#i don't even know what utilities are available

[jazeswhbhaven]

The Newest WHB Update!! 4.24.24

FIRST let's talk about the event story replays! I find this really nifty because at any time new players can come in and for a small amount of coin/cash they can buy whatever event they haven't played or if it's been played before a good refresher if you're really big on canon lore and having that in your memory banks.

I personally go over every event in depth with summarization so check my master list if you all ever wanna just go through my version of it and have a laugh or two while getting a good idea of what happened during the event! (notice they don't have the halloween event but my react is available) I didn't really go to check how much each story is for erolabs coins but I assume this is very low, like maybe $2 USD or less? per story, unless I'm wrong as hell and it's $5 or something lol still pretty cheap for wanting to replay the events. NOW let's go over the 'Realm of the Seraphim' level in Dark Sanctuary that just opened tonight. They lost me personally because apparently you have to have your nobles leveled up (at least three of them at lvl 30) to even start and....I'm currently utilizing all resources to max out my L cards first so I may or may not play this for a good minute. I think though this is a good way of obtaining seals without paying! That's the reward for winning the levels. But omg can I address the funny ass points in the little preview?

My Beel boo is so lovingly a menace it's funny. Because why is it that Levi and Bael are both getting on to him and he's just like :DDD I did nothing wrong I'm just here. (cutie) Also Levi...you fucking said that already as a warning and haven't done a damn thing so (≖︿≖✿) And poor Bael showing up because he thought Beel fucking wouldn't and then calling him out for asking why Raphael hates him so much.

oh boy we know why....

But Beel casually saying he forgot is so him. Because ofc you would forget.

I recorded the entire thing and I think I'm going to do an audio react for it, so keep an eye out for that. Otherwise, I'm off to play Leraye's event!!! ^^

-your lovely admin ♥( ˆ⌣ ˆԅ)

#whb #jwhbasks❓ #what in hell is bad #whb update #whb game content #whb kings👑 #whb angels

[magnetothemagnificent]

The world is so hostile to tweens.....

Like we joke about how our schools growing up would ban the latest toy trends, but that reality genuinely horrific when you think about it. Like maybe 1% of the bans were based on safety, but the rest cited reasoning like

-"kids were bartering for collectibles" (kids learning about economics and product value)

-"kids were wearing them and the colors were too flashy" (kids experimenting with self expression and fashion)

-"kids were playing with them during lunch and recess instead of using our rusted safety hazard playground" (kids utilizing their free time to do what helps *them* unwind).

Play areas specifically geared towards children and especially towards teens are constantly being shut down. "Oh kids today are always on their phones!" Maybe because

-there are barely any arcades left and even less arcades that aren't adult-oriented,

-public pools and gyms are underfunded and shut down,

-"no loitering" laws prevent kids and teens from just hanging out,

-movie theatres only play the latest films and ticket prices are only rising,

-parks and playgrounds are either neglected or replaced with gear only directed at toddlers and unsuitable for anyone older

-genuine children's and young teen media is being phased out in favour of media directed only at very small children or older teens and adults.

-suburbs and even cities are becoming more and more hostile to pedestrians, it's just not safe for kids to walk to or ride their bikes to their friends' houses or other play destinations

Children's agency is hardly ever respected. Kids between the ages of 9-13 are either treated as babies or as full-grown adults, with no in-between. When they ask to be given more independence, they are either scoffed at or given more responsibilities than are reasonable for a child their age.

This is even evident in the fashion scene.

Clothing stores and brands like Justice and Gap are either closing or rebranding to either exclusively adult clothing or young children's clothes, with no middle ground for tweens. Tweens have to choose between clothes designed for adults that are too large and/or too mature for their age and bodies, or more clothes they feel are far too childish. For tween girls especially it's either a frilly pinafore dress with pigtails or a woman's size dress with cleavage. No wonder tween girls these days dress like they're older, it's because their other option is little girl clothes and they don't want to feel childish.

And then when tweens go to school, the books they want to read aren't available because they cover "mature" topics (read: oh no two people kissed and they weren't straight or oh no menstruation was mentioned or oh no a religion other than Christianity is depicted), so kids are left with books for way below their reading level. No wonder kids today are struggling with literacy, it's because they can't exercise and expand their reading skills with age-appropriate books. Readers need to be challenged with new words and concepts in order to grow in their skills, only letting tween read Dr. Seuss and nursery rhymes doesn't let them learn.

Discussions about substance use, reproduction, and sexuality aren't taught at an age-appropriate level in school or even by children's parents, so they either grow up ignorant and more vulnerable to abuse, or they seek out information elsewhere that is delivered in a less-than-age-appropriate manner. It shouldn't be a coin-toss between "I didn't know what sex was until I was 18 and in college" or "my first exposure to sex as a tween was through porn" or "I didn't know what sex was so I didn't know I was being sexually abused as a kid."

Tweenhood is already such a volatile and confusing time for kids, their bodies are changing and they're transitioning from elementary to middle to high school. It's hard enough for them in this stage, but it's made worse by how society devalues and fails them.

We talk about the disappearance of teenagehood, and maybe that's gonna happen in the future, but the erasure of tweenhood is happing in real time, and it's having and going to have major consequences for next generation's adults.

#leftie shit #i guess #ageism #social issues #tweenhood #the disappearance of tweenhood #current events #relevant issues

[folkling]

Windbrook Save 2.0 (In collaboration with @cowboycid and @bobnewbie)- Feat. a family by @oshinsimss

DISCLAIMER: While this is a CC free save file, it is pack and kit heavy. To give more context, this save utilizes ALL EPs, GPs, and SPs (except My First Pets) as well as ALL KITS (except Bust The Dust and Poolside Splash) While you may not own every pack or kit that I used, the save file is still playable. Everything missing will be substituted.

What's new in 2.0

Willow Creek has new homes, rentals, and one new retail lot

Newcrest has been built (restaurant, gym, retail, and generic lots)

Magnolia Promenade has been built, while somewhat finished, still needs work

Every lot that's finished (including commercial) and families have descriptions, stories, jobs, etcetera

New townies from @simsontherope and @cowplant-snacks

Families from @bobnewbie

A special family, The Westfalls made exclusively by @oshinsimss

Special collaboration with @cowboycid

Other worlds are still empty, I do plan on building new worlds

SCREENSHOTS AND MORE INFO BELOW

SPECIAL THANKS

First and foremost I want to thank my good good friend @cowboycid for collaborating with me on this project. I'm so happy we met when we did because I was starting to lose light. You inspired me to keep going, and for that I appreciate you DOWN. You're a real one sis, no tea. Hugs and kisses for ever. I also want to thank @bobnewbie for coming through with families. You don't understand just how life saving they were. I didn't get a chance to use all of them, and my original concept for the save fell through due to time constraints, but I'm thankful to have had access to the diverse array of families you made for the save. A huge thank you to @oshinsimss for taking the time to create a beautiful family, The Westfalls, exclusively for Windbrook 2.0, I love them so much. Also a big thank you to @cowplant-snacks and @simsontherope for their townies. Without them, the townies would just be... ugh, you know. So, thank you for having them available on the gallery. I also want to thank @anthonydaydreamer for just showing up for me through this whole process. Like, you just get it boo! Hugs and kisses! Finally a quick apology to those I intended on sending preview copies of the save. Time was not on my side near the end, things took more time than I thought. Honestly, I needed to get this project off my computer ASAP. I really hope you guys understand. Big hugs and kisses. Thank you everyone for all the kind words and support over these past few months, your words kept me going, even if I didn't feel I had anymore left to give. This save is a love letter to you all, the simblr community.

Thank you, honestly, truly.

