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abraxos-the-phantom · 3 years

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Scum Disciple: Alpha Stage

Alpha, described by google as "...an exploratory phase. Beta means the features have been locked down and are under development (no other features will be added). More commonly: Alpha: Usually the first normally interact-able thing out (private or public use is irrelevant)."

And here are some of the highlights that I liked from the first few versions lol.

Fun Times in Gusu

Lan Xichen walked to quite a strange sight.

While normally he would have greeted the younger Nie with a smile, the image of the famous Wei Wuxian pouting as YunmengJiang’s young master and QingheNie’s second master grinned was a little too ridiculous for him to process without chuckling.

“We both know you aren’t actually going to tell Ming-shixiong,” Nie Huaisang chuckled at the shifted to pat the other.

“Yeah,” Wei Wuxian sighed. “I’m worried though.”

Jiang Wanyin had raised his eyebrow, making quite the image as he looked over his crossed arms, “You’re worried about your brother? QingheNie Sect’s Monster Head disciple? The Youngest Rogue Cultivator in the Generations? The Peerless Prodigy? I think you’re a little delusioned Wei Wuxian.”

Wei Wuxian’s nose crumbled at that, “They really call Gēge that? Such lame names.”

“I think brother called him the Crane Dragon once,” Nie Huaisang added. “When you and Ming-shixiong went on a Night Hunt.”

Wei Wuxian shook his head, “Forget it, that’s not what I’m worried about- it’s just. Gēge has never let me on my own like this before. He gets antsy.”

Nie Huaisang pursed his lips, “I can understand but- A-Xian, you’re one of his best students.”

“He just- he gets this look sometimes,” Wei Wuxian sighed. “He doesn’t talk about it but sometimes he looks at me and I’m pretty sure he’s seeing something else. I never asked because he always looks sad after.”

“Didn’t you grow up together?” Nie Huaisang frowned. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ming-shixiong with anyone else besides the three of us but the other disciples.”

“He’s never talked to anyone except father, mother, myself, sister, and some of the disciples at our sect,” Jiang Wanyin said in agreement. “You guys didn’t meet anyone when your Brother was still Rogue?”

Wei Wuxian shook his head in Jiang Wanyin’s direction, expression slightly pinched still, “I wouldn't remember, and I know we’re close- but there’s some stuff I know he hasn’t told me. You guys realize that my brother is nineteen?”

Jiang Wanyin blinked, as well as several other disciples who were not so covertly listening into the conversation about the mysterious prodigal Cultivator of the QingheNie Sect. “He seems much older, I didn’t think anyone knew his actual age.”

Because that was the curiosity wasn’t it, for all that he was well-known, there was never truly anyone who knew Wei Ming, because he would never actually say anything about his past save for vague hints. One could ask Wei Wuxian of course, but the latter had the same result because of the mere fact that Wei Wuxian didn’t know much about his older brother either beyond his personality, likes and dislikes. Any years before Wei Ming had lived with his brother was knowledge he couldn’t even forget because he never knew in the first place. Nie Mingjue never asked, and neither did Nie Huaisang. It took Wei Ying meeting other children to realize that nine-year-olds never talked the way Wei Ming did. They didn’t know facts about monsters, and they certainly never talked about demons. Yet Wei Ming had extensive knowledge since who knows how long, and no one ever questioned it.

Whether that was because Wei Ming knew how to subvert the conversation or because they simply never asked, that was a question no one could really answer. Not even Wei Wuxian, for all that he loved his Gēge, knew where to start.

Sensing the sudden dip in Wei Wuxian’s mood, Nie Huaisang brightened as much as he could, “Well it doesn’t even matter does it? He’s your brother, he’s my teacher- and he scares my brother to boot.”

Wei Wuxian laughed, if a little weakly, “He told me he actually enjoys it a little.”

Jiang Wanyin winced, “Isn’t your brother known to your Sect as the Punisher?”

With an enthusiastic nod from both Nie Sect members, they proceeded to scare everyone else by saying, “300 copies of Consequence, 200 paces across the hills and back in three days and patrolls in three of the Qinghe protected lands by the end of two weeks!”

They silently cackled as the other Sect disciples paled at the prospect.

After gently teasing Wangji of his interaction with Wei Wuxian, Lan Xichen bid his brother a good night as he suddenly remembered what he had sought the older Wei out for. The technique he used was quite unique and not among any technique he had some knowledge of, though granted it could purely be because he himself was not well learned in any but the Lan Sect style. Regardless, he was hoping to have a discussion about it and to possibly inquire if the older Wei would use his expertise to critique his own swordsmanship.

He was just about to do just that before he heard an audible thunk and grunt of pain from within the room Wei Ming had been assigned for his stay here.

Lan Xichen abruptly opened the door out of instinct, blinking in surprise to find Wei Ming wielding a brush in his hand and a paper in the other, dark eyes roving the entire wooden table with apprehension.

“Mn?” Wei Ming looked up with a raised eyebrow. “Oh, Zewu-jun. I was under the impression you had retired for the night.”

“I had initially been hoping to discuss swordsmanship with you before,” Lan Xichen looked at the papers, elegant calligraphy lining each and every one save for the large stack of paper at the corner of the table. “I admit, however, that this seems to take my interest far more at the moment.”

“Ah, well.” Wei Ming gestured to the papers. “These are lesson plans, notes if you will- but plans all the same.”

“...Lesson plans?”

Wei Ming nodded seriously, “It’s important for a teacher to understand what they are teaching every day, so as not to leave anything important out.”

“Ah…apologies, considering the subject you are teaching I thought-”

“To be fair, the material I’m teaching does require less theory than practical. Had I been teaching something akin to a bestiary subject or perhaps even medicinal practices, I wouldn’t be as extensive as this,” Wei Ming once again gestured to the large stacks. “This is not the case however, as I am teaching fighting techniques. I also have to come up with tests and exams, sort the students into pairs for sparing purposes, note everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, formulate proper lectures concerning the techniques I am teaching- that sort of thing. Besides the fact that I’m considering adding other techniques so that my students are well informed.”

Though granted the stuff he was doing was easier than when he had been Qing Jing Peak’s head disciple, the paperwork for that Sect was monstrous because of the additional lessons for music and the tactitionary course. Both were a requirement as a disciple of Qing Jing, as they were the main jack of trades within Cang Qiong as their roles were both in support and primary fighters when it came to battles. This was especially true during the pseudo war between Lou Binghe’s forces and during the battle with Tianlang-jun. Shizun would normally do most of the work but with the absence of Lou Binghe, a lot of it arrived to Ming Fan and he didn’t have the heart to inquire about it.

After Binghe’s return Ming Fan just never thought to question it anymore, Shizun was happy and he got used to the workload. It wasn’t as if he never had help either, he took charge of the male disciples while Ning Yingying took charge of the females. After Lou Binghe soon took up some work every now and then; it’s just the way things were after...After.

Wei Ming blinked after returning from his thoughts, “Hundreds of apologies, may Zewu-jun repeat himself?”

Lan Xichen smiled, “Of course, I only wished to ask if you would be open to giving me advice on my swordsmanship? Nie Mingjue mentioned before that your advice had helped him improve his saber technique and I would very much like to also improve myself now that the opportunity is open to me.”

“Or perhaps Xichen-ge would not like to be left behind by his dîdi?” Wei Ming said with an amused smile.

At this Lan Xichen’s ears colored slightly even as he smiled neutrally, “That is also a motivation, but I believe no brother would want their younger brother to leave them behind.”

“Very well, when Zewu-jun is free; we shall spar.” Wei Ming’s lips quirked. “I would also like to know if my observations are correct.”

“Let us have this spar soon Teacher Wei, thank you for your time.” Lan Xichen stood and dipped his head slightly before exiting with a final ‘good night’.

“Gege what are you doing?”

Wei Ming was currently in the Lan Sect library, pouring over old books that amused him and greatly reminded him of some of the brighter moments in his past life. Namely: The Resentment of Chunshan. The book itself was poor in terms of accuracy, but amusing nonetheless. He and the other disciples found themselves horrified and amused by the story described within. Even more so when the Song of BingQiu became popular among the locals.

He was also starring an old map of the land, clearly looked into by someone considering the small hand-written notes in black ink. The penmanship was oddly familiar but Wei Ming couldn’t exactly remember where.

There was also an area circled, the name Cang Qiong Sect written in careful script.

“What do you think?” He asked absentmindedly, fingers brushing over the circled area. It was far from the other Sects, inaccessible due to the mountain ranges that circled it. If one tried, they’d have to do so by climb rather than sword. The air would be thinner; challenging even for a Cultivator.

He vaguely wondered if the land had changed so much as to the sudden growth of mountains around the Cang Qiong Sect area.

“Looks like someone was trying to look for the mythical Cang Qiong Sect,” Wei Ying peered over his brother’s shoulder. Tilting his head at the map. “Weird.”

“Oh? How so?”

“Eh,” Wei Ying shrugged as he sat next to him. “Cause it’s just a legend, no one actually knows if the Cang Qiong Sect is still around. If it ever was around. I mean- demons, the War- it’s described in pretty poetry and details, but other than that- most people write it off as a fantasy since no one’s ever seen it.”

Wei Ming considered the next question carefully, “What do you believe?”

“I think there’s some truth to it,” To himself, Wei Ying vaguely wondered why the sudden inquiry. His brother had no interest in the stories that were normally told to children, he had been busy at the time and Wei Ying only knew of it because the Nie Brothers held a rather large collection of the stories of the illustrious Cang Qiong Sect and one of their most famous Lords: Shen Qingqiu. Nie Huaisang had admitted that most of these were his brother’s, and he himself was promptly amused. Now he was starting to wonder. The stories of the Cang Qiong Sect were often used for the children of Cultivators as lessons, Lan Sect used it too if what was in the library was any indication- it was an impressive collection.

Though it did have nothing on Sect Leader Nie’s secret collection of nearly all the tales of the General from Qing Jing Peak: Huázháo-jun.

“Hm, perhaps,” Wei Ming noted non-committedly, shaking his head. “Let’s talk about what to do for tomorrow.”

“Mn! You should teach-“

[Fun fact about this one up here! In this version of the story, MF brings WWX's body up through the mountains to Cang Qiong Sect in the hopes that he could get help in reviving his brother, thereby re-meeting with his fellow disciples of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect]

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miniatureworlds · 3 years

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New York Times: The Dollhouses of Instagram

'Instagram-inspired enthusiasts are making their interior-design dreams real — only 12 times smaller.

(Image: Trisha Krauss)

By Ronda Kaysen, March 13, 2020

'The kitchen that Jessica Coffee designed checked all the trendy boxes: white Shaker cabinets, a subway-tile backsplash, wide oak-plank floors and an open-concept floor plan, with views into the living room’s shiplap walls. The photographs she posted on her Instagram page evoked enthusiastic comments from followers, who gushed about high-end details like the water filler above the stove.

The only drawback? Ms. Coffee, 40, can’t actually serve a meal in her kitchen, at least not a real one, because the room, like the rest of the house, is built to a 1:12 scale — that 36-inch chef’s stove is actually three inches long. It’s in a dollhouse that sits in the real-life master bedroom of her home in Walla Walla, Wash., which looks nothing like her amazing tiny one.

“People are always like, ‘Ooh! I would like to see your real house.’ No you wouldn’t. I live in a house that is barely 1,000 square feet with three kids and a Great Dane,” said Ms. Coffee, who sells her miniature designs and posts online tutorials at Jessica Cloe Miniatures. “My dollhouse square footage is much better than my actual square footage.”

'Ms. Coffee is among a growing community of artisans who have turned the craft of dollhouse making into an exercise in aspirational home design on an itty-bitty scale, with their tiny rooms and furnishings displayed on well-curated Instagram accounts with glossy photographs and videos set to music reminiscent of “The Fixer Upper” on HGTV. Scroll too quickly, or miss the photograph with a human-scale hand surreally poking into the scene, and a viewer might confuse the image for a real-life one, the type of image that leaves you feeling equally amazed by and envious of the enormous kitchen island with a soapstone countertop.

These dollhouse makers and collectors say we’ve entered a miniature Renaissance. Call it a Mini-Aissance. “We’re living in it now,” said Kate Esme Ünver, who curates miniatures on her Instagram page Dailymini, and is the author of the 2019 book “The Book of Mini: Inside the Big World of Tiny Things.”

Social media has turned what was once a niche hobby into a decidedly trendy and increasingly profitable business, making it easier for artisans to find each other and potential customers online. The Instagram hashtag #dollhouse has 1.65 million posts and #miniature has almost 4.3 million, a mix of posts from people making miniatures and those sharing what they’ve found. Victorian-era lace and antique armoires are being scrapped for midcentury modern chairs, fiddle-leaf fig plants and sputnik chandeliers. House Beautiful took notice and commissioned 11 interior designers to reimagine a Victorian dollhouse in their own style, auctioning the decidedly contemporary finished products at the New York Design Center on Feb. 27.

In the past six months, searches on Etsy for 1:12 scale furniture were up 39 percent and searches for dollhouse rugs and miniature items were up 20 percent from the same period a year ago. A search on the site for dollhouses yields 237,000 results. “It’s certainly a trend that’s rising,” said Dayna Isom Johnson, an Etsy trend expert. The popular items — miniature succulents, bath salts, word art — point to an interest from the grown-ups, not their children. “Maybe there are very sophisticated 10-year-olds out there who want a midcentury sofa, but I assume these are adults who want to take this on as a new hobby.”

Chris Toledo, 34, who showcases his diminutive creations on the Instagram account I Build Small Things, has watched his business soar in the past two years thanks to social media. He now sells his dollhouses, designed in a nod to the 1920s architecture of Los Angeles, where he lives, for $150,000 to $200,000 apiece.

“Before, miniatures were only publicized through miniature magazines,” he said. “Social media put it in everybody’s face.” His homes feature intricately detailed rooms, like a kitchen with a subway-tile backsplash and a schoolhouse pendant light that would look real if it weren’t for the life-size head of garlic positioned in the middle of the room.

'While some artisans specialize in furnishings and décor, Mr. Toledo focuses on the architecture, selling complete dollhouses as well as individual rooms — like a bathroom in a shadow box — for as much as $20,000. He designs the rooms by hand, milling moldings and using miniature tools, like a table saw the size of a shoe box, for carpentry work.

The advent of 3-D printers has opened the door for people without such advanced woodworking skills, too — to the disappointment of traditional dollhouse makers, who view such technology as taboo. Ms. Coffee of Walla Walla, for example, uses a 3-D printer to make smaller objects, like decorative pumpkins, which she sells for $5. She makes other items, such as throw pillows, using everyday materials and tools like glue, fabric, tweezers and quilt batting.

A year into her craft, Ms. Coffee now sells enough printable herringbone floors and cowhide rugs on her website to turn a profit, although still not enough to give up her day job as a graphic designer. She also uses the dollhouses to work out design challenges in the real-life houses that she and her husband renovate and flip. If she’s not sure about a floor color or a pattern for a rug, she can try it out on a tiny scale for a few dollars. Her actual home has the same rustic wide-plank flooring as her dollhouses.

While miniatures have long had their enthusiasts, this new generation of dollhouse makers is turning to idealized contemporary homes at a time when the real-life version is increasingly out of reach for many Americans. High real estate prices and stagnating wages make it difficult for many homeowners to consider a $100,000 kitchen with a farmhouse sink and a Wolf stove. But you could have a very little one — or three of them, and fill them with teensy espresso makers, cheese boards and bottles of Dom Pérignon. Like the idea of a barn door, but don’t actually have a place to install one? Tuck it into the dollhouse attic, and if it grows tiresome, refurnish the entire room with rattan chairs, a shag rug and a soft pink palette.

'Kwandaa Roberts, an OB-GYN in Philadelphia, says she has found a following on her Instagram account, Tiny House Calls, among millennial women who pine for a prettier house. “They don’t have any money and a lot of them can’t afford to buy houses and they’re living at home with their parents or in a tiny apartment with roommates and they can’t do design and all the things that they want to do,” she said. “But like me, they can get a lot of their creative energy out on a dollhouse.”

Dr. Roberts, 47, a single mother of two, started her hobby two years ago when she bought a dollhouse at Target. She intended to give it to her daughter, now 5, but instead found that it filled a creative longing she had to be an interior designer. She painted it, added wallpaper, and details like a brass soaking tub and a kitchen with a waterfall countertop. She made furniture by hand with supplies she bought at Michaels. “I’ve always loved interior design, had a huge passion for it, and may have gone into it as a career had I known that was a thing,” she said. But when she was growing up, “there was no HGTV. Home Depot sold lumber; it was not what it is today.”

In her tiny houses, Dr. Roberts has found an outlet, and an opportunity to reveal her projects on videos and photos she shares with her 47,000 followers. “I don’t have to redo my house,” she said. Instead, “I can have 10,000 kitchens and they will be fantastic.”...'

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stygiantarot · 4 years

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Modern Divination Methods

(originally taught in The Alexandria Archives on 4/9/2020)

Divination is most certainly one of the oldest practices of witchcraft. Reading omens, trancing for prophecy/scrying, and using tools to read symbols or patterns have all been used in some form for practically as long as society has existed. Many people are familiar with the mainstream ones: Tarot, runes, tea leaves, scrying, etc. Last time I went over some more unusual methods. Today, in light of the current global situation having many person’s stuck in limited spaces with limited supplies, I thought we could touch on some modern methods. Most require nothing more than what you already have at your fingertips!

We will explore in some detail:

Shufflemancy: divination using randomized songs

Stichomancy: divination using passages in a volume of writing

Traffic omens: Modernizing weather style omen reading using things like cars, stoplights, types of buildings passed, etc.

We’ll also touch on a couple other ideas you might try expanding on:

Online Randomizer: Think like the old web extension Stumble upon or even those websites that give you random quotes, images, names, etc.

Social Media Image Scrying: using a collection of images online to select a particular one for interpretation.

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Shufflemancy

Many of you have probably heard of this method, likely even tried it! Shufflemancy is the method of divination that uses a platform or application to randomize a selection/playlist of songs for interpretation. You can either just hit the shuffle button once and go with that initial song or you can incorporate a more personalized experience by having the querent choose a number of skips to hit. It can also be tailored by using specific playlists you’ve compiled or certain genre options on applications like Spotify or Pandora.

You can expand on this with applications like Youtube to include videos. It’s my fantasy that platforms like Netflix or Hulu will come up with a “randomizer” or shuffle type option someday. It would be such a blast to play a random video and then use that for divination!

It’s important to take into account both the lyrics and the melody/mood of the music when your selection is being interpreted. If you aren’t sure if you’d be comfortable with that initially, I recommend building a “beginner’s” sort of playlist that is filled with songs you know very well and have personal feelings about. It makes the interpretation that much easier. Much like using a Tarot or Oracle deck that has art styles or characters you’re familiar with. You may also incorporate the visuals of a music video if there is one for the song. Shufflemancy usually works better for more expansive readings rather than just yes/no questions. Although you can sometimes get that sort of immediately “positive” or “negative” impression from many songs, assuming it doesn’t have both!  

This method is a therapeutic way to delve into some modern divination. The emotional and cathartic aspect can be soothing for both the reader and the querent. Not to mention the connection it builds as you share music between you. A feel good way to practice some divination with no physical tools beyond some technology access.

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Stichomancy

This method of divination, sometimes called bibliomancy, uses a book or similar volume of writing to select passages from to interpret. Most people use the page number as the way to select, telling the querent to select a number between the first and last page (and what the highest number possible is). But there are intuitive methods as well. Using the physical shuffling of pages until it feels right to stop rather than a selected number. I find the latter method more useful when reading for myself and the former method more cooperative when I’m reading for others.

Like with shufflemancy, stichomancy is much affected by your personalizing of the tool. Use books you love! Use books that have specific genres for specific queries (a romance book for a relationship reading?). Use anthologies (short story or poetry collections) to get a variety of styles and language to work with.    

