I'd love to see it! 👽💖 Happy Simming!

[replenaryindulgence]

Before the Light

Azriel x Calida (ka-lee-duh)/Reader

Summary: After getting lost in the woods on a camping trip and finding herself in an unfamiliar land, 22-year-old Cal must decide what she's willing to do to get back to her life if she still wants it.

Word count: 5.5k

Warnings: Panic, creepy guy in the woods

a/n: I know there’s a lot of backstory, I promise it’s worth getting through! I really wanted to set the stage and for you to get to know our MC.

I didn't intend for this to be so long, but d*mn my little hamster brain kept running on that wheel!!! The MC's name might seem a little strange, it's of Irish origin & I thought it was pretty and unique. Also, she's a redhead because so am I and me plus Azriel equals two (iykyk). Plz let me know what you think! Thinking about throwing in a slight love triangle moment with Morrigan eventually because how dramatic would that be & because our reader might be a little bi aren't we all? Strap in!!!

I'll try to update this as soon as I can! It might be a week or so. (P.S. my asks are always open! Thanks for bearing with me while I relearn how to use tumblr lol)

 Chapter 1

“I don’t think we’re doing this right. No, definitely not, this piece is supposed to bend across that one.” 

“You suck at this An,” Jack threw back. 

“I suck at this? You didn’t get it right either asshole,” Annie quipped. 

You shook your head, amused by the twins struggling to put together the first tent. The ground beneath the large pines was littered with dried needles, perfect for kindling. Circling around, you collected them into your jacket pocket.

“You hearing this, Cal?” Jack called out to you.

Turning to face your friends, you couldn’t help but laugh. 

“You guys are ridiculous,” You threw back, reaching for a small pine cone at your feet and rolling it in your palm.

You walked back and tossed your growing pile of fire-starter near the center of the clearing. It was still a few hours from dusk, but the hike had been long and you were eager to set up and be done with it. Jack and Annie were tasked with the tents while Brooke gathered rocks for the fire pit and scouted the area, something about checking for bears. A ridiculous idea, you had thought, though if you trusted anyone here with your life it was probably Brooke. Your guess was she wanted to get away from the bickering for a while.

The sweat from the hike still clung to your skin, sitting sticky and uncomfortable beneath your jacket. It’s much cooler now than it had been on the trip in. You touched the back of your hand to your nose to warm it. The sun’s rays peeked through the ever-rising pines, and you welcomed the sparse heat. Closing your eyes, you tilted your head back and let the afternoon look at you. Your feet shuffled slightly until light touched your face, and vibrant red filled your vision from behind closed lids. This moment reminded you of being a kid, observing and learning about the world around you. You tried to remember the last time you felt peace like you did now. It seemed as though no matter how hard you tried to clutch it, life slipped quickly through your fingers like sand. The years passed and suddenly, nothing was the same. But, this moment felt still; the sun was warm, and the lake welcomed you back with familiar hands.

”You’ve been a real help,” Jack whispered, startling you. His arm brushed yours, you smiled at the sky. 

“It’s nice that we’re staying out here. I love the cabin, but I think we could all use the seclusion,” you responded, meeting his eyes. He nodded back, folding his arms. Brown hair stuck to his forehead, damp with sweat. 

“Seclusion, huh?” He teased. 

“Seclusion, isolation, freedom from the expectations and burdens of society,” you replied dramatically.

“Okay, Thoreau, can we get some help sorting through the bags?” He questioned.

Before you could respond, you saw movement beyond the trees. Brooke approached and Jack walked over to help her with the arm full of small rocks she carried. 

“No sign of bears,” she stated shortly. “Only one tent? I’ve been gone for twenty minutes.” 

Brooke wasn’t angry, she just had a way about her. A way that was quick to say what was on her mind, and without much thought to how it would be taken. You learn to let it roll off of you when you’ve known someone for years. She’d been your and Annie’s suitemate freshman year. As a sensitive person, you found her bluntness unpleasant, but Annie liked her, and eventually, you came around. 

You’ve known Jack and Annie longer than you can remember. Your parents were once very close; you’d spend weeks out of the year at their cabin just east of the lake. When your parents divorced it got ugly and uncomfortable, like a festering wound, until neither of them came back to the cabin. You were grateful for that. The cabin, the lake, it remained a place untouched by the crumbling debris of your parents’ failed marriage. Jack’s mom had pulled you aside and assured you that you’d always have a place with them. You knew she meant it. Mrs. Henley, Ruth, was a soft-spoken woman, but always sincere. 

The cabin was almost two hours from the water by car, if cabin was the right word for it. You never talked about how much money the Henleys had, and they didn’t seem to care what your family had in comparison. The twins’ Dad, Eric, ran a few publishing companies in Washington, one in Oregon. After graduation, Mr. Henley lined up an internship for you as an editorial assistant, and asked you to persuade Jack to stay in Washington and work for him. A fruitless task, you were sure. Jack was over living out west, he wanted to travel the states, maybe move abroad for a while. No entry level job at his Dad’s company would sway a 22 year old from the intrigue of adventure.

A month ago, Annie suggested we spend these last few weeks before the fall, fully together. Camping was never your favorite, but you couldn’t say no to Annie. Not when you knew she was right. After graduation, you’d spent the summer mostly together, in your apartments in Seattle, at the Henley’s house in the city, or at the cabin. It felt right, it felt how it always did. But now, the discomfort of change was more tangible, less abstracted by time. Jack was talking of moving east with a friend you’ve known since high school and Brooke was heading to Alaska for grad school. Lucky for you, Annie didn’t seem in a rush to solidify plans, besides staying in the city. Who could blame her, with parents like that? 

You joined Annie in the one set-up tent, helping her spread a blanket over one of the thin camping mattresses. You worked silently, unpacking a small pillow, another blanket, and hooking a portable light onto where the poles crossed inside the tent. 

“You don’t need my permission, you know,” Annie said, breaking the silence. 

You furrowed your brows. “Permission? For what?” You continued looking through the bags, setting one aside and adjusting the blanket beneath you.

"With Jack," She said, smiling at your confused look as she grabbed a bag of peanut M&M’s from her bag. She tilted her head back, letting a few fall into her mouth.

You didn’t know what to say. “It’s not like that,” you assured.

”It’s always like that,” she smiled at you, offering the sweets in her hand. 

You took them, rolling your eyes. Annie assumed everyone was in love. You were definitely a romantic, but you also knew what disinterest looked like. You and Jack had shared a few lingering touches and almost-moments on drunken nights, but it didn’t sway you to gamble your friendship on the possibility that he was interested in anything serious. You were content wondering what could have been. You were typically more fond of fiction, anyway.

“Annie, come help me finish setting this up,” Jack called. She smiled at you once more before disappearing from the tent. You laid back, thankful for the swift death of the conversation. 

… 

The second tent was up much quicker than the first. You had organized them; Annie and Jack’s bags in one, Brooke’s and yours in the other. A small pile of sticks and pine needles glowed atop a circle of rock in the center of the camp. Jack and Brooke had found a small log and somehow managed to carry it over. You sat on it with Jack, rubbing your neck, the ghostly weight of your bag on your shoulders. You tried to pack light, but you brought a few books along; a mystery about a kidnapping that took place at a summer camp, some fairy book Brooke had suggested, and, possibly, one too many sweaters, which added some weight. 

The sun was setting now, teasing the horizon with a gentle touch, and although it meant the temperature would plummet, you were eager for sleep. The heels of your feet ached, your calves felt stiff, and you were sure you needed to drink more water. 

Brooke poked at the fire while Annie was engrossed in her phone, probably looking at pictures she'd taken on the hike in. You and Jack shared dried mango slices while you searched the shared playlist Brooke made for the trip. All Things End by Hozier began playing, and you smiled absentmindedly at the memory of hearing it live.

"Everyone is so quiet," Annie said, interrupting the hiss of the crackling embers. She and Brooke sat on a blanket across from you.

“I’m exhausted,” You responded with a yawn, staring vacantly beyond the campground. You thought you could spot the glitter of sunset on the distant water. 

“Let’s get in the lake,” she laughed. “The cold is supposed to be good for your nervous system, or something.”

The prospect of dipping into the lake woke your body slightly, sending a buzz down your spine. You liked the rush of adrenaline, the euphoria following it. 

“I’m in,” you responded with a smile. Brooke looked behind her, towards the direction of the water, and back with a scrunched nose, but eventually agreed. You turned to Jack, he only groaned. Still, he stood, mumbling something about how men weren’t built for cold water. Tell that to the Vikings, you thought.

You grabbed the thin towels from your tent, and headed towards the water. 

…

Pebbles crunched beneath your boots. It was a short walk to the mouth of the lake, Brooke had chosen a good spot to camp. You quickly stripped them along with most of your clothes, leaving you in a thin bra and hiking shorts. You dipped one foot in the water, wincing at the temperature. Your friends stripped behind you, while you tried not to lose your nerve. Jack was taking pictures of the sunset from a few feet away, and you quickly slipped out of your shorts while he was preoccupied. Brooke and Annie took to your sides, and the three of you stood apprehensively at the edge of the lake, glancing over the water that expanded before you.

“It’ll be worse if we think too much about it,” Annie said, folding her arms to hold her body.

Brooke took a few brave strides and sank below the surface, cursing as she came up, before tilting her head back and letting the water caress her. Annie squealed before following suit. You blew out a huff of air, trying and failing to compartmentalize the chill in the water. When it got to your stomach your body shivered. No, this definitely wasn’t helping your aching muscles. You pressed on. 

The water kissed your chest, then your shoulders. Finally, you gave in, dipping your head under. It wasn’t unbearable, but you weren’t sure you’d last long. You felt your pulse slightly in the back of your head as you swam under the surface. It had been almost 80 degrees today, but the water refused to acknowledge that. You broke the surface with a gasp, turning to face your friends who hovered near the edge of the lake. Why had you been so enthusiastic about this idea? You watched as Jack strolled over and dropped his clothes in a pile near the rest, quickly avoiding his gaze. Annie called out to him that it wasn’t so bad, and he shook his head in disagreement as he stood with the water just above his knees. He folded his arms, holding himself how Annie had. You stilled, lowering your head so your nose and eyes peaked just above the surface, and watched him sink further. You took a breath and sank below once more.

You had always loved the water. Brooke said it was biological, that it calmed something in the animal of us to be near it. When you were younger you pretended you were the half-blood offspring of Poseidon, counting how long you could hold your breath in it before your lungs felt like fire and you got light-headed. 