*terrain replacement in screenshots by K-hippie, you don’t need it, it’s just for screenshots + updated download link to include The Westfalls made by @oshinsimss for Windbrook 2.0 - please find more info here*

*updated download as of 10/11/23*

Download (SIMFILESHARE)

TOU: Don't upload any part of this save to any platform without explicit permission, thank you.

#windbrook save file #ts4 save file #ts4 #sims 4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 save file #thesims4

[queenofcoquette]

school advice: academic excellence

introduction:

there's lots of people who don't have a lot of time to study- some people work jobs to help support their family, or have to take care of their siblings becuz their parents work long shifts. if you're in this situations i don't think i can help, since i've never had to face it. all i can say is pick the tips you know you can use, and adjust them however you can to your circumstances. i tried to make this as inclusive as possible to anyone who's short on free-time or doesn't have money to spend.

motivation:

set your goals. think about college, where you want to go and how to do it. this is what i do a lot- i think about my dream college and i think about the work ethic i need for it.

gratitude. another thing you can think about is how lucky you are to get an education, because a lot of people can't go to school, especially women.

also i like to think about my mom becuz when she was 18 she came to america and had to learn english while studying pharmacology and working a part-time job. she did it all and graduated the top of her class, got accepted into nyu (she didnt go becuz her family couldnt afford it) and when i think about how well she did with everything going against her ik that i can do great academically.

while in school:

make sure your notes are CLEAR. write brief things- formulas, bullet points, etc. only highlight formulas, key points and vocab

make to-do lists (write down what hw you have to do, what you have to study for and when things are due)

ALWAYS ask questions about things you're not clear on (ask the teacher or classmates, whatever works better for u!)

if your teacher allows it, go in early or after school if you have more questions/need more help

do extra credit assignments!! even if your grade is good it's always good to get extra practice and more points.

study habits:

set up an environment to study in. go to a quiet place where you can set up what you need. make sure that it's clean, quiet and free of distractions.

get a drink and/or healthy snacks.

imagine you're teaching someone the lesson. one technique my mom taught me (who studied pharmacology in america while learning english and got straight a's) was to imagine that you're teaching the material to another person. she had a whiteboard to write equations/formulas and would explain them like she was the teacher.

utilize online resources.use things like quizizz, blooket, kahoot, khan academy- free online resources that can help you study.

watch videos. especially for math & science- find videos on youtube that explain concepts and just pay attention.

blurting technique:

pick a certain topic and write down EVERYTHING you can think of- all sorts of notes, key points, questions, everything that comes into your head for about 10 minutes.

afterwards, go back in and add what you missed. structure and organize your final version. this gives you a stronger understanding of the topic.

pomodoro technique:

take about 25 minutes (set a timer) and spend that time competely invested in what you're doing. it's a challenge to stay concentrated, but eventually you'll get the hang of it. after the timer goes off take a 5 minute break & repeat. each time you do it the break gets longer.

when you get a bad grade:

having a good mindset. i know it's easy to get so upset about bad grades take this as a wake-up call and think "how can i do better?" instead of degrading yourself just think about what you could've done differently and what you can do to stop it from ever happening again.

go in for extra help. if your teacher is available before or after school get extra help, or if you have a friend that can help then utilize that! ask all your questions and have it explained one on one.

finally i want to give credit to @mawena_tafa on instagram who made a video about the blurting and pomodoro technique :)

#that girl #that girl 2023 #study motivation #self improvement #pink pilates princess #queenofcoquette #it girl #rory gilmore #study aesthetic #study tips #romanticizing school #school advice

[im-totally-not-an-alien-2]

Halloween prompts no. 27

The Justice League has to summon the "High King of the Infinite Realms" in order to be allowed entry into the Infinite Realms and speak with Pandora and ask for her aid. Her box was the only thing that could stop an all powerful deathless entity from an elderich dimension who was on its way to Earth.

Unfortunately all they know of the king was that he was once called Pariah Dark and he had been so evil that the other beings of his realm sealed him away for eternity in a magic coffin of some sort, so their summoning might not even work. If it did than all they would have to do would be to defeat him in combat and he should be weak enough to capture and place in a control collar made from these bright red flowers.

Constantine, the only magic user available, muttered about this being a terrible idea but went about with the ritual anyway. It wasn't long before an entity was summoned. He was...smaller than they thought he would be in what looked like a superhero costume and glowing white hair. Wonderwoman rushed in and Constantine cursed as the being jumped both out of the way and out of the summoning circle, something he wasn't supposed to be able to do.

Suprisingly, the being not only defeated the Justice League but the being completely bodied them. Then, to add insult to injury it took trophies off of each of them. Superman and batmans capes, Wonderwomans star earrings, Hawkgirls helmet, ect. The only silver lining was that was surly all of the beings powers right? They could make plans to counter them and try again.

A few days later they did exactly that. Only for the teen like entity to pull out more powers and defeat them again. This time the being took trophies again. Supermans replacement cape (the kid was caught on audio complaining about the lack of stuff on him), Batmans utility belt, Wonderwomans shield, ect.

This repeats two more times before the fifth and final summoning (this time Constantine doesn't have anything on him other than his clothes and necessities cause the being kept stealing his scary stuff and that is Very Concerning).

Everyone waited for the kid to make his move, but he just floated there. Flash finally asked what was taking him so long and the entity, Phantom just shrugged, "I usually don't fight the living. You've always attacked me, so I defended myself."

The Justice League lost thier crap. Especially when they found out they could have just asked this entire time.

---

Superman: does this mean I can have my capes back?

Phantom: No. I'm using them as curtains.

Superman:

#fanfiction prompts #prompts #danny phantom #dp x dc #danny fenton #the justice league #justice league #the batfam is going to roast them so hard #batman #superman #wonder woman #halloween prompts

[artdotpage]

Problems facing modern artists & creators

I've talked with hundreds of artists and creators about the difficulties they face trying to earn a living from their craft.

This post covers two of the big ones (social media algorithms & bargain basement marketplaces), and what tools are available to grow your business despite these issues.

Social Media Algorithms and Audience Ownership

Social media platforms are a godsend for getting your work in front of potential clients and building a loyal fan base.

However as you will all have experienced, it can take a mastermind to figure out what kind of content the algorithm wants you to post, and if you don't do that you'd be as well throwing your content into the void as even your own followers might not see your post, never mind new viewers.

It also means you don't truly own your audience, if you post something slightly controversial your account could be deleted without warning, or perhaps a billionaire buys the site and everyone flocks to a new platform where you have to start growing your following all over again.

Solution: Build a mailing list

This is perhaps the single best marketing tool available to any business, and is sorely overlooked by artists and creators.

It's cost effective and because you own your mailing list it doesn't matter what's happening on social sites, you can always keep in touch with them.

The tricky part is converting people into mailing list subscribers. However I've seen plenty of creators successfully build one by offering incentives including free digital downloads, early access to content, discounts on your store etc.

Those who sign up to your mailing list would be considered high quality followers, someone who is much more likely to convert to a paid client and buy from you again in the future compared to the average follower on social media.

Tools

https://art.page/

https://substack.com/

https://convertkit.com/

Losing clients to undercutting competitors on the same platform/marketplace

If you run your business on a marketplace or platform, your clients are one click away from finding plenty of other choices who are willing to undercut everyone else to land a sale.

These sites have no incentive to make sure that traffic you drive to your profile actually purchase from you. Whether a sale is made through your listing or another seller, they collect their fee either way.

They also use uniform designs which reduce you to a generic product listing. Whilst this can simplify the customer experience, it means you have no control over the sales funnel and ability to differentiate yourself, making it harder to convert potential clients into paying customers.

Solution: Direct clients to your own site

Use your own personal website to make sales from, there are plenty of options with no monthly charge and lower fees than marketplaces. This lets you make dedicated marketing pages showcasing your best work to make a client excited about doing business with you, instead of just being a generic product listing.