You can also use books that are more visual, like my headstone symbolism book pictured above. It makes the reading more akin to Tarot, but you can use captions to help expand on the interpretation. Practice trial and error with multiple books until you feel comfortable and confident that the results are accurate enough. The books I have in the photo I shared are the five I’m comfortable using in regular readings. I play with others for myself or specific queries for friends or family but often I’m not comfortable adding them to my regular repertoire. I have a series of dimestore style paperback mysteries that love to give readings for a dear friend but are useless in accuracy for anyone else. Books have personalities- if you didn’t already know that this method will teach you that fact quickly. You can also create your own specific stichomancy book using a notebook with numbered short passages and poems of that have significance to you. It can be an enriching process to collect all the passages to add to your own book and you can give them more specific and more easily remembered associations when compiling them yourself. Do remember to give proper credit/sourcing to all your collected passages though! 

You don’t need the largest book possible to be effective with this method of divination. “Desperation” and “Chilling Ghost Short Stories” are my thickest books, but honestly I’ve gotten more insightful readings from my two slim fairy tale volumes. It’s truly a method you make your own. I have friends who prefer to exclusively use books of poetry rather than fictional prose. That is good too!

A note: don’t feel like you need to have a physical book- I’ve had some success with ebooks! It can be trickier to do the flip-through for sure, but not impossible. 

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Traffic Omens

I was probably about 8 years old when I first played the “If, Then” game. “If this next light turns green before we reach it, then I’ll get McDonalds for lunch.” A simple and almost childish game of course. But essentially, traffic omens. I expanded on it as I got older to include seeing certain makes and colors of cars during my commute. Or a certain number of common buildings like churches or banks. A type of architecture or statues featuring certain things. It can be as common or uncommon as your needs require.

This is a method that’s a little trickier to lay out for others in step-by-step ways because it is omen based and therefore requires you to select what works for your specific area/region, what type of commute based omens you feel comfortable noticing, what meanings they have for you, etc. And since this is omen-based, it isn’t exactly ideal for actively standard divination reading. It’s more ideal for a passive style, or personal predictions in your own life.

You can build a system that works for you and could predict luck in a career, prosperity in the home, or a new friend. I recommend starting a journal of the sort of “omens” you notice on your commute. Follow up with a short blurb about how your day went and how you felt. Then you can refer back to it and create the personal system from there. You can vary the more common with uncommon omens- just remember to ascribe the appropriate association. Seeing a certain number of bank buildings can be good for meaning an increase in general finances but you’d likely want something more uncommon like an usual make and model of a single car for snagging a dream job. You can also create variations for when you’re walking during your day instead of commuting! 

 A bit more involved but something interesting to experiment with in our modern society. And keep a bit of that childlike wonder!

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Online Randomizer

Did you ever play with the web extension “Stumble Upon” back when it existed? The idea was that you installed it in whatever web browser you happened to be using and then clicked it to get directed to an entirely random website. Though it’s intention was obviously to curb boredom, it is definitely something interesting to try as a divination tool. Stumble Upon no longer exists (as far as I know), however there are similar extensions or webpages that let you do the same thing (this one comes to mind: https://theuselessweb.com). There is also options like Wikipedia’s “random article” ability that works along the same lines. This method is similar to stichomancy in that you’ll likely be working with text a lot of the time. But be aware of the medium you’re working with- a webpage is more than just a page in a book. What is its purpose? How well is it designed? What sort of visuals does it use? What emotional impressions do you get from it? It can start simple, but you can see the options are there for expanding an interpretation pretty elaborately. And again, a number of clicks can be incorporated if you like.

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Multi-Image Scrying (Social Media Image Scrying)   

It’s hard for me to come up with a concise name for this. But it’s possible you’ve come across persons doing this on various platforms like Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, etc. There is a selection of images in a format similar to a moldboard to view. The reader has a querent select an image that stands out to them and builds a reading based on the selection. Similar to a random draw from a Tarot or Oracle card with symbolism and art imagery lending itself to the interpretation. This can be great to try if you are into color symbolism or can easily see how certain artwork evokes certain emotions. Similar to what websites like Buzzfeed or the astro.com color chart quiz is! Almost like an alternative horoscope based on visual selections you are drawn to.

Be sure to ethically collect images for something like this if you plan on offering it to others. There are many websites that have royalty free images you can use for projects like this. Or you can even use ones you have yourself! These don’t have to be high art photographs, simple ones on your phone can absolutely work. The biggest goal is to make sure they are varied so a large amount of interpretation is possible.

There is a version of this using face down Tarot (or oracle) cards as well. You take a photo (or have video) of them face down and then have your querent select one at random without either of you knowing what it is. Then once you flip it over you can giving a reading based on that. It’s not especially different from a standard long distance Tarot reading except it can be used on a mass scale. For example, I’ve done this for my business Facebook or Instagram where I have a grid of numbered face down cards. Then I put the meanings of each card in the comments so someone can select the card before reading the comments and get a low-tech daily reading without an app.

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Even though many of these methods evoke playful games of childhood, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have potential as a valid form of divination. Many forms of divination in the past started as games or ways to pass time before they were built into the forms of divination we know today. A modern technique may seem “sillier” to traditionalists but just like younger generations are proving the further reaching use of modern technology to previous generations; it is time to prove the modern forms of divination as valid to the traditionalists!

#divination #stichomancy #shufflemancy #types of divination #witchblr #TAA #fortune telling #witchcraft class #witchcraft 101 #modern divination #modern witchcraft #witchy #modern omens

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atlas-of-a-human-soul · 4 years

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Fix Me (doctor/soulmate AU) {4}

Summary: Getting to know Grayson Dolan and his field of expertise, Y/N finds herself growing closer to Ethan despite her initial reluctance.

Warnings: angst, fluff, SMUT, swearing, drinking, possibly triggering end

Word count: 7000+

Fix Me (doctor/soulmate AU) series Masterlist

A/N - heavily inspired by Grey’s anatomy, my own experiences and thoughts, but also by songs: Birdy - Not about angels, Bear’s den - Fortress, Matthew and the atlas - Out of the darkness, Harry Styles - Falling, Kodaline - Wherever you are, Isak Danielson - Love me Wrong, Dove Cameron - Remember me, Tom Odell - Can’t pretend, The XX - Angels.

I really hope you guys like it! Feedback is always wanted and appreciated, no matter how small or big it is!

If you want to be tagged for future parts, reply down below.

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Pulchritudinous (adj.) – having incredible physical beauty

Pink. Pink walls, pink scrubs, pink down to her underwear - that's what gynecology felt like to Y/N. Everything and everyone's just so...PINK. And she doesn't have anything against the color, in fact it reminds her of the most beautiful sunsets she's ever seen or the luscious lips she recently kissed, but there is such a thing as too much pink and this was the perfect example of that.

People smile so much she wondered if their faces are stuck like that and while she appreciates the kindness and acceptance they bestowed on any intern joining them, Y/N feels like she's stuck in a cotton candy machine cartoon. Yet she can't blow this.

It is absolutely imperative she does well and convinces Ethan to stop giving Grayson anymore of the interns because she never wants to be back on this ward in her life because the happy-go-people are driving her insane.

"Morning little princess! Had a good night?" Grayson snickers at his own hello and its was the first of many hints he had given her about what he coaxed out of his brother during morning coffee.

"A better night than this morning." She grumbles, looking up at Grayson in suspicion. Maybe he's always so smiley or his hair is always so nicely combed to the side, but something told her his curls are wilder than Ethan's and she got to experience them once upon a time. She nearly had a repeat just the night before and while she wanted to let go and give into Ethan, she stopped herself just in time.

Being around his twin certainly didn’t help her rid of Ethan from her thoughts or memories and no matter how hard she tried to lock the memories of his gentle touch, there was no denying he sunk his claws deep into her and more she tried to fight it, she fell only further.

“Sounds like you had a very interesting evening then.” Grayson quipped, his smile painfully ineradicable and unreadable, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling he could tell there was something between her and Ethan. Would Ethan tell his brother? Would she be comfortable with Grayson being let in on their forbidden kiss?

“You could say that.” She forced a smile before clearing her throat awkwardly.

“So, when am I supposed to be useful around here?” Changing the subject, she quickly glanced at the half empty rooms with lips pressed together, hoping she’d get to pay her dues and be done with it because if there’s one specialty she was sure she wasn’t fit for, it was definitely gynecology.

“There’s only one woman in the maternity ward, she should give birth sometime during the night. Until then, we’ll do a couple of check ups to follow progression of the delivery, mainly to make sure the baby and mama are well. The rest are all here due to risky pregnancies, but I don’t expect anyone to have their baby this week.” Briefing Y/N, Grayson was sure she would roll her eyes or at least make a remark on the slow day ahead, but he was surprised to see her nod along and make a few notes for herself.

“Alright. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to start rounds myself and I can fill you in later?” She smiled and Grayson frowned ever so slightly as if he was lost in his attempt to read her. And he was. People are usually open books and Grayson loves being able to anticipate what they will do or say, but this girl was hard to read and it frustrated him…especially when he wanted more information on how she feels for his brother who is a besotted fool. Aside from her beauty, Grayson found herself wondering why Ethan fell so fast for her because he wasn’t the cloudy, twisty type and Y/N looked like she possessed darkness Grayson couldn’t fathom.

“Doctor Dolan?” After losing patience, Y/N reminded Grayson she was still there and waiting for confirmation and while she could stare at his perfectly symmetrical face all day and admire the way his eyes are hazel in this particular light or his extreme beauty all around, she really wanted to make a good impression and prove she can do more than just surgery and most of all, she wanted to prove to Ethan that she can take orders outside of bed too…when she wants to.

“Oh, yeah. Sure. Page me if there’s trouble.” Grayson instructed with a small smile, rubbing his chin as she walked away from him, leaving him more confused than he had ever been in his entire life and all he could hope for is his own soulmate being easier to understand than Y/N otherwise he’d be in deep shit.

Orphic (adj.) – mysterious and entrancing, beyond ordinary understanding

“How is she doing?” Ethan appeared before Grayson without any warnings in the attendee lounge, nearly scaring him to death as he choked on that sip of coffee he thought of as his saving grace just moments before.

“You can’t just jump people and expect them to be forthcoming”, Grayson coughed once more and Ethan took it as a sign to pat his back…a little too hard for comfort or to earn a proper thank you from his brother, but he did receive a dirty I want to kill you look for his efforts.

“I didn’t jump you, I asked nicely as any brother would. Now, would you be a good brother and tell me you didn’t scare her away?” Ethan insisted, his eyes bright and curious, his hands clasped together before his chest in a tiny prayer of sorts, as if it would ever work considering Grayson’s meddling nature can only be stopped by death and that was certainly not happening any time soon.

“You literally came out of nowhere!” Grayson exclaimed before shaking his head in annoyance only to sit back on the couch and take a deep breath. “She was as enthusiastic as she can get, I supposed. Pretty sure she’s just itching to get this rotation done with so she can finally be back by your side.”

Eyes widening, Ethan’s lips twitched as he fought a smile from appearing because he knows that any time he gets any hope, Y/N disappears and he’s left to lick his wounds. This time, he would take it slow and let her mystery unveil itself on terms she’s comfortable with because whenever he pushes the matter, she runs, but the moment he slows down and patiently lets her know he’s not going anywhere, she opens up and every time he gets insight in all her beauty, he is left entranced. She’s not for feeble minded people, there’s no doubt about it in his mind and if anything, Ethan was more determined to love her because of it. She tested him in every way possible and while it was stressing him out, Ethan wouldn’t give up on her. She’s hard to understand to ordinary minds, but Ethan isn’t ordinary and he was ready to face the challenge.

“You didn’t tell her I told her about the kiss, right?” Deciding to check, just in case Grayson really wanted to anger him, Ethan tilts his head to the left ever so slightly, just enough to make sure Grayson knows there is only one right answer.

“No, but I did tease her with a few hints I’m sure she didn’t pick up on.” Chuckling, Grayson winks at Ethan before leaning in and whispering: “Don’t worry, she said she had a great night.”

“I swear, if she realizes you know I will never tell you anything again.” Cracking his knuckles, Ethan leans on the couch too, resting his head on the back of it with a heavy sigh leaving his lips.

“She won’t! Dude, relax and go with the flow. The connection you two share can’t be erased by anything and she will realize that too. I just hope my soulmate situation ends up being easy peasy lemon squeezy, cause I don’t think I can handle the stress you’re dealing with.” He barely finished the sentence before Ethan cackled, clapping his hands before turning to his brother.

“I hope I’m alive when you meet her because I have a feeling you’re going to be worse than I am.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Grayson’s words only sparked more laughter from Ethan who had tears in his eyes whenever he realized karma is a bitch and Grayson would likely get a woman that will drive him crazy too or he will drive her crazy because as much as he loves his brother, Grayson isn’t an easy man to deal with either.

“I hate you so much.” Grayson’s pager went off just in time and while he had more than enough to say to his brother for psyching him out about his soulmate, Grayson flipped him off and rushed toward his ward because Y/N’s just a newbie and he couldn’t let her deal with emergencies herself even if he wished he could. Grayson loves his job dearly and out of all the specialties he could have chosen, gynecology and neonatology were his first love and that’s why he became a double certified surgeon.

“Where’s the fire?” Still out of breath, he watched the rather calm Y/N with a raised eyebrow and he definitely had to hold himself back from taking his frustrations out on her.

“Just wanted to let you know the patient demanded epidural and I need you to handle it since I’m just an intern and I can’t exactly summon the anesthesiologist myself without your signature.” Finishing the last of the papers she was working on, Y/N looked up at the almost heaving, red in the face, sweaty Grayson who looked like he was about to have a stroke considering the pulsating veins in both his neck and forehead as he kept a tight-lipped smile to pose as a front of calmness and serenity.

“You good?” She asked with a slight frown, wondering if she should page some help in case the giant before he decides to crash on the floor, but he quickly nods, placing his hands on his hips.

“I’ll call them now. Thank you for paging me.” Despite the polite tone used, Y/N could tell Grayson wasn’t quite happy with her but then again, she had to call him before the poor woman’s time frame was closed and she had to endure all the pain of a natural delivery even though it’s her right to ask for medication. Shrugging, she just smiled and went on her break without sparing Grayson a glance, figuring she’d only get a death stare if she dared to look back and she wasn’t in the mood for anyone’s anger.

“Delivered any babies?” Alex asked her as they passed each other in the hall and Y/N had to fake a smile as she realized she’s waiting on one woman to pop while the rest of the interns are all in the OR. Anger of her own bubbled up to the surface as she walked into an on call room, her eyes stinging with tears she absolutely hated. Most people break things when they’re enraged, but she cries. It’s contradictory but that’s exactly who she is – a breathing contradiction of nature.

Querencia (n.) – a place from which one’s strength is drawn, where one feels at home; the place you are your most authentic self

“What’s wrong?”

And there he is again, finding her even when she’s looking for solitude, offering his hand to hold and shoulder to lean on even when she least expects it. The worst thing is that she’s actually becoming dependent on his help and that scares her most of all, because what is she supposed to do when he decides she’s not worth it and goes back to whoever his soulmate is? It’s always going to haunt her – who is his soulmate and what is their story? Why would he be kissing her if he has a soulmate?

“It’s stupid and I didn’t know you were in here. I’ll let you rest.” Mumbling so fast, Y/N stood abruptly, wanting to leave Ethan behind and find a quiet, vacant place to release the pent up emotions and confusion so she could handle faking some perkiness for Grayson for the rest of the day.

Grasping her hand in seconds, Ethan didn’t hesitate to pull her back toward him, refusing to let her walk away when she’s so clearly upset. Their eyes meet in an instant, the closeness forcing them both to hold their breath and look at each other silently. Ethan’s free hand gently moves along her arm, finding its rightful place at the side of her neck, touching her skin so tenderly she felt on cloud nine and it reminded her of that night where he unraveled her, made her scream his name in pleasure she never found before or after than night again. There was no denying it, Y/N had a weakness for his hand on her neck and his words in her heart, neither of which she had any willpower to refuse, especially not when she couldn’t breathe when he looked at her with such longing, shameful lust and indisputable passion. And still, she never felt more at home nor did she feel more herself than in Ethan’s arms.

“It’s not stupid to me. I won’t make fun of you, I promise.” Ethan assures her, speaking first in hope of having her walls break down and he released her hand only to wrap his arm around her waist, bringing her closer than ever, close enough to smell the cherry chopstick on her lips.

“I just miss surgery and everyone’s doing their thing while I’m waiting on one woman having a baby and it’s frustrating. But you’re right, I have to learn to be a team player and to be more patient with you and believe your experience and knowledge that is vast comparing to mine. But I still miss it.” The timid look in her eye made his heart clench so painfully, that Ethan could hardly stop himself from kissing her to relieve the hurt. His soulmate is a willful woman, fierce and independent that it made him feel guilty for seemingly beating it out of her in this particular moment.

“I see you learned the lesson. If it’s worth anything, I miss having you around too.” Ethan smiled, his lips nearly touching upon her soft ones, the proximity playing with his senses and driving his self-control up the wall. There is nothing in the world he wanted more than to kiss her again, but this time around Ethan decided to let her make the move. She is tender, but fierce. To understand a woman like her, one must realize that the former is who she is and the latter is what life demanded of her – a caring heart that has seen too much pain.

“You miss me or you just want a repeat of our night together? Is this emotion or physical attraction?” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she wets her lips in thought and he can’t help but think this is a well-designed trap for him to say the wrong thing and for her to use it as excuse to put distance between them rather than face her own desires and he was almost certain those desires included him.

“Why can’t it be both?” Opting for a rather neutral response, Ethan bites the inside of his lips in anticipation of her pushing him away and storming off, but even as he waits, he feels her hips press closer to him as if she’s telling him he won’t be left alone. Not again.

“Physical attraction is nothing more than chemical reactions in your brain. Can’t trust them. They’re not real.” She quipped, seeing a cocky smile appear on his lips, noticing the tiny wrinkles around his dark eyes as he holds her gaze bravely, unwavering even when she hardens.

“Isn’t the whole universe a chemical reaction?” Ethan raised an eyebrow, holding her captive with just his eyes, as if his arms posed no threat comparing to the power of just a look.

“Do you trust that?” He continued as a tiny bead of sweat formed on his temple.

“The heart we’ve been working on in the OR, this connection we share that makes us unable to walk away? Feels pretty real to me.”

Biting her lower lip, contemplating the right move, Y/N couldn’t fight him on it. Her heart knew he was right for it wouldn’t be screaming at her to kiss her and those butterflies in her stomach felt more like killer bees as the need to feel him inside her had taken over every thought she generated.

One hand caressing his lean cheek, Y/N forgo all rational thought as she slammed her lips against his and Ethan’s own heart leapt inside his chest. In the force of a passionate kiss, he pushed her against the door, remembering to lock it just before he slipped her lab coat off. His burning lips had only been fueled to stay on hers forever, his tongue lining her lips before they part. The kiss deepened; desire and passion palpable as their souls stir, itching to be as one.

Breaking apart just to take their scrubs off, they were sure they broke a record in undressing as they clashed again. Ethan chuckled as she nibbled on his bottom lip, her right palm falling over his chest down to his abs only to stop at his boxers, pulling at the waistband with her own lips spreading into a smile.

Their gazes locked. They were both breathing rapidly, both totally focused. She studied the sight of Ethan’s bare body, his abs on display and his heart visibly beating in his chest, her eyes travelling down to his happy trail and to her reluctant hand that already slipped a few fingers inside his briefs and she pauses not because she’s unsure about wanting this but because for an instant, she is aware of the throbbing in her blood, of the beat that seemed to vibrate about them – something only Ethan could ever make her feel.

“You really sure about this”, but Ethan worried she’s backing out and she had to make sure she felt safe to say no if there was any doubt in her mind about it happening. Little did he know the only doubt she had was tied to becoming a dreaded Grey’s anatomy cliché.