You felt something touch your hand, and you lifted yourself from the water and your daydreaming. Jack had swum out, treading water as he watched the sun set over the mountains behind you. Water trickled down his face, gathering in his lashes, and his golden skin was cast in a reddish-golden light. He looked ethereal. 

Turning, you faced the sunset. The sun lit the sky beyond the mountains in the most vibrant hues of red and orange. Where the darkening sky above you met the sun, pale shades of pink gathered. There was a good ten minutes of light left, and you thought that you’d never forget this moment. The beauty of it burned into your eyes. You saw it even as you blinked.

You broke the peaceful silence, "It feels like everything’s changing. I hate it." Change felt like putting on a new leather jacket. It chafed in all the wrong places.

He sighed, “Everything is changing. I for one am excited to leave this oppressive ass place.”

You thought of the vastness of the city, the lake that expanded before you, the mountains that climbed ahead, and wondered how anyone could call this oppressive. You knew he meant the people, but the city was big and it seemed like an excuse for wanting to leave. You stayed silent, sifting through your thoughts. 

“Dad sure is glad you’re staying. At least one of us won’t disappoint him.” He added, wiping his short hair back from his face.

You laughed at the idea of his Dad ever being disappointed in either him or Annie. Their parents were unusually understanding people. Of course he wanted his kids close to home but he never was the type to force anyone’s hand. Sometimes, you thought Jack wanted a reason to brood. 

“He wants you to stay, but I know he’ll live vicariously through you wherever you go, he’s an adventurer at heart. Maybe we can write about it when you get back,” you replied, smiling as you thought of the times you sat around their Dad’s faded armchair as he read you and the twins stories. He filled your minds with images of half-human creatures and monsters that swallowed ships whole. Of wars waged over beautiful women. Greedy dragons and cursed rings. 

He replied with a smile and a ‘maybe’, and you pictured his portrait in the back of a travel book. ‘Everyone has a story to tell,’ His Dad had said to him years ago. 

You heard laughter and splashing behind you as your friends jumped out of the lake. 

“You’re just like him,” he added, nudging your arm underwater. You raised your brows in question.

He continued, “You should come with me. No author came up with anything interesting to say by staying put. New York, maybe Italy, or Ireland. You’d get plenty of inspiration there.” 

“I want to be where the publishing action is,” you joke, “And I’m no storyteller, at least not yet.” 

“Yeah right, you’re a natural,” He adds, “You’ve got an eye for it.” 

You admired how sure Jack was. You liked how it felt to be near him, it put you at ease. He smiled and you could just picture late nights in the sticky bars of Dublin and Vespa rides along the coast.

Of course, you’d agree you had an eye for storytelling, otherwise you'd have wasted the last four years of your life. But, you didn’t have the option of relying on your rich parents for support as you found yourself at the Cliffs of Moher. The Pacific North-West was beautiful, you couldn't believe anyone would want to leave. You’d travel one day, maybe after you’d settled into your career. Until then, this would have to do. You looked out as the sun took its last breath, bowing to the mountains, passing its watch over to the moon. 

“Let’s go, I’m freezing!” Annie called out from the shore. 

"I’ll start dinner," Brooke added, attempting to shake the last of the water from her short hair. 

You didn’t wait for Jack as you made your way to them. You hurried out, thankful for the thin veil of darkness as you dried off. Jack dressed beside you, his hair falling in short ringlets over his brows. He caught your eye and you pulled your towel over your head, hiding your face, and squeezing the lake from your hair. 

…

The fire started quickly, and you ate slightly gummy re-hydrated pasta that Ruth made for the trip with her food dehydrator. You were sure this was the first time they’d used it. Shortly after dinner you fell prey to the lull of darkness and excused yourself with a ‘good night’ leaving your friends by the fire. The blankets in the tent felt damp. Great. Your sweats, thankfully, weren’t as bad. You fell asleep to hushed conversation, burrowing deep into your hooded sweatshirt. 

You awoke to a sharp, shining light. Brooke was reading something next to you. How long had you been asleep? You hummed a greeting, burying your face further into your blanket, and sank deeply into the comfort of sleep.

The next day consisted of meals around the fire and a short hike to get a better view of the mountains. You trailed behind your friends, deep in thought as you failed to push away Jack’s suggestion that what you needed was travel. You thought of Bilbo refusing to leave the Shire. 

Annie crept scarcely close to the edge of a boulder and you tried to hide your worried face while Brooke took her photo. They pulled you in for a group one, and you held tightly to Brooke as she captured your smiling faces.

The day seemed shorter than the one before, the sunset was more of a dulled pink, dimmed by low-hanging clouds. You made s’mores and failed at telling ghost stories around the fire before turning in early. You grabbed the fairy book from your bag, deciding the mystery should be read in the safety of daylight. You were on page 32 when Brooke joined you, crawling into the tent and kicking pine needles onto your blanket. 

“I swear fantasy writers all had a meeting and committed to only writing weak, sex-depraved female leads,” You tell Brooke as she slips into her sleepwear. 

“That or they become the best fighters and magicians all of a sudden. Can’t a girl just be a girl?” She adds.

You laughed in agreement and attempted to discuss the female archetype in fairy lands while she settled in. You pressed your legs to hers for warmth, and she opened a book about the history of the local tribes in Washington. Your thoughts drifted from the page, unable to comprehend the last paragraph of world-building you attempted to read twice, and you let your head fall back to your pillow. The serenade of cicadas filled your ears, and you tried to commit the sound to memory. A vision tugged at you, of laying on a porch swing in your mother's arms, listening to the cicadas call as she read to you from your book about flower fairies. You laugh at how little you’ve changed, and how much you’ve changed.

“My mom used to read me this fairy book when I was a kid. I’ve probably heard it a thousand times, and I swore I saw fairies in my backyard. My grandma told me if there was a ring of mushrooms, a fairy had been there and I looked all over the yard for them,” you admitted, the memory vivid and colorful in your mind.

“My brother and I used to build little homes for them out of sticks and leaves,” she added. You enthusiastically agreed, remembering sitting outside of your grandparents’ house arranging pieces of earth with your cousins. Hours content in the world of your imagination. You missed that part of yourself, the child in you. You thought of her as you drifted asleep.

…

The next day the sky was filled with thick puffs of soft gray clouds, the air cooler than it'd been a few days ago. You started the morning off slowly, accompanied by Annie as you laid on a blanket near the water and read. Lunch had been brought to the lake, the four of you determined to spend the whole day in this spot. 

Hours later you sat, Jack at your side, and watched as Annie and Brooke swam further and further out. So far this week you’d gone hiking, swimming, read your books, and walked around looking at fauna. You weren’t sure what camping for a week looked like. The longest you’d camped out was two nights, and it was technically in the backyard of the twins’ house. 

“What time are your friends getting here?” You asked Jack as you chewed the inside of your lip. He sat with his arms resting on his knees beside you.

"Mmm, around five I think," he responded, glancing at his watch. 

A few of Jack’s friends were coming to camp for the rest of the week. They were nice guys, and you weren’t exactly feeling antisocial, but you wished it would have stayed just the four of you. 

“Dylan’s bringing is his girlfriend I think,” he added.

You hummed in response. You liked her, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

Mirroring Jack, you looked at your watch; 4:14. Wanting to spare yourself from awkward small talk and having to help set up tents, you decided you’d go for a run along the shore soon. The energy bites Brooke had made and the coffee you drank with lunch were making you restless, anyway. You sat with Jack a little longer, and at half past four you stood, slipping back into your shoes. 

Jack laughed amusingly when you told him of your plan, seeing through your avoidant ploy, but he just reminded you to be careful and to be back before dark or they’d have to form a search party. You called out to Brooke and Annie and they both echoed a warning too. A ‘be careful’, and a ‘bring your charger just in case.’

Back at camp, you threw your small solar charger into your jacket pocket, along with a granola bar, and drank from your water bottle. Anxious thoughts filled your mind, though you weren’t sure why. You’d woken up slightly on edge this morning and chalked it up to the company arriving soon. The path you’d run would be easy and mindless, no reason to worry. You’d stick to the shoreline, and come back the same way long before it got dark; the shore near the camp would be unmistakable. You took a breath and willed your stomach to settle.

You tied your hair up, swinging it to your back, then wrapped your jacket around your waist and began jogging towards the water. You’d gotten a little addicted to running this past year. It trained your breathing and focused your mind, something you’ve been trying and failing to do all your life. In Seattle, you always ran the same four-mile route from your apartment to around the park and back. It took you a few weeks to map down the perfect path. Past the gift shop at the end of the block, steering clear of the traffic near the middle school a half-mile down, and along the widest sidewalk that led to the park closest to your apartment. You focused on your breath and willed your anxious mind to focus on your surroundings. The pines loomed above you, it almost made you dizzy to look at them. The water reflected the mood of the sky. You could see a small group of people kayaking in the water towards the East side of the lake. 

One mile down. 

Deep breath in, deep breath out. The trees thinned out near the edge of the lake and the view was stunning. You sometimes felt like you couldn’t fully experience how beautiful it was here, not in the moment. It would hit you on the way home or when you’d get your film back from being developed. You almost brought your camera but decided it wasn’t worth the risk.

Two miles down.

Stopping, you caught your breath as you snapped a photo with your phone, then slid it back into the band of your leggings and picked up your pace. Your mind drifted to the book you were reading. 

Three miles down. 

Your headphone cord swung annoyingly across your chest, and sweat started to prickle your forehead. A large boulder sat in your path and you swerved around it. 

Shit. You threw your hands up on instinct, hitting something hard. Blinking for a moment, you steadied yourself. How had you not seen this tree? You brought your fingers to your face and winced as your eyebrow stung. Your eyes fell to the blood prickling the back of your hand. You felt it suddenly, the annoying ache of scraped skin and you cursed yourself for being unobservant. You looked at your watch with a sigh; 5:09. You tried not to let your injury annoy you as you turned to start the journey back towards camp. 

Your heart sank. Head darting back and forth, then behind you. Eyebrows knit in confusion.

The lake was gone.

Ripping your headphones out, you scanned the forest before you. What the hell?

Okay, you thought, don’t freak out, don’t panic. Just think. Did you accidentally run further from the shore? You knew the lake was North and camp was West. You looked above you for the sun to verify, but the clouds had gotten even thicker. You scanned the forest confused, trying to find the boulder you had swerved just moments ago. How hard had you hit your head?