Take advantage of marketplaces purely for their customer base. Don't rely on them as your sole business platform. This way, any fees you pay are worthwhile to generate sales you wouldn't have had otherwise. 

Tools

https://art.page/

https://www.bigcartel.com/

https://squareup.com/

Interested in more?

There's plenty more I have to share on this topic, including:

How to properly use Print on Demand without getting ripped off

Streamline managing your business so you spend more time creating and growing your business.

How to better utilize your brand to connect with clients and increase sales

So let me know if you’re interested and I’ll get writing!

Transparency

I'm building https://art.page to solve these exact issues, with the goal to create the best all in one site builder for artists and creators that makes running your business easy.

#artdotpage #artpage #artists on tumblr

[headspace-hotel]

Thinking of your post on the problems of veganism as a movement vs veganism as a lifestyle choice/one technique amongst many, that also applys super well to my issues with degrowth (And anticonsumerism as well) as a movement vs degrowth as one technique amongst many for dealing with the hydra-crisis of overproduction/resource overuse/destroying people and places for resources.

Like, in particular as an autistic person the continual recurring insistence that we need to just "change our desires" creeps me out. As someone who's difficulties were dismissed as just "having a bad attitude" and who's interests were so often dismissed as a waste of time instead of preparing for a job in the "real world" IDK if they truly understand the full horrifying implications of that line of thought.

So here's the thing with the concept of "overconsumption"

I had to do this whole project on overconsumption in my Anthropology class where I compared my consumption habits to those of someone 2 generations older, the prof clearly had in mind that we would discover a particular result that I did not end up finding.

I had to watch this documentary called "Affluenza" which was all about how Americans consume too much and they shop and buy things for fun and it's killing the planet, and it kept making these statements like "The average american does X..." and "X" would be something insane that I've never dreamed of doing.

Now I technically grew up below the poverty line, we were always financially insecure and struggling to pay bills and there was never any extra money lying around.

But my upbringing felt average, even privileged. We had a house instead of a trailer on cinder blocks, we had food and clothes. Compared to the upbringing of my mom and virtually everyone she knew growing up, we lived in fabulous luxury.

And the "overconsumption" lesson was bizarre to me because it brought up things like "going shopping for fun once a week" and "owning 20+ pairs of shoes" as if they were normal. I wear my clothes until they're unwearable and shop for clothes like once a year, and my mom has half as many clothes as I do. She feels guilty buying anything for herself and HATES shopping.

It feels like the dominant resources on living an eco friendly lifestyle presume that we have far more agency in what we buy and use than we actually do, instead of being stuck with the cheapest or closest available thing, and that our lives are full of extraneous, non-essential "consumption."

That class brought up the idea of "conspicuous consumption" a lot, or buying things to obtain social status instead of for their concrete utility. The way "conspicuous consumption" was addressed in the class was not very immediately relatable to me—I never had the option of buying clothes just to appear "with it" socially. My parents couldn't buy an extra car to fit the aesthetic of the American dream—we had enough trouble keeping the one we had running. The "conspicuous consumption" that class addressed was just not available to me.

However, I don't think conspicuous consumption is endemic to stable members of a certain socioeconomic status, because consumption is partially driven by the trauma of poverty. People who grew up poor will buy you more Christmas gifts than you can store or use, because they want to spare you the shame they experienced. Their brains are molded around the trauma of not having enough, and giving you enough is their way of keeping you safe.

Conspicuous consumption as a habit is pushed on you if your ancestors were shaped by this trauma. It is a misrepresentation to think of it as driven by pride, because your ability to perform the behaviors and mimic the appearances of a higher socioeconomic status has a concrete effect on how people treat you.

I know J.D. Vance is a nutjob now and Hillbilly Elegy was...not great (I'm more appalachian than you bitch, and I'm not even appalachian!) but the one thing that book got incredibly right was the idea of "social capital" and the way access to financial security and wealth gives you social capital. This is the main thing the current understanding of "conspicuous consumption" gets wrong—the need to escape the appearance and behaviors of poverty is seen as vain and self-indulgent, when it's a survival mechanism and it's something you're expected to engage in to gain opportunities and respect.

Poverty is humiliating. People with money never think about the fact that they have money. They think of themselves as average, if they think of themselves in terms of socioeconomic status at all. Being poor ends up embedded in the grooves and folds of your brain.

I remember when I was about 12, I gave my friend an informal tour of our house the first time she came over, showing her every room. I realized later that this wasn't exactly a normal behavior—I had done it because my mom did the same thing when she brought her friend over, and my mom had done it because it was a way of saying look, I survived. Look, I have a place to live to call my own, isn't this nice?

At its worst, anti-consumerism just reinforces the myth that your consumption is purely a matter of personal choice. And unfortunately when the conversation is ruled by the privileged, this idea will appear substantiated—because rich people can choose the aesthetics of poverty without concretely affecting the way the world treats them. A rich person can choose to live in a "tiny house" but they will never be "trailer trash."

Anti-consumerism revolves around ideas that are almost irreparably tainted by the mythology of an unequal society. Rich people possess and control the aesthetic of restraint and frugality, allowing them to playact living a Simple Life where they live in a tiny minimalist cottage and eat Healthy Vegan Oat Gruel, while McDonalds is the emblem of American excess. It is poor people's behaviors and habits that exemplify excess and greed.

Anti-consumerism isn't going to change anything until it openly confronts the fact that poverty is traumatic and consumption patterns often arise from poverty survival mechanisms.

#random #overconsumption #anticonsumerism #was in my drafts for a long time wow

[dailymothanon]

A sketch of Gov in the new episode 🐶! I always kinda imagined Gov to look pretty much how he is portrayed in the episodes tbh so I never bother to make him that much of a separate design 🤔 BUT also this is an excuse to educate y'all on federal land. It will be under the cut for those who wanna learn.

What does Federal Land mean for a state?

Well, this is something I think a lot of folks in here (the fandom) needs to know, because I just see people jump to conclude Gov is horrible towards Nevada. That is not the case.

This is just the basics, but federal land literally just conserves, manages, and protects natural resources and wildlife. For example, national parks are federal lands. You'd notice this because of how western states tend to have more wildlife than the east. And how federal land is mostly administered by agencies such as the BLM, FWS, NPS, and USFS, which all are catered towards handling wildlife and resources.

Federal land also tends to consist of land that states cannot easily manage or utilize, which for Nevada it's pretty easy to notice, as most of Nevada is semi-arid and desert, meanwhile land more available to use, like by rivers and other water sources are not usually federal land.

Historically, up until 1976, you could easily just claim a homestead of hundreds of acres! The Federal Government just ended up taking what nobody else really wanted because they couldn't live there anyways. It's why Nevada has so much Fed Land, and now that land is managed by agencies; and in Nevada's case, most of it is under the Bureau of Land Management. This is why Nevada's population only resides in no more than 20% of the land. Because they bought it as they could use it and live in it, even then they don't use much of the full 20% that is accessible to them.

And it's not as if federal land is completely off-hands, people hunt, hike, camp and fish in federal land all the time! Take Alaska for example, who's 60%+ federal land, in terms of Alaska's size that's a LOT of land, yet Alaska is one of or the best state when it comes to fishing and hunting either way, and Alaska's natural beauty remains largely untouched and unbothered (at least directly).

There is also the fact that if a crime is committed on federal land, it instantly becomes punishable to a higher degree than it would on state grounds, as it becomes of federal interest.

So no, Nevada being 80% federal land isn't bad for him. It's just Gov taking up and protecting what Nevada can't really utilize or manage easily.