“I followed all the rules. Drew inside the lines. Where did it get me? I’m done being the good girl, Ethan. I want you. ALL of you.”

As his fingers passed the point between her breasts, and moved lower, she drew in a shuddering breath. And closed her eyes. “Please.”

Ethan heard the tremor in her voice, his lips following as they tremble before attaching to her neck, palm sliding possessively around her hip, fingers sinking into soft flesh as he drew her to him. He took her lips, her mouth—a second later, he felt the shudder that passed through her, her achingly sweet surrender.

He felt her fingers at his nape as they slid into his hair. Her lips are soft, pliant, eager to appease and he feasted, on them, on her mouth, on the warmth she so freely offered him, no struggle and no stress. She pressed herself closer to him as he slid his hand down her back, to stroke, then cup her bottom, growling possessively as she giggles, breaking up their kiss into a few quicker pecks.

“You’re driving me crazy.” Ethan manages to whisper, smiling as her giggles make his worries subside, casting all fear aside as he rests his forehead on hers, walking her back to the lower bunk and while he didn’t expect their second time to be in an on call room on a bunk-bed, he realizes it’s not the place or circumstance but the person he gets to hold close to him.

“Good. That’s the goal.” She mumbles as he unclasps her pink bra with one hand, helping her take it off before his fingers grasp the pink panties and rip them on the sides as if she won’t need them for later.

“Pink, huh?” He kinks his eyebrow as that smirk of his reappears and she can’t help but roll her eyes at him.

“Your fault. Gynecology, remember?”

He caught her hand and towed her the few steps to the bed. He sat, then took her other hand too, and pulled her to stand between his knees. She watched, her breathing ragged, as he took in her body fully for the first time. The first time they barely took time to look at one another, missing those birthmarks and scars life had left on their skin as a road map to what they’ve survived. This time he had no intention on missing anything, including the scars she had from her surgery or any other intervention her body suffered.

Ethan drew a shuddering breath and reached for her. His burning palms sliding over her back, urging her forward, broke the spell that had held Y/N. On a gasp, she let him pull her near, grasping his shoulders to steady herself. He looked up, the invitation in his eyes very clear, one she took in an instant as she bent her head and kissed him, longingly, openly, giving all she had to give.

She was his and she knew it. There was no reason she couldn't indulge him, and herself, in this way. No reason she couldn't let her body say what she struggled to say in words.

After a long, lengthy, satisfying kiss, his lips slid from hers to trace the curve of her throat, to feel the blood pulsing just under her skin. Y/N tipped her head back to give him better access; her fingers sinking into his shoulders as his tighten on her hips as he takes full advantage. He held her steady as his lips drift lower, over her breasts. Struggling to breathe, she murmurs appreciatively when his lips press more firmly to her breasts, her murmur ending on a gasp as his teeth grazed one nipple before taking it into his mouth, and she felt herself melt down to her bones. One of her hands convulsively clutches his hair as he adores her breasts, teasing her, pushing her to her limits, soothing one moment, then tantalizing the next, easing her back one minute, then whipping her to an excruciating peak of pleasure he delays.

“I need you.” She whispered in shaky breath, but he didn't answer. Instead, he trailed lingering hot kisses down her quivering belly. And into the soft curls at its base. As it came, a kiss so intimate she could barely cope with the shattering sensation. He followed it with more, not ruthless but relentless, not forceful but insistent. Ethan smiled up at her, teasingly as he watched her struggle to keep herself standing before allowing his tongue slide between his lips first and then between hers. His tongue slid lazily across the sensitive bud, making her bite her tongue to hold in a moan that would surely alert the nurses to knock on the door and he wanted to tell her to let it out, to allow him the mercy of hearing her beautiful moans once again but even he knew it wouldn’t be sensible.

She clutched closer to him, and lost any hope of pretending the truth was not real, that she wouldn't be his, be anything he wished. He filled his palms with her, cupped her and supported her, held her steady as he tasted her. Explored her with his tongue, teased and tantalized her until she found herself almost sobbing.

“Is this not real?” Reminding her of the argument she made before, Ethan had a licked his lips clean of her, watching her admit to the truth in her dire need.

“It is. The most real thing I’ve ever felt so don’t you dare stop.” She instructed, still bossing him around even though he is in charge and they both knew it. But he gave in, pushing his briefs down only to pull her onto his lap, her knees onto the mattress, sliding along on either side of his hips. He knew her body was ready, yearning to be as one, to feel him inside once more.

“Good. Now promise me you won’t pretend this didn’t happen.” He plays dirty because when he’s doing it by the book, Y/N is always there to remind him she doesn’t follow rules. This time, he’d make sure she did.

“I won’t. I promise.”

As her thighs slid past his hips, he grasped hers pulled her down. He sank into her and saw her eyes close, lids falling as her breath left her in a soft, long-drawn sigh. Her body stretched, her softness accommodating his hardness. He wanted to close his eyes too but he feared missing a single second of her beauty. Then she shifted, pressing deeper, to take more of him, to fill herself completely. For one fractured second, he thought he'd lose his mind. He certainly feared losing all control.

He lifted her, then lowered her and she quickly caught the rhythm, realizing she could move herself. He eased his hold on her hips, let her have the illusion of setting the pace when in reality, he never let go, but counted every stroke, gauged the depth of every easy penetration. After all, in a way, she was still a virgin and he the one with experience.

It’s timeless, without restraint, their bodies joined as she buried her face in the crook of his neck, her nails digging into his back as her breathing is heavier and her moans are harder to muffle. He gave her that - unalloyed sensual joy, pleasured delight beyond description under his subtle guidance, she gasped, swayed and panted as he filled her, thrilled her, pleasured her to oblivion. He gave her all, and more, he gave her himself. And as he neared his end, Ethan finally lost control – pulling her onto the mattress, laying himself atop as he pushed deeper, faster, forcing her to bite into his shoulder as her toes curled, eyes rolled back and tears fell from her eyes from the pleasure. However, in the last moment, Ethan pulled out, pumping himself till the finish until he came on her stomach.

“I’m so sorry.” He whisper shouted, reaching for the panties he ripped off her, cleaning her stomach in a slight panic as if she cared at all.

“You should be. Why didn’t you finish inside?” She challenged with a lazy smile and genuine confusion. “It’s not like I can get pregnant, Grant.” She chuckled, using the name she always reverts to eventually, especially when they get close and they certainly got close this time. But it also reminds him she’s completely unaware they’re soulmates and that she could in fact get pregnant with him.

Swallowing thickly, he fakes a smile before tossing the panties back on the floor, satisfied she was no longer covered in sperm though he wouldn’t mind it one bit if they were home and she had a proper change of clothes and a shower.

“I forgot.” Ethan lies through his teeth as he looks at her messy hair and smiles. “You look beautiful.” Complimenting her, he leans in to press a kiss on her lips, allowing her a taste of herself inadvertently.

“I look like I had sex and the only reason why I look beautiful to you is because I had it with you.” She chuckles, shaking her head as she moves to her side to let him take up more room as he’s bigger than she is.

“You always look beautiful.” Ethan retorts, his hand pushing back her hair and while he intended to be sweeter and cuddle, her pager went off and ruined the magic.

“Damn it.” She grumbled as she scrambled to get dressed, hating the one paging her with burning passion. After all the time she had denied herself the pleasure of Ethan’s company, her pager is the one that ends it prematurely.

“Great, now I have no underwear.” She exclaimed, sending Ethan a quick glare he responded to with a low chuckle and a striking smile.

“That’s hot. I’ll make sure to stop by and give your ass a nice little tap if it gets too breezy.”

Rolling her eyes at him, she managed to hook her bra before looking at the incessant pager with a disgruntled scowl, trying hard to hide her trembling legs as her body is clearly unfit to function just yet.

“Tie your hair to hide the sex hair.” Ethan adds in good measure only to get her frown and scowl directed at himself and if looks could kill, he’d be a dead man. Raising his hands in mock surrender, Ethan struggled to keep a chuckle in. “Or don’t. I’m not ashamed of what we did here.”

“Think your brother might feel differently. He’s the one who cut this short.” Sticking her tongue out, she put on her scrubs and coat, adjusting the stethoscope before rushing toward the door, her hands already working on creating a bun to hide the ‘sex hair’ as Ethan put it.

Falling back on the mattress, Ethan exhaled loudly, rubbing his hands over his face in disbelief. It felt like a dream, as if they were in their own world – a bubble no one was allowed inside, until Grayson ruined it.

“You’re so gonna pay, Gray.”

Mirifical (adj.) – wondrous, amazing,

“You’re slow, Y/L/N!” Grayson reprimanded her as she rushed into the delivery room, freshly gowned to make sure there isn’t a way for any infection to put the mother at risk.

“I was on a lunch break. Why are we doing a C section?!” Y/N frowned, quickly putting on sterile gloves with the help of a nurse, her mask attached by another as she didn’t expect it to be a surgical procedure.

“Baby’s stuck, now come over here and let me show you what gynecology is made of.” Grayson raised his voice ever so slightly, but the mask muffled the sound enough for it to seem like he’s still talking in a calm fashion.

Y/N stood beside him, following his instructions carefully, stealing a few glances his way. Even with sweat rolling off his forehead and worry lines etched into his flawless skin, half his face covered under a mask, Grayson looks absolutely breathtaking and it didn’t stem from any physical beauty but the sheer power of will and fire his eyes held, something she recognized in Ethan as well. In that moment she found admiration for the younger Dolan, and even for the pink scrubs he sports with pride.

“Wanna do the honors?” Grayson interrupted her thoughts, beckoning her to be the one to finish the section that lasted exactly 3 minutes and she couldn’t help but smile and take him up on the offer, finishing the vital part of the surgery and to everyone’s relief, the baby cried instantly.

Grayson cut the cord immediately, but Y/N was frozen in time. Holding this little baby, a tiny miracle in her hands as it wailed simply for being taken away from its mother, knowing she brought this life into the world – it swelled her heart and softened her immensely. She had no idea that this day would end with a baby in her arms, one she was forced to hand over to the nurses to wash and clean and do the proper vaccination and prophylaxis and all the necessary blood tests so it would be ready for the mother when she wakes.

“You good, Y/L/N?” Grayson questions, aware the birth had hit her hard, perhaps harder than he anticipated and it worried him. It’s the first time she could tell Grayson Dolan isn’t smiling or being his happy self.

“Yes, just never held a baby let alone one just born.” She shrugged it off, swallowing thickly as she wondered if she’d ever have one of her own. If she stays with Ethan against all odds, they would never be able to conceive like soulmates do and while she never saw herself as someone eager to have children, the thought alone had nearly broken her.

Yet, she returned to Ethan that night, to the same bed she lost her virginity in and she didn’t stop on one night, nor did she ever plan on stopping at all. Ethan had become a drug of choice she wasn’t sure she’d ever be rid of, even if he asked her to. And as weeks passed and months followed, Ethan and Y/N had been careful enough to hide their liaisons from prying eyes.

Y/N experienced all specialties, every surgical OR and every possible teacher but no one could substitute Ethan nor Grayson for that matter. The week she spent on his ward turned out to be quite an adventure and when he asked for help again, she wasn’t opposed to it either. And while she got closer to Ethan, she was close enough to talk to Grayson as well, close enough to ask the questions she feared to ask Ethan because the answers might be far from what she wants to hear.

"Do you feel your soulmate?" She asked softly, worried Grayson might find her question too personal but he just nods, a faint smile playing on his lips. After the long day they had, this talk coming after midnight wasn’t such a surprise.

"I've always felt my soulmate." Biting his lip, he saw the slightest of smiles finally break through the cold surface she put on and he quite liked the way that small gesture lit up her face so perfectly.

"It's like having two hearts, isn't it? Like you have two hearts in your chest, beating, calling out for you and while you feel it, it isn't really there. Yet it pulls you in different directions, tears you up inside. And I've always felt that maybe the pain comes from the other person. Maybe we feel their emotions as well?" Swallowing thickly, she dropped her gaze to her feet, feeling guilty over her overwhelming, undeniable desire for Grant when her possible soulmate felt so torn and maybe they are looking for her while she's getting involved with someone else.

"I don't know how people ignore that feeling. How do you?" Looking back at Grayson, she saw his smile erased and his shoulders slack. This is the second time she saw Grayson Dolan serious without his usual smile on display.

"I'm not ignoring it, I just feel my soulmate is doing her thing. It's a girl, that much I feel is real. And I believe that once she's done, she will find me and it won't be planned and it won't include me chasing a ghost around the world. It will be as it is meant to be. Perhaps she's not ready to meet me? Or she's trying to figure out who she is and how to love herself before she can love me completely. Either way, I'll wait ‘till she's ready because she felt when my soul came to this world and I know she feels me every day. I can wait. I will wait." Grayson shrugged, a sad smile back on his face but it's a smile nonetheless.

"It's refreshing to be around someone as honest as you. You always seem like sunshine, the guy who is always happy positive and spreads that emotions to all who come in contact. You seem warm, like the guy who never gives up on people."

"I'm not the sunshine brother." Grayson stops her, his smile wider as he scratches his chin. "You got it all wrong, princess. Ethan is and always has been the sunshine between the two of us. What you described matches his personality and only some of mine. You'll see that in time." But she did know it in a way. Ethan had always been her warmth, her own sunlight she basked in and she was completely drunk on him. Grayson is more of an ocean – calm and peaceful but can become turbulent and temperamental in an instant.

"You know, don't you?" She couldn’t deny it, not after the initial hints he made and even less after he had caught her leaving Ethan’s apartment last week.

"I'm his twin. I know everything."

And with a shrug, she nodded in acknowledgement, fully aware that her secret is no longer a secret and she still found herself at Ethan’s place that night.

She shuddered, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip ruthlessly as Ethan’s breath caressed her skin. It felt so right, too right to resist his advances. She lived for those nights with Ethan, those thick with lust and romance and wine and naked kisses. It wasn’t meant to be anything but friends with benefits, at least for her, so imagine her shock when Ethan’s heart spoke instead of his mind just as the two were coming down from their high.

“I love you.”

Y/N’s heart stopped as she sat up, grumbling sheets before her naked chest to hide what he knew better than she did. The words were enough to drive her mad, but what truly scared her is that what was between them is now spoken.

“But you have a soulmate and so do I. That’s not possible.” She managed to say as her teeth chattered, oddly enough she wasn’t cold yet her entire body shook with Ethan’s confession.

“I know and I want to explain.” He tried, desperately reaching for her but she wasn’t ready to hear it. He knew it when she pulled away and started looking for her clothes all while hiding her body from his sight. He had to calm her down, but there was no saving the night.

“Nope. I’m leaving and you need to figure out your shit or this is over.” She continued, managing to put on some clothes while Ethan ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He grabbed his own clothes as quickly as possible, running after her in fear of losing her – something he never got over. But it took him five minutes to catch up, only to find her standing on a bridge.

“Loving the wrong person is like self-harm.” She whispered, more to herself than him as she stared ahead at the river, aware he’s there without even looking his way. She wasn’t going to jump, but she thought about it. She thought about what would happen if she made that one little step and fell to her death. Would he miss her? Would he grieve for her? Or would he move on with another and forget about her miserable existence? She wondered if Ethan would be better off without her and maybe, just maybe she is a disappointment to him. He never talks about his soulmate yet she feels there’s something he hides about her that is there to hold them back, to stop her from fully admitting her feelings for him.

“You really think I’m the wrong person? That I’m killing you? Because you’re killing me! When all is said and done, you will destroy me and I’ll ask for more.” Ethan shouts, his heart torn to pieces as it’s been ever since he met her and he knew he was saying the truth – she would be the death of him.

“Maybe it’s you know needs to sort her shit out because I have nothing to sort out. I told you I love you and you basically told me I’m an idiot and left. If I’m not enough than be honest and say it but don’t think of me as a fool.” And this time, for the first time, it is Ethan who is walking away.

Little did he know that come next day, he would be hating and regretting his choice.

“You look like you didn’t sleep much.” Grayson notes, noticing the dark shadows under her eyes that matched his brother’s far too much to ignore and neither of them were happy nor shy about it, so it wasn’t hard to realize a fight broke out and the two didn’t part on best terms.

“Thanks for noticing, Captain Obvious.” Sassing back without even looking at him? That felt more like the old Y/N – the one too confused and too afraid to go after what she wanted which differed greatly from the woman she’d become ever since her secret relationship with Ethan began.

“Ouch. I just wanted to offer a sympathetic ear.”

Blaring alarm interrupts their chat, the sliding door closing shut on their own and while Y/N would usually ignore it, she couldn’t help the fear that crept up and formed a cage around her heart.

“What just happened?” She grabbed Grayson’s forearm inadvertently, still staring at the door and the sudden quick pace everyone had taken, feeling a growing lump inside her throat as all the pagers went off. Taking a quick look, Grayson paled.

“Code Silver? What the fuck is Code Silver?” Y/N’s voice trembled as she pulled on Grayson’s coat but he was quick to pull her close to his body and push her in the nearest room.

Fighting his strong grip that would surely leave a bruise, her panic only grew as Grayson’s heavy breathing started to alert her even more. And whether she liked it or not, she wished she could be stuck with the other Dolan twin – the one that is calm and collected and always knows what to do as if his middle name is Google, not Grant. She already missed the safety of his arms and even more so, hated herself for not staying in his bed and convincing him to take a day off.

“Let me go! Grayson! What the fuck is going on?!”

He gestured for her to get down and put his hand over her mouth to quiet her before they’re both silence otherwise.

“There’s a shooter in the hospital.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tags: @beinscorpio @peacedolantwins @heyits-claire @dolandolll @godlydolans @dolanstwintuesday @ethanhes @iwastornsincethestart @graydolan12 @fxkthatdairy @zeusgrayson @libradolan @justordinaryjen @pineappledolan @graysavant @voguekristens @imayoutubere @livexdolan @shadowsndaisies @maybgrayson @dolans4lyfe @mendesficsxbombay

Anyone crossed out wasn’t able to be tagged, probably an issue on Tumblr’s side, sorry.

#dolan twins #grayson dolan #ethan dolan #ethan dolan x reader #ethan dolan fanfic #ethan dolan x you #ethan dolan au #ethan dolan fanfiction #ethan dolan fic #ethan dolan fluff #ethan dolan smut #ethan dolan angst #ethan dolan doctor soulmate au #ethan dolan doctor au #ethan dolan soulmate au

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dangerouscommiesubversive · 4 years

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Gokaiger OT6? Prompt 10?

I have joked in the past about the Standard Issue Sentai Polycule but I feel like there’s sentai polycules in general and then there’s the Gokaigers. Anyway, 10 is a neck kiss, feels like we haven’t had one of those in a while, and this is basically a game of Telephone but with smooching. It’s also a little longer than a lot of the other prompt fics have been.

The weather is good, and Marvelous and Joe spar in the woods. They’ve agreed on no guns today, just swords, and it’s an easy rhythm; Joe will always be the better swordsman, but Marvelous can hold his own. They dance around each other, feint and dodge.

And then Joe pulls a second sword out from behind a tree and Marvelous grins at him and says, “You cheater!”

Joe just grins back and dodges another swing. “No such thing as cheating in a sword fight, Marvelous, you know that.”

Marvelous rolls his eyes and presses forward, and they continue to spar until Joe hits a root and loses his footing. Their swords are locked at the time, so they both hit the ground with a thump, blades tossed to the side just to keep from impaling themselves or each other. That means that now it’s a grappling contest, and in this kind of close combat Marvelous has the advantage. Within a few minutes, Marvelous has one of Joe’s arms twisted up behind his back, and Joe is swearing quietly.

“You gonna yield?”

“No, I can get out of this.”

“You sure?”

“You know I’m sure.”

Marvelous pauses, smirks, cinches the hold in a bit tighter, and then leans forward and kisses Joe in a very particular spot on the side of his neck, murmuring against his skin, “How about now?”

