#gosh what a cool little part of the ecosystem

[doctorstarlock]

In northern Turkey, water buffalo roam the wetlands & pick up frogs. Clever marsh frogs figured out that the hairy beasts attract flies, so they jump onto their backs to hunt down bugs. Researchers visited the Kizilirmak Delta near the Black Sea in 2012. Within a week, they recorded 10 individual buffalo carrying teams of frogs, each group numbering up to 27.

Hey anon have you seen pictures because they are simply DELIGHTFUL

#gosh what a cool little part of the ecosystem #thanks anon! #frog anon #frog facts #frogs #turkey #asks #these frog asks make my day!

[captain-of-the-historicfuture]

~hello~ !! For the meta asks!: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, and 25 :))

Hello!! Thank you for sending these; I was really excited to see that ask game and I was hoping somebody would send some in. It still took me a while to actually answer them though, and for that I apologise. But without further ado! Some meta answers (under the cut because they ended up being fairly long, whoops):

3. What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (Consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway.)

I thought of a few examples, but they could basically be grouped together under a common theme: whumpy/angsty scenes that were self-indulgent as all heck. The whole self-indulgent aspect often required the characters to be just the teeniest, tiniest bit OOC and/or necessitated rather unrealistic plot circumstances. So it was simply easier to keep such scenes as maladaptive daydreams, rather than trying to think of explanations for the character/plot issues…or exposing myself to judgement for them LOL.

Receiving permission to write/share one such scene anyway is an opportunity I can’t let slip by though. It might be because I’m writing this while running on zero (0) hours of sleep—let’s hear it for insomnia, y’all!—but I suddenly couldn’t remember any of my newer ideas under this category. However, I did recall a one-shot I had started writing a couple of months ago that sort of counts? “Sort of” because I could actually be arsed to write it since I was, ya know, writing it. Only got about six hundred words down though.

…should I share those six hundred words…?

………nahhh. I don’t think I’m quite ready for that yet.

But here’s the gist of it: Coulson and May (because of course it’s Philinda) were married for quite some time before the Attack on New York. But then Coulson DiedTM and then got ResurrectedTM. But gasp of horror, he had to lose his memories of his romantic relationship with May because reasons. (I actually did have some ideas for those reasons but sshhhh this is about me yeeting context and setup.)

The first half of S1 still happens as normal (except MayWard doesn’t happen because??? Vows) and it’s now post-E20 “Nothing Personal”. The morning after (or a morning soon after, whatever) the T.A.H.I.T.I. reveal! May’s mom—who doesn’t know about GH.325 and whom May fed a cover story about Coulson divorcing her or something equally as oof, IDK—shows up at the hotel and starts ripping into Coulson for breaking her daughter’s heart, then dragging her back into the field with her ex-husband (him), then accusing her of terrible things and forcing her away again.

Poor guy’s confused as heck, and so is the team, and soon enough so is Lian. The only one who understands what’s going on is May, and she’s freaking dying off to the side like why is this happening to me and eventually everybody’s like! Explain??? (Was thinking about including something from Coulson like, “Are you still keeping things from me?” Just for that extra smidge of angst, yay!)

So yeah then May gives a, like, two-sentence debriefing that elicits more questions than answers. Coulson decides to take May aside and they have a heart-to-heart. Lots of feelings and angst and hurt/comfort and at some point plenty of kissing too. Just! May hiding her feelings for Coulson’s sake but really magnified, plus some actual apologies and consideration of the grief May’s been through on Coulson’s part.

And uhh yeah that’s basically it I dunno hdsjncjshd. I warned y’all it’s OOC, plot-bendy, and very self-indulgent!

6. What character do you have the most fun writing?

I don’t think I could name a single character for this. I get different things out of taking on different voices, you know? I guess recently I’ve found myself gravitating towards more taciturn and introspective points of view, like JQ from my original novel Rosewood or M. Yisbon from my…other original novel Temple.

Generally, however, I like tackling stories from an outsider’s perspective. That’s why I so rarely write my more “substantial” (serious? demanding? for lack of better words?) projects from the PoV of my “preferred” character. This usually means writing from their love interest’s perspective, but not always. With shorter fanfic, using a more removed/unconventional/niche PoV can be really fun. Like, I once wrote a canon compliant ficlet purely(-ish) about Philinda from Tony Stark’s perspective. That isn’t always sustainable with stories that demand more character development or closer character studies, however, which is why it’s a good thing I like writing drabbles!

9. Are you more of a drabble or a longfic kind of writer? Pantser or plotter? Do you wish you were the other?

My word counts tend to run long, but I usually only write one-shots for fanfic. If I’m even inspired with a novella- or novel-length story idea for a fandom, you already know I’m in deep with them. And if I actually find the motivation to plan and execute that idea? Dangg. That’s only ever happened…twice, maybe thrice, and I’m in a lot of fandoms.

At times, I wish I could go for more of a middle ground ’cause, like, you know what I love to see? An AO3 dashboard with several completed novellas for my ship/character of choice. I mean yes, I hecking love >90k fics, but sometimes I’m in the mood for quick reads…and what am I supposed to do when I burn through all the drabbles and 2k one-shots? (Besides despair and/or reread my faves desperately.) Novellas are basically always safe for me LOL, and I’d hope to be able to give as much as I take.

Ultimately though, I think I’m okay with where I am with regards to that. I wish I could write more in general, but I’d be okay with “writing more” just meaning “writing more one-shots”, ya know? More than okay, really. I have mad respect for fic writers who have, like, a hundred or more one-shots under their belt for this one ship. The fandom ecosystem would be incomplete without them (as well as every other type of writer, but sshhh that’s the type of writer I’m closest to being right now).

I’m definitely a plotter, and I definitely prefer it that way. It’s cool having such a detailed record of my process. I like feeling like a frazzled genius on the brink of a major discovery with all of my different outlines and colour coding and many drafts and various websites.

12. Do you want your writing to be famous?

Not exactly. It might be cool if my original works were recognisable in the world, but I don’t think I’d want to be recognisable. As for fanfic, I’d low-key enjoy gaining a place in that fandom’s community as a fic writer. Like someone who gave and got fic gifts from fic writer friends, who participated in challenges and GCs, who received writing prompts on Tumblr, whose name was known for doing a certain trope/genre a bunch of times… Ya know what I mean?

Unlikely to happen when I’m so hecking hesitant to publicly (i.e., outside of AO3) claim credit for my writing, but fjnskfsjhfjs. A writer can dream, right?

15. Which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)?

Of those three, tags are the easiest for me, for I have a reliable system for figuring out those.

Next easiest would probably be titles. For fanfiction, I like to use titles that are a quote from the source material. You should have seen all of my old Hamilton fanfic… I was really proud of some of those titles. And I don’t mean, like, whole lines—usually only two to five words. It’s a unique type of wordplay that I just love dabbling in.

And lastly, summaries. Sometimes inspiration strikes me and a snappy and intriguing synopsis just jumps out—one that I’m quietly pleased with—but most of the time I’ll spend way too long trying to think of such a synopsis and eventually just go with whatever I’d come up with so far. And live with my quiet dissatisfaction for the rest of time.

18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (Plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations...?) Tell us about them!

Typically, no. If I have deleted scenes, I save and publish them separately, but that’s about it. I sometimes think of AUs for my own work and might talk about them in my author’s notes—might even talk about writing them—but I never really do anything with them.

Although…

It’s not uncommon for me to decide a plotline isn’t working for a certain story or to think of an interesting but undoable arc for a certain character, but what I’ll do is make a whole new story for those ideas. Once I’m done developing the original idea and the branched-off one, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell they grew from the same roots. Does that count?

21. What other medium do you think your story would work well as (film, webcomic, animated series, etc.)?

That depends on the story. I’ve actually written stories in other mediums—movie screenplay, musical stageplay, poetry, TV show scripts, play scripts, roleplay—but the novel does tend to be my comfort zone. Sometimes, if I have an idea that I think could work, or would even work better, as another medium, I’ll label it as such in my folder of ideas and decide not to write it as a novel.

Most of the time, my non-book projects are collaborations. I’m working with five different people on six different story ideas: two webcomics, one stage musical, one anime, and two animated TV shows. Little concrete progress has been made in any of those, mind you, but they’re still fun to discuss!

24. Would you say your writing has changed over time?

Absolutely. But I’ve been writing stories since I was five years old, so we would hope so, huh?

I wouldn’t say my writing’s changed completely, though maybe that’s just my insider’s perspective.

25. What part of writing is the most fun?

Oh gosh, I can’t believe you’d make me choose. Writing is just such a wonderful experience for me; I love just about everything to do with it. Admittedly, not all the time, but. Since that barely qualifies as an answer, however, I’ll give you this—

The endings. Not only that intense feeling of rightness when you wrap up that last sentence, but also the moments before. The adrenaline of knowing you’re almost there but you gotta push just a bit more to actually get there. And also the part right after—the real wrap-up, honestly: the revision and the editing. Heavens, I love revising and editing my work.

Which is not to say I don’t like writing it out for the first time, too—there’s nothing quite like seeing your cursor scroll to the next page, like going from a blank expanse to a Oh man, how many more lines are even going to fit on this page?, like watching that page counter tick up another number. However, there’s something cathartic about finally ironing out those problems I had to force myself to stop worrying about earlier because “just finish the first draft dangit”.

I guess that’s not really the end of the writing process, but whatever. Close enough (as fic writers are wont to say).

Another thank-you for these asks, and feel free to come back with more at any time! ;P

Send in fun meta asks for your friendly neighbourhood writer!

