#( my last purchase was just under $50 )

[hiisheart]

( so uh. if you're wondering where i've been the past few days. )

[pellucid-constellations]

To Feel At Home

Pairing: Azriel x Reader

Summary: Winnowing out from Under the Mountain, you know you need to find him—it doesn't seem real, to feel so at home.

Word count: 1.1k

Warnings: Angst

a/n: A little angsty piece because I can't stop writing for some reason. I hope you enjoy :)

Main Masterlist ♡

~~

On shaking legs, you pressed forward. Rhysand was still at the Moonstone Palace—still in Mor’s arms and coping with the impossible. You had made to stay, but Mor had given you a shake of her head that conveyed more than any words could have.

Mustering up the morsel of power that had returned to you after Amarantha’s death, you winnowed to Velaris. 

Not in a good spot. You hadn’t had access to your power in over five decades and much of Rhysand’s wards were still in place. Given the circumstances, getting yourself to some random alley at the edge of Velaris was a feat. 

The sun was blinding, invading your senses that had gotten so used to the darkness Under the Mountain. You brought a hand up to cover your eyes and trekked on.

No more winnowing. 

You had tried—it hadn’t worked. 

As you walked, stumbling through families taking strolls and having normal days, you searched within you for that golden thread. It had been absent for longer than it had been alive, your time as mates barely reaching a decade before your disappearance. 

You sifted through the pain and grief and loneliness, desperate for the relief you would find once you felt the weight of him. 

Nothing yet. 

He had to know things had changed Under the Mountain. Even amidst the secrecy and the hiding, you knew he would check.  His shadows would cross continents to find you. 

But—you stressed, as you made it to a main road lined with cobblestones—that could mean he went there. Azriel could be under that mountain at this very moment, searching through the fae still sorting out their lives before they went home. 

And you were here. 

You had no reason to panic. 

You were home, safe, alive; you had more reason to feel at peace than you had in the last 50 years. But if Azriel wasn’t here… 

Your breath came out in short pants as your fingers found purchase on a wall. But you kept going, kept watching your feet as they stumbled past each other, just to have the chance of seeing him. 

There were no shadows yet. 

They always found you first. 

You weren't sure how much time had passed—seconds, minutes, hours all lost their meaning under Amarantha—but the shadow of the mountain that held your home was soon cast over your body. You gasped out uneven breaths and pressed a hand to the towering figure, to the entrance that held the ten thousand steps you had every intention of climbing. 

Your body would surely fail. 

The last five decades had not been kind. 

With a determination fueled solely by desperation and hope, you began the tunneled pathway to the harrowing climb, but then you stopped at the entryway. 

A broken rendition of your name met your ears, so cracked and ruined you could have passed it off for something else. 

But you knew that voice, the way the vowels flowed and connected. 

Another broken sound permeated the air, this time from your own lips. 

You couldn’t look. You wanted to, ached to, but you couldn’t. So much anticipation led up to this moment. And you were different now, a fraction of the person you had been all those years ago. 

“Y/n, my love, look at me,” Azriel begged, the lowest you’d ever heard him speak. But you hadn’t heard him speak in so long, so perhaps you were misremembering. “Please.” 

You couldn’t. 

Moving was impossible. 

Your legs began to shake at the sound of footsteps, and then your knees gave out. 

A loud sound vibrated against the tunnel walls as your hands slapped against the floor. On the ground, steps away from the only person who could fix this, your waterline filled with tears. 

But you didn’t have time to second-guess or run or wonder if this was all too much. You were gathered into a strong pair of arms, pressed into a firm chest that smelled like home, and tears made paths down your cheeks. They flowed in damp trails in silence, Azriel holding you closer and closer until you weren’t sure space existed between you. 

His nose pressed into your hair. 

His chest rose and fell in uneven patterns. 

More silence. You felt your body begin to rock gently back and forth. 

This wasn’t real—it couldn’t be. 

You had resigned yourself to never seeing him again many years ago. Even as you ran through the streets of Velaris without your breath or your reasonable mind, you hadn’t expected to find him. This was a dream, Azriel wasn’t here, it was only a cruel play on your mind. 

Someone was trying to hurt you, and it was working. 

Maybe Amarantha had finally gotten Rhys to crack. 

Maybe this was his doing, his manipulation of your deepest hopes. 

Something was moving against your ear, soft and rushed and incoherent. A hand smoothed back your hair. You kept rocking. 

“You’re okay.” Words filtered through ringing. “You’re okay. You’re okay. I’m here.” 

Over and over. On a loop. 

Something encased you. Darkness followed—you were used to darkness. 

The pattern of the words lulled your heart back to a normal rate. Tears continued to fall. Your breath was shaky. 

“I love you so much,” Azriel broke the repetition, shocking your system. “I love you. I love you—” 

A sob wracked your body, the first real sound to leave your mouth. Azriel shushed you in response, but when he buried his face in your neck you felt the wetness of his own cheeks. 

This had to be real, it had to. There was no other alternative. You wouldn't survive feeling this way just to be thrust back into that nightmare. 