Joe stumbles. “You cheater.”

“No such thing as cheating in a sword fight, remember?”

Joe laughs breathlessly in response. “Ok, yeah, I yield.”

Joe finds Luka in the crow’s nest, as usual, and they stand side by side in silence, leaning against the railing as the sky shades into darkness and the stars come out. There’s a warm breeze, and the air smells very slightly of blooming flowers.

When the sun is nearly gone Luka says, not looking over at him, “So did you want something or did you just feel like hanging out?”

He shrugs. “Mostly I just wanted to watch the stars. I like how quiet it is up here.”

She makes a little “hm” noise and leans against him. “Yeah. Easier to see things right.”

More silence as the sun sets completely. It’s not dark for them, though; the moon is full, the sky is full of stars, and the city below them is full of light. Joe looks down at the top of Luka’s head thoughtfully and then bends and kisses her just behind the ear, which is a relatively easy spot to reach.

“Oh,” she says, “so you’re in that kind of mood.” Which is the sort of thing she’d say if she were annoyed, but she sounds more sly than anything. She looks up at him and raises an eyebrow.

He shrugs again, smiling very slightly. “Maybe, if you want. The moon’s full. It seemed like the right thing to do.”

Luka and Ahim sit together on the bed, and Luka brushes Ahim’s hair. She does so little with her own that it’s sort of nice to fuss with someone else’s, not that she’d ever admit this in public. When she was young she’d brush her sister’s hair, and braid it in patterns; Ahim isn’t her sister, and she’s forgotten most of the patterns, but it’s still calming.

She pulls the brush through dark waves and realizes that she’s only forgotten most of the patterns. There are still a few simple ones she could probably do. “Would you like me to braid it?”

She can see the edge of Ahim’s smile. “I would like that very much, please.”

“How many braids do you want?”

“Two would be lovely, thank you.”

“Ok.”

Her hands remember what her conscious mind’s forgotten, and after a moment she finds the exact rhythm, the careful lift and twist as she picks up more hair with each cross. It’s not complicated. If she had ribbon, she could work it in. Maybe she’ll do that next time.

Lift, twist, cross. Secure the end of one braid with a piece of elastic that Ahim passes to her. Start on the other side, lift, twist, cross, a simple woven pattern along the side of Ahim’s side.

When she finishes and secures the second braid she leans back and admires her handiwork, feeling pleased with herself, and then kisses the back of Ahim’s neck where the new style leaves it exposed. Ahim giggles. “You’re feeling very sweet today, Luka.”

“Yeah, that happens.” Luka grins at her when she looks back. “Don’t tell the others, ok?”

Everyone’s in the mood for dessert today, but Joe’s not in the mood to make cake, so Doc is showing Ahim how to make chocolate mousse. She holds the bowl for him as he beats egg whites, watching in fascination as they puff up and then holds their shape. “It’s extraordinary, isn’t it, how such a simple thing can change.”

He flashes a smile at her over the bowl. “Watching how things transform is one of my favorite things about cooking.“

After some brief instruction, she folds the egg whites into the chocolate without help, which gives him time to clean the mixer. When she’s sees what he’s doing, she frowns. “Did we not prepare enough eggs?”

“Oh no, no, now we’re doing whipped cream.” He pulls the heavy cream out of the refrigerator and measures it out carefully into a bowl. “That’s what really gives it the right texture. And then later once it’s set we’ll make extra to go on top.”

“Oh, lovely. May I try this time?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

She lowers the mixer in carefully, and he holds the bowl, only letting go once with one hand to add in sugar and orange extract as the cream thickens. The little galley already smells sweetly of melted chocolate; with the addition of oranges it’s heavenly.

“Ok,” he says, once the cream’s the right texture, “you can stop now.”

Ahim lifts the mixer, but her finger stays on the button a second too long; Doc nearly lets go of the bowl as the beaters spin and fling bits of whipped cream into both their faces. Ahim lets out a startled squeak. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry, I hadn’t intended that to happen.”

“It’s all right.” Doc grins, and then reaches out and swipes a bit of whipped cream off her nose with his finger and tastes it. “You still did a good job.”

“Why, thank you.” She drops a tiny curtsy, and then kisses him--although, since he’s already turning, she hits the side of his neck instead of his face. Fortunately there’s a bit of whipped cream where her lips land. “Oh, it does taste nice, how do we mix this in?”

Doc turns bright red. “I, ah. Like with the egg whites. We fold it.”

She beams at him. “Wonderful, may I do that too?”

“S-sure, I’ll. Get out cups to scoop it into while you’re doing that.”

Gai’s brought more books for them to read for research, and while the scrapbooks are very useful, Don finds that he enjoys the comics a bit more. They make everything seem more exciting, with their vigorous illustrations and dialogue balloons full of exclamation points. What must it have been like, to know that a host of brightly-colored strangers cared about your welfare? To grow up in a world full of heroes?

He doesn’t realize that he’s spoken out loud until Gai, sitting next to him on the couch regluing something in one of the scrapbooks, says, “It felt really safe. It was nice.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

“No, it’s fine, I don’t need to concentrate hard to do this! Anyway, it’s a fair question. It felt safe. And then...well, then they were all gone at once.”

Gai rarely looks so solemn. It’s a shock to see now, and Don frowns. “I wasn’t trying to bring up painful memories, I apologize.”

“Don’t worry about it!” Like that, the solemn look is gone. “How could I be that sad about it when I’m one of them now? We’re carrying on what they all did. That’s amazing!”

Gai’s broad smile is infectious, and Don realizes that he’s smiling too. “I guess you’re right. It’s certainly something.”

“Isn’t it? Oh, are you enjoying the comics, should I bring more? I have more.”

“I’d like that, please.” The smile is too infectious; Don can’t concentrate. And Gai looks like he’s waiting for something else, and it might as well be a kiss, so Don leans over to kiss him--and overbalances, landing on him instead. Which seems as good a reason as any to kiss him anyway, on the side of his laughter-filled throat, which makes Gai laugh more, and that’s always good.

Gai takes what seems to be an unwholesome enjoyment from cleaning, and Marvelous is deeply suspicious of it. With Doc he’s come to accept that it’s just how the man is, but then, Doc also occasionally nags him about being messy. Gai, however, seems enthusiastic about it, and that’s just strange.

Anyway, it’s way too late to be cleaning now, if they’re the only two left in the common area, and Marvelous decides to do something about it. “Will you cut that out, you can finish in the morning.”

Gai bounces to his feet. “Sure, if you want. Oh, which team are you looking at?”

“The card guys, JAKQ? Who’s this guy in the hat over here?”

“Oh, that’s a different hero, not a member of the team. But he looked a lot like Big One. I’ve always kinda had a theory that they were secretly the same person. There’s even a third one who also looks like them, but I couldn’t find a good picture of him.”

“Huh. I didn’t know this planet had other heroes.”

“Yeah, a few, they also kind of...disappeared during the war. I’m not sure what happened to them.” Gai comes over and perches on the arm of his chair, reaching out to tap another picture. “See, that’s the logo for one of them. They’re cool too.”

“You’ll have to tell me about them sometime.” Marvelous looks up at his delighted grin. “They sound interesting.”

“I’d love to. I have another scrapbook about them, I can find it soon and we’ll look at it together.”

“Good.” Marvelous turns the page. “I’d enjoy that. Here, you’re in my elbow room, quit it.” He wraps an arm around Gai’s waist and pulls the other man into his lap, shifting the scrapbook so it’s balanced on his knees. “So what’s the deal with these guys?”

“Well, they were from all over the world.”

“Their suits are goddamn wild.”

“Yeah, the outfits then were really different.”

They flip through pages until Gai’s yawning and Marvelous has to blink to keep his eyes open, and then Marvelous closes the book and stands up with Gai in his arms. “Sleep now. More heroes or whatever tomorrow.”

Gai rests his head against Marvelous’ shoulder, grinning sleepily, and then kisses the hollow of his throat where his shirt’s unbuttoned. “Yeah. Sleep sounds nice.”

#captain marvelous #joe gibken #luka millfy #ahim de famille #don dogoier #ikari gai #gokaiger #fanfiction #anonamouse

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sandalaris · 4 years

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For the writer asks: 5, 10, 17, 22, 23, 30, 45, & 54!! :D

Finally getting around to answering these XD

5. Books or authors that influenced your style the most.

I read so much I feel like I can’t narrow it down. My favorite author is Ilona Andrews but they write almost exclusively in first person and have their fair share of action in their novels that I don’t think they’re that much of an influence on me. I’m trying to think of who I read that did the whole “people usually feel a mix of emotions over just one” thing that I know I’ve adopted, but I can’t think of who it is. (I can think of an author, who I do love the books of, who did the opposite and I found myself always confused about a character was supposed to be feeling/thinking and they probably influenced me to not do that, but I do like their books and that seems too much like I’m trying to be negative about them.)

10. Pick a writer to co-write a book with and tell us what you’d write about.

If I got to pick anyone, it’d be Marissa Meyer who wrote the Lunar Chronicles. It would be for one novel/novella, because I feel like the Lunar Chronicles has one more sort of side story in it and would want so badly for it to fit what the author has already written. If you haven’t read the series, it’s basically a retelling of various fairy tales just set in the future, like Cinderella has a metal prosthetic foot that keeps falling off and Rapunzel is a hacker living in a satellite orbiting earth. Everything is set up to perfectly fit a Beauty and the Beast side-story. Genetically altered super soldiers who are big and hairy and given animal aggression and had all their teeth surgically replaced with fangs for failing to pass a test as a child? Check! Now all we need is to write a story about the bookish daughter of a geneticist who gets blackmailed into staying with the “beast” and slowly learns that there’s a man inside of the monster and ends up figuring out how to reverse some of the alterations (because we already got the “I love him just as he is, fangs and all” thing from Scarlet and Wolf so we can have a little “curse breaking” this time around.) It can be set post-series, when some of the wolf-soldiers ran off and disappeared into various countries.

I once co-write a novel with my best friend about an evil warlock who fell in insta-love with a ditzy elf and spent the rest of the novel trying to avoid her so he could dodge his fate of retiring from villainy like his father and grandfather before him. He was determined to be the one villain in his family who actually went through with his evil master plan, dammit! It was a comedy, and kind of a spoof since we were at that age where romance novels were the thing to make fun of, but it still ended with him deciding he could do evil masterminding later and running off with the elf. What can I say, we were like twelve.

17. On average, how much writing do you get done in a day?

Eek, the problem with averages is that any sort of outlier knocks everything else off, and I have a lot of outliers, lol. I go through writing spurts, sitting down and all but knocking out an entire chapter/one-shot in one sitting followed by days where I won’t even open a word document. And then there’s sort of my inbetween times where I’m usually typing away on something, but it’s more editing than actual writing, so maybe 100 or so new words might get written, but what I’ve previously written looks better by the end, lol. This has been the norm especially lately with school and work taking up the majority of my time. And then it hits me and I just need to let the story flow out of me? Between 2k-5k a sit down session.

22. How many drafts do you need until you’re satisfied and a project is ultimately done for you?

I don’t really do true drafts. I write, I edit, I post, and then I suddenly see all my typos. On the rare occasion editing doesn’t fix the issue, I might cut the scene into chunks and sort of look for the line(s) that don’t fit and start branching off from there (like maybe someone’s acting out of character *glares at current chapter* and I just needed to look at it in smaller incriments to see where they started to veer off). Only once have I ever just completely reworked the extremely extremely rough draft I had written, but that was an original work I did for Nano and so was more concern with getting words on a page than editing as I go.

I suppose editing could count as a second draft, so two? Maybe three? What is considered One Editing? If I leave off and come back, is it an all new edit/draft, or am I picking up where I left off?

23. Single or multi POV, and why?

Nine times out of ten I seem to veer towards single, although I’ve had some fun with multiple POVs before.

Not really sure why. Maybe I just find it easier to burrow into one person’s headspace and go from there? I know there are times when I want to jump to another character for one specific scene, but I always feel like I’m already committed to telling things from the one character’s POV. Or maybe I just like the limited narrator thing.

30. Favorite line you’ve ever written.

Err.. I don’t know that I have one. How about a line I rather like? This is from a kind of Amaru/Brasa fic (kinda sorta. He’s got that whole mix of love and hate and resentment and worship thing going on, and she has her own twisted attachment to him) set in those six months between seasons. These lines are from a moment where Kate surfaces and Brasa fantasizes about taking out some of his resentment of Amaru on Kate. (He never actually physically harms her, Amaru would never allow someone to mark her vessel simply because its hers, but he likes to imagine.)

He thinks about wide green eyes looking up at him with fear, filling with tears as she whimpers out a “Please.” Imagines pressing a hand to her shoulder, pressing down down down until she’s kneeling before him, trembling as he cups her jaw, forcing her head back. He wants to press his thumb to the plump swell of her bottom lip, dig his nail in until the blood, her soul, comes to the surface. Filling the flesh with color until it spill across her chin in a vibrant slash.

and to give you an idea of how Kate is handling Brasa’s attempts to take his issues out on her...

He can see the muscle at the hinge of her jaw tighten, hear the harsh edge of every exhale, as she turns to look up at him mere inches away.

“My name,” she clips, “is Kate.” She bites off the last, harsh sound, almost snapping her teeth at him.

45. Worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

I’m trying to think of actual feedback and not just like angry comments/reviews from people who didn’t like my fics (which tbh I haven’t gotten that much of because people aren’t generally that big of a dick to leave flames on fics these days.)

Someone tried to tell me that a character dropping the f-bomb was unnecessary and jarring and I should remove it from one of my fics. And hey, to each their own, but I personally felt it fit both the character (who cursed in canon) and the story and so kept it in. People certainly can write great literature without every putting down a single curse word, but there’s also great stories that wouldn’t be the same without a bit of foul language. What bugged me most about it was their insistence I should remove it.

Besides that the only other bad feedback I’ve gotten (besides obvious flames and people not liking the direction I’m going/have gone with a story), was someone who said that my clearly labeled unhealthy relationship fic was romanticizing abuse and they didn’t appreciate the one character manipulating the other character like that. They were actually fairly nice about it (if a bit of an anti about the whole thing), I just remember being a little bugged at the time because I had already tagged it as unhealthy/manipulative.

54. Any writing advice you want to share?

Don’t be afraid to experiment! And in that same vein, try out writing rules and discard them just as quickly if they aren’t for you, because there’s no set in stone way to doing things. Break all the rules if you want, the point is just to write. XD

Thanks!!

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comicteaparty · 5 years

Text

February 11th-February 17th, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from February 11th, 2019 to February 17th, 2019. The chat focused on Sombulus by Christina Major.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Sombulus by Christina Major~! (http://www.sombulus.com/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PST), so keep checking back for more! You have until February 17th to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 3. What do you think caused Rana, Astyr, and Sydney to wind up bound all together since Astyr didn’t do it on purpose? Do you believe the trio will be able to become unbounded? How might this affect their relationships?

QUESTION 4. Who exactly are Hannah and Vuudo working for? Why are the two so intent in spying on Astyr? Further, what about Kazar? What spying activity is Kazar doing and why was Yanell’s presence of interest to her? How will these spying activities affect the main trio?

Delphina

It's my comic! I'm so excited!

khkddn

I have not started reading yet but I wanted to say the website looks really nice. The archive is so neat looking!!

Delphina

Thanks! I know the archive is long, so having a nice-looking archive page that would be helpful for seeing where you left off was important to me. XD

varethane

I think Sydney is my favourite, but that is liable to change at any minute cuz I like Astyr and Rana and Tenge a lot too lol

kayotics

1. I think I like lot of the more recent scenes the best. I really like the emotional depth that's happening between the main characters, specifically Astyr and Sydney. The scenes where Sydney was actively working with Astyr are some of my favorite, just because it shows a lot of character growth. 2. I like Tenge a lot (I'm a sucker for nerds), but I think I like Astyr and Sydney the best! Mostly I like their dynamic and the emotional development that has started between them. Overall, the cast is really fun because they all have something unique about them. 3. I don't really have much speculation on how they became bound together, but I do think that they're going to eventually become unbound from each other, but I think that at least Rana will choose to stay with Astyr after becoming unbound. 4. Again, I haven't speculated too much on who they work for, but my guess on why they're intent on following around Astyr is he's caused some sort of significant disruption in magic before (it seems that he does that frequently enough), or he's important in some sort of larger plot that he's not aware of.

keii4ii

Can I just say I love the main trio a lot + Tenge? Also, I'm entertaining a vague AU idea about half-ascended Astyr with one blue eye.

kayotics

Oooh I like that AU

Delphina

He looks like that guy from My Hero Academia XDDD

kayotics

huh, you're right

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. Do you believe that Tenge will destroy his own Morphid father? If not, what do you think he’ll do alternatively? Whether he does it or not, how do you think further contact with his father will affect him? What about his relationship with Astyr?

RebelVampire

1) its hard to pick so im picking two. the first one is the scene where sydney is confronted with the fact not all demshull can do magic. i felt at that point in the comic thered been a lot of build up for sydney being confronted with her own racism, and i felt that moment was a great pay off. especially cause sydney's facial expressions in the moment are just fantastic and like she got hit with a ton of bricks. for the second fave scene though, the one where astyr and sydney first meet rana and rana discovers that basically her life is a lie. there was something fantastic in the pacing and atmosphere that really drove home the fact that this was a life changing moment for rana. 2) Astyr. I like how Astyr is sort of this gray character where he's not terrible yet he causes lots of property damage that makes you think Sydney is kind of right about him. And I really just like this complicated dynamic cause it makes you feel unsure about whether to trust him or not. I also love though that deep down hes willing to risk a lot of people he cares about. 3) i actually think it was rana who bound them all, not astyr. theres one moment where rana is looking off into the distance getting internally emotional and then suddenly the alarm about essence going off triggers. and rana is shown to basically be kind of weird where thats concerned, so i think she inadvertantly bound them so she could leave with them. Regardless, I consider it inevitable that they'll become unbounded. While Rana and Astyr will probably be fine, Sydney I think is gonna be most affected. Cause at that point she's either going have to destroy the friendship or admit that Astyr isn't so bad. I assume she'll choose the latter after all the build up, but itll certainly strengthen the relationships since the relationships will have to become by choice and not force.

4) i actually think hannah and vuudo are working for whoever organized the experiments all the half-bred children were part of. cause hannah seems like the type whod do that. so obviously if that's the case, that's why theyre watching astyr. hes their favorite experiment kid and maybe someday hell do something useful. as for kazar, idk. at the moment it just feels like kazar is just doing generic spying, possibly charged with making sure there's no peace to be made (hence why yanell is of interest to her). As for the effect of hte main trio, I think theyre just gonna become public enemy number one for both groups for various reasons, cause theyre clearly super powered weirdos who know too much and should be stopped. 5) I don't think Tenge will go through with it. He'll certainly try, but I think Astyr's pleas are gonna haunt him and he'll hesitate wondering if there is some merit to his father. However, I kind of think Tenge will banish him and still not talk to him. Overall, I think Tenge is gonna start questioning his place in life more. Wonder why he continues when he has to hide out avoiding everyone. As for his relationship with Astyr, eh, it'll probably continue to just be strained cause Astyr has bigger fish to fry right now I think.

Stefan G

@Delphina I have to take additional time to read more comics ... but the first impression is [beautiful cartoons/drawing] ... and the website looks really nice [like how you added a store, archive and how to support your art - good job ... I might steal that ] ... did you code that website yourself or do you hire somebody to do that?

Delphina

Thanks so much! My coder buddy Kemayo built me a very simple webcomic CMS, and the store functionality is powered by Gumroad, but all the HTML/CSS was done by me!

lomcia (princess_lom)

1. DETAILS! It's the best detailed page, colors are nice for eye

2. I don't have yet fav character.... but for now Brendolyn looks ok

And I read it and I need to say, that seeing how your style changed make me impress. I got a question actually, everyone got move to do comic because of some event, movie, game etc. a] Who/what inspired you to do that comic? (I'm asking everyone that question, I just want and need to know!) b] What you feel now, when you look on your comic, how characters develop and how your style improved?