#thou canst not then be false to any man #ask game #invictusmaneo #to write and read comes by nature

[star-villager]

Ezra: Month 1 of Animal Crossing New Horizons!

Hello all! I’m here to tell my journey of the first month of New Horizons on Cillia Island!

There’ll be lots of pictures! I hope you enjoy! Future updates will probably be daily because this is... long at first... but I promise it slows down!

This post covers 32 days (skipping a few). It is indented to be a fun, long, read! I’ll say it’s a 10-15 minute read just to be on the longer side!

-Ezra; Island Resident Representative; Local Island Decorator; Mayor of Cillia (if it had a mayor hehe!)

Thursday, March 19th, 4pm -7GMT. The virus is present, but just starting. I have been home for not even 24 hours of my job that was supposed to keep me out of town all March. I make a phone call to a local Gamestop, asking if they’re still open, and how the midnight release of Animal Crossing is going to work. The worker tells me I can go pick it up right then, because they’re going to be closing early and had JUST gotten a phone call from corporate that they could give it out early - you can assume what I did /immediately/ after lol.

~~~

Starting was incredibly easy! I’ve had my dead name as my New Leaf Mayor forever, and I loved that city name so Ezra and Cillia it was! And we began! My starting villagers were Cherry and Roald with Cherry Trees (fitting!), and I said I wasn’t gonna restart no matter what... so here we go!

I picked a town that had a West Beach River Mouth as well as a South River Mouth - which matched my town in New Leaf! (The south exit, and the flow of the river - but the west exit would be where my original upper waterfall was so the shape was the same). Picked northern hemisphere (where I am). And placed my house right in a river bend (with the initial plan to section me off into my own island within an island!). Cherry and Roald’s homes were placed along the west-running river right at the top, with not much effort or forethought. Not that it was a bad thing! I knew they wouldn’t be permanent villagers, but wanted to give them some beautiful scenery while they were here.

I can definitely tell that I’m still acting and thinking like a mayor even thought I’m only an island rep. ... this doesn’t change bwahaha!

Day 1 March 19th, was all setup and prep for our REAL day 1! Blathers already was about to have a decent encyclopedia, and I was getting nook miles left and right - already expecting a house instead of a tent the next day. I wasn’t too surprised, I’ve done this song and dance before, and I’m just here to have a great time in my island paradise! Getting Blathers was definitely my highest priority!

Day 2 March 20th, was... difficult... giving 15 things to Blathers one at a time and finding 30 iron for the Nooklings was excruciating lol - but getting fossils and a pole vault to absolutely DECIMATE the weed ecosystem filled me with a glee that I’m sure you can understand. I managed to upgrade my house, get Blathers and Nooks Cranny all in one day *whew*. Now, time to have some fun!

I build my first QR code which was a cool outfit I called PRIDE Coat! It is a black coat with drawstrings and pockets on the front - a lil’ trans flag on the left arm, a bi flag on the right arm, and my (pretty decent!) attempt at a rainbow of paint (in the gay flag colors) falling down my back! And I made an Iwatobi Swim Club Beanie to match the one I wear every day!!

I then played with my Passport a bit to have my title be “Future Fish” which is Free! Eternal Summer (the second season’s) Ending Song!!!! Which I thought was SUPER cute and VERY me. (It’s my second fave anime. I plan on making a Reigisa outfit in the future!!).

Already by the end of Day 2 I had my hair customization options, the tool wheel, and the DIY that I needed to buy. Everything Nook was offering I managed to get my grubby little day 2 hands on! So you KNOW my hair went to pink pigtails IMMEDIATELY. And took /many/ photos. But since my outfits are all the same just imagine the ones you just saw but with pink instead of blonde!

With that it was time to get my 3 villagers that would accompany Cherry and Roald (This correlates to getting the iron for Nooklings!) I wanted to grab the first 3 villagers that I saw just to try some new friends this go around - as I had already planned on making my New Leaf family my permies! So my first three were Ketchup (nice!), Hornsby (Aww!!), and... GALA!?!?

Well how convenient! That was one permie immediately out of the way!! Welcome back, Gala!!! So excited to have you on the island!

Then I caught an Oarfish and saw *GASP* WISP!!!! To which, I immediately ran up to him and demanded he bring my girlfriend, Cece the Squirrel, to the island. He, instead, got spooked, had me collect his spirit, and offered me items. *sigh* Ok - can’t get Cece that way - so I decided to sleep!

How naive I was...

Day 3 March 21st, was both good and bad! I had access to Nooklings, but that was about it. Blathers was getting a crowded amount of critters outside his roped off building, but it would be all worth it, tomorrow. But!! I found my first spider island! Which I sold off to Nooklings and happily went to sleep!

Day 4 March 22nd, had SO MUCH to offer! Blathers, Daisy Mae, Harvy, WHEW. Pretty sure I had a visit from Gulliver either today or yesterday, too! Nothing could POSSIBLY ruin this day!!

Oh how wrong.

How so terribly wrong I was.

Animal Crossing New Horizons is an incredible game that lets you invite so many villagers to your island!

All of them. But 14.  

14 Villagers from New Leaf are not available. The Sanrio Characters. And the Amiibo Characters.

No Felyne. No Ganon, Epona, Medli, or W. Link. No Viche or Inkwell. No Rilla, Chai, Morty, or Etoille.

No Toby.

No Chelsea.

...

No Cece.

...

To say that I was devastated would be an understatement. I was absolutely crushed. Not only were 3 of my permies out, but the one villager I couldn’t live without, wasn’t allowed in the game. She didn’t even get a poster.

So I did what any crushed lover would do, and made a memoir to her.

And it started raining. Poetic. (I was only cheered up slightly when I got to catch a Coelacanth!) I didn’t do this until much later (April 4th) but for the sake of not talking about her too much, I would open New Leaf and wrote her a goodbye love letter, which, honestly, makes me tear up whenever I read it.

And I went to sleep.

I have nothing for Day 5 other than scanning all my amiibo cards for the POSTERS which are UNDOUBTEDLY my FAVORITE new feature in the game!!

Day 6, March 24th, GALA MOVED IN! I was so excited, and it was definitely needed. My best friend also came over and we goofed off and we met each other’s villagers! Then I went to an island tour and got A PANSY HYBRID ISLAND!!!! OOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! I went crazy. Absolutely destroyed that ecosystem. I went full feral. MINE. ALL MINE!!!

And I caught my first Sturgeon!! Which was awesome because I only had the rare fish left in my March collection! Trying to get a Golden Trout, I made many many fish bait, and got the 200 clam achievement! Which was exciting because that unlocked “Mermaid” for titles!! I doubt I’ll change from Future Fish, but Mermaid would be a second pick!

For Day 7 I went to a good friend’s village and desperately tried to make Chiyuki Fujito’s blue dress from Runway de Waratte... it didn’t work... but I like the attempt! (Will send pics in messenger if you’re curious!).

Day 8, March 26th, was the day ISABELLE WAS HERE!!! Welcome to your island paradise, QUEEN. I definitely dressed for the part ;)

This, of course, opened up tunes and flag options! Flag was incredibly easy. It’s going to stay my picture of Cece until she’s added back into the game (which will probably be never, so...)

The tunes was much harder for me. But since I couldn’t think of anything else I made it “SO. NO. CHI. NO. SA. DA. ME.” from the first Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Opening (which is, ironically, what is playing as I type this... SO NO CHI NO SA DA ME <- was written in time with the music playing. Incredible.) It’s definitely not going to be that forever, but for now it makes me giggle!

Nothing for Day 9 except for a SICK tarantula island :) love those furry babes! I also built my campsite! Tomorrow was going to be big!! Who on Earth was going to move in!?

Day 10, March 28th, now, I have what I like to call “chaotic luck”. I’ll catch the bus, but my gosh did I almost miss it. I was absolutely positive I failed that test, and I did, but the question I messed up doesn’t count and I passed! Cece isn’t in the game but do you know who’s at my campsite??

OFFICE

HETEROCHROMIA

TSUNDERE

TRANS

CAT

EXTRAORDINAIRE

RAAAAAAAAAAAYMOND!!!!

Can you even imagine my face??? Can you IMAGINE the jaw drop??  I moved him next to me IMMEDIATELY.

Day 12, March 30th, I saw kicks for the first time!!! Love that funky newsie skunk!

Day 13, March 31st, I saw Flick for the first time!!! Went on a mad tarantula hunt and made BANK. Fun story, I thought both Flick and C.J. were girls, so when I learned Flick was a boy I was really upset because I thought a canon gay ship was now straight, but WHOOPS they’re BOTH boys! 😎 Nice.

I also saw Celeste for the first time!!! Gosh how I missed her!! I actually sat and got all 200 stars in one night, just because of how much I like wishing on falling stars!!!

Day 14, April 1st, The Nightmare Begins. Love him or Hate him, Zipper was here. I won’t go on about the eggs. Everyone talks about the eggs. They sucked, fishing was a nightmare, not a big fan. I would end up not getting all the sakura DIYs which was very upsetting (but I’ll just get them next year). In INCREDIBLE news I got a golden trout!!! Which was the last thing I needed in my March encyclopedia - and it was on to April hunting! Every night thing I could get, I did! So I decided to set up my last 4 houses, and focus on getting K.K. Slider finally to my island!

The first house sold naturally to Pecan! NICE! I love squirrels so much! She was very welcome!

Day 15, April 2nd, in the interest in getting new villagers, I went on a tour and there she was: MERENGUE! She’s, truthfully, not a favorite of mine. She’s SO cute, but not someone I wanted permanently. However, she’s my other best friend’s FAVORITE and she doesn’t have a switch. So, there was NO WAY I wasn’t taking Merengue onto my island. I haven’t sent my friend pics, yet, but I hope I can soon!! She’s gonna be so happy!

Today was the first day I met C.J. which... stunning. Absolutely jaw dropping. I’m SMITTEN with a TAKEN BEAVER. He calls me fashionista. Asks about my anglersona. Takes selfies of/with me. He’s truly the ideal. I’d invite him back any day!

Over the next 3 days, Freya and Bruce move in as my last 2 villagers giving us a grand starting total of: Cherry, Roald, Ketchup, Hornsby, Gala, Raymond, Pecan, Merengue, Freya, and Bruce! Not bad not bad!