It had to be real, it had to—

“It is,” Azriel choked out. He pulled back, your face in his hands, his expression conveying a picture of pain and love and disbelief. “It’s real, angel. Gods, you’re so beautiful. I never thought I’d—” Words cut off and restarted. “I tried so hard to get to you.” 

His forehead met yours. 

This was real. 

You felt the shadows wisp along your skin. 

You could never feel them in dreams. 

“I missed you,” you croaked, voice so unused to the words. “So much.” 

Azriel squeezed his eyes shut only to open them after not even a breath. Desperate not to lose sight of you. Anguished at the thought of missing the picture of you in his arms. 

“I’ve missed you more.”

[iskratempestmadness]

What would they do during a day at the beach? Would they rather stay on the shore, sun tan, maybe play some beach volleyball, or maybe play in the water?

Oh, I'm sorry that it took too long, it's just that my brain refused to think, but I still managed to do it.

Baki:

- Active games

- but it will probably last for two hours

- however, during this time he will have time to swim behind the buoys a couple of times and cause trouble to others

- so he will spend the rest of the time lying on the sand and sipping a cocktail

- he is a fan of active games in the water, like playing ball in the water and the like

- Probably one of those people who forget to put cream on his back and that's why his back burns completely (DON'T TOUCH HIM, he'll throw a tantrum)

- however, with him, a day at the beach is a constant waste of ice cream. He can stuff a kilogram of ice cream into himself and it won't be enough for him anyway

Hanayama:

- Oh, he likes to swim.

- it will probably be a diving day (Hana has experience in this)

- however, he is not a fan of active games.

- it will probably just be sitting on the sand or at the beach bar (if there is a current one)

- for him, relaxing on the beach is primarily an antistress. The sound of approaching waves and this peaceful picture of water itself

- it's easy to imagine him on the sand, in swimming trunks, under two umbrellas, sipping a cocktail

- however, if you ask him very well, he will play a couple of games of volleyball with you

- also a lover of walking on the beach in the evening. He likes the picture of the sunset and the tranquility that arises.

Katsumi:

- Ho ho

- ACTIVE GAMES, ACTIVE GAMES, ACTIVE GAMES

- try to stop him

- he will play anything with you, he loves any kind of activity

- diving, surfing, just swimming or playing active games, whatever you come up with, he will support and do

- he will definitely take a couple of photos ( it will clog up all the memory of his phone

- definitely will arrange a competition on whose sand castle will be better

- however, later in the evening he will be exhausted and will lie on the sand

- perhaps these will be the most valuable moments for him. The sea, the setting sun and you.

Jack:

- he will prefer to keep the balance

- He will spend 50% of his time on land, 50% in the water

- he will probably get on the buoys and swim as far as he can

- by the way, he swims great

- I don't mind playing a couple of sets of volleyball both in the water and on land

- probably buy you a lifebuoy in the shape of a huge pink flamingo (buy him the same one, just imagine Jack in a flamingo-shaped lifebuoy (this is a useless purchase, since he can swim, but he really looks cute in it))

- in the evening, he will lie on a chaise longue watching the sunset

- it's also likely to teach you how to swim

- eeeeeeeeeeeee, in order to coat it with cream, you will have to use the entire tube

Retsu:

- also 50% of the time in the water, 50% of the time on land

- it's just as easy to imagine him in a doughnut-shaped lifebuoy, wearing sunglasses in the shape of stars

- although he can swim too

- he hardly cares for his skin, but he has such a gorgeous tan 😭

- he'll probably play a couple of games of volleyball with you

- he does not swim behind the buoys (for some reason it seems to me that he does not break the rules at all)

- probably prefer an air mattress and will rest on it

- he has excellent taste in cocktails

- but there is also a high probability that he will take fruit ice (cherry is his favorite flavor)

- He also likes the prospect of competing with you in building sand castles.

Shibukawa:

- Yeah, it's his day.

- it seems to me that he doesn't really like to swim.

- however, if he is in the mood, he may actually swim

- but what is more likely that he is one of those people who will go into knee-deep water and look somewhere in the distance

- so he's planning to spend the whole day on the beach, but that doesn't mean he won't find a way to get you wet.

- one of these methods is the water pistols that he took with him

- so it's going to be a COMPETITION.

- he's also likely to take fruit ice

- the same man who is lying on a chaise longue in sunglasses, knee-length shorts, in a Hawaiian shirt and sipping a cocktail

- I also don't mind playing a couple of volleyball games

Yujiro:

- Oh, as you know, he likes to swim

- he will also break all sorts of rules (of course, no one will tell him anything), but he will really have a great time

- it also reproduces the impression of a person who will lie on a chaise longue for half a day just looking into the distance

- active games?

- Oh yes, he can do it.

- but be prepared that you will lose in a dry hehe

- there is also a high probability that he will just read

- imagine the sound of water, the sun is pleasantly warm, a good book... For him, this is one of the best vacation options

[thecapricunt1616]

Promptober Day 11👻

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛 (𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐭): Eva had gotten off the school-bus at your and Richie’s house yesterday afternoon for your weekend together. This morning you had planned a family outing with Richie, your 3 and a half year old son together, Ricky, and Eva to go apple picking at the local orchard, as well as go to the little petting zoo and rides that they had on the property for the kids.