Shit. You grabbed your phone and opened the compass app to verify your direction, chewing on your lip nervously as it loaded. You sighed in relief, yes you were facing North. If you walked forward there’s no way you wouldn’t see the lake soon. 

Goosebumps prickled your arms and neck. When did it get so cold?

Throwing on your jacket, you tucked your headphones into your pocket and gripped your phone anxiously. You took deep breaths and tried to settle the sick feeling in your stomach. You’d be fine. 

You walked further and further North, anxiety creeping up into your body with each step. You settled into a light jog and searched for anything familiar. The minutes dragged on. The panic set in. You checked your watch again; 5:15. Keep going.

Darkness flashed suddenly in the corner of your eye and stopped you in your tracks. You swung your head toward where it’d appeared. Your ragged breathing broke the suffocating silence of the forest. Your anxiety screamed into your mind, animal, and all you could think of was Brooke’s comment about bears, but there was nothing. Just you and the never-ending expanse of trees. Did you have a concussion?

The wind howled behind you, and your body reacted before your mind. Shivers ran up your spine into your neck and you ran. Hopping over fallen branches and swerving between trees. The forest grew thicker, swallowing you whole. You felt your vision tunneling; you were panicking but you couldn’t stop moving. You spotted a clearing ahead and prayed to whoever was listening that it was the shoreline. A low-hanging branch scraped your shoulder as you reached the field. The field. Not the shore. Your eyes searched wildly. 

The darkness appeared again, but stood still. 

Not darkness, but pure blackness against the muted brown trunks of the forest. You turned to face it, and there, at the edge of the clearing stood a man in a black suit.

All thoughts left your mind. Something in your DNA clawed at you to run, but you stood, perhaps in shock, staring at this man before you. He was much taller than you, you could tell even through the distance, with golden skin and hair black as night. 

Seemingly out of thin air, another man appeared by his side. Something covered him, or hung behind him, extending above his head. They looked like… What the hell? Was there a group of guys out here role-playing? Your head ached, this wasn’t happening, this had to be a hallucination, maybe from the injury and the anxiety.

The man in the suit took a step further into the clearing and slipped his hands into his pockets. You stood frozen at the edge of the clearing. He cocked his head to the side and squinted, seemingly assessing you. You thought of the group you saw kayaking and a small amount of hope hit you. Of course you weren’t the only people out here, you were bound to run into someone. You could ask for directions back to the lake. If they were playing make-believe in the forest that was their business. A woman with a long brown braid and a dark leather suit walked into view next and you took a calming breath. A woman. 

You swallowed your panic but it stuck in your throat as you took a step forward and lifted your hand to wave. You hoped they didn’t see you shaking. There was a woman, yes, but the two men kept you at edge. Everything seemed out of place.

“Hey, sorry you startled me,” you began with a nervous laugh. “I was running along the shore but I went a little too far, do you know how much further North the lake is from here?” you inquired, heart beating in your throat.

No answer. The suited man looked to the woman next to him, and the man with the giant fake wings kept his arms held tightly at his thighs. Seconds passed.

“Your costumes are great,” you added, trying to sound at ease, and gesturing to the man’s wings. He took a step forward, but the suited man stopped him. 

Time to go whispered into your mind and you managed a tight smile, as you took a few small steps away. 

“Well, I better head back to my group,” you called out. You needed to put more distance between you. You needed to get the hell out of here. 

You started to jog away, but something shot out into your path. You slammed to a stop. Another man, with shoulder-length brown hair half-tied up, clad in black leather gear and the same towering wings rising above his head stood before you. What the hell? He looked at you with creased brows, and glanced at the group of people to your right. He pressed his lips in a line, eyes darting back to you. Your heart raced; you felt like prey. Every hair on your body stood and every instinct told you to run, but the man in front of you was huge. At least six foot five.

You had to go. Whatever this was, you needed to remove yourself from it. They couldn’t run very fast with those things hanging on their back, anyway, right? You took a step back and glanced beside you. You could break for the trees and start heading West.

You began to move, but something stopped you like you'd run into an invisible wall. Whipping around, the suited man now stood before you, just feet away. Your eyes met his. They almost glowed an unnatural purple. He was handsome, they all were, which freaked you out even more. The man next to him looked at you sternly, like he was assessing a threat. What the hell is this?

"I need to get back to my friends, they’re waiting for me," you lied, straining to keep your voice even. 

The man spoke back in a language you couldn’t understand. You tried to pick out familiar words but the dialect was too strange. It wasn’t Native, or any of the Latin languages from what you could tell. You looked to the woman who stood slightly further back, with pure plea written on your face. Her eyes softened and she spoke back in the unfamiliar language. She would help, you convinced yourself. 

They conversed once more. You took a step back, but hands wrapped around your arms tightly, fingers digging into the sleeves of your jacket. You tried jerking them away, but the long-haired man held firm.

Panic now coursed through you in a dam-less stream. “Please, just let me go, what do you want?” you begged them all, looking to the woman once more. She and the suited man exchanged glances before turning to face you. So this is how you’d die, crossed your mind. What kind of sick game had you stumbled into?

The man spoke once more and took a step closer. You looked to the man at his side, the one with towering wings. His hazel eyes met yours. You searched his face, what you were looking for you didn’t know. Sympathy maybe? His jaw loosened slightly and he held your stare. 

You turned to the purple-eyed man before you and pleaded again. He responded, nodding, but you didn’t understand. Tears filled your eyes. A scream pierced your ears. Your scream. It tore its way up your throat as a hot, white pain pierced your brain like a jagged knife. Your knees gave out, but the hands gripping you kept you upright. A golden-brown light filled your blurring vision. Your head fell back, heavy, and your mouth hung open in agony as your body finally gave in.

Darkness washed over you.

...

Ahhh! I'm so nervous to post this but so excited! Already getting started on Chapter 2. Sorry this was so long LMAO I just really wanted to set the scene for some hard-core angst.

[jujumin-translates]

[A3!] ★ Main Story | Act 14 - DREAM CATCHER | Episode 2 - All-Out Comedy Etude

Tenma: So right now, MANKAI Company’s ranked 30th, huh…

Yuki: Our rank has dramatically gone up since Spring Troupe’s performance, but if we’re aiming for the top ten, we can’t just be happy with this.

Kumon: Our final rank is determined by the total points we’ve gathered up to that point in the fourth quarter, so we need to earn as many points as we can by then…

Izumi: Their top rankings in the first quarter weren’t as high as they were during the pre-voting, but there are still lots of new theater companies created by influencers and such ranked pretty high.

Kazunari: Maybe the SNS Votes had more of an impact ‘cause not a whole lotta shows could be done during the first quarter.

Muku: But it still hurts a little to be overtaken so quickly like that.

Muku: Especially because since our debut, I, along with all of you guys, have grown as a theater company, and our fan base has slowly increased too…

Kumon: Yeah… We overcame a lot of things, and we even won the Fleur Special Award…

Tenma: So just what the hell have we been accumulating all this time?

Yuki: Well, I guess it feels like we’re back to square one.

Kazunari: That just means we’ve gotta start working hard again from here!

Misumi: Exactly~. I’ll give you some of the triangle cookies I got at my guest performance the other day, so cheer up~.

Yuki: Even during guest performances the Trianglien is famous for his love of triangles.

Misumi: Am I famous~?

Yuki: You’re the most famous Trianglien of them all. Because you’re the only one.

Tenma: I think it’s okay if you’re not famous for that.

Kazunari: I’ve been doing some research and the number of hashtags being posted online right now is still being dominated by the top theater companies.

Izumi: Ah, Masumi-kun also put together a document regarding that.

Kazunari: Damn, Massu! He’s even got all the percentages listed here!

Tenma: He really is steadily improving his skills as a PR guy.

Kazunari: We’ve really gotta strategize more than ever on the visual side of advertising stuff, huh~.

Kumon: The script might not be done yet, but is there anything we can do now to help?

Muku: It’s kind of hard to just sit and do nothing. Sitting still just makes me anxious…

Tenma: You’ve got a point. Sitting around getting depressed while thinking about things isn’t the Summer Troupe thing to do.

Tenma: That’s why…

Yuki: Wouldn’t doing that be the quickest and simplest thing to do?

Tenma: You bet.

Kumon: Alright, it’s decided!

Misumi: Now that that’s decided, let’s go!

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Kazunari: “This planet is ours! Tri, tri, tri…”

Misumi: “Angle, angle, angle… Earthlings, bow down before us!”

Yuki: “Uuueh… Is this how Earth ends… At the triangular hands of those Triangliens…?”

Tenma: “No, not yet… We can’t give in here yet…!” Kumon: “Earth is ours.” Muku: “You will all meekly obey us.”

Yuki: “What!? More friends of the Triangliens!? Kazunari: “Perfect timing. From now on, you will cooperate with--.”

Misumi: “Wait! No, those are the--.”

Kumon: “Circle, circle, circle…”

Muku: “Cone, cone, cone…”

Tenma: “Coneliens…!” 

Kazunari: “Those confusing fools…!”

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

*Applause*

Misumi: Thank you very much~!

Tenma: Thank you so much!

Passerby A: Do your best with your performance~!

Passerby B: We’ll be supporting you, MANKAI Company!

Kazunari: Thanks much~!

Passerby C: I enjoyed the street act I just saw, but this one was really funny too~!

Passerby D: Yeah, I think they’re doing one in front of the station, so let’s go there!

Izumi: There are street acts thriving all over the place today, too, huh?

Muku: You can really tell that the number of theater companies is increasing.

Tenma: We’ve gotta get ourselves fired up again.

Ibuki: Wait, hol’ up. There’s no way that’s MANKAI Company, right?

[ ⇠ Previous Part ] • [ Next Part ⇢ ]

[aprilbrowines]

Moon child and shark pup

Summary: this is how icoi and Melo first met each other.

It was a sunny breeze day at the playground as Meloetta was playing in the sandbox making a castle, putting a couple of rocks on it she heard the sound of faint crying. She turns to see a little elfin girl no older than her getting picked on.

“P-Please give it back.” she said softly as one of the older kids grabbed her plushie holding it up over her head.

“Ya gotta work for it, squirt!.” the boy snickered, dangling it in the air with the girl jumping for but to no avail. He tossed it to his friend as they played monkey in the middle with it. Tears welled in her eyes trying to get her toy back.