Day 19, April 6th, THE BEST GIRL IS HEEERE. LABEL CAME TO MY TOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME. I might have cried, honestly. I cannot believe someone that incredible would want to come to my island. She asked for me to give her an official look. Are you kidding me? Easy breezy. For my perfect outfit she rewarded me a Label Hat. Oh? DESIGNER? I was awestruck. The design was IMPECCABLE. The flavor was IMMACULATE.

One of my villagers also happened to gift me a Pink SPRITE COSTUME??? I, honestly, have never been more in love with an outfit in my entire life??? A pink Peter Pan outfit??? LEGENDARY.

Day 20, April 7th, I don’t quite remember what day K.K. Slider visited the island when I hit my 3 star rating - so we’ll say it was today lol. That meant ISLAND EDITING, but I didn’t know what to do, yet, so I didn’t worry too much about it!

Label’s hat came in MORE COLORS in the store today. YOU BET I bought all of them. The talent. But this meant that I had a pink hat to match my pink sprite costume and you bet I was LIVING my best life. I had also finished the Anklyosaurus which is my FAVORITE dinosaur so I was LIVING it up.

Later, Ketchup would approach me and ask to move. I was happy for her to explore new lands and bid her farewell, and gave her a sweet goodbye. With that, it was hunting time, and I found the perfect villager that would set everything in motion.

Day 22, April 9th, Label VISITS AGAIN!!!!!! Unfortunately, she asked for a sporty look, which I couldn’t pull off perfectly :/ So no new item from her... but my OUTFIT WAS FIRE AND WE WERE MAD CUTE TOGETHER.

Day 23, April 10th, the villager has moved in, the cryptid gyroid herself, COCO!!!

And her moving in gave me a BRILLIANT idea. I’d like to keep it under wraps for now, but I’m so, so, SO happy she’s here!

Day 24, April 11th, The Fishing Tourney. The Summer tourney will be significantly easier for me, now that I know you can double your points by fishing with someone else, but it took me HOURS to collect all the clams and get to 300 points. It wasn’t really worth it, but I love fish so much so I wasn’t going to miss a SINGLE thing. I got that gold trophy and I’m SO proud of myself.

Also my fishing outfit could slay for MILES

Straight Fire.

Day 25, April 12th, With a golden trophy in hand and the last day of eggies, I was feeling really confident. I had the means and the idea to change cliffs + water for a couple days and just... made what my brain came up with! I’ll keep this vague for now, because I’m really excited about the final results! Just know that everyday I edit a little bit more and come up with more ideas!

Day 26, April 13th, Happy Homestuck, Neil Bangs out the Tunes, and Thomas Sanders goes to the Wedding Day!! And it did NOT disappoint. Label for A 3RD TIME!!! She must like me as much as I like her >w<!! Today she gave out her cap!!! It’s, honestly, not my thing, I’d rather stick with the brim hats, but I do think they’re cute!! So I would buy them all the next day! The Able Sister’s haul on Day 27 was oh my gosh amazing!!! They had the cap, of course, but they also had THE OTHER SPRITE COSTUMES!! Which I bought all of them. And now I wear, near exclusively, this outfit in 5 different colors bwahaha!

Day 30, April 17th, I got my first golden item!!! The slingshot! Nice! Over the past few days, I’ve just been designing, moving houses, and building ramps! Learning new myth debunks, stuff like that!

I was also blessed with 3 encounters :OOOO I didn’t know this was even POSSIBLE!?

Day 31, April 18th, Disaster Strikes. I’ve been moving so many homes that I didn’t consider that a villager couldn’t move in because you were already doing a home thing for the day. So when I went to invite camper Gonzo to my town he declined!? I was devastated. He was SO cute and I thought he could move into Bruce’s house to keep the peace of personalities! I think he’s someone in the future who I’ll ask for a poster of or ask for an amiibo card of! I know I’m going to check the campsite first before moving any buildings from here on out! D’:

And that brings us to today,

Day 32, April 19th, one month from the day I started. I’ve been having the TIME of my life! There’s definitely been some ups and downs, but I have a goal in mind and it’s keeping me so focused! I organized an entire flower field today!! Due to a turnip mishap, I happen to be 2 days ahead of everyone, but I have been good about time traveling other than that. This means that I am fortunate enough to get my Nooklings upgrade 2 days early and they’ll be open tomorrow!!! I’m... I’m so excited!!! I NEED more flower seeds!!!!!!!

The future looks incredibly bright on Cillia island, and I cannot wait to hear about everyone else’s month!!

Thank you for your time. Please enjoy these random favorite photos of mine!

#Animal Crossing #ACNH #My Post #Cillia #Town of Cillia #Ezra #Island Rep Ezra #Mayor Ezra #Star-Villager #LONG #LONG POST #Animal Crossing New Horizons #Pictures #Photos #New Horizons

[unassumingvenusaur]

c-s hinata & leo support

this support was basically the result of looking at hinatas nohrian festival dlc conversations and the fact that hisame was supposed to be his little twin brother at first and going “he would want to be everyones big brother” and also looking at leos supports and saying “hes so smooth but theres gotta be someone who can sweep him off his feet and turn him into a tomato”

C SUPPORT Leo: (If the archers are positioned in such a way, it’ll be hard to attack the, at all… they cover each other’s weak spots-) Hinata: LORD LEO! Leo: Y-yes!? Leo: You’re Prince Takumi’s retainer, Hinata. Is he calling for me? Hinata: Nah, I just wanted to give you something! Hinata: You read a ton, and I was passing by the bookstore after a grabbing a bite. Hinata: And the saleswoman had this super awesome book on historic battles! I thought you’d like it, so here it is! Leo: … Hinata: Do you like it?! Leo: (pained expression) Hinata. Leo: That is a children’s book. Hinata: What?! But there’s a picture of this huge, totally intimidating knight on it! Leo: The title is “My Daddy is a Knight”. It’s a propaganda piece meant to encourage children to want to take up arms for the glory of Nohr. Hinata: Aw man, I knew I was bad with Nohrian, but this is… really bad. Hinata: Don’t worry, Lord Leo! I’ll be better next time! Leo: Next ti-? (Hinata disappears) Leo: Why did you even want to do this in the first place…?

B SUPPORT (Leo alone) Leo: The nerve of them…! Leo: An attempt on my life, and such a blatant one at that, will not be forgiven. When I find the traitor in the army, there’ll be nothing but- Hinata: You okay, Lord Leo? You’re looking pretty steamed. Leo: I’m to dispose of a poisonous substance that was left at my door this morning. Hinata: Gosh, someone tried to poison you?! That’s terrible! That’s- Hinata: Hey, that’s my lollipop! Leo: Explain. Now. Hinata: See, I was trying to figure out where I went wrong with the book. And I admit, I don’t know much about Nohr at all. Can’t read a lick of Nohrian, and this war’s the first time there are Nohrians I’m not kicking the snot out of. Hinata: So I thought that I gotta understand more about the place you come from, and what better way to do that than with food? No one hates sweets! Sugar brings a smile to even the grumpiest of guys! Leo: That still doesn’t explain this… creation. Hinata: Well it’d be dumb if I charged right into it if I didn’t know what I was doing, right? Hinata: So I asked Felicia for help. Leo: (Oh gods.) Hinata: (smile) She was really good, too! We melted sugar in the oven until it was all goopy! Hinata: Of course, Lady Hinoka had to put out the fire after that, but we figured out how to use Felicia’s powers to freeze the goop so we could take it out. Hinata: (frown) But then Lady Hinoka had to get the oven out of the block of ice… Leo: (There is no way this is meant for human consumption! It’s not meant for consumption at all!) Leo: (Maybe I can just refuse.) Leo: (wince) (But then he would just trail after me like a heartbroken puppy…) Hinata: We kind of screwed up with the recipe, though. We accidentally turned salt into goop instead of sugar. And Lady Hinoka banned us from the kitchen. Leo: (And there’s no way I can accept, because Hinata would want to see my reaction to his gift…) Hinata: Luckily, Rinkah was training nearby! She was so hot, we just held a frying pan full of sugar behind her and it melted! Leo: (No… the two choices laid before me both lead to undesirable outcomes…) Hinata: But she got mad at us for interrupting her training so we left. Leo: (But there has to be a way out. A third, unconventional choice!) Hinata: And then Setsuna said we needed to consider what you like and stuff. She helped us find a tomato to add to the mix. Hinata: Keaton helped too! Not sure what he did, but it turned a cool purple after, just like those Nohrian banners! Leo: (smirk) (I know just what to do.) Hinata: We wrapped it up in a bag and left it at your door, and that’s how we got here. Leo: That’s quite a story. Leo: I apologize for having mistaken your gift for an assassination attempt. Hinata: No problem! Hinata: I shoulda considered that royalty are careful about what they eat cuz of that. Leo: I appreciate the thought, but I’ve just eaten. Leo: I’ll keep it until i feel hungry again, alright? Hinata: Sure! Tell me what you think after, Lord Leo! Leo: (wince) Of course… Hinata: Woohoo! I gotta tell the others! They’ll be so thrilled to hear that you liked it! Leo: Don’t let me keep you. Hinata: See ya later, Lord Leo! Leo: Goodbye. (Hinata disappears.) Leo: (Maybe I could throw it into the nearest body of water.) Leo: (But then it would pollute the ecosystem…)

A SUPPORT Leo: Hinata. Hinata: Woah, hey Lord Leo! Nice to see you! Leo: I’ve been meaning to ask… Leo: Why do you insist on giving me gifts at all? Leo: And are you so casual that you treat every member of the royal member like this? Hinata: But I call you Lord Leo! And Princess Elise is Lady Elise and Prince Xander is Lord Xander and I think Lady Camilla wants to kill me… Hinata: Which sucks, because I wanna treat you like a little brother too! Leo: P-pardon? Hinata: I’m jealous! You guys are so close and stuff! Hinata: Me and my little brother were never like that. Hisashi was always going “you’re only older by three minutes, stop treating me like a child,” or “stop ruffling my hair, you oaf!” or “if you have time to goof off, you have time to train!”. Leo: So you seek to use me as a replacement. Hinata: No, no, that’s not it at all! Hinata: You guys are totally different! You’re smart and strong and composed, and when I see you, I just wanna hug you and tell you that I’m proud of you! Hinata: You do so much more compared to me, with the strategies and fighting and royal stuff, and all I can say is “wow!” Leo: Don’t downplay your own contributions. Your devotion to training and protecting your liege is admirable in its own right. Hinata: Aw shucks! That’s so nice of you! Leo: If you ruffle my hair, my headband will be dislodged! S-stop! Hinata: Sorry, milord! Couldn’t help it! Leo: I have enough older siblings to last a lifetime. I’ve no need for anymore. Hinata: (frown) Awww…. Leo: (smile) But, I suppose I have enough room in my life for a friend. Hinata: (THE BIG GRIN) WOO! Leo: H-Hinata…. if you hug me so tightly… I can’t breathe….!