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: Hi there everyone! Welcome to promptober day 11/31! We have our lovely Richie Jerimovich for todays prompt! I hope you enjoy :D! As always,  you can view my schedule & masterlist for this celebration right 🦇here🦇! You can also view the same for my 2024 Kinktober celebration right 🎃here🎃! & If you'd like to be added to the taglist for either celebration, comment on the according masterlist & I will add you! 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1.2k+ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: None really just fluff and an age gap relationship that is 2 fully grown adults (35&50) No use of y/n! 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐬: @/𝘀𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗸𝗮-𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀 & @/𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀

Eva had gotten off the school-bus at your and Richie’s house yesterday afternoon for your weekend together. This morning you had planned a family outing with Richie, your 3 and a half year old son together, Ricky, and Eva to go apple picking at the local orchard, as well as go to the little petting zoo and rides that they had on the property for the kids. 

You were about 5 months along with your second, and you had both agreed that this was the last one as Richie was turning 50 right around when the baby would be born, and you were rounding 35 so you discussed with your doctor that you were getting your tubes tied when you had your C-Section. 

Thankfully the morning went fairly smooth, Ricky wasn’t being fussy and slept quite well the night before- and Eva as always was her normal, helpful angel self. As you drove to the orchard Richie held his hand over your bump, rubbing gentle strokes with your hand covering his. 

“Mama are we going to see goats?” Ricky asked and Eva nodded happily 

“We’re going to see goats and little pigs! We have to wash our hands though really good after” she told him and you smiled looking back at them 

“That’s right Eva very smart. And remember Ricky we don’t put our fingers in our mouth, cause we don’t wanna get sick” you told him and he nods 

“And daddy can get the big apples cause he’s tall!” Ricky said happily and Richie chuckled 

“That’s right bub, I can put you on my shoulders and you can get even bigger ones for us, how’s that sound?” He asked and Ricky clapped his hands happily as Richie turned into dirt lot where you park for the orchard. 

“Momma can we get the kind of apples to make pie? I wanna make 2! So I can bring one home to Mommy and Papa-Frank” Eva asked excitedly and you nodded with a bright smile 

“Sure baby! That’ll be so nice! I’m sure Uncle Carmy and Auntie Syd are gonna love to try that when they come over for dinner Sunday hmm?” You ask and she nodded happily. 

Richie helped get Ricky unloaded and held him on his shoulders, holding your hand and Eva being sure to walk close by. He put on his dad-looking Oakley sunglasses and Eva groans 

“Daaaaad- Come on! Why can’t you wear the sunglasses uncle Carmy wears?” She asks as you walk and he chuckles, feigning offence 

“What?! You don’t find these super cool?” He teased her as you approached the gate, purchasing tickets for the 3 of you since under 5 was free. 

“No they’re so old school” Eva said, causing you and Richie to crack up. You held hands as you walked over to the petting zoo and Richie let Ricky down off of his shoulders 

“Alright Mum and Dad are gonna stand right here, Eva make sure your brother plays nice with the animals ye’?” He told her and she nods as he squatted to Ricky’s level 

“Alright bubba we’re not gonna chase the animals ok? You be nice and get down on their level and they’ll come to you yeah? And pet them nice how you pet Bella and Moo at home, gentle ok?” He explained to him in a firm but kind voice and Ricky nods with a smile. 

“I’ll be nice daddy” he gives Richie a big hug and Richie kissed the top of his silky brunette hair. 

“That’s a good boy. Ok, go ahead with your sister, you hold her hand, yeah? You don’t let go of her hand” he explained and Ricky nodded, looking up at Eva and grabbing her hand obediently. They walked into the little pen together and Richie stood back up, his knees cracking a bit and he groaned. 

“The cracks get louder every day I get closer to 50” he teased, wrapping his left arm around your waist and resting his hand on your bump, rubbing gently. You giggled at his comment, shaking your head before resting it on his shoulder. 

“You’re the best Dad ever” you said and he smiled, blushing a bit and kissing the top of your head. 

“It helps if I have the best mom helpin’ me out, especially when I throw my back out after too much gymnastics spotting” he joked and you laughed a bit, covering your mouth 

“And she made states! I know you’ll never forget the look on her face when she got it so it makes up for the 3 days of Vicodin right?” You said and he chuckled, nodding as he watched your son gently pet a piglet. 

“That’s right” he smiled. You had to practically pry both of the kids away from the petting zoo after 30 minutes so you could do what you actually came here to do, pick apples. You made sure to stop at the store in the orchard to have the kids wash their hands before you went out to the apple trees, both Richie and Eva holding a basket, Ricky perched up on Richie’s shoulders happily. 