Delphina

Thanks so much! I really had a lot of fun with the colors in this whole scene, so I'm happy you like them! For me: a) Sombulus was a NaNoMango project (like a NaNoWriMo community except for comics) that I started when I was putting off what I thought was going to be my bigger, better story. The main trio of characters and the idea of world-hopping to lots of weird magical places just wouldn't leave me alone. The shape of it has changed a lot, but I'm really happy with where it's gone and it's exciting to be dropping some of the big big spoilers I've had in my head for years! b) I'm going through a lot of Act 3 right now preparing things for print, so I've been staring at pages I did 5 years ago a lot recently. Part of how I designed Sombulus was because I knew it would take a long time, I wanted to incorporate the idea of each world being in a different style. When I didn't have a lot of practice, it was much easier to get the story going in black/white until I got faster at art, but it's also nice to have a built in reason to try different software and brushes. Of course, there's a lot of loose and sloppy anatomy in the past, but I'm the kind of person who really values seeing that as a sign of growth so I'm trying not to update that much and just focus on making parts of the story clearer and more supportive of where it eventually went.

(I know this chat is specifically focused on the comic of the week, so if you want answers from people who aren't me, you might want to ask in #general maybe!)

lomcia (princess_lom)

Yeah, I asked, not everyone is answering, so I'm using week and thirsday bookclub to ask

rae

Nanomango is super good at giving people a kick in the ass for projects. You've done really good with getting it off the ground

Delphina

Thanks, Rae, it's been... whew... a while! Nanomango is a good little group project, though now that I've been at this comic for 9 years, I really think trying to do 30 pages in 30 days (even as sketches) was never going to work for me, and it's never fun to feel like you've failed to meet a goal. But one thing that I think was really good for me was participating year after year gave me sort of a drafting process? Letting what I had done stew and simmer for a few months let me see everything with fresh eyes when I came back, so I could come back the next time and focus on the parts I wanted and cut the parts that didn't seem like good directions anymore.

rae

i feel like it was easier to do 30 comics with the community we had

and yeah, editing is def a thing I wish I could do more for webcomics. >_>

RebelVampire

QUESTION 6. Who or what do you think Rana is? Why was Rana locked away in the Library? What does all this potentially have to do with Rana’s strange abilities that seem to have some ill affects on magic? How will Rana’s abilities affect the group further?

keii4ii

I don't have theories because I'm the type of the reader who just wants to see the answers as they come, but I wanna say I am super curious about this #6.

kayotics

I read the same way, but yeah I’ve been curious about Rana too. Considering some of the recent pages have shown that Sydney has a very strange origin story, it might be safe to assume that Rana is the same. I like that Rana seems to often get the group out of trouble too. Rana has a lot of mystery around her that makes me intrigued to see what the full extent of her abilities are, since I think there’s a lot more to her

Delphina

Rana is so problematic because I love coming up with ideas for her, but it also means I gotta find a million references for gadgets and machines to draw scenes where she does cool things.

kayotics

Rana, the problematic fav

Kezhound - What it Takes

Considering we just found out that Sydney is the daughter of a spear and a magic spring, I'm guessing whatever Rana is, it's a kind of spontaneous creation too. Maybe she's the result of a computer dropped into a magic volcano

it's always possible she IS a machine from another world, one so advanced no one can figure her out

but...have we ever seen her bleed? Or injured?

https://tenor.com/view/arnold-schwarzenegger-blood-leaf-flannel-shirt-gif-3519051

Delphina

I am so here for the Compucano ship

varethane

omg

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. What do you think happened in the past that ruined Yanell’s peace talk progress? Do you believe that the Kanites and Demshul will continue their fear-mongering ways, or will Yanell advance peace again? What is your reasoning?

RebelVampire

@Kezhound - What it Takes I love this Rana is a machine theory. That is so far from something I would guess, yet would love to see be true to a degree. It fits with all the symptoms.

RebelVampire

6) I think Rana is some mega essence container or something. Like connected to the origin of it all or something like that. It adds up to me why Morphids are so super affected by her presence and why she'd be locked up in the library. You don't just leave your essence power house unattended. You lock them away where they can be "safe." As for future affects, I mean I figure at some point someone somewhere is gonna be like "Hey wait a second weird magic stuff? Isn't that the person we locked in the library?" And then more manhunts ensue. 7) I'm taking a stab in the dark and saying I think it's direct sabotage. Like Yanell's disappearance and entrapement wasn't just happen stance. There is a shadow puppet somewhere making sure that no peace will ever be had. I do think they'll get to peace though. Mostly because I'm an optimist and assume peace will prevail. And also because their entire conflict seems to be based more around fear mongering than actual things they should be that mad about.

Cheshire777

I think that Hannah and Vuudo are working for whoever is messing up Yannell's peace treatys; they're pretty much the only wild cards at this point besides the morphids.

RebelVampire

(the archive for Offshore Comic is now up! https://comicteaparty.com/post/182818407550/february-4th-february-10th-2019-ctp-archive @Stefan G )

so basically its all a giant conspiracy because ppl be hating on peace? O_O @Cheshire777

Stefan G

@RebelVampire Thanks for everything, RebelVampire ... 1) really enjoyed everyone’s comments and suggestions for Offshore. Thanks y’all 2) I also rewrote/fixed the js-code on my website [www.offshorecomic.com] ... now the strips flow smoother and I added a counter in order to better follow your progression. Check it out

Cheshire777

@RebelVampire I'm guessing that the "Big Bad Boss" has some ulterior motive/motives besides just indefinitely extending the war, whether the war is a side effect or that they will profit directly from it (I've just been reading back through the old Akatsuki storyline of Naruto) I have no guess.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 8. Given what’s shown of Astyr’s past, what do you think the experimenters were attempting to do? Why were they targeting half-breed children like Astyr, Cioara, and Tenge? What was their ultimate goal having Astyr explore the Weave?

RebelVampire

8) I feel like theres some power source theyre searching for in the Weave. Maybe a person, maybe just a thing, but they need someone super good at exploring the Weave to find it. I cant fathom why though, albeit i doubt it's anything good. As for why half-breeds, I think it's because they have a different sort of connection with essence and the Weave. Like we've already seen how Rana's strange relationship with essence affects Cioara, and i dont think that's entirely on Rana. I think it's just who Cioara's own strange relationship with it too since plenty of others interact with Rana fine. Either way, I think the experimenters are just trying to figure out if their atypical nature has practical uses for stuff like that.

Cheshire777

8. I think that they were probably recruiting/kidnapping anyone with odd powers, and those three just happened to be half breeds. I think that they briefly refered to other compounds? As for what they are looking for, at this point it could be a whole lot of different things, but a magic/essence/mana/etc store is quite likely.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. Do you believe that Astyr and Sydney will be able to successfully restore Sydney’s physical form? How might the ordeal change their relationship? How might it also change Sydney’s views on Demshul in general?

Cheshire777

They probably will, it has been established that Sydney is dissolving: a) Sydney is one of the main characters. b) we're right in the middle of finding out her backstory. She is finding reality at odds with her brainwashing (mosty through experiencing Astyr's memorys) and will have to come to terms with that.

snuffysam

1) act 3. acts 1 & 2 I was like "essence? jumping between worlds? currency? what the heck is going on?". act 3 was like "ohhhh i get what this comic is. it's a bread comic." and i love it.(edited)

2) the combo of vuudo and hannah. something about the way our heroes just keep falling for their lies, the pairing of hannah's planning and vuudo's acting... i just love them.

snuffysam

3) my interpretation is that binding is just something that happens when a demshul tries to bring someone world-hopping. since astyr is inexperienced, he goofed up and brought sydney along for the ride.

snuffysam

4) hannah's doing a truman show starring astyr. no further explanation needed. for kazar, I'm guessing she's just working for the government as a spy in general.

looking at #5, i'm wondering... is tenge & ciora's father a morphid, or the morphid? morphids seem to endlessly divide, and neither tenge nor the morphids seem to have a "hive mind". is it possible that there's just one morphid, and it happens to be in a lot of places at once?

Cheshire777

@snuffysam From what I've observed so far, the Morphid (and Tenge's) multiplication works vaguely like Naruto's shadow clones- when they split all of them have the same base memorys, they have separate experiences and basically act like different people (that are clones of each other ), and when they "regroup" the single has all the experiences of the doubles.(edited)

snuffysam

which would explain why astyr could say something along the lines of "oh, you're one of the ones that recognizes me"

RebelVampire

QUESTION 10. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

RebelVampire

i assume theyre a single being, but tbf i dont discount the possibility theres multiple morphid originals. in the sense that there were multiple "original" people who split into morphids. just cause it still fits with astyr saying one of the ones that recognize me. cause i highly doubt if theres multiple originals they know whose morphid is whos. again tho, just not discounting the possibility. i do get more of the sense that they were once a single entity.

9) yes because narratively i cant forsee the comic semi-killing off a main character quite yet. and sydney has unresolved matters as well, like her meeting with her old mentor and such. idk if the experience will change her view on demshul, but i think shell come to terms that astyr has some inner demons, is a weirdo, but also has a good heart. and that he isnt out to see sydney's demise. 10) im looking forward to more of everything. i wanna see all the inner turmoils, and i especially want to find more hints as to what the deal with rana is. cause astyr and sydney dont seem to care much rana is a weirdo outside of when she doesnt eat, so i will care enough for the both of them.

Delphina

I just want to thank you all for reading Sombulus! I know it's got... several pages, so I really appreciate folks who make it through everything, and such amazing thoughtful questions and responses!

keii4ii

My brain is a mush right now and I can't articulate my feels thoughtfully, but I really want to say Sombulus updates really help brighten my day, every time. I always look forward new pages and am glad it updates twice a week

Delphina

(Also this discussion made me draw Tenge as Naruto. Poor guy, I torture him so.)

snuffysam

before the chat ends, I just wanted to say that I really love sombulus, and I can't wait to see where it goes next!

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Sombulus this week! Please also give a special thank you to Christina Major for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Sombulus, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: http://www.sombulus.com/

Christina Major’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Delphina

Christina Major’s Store: http://www.sombulus.com/store

Christina Major’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Delphina2k

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #book club #bookclub #webcomic book club #webcomic bookclub #comic tea party #ctp #sombulus #christina major

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cherry-valentine · 5 years

Text

Winter 2019 Anime Season, What I’m Watching:

My Roommate is a Cat is easily the cutest series this season, possibly the cutest in the past several seasons. Your mileage may vary, depending on how much you like cats, but for me the show is a delight. Following a reclusive young author who recently lost his parents (the only people he interacted with on a regular basis) as he bonds with a stray cat he decided to take in on a whim, the show cleverly splits its time between the viewpoints of the human protagonist and the cat. The smartest thing the series does is show both viewpoints of the same events, first from the human, Subaru, and then from the cat, Haru. And somehow, even though we’re viewing the events for the second time, Haru’s view is more compelling. The show is by turns genuinely funny and genuinely touching. Subaru reminds me of a less extreme version of Handa (from Handa-kun and Barakamon) in that he’s socially inept and usually assumes the worst intentions from those around him. Haru is a somewhat feisty young cat who thinks she’s protecting her strange, hopeless human. Haru is a bit rough around the edges after spending much of her life as a stray, and her tough attitude keeps the show from getting too saccharine. As it stands, the show is just the right amount of cute, sweet, awkward, sad, and funny. Very high on my watch list.

Meiji Tokyo Renka is yet another historical otome series (seriously why do so many otome anime have historical settings?) featuring a high school girl being sent back in time to the Meiji period. This is, of course, one of my favorite time periods just for the clothing alone. The character designs are varied enough to make all the guys stand out from each other and the colors and backgrounds are lovely. The heroine, Mei, is much more comical than the standard otome heroine and is refreshingly proactive in her own story. She’s surprisingly independent in a time period when that was probably frowned upon. There’s a strong supernatural element to the story, not even counting the time travel aspect. There are spirits in this series that only certain people can see, Mei being one of them (and it’s nice that there are several others in the main cast who can as well, preventing her from seeming too conveniently special). It seems like these spirits can come in many forms, from cute animal spirits to literal ghosts to characters in novels springing to life and escaping the books to run amok. The show is certainly not dull. The romance is almost shoved to the background to make room for spirit shenanigans, but I’m not complaining. One of the more fun otome series in recent memory.

The Promised Neverland is easily my pick for best show of the season. It has a fantastic setup, with a first episode twist that I did not see coming (I knew something was going on, but my guess was way off the mark). It has a unique art style that makes it stand out, fluid animation, awesome opening and ending themes, a kickass heroine, and some heart-stopping cliff hangers. It’s the show I look forward to most each week. There’s only one minor quibble I have with this series, and that’s the weird way faces are drawn. The mouths seem too high on the faces, to the point that I kept thinking their mouths were their noses. I’ve gotten used to it as the episodes rolled by, but every now and then I still notice it. It’s just... irritating. Still, that’s a super nitpicky complaint for a show that’s otherwise excellent on every level with consistently high quality art and writing. At the very tippy top of my watch list.

Boogiepop and Others is a sequel (I guess?) to a much older series called Boogiepop Phantom that I watched many years ago. To be honest, it’s been so long that I don’t remember most of the details about the original anime. I just remember that it was a somewhat gloomy show that focused on supernatural mysteries and was episodic in nature. This newer series has an updated art style with more modern character designs. It’s also easier to follow, and has a stronger focus on action, whereas the original focused more on atmosphere. Special mention should go to Aoi Yuki’s phenomenal voice acting. She really brings Boogiepop to life and carries the show, much like she did as Kino in the recent Kino’s Journey anime. The show has great music, with my favorite ending theme of the season. Has a secure spot on my watch list.

B Project Season 2, an otome series about cute male idol groups, has seemingly decided to dial back the focus on the whole otome thing and instead showcase the borderline BL relationships between the boys. Seriously, there are several episodes in which the heroine, Tsubasa, is barely there at all, and even when she is, the series gives no real indication that any of the boys like her as more than a friend. Instead, the boys seem to be in love with each other (which is fine by me). This season adds a new boy band to the three we already had, which I felt was a little unnecessary. The new group really doesn’t add anything to the story. The music is nice, especially the ending theme, and the character designs are attractive. The series seems to have taken a page out of Tsukiuta’s book and now uses CG for the more elaborate dance numbers. The problem is that they don’t look nearly as good as Tsukiuta’s and definitely don’t blend well with the 2D animation around them. Overall, the series is cute but I still think of it as “less fun UtaPri”.

Fukigen no Mononokean Season 2 was a bit of a surprise for me, since I didn’t realize it was being made. I enjoyed season one very much with its pastel, candy-colored art and sweet, mostly light-hearted stories. And of course, the main draw of the series was the budding friendship between our two leads, Abeno and Ashiya. Season two keeps all of those elements and adds a very interesting mystery concerning Ashiya’s father, as well as an overarching plot and an actual recurring “villain” type character. The stakes are raised considerably, but the overall tone of the show is still fairly light and gentle. Seeing the cute mascot character Fuzzy (a white, furry youkai) makes me a little sad though, since it reminded me so very much of my cat (also a white furry creature named Fuzzy) while watching season one, and Fuzzy has since disappeared. Which reminds me, the youkai in this series are so adorable, varied, and charming. Very high on my watch list.

Kaguya-sama: Love is War is a comedy about two overachieving high school students who are secretly in love with each other but are too prideful to admit it, so they set traps for each other to try to force the other to confess first. It sounds like a dumb setup, to be honest, but it actually works surprisingly well. The two leads are likable despite being petty and stubborn. Even though they’re extremely talented, they have tons of quirks and they’re both completely clueless when it comes to love. There are a few fun side characters as well. The show is hilarious, with three skits per episode. There’s also a touch of sweetness as their affection for each other comes across as genuine. Anyone who’s ever been in love can relate to some of these moments, of going to great lengths just to increase your chances of being near the person you like, or making little changes to your appearance just to see if you get a reaction from them. Or, of course, the disappointment you feel when your carefully laid plans get ruined. The series uses humor and extreme reactions and hilarious facial expressions to convey these feelings, resulting in a highly entertaining show.

Carry Over Shows From Previous Seasons: Black Clover Run With the Wind Hinomaru Sumo Best of Season: Best New Show: The Promised Neverland Best Opening Theme: The Promised Neverland Best Ending Theme: Boogiepop and Others Best Male Character: Subaru (My Roommate is a Cat) Best Female Character: Emma (The Promised Neverland)

#Anime #Seasonal Anime #Anime Reviews #Anime Recommendations #Winter 2019 Anime #Text

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wndybird · 5 years

Photo

laughter pokes its way across misted eyes, dabbling cheeks with flecks of light. this child, the universe clutched in her palms, refusing to shed a thing.

MEET WENDY darling DARWIN.

OOC.

AUTHOR: ren, 20, est, she / they. CONTACT: my discord is ren 🎃✨#6401, pm me if you want my telegram or kik !!

BASIC.

NAME: wendy darwin

EXPLANATION:

wendy’s decision to cling to her true name was deliberate as an act to reclaim her sense of self , and to exercise some control over her life after the exodus took part of that from her. there’s also the added fact that it’s so much easier than trying to go by another name, which seems like a ridiculous amount of trouble to go through.

darwin was chosen out of ease , as well , being two letters off from her true surname and sounding fairly similar. behind the scenes , i chose it since its meaning is “ dear friend ” and i believed that would reference the supposed origin of wendy’s name well.

NICKNAMES: wen, wendybird, bird, little bird. ( i will sometimes call her wendigo, wendini, and wingdings. ) GENDER: cisfemale SEXUALITY: panromantic pansexual

OCCUPATION:

wendy is a full time student at the fable community college , and also works as a cashier at the local bookshop. she may sometimes take up the occasional odd job as a babysitter , a proofreader for other students , or even a tutor if she’s incredibly strapped for cash , but these are small side things that she only turns to when the going gets really tough.

she left her major as undeclared originally , as she wanted to be able to experience various differing courses , but has recently changed it so that she’s majoring in creative writing and minoring in journalism.

AGE: twenty BIRTH DATE: july 7th ZODIAC: cancer sun, sagittarius moon SECRET LANGUAGE: day , week , month , season , way , & personal path CELTIC ZODIAC: oak ( tree ) , wren ( animal ) BIRTHDAY TAROT: temperance , the hierophant

MAGIC:

wendy is not a magic user , though she will always quietly find herself envious of those who are. it’s possible that her curiosity and desire to be closer to the arcane may lead her into trying to practice , but that remains to be seen. otherwise she tries to function on the belief that magic is not just defined by the arcane , but little , every day things. like your headphones not tangling in your pocket , or your schedule lining up perfectly for the day , things of that nature.

PHYSICAL.

FACECLAIM: kristine froseth HEIGHT: 5’ WEIGHT: 126 lbs HAIR COLOR & STYLE: honey brown , long , wavy. usually kept down , sometimes half up , in a bun , braid , or ponytail. will occasionally do cute things like space buns , braided crowns , etc. EYE COLOR: blueee DOMINANT HAND: left DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: freckles , longass eyelashes , a birthmark on her right thigh , generally looking like a baby deer smh SCARS: she has a few very old , very faded scars across her feet and ankles from running about barefoot on neverland , but you probably wouldn’t notice them unless you were looking for them. PIERCINGS: earlobes TATTOOS: none yet

PERSONALITY.

MBTI: esfj KEIRSEY: guardian — provider ENNEAGRAM: type 2w3

ALIGNMENT & MORALS:

her heart is soft , but it is just. her alignment is lawful good , and she tries to operate on a set of clear , concise morals. her involvement with certain individuals may muddle this , at times , but her conscious is painfully loud and she will always be a voice of reason and a champion of what is right. her crux is that she is sometimes prone to bending too easily , as she still clings to her belief that no one can be all bad.