S SUPPORT Hoshidan woman: This tome was said to belong to an ancient, honorable line of mages throughout history. It’s said that, in the right hands, it would be as powerful as the legendary Linde’s Aura spell! Hinata: Wow! That sounds- (Leo replaces Hinata) Leo: -entirely fabricated. Leo: For an ancient tome, it shows remarkably little wear and tear. In fact, a seasoned magic-user would say that it’s nothing more than a run-of-the-mill Fire spell. Hoshidan woman: Urk-! Well, you see- Leo: There’s no point in trying to keep up the ruse. We’re done here, anyways. (Hinata replaces npc) Hinata: Yeah, let’s go to the next store! (scene transition) Leo: What is the purpose of this excursion, anyways? We’ve been going around for an hour, and all you seem to do is get duped by shopkeepers. Hinata: I found out from Jakob that you threw out the lollipop. Leo: (sweat) O-oh? Hinata: And I thought,“man, Hinata, how come you keep screwing up when it comes to Lord Leo?” Hinata: It seemed like every time I tried to do something for you, I’d find a way to mess it up. Hinata: So I brought you along! That way you can tell me what you want me to get! Leo: There’s no need for you to buy me anything! You don’t need to lavish so much attention on me… Hinata: Yeah, but I like spending time with you! Spoiling you is one of the best things ever! Leo: (blushing glare) (G-gods, how can he just say that so casually?) Leo: (blushing wince) (It makes it impossible to be certain of his true feelings!) (Nohrian woman replaces Hinata) NPC: Flowers! Get your fresh-picked flowers, cheap as the dirt they grew in! Leo: (Stay focused! You had a plan, remember?! You asked Camilla and Elise and Avatar for help, even Prince Takumi!) Leo: (blushing wince with sweat) (Though…. he started choking on his spit when I asked…) (Hinata replaces Leo) Hinata: Ooooh! I’ll get some! NPC: Right this way, then! (They both disappear, and Leo shows up again) Leo: (Xander’s retainer even had the courtesy of showing you what NOT to do. Just stick to the-) Hinata: Lord Leo! Leo: Gah! Hinata: Woah, sorry for scaring you! Leo: I’m not sca- Leo: What. Are. You. Holding. Hinata: Roses! Aren’t they so pretty? The nice lady over there sold them to me! Leo: They do not mean friendship! Or brotherhood! Or pride, or companionship, or anything that conniving woman told you! Leo: And didn’t we agree that you weren’t going to go of on your own and buy every single thing a cute girl told you to?! Otherwise you’d lose your wallet to every female store owner in the market! Hinata: But I wanted this to be a surprise… Leo: You wanted to surprise me. With red roses. Hinata: Yeah. Leo: Do you even know what they mean?! Hinata: Obviously. There’s a limit to how stupid someone can be. Hinata: (blushing wink) Red roses mean love. Nine of them mean you want to be with someone forever. Leo: W-wh- Hinata: I want to be with you, Lord Leo! I want to protect you and hold you close and tell you everyday that I love you! Hinata: I want to be strong enough to beat everyone who hurts you, and I want to make you happy! Hinata: I might keep screwing up now, but just you wait! I’ll sweep you off your feet! Leo: You already did. Hinata: Huh?! Leo: I have no need for any gifts, because… because spending time with you is enough to make me happy. Hinata: Even though I can’t read Nohrian, or cook the food you like, or act formally around people higher than me on the social ladder? Leo: Even so, I want to be with you. Leo: Your flaws are part of you, and I’d have you no other way. Hinata: Woah! I didn’t have to work for it at all! Leo: (smile) You didn’t. Leo: Hinata, would you do me the honour of accepting this ring? As a sign that, no matter what may come, we’ll be by each other’s side? Hinata: Duh! Why in the world would I say no?! (Hinata and Leo disappear, Hoshidan woman appears) NPC: Finally…! I thought that samurai would buy half my stock, trying to find the perfect gift for the “best man in the world”!

#submission #parry answers #gay fates #leo #hinata #aaaa this is so adorable #hinata is such a good boy #he tries so hard & i can see why leo is utterly charmed by him <3 #this is such a cute fluffy support #thank you so much!

[vorthosjay]

Let’s Talk About Pride of the Kraul

I wasn’t sure I was going to talk about today’s story, Pride of the Kraul, by Alison Luhrs, but it turns out, it’s super important to understanding what’s happening back on Ravnica. AND I HAVE QUESTIONS.

Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest by Matthias Kollros

Sobeslav, assistant to Guildmaster Jarad, sat cushioned in the comfort of the Guildhall. His desk attached to that of Jarad vod Savo, who could usually be found wandering the maze outside, avoiding the gaze of the public. Liches were not the social type.

Jarad is a major character in the original Ravnica cycle. He helps overthrow the former leaders of the Golgari, and has a quarter-human son, Myc, who last we saw decided to live with his lich dad. The reason Jarad is a lich? He sacrificed his life for his son. Don’t you ever disrepect good dad Jarad. Oh, and that quarter-human piece? The boy’s grandfather was Agrus Kos’ partner before Feather.

He’s one of the few relatively major Ravnica cycle characters who hasn’t seen a card yet, along with Feather and Pivlic. He’d be perfect for an elf tribal commander, given his parentage would put him in White-Green-Black.

HINT HINT WIZARDS, HINT HINT. Print a Myc, plz.

The kraul are an insectoid race loyal to the Golgari of Ravnica. They declared allegiance only recently after centuries of living unguilded on the outskirts of the Undercity.

IN YOUR FACE @sarpadianempiresvol-viii​... although not really for long.

Gruul riots. Shuttering of communication between the Orzhov and the Azorius. It was for the best that the Golgari stayed below—unfortunate happenings were afoot now that the Guildpact could walk and talk and just up and leave.

Gosh, Jace. I wonder what would happen if the guilds suddenly became aware you just went off somewhere and were out of reach. If only someone could have warned you of the catastrophe brewing because of what you’re doing.

If only we had a story hook for Magic’s most popular plane to reappear for next year’s 25th Anniversary, perhaps following Dominaria.

Simple magic could be used to interpret location across these ecosystems of fungus and slime, and nearly all Golgari recognized the intent when gifted an unfamiliar mushroom.

This is a really cool world-building detail.

On the far end of the room, a massive carved slab loomed in front of the group of Golgari elves. Glittering quartz freckled the slab, and careful carvings framed the stone on two sides. Were this stone found Above, one would have mistaken it for part of an oligarch's manor, but here, below the surface, it spoke of a distant and forgotten past.

At the top of the slab, a single sentence, carved deep into the glistening black rock, lined the stonework.

This pretty much screams Orzhov. I wonder what the single sentence is. Perhaps it’s what Mazirek speaks later, the name of the Mausolem? Or is it something else. Something they won’t reveal until later because of it’s importance.

Vraska dropped a spoonful of sugar into her cup

VRASKA. Damn it, I should have known. Of course this is a re-introduction of Vraska, as she’s slated to appear in Ixalan.

Mazirek had first encountered the gorgon once several years ago while consulting the assassins of the Ochran. Mazirek had provided blessings and enchantments to those assassins who asked, and Vraska was the only one who engaged in conversation after. The two began meeting regularly afterward to discuss theology and politics, and their friendship had proven enriching through the years.

Vraska is to sipping tea and chatting, huh? More on that in a moment. We already known she’s corrupted a Boros agent named Javy way back in In the Shadows of Prahv. After her confrontation with Jace, it’s pretty clear she’s working to destroy the guildpact.

Vraska's chamber was cozy, above all else. It was a curiosity cabinet-turned-flat, with every inch of the walls covered in exquisite trinkets and objects beyond all familiarity. The colors and variety were always overwhelming for his compound eyes, but the effect wore off eventually. This was a welcoming place, a traveler's den. Above her kitchen was a dark violet banner. A clay pot with black waves painted along the rim sat on the bookcase. Dozens of little folded paper birds mingled with the ribbons that spanned her ceiling. The effect was calming and captivating; enjoying tea in Vraska's chamber was like sitting in the vaults of a museum. 

So Vraska’s home has some interesting knick-knacks. Here’s what we see:

A dark violet banner. This could be one of a couple things. The first, for anyone who immediately googled all the magic cards with ‘banner’ in the title, is this:

Sultai Banner by Daniel Ljunggren

Vraska having some involvement with the Sultai makes some sense, except that they haven’t existed for over a thousand years. Silumgar, however, also has Naga and has kept the purple color scheme.

Another possible, and probably far more likely option, is that this is the banner of the faction to which she belongs on Ixalan. ‘Rivals’ indicates factions, and I’ve already said I strongly suspect pirates. It could be her pirate banner.

A clay pot with black waves painted along the rim. This could be another hint to the pirate theme. I haven’t had time to comb through a whole bunch of old art yet, but I’m pretty sure something like this doesn’t already exist. If you find it, let me know ASAP. I’ve heard some theories for this already, but it’s either an Ixalan piece, or a reference to Theros (given she IS a gorgon).

Dozens of little folded paper birds mingled with ribbons that spanned her ceiling. This is interesting. If you described Vraska’s home to me, I would say Tamiyo, and put Vraska very far back on the list. This is obviously origami, and something she values.

Black Tea adds another interesting wrinkle. I’m not sure how common it is on Ravnica, but tea exists there. You know who sips tea like that?

The story-circle. In Tamiyo’s home. And this intellectual take on Vraska offers up a whole new avenue.

We know Vraska is on Ixalan. We know Ajani is going to Ixalan to recruit someone. I’ve speculated that maybe, because of the story-circle connection, it’s Narset or Sarkhan or even Ugin. But what if it isn’t.