“So we’re gonna want about 30 apples for the pies and for mommy’s snacking, your little sister has been craving Pink Lady apples” you tease Eva and she giggled rubbing your belly gently as you walk 

“I’m glad she doesn’t make you sick anymore. I don’t like when you’re sick” she said and hugged your side, causing you to pout and kiss her head as you walk with her 

“I don’t like being sick either Evie, you’re my best girlfriend! Who else am I gonna bake treats for daddy with mmm?” You ask and she giggled, shaking her head 

“Yeah so he can gobble them up in one day like one of those piggy’s we just pet daddy” she teased, poking his arm and he chuckled 

“It’s not my fault! I told you I had to make sure none of them had any poison!” He joked and you found a suitable tree towards the back that hadn’t been picked over 

“Alright! Get to work, gotta earn your keep!” You teased Eva, handing over the basket and she laughed, standing on her tip toes to grab an apple and Ricky happily grabbed plenty from the higher branches that were large and ripe, handing them to his dad to put in the basket. 

“Wow wait until I tell uncle Carmy that you used illegal child labor to make their delicious pie!” She said and you snort a laugh 

“What do you know about the law Miss thing? What are you- 13? You went to Harvard already?” You joked, holding the basket for her as the picked the apples and dropped them in happily 

“I take law for my elective in school this semester Mumma! Eighth grade is different, remember? I get a special class every semester!” She reiterated and you hum 

“Ahhhh I see! Babe - we have a future lawyer on our hands, we may have to afford Harvard” you told him and he looks back 

“I’m sure we can find a smarty like that a scholarship - then she can retire us to the Caribbean when she wins a huge case” he joked and you laughed, rolling your eyes playfully as Eva and Richie continued to chatter about her law class and aspirations for her future while Ricky picked out the greenest prettiest apples he could find. 

Your little family was perfection. 

Fin

Tag List: @automaticllamacycle - @carmenberzattosgf - @daysofyellowroses - @mouseymilkovich - @galactiicpup - @gallaghersgal - @maggiesarchives - @carmybrainworms - @l4long-winded - @babyspiderling - @southsideserendipity - @djlnkaled

[omg-snakes]

do you have any care guides for milk snakes? my cousin impulse purchased a honduran milk snake at a local pet store a few weeks ago and is now surrendering it to me, i'm not familiar with milks but i want this poor guy to thrive once i have him :(

Hello friend!

I'm very sorry to say that I don't have much experience with milk snakes. They're not a species I've ever personally kept and I don't have a care guide for them.

Most pet stores lump pretty much all colubrids (corn, king, rat, milk, hognose, etc.) under the same general care guidelines so if you know how to care for a corn snake I'd say you're already at last 50-75% of the way there. Just do some reading of multiple sources to fill in the gaps for milk snake specifics. They do tend to be a bit more delicate and I've heard anecdotally that they're being overbred, which is resulting in reduced health outcomes in young snakes, so don't be too shocked if they're a little tricky to get thriving. I'm really glad that this little one is getting into a better situation.

I sincerely hope your cousin has learned a lesson about impulse-buying animals.

[astrobolical]

What In “Hell” Is Bad - Limited L-Grade Banner “Guide”

Note: Now available on android as well! Unsure of any differences. I may go through and update this later with images from my phone rather than my iPad.

Looking for other guides? Check out my WHB Guide List!

Okay… not sure where to start with this one other than it’ll be nice and short. However, this is the first guide I’ve made that I hope I get to change quickly.

To start though; new L-Grade Devils to pull, and pretty, blood-covered versions of Leviathan and Beelzebub. I currently do not have them, however, so I will be unable to show their skill/ultimates at all. I’m not willing to pay for it, though, despite that I do spend money on this game… but yeah.

What’s this all about?

PrettyBusy has given us a brand new temporary banner to showcase their new devils and artifacts, basically. (With some added drama, but we’ll get to that.)

Get Leviathan (Bloodshed) or Beelzebub (Bloodshed) guaranteed within 220 pulls.

Use the new item “Solomon’s Seal” to pull (50 Rings for 1 Pull, 500 for 10 pulls)

DO NOT pull on the standard banners for these devils! Right now they’re only available on this one

The pity (220) is absurdly high, and I’ll get to why soon

You can also get two new artifacts from this new banner.

Wing-ripping Sword

“The wearer’s HP and ATK SPD increases by 20%. If equipped on Leviathan (Bloodshed), has a 30.00% chance of immediately killing the enemy with under 15% HP he hits with a normal attack.”

Cracked Sunglasses

“Upon an accurate hitting of a normal attack, recovers as much HP as 4.00% of HP of the wearer. If equipped on Beelzebub (Bloodshed), recovers 100% HP upon using skill.”

Both really good artifacts! Especially for the new devils. If you have the seals for it all.

What? What’s Solomon’s Seal?

This is the unfortunate part— and it wasn’t properly communicated from PrettyBusy. We knew the new currency was coming, but not the means to get it.

This is only purchasable with real money.

There is four purchasing options, and none of them seem overly well priced? Let’s go over that though. We get 50 Seals for the update (1 Pull).

Prices for Solomon’s Seal Packages:

241 Seals - $11.99 (4 Pulls)

717 Seals - $49.95 (14 Pulls)

1,312 Seals -$59.99 (26 Pulls)

2,200 Seals - $99.90 (44 Pulls)

Just looking at them, it’s like… okay? But thinking about the pity, and the 0.63% chance to draw an L-Grade from the temporary banner, it’s not great.

Assuming you don’t get lucky, and you go all the way to 220?