#anyways I hope some of yall do something with this knowledge because some of yall really need it #wttt #welcome to the table #welcome to the statehouse #ben brainard #wttt fanart #wttt fan art #wttt headcanons #wttsh #wttsh fanart #wttt nevada #wttt gov #wttsh gov #wttsh nevada #wttt alaska #wttsh alaska #wttt facts #wttt dc #wttsh dc

[sgiandubh]

Tools of the trade

Came home an hour ago from a reception I literally fled (busy week in this respect, unfortunately). And I kept being internally nagged during the short taxi ride, by what is probably at least this season's Anon. Landed in @bat-cat-reader's inbox with regard to Marple's most recent innuendo:

I had to know more about this, since I had no idea such deep diving tools were now available for pretty much everyone. Here's the gist of how it works, in pics and a quick review:

What Snoopreport promises its subscribers is to basically keep them posted on the targeted accounts' online behavior patterns...

... without the need to publicly follow them on Insta (sounds familiar?)...

...leaving no trace (zero accountability, because it uses only public data: this can be interpreted differently, in a different legal system/context, since several European countries, as I already discussed, have more protective legal provisions for a person's right to his/her own image)...

... at minimal costs (I suppose the most cost-effective, if we assume this is one of the used monitoring tools, would be the small business pack, allowing the super sleuth to track 10 different accounts, for peanuts):

A review of this product I have checked here (https://www.techuntold.com/snoopreport-review/) points out the obvious Achilles' heel of this app. Snoopreport obviously does not work for private accounts:

Which brings up a logical question: could the (in)famous 'resource' be S's private Insta account, in which case it would be very difficult for the sleuth to admit stalking it? Is it even technically possible to stalk a private Instagram account and remain unseen?

The answer to the latter is yes: other actors of this apparently very lucrative market, such as Glassagram (https://glassagram.com/), do not have Snoopreport's scruples and monitor even private accounts.

I think this is pretty self-explanatory and to be honest, it gave me the chills:

Serious reviews (https://www.techuntold.com/glassagram-review-spy-instagram/) are raving about this one, calling it the best app on the market, mainly because you can save all the snooped content on your own device:

... and the price, for stalking (their own choice of vocabulary, not mine, for once) an unlimited number of accounts is reasonable:

Best of it? They've been around since 2017.

In a nutshell: is it legal? it would seem so, in the US, not so sure about the UK/EU. Is it moral? It's up to you to decide what to think of a firm which has no problem admitting to encouraging stalking (but hey, don't listen to the nutcase here, huh?) and uses completely different real-life situations (infidelity, kids' monitoring) to assert its legitimacy and utility.

What I mean by this very long and illustrative post is this: you do not need inside sources/information to have one day the idea of crossing what is obviously (at least in my book) a red line. You just have to be able (lots of free time), willing (asserting power over a very thirsty and not so digitally skilled audience) and voilà: a Super Sleuth is born.

It is one thing to analyze and speculate, based on open sources, to your heart's content. It is a different affair altogether to obsessively monitor someone, with so much detail and personal (& financial) investment, over a substantial period of time. I will die on this hill and you will never change my mind on this one.

Is the emperor naked? I wouldn't venture speculating. What I do know, is that this emperor is a very, very sad one.

#fandom

[ros3ybabe]

October Language Goals 🎀

I was thinking of posting a more structured study schedule for studying Japanese, but right now, I don't think that's a good idea because I'm not actually following a strict study routine or schedule. My available time to study varies so much on the day to day so having flexibility in how I study is definitely going to be and has been helpful.

These goals do help give me some useful guidance in how I use my study time, especially when I have a longer amount of time to study.

I am going to add an updated list of resources at the end of this post as I have found a good set of resources that are/will be helping me along this language journey.

🩷 Goals for the Month of October -

complete Genki I lesson 1 + lesson 2

build a flashcard list of 50-75 vocab in AnkiApp (currently 32/75)

learn 10-15 most common phrases/greetings

make a list of common things I say and find their Japanese equivalent

keep a 30+ day streak in Duolingo

keep a 30+ day streak in Busuu

post a speaking exercise per "chapter" in Busuu

test out WaniKani and see if I would like to utilize it as a resource

buy 2 to 5 manga in japanese (for future learning)

finish season 4 of Bungou Stray Dogs (for fun)

begin using AnkiDroid Genki I flashcard set in correspondence with the textbook lessons

start a beginner langblr challenge (either my own or find one to join in on)

I think this is a very doable list of goals given how busy my months and weeks have been. I will have a decent amount of free time, especially if I schedule all of my stuff efficiently. Now, on to a list of current resources!

🩷 Updated Japanese Language Resources -

Duolingo - I know she gets hated on but I love duolingo right now just for some daily practice on days where I have low energy or less time for studying. I turned off the romanji so I'm forcing myself to get more familiar either hiragana and katakana and I just find this app useful for vocab and silly daily practice.

Busuu - ohh, she has my heart right now. I actually bought premium for busuu for one year to give me time to actually use the app and get the most out of it. The audio is a little robotic sounding, but the exercises are helpful. They have speaking exercises that you can post to the community page and get native speakers to correct you! I honestly just love this app, and it also has a streak feature like Duolingo to keep me motivated to do some daily practice.

Renshuu - I still love renshuu as a resource because it’s the only reason I re learned the hiragana and katakana so fast, although I have not being using it as often lately. I still highly recommend the app! I want to keep using it and see how helpful it continues to be!

Language Drops - I like using this one to practice and learn some vocab every now and then. The free version only really lets you do five minutes a day but for a quick vocabulary review, that’s all I really need!

Genki I + II Textbooks and Workbooks - I've looked through the first lesson in Genki I and I honestly am so excited to use it once I have the time to sit down and study from it. My plan is to take notes from the textbook in my own notebooks, practice the exercises in the textbook and workbook, listen to the dialogue, and lots of flashcards!

Writing workbooks - I want to start using the two I have because I think it'll help me retain my knowledge of hiragana and katakana and even Kanji, once I get to the point where I'm learning Kanji.

Ankidroid/AnkiApp - These are two different apps, but they are both for flashcards. Their functionality is a bit different from each other, but they're still incredibly useful! I make my own flashcards in AnkiApp, but I use decks made by others in Ankidroid. This way I can keep studying what I already know but also can learn other things, if that makes sense? I'm using the Genki I deck on Ankidroid currently as I am preparing to use the Genki I textbook.

Google Keep Notes - I use keep notes to keep a record of my goals, resources, routines, etc. it’s so easy and simple to use and access, so I thought I’d mention it here

YouTube - I love watching YouTube videos about learning languages, thought I’m not advanced enough to start watching native Japanese content. Some YouTubers I like for their language tips are Tanya Benavente, Lidie Botes, and Zoe.languages. There’s a couple random videos about languages from, oh no Nina and The Bliss Bean, too.

that is all my goals and main current resources for the month of October. I’m thinking of starting like a language bullet journal, like a bullet journal/language tracking journal for Japanese? But I don’t know if I should? Maybe you guys can vote and give me some motivation to make a decision?

thank you guys! I did manage to complete most of my September goals, so that is definitely keeping me motivated right now! I haven’t had the most energetic of days but I think even a little bit of studying can be beneficial!

til next time lovelies! 🩷🤍

#pink pilates girl #pink pilates princess #self development #self care #self love #wonyoungism #health & fitness #mental health #physical health #it girl #language learning #language resources #language learning tips #learn japanese tips #japanese #language learning goals #langblr #japanese langblr #university student #college studyblr #studyblr #that girl #that girl energy #it girl energy #pink academia #pink aesthetic #girl blogger #girly blog #green juice girl #coquettecore

[lavender-z-love]

Is this Love?

Douma X Black.Fem Reader

Genre: Demon x Demon Slayer, Demon Boyfriend AU, Human X Demon, Angst, Fluff Ig? Yandere x Tsundere? Action?