Melo growled as she got up and walked towards them, her fists clenching and unclenching with each step. She stops, glaring at them with the fury of a bonfire in her heart.

“HEY!,” She yells “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”

The boys stopped their game, letting go of the toy as the elf girl quickly grabbed it. They walked towards Melo, towering over her as they looked at each other before laughing.

“Or else what ya gonna tell our mommie and daddies on us?” The boy said, pinching Melo's cheek. Her face scrunching up as the other boy played with her ears. “I think she’s gonna start crying.”

“Are ya? Are ya gonna cry? Little baby needs her binkie?” He teased before he felt a sharp pain in his forearm.

“OW!”

Looking down he sees Melo sinking her teeth into his arm, blood dripping on the ground as the boy starts to scream in pain trying to remove the shark girl from his arm.

“Ow Ow GET HER OFF GET HER OFF DUDE!” he yells as his friend tries to help to no avail. Melo let go as the boy whimpered in pain, the bite mark on his arm leaking red.

“And if you two bother her again I'll bite your arm so hard it rips off.” She growls

The two boys ran off with their tail between their legs. Melo turns to see the little girl clinging to her plushie tightly, her eyes closed shut as Melo walks towards her tapping her shoulder.

“Hey those bullies are gone now.” She said to her.

The girl opens her eyes to see Melo smiling at her, her mouth still red with blood. She squeaked, turning away whimpering. Melo was confused before remembering what happened, she quickly wiped her mouth clean.

“My name’s Meloetta Gillian but you can call me Melo for short, what’s yours?”

“I-Icoi.” She said softly.

Melo sat next to Icoi, patting her back til she stopped whimpering. She looked back at Melo again, wiping her tears with her sleeves.

“Thank you for getting my toy back…”

“Ya welcome.” She beams, digging in her skirt pocket to pull out a white lil serrated triangle. She gives it to Icoi who looks at it curiously.

“What is it?”

“It’s my baby tooth,” Melo said. “I’m giving it to you cause well… you’re my friend now.”

“I am?”

“You are… unless you don’t want it.”

Icoi shook her head, “No no I want it, and i want to be your friend.”

Melo hugs Icoi as she takes her to see her mom, after Halia meets Icoi and her mother she takes the girls for some ice cream. As the moms were talking and Melo was eating her ice cream cone, Icoi would fidget with the baby tooth in her pocket, a sign of her newfound friendship.

[oftlunarialmoon]

DIY Stuffie Birthday Party! 3 DIY Projects!

Ciao lovelies! Do you have a stuffie birthday coming up, and want to throw a party for your special stuffed animal friend? But oh no! Do you not have any supplies for a party? Fear not! Today I'm going to share 3 DIY projects that you can make for your stuffie friend for their birthday party! (Repurposed for agere content 12/5/2023, originally written by me 5/1/2020)

Let's begin by talking about what you'll need for all three projects:

What You'll Need:

-Stuffies as party guests, the Birthday stuffie, and for size reference!

-Bottle caps

-Cardstock in whatever colors you like, or you can use construction paper or even recycled paper

-Scissors

-Hot glue (not pictured)

-Double sided tape (not pictured) OR glue sticks

-PomPoms

-Ribbon

-a pencil or something to draw with

-OPTIONAL: kawaii food charms (not pictured).

#1: DIY Stuffie Food: Ice Cream Sundaes / Cupcakes!

Alright, I'll be honest, after I finished making these I had no idea if I wanted them to be cupcakes or Ice Cream Sundaes. But they look cute regardless!

Step One and Only One: Hot glue Pom Poms into a bottle cap. For smaller Pom Poms I glued 3 into the bottle cap and one on top. For larger ones I only used one Pom Pom glued into the bottle cap. Now use glue and embellish however you want! I used little kawaii resin food charms to add cuteness to mine, but you could use confetti as "sprinkles", you could use puffy paint as "icing," etc!

And You're Done!

#2: DIY Pennant Banner

This banner looks adorable at any party!

Step One: Use a pencil to draw triangles on your choice of color of cardstock, construction paper, or recycled paper.

Step Two: Cut out the triangles and trim if needed to make them all even.

Step Three: Hot glue, or use a glue stick to attach them to a piece of ribbon!

And you're done!

Another easy to make yet adorable craft!

#3: DIY Stuffie Party Hats

Step One: Use a round object to draw a circle on cardstock (or construction paper). Cut out the circle.

Step Two: Cut the circle about in half. 

Step Three: Fold it into a cone, and use double sided tape to secure it (or glue!). Glue a Pom Pom to the top!

Now it's time to put it all together and throw a stuffie birthday party!

[tocco-voice]

India’s Love for Snacks: A Tasty Thread Binding the Nation | Tocco

Snacking is more than just a pastime in India; it’s a cultural phenomenon that transcends regions and lifestyles. It’s not merely about satisfying hunger-it’s about adding flavor to moments, fueling conversations, celebrating milestones, and sometimes, just surviving endless office hours. Whether it’s a handful of namkeen during chai time or a bowl of something crunchy while binge-watching, snacks are India’s favorite companions. Who doesn’t have that one friend with an enviable stash of goodies, ready to pop open at the first sign of hunger?

Snacking isn’t confined to a particular region-it’s a unifying thread across the country. No matter where you go, munching on something while multitasking is second nature to us. According to a consumer study, 72% of Indians admitted to snacking when happy, with both men and women showing similar habits. Moreover, 56% said they snack more when feeling sad, and 40% find that snacking helps them beat boredom and uplift their mood. Clearly, snacking is tied to our emotions as much as our routines.

Homes That Smelled of Freshly Made Local Favorites

Remember those weekends when the aroma of freshly fried banana chips or golden-brown chaklis filled the air? Our parents and grandparents would spend hours kneading dough, shaping snacks, and frying them to perfection. Diamond cuts, shakkarpara, murukku-these weren’t just snacks; they were acts of love, carefully stored in steel dabbas and eagerly raided by us after school. These homemade treasures didn’t rely on preservatives or glossy packaging-just pure ingredients, timeless recipes, and a whole lot of heart.

And after a vacation spent at home, those tightly packed boxes of these snacks would find their way into our suitcases, lovingly prepared to remind us of home when we were away.

Divided by Flavors, United by the Habit

From north to south and east to west, each region has its signature snack items that reflect its culinary traditions. In the north, snacks are bold and full of spice. Crispy chaklis, sweet shakkarparas, are staples during weddings and festivals like Diwali. Then there’s the obsession with samosas-piping hot, golden triangles filled with spiced potatoes that find their way into every chai party.

Heading south, snacks take on a delightful coconutty charm. Kerala's banana chips, crisped to perfection in coconut oil, are nothing short of legendary. Pair them with a steaming cup of filter coffee, and you’ve discovered snacking bliss. Just when you think you’re done, out come packets of tapioca chips, spicy mixtures, and avalose unda, tempting you for just one more bite. Another beloved classic is murukku-those irresistibly crunchy, coiled treats that disappear faster than you’d expect. And we can’t forget the hidden gem, munthirikothu-a jaggery and pulse-based deep-fried snack that’s the perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and utterly addictive.

In the east, snacks mirror the region’s cultural diversity. West Bengal’s nimki and Odisha’s khaja are delightful examples of how snacks can be both indulgent and ceremonial.

The western states, on the other hand, offer some of the crunchiest treasures, from Gujarat’s farsan to Maharashtra’s diamond cuts and bhel puri-a street-food classic that has earned fans across the nation.

Snacking All Along

Indian snacks are part of every memory, whether it’s a quiet evening, a festive celebration, or an adventurous journey. Picture a Sunday afternoon with a round of cards, tea on the side, and bowls of namkeen being passed around. Or a train journey where packets of achappam, mixture, and thattai are shared among friends and family. Taking a leisurely stroll along Marine Drive on a Friday evening, a cone of Bhel Puri in hand, lost in your own thoughts, is the perfect way to unwind and savor the day’s end.

Even during the pandemic, when fun seemed to take a backseat, snacks became our companions in isolation. From experimenting with dalgona coffee to rediscovering homemade treats, snacking kept us going. Whether it’s a happy moment, a tough phase, or just the monotony of daily life, snacks have always been there.

Healthier Snacking Habits

While snacks bring joy, overindulging in processed or fried options can lead to health issues. Constant snacking can result in weight gain, high cholesterol, and even diabetes. Foods high in salt and sugar may increase the risk of hypertension and heart problems. With work-from-home culture intensifying snacking habits, it’s essential to strike a balance.

Interestingly, a global study by Wonderful Pistachios found that urban Indian consumers are prioritizing nutrition over taste in snacks. Nine out of ten consumers are now searching for protein-rich options, showcasing a shift toward mindful eating. This changing trend in snacking habits opens doors for healthier experimentation without compromising on taste.

Traditional, homemade snacks are making a comeback, thanks to brands like Tocco, which deliver regional favorites like Kerala banana chips, diamond cuts, murukku, and shakkarpara to your doorstep. These preservative-free healthy snacks bring the nostalgia of our childhood, ensuring that wherever you are, a slice of home is just a bite away.

Celebrating the Culture

Whether it’s a corporate chai break with masala biscuits or a festive binge on murukku, India’s snacking culture is a celebration of our love for food and connection. So, the next time you reach for that packet of banana chips or chaklis, remember you’re not just snacking-you’re embracing a legacy, one crunchy bite at a time!

[motownfiction]

orange

Daniel sits across from Billy at the kitchen table, old newspaper clippings rustling beneath their elbows, having their yearly standoff.

They’ve been having it for five years now, ever since Billy was ten. The first two years, it was kind of loud, hard to look away from, something that needed real mediation. Now, it’s blasé. Part of the Halloween tradition. Michael is putting candy in a dish for the trick-or-treaters, even though he really doesn’t have to be here now that he’s moved out. Sadie and Rosemary are in the kitchen, mixing up a punch with an ice sculpture of a severed hand, bopping along to “My Girlfriend Is a Witch.” It’s just Daniel and his youngest son at this table, staring at each other.

“Come on, Billy, man,” Daniel pleads. “Pick something else.��

“No.”

“You’re fifteen.”

“And you’re ninety-one.”

Daniel feels his face get hot with amusement and anger all the same.

“I was only thirty-one when I had you,” he says.

“Since when did you have me?” Billy asks. “I thought that was Mom.”

“Billy.”

“Dad.”

“Pick something else.”

“We’ve been down this road.”

“Yes. We have. Aren’t you a little too old for this?”