You would need to buy the $99.90 package around 5 times. Which is ~$500. Being real, you’ll usually get them before pity, but there’s four things to get through this banner if you want everything. That’s a lot of chance.

Why is this not good, though?

Because there is no free-to-play alternative.

These seals are only obtainable in the shop, as I said before. It’s not the first game to do this, and won’t be the last. It’s not the end of the world, either. But it’s not great or motivating to the ftp players or community. I’m not going to keep ragging on this, though.

If you have an issue with this, contact PrettyBusy POLITELY. Not with anger, or profanity. Be nice.

So… I can’t get them?

You can!

Just not now, unless they change how this works. When this banner is over (Nov 14, 2023) they’ll be added to the Standard Banner to pull like all the rest.

Oh! There is one more thing to add!

Story Prologues

On the bottom left of the banners you’ll find story prologues you can read to get an idea of why the boys are bloodied up. Just click the circular icon of the one you want to read!

[fox-bright]

Oops, Poultry Version

So I Got Paid on an invoice I've been nagging about for the last three months or so, and while it has to last me a while, and cover many needs, it is a long tradition of mine that the first proper shop after Getting Paid is the purchase of meat. I've spent too much of my life starving to break that habit now, regardless of the fact that these days things are more comfortable; I feel the precarious nature of life at every turn, and so it gives me comfort to get high-value food. Having Enough has been such a relative rarity in my life that it gives me a deep contentment to know that not only is my belly full tonight, but it will be tomorrow, too.

Also, it's just fun to be able to see a food and buy it.

So the Magical Flying Husband and I hied ourselves to the Chef Store where we can buy things in bulk, and I tooled around in the big refrigerated meat room, looking for the elusive and subtle 50% Off stickers. There were discounts on various large pieces of beef, but I made thirty quarts of beef stew last month that now sit, gleaming, on the canning shelf in my basement; I didn't need any large pieces of beef. I made ground beef chili last month, too, and pork butt chili so tender that it made me gasp when I bit into it, but what I didn't make was chicken anything.

Bird flu being what it is, chicken prices are only going up. And I haven't canned chicken stock since late 2022; typically I do a big run of stock in the autumn every two years. I'm getting low. So, I looked for chicken.

I wanted cheap thighs; there weren't any on sale.

Cheap breasts would have done; there weren't any on sale that looked good.

But then I saw that little one-by-one-and-a-half inch sticker on a waxed box of whole chickens. I haven't broken down a raw whole chicken before, but that would do nicely; breasts, thighs, drumsticks for soup, wings to fry for the MFH, and wingtips, bones, skins and tag-ends for stock. Perfect. I slid the box off the shelf (heavy!) and onto a lower stack of boxes so that I could see into it, and lifted the lid. It looked like it held seven or eight chickens. Probably eight? They were piled over each other a bit awkwardly. Eight chickens for a bit under forty dollars. These days, I'm not going to find better prices. I had the MFH heft it into the wide shopping cart and moved on. Two ten pound tubes'o'burger, to be split into one pound portions and frozen in vacuum bags. Soy milk for the MFH's breakfast, and a luxury for me in the form of large, firm green grapes. Five pounds of mushrooms, cheap, to put into chicken cream soup. One bag of frozen jiaozi. And then out into the bright Autumn, feeling quite good about my purchases. I half-daydreamed about chicken soup all the way home.

We got home and I hauled the heavy box of chickens upstairs to my little kitchen where I do all my canning. The refrigerator is also quite small; the box was two inches too big in any dimension to let the door close. But the chickens were, I remembered, sealed in a plastic bag inside the box, to prevent them drying out or leaking. I could put down a baking tray and pop the bag onto that. I could slide the chickens around and close the door.

Removing the bag, I realized I'd made an error in my calculations. It was so cold in that big freezer room. I have always been very sensitive to the cold (thanks, starvation and hypothyroidism), but it's gotten a lot worse since the brain injury. I hadn't lingered. I'd pulled the lid off the box, looked in and said "Seven or eight chickens! And they all look good! Let's get this." and moved on.

I did not notice that the chickens were stacked in the box. Two deep.

I had a lot of plans for seven or eight chickens. But I don't have seven or eight chickens. I have fourteen or sixteen.

I have never broken down a whole raw chicken.

Wish me luck...

[intothestacks]

Recently read an article about librarians and it got me curious. How would you catalogue a book, a spy adventure which had a double agent twist at the very end?

Would it be catalogued as double agent or just spy? Would it be different if it was a recent book or a 50-year-old book?

Here's the article, just in case.

Why libraries need librarians | Vox

Ah, good question!

It definitely wouldn't be categorized as double agent because

a) Librarians don't necessarily read every book they purchase/add to their library*

b) We don't want to spoil the surprise

So it'd likely get shelved as a spy thriller.

In my library (an elementary school library) it'd probably go under Adventure because I don't have a thriller section.

The age of the book wouldn't typically affect the genre category, but it could affect the way the spine label is organized (and thus the book's placement on a shelf).