We know Vraska has visited a place where Origami exists. We know she drinks black tea (although that might be a meaningless detail). We know Ajani is going to recruit people against Bolas... and the only other known planeswalker on Ixalan is Vraska. 

What if Ajani is going to recruit Vraska? Is she really any worse that Liliana? Or Chandra, for that matter?

Can you imagine the drama when Ajani brings Vraska to a meeting with Jace?

In front of them was a cavern so large they could not sense its walls, and placed like soldiers in formation across the grid of the mausoleum floor were hundreds of stone coffins. The ceiling was stately and ornate, gilded and painted to trick the eye into perceiving it as sky above. Everything about the space spoke of deep, ancient wealth and power. 

As he stepped into the mausoleum a current of magic vibrated over the stones. Mazirek sensed he had triggered an ancient spell, and watched with delight as every single coffin began to loosen itself.

Delicate hands draped with lace and beautiful rings removed the lids of their own coffins, and the undead began to rise of their own accord, just as Vraska had told him they would.

This is DEFINITELY an Orzhov Vault. Perhaps this is the Orzhov threat hinted at in Nissa’s vision from The Hand that Moves? Remember, a sigil that sounds an awful lot like the Orzhov symbol destroyed the tablet that sounded an awful lot like the tablet of the guilds.

Mazirek stood to his full height, staff sweeping in grand gesture over the rising army before him. "Behold, child: Umerilek, Mausoleum of the Erstwhile, the salvation of the kraul and the key to the creation of the Golgari empire."

I don’t believe this is something that has been referenced before. Mausoleum of the Erstwhile is an amusing name, because it sounds fancy but it really just means tomb of the former. Doesn’t tell us much, as we already know it’s old and hidden.

But the Golgari empire piece? It sounds like Ravnica 3 might be able a civil war within the guilds. We have plenty of fracture lines for it already. Perhaps we might even see a return to the open warfare for dominion over the plane that was ended by the original Guildpact.

#archive trap blog #vorthos #mtgcma

[shadowrebel-17]

An Endless Journal - Second Entry

Entry 2

12/15/16

Hey Ellie.

I’m finally in my room… and what an upgrade! But… its why and how I got this upgrade that’s… hard to… put into words.

Guess I should start at the beginning.

First off, while on the plane, I had the strangest dream, there were these three nice looking guys in it. And no, it wasn’t that kind of dream… more… terrifying in the obscure way.

They were warning me of something coming or reaching for me.

The first was a soldier with floppy surfer hair, the second a chiseled black guy, but The last one, he was a dashing-yet creepy older guy who said

“You don’t understand, do you? But you will. In time.” And there was this big volcano and… that’s where I woke up.

But that’s not the weirdest part. The second guy? In my dream? He shows up for real walking down the aisle and Diego had the brilliant idea of shoving me into him THEN putting me on the spot.

I… well his name is Sean Gayle and he’s HOT and charming as hell, and tall, and apparently is the star quarterback for our university’s team (but I didn’t find that out ‘till later) so…. Yeah anyway my mouth moved before I could stop it, as usual. And I just blurted out that I had dreamt about him and all that… yeah not my best moment.

He didn’t seem to mind though. Definitely want to get to know him better.

Oh and apparently Diego filmed all of this, I have no doubt for blackmailing me into helping him on our finals… but I’d do that anyway.

So after that we noticed that the flight was taking longer than expected so I went up to check what was up with our pilot.

On the way met some of the other ten winners talking with our tour guide, Lila. Who might I add is… ok remember “tour guide Barbie” from Toy Story 2? Yeah that’s her. Perky and sunny as a Pina Colada. Great… now I want one.

Ok so anyway I go to ask the pilot and….. he’s totally asleep. Yep. Feet on dash, head on chest. And probably I would have flipped out if… if it wasn’t for the fact that I got distracted by the fact that HE was the beach-boy soldier in my dream earlier. Yep. Well… that and the fact of that southern drawl, blue eyes and that smile…

Oh yeah and apparently he gives nicknames to people that annoy him. So I’m “Princess”

Honesty, I… kinda like it. And because he seriously looks the part of a scruffy ranger I called him Aragorn.

Yeah and I may have a crush on him too… did I mention those eyes? He’s like, part Han Solo, part Aragorn, part Colonel Jack O’Neill from SG-1.

Anyway, right after that things got… scary like, frickin’ terrifying.

This big, black storm front hits, and throws me into a wall. And its bad. Like fire ball lightning and deafening thunder, Armageddon like bad.

I kinda got the sequence of things a little jumbled in my memory, honestly for the first half of it I just clung to a seat in shock, taking it all in ‘till Lila shook me out of it and helped me to a seat.

Somewhere in there the plane got hit and the engines died, people screaming and all that. All but one. There’s this girl with us, with a blue hoodie and she’s got a scar across one eye and has these dark eyes. There’s something off about her not like… bad just… she wasn’t afraid. if anything she looked… determined.

So yeah pretty much beside her it was Jake, he’s the pilot and Sean that kept their wits about them. The girl in the seat next to me, she… she looked worse then me at this point. About to have a panic attack. I cracked a joke like, a bad one, you know. The Cantaloupe one. Yeaaah… hey I did pretty good for short notice!

Anyway, I think it helped. Cause, like she laughed and started breathing again. And let me tell you… that laugh. Her grin. Okay yeah we helped eachother keep our nerves. She held my hand tight as did I in return.

Oh her name is Quinn and you have got to me her. Bright, bubbly, long sweeping red hair… looks like a Disney princess. And just as easy to be with.

Okay fine I like her too. A lot. Do I sound desperate?

Like… three people I’ve just met and I wanna spend more time with them? Maybe it’s the air here. Magical.

Okay I digressed. So somewhere after that Jake breaks us out of that storm and its as brilliant blue as it was before. Like… almost never happened. Except for the engines still being dead as you and I after that party Kaitlyn and her roomies threw last semester.

Honestly? Jake is one hellova damn good pilot. Like Tom Hanks in the movie Sully good.

He, without engines, got us on the ground AND parked in a hanger, coasting through it all. No one answered at the tower though. Which was spooky and it gets weirder later on.

But he got us down in one piece, and Oh My god this island is STUNNING! Green as an emerald gem from the air, caught a glimpse of crystal rivers and waterfalls on the way in and this big ol’ smoking volcano in the middle.

So on the ground got to meet the rest of the group better… had an encounter with one of the other girls while we were unloading our bags.

I.. may have been hitting on Sean. Like can you blame me? He reminds me of Kaitlyn’s friend Chris, with his gentle manners yet strength of character, wait.. heh, I think they are on the same team lol! Anyway he’s just… taller and so… how to… eh. Ok so anyway… back to what happened.

She, Michelle, lit into me for flirting with Sean, like straight outa Bad Girls Club. And well, there’s history with those two but they’re not together.

I… yeah that was rude but, hey, with what we’ve been through, frayed nerves and short words are forgiven. Anyway, we are ok with eachother now.

She and Sean ended up in an argument though. So I backed off from that. That’s when I found the first of several odd things. A honkin’ huge tranquilizer dart. (Yes honkin’ is a word. I’m from the Midwest remember?)

Whatever critter it was used on had to have been big. Or is really out of it.

I hope.

That’s also when I noticed creepy scar girl in the hoodie was watching and listening to us.

You know, Diego and I are also wondering about something. That there are Ten Students that won, yet not counting Jake the pilot and Lila the tour guide, we’ve got Sean Gayle, Michelle, his friend Craig (must be another football player judging from his jacket.) Grace who is one smart, sweet little lady, Quinn, and umm… the ivy league loudmouth, who’s name escapes me. [A scribbled in note of “Aleister” is apparently added later]

Then Zahra, emo-chick, that’s a petty name by the way, Raj, big playful fellow. He’s cool. Then Diego and I. That makes ten… she makes eleven.

What’s her story I wonder.

Anyway now the weirdness really picks up. There is no one here.

I mean NO FREAKING PERSON!

Besides us the whole place is abandoned. Its creepy. Like that ship, the Mary Celeste. Everything is in its place, half finished cups, luggage etc. Just… people.. gone. Very Twilight Zoney.

I’m still waiting for the You Tube prank folks to pop out.

Jake and I check out the control tower, empty like everything else but… there were these lights, in and on the forest and the air, like I imagine the Aurora Borealis to be like. Only saw them for a few moments in the air there. Not back outside. Now Grace had mentioned earlier this place as a very special ecosystem. So perhaps its like those glow-y plankton in the Pacific just, airborne. Anyway, it was magical. Aaaand yes I think I made Jake blush by holding his hand. .

Also found out he’s an ex-navy pilot. Some altercation with an officer.

Aaand made a fool of myself… heh, and I remeber it pretty well so here it is:

Jake: “Look, I’m from Louisiana, and if ferrying rich jerks around a couple times a week is the price I gotta pay for never setting foot back there, hell I’ll pay it. Been sleeping in a beach hammock in Costa Rica ever since.”

Me: “That sounds lonely”

J: “Uh yeah, that’s the appeal” (man that crooked grin of his… Though this time I wonder… if it isn’t forced.

Me: “I mean, I get wanting to get away for a little while but… don’t you want more? You know, someone to come home to… someone to listen to you… someone to hold you all through the night…”

I know! Gosh! I gotta think before I talk! His… response though… Looking back now I’m not sure if he minded my… blunder.

“You offering, Princess?”

Like… totally teasing me… right?

“what?! No- I.. I just meant.. in theory…”

Yep… damn… blew it.

“In theory, I wanted to be the best pilot the Navy had ever seen. In practice… well you cant beat a cold beer and a Caribbean sunset.”

We talked more as well… honestly didn’t take that long to check the tower in comparison.