TRAITS:

( + ) optimistic , intelligent , honest , empathetic , brave , adventurous , friendly

( - ) idealistic , stubborn , nosy , susceptible , perfectionist , insecure , anxious

CONNECTIONS.

MOTHER: mary darling ( status: ??? ) FATHER: george darling ( status: ??? ) SIBLINGS: john darling ( status: alive. ) , michael darling ( status: deceased. ) PETS: eventually a dog in place of that abandoned wolf pup , maybe SIGNIFICANT OTHER: it’s complicated.

hello i LOVE to plot please come plot with me !!! i’ll have a legitimate connections page made soon i promise

IN CHARACTER INTERVIEW.

QUESTION TWO:

Was it hard adjusting to life in Fabletown? Do you miss the Homeworld?

Her heart twists until it aches, settling somewhere in her throat, and the soreness she feels there is terrible. She misses the Homeworld like you would not believe, yearns to return back to what she’s known up until recently, but she knows she must make the best of her situation. Wendy is nothing if not hopeful, and this is what keeps her afloat, even on the days when all she can do is sit at home, squinting into the distance, as she recalls her life before the Exodus. She smooths her skirt with trembling hands, the pleated navy fabric rustling silently, and straightens her back. She shouldn’t slouch. She knows better.

“I think the adjustment must have been difficult for everyone, myself included.” Wendy is not one to overlook the trials and tribulations of others, even as she herself struggles with the day-by-day of this new world. “Of course I miss the Homeworld, I miss it like the stars must miss the moon when the sun rises, I—I think it would not have been so hard, coming here, if I’d not felt as though I was leaving so much behind. But I’m sure the same can be said for most anyone in our… situation.” She doesn’t mention the nights that seemed to sprawl on, where she’d not slept for days, instead choosing to cry, or the days when her chest felt so hollow she was almost convinced she’d need to pick apart her ribs in order to find out whether or not she still possessed her heart.

A loose curl brushes her jawline, and she brushes it away, tucking it ever so gently behind her ear. “I’m still adjusting. It’s not been an easy task, by any means, but I believe part of our responsibility now is to remain adaptable. Besides that, it would be unfair to say that the change has been entirely terrible. We’ve been granted new opportunities, the ability to meet new people, there are so many new things to see and do.” It’s easier to treat this like something of an adventure, than to see it as a never-ending eternity. How familiar.

“I suppose, most of all, it’s important to stay hopeful.”

QUESTION THREE:

Where is your favorite place in Fabletown or New York?

The question is no sooner posed, and Wendy is smiling to herself, images of her loft conjured up within her imagination. It is certainly not the house in Bloomsbury, but it is her own, and she has made it as such. The walls are white, and would be considered bland, were they not adorned with pictures and artwork, string lights that cast the den in warm light. The couch is a mess of throw pillows and a particularly soft fleece throw, coffee table crowded with textbooks, notebooks, book-books, and the occasional succulent; everything is somewhat disorganized, but in the most organized way possible. Knick knacks line the shelves in her bedroom, tiny little things she’s picked up here and there, and none of them need a particular meaning in order to belong. Today, the apartment smells like chamomile tea and cinnamon, warm and cozy, safe and secure, like a blanket wrapped around your shoulders.

“My home, of course.” Her voice is filled with the sort of pride you’d hear a mother speak about her children’s accomplishments with, because truly, the home she has created for herself here in Fabletown is a safe haven, her own little alcove of personal magic. She may not be someone in tune with the arcane, but she can create her own version of magic, whether it be in how she interacts with others, or things she chooses to do for herself. Buying a new candle to soothe her nerves? Certainly. “It’s small, but I’d like to believe it’s welcoming. Filled with love, if you will, and I find that to be rather important.”

QUESTION FOUR:

How do you feel about magic? Do you think it should be banned, regulated, or neither?

Her eyes are aglow with enthusiasm at the mention of magic—such a wondrous little word that is, blanketing her heart in childhood nostalgia and the need to believe—but behind that lies a certain amount of trepidation. She has seen the danger that comes with placing unrestricted power in the hands of those who operate on their own rules, how magic can be used not only for wonder and creation, but for destruction and greed. If you would look hard enough, beneath the many layers of wonder and hesitancy, you would notice something else: the barest flicker of envy. Wendy is not one to become so often plagued by jealousy that she grows into something bitter and mean, but sometimes even she is not free of those resentful pangs. She has only ever been able to taste magic at the grace of another, and though she’s grateful for even a taste, it would be nice to be able to harness it for her own. If only for a day, even.

Her hands are clasped neatly in her lap, one thumb running over the other in time with her breathing. “I believe,” She begins, and then pauses, as though she must regather her thoughts. “I believe magic is an extraordinary thing.” Another pause, as the lush forests of Neverland appear behind her eyelids when she blinks, the tang of magic in the air, the sparkling lagoon, the mermaids—it shifts, and then something is very wrong. Grinning skulls peek through gilled skin, flashing sharp teeth and cavernous eye sockets that consume her like the void. It is enough to startle her back into shaken silence for a few long minutes, the ticking of the clock hanging on the far wall feeling awfully familiar as it tracks her silence.

“And as with all extraordinary things, there is the ever-present risk that someone will come along and ruin it, so to speak. Magic is a gift that some may be far too comfortable taking advantage of, for the wrong reasons.” Her words seem to be spoken with a sense of mourning underlying them, and the downward turn of her lips belies regret. Truly, she believes in the goodness of others, but logically she understands that without rules set in place, it would give too much allowance for evil to run wild. “If we lived in an ideal world, I would find no issue with letting magic flow freely, but in this case regulation is the safest choice.”

QUESTION FIVE:

Who do you think killed Little Red Riding Hood?

Minutes pass in silence as she glances around the room, as if the walls will afford her some secret knowledge, some right answer, as if one were to exist. Wendy has tried not to let her thoughts linger for far too long on what’s happened to Little Red Riding Hood, as if her denial would undo whatever had been done to the woman. Out of sight, out of mind, isn’t something that seems to exist, in this case. Teeth sink into her lower lip, and she chews although she knows better, nipping at glossy skin that will turn sore if she keeps it up.

“I don’t know. It’s not a satisfactory answer, I do know that much, but.. this isn’t something I’ve wanted to devote much time to. I don’t want to think about what happened to her, or worse yet, who could’ve done it—this is a terrible situation.” Violence has been present in her life far too often as of late, and her skin is littered with goosebumps now at the consideration that there may be a possibility that someone she knows could be a cause, or a suspect, at the least. Wendy places that thought within a box, seals it off, and places that into another box, on and on it goes, until the intrusive idea is locked away for the time being. Her eyes are apologetic, soft, tinged with fright. “But I hope justice is served, for her sake.”

PLAYLIST.

coming soon..

#poison:intro #i hope i covered all my bases here fgjfjks #— the storyteller & the story told. | ABOUT. ) +.*

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eldritchsurveys · 6 years

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o99.

When was the last time that you were asked out somewhere, and you declined? >> I don’t remember, since I don’t usually get asked to go anywhere in the first place.

How have you been feeling so far today? >> Busy, since I did a lot after waking up.

Do you ever decided to just dance crazy to a favorite song? >> Sure.

Have you ever tried to write poetry or song lyrics? >> Yeah, I’ve written both but neither is my preferred medium.

Lately have you been staying up late and sleeping in? >> No.

When was the last time you had cookies and milk? >> I don’t remember. Very long time ago.

Do you have any special pictures in your wallet? >> I don’t have any photos in my wallet.

Do you keep ticket stubs from meaningful events? >> Sometimes, but I end up tossing them out after a while anyway, because they just turn into clutter.

Have you ever watched fireworks with someone you loved? >> Yeah.

Do you own any jewellry made out of shells? >> Nope.

Are you good at memorizing phone numbers? >> Not especially.

Does anyone you know live in an odd colored house? >> No.

Does the battery in your cellphone last long? >> Yeah, since it’s a brand-new phone.

Have you ever made your own website? >> Yep.

Has anyone ever sent you a candy gram? >> Nope.

When was the last time you ordered pizza? >> A few weeks ago.

Have you ever seen the movie "Aliens" by James Cameron? >> The sequel to Alien? Honestly I assumed they were all directed by Ridley Scott, so that shows how much I know. Anyway, yeah, I’ve seen almost all the Alien movies (skipped a couple in the middle there).

Does the computer/laptop your using have a SD card slot? >> Yep.

Do you like men who have a sensitive side? >> I don’t really think about that.

Have you talked to your special someone today? >> I’ve talked to Can Calah today, and Anthony at some point.

Have you ever tried to get someone into a certain band/artist? >> Not really, like I’ve given suggestions for songs to listen to but I didn’t hound them about it.

If you're a 90's kid, do you remember when bellbottom jeans were in style? >> I do remember that.

Have you ever tried to make fudge? >> No.

Do you have an opinion on Lindsay Lohan going to jail? >> Whew, that was ages ago. And no, I didn’t have an opinion then and I certainly don’t have one now.

Have you ever carved you and someone elses initials into a tree? >> No.

Do you like Dairy Queen? >> Not really.

Have you ever used glitter as one of your makeup items? >> Not like, craft glitter. I’ve used shimmer makeup.

Wedges, stilettos or just no heels at all? >> Wedges are easier for long wear, but stilettos are a power move.

If someone gave you the keys to a Lamborghini, would you be excited? >> No, I’d be confused.

Have you ever gotten highlights or streaks? >> No.

Dangly earrings, hoop earrings, simple studs, or no earrings at all? >> I wear very small hoop earrings and one has a cross hanging from it. I also have these big audacious Baphomet-pentagram earrings that I wish I could wear more often, but they’re really heavy and pendulous and give me a headache, lmao.

Do you own anything that's leather? >> No, just leather-looking.

Have you ever owned what would be considered a 'farm animal'? >> No.

Do you have a favorite radio station? >> No. I don’t even remember what stations exist around here, we only ever pay attention to them during the holiday season because we listen to the stations that play holiday music.

Don't you hate when your cell has no service? >> Well, yeah, I suppose I would hate it if I was trying to use my phone and I couldn’t.

Does listening to music while you work help you? >> Some music does -- like Wardruna and Danheim style music helps a lot.

Is there anyone you know with an amazing personal success story? >> Probably, yeah.

If you like vodka, do you have a favorite brand? >> Svedka.

Do you keep a memo book / agenda? >> Nope.

Do you have an account on Playlist.com? >> Nope.

Do you or anyone you know own a yacht? >> Nope.

Have you ever accidentally butt dialed / pocket dialed someone? >> I don’t think so.

Have you heard of the phrase "Double Rainbow"? >> Yeah.

You can have some ice cream. Do you pick vanilla, chocolate or strawberry? >> Vanilla.

Are you good at telling things about people just by their actions? >> I don’t know, maybe? I’m not sure how to measure that.

Are you normally the one who initiates a kiss? >> With Xibalbans, sure.

Do you have a bikini body? >> If I put my body in a bikini then I would have a bikini body. #logic

Do you enjoy songs with pounding bass beats? >> There are songs I love that have that, yeah. It’s good stimulation sometimes.

If someone handed you a gun, would you know how to shoot it? >> Probably not. I mean, I know where the trigger is, but, you know.

Is there a song in a different language that you can sing? >> Yeah, Senzafine by Lacuna Coil and parts of Feuer und Wasser by Rammstein... uh... Noll and Duett by kent but I have to be looking at the lyrics lmao... there are a couple others, probably.

Is there a special place you like to go to just think? >> Not really. Bethesda Terrace / Bethesda Fountain and the Ramble in Central Park were good for that, though. And some of the parks in the Bronx, definitely. Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn... there’s a lot of good places for sitting and thinking in NYC, believe it or not.

Do you feel comfortable walking down the sidewalk in a city alone? >> Yep.

Have you seen the movie Public Enemies? >> I haven’t.

Is your bedroom currently a disaster? >> Yeah, a bit, but I’m procrastinating heavily on cleaning it up (especially since I’ve stopped sleeping in it).

Are you one of those people who keeps their books in mint condition? >> Nope.

If you're listening to music, name a lyric from the song. >> I’m not.

Do you have a ring that you wear all the time? >> Not all the time, no.

What was the most expensive thing someone bought you? >> Probably a phone, idk.

Is there anything you should know how to do but can't be bothered? >> Probably.

Are you a sound sleeper? >> Nope.

In your opinion, which is more attractive, nice biceps or washboard abs? >> I’d prefer developed biceps over washboard abs any day. I’d prefer a lot of things over washboard abs, actually; I don’t much like them at all.

Do you have any currency that's not your native country's? >> No.

Are you talking to anyone right now? >> No.

Facebook chat isn't that great, agreed? >> Agreed, but at least you can look at fb messages on their own page, unlike tumblr IM, where you’re stuck with this little ass box. :T

Would you rather speak in front of a small group or a large crowd? >> I don’t care, either is fine.

Have you ever tried to write something humorous on a test for bonus points? >> No.

How do you feel about bands that use pyrotechnics in live concerts? >> Cool?

Is there a movie you can watch over and over and not get sick of? >> Yeah, there are a few like that.

Do you use the microwave a lot when it comes to cooking food? >> Sure do.

Everyone has a certain part of their body they don't like. What's yours? >> First of all, “everybody” my ass -- how do you know? There isn’t even a part of my body that I especially don’t like.

What's the latest you've stayed up in the past week? >> Maybe midnight or so.

How about the latest you've slept in? >> 9a.

Do you have a favorite colored sharpie? >> Nope.

Pennies: do you think they should stop being made? >> I really don’t care.

Have you ever actually played marbles? >> Nope.

Do you know of the actor Ralph Fiennes? >> Yeah, I like him. I think he’s sexy.

Tell me, are you tired? >> No, even though I didn’t get as much sleep as I wanted. I’m back sleeping in Sparrow’s bed and she breakdances in her sleep and shit.

#surveys #survey #random survey

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sweetseda · 4 years

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Canning corn, Use a pressure canner for safety.

Canning Corn

Canning corn is a great way to preserve your harvest. Some people love it... some don't. Personally, I like the flavor of home canned corn too. Canning corn from your own garden or locally grown is still better than store bought.

Many people also prefer the taste of frozen corn. For these reasons freezing corn is another great preserving option. I do some of each because my family prefers the frozen over canned. But I love the convenience of canned!

We have a wonderful variety of sweet corn that is grown around here called Olathe Sweet Corn. It is so good and sweet, they have a festival weekend dedicated to corn. This weekend includes concerts and all you can eat corn on the cob. If you are working with a sweet corn don't be surprised if it comes out a deep golden color. This sometimes happens with the sweeter varieties.

Corn does take a bit more work than some other foods. It is not hard, but it has a processing time of 1 hr and 25 minutes for quarts and 55 minutes for pints. Compared to other produce this is a long time.

Prepare

Gather your canning supplies

Corn

Canning Salt - optional

You will need about 32 pounds (in husks) of sweet corn per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 20 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints.

Canning Corn Procedure

Pick your corn. Corn should be fresh picked and ripe.

Get your corn huskers to work! Make sure they do their best to get all the hair off. Games make this task fun. Challenge them to see who can husk the most ears. Here's a tip; for mess control.... husking can be done outside.

While the corn is being husked, start boiling water. Either in a large stockpot or your blancher.

Place in boiling water for 2 minutes and remove with tongs. If you are using a blancher the tongs are obviously not necessary.

Cool immediately in a sink or large bowl of ice-cold water.

A blancher works well or just use a large stock pot.

You do not want to cook the corn just blanch it. I find it easier to cut it off the cob this way. I read that many people skip this blanching step. Since this corn will be processed in a pressure canner you can skip the blanching step if you prefer.

Cut the kernels from the cob.

Let the cobs cool. Set it on end and run your knife down the sides cutting off the kernels.

Try not to cut into the cob. I aim for getting off about 3/4 of the kernel.

The kernels will stick together in little strips and look like this.

I use a large cookie sheet to catch the kernels; a large flat dish like a cake pan would also work.

This can get messy too. The corn tends to squirt. Do it in an area that will be easy clean up. I have a big island in the center of my kitchen that I use. I LOVE easy clean up!

Tips; Use an electric knife; I've never done this but it sounds like a great idea.

Another Tip - Use a Bunt pan, set your corn on end on the centerpiece and let the kernels fall into the pan. I've tried this and it seems awkward to me. I list it here because I have seen others rave about doing it this way. Try it you may just like it.

Here is a video of my husbands cool cutting the kernels off the cob time saver. He is using a tool that is called a corn stripper. I do not have a brand name on ours and it is a vintage tool that has been around for years. If you do a search on Amazon you'll see some that are similar.

Close up of the blade on this corn stripper. Check your local farm store for similar cutters. It is an invaluable tool when canning corn, dehydrating, pickling. Anytime you want to get a lot of cobs stripped use one of these.

While the corn is being husked and the corn is cut off, go ahead and get your canner and canning jars ready.

Optional add salt to the jars. ½ tsp. per pint, 1 tsp. per quart. Salt is for seasoning purposes only.

After the kernels are off the cob, pack into clean canning jars.

When canning corn you can either raw-pack or hot pack. Since I have already blanched my corn, I prefer raw pack. Here are directions for both

Raw pack; pack lightly into hot jars and add boiling water, leaving 1 inch head space.

Hot pack; simmer kernels for 5 minutes, then pack into jars. Top off with cooking water leaving 1 inch head space.

Fill jars, leaving 1-inch head space. Be sure and wipe the rims of your jars clean so there will be no food particles to interfere with the seal.

Place your canning lids on and finally add your screw bands. Place in a pressure canner to process.

Process in a pressure canner.

Always use a pressure canner when canning corn.

pints - process for 55 minutes

quarts - process for 1 hour 25 minutes

Adjustments for Pressure Canner Altitude in FeetDial Gauge CannerWeighted Gauge Canner 0-10001110 1001-20001115 2001-40001215 4001-600013156001-800014158000-10,0001515

Do you like Creamed Corn? Try this.

Here’s a quick easy way to make a cream style corn from regular kernel corn. home canned corn, frozen, or store bought, it doesn’t matter. This is not for canning, rather it is how I make creamed corn when I open the jars.

Heat corn to simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes if you wish. Remove 1/2 of the corn to a blender add 1/2 cup or so of cream. Half and half, evaporated milk or other cream of your choice works. I usually have half and half on hand. Puree.

Add back with corn add butter and salt to taste heat and serve.

Canning Corn Questions from my inbox.

When pressure canning corn, do I really have to process that long?

Canning Corn processing question.

Hello, I'm a long time canner/freezer/preserver type of girl. In the past I've always put my corn up in the freezer, because that's the way mom and gran do it.

But the garden is gang busters this year and even with a new freezer, there isn't going to be room for all of it.

Anyway I called gran and borrowed mom's steam pressure canner and canned up the first few batches of corn. I followed the directions in the Ball Blue Book and let the thing chick-chick for 55 minutes.

However the corn has darkened quite a bit and some of the water in the jar is gone as well. So I've gone on-line to get more info.

Both gran and mom say 55 mins is too long and they only ever steam theirs for 25 minutes.

I'm filding conflicting directions on line too, I've found websites indicating times anywhere from 25 to 55 minutes. I don't want to poison my family, but I would love it if that 25 minute time was a possibility.

This is a hard question. And I have been asked it in a myriad of ways. Can I do it the 'old' way? Many of the questions posed to me point out that either moms or grandmothers did things different. And I certainly don't like contradicting our elders... often they have great wisdom!

However, The answer is: You take a risk by doing it the 'old' way. You have to make that decision yourself. Personally I decided to just follow the recommended guidelines and have that peace of mind. The processing times I give on my site are all taken from safe sources. My most used source is the National Center for Home Preservation. Some directions are from the Ball Blue Book.