Currently, most public libraries in Canada (and the US) organize fiction books in one of two ways:

By genre then the first three letters of the author's last name

By book type (e.g. adult fiction is usually organized with an F symbol) followed by the first three letters of the author's last name

Now, say there are two books that would have the same what we call the "call number" (the writing on the spine label; kind of like the book's address on the shelf). How do you differentiate between them? Some libraries just don't bother, while others add the year the book was published.

Like so:

F WOO 1955

I hope this helps! Feel free to ask any other questions you come up with! :)

* We typically go off a mix of book reviews (Kirkus, School Library Journal, other librarians' blogs, etc), book summaries, and using some databases that help us look for books on specific topics.

[alex-fictus]

Not a suggestion, more a question - how do you make your stickers? Your art inspired me to make stickers but I don’t know where to start!!

Ooh Tutorial Time! I have a small rundown of my process here. (I’ve got a video here, but I’ve had an update in my materials. Also this got a little away from me, I hope this helps and lemme know if there’s anything I need to elaborate on!)

---  Materials:  Printer - Epson Ecotank 8500 Cutters - Silhouette Cameo 4s (I’ve got 2 at the moment) Paper - Zicoto Glossy Vinyl Laminates - Glossy and Holo Star Laminate (Both Self Adhesive) Misc    Off Brand Sticker Cutter mats     Ruler Squeegee with extra microfiber wrap    Sports glove tack spray or sewing basting spray

Printer - Aim for a photographic printer at the minimum. General print quality, color variety, and paper handling will make sure your prints are the highest possible quality. They’re a little more expensive, but my last printer lasted 4 years with frequent weekly printing. The ecotank is nice, it’s more visual that the ink is actually disappearing than the pre-filled cartridges lol.  Cutter - I’ve only used Silhouette, but I’ve heard to stay clear of Cricut due to general cut unreliability and lack of customer service assistance. I’ve also heard great things about the Siser Juliet cutter from mutuals. In order to use 2 machines at the same time, I had to purchase the Business license ( p sure it was a one time $50 purchase, but I can work twice as fast). If you want to cut by hand, check out what kind of ergonomic scissors you can find. Classic scissors over time can really screw up your hands, especially when you’re making fine cuts. 

Printing and Sizing - The Silhouette Studio resizes your stickers without many issues with quality changes. This does kinda depend on the base size of your files. I always make my stickers on a canvas 3000x2000 pixels and 300 dpi. I wouldn’t go any lower than 100 dpi for print, and no larger than 500 dpi, but you can always test this out.

Paper - I enjoy the luster of the paper I linked above, there’s almost a pearlescent quality to it. If you’d like a different quality, I recommend still sticking with glossy vinyl for your paper. Laminates on matte sticker paper have had a lot of trapped air underneath for me and it tended to be more likely to bleed in contact with water despite being laminated.

Laminate - If you’re just doing paper finish stickers, you can skip this step :)

Laminate them to make them more water and scratch resistant. The laminates I’ve listed are all self adhesive. There are also heat adhesive laminates, which require a heat laminator. I haven’t experimented much with heated laminates. Mine are best rated for hand wash, though they can go through the dishwasher a few times.  When laminating your sticker sheet, be sure to not cover your registration marks. When your cutter tries to read over them and the surface is really reflective, it can cause the machine to read improperly (and it’s worse with the holographics lol). Either precut your laminates like I do in the video I linked above, or you can use matte tape over your laminate to dull the sheen. If you accidentally cover your registration marks, the matte tape is a lifesaver.  Self laminating takes some muscle memory to not get bubbles trapped under the laminate, but a wide squeegee and firm pressure helps make sure you get as few bubbles as possible.  Mats - Your cutter will come with a few, but I find that my off-brand ones are just as good and less expensive. I prefer low-tack, but there comes a time when the tack is absolutely gone, and I have 10+ mats just sitting around. That’s where the Sports Glove spray or Sewing basting spray comes in! After washing them (soap and water, then dry for a few hours), I hit them with a few coats of spray. Right now I’m using Pow’r Tac Grip Spray. It’s just ok, but this leaves less residue on the back of my stickers than the Basting Spray I used to use. I retack every month or so, but that’s more bc I’d prefer the mats to be less sticky than risk ripping my backing sheets. 

----

If there’s anything you’d still like to know, please let me know!! 

[forcedhesitation]

I definitely do not have the time for a full essay's worth of commentary on the Casting of Frank Stone, but I definitely could give you that if I did. There is...a lot to take apart there. I am certainly...fascinated...by some of the writing & gameplay choices they made, to summarise my thoughts somewhat vaguely.

A few spoilery comments under the cut.

Like I said, I don't really have the time to offer extensive analysis (a full paper) of the game, but I do want to say a few things.

First and foremost: Do not purchase this game. In the words of Mr. Otzdarva himself: Go and watch someone play it instead. Your play through will be 95% the same as theirs. It is not worth your 50 dollars. If you still want it after you've viewed someone else's playthrough, that is your own right.

I honestly became annoyed with the writing much faster than Mr. Otzdarva did, and at first I thought it was because I was spoiled by BG3's infinitely better writing. But no, it's rather that he was being very patient. He finished with a rather negative opinion of the game, after thoroughly going through it to test just how much control you as the player really have.