Warnings: Blood, Mentions of stabby stab (tryna keep it PG.) Yandere themes. SPELLING/ GRAMMAR ERRORS

A/n: I know Douma has a few screws loose, but lets ignore that for now. (This was a request) I've only seen 5 minutes of Demon Slayer but I did some research on homeboy and he is an interesting Antagonist. Also, Ik the powers kinda wack, just work with me here—I'll be doing some revisions too so if something looks different dont be alarmed

Wordcount: 1k-ish? Ill count later.

Part 1: Here ♡

Part 2: (More Yandere stuff. Nun too crazy)

The Heavenly Hashira. That was you title. You were known for your Aerokinesis, tessen abilities. You weren't the strongest nor the weakest, but you could hold yourself astoundingly well compared to the others. There was no denying that the Heavenly Hashira had quite a few deaths of demons on her hands.

The walk through the dark night was silent. A cool and Icy breeze began to pick up, you shivered.. It felt familiar but you just couldn't put your finger on it.

That was until you heard..That voice. "Don't you know its dangerous for a gorgeous woman to be walking around at night...Alone?" You stop in your tracks, eyes scanning the area in attempt to find where he was hiding. Nowhere in your eyesight, meaning he had to be somewhere behind you.

You take a deep, concentrated breath.. Springing into the air, looking below you. Rest assured there he was. Large muscular build, platinum blonde hair—Leaning up against a tree, waving at you, those cold rainbow eyes smile at you.

With your Tessen in hand, You whisper a quick chant before whisking your arm around. Shooting a atmospheric gas in the form of a small cyclone.

The last thing you wanted to do was create a large one and lose control of it. Once the cyclone reaches the demon it combusts.

You gently land, one foot touching the ground before the other. Your eyes glued on the now clouded area due to the combustible cyclone you sent towards him.

To no avail, no damage was done. Of course what would one expect from one of the most dangerous demons. He walked out of the cloud unscathed, still with that apathetic smile on his face.

"Well..Good evening to you too. Y/n", He spoke."

The air getting colder by the minute, amost like tiny miniscule icicles formed in the air. Breathing in was starting to hurt, causing you to breathe more conservatively. "I'm not here to hurt you, Y/n, Let's just chat for a moment", he cooed.

"Talk? I have no desire to speak with you." He lowers his voice, somewhat husky now. Those symbols within his eyes studying you.

"Playing 'hard to get' I see. You're So cold-hearted Y/n.." He smiled, eyebrows following helping him display a flirty expression as he continued pacing forward.

Of course, you walk backwards not wanting to come into contact with him. The ground started to crawl, a force growing quickly at Douma's feet and working their way towards you. Vines created by Ice, growing.

"Just let me say a few things and I'll consider letting you go for a bit.."

"Huh? Letting me—"

The vines shaped into large lotuses, the icy vines capturing you by your wrists. The vines, growing spikes rushing towards you. In a panic, you wave your fans around. Doused in pink aura, your wind slices the Ice lotus. Your wrists now free you turn and leap, hoping to get out the range of the Ice limbs Douma was creating.

Taking your tessen you use them to your advantage, utilizing its ability to give you a jump boost. Not long after the cold air picks up once more. Seeing Douma chase after you swiftly. Chanting then waving your Tessen as you hopped tree branch from tree branch.

"I advise you to Stop Y/n, I promise I won't hurt you", He says evily chuckling. Creating cyclones, tornadoes of all sorts- taking advantage of the freezing clouds Douma was producing. Sending hurricanes of sharpened Icicles right back at him. The frozen mist slowly engulfing you from behind, as you raced back to the others hoping you could lure him back to the others.

Dodging large wintery icicle shards that plummet from above. 'There! The Estate!' It was just at your fingertips, and then...Dragged down from the sky by Lotus vines. "Y/n, I love a good chase...but I really must confess something."

The vines tossing you around, one minute you hang upside down, the next you're thrown and caught upright. The vines wrapped around your waist vigorously. Holding you still for the deadly demon before you.

Pushing away at the vines, only for them to nearly squeeze you to death as a punishment.

"Release me!", you shout. You wriggle your wrist, striving to create some sort of wave strong enough to break the vines.

Douma, appearing so suddenly right in front of you. Face to Face, His hands latching onto your wrists, keeping them at a halt. His long blue nails, grazing your skin— He snatches the Tessen away from you.

"Fun game Y/n.. I thank you, I needed that run."

You stayed quiet, thinking of the things you'd never done yet..preparing yourself to be consumed.

"I wanted to tell you before— seems like..I've come to fancy you."

"...What?" You're neck nearly snapping as you turn to look at the demon. You studied his face, waiting for him to say he was joking of some sort. "You?...You heartless, unemotional psycho- Are you really capable of such emotions? Don't make me laugh", you scoffed. Douma's usual casual smile drops..

"Heartless..Unemotional?..How saddening you've been convinced I have no feelings..However–" ,With your Metal Fans Douma had taken from you, he closes them before bringing them up to your chin. Gently, lifting up your chin to look at him. "Explain to me what these feelings are..I don't think a emotionless being would feel what I am feeling right now."

"That doesn't change the fact the you're psycho-"

Douma gazes at you, his rainbow eyes undressing you in the process. His smile ever so alluring, baring his sharp fangs. "Psycho, I guess so. I'm a psycho for you."

Noticing that you were slowly moving backwards, now with your back to a tree, icy vines that held you captive loosen, not quite unwinding from you. In an instant, pale fingers intertwine with yours. Caging you to the tree. "Join me Y/n, I'll make you happy."

You shocked by his sudden proposal, pulling at your restraints and his hands. "NO!" Wriggling one hand free, you reach behind you grabbing a spare hidden weapon you carried just incase of an emergency. A blade, now shoved through Douma's skull from his chin and up. Warm crimson staining your hand as it drizzles down. Catching him completely by surprise, his eyes widened with shock.

His hand, swiftly yanking out the weapon out of his face. Blood following the weapon once disguarded. Slightly regretting your actions as you watched him turn his attention back to you. Expecting for your life to be cut short then and there, the opposite happened.

His pale hands, blue claws pinning your free hand to the tree. His eyes sparkled in amazement, desplaying admiration for you. "Oh my, such a beautiful and clean piercing."

He leans in, leaning in close to your face. "You really are something. An slayer capturing my heart..how interesting."

"You're not fooling me, let me go or kill me!"

"The last thing I'd want to do Is fool you, let alone kill you", he cooes. The Demon gazing at your lips every now and then, allowing you to catch onto what he wanted. You turned your head away from him. Leaving Douma chuckling, his fangs once again flashing. "Well..That will come in due time." His multicolored eyes scan you,"Hmm..how about you come with me?"

"What?", you question.

"You heard me, I'm. Taking. You. With. Me!" He sings happily.

..'This guy is really insane you through to yourself.' Douma chuckles, holding the fan before you. He opens it, puckering his lips and blowing icy dust into your face.

"As if id go with you willingly–"

Your sentence discontinued by the substance introduced to your lungs. You wheeze with disgust, in attempt to cough up what you ingested. The swiftness of your limbs going numb, followed by sleepiness now taking control.

Douma smiles joyfully as you slouch against the tree now keeping you up. His vines now releasing you as you fall before him. "I do have to admit, while I absolutely adore you fired up..This, Sleepiness suits you well too Love."

Douma kneels down to your level, reaching out to you. He loops one arm around your back and the other below your knees— carrying you Bridal style.

"Stop..l-let me go", your voice sleepily slurred.

"Mm-mm, the both of us have things to discuss. Take a nap in the meantime, okay?" His smile, the last thing your eyes saw before quickly succumbing to the slumber spell placed upon you.

Practically skipping with you in arms Douma heads back to his Resort. The satisfying sound crunching of dead leaves under his feet follow him.