The good news is.... it is not unusual for canning corn to turn golden colored. Mine often is a darker color. From my research it is because it is a very sweet variety. My corn never tastes over cooked.

As far as the liquid loss. That is ok too. You want to avoid it, but it will not hurt your corn unless it is extreme. Liquid loss is often caused by taking your jars out of the canner too quickly.

Leave the jars in your canner for a couple of minutes before removing. Open the canner and then wait 3 or 4 minutes. This gives the jars a chance to cool slightly. When it is cooling the contents will be shrinking and not swelling so that may help you keep more liquid in your jars.

Another question on processing time.

Sharon, I was reading canning corn and noticed that it takes 1hr-25min to do a batch. Why does it take so much longer with corn and beans to process. Thank you.

Answer - It all has to do with the acidity of the food. I've used the times recommended by the USDA. They test the foods and determine the length of processing necessary for eliminating the risk of botulism. Corn is more starchy than other vegetables so I'd assume the acidity levels are different as well. Also corn has more natural sugar.

Here are a few pages that might interest you.

Botulism A severe, sometimes fatal food poisoning caused by ingestion of food containing botulin.

Canning methods Which Canning methods to use? Is my food high acid or low acid? Should I process in a water bath canner or pressure canner? Why? That is a common question ~ and a good one....

More ways to preserve corn.

Simply Canning Home › Canning Vegetables › Canning corn

Books and Classes

This content was originally published here.

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philostudyy · 7 years

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A College Student’s School Supplies List (with Amazon links)

Hi! I’m entering my senior year of college this fall, and have learned over the past few years that there are some school supplies that become much more necessary in college than they were in high school. In this post, I hope to help anyone who’s entering college figure out what they may need, if you’re on the fence! Most schools are starting up again over the next month or so, so there’s no better time to shop for supplies! I’ll include Amazon links to all of the products I mention, but bear in mind that many of the items that are available in stores are usually less expensive in stores.

*As a note – I’m a philosophy major with minors in English and political science, and have only taken a couple of STEM courses in college. With that being said, I might not be the best resource on STEM supplies for college, but I did take 2 AP sciences and AP Calc BC in high school, so I may be able to help if you’re a little bit younger!

(This picture was taken a year or two ago and originally posted to my main blog, @andthecynicswereoutraged, before I made my studyblr.

BASICS – I’m not going to spend paragraphs explaining to you why you will need paper, notebooks, folders, highlighters, or pens. I think most people probably have that figured out by now. There are a few different ways to go about this, though. Some people swear by using Microsoft OneNote or a similar program. I prefer taking notes by hand. I’ve experimented with using notebooks, binders, and hybrid note-binders, and I think that I prefer using a binder or note-binder. I take notes on lined paper during class, then between classes or at night I highlight and add things that I may have missed. Five Star Reinforced Paper is my top-choice, because I love that I don’t have to add my own sticky reinforcements. I hold all of the papers together using a Staples Better Binder or a Five Star Flex Notebinder. I use Avery Tabbed Binder Dividers to divide the sections, hold syllabi/assignments/readings, and hold extra paper. For pens/pencils, it’s completely up to you. I like to use Pilot G2 pens, but I’m going to be trying some new ones this year, so my favorites may change! I like to have lots of different colored pens and highlighters, so I can organize my notes and make them prettier to look at and study from J

LAPTOP – This one’s also pretty self-explanatory, but I can’t stress how important it is to have a reliable laptop during college. Mine is a Lenovo Yoga 2 (similar), and even though it’s a few years old now, it works really well. I had a MacBook Pro before this, and it ended up having a lot of issues, but I know that a lot of people really like them. It’s just a matter of figuring out what you want. Also, you might want to consider buying a mouse, as I’ve found that it’s sometimes easier to use one if I’m going to be using my computer for an extended period of time. If your laptop is more than 5ish years old when you begin college, it may be worth it to consider getting a new one if you have the resources, because (speaking from experience) it’s really inconvenient to turn your laptop on a few days before winter break ends and discover that it’s completely dead. *sigh*

FLASH DRIVE – In high school, I barely used a flash drive. I know that I owned one, but it didn’t get a whole lot of use since I didn’t have as many long-term projects as I do now. I could usually bang out any paper I had to write in a day or two, so there wasn’t much need to have it accessible all the time. Some people prefer to use Google Drive or OneDrive to save their documents, which I’m starting to like as well. Still, though, I like to have all of my papers on a flash drive, so even if I write in Google Docs I’ll transfer it to the USB when it’s complete. These are becoming MUCH less expensive than they used to be too, which is great. I currently use a yellow SanDisk one, and you can find a similar one here.

PLANNER – Probably my favorite thing on this list. My high school gave us free planners, and I ended up buying Lilly Pulitzer ones my junior and senior years when I was into that style. I’ve used 4 different ones in college, and my favorite actually just started on July 1. It’s a Day Designer for BlueSky one, and I found mine at Target for a few dollars less than the Amazon price. The biggest piece of planner advice I can give – try to avoid spiral-bound. In my experience, no matter how nice a spiral-bound planner is, the spirals end up getting caught on things and bent out of shape and they’re just not worth it.

STICKY NOTES – I’m not going to put links here, because there are so many different ones that I love, but if you’re interested and want links just let me know! I use sticky notes for everything. Every. Thing. I make to-do lists (or to-print, to-buy-at-the-grocery-store, emails-to-send, etc. lists) on them and stick them in my planner or in notebooks. When I have a project to do, I usually use sticky notes to break down the different steps I need to take. I use them to mark sections/important pages in my notebooks and textbooks, then usually stick others inside the notebooks/books to take notes on specific passages. I try to have lots of different sizes and colors on hand at all times, and a mix of the normal paper ones and some of the plastic-y ones. If you’re interested in a more detailed post about how I use sticky notes and the different sizes I use, let me know!

INDEX CARDS – I usually use whatever index cards I find at Target, Staples, or whatever other store I buy school supplies at. They’re usually not more than 50 cents for 100. For foreign languages, some STEM courses, history classes, and any other subject that requires you to learn the definitions of terms, these are a lifesaver. I took British Literature to 1700 (literature history class) and I don’t think I would’ve been able to get an A if I didn’t use notecards. We had quizzes every week, so after every lecture I would put the key terms on notecards so I could begin studying ASAP. I also use these for list-making sometimes, as well as for presentations and for taking notes for papers.

CARDSTOCK – I use cardstock to make study guides, and to write out outlines/plans for papers!

STAPLER – You may not actually need to have one of your own, but it’s helpful to remember to staple together readings or papers immediately after printing them out.

That’s all that I can think of for now! These aren’t anything too unusual, but just a list of supplies that I certainly use more in college than I did in high school.

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aion-rsa · 7 years

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INTERVIEW: Exploring The Many Dimensions of Marvel’s America

Saving one world from destruction or the schemes of would be world conquerors is a herculean task, but rescuing the countless worlds of Marvel Comics’ multiverse from is an even bigger challenge. The super strong, dimension hopping America Chavez knows this to be true. Inspired by her parents heroic sacrifice, Chavez spent her formative years traversing the multiverse using her super abilities to help people and worlds in need.

Service like that is incredibly inspiring, but taking so much time to help others often means not taking care of yourself. This March, America Chavez tackles that problem by going on a journey of self-discovery across time and multiple realities.

RELATED: Ms. America: 15 Awesome Facts About America Chavez

Writer Gabby Rivera and artist Joe Quinones will begin documenting Chavez’s personal and academic journey this March in their new ongoing series, “America.” CBR spoke with both creators about their take on their title character, what college will mean to her, and which Marvel characters she’ll encounter as she navigates her heroic and collegiate responsibilities.

CBR: Gabby, travel broadens the mind, and in America Chavez you have a protagonist who’s a veteran traveler of a variety of other dimensions and realities thanks to one of her super abilities. What’s your sense of how that’s affected her perspective?

Gabby Rivera: I mean, that’s a deep question, right? Cuz you’re talking about a character that left paradise to dive into worlds riddled with humanity, chaos, and the need for super heroes. So, right out the gate, America has always been someone thirsting for a challenge and looking for ways to serve the people.

EXCLUSIVE: A page from “America” #1 by Joe Quinones

America doesn’t seem to have time or energy for the things that regular folks get wrapped up in, like petty interpersonal dramas or agonizing over the smallest details or logistics. For her, whatever current reality or place/time that she’s in exists in the middle of every other world too. It’s dangerous sometimes because it lends itself to that “punch first, ask questions later” type of vibe that she has but also, it helps when situations need to be de-escalated.

I think all the worlds both blend for her and remain distinct. And that’s why America’s real loyalties are to herself, why she holds her feelings so close to her chest. Why let out things when people can hurt you like they do in every other world at any given place and time?

This series will show her finally releasing some of that apprehension and really investigating her own motives and abilities. And maybe even finding a home of sorts.

Joe, as an artist, what do you find most interesting about America Chavez? Which of her qualities do you really want to make sure you capture and bring forth in your depictions of her?

Joe Quinones: I think America hides a big heart behind a veneer of scowls and clenched fists. She’s guarded, as Gabby alluded to, and quick to throw the first punch, but clearly wants to share her love. Illustrating the nuances of that internal conflict (while she still throws some hard punches) is very interesting to me. That, and she just looks so damn cool. It’s been great fun designing new looks for her along the way.

Comic fans probably know America best through her interactions with super teams like the Ultimates and the Young Avengers, but we’ve not see a lot of her on her own.

Rivera: Listen, sometimes it’s like we’re all pressured to go from high school to college and be straight and get married and make some babies and put our pics on Facebook and buy a house and go on vacation and pay taxes and die. It’s all mapped out. There’s a system of support for people who follow that road, which can include easier relationships with relatives, tax breaks etc. Give or take a few random acts of the universe, you’ll be fine.

That’s not the life America has ever known. She grew up with two moms and then, boom — they were snatched because of ultimate sacrifices and whatnot. Then she spent a long time saving other people… and now she’s feeling like something is missing. Missing in the realest way, you know? Who are her people? What is she really capable of as a superhero?

Higher education can also be a radical act of self care. America is choosing to dive deeper into herself, to step away from the life that she knows, the life she already kicks ass at to start anew. America is taking inventory of her super hero abilities and wants to upgrade all around. What else is possible? If she can punch into other dimensions and fly and have super strength, then what is America capable of when she intentionally taps into her core? Could she stop the world?

What are some of the things we’ll see in the early issues of “America?” It sounds like this is a series that lends itself to a variety of stories.

Rivera: We’re definitely bringing in some heavy hitters from the Marvel Universe to offer support and guidance to America. Much of what this series is about is personal growth, building one’s power, and just listening to what your heart and mind want you to do. But also, it’s about playing with someone who’s full of fire and wants to just punch her way through life. We’re going to see where America’s impetuousness lands her and how she gets herself out of the chaos.

EXCLUSIVE: A page from “America” #1 by Joe Quinones

Also, be ready for lots of radical women fighting for their people and their right to own what’s theirs. Be ready for characters who love themselves, land the best one-liners, and show up bringing the magic. You’re probably going to fall in love with all of them.

I’ve had to remember along the way that America isn’t me. Like whenever things get too sappy or too serious, I gotta hit that delete button and write the brash things I’d never say and let America climb the walls and be free. So it’s going to be a little goofy, and fun-sexy, and everyone is still going to learn life lessons.

Joe, you’re coming off a run on “Howard the Duck” where you drew a variety of fun and strange stories and characters. So what’s it like moving from “Howard” to “America?”

Quinones: No differences, whatsoever. Next question.

Just kidding. Beyond the obvious “Chavez don’t got a duck bill” distinction, the books certainly have their similarities and differences. The focus has shifted, of course – “America” won’t center on jokes as “Howard” did, but the two both have their fair share of melodrama mixed with bombastic action. Chip and I tackled some moments of sincere emotion in “Howard,” and I think Gabby and I are set up to do the same with “America.” No comment on how sexy or not sexy Howard is. You do you.

[Laughs] What else can you tell us about the initial supporting cast of “America?” Will her girlfriend Lisa Halloran, play a role in the book?Rivera: We’ve got some fun folks lined up for this series, but everyone’s asking about Lisa Halloran and Kate Bishop. So, let’s be real — I can’t give away too many of the goods. But I will say this: you will catch Lisa and Kate in some intense moments throughout this series. Might not be how folks want or expect, I mean are relationships ever how we expect them to be? But they’ll be there.

And we have a wild crew of new faces ready to roll out and join the Marvel Universe. I mean, we’ve got some robotic sorority girls, some unexpected family members, and an entire college bursting with surprises. Be on the lookout for tough, ready to rumble women of color, and some of our favorite high profile superheroes that you know and love from Marvel. Maybe even some X-Men if you’re lucky…

Also, at some point, Joe’s dog is going to make a cameo in America. First one to find it gets an autographed picture of Joe’s dog signed by Joe. He might not know this but it’s happening.

Quinones: It’s my sister’s dog, actually. But he’s great, I tell you. Great. My cat Biggs showed up in “Howard the Duck,” becoming Howard’s cyborg cat. I love the idea of making this a tradition where I bring my favorite animals into the books I draw. It makes me happy.

What hints or teases can you offer up about the enemies America will be up against in your initial stories?

Rivera: We’re going to have fun with villains. Some will be plucked from Marvel’s history of creating some of the greatest villains ever. Others, we’re making up. We’re definitely going to play with the idea of jealousy and how that can turn someone with huge powers into an intergalactic threat. America’s building up her strength and some folks won’t like that. Some folks will feel like the power they’ve built up along the way is being threatened by this Latina lesbian so and so and they’re not gonna like that one bit.

But when does institutionalized power ever appreciate strength from beyond their ranks? This series will also be about resistance and rallying behind your people, things America already does so well. Watch what happens when something big really comes for her…

Joe what can you tell us about the overall look you want “America” to have? How does it compare to some of your most recent work?

Quinones: I didn’t have a label for it until Gabby mentioned it to me recently, but America’s overall look represents a “hard femme” aesthetic. Hard, tough and feminine. She won’t have just one look in our book, but several, ranging from super casual dorm-wear to rough and tumble, superhero duds. I’m trying to carry on the aesthetic tradition established by Jamie McKelvie on “Young Avengers,” but with some new twists. America is very much tuned into fashion, with a unique personal style that permeates her wardrobe. Doing my best to tap into that with Gabby’s help.

Gabby, what’s it like working with Joe on “America?” Which elements of his style do you enjoy the most? And Joe, what’s it like working with Gabby? Which elements of her scripts have really excited you so far?

Rivera: Joe’s artwork is astonishing. He brings America to life in this way where I feel like I could reach out and high five her or hug her. And…it’s fun! Joe’s got this goofy side that I really like and that works well with me. I can send Joe some pics of Selena or some donuts for inspiration and then bam, he kicks back some work that capture the essence of each of those things and applies them perfectly to the characters. Also, Joe’s an expert and he treats me, someone so new, with much respect and is down for all my ideas. I’m thankful to be working with him on this project.

Quinones: Oh, you. Gabby has just been great to work with thus far. She’s got a amazing sense of the character, her personality oozing off the page. And she’s already deftly given me both thrilling action to draw and quiet, nuanced, personal scenes. It’s been really fun to tackle on either end.

Finally, Gabby, “America” is your first comic and likely to be some readers first exposure to your work. What’s it like moving from prose to comic scripts? And readers who are interested in what you’re doing in “America” might be curious about your novel “Juliet Takes a Breath.” What would you like them to know about the book?

Rivera: Seriously, this is the coolest writing gig ever! I’m someone who’s just like a goofy nerdburger, daydreaming all the time. And now I’ve got this opportunity to create stories with folks who are daydreamers too. I can explore real life problems in fantasy worlds where all the things are possible. Damn, do you know what that’s like for a queer brown weirdo? It’s something that humbles and excites me to my core. When there aren’t any barriers in your way like racism or poverty, when you can afford to live and be free, damn, that world world gets to be all yours. That world can be anything and writing that story is a gift.

Also, the actual process is helping me hone my writing skills in a major way. This type of on-the-job education is invaluable. With comic writing, I get to practice being concise, (although you might not be able to tell) and still impactful with my storytelling. I work with skilled editors who also have grand imaginations and use them to guide me in the best ways. It’s really a gift to be here.

As for my first novel, “Juliet Takes a Breath,” that’s my baby. It’s just this sweet little goofy novel that I got to share with the world. It actually made it out of my laptop and into the hands of people. And yeah, it’s about a young lesbian Latina from the Bronx trying to figure out feminism while navigating LGBTQ things and her relationship with her mom. Those are all important elements about Juliet, especially when it comes to the importance of diversity in literature.

It’s also the story of some kid trying to be 19, make out with cute people, and question authority. Those are some of the most quintessential elements in American storytelling. Juliet is one of those hometown kids looking to see the world and grow up. And she also tells a mean one-liner while rocking the latest Jordans, so give her a chance, y’all.

“America” #1, by Gabby Rivera and Joe Quinones, arrives in stores March 1.

The post INTERVIEW: Exploring The Many Dimensions of Marvel’s America appeared first on CBR.com.

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agilenano · 4 years

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Agilenano - News: 20 Of My MOST Favorite Things {January 2020}

Can I tell you a secret?

Ive been planning and looking forward to todays post for MONTHS!

After almost 7 years of sharing my favorite things on the blog each month, I went back through ALL my previous Favorite Things posts and hand-selected 20 of my MOST favorite things to share with you for the start of 2020!

These are the cream of the crop. The products I use daily (even 7 years and 3 more children later). They are products I recommend regularly on the blog and in real life. They are my most favorite and worth every penny (in my opinion!)

Im also using a new format this month one that I hope will make the post more readable and more easily shoppable. Simply click the button link under each description to be taken directly to the sales page on Amazon (or whatever website the product is available through).

And if youre interested in reading my original review of each product, Ive included that too. Just click the dated link directly under each picture.

Ex: Originally shared in September of 2016.

DISCLOSURE:None of these products are sponsored; however, some of the links below are affiliate links which means that at no cost to you, I may get a smallcommission. Please know thatI use these products dailyin my own home and life. Readmy full disclosure policyfor more information.

Also, check out myAmazon Marketfor all my favorite things.

I wont make you wait any longer

Here are 20 of my MOST favorite things!

(In no particular order.)

USA Pan Bakeware

Originally shared in April of 2019.

The USA Pans are so fantastic, I recommend them for any kitchen and any cooking style. They are 100% completely non-stick, super heavy-duty, and cook very evenly. Plus, they are made in the USA!

I have the 8" loaf pans, the mini loaf pans, the XL sheet pans, and cookie sheets -- and I'm always looking to grow my collection as I use them all on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis.

I honestly cant say enough good things about this brand!

NOTE: Here's how I prep, store, and reheat all my roasted veggies.

Shop USAPan Bakeware on Amazon

Wet Brush Hair Brush

Originally shared in April of 2015.

Many years ago, after mentioning Nora's extreme sensitivity to having her hair brushed, many of you recommended the Wet Brush... I am forever grateful!

Literally, the very first time I used the brush on Noras hair, she was a completely different person. She didnt whine, complain, and cry ouch the ENTIRE time I brushed. Instead, she just sat there and even made the comment this brush doesnt hurt my head!

We now have 3 Wet Brushes (one in each bathroom) and 2 Mini Wet Brushes for traveling.

They are, hands-down, the best hair brush I've tried -- perfect for children and adults, straight or curly hair, thin or thick hair, wet or dry hair.

NOTE: Here's a link to my homemade hair detangling spray, and here's a post about my favorite hair styles for little girls.

Shop Wet Brushes on Amazon

Velvet "Huggable Hangers"

Originally shared in October of 2013.

Our family uses velvet hangers exclusively for all our closets (we use heavy-duty plastic hangers in the mudroom).

I have adult size hangers for our closet, kid size hangers for the older 3, and I even found baby size hangers for the nursery.