I will be fair-- It is certainly a visually stunning game, as far as Supermassive titles go. Much better looking than The Devil in Me. The music is also incredible. And some of the voice acting was well done and added much needed life to otherwise bland characters.

But good grief is the writing utterly nonsensical!! Even if you respect the "a multiverse exists, so anything is possible" fact which is canon to Dead by Daylight itself, it still doesn't make any damned sense. I mean, is it ever explained why there is time travel involved? Or how it is even possible? Did they simply expect people to just assume that Augustine figured out time travel in a certain timeline? Does it have something to do with the Entity, since it can clearly traverse time? If so, why was Sam able to voluntarily time travel to Madi & elder Linda's timeline? Why and how the FUCK is Frank Stone first bound to the mill and then camera using what is clearly the same magic as the horologium, when we know the Entity has not yet been brought to that timeline??

And playing the "anything is possible" card would be fine to explain certain things, I will concede, but it really starts to feel meaningless when you realise just how many massive plot elements are never explained and that none of your choices really have any impact on the ending of the game. The story literally ends the same no matter what you do. And to be fair, I do not think it is a bad ending at all. Barring the corny "trial starting" sound that they jammed in at the last second, I thought the ending was one of the better parts of the game. It works great to make you feel hopeless, and like there is truly no escape from the Entity. I just feel that this format of a "your choices impact the outcome of the story" game was the incorrect format for the story they wanted to tell. Because it truly doesn't even matter if you get everyone killed, or you save everyone-- everything happens the same way and the world's fate is the same.

There are other things that bothered me, too. I thought having Frank Stone appear as this corny, glitchy spectral monster for most of the game was...a terrible choice, both design wise and writing wise. Now, I do not think killing him in the opening was necessarily a bad decision. I honestly thought it was a bold choice that functioned well to surprise the viewer and urge them to continue, so they might discover how the story plays out after the death of the titular character. But keeping him as this ghoulish creature, that honestly looked as though it were from some solo indie developer's first low budget horror game, was awful. He did not feel threatening whatsoever, just wildly out of place in a visual quality sense. I hate the final design much less, it is certainly much more threatening and much, much more gruesome, but it still does not make sense as to why he looks that way. The Entity still had not taken him, why did he appear as this inhuman monster before his entry into the Fog? They should have kept a more humanlike design until the very end of the game, when the Entity arrives. Then, a transformation sequence where the Entity mutates him should have been restricted to the ending where no one from the cast is seen in the Fog, so players at least get something different in that allegedly "unique" ending. After all, if a cast member does get taken, at least you get to see visions of what followed the 1980s storyline.

Also why did Augustine work alone when she is clearly part of the Black Vale? The excuse of "the cult didn't exist yet" doesn't work here, because she can time travel and is fully aware of the multiverse she exists in. Like... I thought elder Linda's mention of secret passages being for staff "so they are seen as little as possible" was foreshadowing for Augustine having fellow cultists aiding her, but it just went nowhere. Another thing that goes nowhere is the baby that Sam can save at the very beginning. Should the baby live or die has absolutely no impact whatsoever on the story, which feels like an enormous mistake to me. That baby should have grown up to be a character that the cast could have interacted with to gain...oh I don't know, some piece of important knowledge, or an item, that could then later change the fate of the cast. This way, the player's choices in the 1960s segment actually have an impact on later gameplay, rather than meaning absolutely nothing.

I'd also love to know why the hell elder Sam was sent alone to prevent this situation from occurring, when the Imperatti (I think they were called? The parents of the Pariahs, or something, right?) would have surely realised the gravity of this situation? Like, how does this make any sense? And this is far from the only moment that makes no sense at all.

Why do Jaime and Robert have almost no relevance whatsoever after the 1980s segment concludes? Robert is guaranteed survival of this segment, as that part of the game is written so that two characters always survive-- be that Linda and Robert, or Sam and Robert. As annoying as Stan was, I didn't hate him because he had great dialogue that pushed other characters to have different dialogue than what we were used to. But it felt scummy that Robert was just given this sad, offscreen death instead of being included in a lot more meaningful way.

Not going to lie, it reminded me of how in Stranger Things 4, Patrick was the one teenager whose trauma wasn't really explored or given the same respect as the others. It's like the writers went, "Guys, guys! It's okay! We still have the other Black guy! This makes our game Diverse, and therefore no one could possibly complain!" Meanwhile, we get an entire cutscene about Madi's nightmares, and elder Linda's movie career and associated trauma is talked about numerous times. But all we know about 2024 Robert is that Stan took advantage of him, and then he later died, utterly miserable. Also, Sam somehow knows about this and he and Stan know one another, despite this Sam being from a different timeline than elder Linda, Madi, and Stan himself.