"Don't worry Y/n..You'll come to terms with my feelings— No matter how long it takes. I will make you mine."

Written May 31st, 2023

#douma x reader #douma x you #douma x y/n #douma x black reader #Demon Slayer AU #doma x reader #Doma x you #Doma x y/n #demon slayer scenarios #demon slayer x reader #Demon Slayer X You #demon slayer imagine #douma icons #douma smut #Douma Scenarios #douma imagine #Doma imagines #demon slayer oneshots #demon slayer original character #demon slayer angst #demon slayer fanfic #demon slayer fluff

[ofallthingsnasty]

henlooo!! i read ur post abt manipulator kaiser and oliver. (i’m already 20 btw) what would be their reaction if their foreign!s/o tries to escape from them and go home to their country? would they hunt them down or would they just let them go?

hello hello haha 🤗 tbh I've only thought about Kaiser with a foreign darling so far because that really tickles me - but Oliver as well? Interesting thought 👀

word count: 1k goes with this thirst post here

tags: yandere, emotional manipulation

I think neither one is the 'hunting down' type (Shidou or even Barou, however...) - but Kaiser, in my opinion, will not hesitate to utilize his fame. Soccer is really popular here in Germany and I know a fair share of players and their partners even though I am absolutely not invested in the Bundesliga and the likes. You leaving and in such an abrupt way? Basically overnight? That's going to be all over the yellow press, no doubt. He is one of Germany's best players and he won't have to lift a finger to get all eyes on your 'break-up' (Of course they don't know that you basically fled, don’t know what he’s really like behind the scenes-). The media circus will be a lot for you. You'll definitely have to go private or even delete all your socials because of the sheer amount of hate you will get (if he let you run your own, of course. He might just be the type to insist on him curating those for you, never mind the fact that you could be located through those). Your face is all you see the moment you open any European news site, aside from the more serious ones. The media will most likely smear you - and maybe even turn on you fully once Kaiser drops a few calculated words. Everyone will speculate why you left like you did, will try to analyze yours and Kaiser’s relationship until they’ve found a plausible reason. You’re better off ditching the internet or the media all together for a little while. As for Kaiser, would he ask you for forgiveness, knock on your door one night or just straight up snatch you up? Oh, no. He's too proud for that, even though he is positively seething. He's angry, first and foremost, angry that you could be so ungrateful, that you would just leave him, a goddamn superstar. You were supposed to worship him like the rest of them, not run for the hills the moment he got a little too comfortable. But I can actually see Ness sniffing your location out and paying you a tearful visit, harping on your feelings, telling you how much of a mess Kaiser is without you, how he can be so difficult but, really, he only acted the way he did because he loves you- He’ll put on his sweetest face, the biggest teary eyes. When you don't fall for it, he will turn downright nasty and berate you for it, threaten you. Don't you know what level of influence Kaiser has, how much money he has to waste? You think some measly borders will stop that? He can turn your life into hell even from a continent away, you'll see. Ness will play the errand boy for Kaiser happily - and he'll mean every word he'll say. Disloyalty towards Kaiser is just something he won’t stand. I think he'd leave you to mull over it - waiting to see if you can be scared into crawling back. But if you still don’t come back, Kaiser will make Ness’ threats come true until you do, paranoid and destitute. He can absolutely pull some strings - and he will.

Oliver doesn't have the same tools available to him - not that he isn't famous, just not as much as Kaiser - your break-up will probably be picked up by some tabloids and fans online but it won't make the waves it does with Kaiser. But forcing you back with his influence is not his style, anyways. No, Oliver will make you take him back. Willingly. I think he'd grin and bear the ‘break-up’, on the outside. He won't lose his cool over this, even though it's bothering him a lot. He'll throw himself into his work, his team, keeps that laissez-fair attitude as if his life depends on it. I don't see him as the type to come up with an intricate plan to get you back but he'll let you cool off a little and bets on your poor, little brain smoothing things over for him in retrospect. He won't pick up anyone during this time to get back at you or to make you jealous - he'll be on his best behavior, won't be mentioning the 'break-up' anywhere, won't utter a word of contempt into your direction, won't even go out to party that much. For his standards, he's turning into somewhat of a golden boy - but it really is just a ploy. To make you see how much you've changed him. To make you see how heart-broken he is. Due to his charade, you’ll probably think yourself safe - until he turns up at your door one day, with the biggest apologetic smile on his face. It’s so jarring, it actually stuns you into silence. He’ll show you just how much of a talker he can be - for hours and hours he’ll lay it on thick, won’t spare a single, oh-so-sad detail. And it’s so easy to let yourself fall for his charms again - it wasn’t all that bad, right? You’ve loved him, still kind of do - the old wounds have scarred over, the pain long gone. And with the way he eyes you, still tired from his travels, like some kicked puppy, his attention solely focused on you... You can feel a familiar tug at your heart again and before you know it, you find yourself doubting your past self. Maybe you just overreacted at times? Maybe you could have poured yourself more into the relationship, could have given him more - shown him just how much you loved him. It’s an ugly feeling of doubt, of uncertainty, of longing. Before you know it, you’ll see the relationship through a different lense and him in a much softer light - how lucky you are, then, that he is here to stay for a little while, just until you can sort your feelings out. And this time, he’s serious - and willing to show you with a shiny ring on your finger.

#blue lock x reader #yandere blue lock #oliver aiku x reader #michael kaiser x reader #yandere oliver aiku #yandere michael kaiser

[sweet-evie]

Does fanfic exist of SaShiSu just being housemates? I need this AU so bad 😭

✨ masterlist ✨

Like I want more wholesome shenanigans between the three of them...

Like, I need more content of just Satoru, Shoko, and Suguru being the best of friends going through ups and downs together, navigating through that phase in life where high school ends and university days begin.

Satoru is the rich friend and wanted to buy the three of them a house with his parents' money, but Suguru and Shoko refuse and are adamant about showing rich boy what it's like to live in the real world.

So they rent a 3-bedroom 2-bathroom apartment unit... (Satoru and Suguru share a bathroom, and Shoko gets her own bathroom, for obvious reasons). It's still pretty upscale compared to most, but they all agreed to pitch in for the rent and utilities.

I want to see moments where Satoru learns how to do laundry, moments where Suguru figures out how to make the perfect fried rice recipe, moments where Shoko stays up super late to study and the boys stay up with her and help her with flash cards and stuff.

They have game nights, movie nights, spring cleaning days, laundry days.

I want to see friendship fights and friendship fluff afterwards.

I want to see moments where they have personal emergencies, and they each know how to take care of each other.

I want to see them get drunk together. Satoru gets wasted first because he's a lightweight and he RARELY drinks. He consumes alcohol like once a year and only because he lost to Suguru in a bet.

They're each other's best wingman and wing-woman and they roast each other so hard, like only best friends can.

They see each other's best qualities and know each other's worst habits.

I want to see Satoru whining and complaining when he keeps finding black and brown strands of hair everywhere. He also finds stray hair clips and hair ties in the most random places.

I need to hear Shoko complain about all the random shit Satoru and Suguru keep buying and placing around the house. They don't even need most of it. One or two or five is fine, but sometimes it accumulates and ends up cluttering the kitchen counters and takes up valuable cooking space.

(Like why do we need Digimon figurines in the kitchen? Why do jars of multi-colored marbles keep multiplying on available counter spaces?)

I want to see Suguru being passive-aggressive, sassy, and petty about his two housemates not carrying their own weight when it comes to housework. Suguru's toxic trait is that he refuses other people's help when it comes to cleaning because he has a way of doing things that he MUST follow and NO ONE is allowed to mess with it, but he gets annoyed when people don't help him while he's cleaning.