I also quick checked out the beach with Quinn, Raj, Craig and Michelle too. Man… Quinn is not subtle. And that is not a bad thing… she um, gawd I’m blushing again, so we went swimming and she, considering what she went through on the flight was so, happy. I mean skipping and splashing and flirting.

She’s beautiful Ellie. That’s about all I can say at the moment.

She did have one down moment though. Referencing how she wasn’t always this way and that after last year she decided to make the most out of life. I wanted to ask more but she was too serious so… things got wet ;) (splash splash)

And OMG and there was this flying butterfy-seahorse! It… it was as bright and shimmering as that Aurora I saw with Jake. Only Quinn and I saw it before it flew away though.

Craig had buried the sleeping Raj in the sand.

Anyway, I wanted to unpack before it got much later so I could go exploring more so we all went back to the group and that was when we had found out just how devoid of people this place was. In Sean’s words. “Where the hell was everyone!”

After getting over the shock we dropped our luggage in the lobby and split up into groups to look around.

Seriously, this resort is beautiful. Stunning. A dream come true! … if it wasn’t so… so.. empty.

Jake said he’d go with Brain Trust (Grace, btw love his habit of nicknames, I might stick with it!) And look around the pool area, Zahra and Lila to the ballrooms, I went with Craig, Raj, Sean and Michelle to the restaurant. My stomach made that call.

Also noticed hoodie-girl was missing. Weird.

Anyway at the restaurant named Tortuga. (Cant hear that name without seeing Jack Sparrow lol) like the rest of the place, seems everyone left in a hurry. Even the credit cards were left on the table.

Sean pointed out that the Volcano was supposed to be dormant. That big thing out the window was definitely not dormant. Very steamy. Eagle eye there also spotted some kind of flashing beacon. Maybe a building or something near the mountain.

Anyway we went to compare findings with everyone else.

The pool didn’t have much other then being abandoned.

The ballrooms had been set up in some kind of retro-roaring twenties wedding.

Then… there was that big portrait on the wall. Aleister said it was Everett Rourke, the owner of the hotel. But damn… he was the last guy from my dream on the plane. The older guy with the creepy saying. Apparently he’s some kind of real life Tony Stark genius business man.

I don’t get something though… I get the feeling Grace is attracted to the snob, er Aleister.

She found something else though by the pool. By a damaged fence a foot long tooth! Man hate to see the animal that came from. Maybe that’s why there was that Tranq dart I found earlier.

So basically we are all now completely puzzled and worried and bewildered on what to do next.

And then freaky girl pops up behind me and says that its getting dark and we should all go to bed.

She says she was also looking around like us but wouldn’t share what she found… I think she trust me as much as I trust her… which ain’t much.

But she’s right. Oh and Lila at least knows her. Called her Estella.

So basically, hehe, consensus was (at Zahra’s provocation) to pick any room we wanted.

I snagged myself the honeymoon suit.

Just. Cause.

It has got the most amazing view! And its own hot tub! Candles, roses. The works. Aaand then Diego shows up and I almost mistake him for someone else. He’s not gonna let me live that down will he. Not telling him who I thought it was either cause then he’ll only make it worse! Or… better… heh. Love that guy.

Then he found this romantic note, with two different messages on it:

“I must see you one last time before tomorrow… Meet me at our spot in Neptune Cove. Midnight” and “I’ll be there.”

Oh my goodness I’m so tired… looong day. And it wasn’t over yet lol!

So basically I also got talked into going to a midnight impromptu pool party or “Raj Rage” as the big guy called it.

After all the drinks it’s a little fuzzy.. but I know Jake called Craig Drax, such a perfect fit! He also showed me that apparently he is quite thoughtful.

I… may have missed an opportunity with Sean but I saw Estella sitting alone up on the hill and well, I wanted to know more so excused myself a moment to go talk to her.

We… actually connected. Least… I think we did. I got the feeling that she’s been very hurt in the past and has little trust in people. Explains her attitude. Actually managed to get a smile out of her. Briefly. Before she left. Saying that the people in her life usually get hurt. And she didn’t want that to happen to me.

….. well okay then. That’s… confusing. But at least I’m getting to know more about her. She’s not so scary after all. Just… now I want to find out what hurt her in her past so maybe I can help.

Diego says I have a big heart and a big mouth. And that both get me in trouble. As you well know.

Anyway after Craig soaks everyone with a cannonball I go to get more towels…

Ellie, I don’t think I’ll ever forget what I saw. Something big with muscles and glowing eyes was staring at me from the bushes. With everything that had happened. I’m afraid I lost it. I screamed.

Sean, Quinn and Jake came over first but what ever it was it was gone. I’m not sure everyone believes me. Heck I’m not sure I believe me.

Kinda killed the party too. Which sucks.

Anyway at least this awesome huge bed makes up for it. Kinda.

Hopefully tomorrow we can figure out what’s going on.

G'night Ellie.

-S.

#choices stories you play #choices #playchoices #fanfic #fanfiction #mc #jake mckenzie #sean gayle #quinn kelly #estela montoya #endless journal

[cinephiled-com]

New Post has been published on Cinephiled

New Post has been published on http://www.cinephiled.com/interview-hulu-documentary-jawline-shines-revealing-spotlight-boy-internet-stars/

Interview: The Hulu Documentary 'Jawline' Shines a Revealing Spotlight on Boy Internet Stars

In rural Tennessee, Austyn Tester, a 16-year-old newcomer to the live-broadcast ecosystem, attempts to become the next big Internet crush. Teen girls all over the world tune into online “boy broadcasts” like Tester’s, in a 21st-century version of Tiger Beat, where all your favorite heartthrobs might actually interact with you online for a minute or two — or more for the right price. But Tester’s earnestness sets him apart, peering wide-eyed into his laptop camera and professing unconditional love and support to his female fans for hours on end. What’s he selling? Male validation. In return, he asks for fame and a better life for his family. Will Tester’s open heart give him celebrity status and a chance to escape from his dead-end town, or is this new ecosystem built for failure?

Liza Mandelup’s fascinating documentary Jawline, now showing on Hulu, distills complex concepts about growing up in today’s connected world with its new and fleeting versions of the American Dream with a moving human portrait that questions the values we’ve passed onto our young people. Mandelup approaches this peculiar world with an intimate air of BFF confidentiality and finds that as esoteric as the Internet and its niches feel to some, boy broadcasts represent modern youth’s starvation for love and acceptance and susceptibility to exploitation — a tale, unfortunately, as old as time.

I sat down with director Liza Mandelup, and then separately with Austyn Tester, the earnest subject of the film, and Michael Weist, the young and driven entrepreneur/talent manager who is Tester’s polar opposite.

Danny Miller: Liza, I came to this film knowing next to nothing about this world. At first I was thinking how great it was at leveling the playing field, at giving someone like Austyn who had no resources and was kind of miserable in his small town a real chance to follow his dreams. But by the end of the film I saw it more as a cautionary tale. Do you see it that way at all?

Liza Mandelup: No, I don’t think I would call it a cautionary tale because I think the film gets into a lot of the positive aspects of this phenomenon as well. Like finding a community when you don’t feel that you have one and providing refuge to young girls who are feeling lost or even suicidal. I was very surprised by those aspects of this world.

Yes, I was moved by some of those girls, too, especially in the lower key settings where they got to spend time with Austyn and were so honest with him about their feelings. Unlike some of the other online personalities you see in the film, Austyn seems so sweet and unassuming, a real innocent.

That’s what I loved about him and why I picked him. We were shooting for like a year without a main character. I started by talking to the fangirls. Then I started making contact with some of the boys to see who I might shoot. The boys I spoke to all had around 10 or 20 thousand followers and they all had managers and did these big tours, something I wasn’t that familiar with — it took me a while to understand the system. That’s when I found Michael Weist who was such an interesting character. When I eventually heard of Austyn, he didn’t have a manager and hadn’t even done a tour yet.

And when Austyn finally got a manager (not Michael) and went on tour, that’s when everything started to go downhill for him, right?

After he did his first tour, I followed him back home with my camera and I had these visions that he’d be walking all over town giving high fives to everybody, that girls would be running from different directions to see him, and that he’d be this local celebrity wherever we went. But instead I found him to be very anxious, not wanting to leave his room, and not being that into broadcasting anymore. I felt so bad because he’s had a really difficult life and he was really starting to get the kind of attention that he so craved as a means to get out of his town.

He seemed so real, like he wasn’t faking his sincere attitude at all.

Oh, he clearly wasn’t faking it or else he would have continued faking it! Instead, some things happened to him that really hurt his feelings and he started to lose interest. I purposely chose someone that I thought had very good intentions, not some ruthless, obnoxious person who would do whatever it took to get to the top, so his being a little fragile was a risk I was taking.

When you starting shooting Austyn, did you have it in your head that maybe he’d be super famous by the end of the film? I did!

To be honest, I genuinely thought that he might be because of those qualities you mentioned. Girls just loved him! But there’s something very arbitrary about this world, and I’m not sure he was prepared for it. But I’m so grateful that I met Austyn because he took me to a place that’s way more human than I ever could’ve hoped for. When I started making film, I was worried that the film would lack humanity.

Austyn had none of the veneer or blind ambition that so many of those boys seem to have, including Michael Weist, the manager.