They are so slim and they really "hold on to" the clothing so well.

We have had a handful break over the years -- but that's a byproduct of 4 children who like to pick their own clothing out!

I've always recommended velvet hangers for all my organizing clients, and I will continue to use them in my own home.

NOTE: Here's a link to all my posts about clothes clutter!

Shop velvet hangers on Amazon.

The 5 Love Languages Book

Originally shared in February of 2018.

I first read The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman when I was in college, after Dave and I got engaged. He read it too, and we quickly realized we have very opposite love languages!

Since then, I've reread this book many times.

I think both Dave and my love languages have morphed and changed a bit (Im totally acts of service now, and I used to be more gifts) but I cant tell you how valuable it has been for us to not only learn the other persons love language, but also realize that we both have very different love languages.

I think it saved us lots of frustration in the early years of our marriage and even still today.

I highly recommend this book to all dating, engaged, and married couples, as well as any of the other books in the growing "5 Love Languages" collection.

NOTE: Here's how I make more time for reading (even with a very busy home and family!) And here's one of my simplests "secrets" for a happy marriage.

Buy This Book on Amazon

Gecko-Loc Shower Hooks

Originally shared in July of 2017.

Several years ago, I replaced all our suction shower hooks with Gecko-Lock Super Suction Stainless Steel Double Hook, and we LOVE them!

They are so easy to install and VERY strong. Plus, the stainless steel looks so much nicer with our Chrome shower fixtures than the plastic hooks I previously used.

We've never had any issues with them losing suction or falling down and if/when I want to move them, I just unscrew the knob and the hook immediately comes off the shower wall with no pulling or tugging on my part.

NOTE: Get the recipe for my homemade shower cleaner (it's one of the most popular posts on my site!)

Buy These Hooks on Amazon

got 2b Hair Products

Originally shared in October of 2016.

Dave and I both use the got 2b hair products every day (for years and years)... and we have no intentions of switching to anything different.

He uses the got 2b Styling Glue.

I use the got 2b Spiking Wax and the Glued Blasting Freeze Spray.

They hold amazingly well all day long, they wash out easily each night, and they are extremely frugal compared to salon products!

NOTE: here's a video tutorial of how I style my short hair!

Shop Got 2B Items on Amazon

Topseat Child's Toilet Seat

Originally shared in January of 2018.

I'm certainly not an expert when it comes to potty training. However, I have found some really great tools to help simplify the process a bit!

The Topseat toilet seat has been a life-saver for our busy bathrooms these past several years. It's such a simple, convenient way to always have a child's toilet seat available when needed -- and out of the way when not needed.

It's much cleaner than removable potty seats, and it looks a lot nicer in our bathrooms too!

NOTE: Here's a before/after look at the kids' bathroom upstairs.

Learn more about these seats.

3 Citrus Face & Eye Cream

Originally shared in March of 2013.

This was in the very first Favorite Things post I shared way back when... and I still use this exact same product every single night after I get out of the shower.

I've been using the 3 Citrus Face & Eye Cream from Prairieland Herbs since 2010, and I just LOVE it!

We also use their Ultimate Healing Wand for all minor cuts, burns, bites, rashes, etc. It's the best and works SO well.

Their all-natural products are all hand made in small batches by a mother-daughter team, and I just love supporting their work through my purchases.

NOTE: They have offered an exclusive discount to my readers!! Get 20% off your entire order from their Etsy Shop with the code PAMPER (now through 2/29/20)

Visit Prairiland Herb's Shop

Vera Bradley Crossbody Wristlet

Originally shared in September of 2018.

I've used a Vera Bradley Wristlet as my main "purse" for probably close to 10 years now, and although I'm not one to be brand loyal, I REALLY love these wristlets (and I researched several other brands).

They can be pricey, but considering I'm only on my 2nd one in 10 years, they are worth it for me.

I love that my phone fits inside (along with everything else I need to carry around) and that there's a clip for my keys. Plus, I can wear it as a wristlet OR a cross-body bag depending on which strap I use.

It looks like my polka-dot fabric isn't available on Amazon right now, but there are TONS of other really fun (or simple) fabrics to choose from.

NOTE: Here's how I use this wristlet in conjunction with our diaper bag.

Shop VB Wristlets on Amazon

Presto Electric Griddle

Originally shared in July of 2018.

I use our electric griddle almost daily... and this one is HUGE! I can easily make 12 pancakes or 9 grilled cheese sandwiches at one time!

I love that this specific griddle is a square (not a longer rectangle) so it fits in my kitchen cabinets better.

I've taken this griddle on many family vacations, and even thought about trying to smuggle it in my suitcase when we fly! It's probably my most-used small appliance.

NOTE: These are our favorite whole grain oat pancakes... and these sourdough pancakes are the perfect use for leftover sourdough starter.

Buy This Griddle on Amazon

Big and Easy Colouring Books

Originally shared in November of 2018.

After years of coloring with little children, these Big and Easy Coloring books are still my most favorite (and my kids' favorite).

Even the older kids love coloring the extra-big, simple pictures!

We've given SO many of these as gifts, and oftentimes, the parents text or email me to ask where we found such a nice coloring book!

NOTE: Here are 10 of my favorite NON-MESSY crafts for toddlers and young children.

Shop Big and Easy on Amazon

Nutrimill Artiste Mixer

Originally shared in December of 2019.

The Nutrimill is the one and only mixer I use for everything from homemade whipped cream and butter to whole grain bread dough -- and anything in between.

Its so powerful and has a huge mixing capacity, but its much more compact and lighter-weight than KitchenAid Mixers so its easier to store and lift and carry around my kitchen.

NOTE: Here's my recipe for 100% whole grain bread dough, and my recipe for monster cookies (a HUGE batch that I've never been able to mix in anything other than my Nutrimill!)

Learn more about the Nutrimill

Britax B-Agile Single Stroller

Originally shared in May of 2018.

After almost a decade of pushing babies and toddlers around in various strollers, bike trailers, etc. my most favorite single stroller is the Britax B-Agile.

This is the stroller I use most often for the last 2-3 years as it's very light-weight and SO easy to push around.

The wheels glide everywhere and turn on a dime. Its technically considered a jogging stroller, but you know I dont jog! I just really do like having 1 wheel in the front as its easier to push.

We are nearing the end of our need for strollers -- but I have a feeling I'll keep this one around for a few years in case we have baby visitors who need to be pushed around.

NOTE: Read about all our favorite strollers and bike trailers, learn how to clean strollers and bike trailers, and see how we organize all our kids' gear in the garage.

Learn more about this stroller

Preen Weed Preventer

Originally shared in July of 2016.

If I could onlypick one product to use in my garden all year long, Preen would be it.

Year after year, Preen continues to save me hours upon hours of pulling weeds because it STOPS the weed seeds from germinating, which means there arent many weeds to pull!

I apply Preen to all my planting beds 4 times every season:

1. Mid-March, right after the weather starts to warm up.

2. Early May, after we spread mulch

3. Mid to late July

4. Late October, to hopefully prevent weed growth in early spring.

In May and July, I use the Preen + Fertilizer, and then I use the regular Preen in October. The added Fertilizer is great for perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees, and even in vegetable gardens.

The only caution is that you do NOT want to spread Preen in your veggie garden until all the seeds have germinated as Preen PREVENTS seeds from germinating.

NOTE: Here are a few more of my favorite weed-fighting tools (pictured above). And here's a post about our sort-of crazy way to prevent weeds in our vegetable garden (since we don't always use Preen around our veggies).

Shop Preen Products on Amazon

MAM Baby Products

Originally shared in June of 2016.

I first got hooked onall the amazing MAM productsway back when I FINALLY got my almost-2 year old, Nora, to drink water from a MAM sippy cup. She previously refused all sippy cups, bottles, water bottles, etc. so it was a BIG deal!

Since then, we've used the MAM brand of bottles, pacifiers, teathers, and sippy cups exclusively for our babies and toddlers.

I also still use the MAM bottle cleaning brush to clean all our water bottles and other long, skinny kitchen items. That thing is the best!

We give MAM goodies to all our friends and family members who have new babies!

NOTE: Here are several more of our favorite "Kids' Kitchen Gear" items -- as well as how I store and organize them all in our kitchen and pantry.

Shop MAM Products on Amazon

OLUKAI Footwear

Originally shared in July of 2018.

As many of you know, I buy the vast majority of all our family's clothing from local thrift stores for pennies on the dollar.

And I rarely ever spend anywhere close to "full price" on anything.

However, one thing I'm willing to pay a bit more for is good quality footwear (especially since I've had lower back problems for the majority of my adult life).

The OLUKAI line of women's footwear is one of my favorites -- I live in their flip flops in the summer and their slippers in the winter (slippers pictured above).

Their shoes are SO supportive, so comfortable, and actually pretty stylish too! I've had mine for years and they still look brand new!

Shop OLUKAI Footwear on Amazon

BABYBJRN Bouncer

Originally shared in June of 2013.

This bouncy seat is one of my most-used baby items EVER! I used it daily for all 4 babies -- and honestly, Clara still uses it now (at 27 months).

It is THE BEST bouncy seat around... the only downside is the price tag.

Thankfully, I was able to find my Baby Bjorn used on Craigslist before Nora was born... and it has served us well for over 8 years now. This bouncer is one of the very few baby things I plan to keep for whenever babies visit our house (and if I'm willing to hang onto something we don't necessarily NEED, you know I really really love it!)

I love that the fabric easily comes off to wash, and that it folds completely flat for storage. I love that it doesn't require batteries or installation or assembly. And of course, the fact that even small infants can easily bounce themselves in this chair is just the icing on the cake!

Start looking for a used one, or splurge on this amazing bouncer for yourself (or a new parent in your life). You will not regret it!

NOTE: Here's a list of things I'm SO glad I had for my babies... and another list of things I wish I had found/purchased sooner.

Research these bouncers here.

Glad Press'n Seal Wrap

Originally shared in July of 2013.

If youve ever been frustrated with plastic wrap that doesnt stick or sticks too much you definitely need to make the switch to thePress'n Seal wrap.

I use this every day in many different ways obviously to cover food dishes and plates, but also to line my paint trays, wrap paint brushes, and many other random things all over our house.

This wrap sticks amazingly well with just a little bit of firm pressure and (at least in my experience) it can be used over and over again without getting ruined or getting jumbled up into a sticky balled mess (can you tell I absolutely hate traditional plastic wrap?)

NOTE: here are 10 clever uses for Press'n Seal Wrap.

Buy Press'n Seal on Amazon

Originally shared in January of 2018.

I've been using a Personal Planner for 7-8 years now (Dave uses them too) and it's still my favorite.

I love that there are so many customizable features and the fact that it always seems to function perfectly for my schedule, my family, and my life.

Since I remember best when I write things down, my planner is an invaluable tool to help me simplify and better organize my life!

There might come a day when I switch to a digital system, but for now, you will always find a Personal Planner sitting on my desk!

All my Personal Planner Posts

Wsthof Knives

Originally shared in July of 2019.

I am not a professional chef, nor do I aspire to be one but having GOOD knives to use in my kitchen has made a huge difference for me over the years.

Ive slowly switched almost all my knives (and kitchen scissors) over to the Wsthof brand, and I can honestly say Ive never once been disappointed. They are super sharp, they feel amazing in my hand, and they cut, slice, and chop better than any other knife Ive used.

Heres a short list of the 3 knives I would recommend starting your collection with (all pictured above):

1. Micro-Serrated 4.5-inch Utility Knife

2. 6-inch Serrated Utility Chopper Knife

3. 10-inch Classic Bread Knife

I use these 3 knives EVERY single day usually washing them in between meals as I use them SO regularly!

Shop Wsthof Knives on Amazon

One runner-up item was my braided rugs but I cant find them on the website anymore, so I didnt include them in my list.

Whew you made it!

I hope you find at least one item on my list youd like to try.

Also, SO many of you tell me these posts are some of your favorite posts is that still true?Im trying to decide if these posts are something I should continue writing each month or not your opinion is very helpful!

As always, check out my previous months favorite things and let me know if youve tried any over the years!

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The post 20 Of My MOST Favorite Things {January 2020} appeared first on Andrea Dekker.

Agilenano - News from Agilenano from shopsnetwork (4 sites) https://agilenano.com/blogs/news/20-of-my-most-favorite-things-january-2020

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guillaumebottazzi · 6 years

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This is your brain on art: A scientist’s lessons on why abstract art makes our brains hurt so good

Kandel’s took a Nobel-winning scientist who specializes in human memory to break new ground in art history

The greatest discoveries in art history, as in so many fields, tend to come from those working outside the box. Interdisciplinary studies break new ground because those steadfastly lashed to a specific field or way of thinking tend to dig deeper into well-trodden earth, whereas a fresh set of eyes, coming from a different school of thought, can look at old problems in new ways. Interviewing Eric Kandel, winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, and reading his latest book, "Reductionism in Art and Brain Science," underscored this point. His new book offers one of the freshest insights into art history in many years. Ironic that it should come not from an art historian, but a neuroscientist specializing in human memory, most famous for his experiments involving giant sea snails. You can’t make this stuff up.

I’ve spent my life looking at art and analyzing it, and I’ve even brought a new discipline’s approach to art history. Because my academic work bridges art history and criminology (being a specialist in art crime), my own out-of-the-box contribution is treating artworks like crime scenes, whodunnits, and police procedurals. I examine Caravaggio’s "Saint Matthew Cycle" as if the three paintings in it are photographs of a crime scene, which we must analyze with as little a priori prejudice, and as much clean logic, as possible. Likewise, in my work deciphering one of most famous puzzle paintings, Bronzino’s "Allegory of Love and Lust," a red herring (Vasari’s description of what centuries of scholars have assumed was this painting, but which Robert Gaston finally recognized was not at all, and had been an impossible handicap in trying to match the painting with Vasari’s clues about another work entirely) had to be cast aside in order for progress to be made.

Ernst Gombrich made waves when he dipped into optics in his book, "Art and Illusion." Freud offered a new analysis of Leonardo. The Copiale cipher, an encoded, illuminated manuscript, was solved by Kevin Knight, a computer scientist and linguist. It takes an outsider to start a revolution. So it is not entirely surprising that a neuroscientist would open this art historian’s eyes, but my mind is officially blown. I feel like a veil has been pulled aside, and for that I am grateful.

Ask your average person walking down the street what sort of art they find more intimidating, or like less, or don’t know what to make of, and they’ll point to abstract or minimalist art. Show them traditional, formal, naturalistic art, like Bellini’s "Sacred Allegory," art which draws from traditional core Western texts (the Bible, apocrypha, mythology) alongside a Mark Rothko or a Jackson Pollock or a Kazimir Malevich, and they’ll retreat into the Bellini, even though it is one of the most puzzling unsolved mysteries of the art world, a riddle of a picture for which not one reasonable solution has ever been put forward. The Pollock, on the other hand, is just a tangle of dripped paint, the Rothko just a color with a bar of another color on top of it, the Malevich is all white.

Kandel’s work explains this in a simple way. In abstract painting, elements are included not as visual reproductions of objects, but as references or clues to how we conceptualize objects. In describing the world they see, abstract artists not only dismantle many of the building blocks of bottom-up visual processing by eliminating perspective and holistic depiction, they also nullify some of the premises on which bottom-up processing is based. We scan an abstract painting for links between line segments, for recognizable contours and objects, but in the most fragmented works, such as those by Rothko, our efforts are thwarted.

Thus the reason abstract art poses such an enormous challenge to the beholder is that it teaches us to look at art — and, in a sense, at the world — in a new way. Abstract art dares our visual system to interpret an image that is fundamentally different from the kind of images our brain has evolved to reconstruct. Kandel describes the difference between “bottom up” and “top down” thinking. This is basic stuff for neuroscience students, but brand new for art historians. Bottom up thinking includes mental processes that are ingrained over centuries: unconsciously making sense of phenomena, like guessing that a light source coming from above us is the sun (since for thousands of years that was the primary light source, and this information is programmed into our very being) or that someone larger must be standing closer to us than someone much smaller, who is therefore in the distance. Top down thinking, on the other hand, is based on our personal experience and knowledge (not ingrained in us as humans with millennia of experiences that have programmed us). Top down thinking is needed to interpret formal, symbol or story-rich art. Abstraction taps bottom-up thinking, requiring little to no a priori knowledge. Kandel is not the first to make this point. Henri Matisse said, “We are closer to attaining cheerful serenity by simplifying thoughts and figures. Simplifying the idea to achieve an expression of joy. That is our only deed [as artists].” But it helps to have a renowned scientist, who is also a clear writer and passionate art lover, convert the ideas of one field into the understanding of another. The shock for me is that abstraction should really be less intimidating, as it requires no advanced degrees and no reading of hundreds of pages of source material to understand and enjoy. And yet the general public, at least, finds abstraction and minimalism intimidating, quick to dismiss it with “oh, I could do that” or “that’s not art.” We are simply used to formal art; we expect it, and also do not necessarily expect to “understand it” in an interpretive sense. Our reactions are aesthetic, evaluating just two of the three Aristotelian prerequisites for art to be great: it demonstrates skill and it may be beautiful, but we will often skip the question of whether it is interesting, as that question requires knowledge we might not possess.

We might think that “reading” formal paintings, particularly those packed with symbols or showing esoteric mythological scenes, are what require active problem-solving. At an advanced academic level, they certainly do (I racked my brain for years over that Bronzino painting). But at any less-scholarly level, for most museum-goers, this is not the case. Looking at formal art is actually a form of passive narrative reading, because the artist has given us everything our brain expects and knows automatically how to handle. It looks like real life.

But the mind-bending point that Kandel makes is that abstract art, which strips away the narrative, the real-life, expected visuals, requires active problem-solving. We instinctively search for patterns, recognizable shapes, formal figures within the abstraction. We want to impose a rational explanation onto the work, and abstract and minimalist art resists this. It makes our brains work in a different, harder, way at a subconscious level. Though we don’t articulate it as such, perhaps that is why people find abstract art more intimidating, and are hastier to dismiss it. It requires their brains to function in a different, less comfortable, more puzzled way. More puzzled even than when looking at a formal, puzzle painting.

Kandel told The Wall Street Journal that the connection between abstract art and neuroscience is about reductionism, a term in science for simplifying a problem as much as possible to make it easier to tackle and solve. This is why he studied giant sea snails to understand the human brain. Sea snails have just 20,000 neurons in their brains, whereas humans have billions. The simpler organism was easier to study and those results could be applied to humans.

“This is reductionism,” he said, “to take a complex problem and select a central, but limited, component that you can study in depth. Rothko — only color. And yet the power it conveys is fantastic. Jackson Pollock got rid of all form.”

In fact, some of the best abstract artists began in a more formal style, and peeled the form away. Turner, Mondrian and Brancusi, for instance, have early works in a quite realistic style. They gradually eroded the naturalism of their works, Mondrian for instance painting trees that look like trees early on, before abstracting his paintings into a tangle of branches, and then a tangle of lines and then just a few lines that, to him, still evoke tree-ness. It’s like boiling away apple juice, getting rid of the excess water, to end up with an apple concentrate, the ultimate essence of apple-ness. We like to think of abstraction as a 20th century phenomenon, a reaction to the invention of photography. Painting and sculpture no longer had to fulfill the role of record of events, likenesses and people — photography could do that. So painting and sculpture was suddenly free to do other things, things photography couldn’t do as well. Things like abstraction. But that’s not the whole story. A look at ancient art finds it full of abstraction. Most art history books, if they go back far enough, begin with Cycladic figurines (dated to 3300-1100 BC). Abstracted, ghost-like, sort-of-human forms. Even on cave walls, a few lines suggest an animal, or a constellation of blown hand-prints float on a wall in absolute darkness.

Abstract art is where we began, and where we have returned. It makes our brains hurt, but in all the right ways, for abstract art forces us to see, and think, differently.

#art #contemporary art #artcontemporain

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