I want to see them juggle part-time jobs and college schoolwork... Well, Shoko and Suguru would get jobs. Satoru is a nepo-baby.

Even if Satoru is a nepo-baby, he at least knows what normal people (like you and me) do to function and live in a society drenched in capitalism, and it's all thanks to Suguru and Shoko.

When Shoko and Suguru struggle to make ends meet financially, it's Satoru to the rescue! They rarely ask for his help, obviously, but rich boy finds out anyway and if he can help, HE WILL HELP.

The three of them are family at this point.

If you date any one of them, just know that they're a package deal. You can't have one without the two.

I want a disney movie with the three of them as main characters, basically -- where friendship and family love saves the day! 🙌

Is this too much to ask?

From Gege? Well, yes... 😩

(JJK canon has just broken me beyond repair... *sobs in Ch #236).

#jujutsu kaisen #sashisu #sashisu au #jjk #satoru suguru shoko #sashisu imagines #i love this trio so much #satoru gojo #gojo satoru #suguru geto #geto suguru #shoko ieiri #ieiri shoko #wbad blog #wbad shit posts

[your-tutor-abacus]

The Color of the Sunspot's Milk

We don't drink milk on the Sunspot.

It's not really a thing for us.

We did not evolve from mammals, so we do not produce milk ourselves, typically. Actually, our life can't really be divided up into the same categories as Terran life, anyway, and the Evolutionary Engines that are used to create people now produce such a diversity of biological development that we can't use sweeping statements like that meaningfully. But, we strongly suspect based on evidence at hand that the Ktletaccete did not originally have anything like mammary glands.

And, on the Sunspot specifically, we do not consume anything produced by animals. It just never even occurred to the Founding Crew to set up the ship and our culture that way. The ecological balance of the Garden requires that we let the fauna live as naturally as possible without interference from people. So, we do not milk animals.

But it turns out that we drink something that is kinda of vaguely like milk. It often serves a similar culinary utility, particularly in baking.

We know this because we have been talking to our Earth custodians of the Terran Tunnel Apparatus, and they have tried a product they call Ryze that is an approximation of what we use on the Sunspot, and we've been trading notes.

So, in the search for accommodation, the ancestors of the Sunspot Ktletaccete developed a mixture of pureed fungus and algae that could provide a very young child or a disabled or elderly person with nutrients that might not otherwise be readily available to them. And we have been calling this something that our translators have decided to call "formula". We understand that this echoes the term many of you use for a fortified milk that you feed your infants, and that's acceptable.

But our formula comes in many varieties, customized for each person's needs and even each use they might have for it.

Fungal and algae farming has always been abundant and easy for us, so it is the least expensive food to create. It may not have been central to the diet of ancient Ktletaccete, but it has become pivotal to survival in space aboard our Exodus Ships. And now we use it in nearly everything.

We also eat a variety of nuts, fruits, grains, tubers, leaves, stalks, and other vegetable matter (or their Sunspot equivalents to what these words mean to you). And some of those things provide proteins and lipids that compliment what is provided by our various formulas, so depending on how we combine it we can create foods that sometimes resemble your breads, quiches, meat loafs, stews, etc.

But, also, Artisan crafted beverages is a huge thing here, which I understand some of your cultures might relate to. And our formula is central to that.

So, what are the main differences between our formula and milk? And what are the differences between our formula and something like Ryze?

Well, obvious, our formula is made entirely differently from milk, and does not share it's color. It's not white or even white-ish, typically.

Though some varieties of it can come close to white so that Artisans can add vibrant colors to it more easily without it turning brown, but the processing tends to remove a lot of nutrients from it, so it's not terribly popular outside of that visual utility.

It's also usually somewhat low on lipids, though those are definitely added for many baking purposes.

It's more of a suspension than an emulsion most of the time, as a result. But again, that varies on it's purpose.

And because of that, and the fact that it's made from fungus and algae, makes it very similar to things like Ryze, which is apparently currently available for something you call "a lot of money" by purchasing it over your Network (or Internet, as you say).

There are other drinks like Ryze, but it so happens that the girlfriend of our counterparts purchased Ryse specifically, so that is the one that they are trying. In particular, they are trying Ryze Matcha, as opposed to Ryse Coffee, since we don't have anything remotely like a coffee bean on the Sunspot, but we do have a green stimulant kind of vaguely like Matcha that can be added to our formula.

We can't really truly compare the sensations of drinking our various forumlas to drinking Ryze, because there is an enormous physical gulf between the Earth and the Sunspot, and we cannot transport either liquid nor taste buds and nervous systems across that distance. And translating words, even with in the same language, between two individuals' personal experiences is inherently inaccurate to begin with.

But we can make some conjectures.

As far as flavor is concerned, we can infer some things. Humans are omnivors with a variety of sensitivities to flavors, and apparently our counterparts are something called a supertaster. They are more highly sensitive to flavor than their typical peers.

They report that Ryze Matcha tastes "green". Not just that it is green in color and therefore the flavor it has can be described as green, but that it reminds them of other green things that they have eaten. There is a bit of a spinach flavor, they report, but its very faint. There is also a faint green tea flavor. We don't know what either of these things really mean, but we know that spinach is a leafy vegetable and that green tea is also made from leaves. But then, they also say that these flavors are not like either of these things, either. They're similar but different.

More specifically, they report that Ryze Matcha does not taste like most mushrooms they've eaten. In fact, it bears a closer resemblance to the flavors they get when they drink from an old jug of water that maybe has some green stuff growing on the inside of it.

"Why would you do that?" I asked them.

And they replied with, "Carelessness."

Anyway, this seems relatively in keeping with our experiences with formula. Usually, it tastes kind of like some other vegetable matter, but different. But, whether those ways are similar to how humans experience Ryse and vegetables on Earth, we really don't know.

What we do know for sure is color. That's something that can be measured quite precisely via the wavelengths of light.

Of course, we may perceive that color differently than you, but thanks to technological measuring devices and mathematics, we can use the same names for the same wavelengths of light. So, when I say that something is green on the Sunspot, you will be able to trust that if you somehow visited your neurology will interpret that thing as what you know of as green, adjusting for the difference in our ambient lighting, of course.

And, yes, some formulas we use are nearly as green as Ryze Matcha, and they are gorgeous.

But most formula ends up in a wide spectrum of color between what you call khaki and a deep vibrant purple, thanks to the dominant colors of most fungi and algae found on the Sunspot.

Our sun produces more ultraviolet light than yours does and there is less shielding between it and the surface of the Garden, so most of our plant life has developed its own shielding, which comes in varieties of purple. Mostly, it's the algae that carries the purple coloring. Most of our fungus isn't green, either, but even when it is, the purples of the algae shift the colors to brown when mixed with it.

But green mosses, ferns, and algae are found in the darkest, deepest parts of our forests, where the sun never reaches the ground directly, and we find that color to be captivating, so our ancestors bred a small variety of green food algae strains specifically for culinary variety.

And the flavor of that stuff is definitely what we could call green.

#a tour of the sunspot #Sunspot Chronicles #Ktletaccete

[utilitycaster]

Bells Hells, Level 9

Disclaimers as per usual: If I said something incorrect or left out something significant, corrections are welcome and encouraged. If I simply did not expound upon every single possible choice open to a character; if my opinions on mechanics differ from yours; or if you have wild speculation, please make your own post.

Blood hunter info is taken from the D&D Beyond content, which is subject to change, so don’t @ me if it does.

Everyone's proficiency bonus is now +4, which affects skill checks, proficient saves, and attacks. Non-multiclassed full spellcasters (FCG and Imogen, assuming neither multiclass) get fifth level spells.

In general, ninth level is an important but not terribly exciting one, in that 5th level spells are a big leap up and it's a proficiency bonus increase level, but it's fairly quiet in terms of class or subclass features. The multiclassers are the most interesting part here.