“To have my passion carved into a jack-o-lantern? No, Dad. I can’t say I am. I can’t say anyone is too old for that.”

“But don’t you think … aren’t most guys your age into stuff that’s scary?”

“Are you?”

Daniel doesn’t say anything. He can’t win this fight. He’s put up with plenty of ordinary horrors–paternal abandonment, the death of his best friend, the egomaniacal loss of another–but he had to tap out of I Know What You Did Last Summer when Rosemary had it on TV a few months back. He knows how that looked.

“I just don’t want anyone to judge you,” Daniel says.

“And I don’t want to judge myself if I cave to peer pressure,” Billy says.

“Well, Billy, technically … I’m not your peer …”

“Technically is the worst word in the English language. I find it gives people excuses to be complete assholes. Don’t you?”

“Language.”

“Exactly.”

Daniel bites his tongue to keep from laughing. Does Billy even remember Sam? If he doesn’t, genetics are really something. How can you be like the uncle you don’t remember?

“If you’re worried that my masculinity is in shambles, it’s not,” Billy says. “As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure I’m more confident in my masculinity than you were at my age.”

Daniel takes a long breath. That’s what he gets for being honest with his children about the way he spent high school before he started going with their mother. That’s what he gets.

“It’s not any of that,” he says.

“Then what is it, Dad?”

“I just don’t like carving an ice cream cone into a pumpkin! It’s not attractive looking! It’s a circle and a triangle, and I’m not good at making it!”

“But I told you to make it look like a mint chocolate chip cone from Baskin-Robbins.”

“Yeah, Billy, what the fuck is that? Do you think I can really get to the heart of mint chocolate chip from Baskin-Robbins when my canvas is pumpkin-gut orange?”

“I think you can get to the heart of anything.”

Daniel laughs, but then, he sees Billy’s eyes. They’re gleaming. For just one second, his sarcasm falls away. For just one second, Billy is more serious than he’s ever been.

“Fine,” Daniel says. “Show me a picture of the cone you want.”

“Thank you.”

[cloud-rain-jelly]

Wondering if your gonna post some content related to your enthusiasm for traffic cones.

i love them so much they are so aesthetically pleasing, the ratio of orange to white, they make a gloomy pothole filled street look so much more interesting and full of life. My dream would be to line my entire house with miniature traffic cones, they are so beautiful. whenever i see a traffic cone in the street that doesnt have a guardian (road worker) I feel the need to add it to my collection, to the point where my friends often have to physically act as a barrier between me and my beloveds

In terms of design, the british two orange stripes and one white stripe will always be number one in my heart, however the european varient of three orange stripes, two white stripes is also perfect. The blue variation is a great idea, very refreshing, but it just doesnt have that charm that the original has. The pole variation is just a sin and whoever designed it will pay for their sins in the flames of hell. Why would you ruin the absolute perfection that is the classic triangle shape.

those yellow triangular prismish cones are alright though, while they could never compare to conical orange and yellow cones, they still have their own personal charm. I have never seen a traffic barrel in my life so i cant really say much about it, but they seem alright.

in conlusion : traffic cones look absolutely rad and I love them, but they also perform an important role in keeping roads safe, so dont actually steal them, just admire from a distance, or dont and admire from 2 cm, but then you may get hit by a car

[nettchan01]

What is an illustration essay plan footnotes?

For this essay, is better if I explain my own experiences of illustration after the books and reflections of my tutors. I had explored in my course that maybe it's too early to begin with my own subjects to make an essay, but I believe it is better to research my own course. It's better to understand, especially if I am interested in Studio Ghibli to know illustration, Mangas and animation differences and qualities of work. I had been began with art and design the books I had being learned illustrations don't counted as art but better to learn fine art and art and design or visual art because is an impacted as an illustrator career to begin but I have to be watch to not to compare with graphic  design if I compeer with illustration with graphic design it won't make senses because The graphic being specific as it seems don't using visuals but using similar tools like illustration. For Illustrations Has many alterations the child books and comics or Mangas. I wanted to being try booth of the subject just like Miyazaki did he has shared on his animation and Mangas child based and his countries' histories being opened up He also knows how to make me speechless or stunned with his art work and sound tracks expressions( I will be write about him on my next essay's just I need some connections with the subject I do and I have to know why I chosen this subject. 

I always liked Wine the Phoo because this was my childhood but long as I searched up the classic real classic part was ditched the Disney disappointments.  

If I could go back to my child hood I would be learn classic British illustrations because 

I explored Peter Rabbit, Paddington, Hungry Caterpillar and Wine the Phoo. In my country also has classic illustration I had grown up called pompom tails, folk tails in Hungary, Green Rabbit. 

I had being watched Grimm Fairy Japanese  versions in my country.  

I also fascinated of the little prince. 

For Mangas or animation I have a list: 

Vampire knight 

Mermaid melody  

Sailor Moon 

Kyou Koi Wa hajimemasithu 

Kaito Kamikaze Jeana 

Kami sama Hajime Ashita 

I would love to say I read Naruto , Death Note, Bleach or my hero academy or demon slayer but does mangas was sold out quickly and online manga I don't find or I find lazy of myself to search. 

Animation I watched Cartoon network, marvel, animax, Jetix and the Fox kids. 

Bakugan  

W.I.T.C.H 

Jin Jan Jo 

Oban Battle of star 

Star wars rebelled 

Star wars clown wars 

I also inspired by Pixar and Dreamwork  

Because pixar and dream works wont necessary using music or twisting out things it was realism based on it could be funny and sad at the same time concepted of life time and tinny cultural history dragged in. 

MY favorite Pixar movies: 

Up 

walle 

InsideOut 

Toys story 

Monster university 

Finding nemo/ Finding dory 

Red panda 

Incredibles 

Your friend rat/ratatouille 

Bao/short film 

Cars 1 

This animation from Pixar is the one it had being raised me up just like the Gibling studio and motivated me to learn illustration and novel writing.  this animation made me learn how to understand  emotions- colours some communications with parents with their Childrens. Puberty maybe obvious but this is the language I prefer to communicating with my novels and illustrations. Reach the Pixar's and dreamwork more read books or wiki pedia just like Miyazaki and Ghibling studios! 

Dreamworks 

Kung fu panda 

Shrek 

Puss boots 

Mega mind 

Shark tales 

Madagascar 

Madagascar Pingues 

Rise of the guards 

Trolls 

Boss baby 

How to train your dragons 

Croods 

Flushed away 

Monster vs aliens 

The Flushed away is my first movie and cinema in my life it meant something  new perspectives talking animals why?  the triangle cone faces and the tooths I cannot stop myself to think how often they chewing something. 

Nickelodeon: 

SpongeBob square pants 

Full house 

Danny phantom 

Teen mutant turtle 

Hej Arnould 

Rugrats 

Catdog 

Powerpuff 

Adventure time 

Jimmy neutron  

Avatar 

Fairy odd parents 

I really liked how British illustrators used watercolours, dry-point prints, and typography. 

[meanwhileinstasiville]

Anna's birthday is in a couple days

She showed me that life sucks in it's own small ways even from a place like my best friend was from, class wise.

There's sex work and frogs. Since we all seem to begin life as frogs after tadpoles; we want people with long legs, solid stomachs, giant mouths set in broad faces with tiny noses.

Sudoku and crochet; they're the all starting the same with a small set of tools to work with, problems (and you get something to show for the second one)

Warm water and poolside lounges. Glistening as though waxed, skin. And, of course giant eyes.

What happens when your body can stop people's cars

In the Janneke situation, there's yellow clad traffic guys *march across the street from slaughter's office as though on cue* to block the path ahead; forcing either a walk *where a yellow sign points* or through "apple cellar" former lawn. To get around the yellow guys in the way. "Oh, I'll just kill his son; it'll be fine" elicited a funny look from the latino guy with that accompanying nod toward slaughter's office. Indiana corner had *staged me before you* ryan expy walks to greensprings housing, corner to corner. (Of course being "backed up," by a yellow wearing thug guy with a bike and two dogs wearing cones on leashes)

Federal agency is not "the malos HAVE to do whatever we want" even if the Latino community would have it that way, because it means you always need more malos.

I'm spitballing about the jodie foster thing. Gang member waiting in triangle park at a road, a park and a path intersection. Gang member waiting in the library bathroom; same gang. And maybe, just maybe it's because I'm dressed like a rabbi today.

Stalker file, I'll be dead and you guys will still be doing whatever this is.

[ontariosidinggutters]

How to Make Chocolate Decorations On the Asahi Kasei Cooking Sheet

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

Before you begin, make sure you have all the necessary materials. You’ll need:

High-quality chocolate (either dark, milk, or white)

Asahi Kasei Cooking Sheet

A small offset spatula or a pastry bag with a small tip

A microwave or a double boiler

A baking sheet

A small paintbrush (optional)

Step 2: Melt the Chocolate

The first step is to melt the chocolate. You can do this in a microwave or using a double boiler. If using a microwave, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval until the chocolate is completely melted. If using a double boiler, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set it over a pot of simmering water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until it melts.

Step 3: Prepare the Asahi Kasei Cooking Sheet

Once your chocolate is melted, it’s time to prepare the Cooking Sheet. Tear a piece of the cooking sheet using the built-in cutter to fit your baking sheet. Then, use a small offset spatula or a pastry bag with a small tip to spread the melted chocolate onto the cooking sheet in the desired design. You can create anything from swirls and spirals to letters and numbers.

If you’re using a pastry bag, make sure to use a small tip, as a larger tip will result in a thicker line. Hold the pastry bag perpendicular to the cooking sheet and apply even pressure as you pipe the chocolate onto the paper.

You can also make your own pastry bag using the Asahi Kasei Cooking Sheet. To make a pastry bag with the cooking sheet, cut a square of the cooking sheet and fold it in half diagonally, then fold it in half again to create a smaller triangle with a crease down the center. Hold the cooking sheet with the pointed end facing down and the open end at the top, then roll the cooking sheet into a cone shape, overlapping the two corners of the open end to create a point. Trim the point to the desired size, then fill the bag with your desired icing or filling and use it to decorate your baked goods.

Step 4: Chill the Chocolate

After you’ve created your chocolate designs on the cooking sheet, it’s time to chill the chocolate. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 10–15 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened.