Right. I’m very happy to have Michael’s voice in the film but I also wanted someone who could reflect a very human experience, not just the statistical side of things like how to increase the number of your followers. I kept reminding myself that even though we were telling a story against the backdrop of social media technology, it was still a human story.

Which is why I found Austyn so appealing. Do you think he’ll be able to use the attention he’ll get now that the film is out to reboot his social media presence?

I kind of hope so. As a documentary filmmaker, I’d like to give back to him in some way and I hope the attention that the film gets helps him to figure out how he wants to exist in this world. But to be honest, I don’t know if he wants it anymore, I feel like we may have caught a moment in time. That’s the crazy part about documentaries that exist in a very specific timeframe. When we made this film, Austyn wanted that kind of success more than anything in the world. But in the course of making the film, he changed.

He’s such an interesting case study.

At the end of the film he kind of returns to his previous life. Now he has this opportunity to come back but I’m not sure how that will go. He was so young when we started filming and he’s still trying to figure out who he is, both in his real life as well as online.

After talking to Liza, I went down the hall to talk to young entrepreneur Michael Weist looking like a Hollywood superagent. Austyn was supposed to be in Los Angeles that day as well but had some family issues he had to deal with in Tennessee so he joined Michael and me via speakerphone.

Michael, I admit I had no idea that all these young online personalities even had managers, I learned so much about how it all works.

Michael Weist: Yeah, it’s kind of like a subculture that most people don’t know anything about. I’m glad that the film finally shows that to the world.

Austyn, I think you come across so great in the documentary but it ends on a bit of a questionable note regarding your Internet career. Have you gone back to that at all since the shooting ended?

Austyn Tester: To be honest, I’m not doing it right now, no. I’ve just been really lazy. Since I went on tour with all these famous social media people, I’ve had to come back home and get an actual job. I’m working at a Starbucks now.

Do you both like how you come off in the film? Are there any moments that make you cringe?

Michael Weist: Watching it back is definitely like seeing this time capsule of your life. But ultimately, it shows who I was at that time. I think Austyn can attest to that, too, that’s just who we were then. I don’t think there’s anything I’d really change because all that made me who I am today.

Austyn Tester: When I watch myself in the film, there are moments when I cringe. I was pretty young and I think some of the stuff I do online is pretty bad like the lip-synching! Things have changed a lot on social media since the film was made, so I’d really like to figure that out.

Cool. Michael, I assume you still have your business managing online people?

Michael Weist: Yes, I’ve been able to refine my company a bit more, trim off pieces that needed to be trimmed, and grow in the right areas. The world of social media has changed quite a bit and only people who adapt to it will survive.

What are the qualities you look for in a client?

Michael Weist: Number one, you need to have consistency on all your platforms. You need to be very determined, you can’t half-ass it. You have to be very personable, very outgoing. That’s the formula for success.

Austyn Tester: I know if I jump back in, I’d have to be consistent which I haven’t been at all lately. I get it, though. Why would people follow me if I’m not giving them anything to watch?

It was moving to see all those girls at your public events getting so much joy out of interacting with you. Was that ever overwhelming, dealing with those hordes of girls?

Austyn Tester: I always felt it was friendly, but sometimes it was a bit too much! I was always super nervous before a live show, though, just sweating and hurrying through it. I saw all the screaming girls and would think, “Oh my gosh, what if they don’t like me?”

Were you surprised when you watched the film and learned how much you helped some of those girls who were really struggling in their lives?

Austyn Tester: Yeah, that was amazing to see, I’m so glad I helped people with my social media presence, that’s all I ever wanted to do. I always tried to remain positive and inspire people. It was kind of crazy because I was like 15 or 16 changing these 13-year-old girls’ lives. You suddenly realize, holy cow, you really do have an influence on people. It’s kind of hard for me to believe that happened.

#Austyn Tester #Documentary #Hulu #Jawline #Liza Mandelup #Michael Weist #Interviews #What's Hot

[theherblifeblog]

Spotlight Series: Emma Baron Founder of MilkWeed

Emma Baron is curating heirlooms that you will love forever. Tired of mass produced accessories she set out to create a space where artisans could create functional works of art that you would place in any room in your home. 

"Made by hand on Canadian land" Emma's company Milkweed offers pieces that are modern yet timeless. The company's obvious love for all things Canadiana is charming and heart warming and everything on offer is designed to age gracefully and last a lifetime. 

Milkweed is about beautiful objects made by hand & made to last.” Tell me a little bit about this philosophy

We're excited that Canada is leading the world in the cannabis paradigm shift. If we're going to be known for great cannabis, and we're already so gosh darn hospitable, then shouldn't we be able to serve it all up in style on Canadian-made accessories? A couple years ago we looked around the city and the internet to find accessories from local artists that were on that Kinfolk/Dwell/modernist tip, but we didn't find anything that fit.

We're big believers in shopping, eating, and smoking local, so we decided to jump in and fill the niche. You develop a relationship with dependable, handmade objects that you don't with disposable, mass-produced pieces. Plus, call us crazy, but we believe that people should be paid fair wages. Working directly with local artists, we know how the pieces are made and the effort that goes into them. Working with natural materials like clay, wood, and metal, we pay attention to the details that make an object stand the test of time, in both style and craft.

You’re from a small town in Northern Ontario, what was that like growing up? When did you discover a love for cannabis?

It's taken me a while to appreciate it, but Northern Ontario is a beautiful, wild and magic place. It offers so many kinds of adventures and bounties that are invisible to the untrained eye: secret patches of wild blueberries; wildlife scampering through your yard on the daily; crystal clear lakes; vast expanses of forests and fields. The other thing it offers is time and a lack of resources, which are the ingredients for creativity and problem-solving. I learned how to make and do things myself, and appreciate the effort that goes into handmade goods. I've been crafting and selling since I was 6, travelling with my mum and grandmother to one-of-a-kind shows across Ontario. I need to go home to stay for a bit and learn to weave with my grandmother.

I was much later to the cannabis party than most of my friends. Not that I really lent credence to the war on drugs or had a super-conservative family, I was just busy with all the nerdy activities like student council, theatre, and band. I also worked part-time as a server during the school year, and in the summer I would work two jobs as a bookkeeper during the weekdays and at the restaurant on nights and weekends. It wasn't until the last few months of high school that I smoked my first joint. It was during a Metallica concert at the Winnipeg Arena, and it was... a bit much, if I'm honest. (Both Metallica and the joint.) My best friend and I still laugh pretty hard about it today. My love for cannabis came in university, where I discovered that I much preferred to relax at a party with a joint than with a drink.

Can you tell us what brought you to the cannabis industry? How did you get from Dryden Ontario to Milkweed?

People skills and a love of adventure. Working in the hospitality industry put me through a degree in arts administration, both of these fields trained me in aesthetics, organization, and persistence. As I became more comfortable with cannabis, I became increasingly less comfortable with the stoner stereotype, as I'm sure the majority of Canadians have. I've often worked (at least) two jobs since I was 14, put myself through a degree on my own dime, and always have a volunteer event on my schedule.

What inspired Milkweed?

Cannabis is a compliment to your day, something that gets you doing what you like to do. Whether that's kayaking, killing it at the weekly office creative meeting, painting in-situ at the park, the average person uses cannabis as a tool to facilitate doing what they like to do. Cannabis is the means to an end, not a dead end. We were inspired to create a new cannabis aesthetic as we didn't see ourselves in the products that were on the market. Many cannabis accessories are mass-manufactured, which inspired us to create a brand that was homegrown, closer to the heart and hands of Canadians.

We chose the name Milkweed for a few reasons. Firstly, we wanted a nod to the Canadian ecosystem,  and secondly, it conveniently contains the letters w-e-e-d in its name. We try to bring some wit and humour to the table, as they are great tools for breaking down barriers and opening up the conversation.

How do you find new artists to work with? What do you look for?

Our first priority when we're looking for artists is, of course, local goods. We'd love for our website to represent cannabis accessories from every part of Canada.

We tend to look for artists who aren't already creating cannabis inspired pieces, it helps bring a new perspective to the products. We work with them to create new objects that could sit in almost any room in your home, or maybe in your bag or as your carry-all that transports you to your next adventure.

Pieces with a story are important too - we're not looking to squeeze margins or fastest turnarounds from our suppliers. We want to support small entrepreneurs who are doing cool things that appeal to a broad variety of Canadians who will appreciate their work. Our products, we hope, will be a one-time purchase, to be used over with confidence wherever you may need them.

Do you have a favourite piece on the website? 