Also: now that level ups are done as separate little bits rather than teasers at the end of episodes, I'm introducing a "Looking forward" note at the end to speculate on L10 and beyond, since, for example, the version of this post in my drafts had my recommended ASIs for Chet and Fearne but no one got to see them until after the fact.

Chetney: By taking a level in blood hunter - his 8th in that class - he gets an ASI, which Travis took as stat bonuses to INT and STR. This is honestly what I would have recommended; he's now got a +3 to intelligence, easily the smartest in the group; and a respectable +4 to strength, his main attack stat. Looking forward: Honestly, who knows what the story will bring narratively...but blood hunter is a really good class and higher level rogue abilities just don't do a ton for Chet. Anyway, Blood Hunter 9 gives you one of my favorite abilities ever, Grim Psychometry, in which you have advantage on knowledge checks (and possibly even cool visions) for places and objects with tragic or dark pasts.

Laudna: Laudna took a level in sorcerer, which means she gets a Hound of Ill Omen, a dire wolf-like beast of darkness she can summon to attack a particular person. She also learns 2 more spells and gains another sorcery point. I would strongly advise she take Counterspell, given that she tends to lean more towards low-level utility than Imogen's attacks (and, let's face it, eldritch blast is better than most sorcerer damage spells). Looking forward: Personally, from a purely mechanics perspective, I think leveling in warlock would be more interesting from here on out. Sorcerers just...don't get much outside of spells from levels 7-14, and Laudna's feats and existing metamagic and the fact that there's another sorcerer in the party mean some variety would be fun and welcome (and warlock levels 4-6 are really good), but I get the appeal of Hound of Ill Omen for sure.

FCG: FCG gains access to 5th level spells and can prepare one more spell! Greater Restoration and Raise Dead are now available to them, which is pretty game-changing, and I'd love to see Sam try out Commune to get some actual answers from the Changebringer. He also gets two domain spells, which are unknown since it's a homebrew class. Looking forward: Cleric's just a really solid class! I'm interested to see how divine intervention works on a cleric who is still finding their god, and please get that WIS score up to a +4 at L12.

Fearne: Fearne leveled in druid, which means she also gets an ASI and has maxed out her casting stat of wisdom - this in turn means she can prepare two more spells than before (one from the higher druid level and one from the higher casting stat). She also gets the ability to wildshape into flying creatures, up to challenge rating 1. Looking forward: I would really not pursue rogue any further; Wildfire druid is just such a great class. Things to look forward to: at L9 druid (L10 overall) she'll get 5th level spells including Mass Cure Wounds as a circle spell; at L10 druid she'll get a cool bonus to damage or healing as a class feature; and at L11? Pick a tree.

Imogen: Imogen learns one new spell, which can be up to 5th level, and gains a 5th level spell slot and a sorcery point. She gets Telekinesis and Rary's Telepathic Bond as subclass features. As for her new spells: given the loss of the skyship, teleportation circle would be a good one to have on hand. Greater Invisibility would also be a strong choice. Looking forward: As noted with Laudna, there's not a ton going on until L14, but she does get a new metamagic ability next level (subtle spell feels very thematically appropriate), and I would in fact enjoy seeing Imogen cast Chain Lightning very much when she gets 6th level spells at L11.

Orym: Orym gets Indomitable, which allows him to reroll a failed saving throw and use the new number. Looking forward: 9's a quiet level for him but the next few are big ones. He gets two more battle master moves and his superiority dice go up to d10s from their current d8s; 3rd attack is at L11; and he gets another feat at L12, and I would love to see Mage Slayer.

Ashton: Ashton gains brutal critical, meaning that they can roll an additional weapon damage die when they crit. Looking forward: level 10 is a subclass level, so who knows, but I'm excited to find out!

#critical role #bells hells

[ashleywool]

What would you need from the fans of How To Dance In Ohio for a ProShot to be streamed somewhere like Broadway HD or similar? Would it need to be a Kickstarter or a social media campaign? Is there anyone we can write to? Part of my reason for asking is selfish, since I would love to see the show, but this show is also historic and groundbreaking in a lot of different ways and I also think your amazing performances need to be preserved as a part of Broadway history.

I know this is probably a really sad time for you and the rest of the Ohio cast/creative team and even if a ProShot never happens and nothing ever comes of it, just know that you, all of you, touched more lives and hearts than you could possibly know just by being who you are.

Thanks so much for asking. This is something we have been discussing with the producers, because obviously we'd all love it to happen too.

Warning: incoming info-dump, albeit a grossly oversimplified one:

It would cost about $3M to produce a pro-shot. Here's an incomplete list of where that money would go:

-The regular costs of the venue itself--which, when you include rent, utilities, and staff salaries (security, bartenders, ushers, custodians, all the people who are just in charge of maintaining the Belasco), comes out to about $1K a minute.

-The labor of obtaining necessary permits for filming onsite.

-The labor of the film crew, including load-in, setup, and breakdown of equipment, and coordinating with stage management to make sure their shooting doesn't get in the way of backstage choreography, and making any adjustments accordingly

-The collaboration between the film crew and the in-house sound crew to make sure the audio is captured and balanced properly

-The labor of post-production: editing, color correction, sound adjustment, etc.

-There are also different contracts (and higher pay) for the actors, stage managers, stage crew, sound crew, lighting crew, and wardrobe crew, in addition to our current contracts wherein we're just doing the show as usual. This can get particularly complicated with the actors and stage managers, since our Broadway contracts are through Actors' Equity Association (the union for stage actors and stage managers) but the contract for having our work filmed and distributed in theaters or on streaming platforms is under SAG-AFTRA (the union for film actors).

This is not a complete list, but to give you some context: that's about what it would cost just to make the thing. The costs and logistics of actually distributing it is a different story altogether, and a lot of that would depend on strategizing around future productions and making sure the availability of the pro-shot wouldn't compromise, say, a national tour. I'm not a producer and don't have the numbers and the research, but what I'd love to see happen is, the pro-shot gets a limited theatrical release to coincide with a national tour, and then gets released to streaming platforms when the tour is wrapped. (Of course, as an elder millennial who's genetically incapable of not being financially stressed, I don't care where or how it's released as long as I get those residual checks lol.)

As to your question of crowdfunding: as far as I understand it (and I'm not an entertainment lawyer so I likely have very incomplete information, so don't take my word at total face value): in order to crowdfund for a pro-shot, the producers would likely need to establish a new business entity and it would have to be a nonprofit entity so it could legally solicit donations from the public. Broadway shows are commercially produced, and each iteration of the commercially-produced production has its own business entity. When the show was in workshops and in Syracuse, the business entity was "Amigos in Ohio, LLC." The Broadway entity is "Amigos on Broadway, LLC." The only difference it makes on my end is the name that shows up on my bank statement when I get my direct deposit every week, but the difference it makes from a producer perspective is much more significant and it has a big effect on how productions are legally and ethically allowed to be funded, and again I'm not an entertainment lawyer so explaining what those differences are is beyond me.

I will say, however, Ken Davenport has been a real innovator when it comes to how shows can be produced--in 2010, he launched what eventually became the first crowdfunded Broadway musical with the Godspell revival. I know very little about how all of that actually works, but I do think something like that would be a boon to the industry in the year of our dark Majestic Theater 2024. And it would also give the fans a way to connect with the material and the business on a deeper and more personal level.

Meanwhile, if you want to learn more about how Broadway works from the producers' side, you should check out Sammy Lopez's Producing 101 course on The Business of Broadway. (I'm going to be in an upcoming class myself and it's all virtual, so maybe I'll see you there!)

#how to dance in ohio #broadway #musical theatre #musicals #htdio #theatre #broadway producing #showbiz