Step 5: Remove the Chocolate Decorations

Once the chocolate has hardened, it’s time to remove the decorations from the cooking sheet. Peel the Asahi Kasei Cooking Sheet away from the chocolate. If the chocolate decorations are still sticking to the paper, place them back in the refrigerator for a few more minutes until they are fully hardened.

Step 6: Use the Chocolate Decorations

Your chocolate decorations are now ready to be used! Use them to decorate cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or any other sweet treat. If desired, you can use a small paintbrush to add additional details or apply a thin layer of chocolate to the back of the decorations to help them adhere to your dessert.

Some Tips:

Use high-quality chocolate for best results.

Make sure your cooking sheet is completely flat and free from any wrinkles or creases.

If you’re using a pastry bag, make sure the chocolate is not too hot, as this can cause the bag to burst.

If you make a mistake, simply scrape the chocolate off the cooking sheet and start over.

Experiment with different designs and techniques to find what works best for you.

Learning how to make chocolate decorations on a cooking sheet is a great way to elevate your dessert game. With a few simple tools and techniques, you can create beautiful and intricate designs that will impress your friends and family. So next time you’re looking to add some extra flair to your desserts, give chocolate decorations a try!

[mayabhandari661]

How to Make Chocolate Decorations On the Asahi Kasei Cooking Sheet

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

Before you begin, make sure you have all the necessary materials. You’ll need:

High-quality chocolate (either dark, milk, or white)

Asahi Kasei Cooking Sheet

A small offset spatula or a pastry bag with a small tip

A microwave or a double boiler

A baking sheet

A small paintbrush (optional)

Step 2: Melt the Chocolate

The first step is to melt the chocolate. You can do this in a microwave or using a double boiler. If using a microwave, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval until the chocolate is completely melted. If using a double boiler, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set it over a pot of simmering water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until it melts.

Step 3: Prepare the Asahi Kasei Cooking Sheet

Once your chocolate is melted, it’s time to prepare the Cooking Sheet. Tear a piece of the cooking sheet using the built-in cutter to fit your baking sheet. Then, use a small offset spatula or a pastry bag with a small tip to spread the melted chocolate onto the cooking sheet in the desired design. You can create anything from swirls and spirals to letters and numbers.

If you’re using a pastry bag, make sure to use a small tip, as a larger tip will result in a thicker line. Hold the pastry bag perpendicular to the cooking sheet and apply even pressure as you pipe the chocolate onto the paper.

You can also make your own pastry bag using the Asahi Kasei Cooking Sheet. To make a pastry bag with the cooking sheet, cut a square of the cooking sheet and fold it in half diagonally, then fold it in half again to create a smaller triangle with a crease down the center. Hold the cooking sheet with the pointed end facing down and the open end at the top, then roll the cooking sheet into a cone shape, overlapping the two corners of the open end to create a point. Trim the point to the desired size, then fill the bag with your desired icing or filling and use it to decorate your baked goods.

Step 4: Chill the Chocolate

After you’ve created your chocolate designs on the cooking sheet, it’s time to chill the chocolate. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 10–15 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened.

Step 5: Remove the Chocolate Decorations

Once the chocolate has hardened, it’s time to remove the decorations from the cooking sheet. Peel the Asahi Kasei Cooking Sheet away from the chocolate. If the chocolate decorations are still sticking to the paper, place them back in the refrigerator for a few more minutes until they are fully hardened.

Step 6: Use the Chocolate Decorations

Your chocolate decorations are now ready to be used! Use them to decorate cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or any other sweet treat. If desired, you can use a small paintbrush to add additional details or apply a thin layer of chocolate to the back of the decorations to help them adhere to your dessert.

Some Tips:

Use high-quality chocolate for best results.

Make sure your cooking sheet is completely flat and free from any wrinkles or creases.

If you’re using a pastry bag, make sure the chocolate is not too hot, as this can cause the bag to burst.

If you make a mistake, simply scrape the chocolate off the cooking sheet and start over.

Experiment with different designs and techniques to find what works best for you.

Learning how to make chocolate decorations on a cooking sheet is a great way to elevate your dessert game. With a few simple tools and techniques, you can create beautiful and intricate designs that will impress your friends and family. So next time you’re looking to add some extra flair to your desserts, give chocolate decorations a try!

[bolbianddolanhouse]

BNHA self insert AU [Book 2]

Beginning of Book 2 Read here to catch up!

Chapter 12: What Was the Reason?! WHAT WAS THE REASON?!

Currently, I’m about one bad interaction away from slapping the shit out of Toei. He’s improving but not in the areas I need him as a team. It’s July and we’re training at the USJ (aka, The Death Dome) again. Not too excited to be in the dome again.

“...and as for you two,” sensei stood in front of us, assigning areas “You’ll be in the rocky area with the non-quirked villain.”

I sighed as Toei got pumped “Oh boy! We’ll win this time!”

“Whatever you say chief” I was just feeling dead inside with all the easy assignments that Toei could barely survive.

“Miss Iida, can I talk to you for a quick moment?” asked sensei to pull me aside. “I know you’re not having the best time, I see it and I’m quite tired of this low ranking too with your ability. But this is the last one before the partner switch, if Toei doesn’t perform well, he’ll have to take the reevaluation exam. So please hang in there!”

That was some hot tea, I was taken back a bit “Will do sensei, I hope he’s better prepared this time.”

“Alright, that’s good to hear!”

I walk over to the rocky area with Toei, trying not to think of the fuck ups he might do. Instead I make sure my ribbon wands and silk obi were in place.

“Hey Iida-san!” Toei snapped me out of my concentration “If we win this one, I’ll take you out to some DDR at the arcade.”

I narrowed my eyes, knowing FULL well he’s gonna fuck it up “If I say yes, will you put in more effort to actually win?”

Our classmates within earshot reacted to that roast. 

“That was ice-cold Iida-san!” “Oof she got you there buddy!” “YES BITCH! CALL HIS ASS OUT!” were some of the things they said.

That roast went over his head “I always put in the most effort! I’m confident that we’ll win and move up this time.”

We get to our zone and the enemy gives us no time to think. Immediately we were bombarded with rocks. I had to think fast! 

“Okay Toei, if you can-”

 “I’M GOING IN!”

“NO!” I screamed as I saw him Naruto run toward the villain on the higher ground “Damn it! Toei are you crazy?!”

“I got this!” He looked back at me, giving me that cocky smile and thumbs up.

I had two options, let him get rekt on his own so he can learn from his stupidity OR I go scoop him up and tell him my strategy. At first I sat and watched him struggle but then the villain brought out a stun gun and I KNEW that I had to go in for the rescue. I ran and jump high enough to get my ribbon lasso for the save. But at the same time, I got in direct line with the stun gun that was meant for Toei and I got a direct hit in my face. I blacked out after that...

-At a nearby hospital-

Lili was snatched out of the air before her body hit the ground by a USJ staff and was rushed to the hospital. Nobody is sure if that direct hit was lethal or not.

“Oh my baby” cried out her mother as she pushed through the nurses to get by Lili’s side “I was so worried that something like this could’ve happen! Why my baby? Why today!?”

“Be strong Ita” soothed Tenya, also trying to hold in his strong emotions “I’m upset too, but lets not cry yet.”

“Too late” whimpered Iwata as tears rolled down his face “is Lili gonna be okay?”

“Daddy, please tell me Lili is gonna wake up?” whimpered Hanaka, pulling at his sleeve.

“Lili, quit playin’! Wake up!” Oro begged as he shook his older sister’s leg “I can’t look at her like this, it’s so hard.”

Tenya didn’t know what to do or say, this environment was overwhelming him and he couldn’t stay strong. “I-...I don’t know” he managed to stammer as tears fall from his face “What can I do?! Nobody told me it was going to hurt like this! I just want my daughter to be okay.”

Her mother put her hand on Lili’s face “It seems like everything is normal, stun guns cause rapid brain activity. And she’s experiencing that.”

“I was just about to say that!” said the doctor “But it seems like you’ve caught on to the main diagnosis.”

“So what did you find?” Asked her mother.

“To make things brief, there’s no brain damage” explained the doctor as he put brain scans up on the light box for everyone to see “nor brain trauma, thankfully. But we are noticing that her brain is taking a while to readjust, so what will happen is that she’ll have mild amnesia” he sat on his padded stool “So don’t be too surprised if she doesn’t remember you right away, it will go away on it’s own but if you re-jog her memories or have trigger objects that’ll bring back her memories, the better.”

“What a relief” Tenya sighed and wiped his tears “She does take a while to recover from anything.”

“As soon as she wakes up, she’ll be discharged” responded the Doctor “She’s still young and strong, so recovery will be fast. I will warn for her to be more careful next time! She’s fortunate that the stun prongs pierced her shoulders and her mask deflected the other prongs that could’ve been much more lethal.” He stands up “I’ll be coming by again in an hour to check up on her.”

“Thank you doctor” responded Ita as the doctor walked away. She turns to the others “You heard him, she’ll be fine. Now we pray to the higher power for her fast recovery.”

“All Might?” blurted Tenya, serious faced.

“What? No! To GOD!” exasperated Ita “What the fuck is the spirit of All Might gonna do?! Detroit Smash from the spirit world to revive her?!”

“All Might’s spirit can suck my ass!” huffed Oro.

“He can suck a caterpillar dick!” Iwata added.

“Can we not slander All Might?!” chopped Tenya “Your sister is trying to re- HANAKA!”

“What? Oh is it a crime that I found the wheelchair?!” Hanaka sneered as she popped a wheelie.

Tenya pinched the bridge of his nose “This family is so chaotic, I can’t sometimes.”

“Remember when you said you wanted as many children as possible?” Ita sighed as she propped up her head with her hand “And how much you cried when they were born? Is it sinking in how much chaos you brought into this world and raised them?”

“I’ve been aware” he rubbed his temples as the two boys joined their little sister in wheelchair tricks “Curly hair and rebellion may be the dominate traits, but I still love them.” he sighed “Because they remind me so much of their mother, whom I love the most.”

“Aww babe” Ita cooed as she levitated the three kids, preventing them from speeding away with the wheelchair “Love you too!”

The family decided that they wanted their privacy and not have visitors. Instead, Tenya put it upon himself to watch over Lili until she wakes up. Ita had important matters to attend to for her company and Iwata was going to be taking care of things at home. Everyone was concerned for Lili’s well-being, sensei didn’t tell the class out of respect of her parent’s wishes. Pretty much only her immediate family and honorary family knew of her condition.