The Road Trip Kit is the anchor piece to the collection. It was a process to get it right, but a labour of love. Sourcing vegetable tanned leather is harder than you'd think! It takes multiple weeks longer to tan the hides with natural dyes. Feeling out just the right size for the pouch: big enough for your vape or phone in the long pocket, yet sleek enough that you'd carry the kit by itself on any occasion. The thickness of the leather needs to be just so - not flimsy or bulky. The kit represents everything we stand for: quality-made, durable, stylish goods with a history and a future.

What is your vision for Milkweed going forward?

We're emphasizing Canadian creativity, design, and local production in the emerging cannabis marketplace. We want for Canadian craftspeople to be involved this new economy, and we would love to have pieces from every province and territory in our collections. We look forward to collaborations with emerging brands from coast-to-coast-to-coast. We're also looking forward to collaborating with the rest of the world once cannabis legalization catches up. We love finding collaborators who share the same lenses of craftsmanship and quality, working with them directly to make objects with a sense of place and a story.

Are you excited about the end of cannabis prohibition in Canada? How do you think it might impact your business?

Yes, prohibition of cannabis has been a failure and we're glad to see it end for a few reasons. Once we're through the birthing pains, I think we'll start to see the emergence of a truly Canadian cannabis culture, and I'm excited to see what that looks like. It will be great for business when we can do social media ad buying, but working around the limitations has forced us to be more creative and sharpened our wits, so both sides of the grass are green. I look at LCBO's very popular 'Food and Drink' and I know it won't be long until we're there with cannabis.

If you were to offer one piece of advice to another woman looking to jump into this industry, what would you tell her?

Do it! There's plenty of pie for everyone. Find a mentor. Show up for things. Go to networking events, even if its shitty outside and you don't feel like it. The future of all industry depends on a diversity of thought, so your opinion definitely matters.

"Show up for things. Go to networking events, even if its shitty outside and you don't feel like it. The future of all industry depends on​​​​​​​ a diversity of thought, so your opinion definitely matters."  -- Emma Baron

Where can readers connect with Milkweed to learn more? 

Find us at Shopmilkweed.ca to get a look at the goods. Follow us on Instagram - we're all about getting out and exploring the world, and taking pictures of the fun and beauty along the way. Tag us, we'd love to see what kind of adventures you're up to.

#canadian cannabis #crafts #handmade #artists

[2traveldads-blog]

Enough people have asked us about Blue Spring State Park after seeing the pictures we’ve posted on Instagram and such that we just have to write about it and share our tips.  Florida has over 1000 natural springs and they’re all a little different.  Some are in high traffic areas like on the Crystal River and others are so strange to pronounce that you might not have ever heard of them… like Ichetucknee.

Whatever the case, Blue Spring State Park, which is close to Daytona Beach, is really a gem among springs and tourist attractions.  Yeah, we know, we know:  we touted Rainbow Springs as the most awesome spot we never thought existed, but Blue Spring is better.  Just check it out and you’ll see why…

Locale of Blue Spring State Park

Blue Spring State Park is a little over a half hour away from Daytona Beach. It’s actually really easy to get to and quite simple to make a day trip out of. We paired it with the trip to Ponce De Leon Springs State Park. In the morning we swim in the Fountain of Youth and in the afternoon we swam at Blue Spring. If you are visiting Orlando this is also an easy trip to add on (45 minutes). After a whole bunch of time and Disney World, no doubt you’ll be ready for some nature and Blue Spring State Park is just perfect for that.

Note:  there is an entrance fee into almost every Florida State Park.  Usually it’s only $6 USD or so, but just be aware.  Not much in travel is free.

When to visit Blue Spring State Park for Manatees

The best time of year to visit Blue Spring State Park is going to be in February. Well, that’s the best time to visit if you want to experience the crazy congregation of manatees in the river. This year, 2017, nearly 400 manatees were spotted in the river approaching the headspring of Blue Spring. I don’t know about you, but that is a bucket list item for me to experience. Our youngest is obsessed with manatees and he actually would have freaked out and no doubt have been crying on the viewing platforms trying to join the manatees in the river.

Note:  The manatees congregate here at Blue Spring State Park because when the air temperature drops the water temperature stays nice and warm because it’s pulling from the aquifer. Perfect for manatees! And if you’re not actually going to be in this area, we’ve got suggestions all along the Florida Gulf Coast for seeing manatees too.

The Science of the Springs

The water source that feeds Blue Spring and the St Johns River comes up from the aquifer flowing all through north and central Florida. The rainwater and naturally occurring underground river come up through the limestone bedrock as it erodes away. In some areas the pressure from the aquifer is very strong and that’s where you get these amazingly beautiful headsprings. Blue Spring State Park happens to be one of those spots and gosh, I’m so glad we discovered it. Not that we discovered it, but that we were directed here, but it was discovered a long time ago, but anyways…

The water that bubbles up from Blue Spring and all the other springs around Florida is typically above 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) which is quite warm. And that’s why we love to visit the different springs. You can almost always swim in them… except when the state parks close them due to creatures who are congregating, such as manatees or alligators. So yes, the springs are just as attractive to wildlife as they are to the humans, but the animals for sure get priority.

Tip:  we’ve really come to love and appreciate ecotours, and there is an ecotour available just down from Blue Spring.  The St Johns River Cruise is an ecotour focusing on the natural life found in the river and the delicate ecosystem of Florida’s spring-fed waterways.

What to do at Blue Spring State Park

Gosh, I really wish that we would have camped at Blue Spring State Park but we didn’t. Instead we visited the park as a day trip, which is also totally fine to do. Visiting Blue Spring can be whatever you want it to be. You can turn it into a picnic day or it can be a day of swimming and communing with nature. It’s up to you.

Blue Spring with Kids

Our goal with visiting Blue Spring with the kids was hopefully to spot a few manatees, but we were there a little late in the year to do that. We were, however, completely impressed with the enormous fish in the river. The Florida gar and other large variety were genuinely impressive and were easily visible from the viewing platforms. Oh yeah, there are platforms dispersed along the river to be able to take in the natural wonder of the perfect waters, but then also for viewing the manatees.

Tip:   If you missed it before, the best time to visit for manatees is in the winter until the end of February. Hundreds of manatees. Hundreds.

If you’re there for the swimming and appreciating the beautiful crystal clear water of Blue Spring State Park then you’re in luck. There are quite a few access points along the river for swimming without a canoe or kayak. If the day is hot the water is going to seem chilly but it’s totally not bad. For us, or at least being from the Pacific Northwest, the water was wonderfully warm and the kids weren’t hesitant in the slightest.

Note:  Pay close attention to the signs and swimming closures placed at the swimming holes and on the boards around the park. The rangers will close the river and Blue Spring to swimming if there are manatees present or if there is alligator activity. It is gator country.

Part of the joy of wandering and swimming at Blue Spring State Park is actually the boardwalks that go through the palm jungle to get to the swimming holes. Elevated above the jungle floor, this was the first experience we had walking through a palm jungle of its kind. It was really cool.  The kids loved the in-the-trees feel.

Tip:  if you’re on the West Coast and want do experience a palm jungle, go hiking in Palm Springs.  It’s not as dense and lush as Blue Spring State Park, but it’s beautiful and unusual.

Floating the Blue Spring

This is another activity for us for next time. Since Blue Springs was kind of an impromptu stop for us we hadn’t planned ahead for renting inner tubes within Blue Spring State Park. There is a vendor for renting tubes for floating the river midway along the boardwalks, and the water is so mellow the only reason you wouldn’t do it is if you were pressed for time.  It’s a short float, but easy to repeat and enjoy!

Note:   Even if the river is open you still need to be cautious of alligators because they can make an appearance at any time without the rangers’ knowledge. And respect the gar in the water; they’re big fish…

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Diving or Snorkeling Blue Springs

If you are a diver Blue Springs State Park might just be your unknown dream diving destination. We saw several people in their gear getting ready to dive into the head Springs. I’ll admit, I was completely jealous and wish that I had my PADI certification. The headsprings when viewed from above are absolutely gorgeous with such vibrant colors, and so deep. While it’s okay to snorkel into the headspring diving would for sure give you a more complete experience.

Tip:   Blue Springs State Park and also Rainbow Springs offer different diving experiences at the headspring and down river. Check locally for advice about snorkeling or diving to the caverns that are along the different rivers. That limestone wears away and there’s so much wonder to find.

Isn’t it just the coolest place? We can’t wait to come back to Blue Springs State Park on our next Florida trip. Florida keeps on calling us back and we’ll keep on answering. Have you been to Blue Springs State Park before? Of the more than a thousand springs in Florida which is your favorite to visit? Tell us so that we know where to hit up next time!

Feel free to pin this for later for when you are planning your #LoveFL trip. Pin it, plan it, do it!

Blue Spring State Park: Florida’s most beautiful spot Enough people have asked us about Blue Spring State Park after seeing the pictures we’ve posted on Instagram and such that we just have to write about it and share our tips.  

#Blue Springs #Daytona Beach #family travel #gay travel #hiking #loveFL #natural springs #road trip #swimming #visit Florida