-3 days later-

“Lili, I’m back” softly spoke her father as he sat at the chair at her side “It’s Tuesday, so mom might swing by for a bit if she gets out early enough for visiting hours.”

At this point, Lili still hasn’t woken up nor moved. So Tenya has just been talking to her in hopes that she could hear him and wake up.

“You know, your mom was also hospitalized in 2nd year. And I feel all those worried feelings all over again.” He leaned on the railing of the hospital bed “I’d whisper my feelings to her and give her sweet kisses, like she’d wake up when I did.” He sighed and stroked her hair “Will today be the day you wake up? Everyone is getting awfully worried. But lets see if you like what I brought today.” He pulls out a book from his satchel “It’s one of your mom’s classic literature novels, Little Women. I read a book to your mom when she was like this and she remembered listening to me reading it” he opens the book “So maybe this might work too...ahem, Chapter one, "Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug...”

He didn’t have to read too far into the book before Lili woke up. Eyes watering as the hospital lights were stinging to her eyes, she groaned as she stretched her body.

“Nnnh...thirsty” she hoarsely uttered.

Her dad quickly reached for the ice water on the tray “Here, drink slowly.”

She could barely see the cup and who was giving it to her, but she sat up to drink out of it. “Thank you” she said as she tried to rub her eyes and saw the IV connected to her “Am I, in the hospital?”

“Yes, do you remember anything?”

“I remember practicing in the yard for the summer showcase” she rubbed her eyes with the other hand “and that’s all...wait, did I pass out because of the heat?!”

“No...wait, do you recognize me?” carefully asked Tenya, trying not to scare her.

She looked at him and blinked “Yeah? You are my dad” she giggled “you’re my dad! BOOGIE WOOGIE WOOGIE!”

Tenya breathed out, relieved “Oh you gave me a scare there!” he gets up “sit tight, I’ll get the doctor.”

She waits patiently, a little confused on why she was there in the first place. Her dad ran in before the doctor.

“Please Mr. Iida” panted the doctor “I’m a doctor, not an athlete!”

“Sorry! I was just excited” apologized Tenya “But look, she’s awake.”

The doctor gathered himself “Hello Miss Lili, how are you feeling today?”

“I’m feeling a little sore and woke up with extreme thirst” she explained “But otherwise, I’m okay.”

“That great to hear! Can you tell me your full name, age and your parent’s names?”

“Um sure? My name is Lili Perla Iida, I’m 15 years old and my parents are Tenya and Itati Iida.”

“Interesting, okay” the doctor muttered as he wrote something on his notes “Thank you, now I’m going to explain what’s going on...” The doctor explained that she was in a training accident and her diagnosis “...so while you might not remember everything right now, you will very quickly with the help of your family” he stands up “so, you’re free to go home and go back to school. Just be careful and I suggest a better head gear to prevent more accidents.”

“Thank you, I’ll be more careful” She said as the doctor left. “Dad, what did he mean by better head gear? Dance isn’t a contact sport.”

“I’ll explain more when we get home” he handed her a change of clothes “Here, your sister chose your outfit since you came in with your costume on.”

She change and got wheeled out of the hospital to go home. Lili sat in silence the whole way home, she recognized her dad’s car and the route home. But what’s missing from her memory?

“We’re home” announced Tenya.

“Welcome home Lili” yipped the robo dog “Mom told me you got hurt and I’m happy you’re home safe.”

“Doggie” she bend down to pet the robo “I remember you for sure!”

“LILI!” screamed the three younger siblings as they stampeded toward her.

“Hi” she managed to say before they group hugged her “huh? Since when did you guys...looked like this?”

“What do you mean?” they said in unison.

“I don’t remember Iwa wearing t-shirts this fitting?” she pointed out “And since when did you get boobs Rosa? And the fuck did you do to your hair Oro?!”

“Huh? I’ve been wearing proper wearing shirts since I started middle school” Iwa explained himself “wait, dad, did she forget years of memories?!”

“I’m afraid so” Tenya responded “She doesn’t remember anything from the last 3 years.”

“Oh fuck, so you don’t remember your friend?” Rosa asked her sister.

“Maru?” she asked “what about him?”

The four of them glared at her in shock.

“No, your other friend...from school” Iwa spoke up.

“I- don’t have friends from school?” she furrowed her brow “come to think of it, I don’t think I have any friends from dance academy either.” 

Everyone look at each other, not knowing how to break it to her.

“Um, lets go sit at the couch and let me explain” Tenya said as they walked over to the living room “Okay, so things look a little different now because you’re not 15, you’re 17 about to be 18-”

“I’VE BEEN IN A COMA?!” screamed Lili.

“NO! You’ve been in the hospital for 3 days and you just have amnesia” her dad took control of the situation “I’ve been watching over you everyday in the hospital and the doctor explained that you just need to get your memories back. And we’re all here to help.”

“So...I’m in high school?” she asked and everyone nodded “And I have friends?”

“Lots of friends!” Her dad explained “you’ve gained the respect of so many and you have your own little dance circle where you Ki Ki.”

“I do?! Wow I sound like a cool kid” she giggled “Where do I go to school? Is it that private arts school in Shibuya?!”

“No...um you” Her dad put his hand on her hand “don’t scream but you attend UA and you’re in the hero department.”

“Oh...I see” she blinked and stood up “will you excuse me a quick moment?” Before anyone could say, she dashed to her room to look through her things. And she found her admittance letter along with all her rejection letters from the schools she applied to. She sat on her bed and tried to remember anything, but couldn’t, so she cried.

“Lili, it’s okay” Rosa said in the doorway “you wanted to go to UA, trained for it and everything” she slowly made her way next to her sister “you even got in without the recommendation of our parents! You went in to flip the script on what our family is known for and changed your ways to become a hero.”

“I wish I could remember” Lili wiped her tears “You guys say all this but nothing is coming back to me. This sucks!”

“Maybe mommy can help when she comes home from work” the little sister said as she tugged on Lili’s sleeve “come outside and eat oranges with us.”

“I am hungry” she stood up “okay, lets go.”

She spent the rest of the afternoon trying to distract herself from everything until her mom came home. Nothing seemed to spark anything until dinner.

“Lili? Are you alright?” her dad asked worriedly “You haven’t reached for the pizza.”

“I remember something” Lili replied, eyes wide “You upgraded my phone on a pizza night, at around Iwa’s birthday.” She looked her dad “If you say I am in high school, then I must have memories on my phone!”

“That could help, but mom has your phone for safe keeping” he answered as he served her a slice “You know how paranoid she gets when things happen in the family.”

“Guess I’ll have to wait until-”

Comically on time, her mom came home. “I’m home!” her mom panted as she rushed into the dinning room “Lili! Oh sweet daughter of mine” she brought Lili into a tight embrace “You have no idea how worried I was! Did you wake up alright?” 

“I just woke up thirsty” Lili responded, face squished in her arms “Mom, not to be rude, but can I have my phone? I was just saying that something might trigger my memories back.”

Lili followed her mother into her home office after dinner. The familiar scent of lavender hit her and it triggered the memories she had in there. Once she got her phone and turned it on, a flood of texts rolled in from classmates and people from her circle.

“If you’d like, you can stay home for summer break” suggested her mother “if going back is going to be overwhelming.”

“No, I want to go the dorms” Lili said with confidence “My journey to who I became started at school, because if I did make up my mind to be a hero and threw away my dream of being a dancer, then all those memories started there.”

“Alright Lili, when do you want to go back?”

“Hmmm, on Friday? Is that okay?”

“It is, I just gotta let the school know.”

And so I went to my room to check if I had any pictures, most of them were just selfies and videos of some crackhead activity outside (from what I assume is my dorm room) window. So much for helping me, gotta take more pictures of my friends! I clean out my inbox and see that this one contact I have saved called “Hoshi 💫🌟”. I scroll through our text history and it’s like I text them a lot! Is this the friend Rosa was trying to talk to me about? Wish I had a picture of them but it seems like our texts were saved all the way back from December, almost 7 months ago! I decided to give it a rest and get ready for bed. I lay in bed but I couldn’t sleep, like something was missing from my sleep routine. Did I add something while I was away from home? Needless to say, I didn’t wake up totally refreshed. The little things triggered my memories as I did my everyday routine and, after 4 days, I remembered up to the day I quit the dance academy to go to UA.

“Mom, do you think everyone will be patient with me?” I asked as mom was driving me to the dorms “What if they trick me or take advantage?”

“You have nothing to worry about! Everyone will help, or at the very least your circle of friends and teachers will” Mom replied, glancing over at Lili’s face “Hey, why don’t we go to a McDonalds before?!”

I get excited “For two cones and a number two combo with Sprite?!”

“Yup, glad to see that your excitement for secret McDonalds is still there” chuckled Mom as she took the left turn into the downtown area “The usual I see.”

“You know that’s been my order since I was old enough to speak!” I wiggled in my seat and looked out the window “McDonalds! McDonalds! Gimme McDonalds!”

Thankfully there was no line at the McDonalds and I enjoyed my two cones before pulling up to the dorms. I grab my bag and my drink before following my mom into the building, nothing was coming back to me yet.

“This way Lili, we have to talk to your teacher” Mom pointed to a door “Hopefully he’s not too wrapped up to talk.”

I watch her knock on the door and the sound of somebody falling off something responded along with hasty footsteps “Yes? Oh! I wasn’t expecting you two so soon!”

“Ha ha very funny mom” I was being sarcastic “How much did you pay Diaper Boy to be in on this prank?”

“Ya know Lili, I might be one of the richest women in the country but not even I’d pay Mr Mineta to be part of anything” my mom sighed and pinched her brows together “He’s your sensei...deadass.”

I nearly choked on my Sprite “No way! No wonder I ended up in the hospital!” I felt offended “You got this purple ball flinging, toddler sized, ketchup-smellin’ teaching the next generation of heroes?!”

“Hey! TO BE FAIR, I wasn’t responsible for your accident” sensei cried out “secondly, words hurt. Both of you have been roasting me for long enough, I am a man and a hero!”

“Yeah okay Diaper Man!” I roasted, which promptly triggered my memory of the first day of school “Oh man, that roast was so powerful that it triggered my memory.”

“Oh thats good! Thats what we came here first for” Mom shifted focus “Minoru, I’m going to need you to help Lili trigger her memories in terms of academics. In turn I propose Lili gets a training break until her memories come back.”

“I will allow it, don’t worry about her getting injured again” he gave his thumbs up “She excused from summer training due to her rescue points, which is this leg of the training.”

“Great! Here’s her updated medical records, please hand them to Eri when you get a chance” Mom hands over a manila folder “I just need to talk to Hoshi real quick and I’ll be on my way.”

“Wait, Mom” I stopped her “where are you going after this?”

“I’m going to do some agent work” she explained “my team has been called upon a lead for a re-opened case. I might be gone for a few days, so Dad will be there for you if you need anything.”

“But, what about me?” I pouted, feeling abandoned.

“I know its a little scary being in an environment you don’t recognize, away from your parents and siblings” She comforted me “Trust me, I know the feeling. But you have one person to rely on at least, and it’s your best friend. Hopefully you remember them after a while.” She pointed to the cat tower “Why don’t you see if Clawford is taking a nap? I’ll be quick!”

I watch her teleport out and I do what she said. She says things like this to make me feel better about her being gone for more than a day, but I still worry. I peek my head in the cat hole and see the chonky cat staring back at me with their bluish eyes. I reach in for a gentle pet and they seem to like me, maybe I spend a lot of time in this area and play with them? I don’t know how long I’ve been petting them but when I turned around, there was a group of at least 10 people just staring at me.

“Um... Howdy!” I greeted awkwardly.

“Oh my goodness! She’s not yelling at us” spoke a girl to another girl in the group “what do we say?”

“Yo Toei-kun is right there, how long until she scraps with him?” whispered the boys.

“ENOUGH! Can’t you see our classmate is back?!” spoke up one of the boys and takes a few steps towards me “Iida-san, welcome back! It’s good to see you recovered and well.”

I blinked and lightly scrunched my face “I’m sorry, but...had we, met before?”

Everyone gasped

“What do you mean? It’s me, Hashima-kun, class representative of Hero class A.”

“Class rep?...Sorry, but I don’t remember” I looked to the others “and I don’t remember any of you.”

Sensei came out of his room to inform everyone of my condition. My mom came back out with somebody before heading out.

“Okay Lili, I’ll be going now” She squeezed me “take care and call Dad for anything! I love you.”

“Okay bye Mommy” I waved “I love you!”

I watch her get in her car and drive off. Everyone’s whispers were getting on my nerves in an unsettling way. It was getting me anxiety and I felt frozen in place.

“Hey, are you okay?”

I turn around to see a tall guy with frosty, blonde hair and icy blue eyes. He was looking at me with gentle concern and that confused me.

“Yeah, um...I was just looking at my mom drive off” I meekly responded “Anyways, uhhhhhh can I ask you a very dumb question?”

Now he looked confused “Sure?”

“Where’s the bathroom? I’ve been it holding in for like 20 minutes now” I whispered, hoping nobody heard me.

“Here I’ll show you” he asked me to follow him. We walked up some stairs and down a hallway “So...memory loss huh?”

“Yep”

“Nothing from the last few years, ey?”

“Nope!”

We arrive at the bathroom “At least you remember me right?”

I run in the bathroom and into a stall before I could answer him. And just when I think I have my privacy, I hear the bathroom door open.

“Lili, you remember me...right?” he asked again.

“Um...I-” I try to not make any bodily sounds “I don’t remember you, sorry.”

“You....don’t remember me?” he responded, voice cracking and trailing off “how can that be?! We’ve done so much together! I’m saved on your phone, we have matching lock screens, you made me this shirt... does anything trigger at least the day we met?”

I flush the toilet and walk out to wash my hands “I wish it did, but it seems like routine has been triggering my memories” I go to dry my hands “and I guess that’s my second question, are you in my daily routine?”

He suddenly gets very coy “Well..um” he rubs his face “I basically never leave your side, we share a dorm room.”

“Oh...” I stare blankly at him as a hard blush rose up to my face “Will you excuse me for just a moment?”

I turn around to walk into a shower stall, closed the door and screamed for a solid 2 minutes. “Okay, I feel better” I cleared my throat as I walked out the shower.

“You know that those showers aren’t sound proof.”

“Kinda wish you didn’t say that” I blushed again “now uh, where’s our room?” 

I follow him a little ways down the hall from the bathroom. He opens the door to a cramped space.

“Welcome back, hehe” he nervously said “anything?”

I look around “Not yet, but this is a bit of tight space” I walk in to see which side is mine “Hey, that’s the vanity I wanted!”

“Well, it is yours” he explained “along with that fabric wall, sewing station on the balcony, that’s your dresser and your half of the slide closet” he then points to the bed with pink sheets “And that’s your bed, don’t worry, I didn’t sit or sleep on it. I know how picky you are about that.”

“Oof, I hate that box spring feel” I cringed at the sound the bed made with I sat on it “damn bitch, we live like this.”

The boy starts howling with laughter “You’re killing me Lili! Good one!”

I watch him laugh and it made me...happy?

“Are we...best friends?”

“We are!” He calmed down to answer me “We’re like a two for one special! We do almost everything together and you understand me the most” he smiled “You’re the most important person in my life, and no matter what, I’ll help you remember everything. Because you never gave up on me and it’s about time I return the favor.”

“Really? I’m important to you?” I questioned “then I trust that you’ll help me through this.”

He smiled harder and glanced at my bag “What’s in the bag? I don’t remember you having that rhinestone bag.”

“This is my old dance bag” I zipped it open “I have my McDonalds in here.”

“Oh? Did you order your two cones, a number two with large Sprite?” 

I froze in place “Whoa, you memorized my McDonalds order?”

“Yup, when we didn’t feel like going to the dorms yet after school, we’d go to the McDonalds and get it to go.” He explained “My order is the number 6 with a vanilla milkshake to dip my fries in.”

“I see, you’re a man of culture as well” I gave a face of approval “Then will you accept this orange.”

“Sure! WAIT!” He stopped himself from taking the orange from my hand “Oranges? Did you-”

I dumped all the contents of my bag on the bed “Pick a bunch of oranges before I came here because our tree was heavy with fruit?...Yes, I did.”

“Oh Lili!” he chuckled “You haven’t changed a bit, I’m so happy you’re back.”

I watch him peel the orange, trying to see if it triggered anything “Hey, not to sound dumb but” I asked as I was eyeing their shirt “what is your name?”

“Hm? My name is Hoshi Togata” he looked up from his peeling.

“Oh you’re my saved contact on my phone!” I picked up my phone “that makes me relieved that it’s you.”

“Yeah, look” he picked up his phone to show me the lock screen “We match, I’m the Big Bad Wolf from Shrek and you’re Donkey.”

“I was wondering why Donkey was there!” I giggled “This feels weird, I’ve never had a best friend before.”

“What about Maru?”

“Oh shit, lowkey forget he exists sometimes” I admitted “but we don’t do things like this. I’d never share my food with him or watch movies.”

“I’ve never had a friend period! You were my only friend for a while because-” he stopped himself from saying it “um, well...that part isn’t important anymore BUT we found more friends!”

I spent the rest of the day trying to figure out things all over again. And when it came for bed, I couldn’t really sleep again because I felt like something was missing. This sucks!

To be continued

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[x-brik-x]

I'm seeing a lot of people say that punk fashion is expensive and inaccessible, which is very wrong. here is a list of some ways you can make punk fashion easier, cheaper and more accessible for you, since that's... kinda the whole point.

others are encouraged to add onto this!! (just don't recommend corporations like amazon. not cool.)

1. patches!! you don't need to buy them. DIY patches are not ugly or boring. in fact, they are encouraged here!! DIY, in my opinion, is always the best thing to do when it is an option and is safe to do so.

2. speaking of DIY, spikes!! you can make them!!

cut the top and bottom off of an empty can. cut down the middle of the cylinder and flatten it, so it's just a flat rectangle of metal.

cut out a shape that is kind of a third of a circle, but around 3/4 of the curved edge is taken up by triangle shapes. (I'm not very good at describing, so here's a badly drawn picture)

roll it into a cone, leaving the 4 triangles sticking out at the bottom. this bit is optional, but you can fill it with hot glue to make it more sturdy, just be careful touching the hot metal. I tend to hold the cone by one of the triangles with a bit of fabric wrapped around my fingers for this bit. cut 4 small holes in your fabric in this kind of shape:

and put the spiky bits of triangle through the holes. fold the triangles in on themselves to secure the spike in place. boom. spike obtained. this is one I made and attached to a little piece of fabric to test this method out:

3. battle vests!! (like the base jackets). the best places to buy these are charity shops and second hand websites in my opinion, but if anyone else knows any better options, please reblog with those!!

a good trick I find works well on eBay is to filter search results to your country (or state? can you do that in the US? idk) so that a: fast delivery because local, and b: all the sellers of everything that shows up are in YOUR TIME ZONE.

why is this important? when people sell something for really cheap, it goes FAST. check eBay at like, 2am or something. all the scalpers in your area are asleep. grab the cheap stuff while they can't.

4. sewing!! want patches, but can't sew for whatever reason? I've heard of a lot of people with joint conditions like arthritis complain about the inaccessibility of patch stuff, and that does sound extremely annoying, however:

safety pins!! while they are still a little fiddly, they're much less work so you don't have to fiddle about for long. if you can, you could even ask a friend to help, since it doesn't take long at all I'm sure someone will be willing to help out!! (I know I would, but that's just me, and I love this kind of thing). safety pins on clothes are also widely considered to be a symbol of solidarity, so if anything, you're adding some extra love and meaning to your patch pants/battle jacket.

if that's still too fiddly, fabric glue is always an option. unfortunately this means you won't be able to remove/reposition patches, at least without leaving a massive patch of residue, but if you're ok with that then fabric glue is probably your best bet.

for people who prefer sewing: as for where to get the thread, I've heard a lot of people recommending dental floss, as it's apparently much cheaper and works just as well. I haven't tried this myself so can't confirm that, but I thought I'd share it regardless.

5. where to get fabric!! old clothes. rip em up. you don't need any kind of fancy fabric from the craft store. my patches are made of old jeans that I grew out of.

don't have any old clothes and you don't want to waste any good ones? I'm not sure about other countries, but in the UK, as long as you're not on private property (trespassing), dumpster diving is perfectly legal.

I definitely ;) do NOT encourage ;) trespassing rich people's land ;) to steal from their dumpsters ;)

or tbh it doesn't matter too much how rich the person is, since it's all going to landfill anyway. if it's in the bin, it's free game, but you didn't hear that from me. ;)

please add onto this where you can!! and if I missed something or got anything wrong, add that on too!!