And Jaime, poor sweet Jaime, he really just feels like he's there as someone they can conveniently kill to shock the player. The first chance he has to die results in a horrible, very graphic death (although not the most graphic in the game by a long shot) that I feel many players will encounter because they see it as reasonable to visit the curiosities shop first, and then to later attempt to save Chris (even though her fate is the same here, regardless of what you do). And even if you should keep Jaime alive through that first confrontation with the spectral Frank Stone, it's not as though his survival impacts following events. He can die again, when fleeing Frank with Bonnie and an injured Linda. Why they have Linda, who has a gaping hole in her shoulder, attempt to pull Jaime up the platform alone while HIS OLDER SISTER just WATCHES is beyond me. But writing his death, whether it be here, or earlier, to have no impact on Bonnie's fate, or any future events, is plain bad writing.

You cannot save Bonnie, no matter what you do. And this scene makes no sense. When Frank grabs Bonnie, Linda points the camera at him, which should work. There really isn't any reasonable explanation as to why this should not work, or should not even momentarily distract him (Which could have led to a different ending where Bonnie lives and Linda dies instead?), because in the storm drain, so much as yelling at Frank causes him to abandon whoever he's attacking to seek out the new target. I suppose, at the very least, 1980s Bonnie's death does serve some kind of purpose in the 2024 storyline, because it serves as foreshadowing for Madi's potential fate. But just like Robert, 2024 Bonnie is given a sad offscreen death and we never really learn about how she or Jaime survived that night at the mill.

And I will say, it just feels shitty from a player point of view, to make it so you cannot save certain characters. Like, I'm sorry, is that a canon event? Where is Mr. O'Hara? Because Madi must be a god-damned anomaly, being Bonnie's daughter!! And Chris- god- Chris who mysteriously travels through time...I really do hate this part of the story because understanding its purpose can only happen if you manage to get the secret ending where she goes through the projector screen and DOESN'T burn and die. Which would require you to not have taken the pocket mirror or given the "protective" amulet to her. This unlocks a secret ending where she goes back in time to the moment where she, Jaime, and Linda were inintially shooting in the mill, right before Sam interrupted them. I took this as the writers trying to show us that there would be one timeline in which Frank Stone is never released (not sure how he ever was in the first place, really), likely saving them from the Entity. But other than the player somehow luckily getting this ending, I really don't see the point of Chris' time travel, because she can also be sent immediately back in the horologium, which does nothing meaningful. And why does it have to be Chris? Why not write it so it could be her or Jaime, so that maybe the player's choice to have her and Jaime breakup or not actually has some kind of impact on the gameplay?

One of the worst things about the game though, and I cannot stress this enough, is how badly the references to DBD are integrated. I love a good reference-- it can serve to add a little playful flair to a moment, or even go so far as to have the viewer look at the piece from a different perspective they had not previously considered. Buuuut... this is only if the reference is done well. And, well, what this game does could hardly be described as tolerable, even. In was so heavy-handed, it felt almost as bad as product placement in a Michael Bay movie. Many of these "references" felt out of place to the degree that someone with no knowledge of DBD would be likely able to pick them out, because they heavily disrupt either the game's aesthetic or the gameplay itself! One generator was funny, and honestly expected, but THREE of those damn things? Clunky, corny, and honestly? Lazy.

Unfortunately, I feel those three adjectives describe how I feel about the game overall. I feel bad for the people who put hard work into making it, because there is potential there for something great. But it really felt as though they were pushed to release this game as quickly as possible, so BHVR could sell us a 50 dollar, five-to-six-hour advertisement for their next DLC chapter. Hard to think anything else, really, when completion of the game is followed by a a literal ad for it.

All I can say is-- I really hope we get 2024 Linda as a survivor. It seems more likely that it will be Madi, but it is possible we could have a two-survivor chapter (unless they specifically outlined in the roadmap that there are no upcoming 2-survivor chapters?).

Madi and 2024 Linda would be cool though. We have no older women as survivors, despite having more than one older man. I think it's about damn time. And I love the mother/daughter bond that can sort of develop between Madi and 2024 Linda in the game.

[all-things-skylanders]

Custom Skylander: Prismystic!

(Art and Concept by: @duckduckhjonk)

Prismystic: Water and Light Twin-Type Skylander

Catchphrase: “Over the Rainbow!”

Concept: A rainbow based eastern dragon. In Water form, it's hidden away in a fog of mist, but in Light form, they learned to accept themselves and become a sparkling spotlight

Origin:

Prismystic, in both timelines, was born a powerful rainbow dragon, able to control light and water. However, depending on the events within their lifespans, the two ended up very different.

The Prismystic who centered their magic on Water grew up shy and ignored, hiding away in a cloudy fog of mist, fighting evil with stealth, refusing to be seen.

But in the world where they focused on the Light, Prismystic had been given the love and acknowledgement that all children deserve, and grew happy and joyous, taking pride in their skills. While they can be a bit egotistical, they always still seek to protect above all else.

Now, combined as one, thanks to King Kaos' machinations, the two are a perfect balance of humble silence and self loving pride, able to keep their emotions in check and fight with both stealth and strength!

(As usual, if you would like to take part in the Twin Skies project, just DM me or join the discord through the link provided in my pinned post!)

Stats and Upgrades under the cut:

Stats:

In Water Form:

Health: 320 (Level 1) 960 (Level 20)

Power: 40

Speed: 38

Armor: 60

Critical Hit: 50

Elemental Power: 25

In Light form:

Health: 320 (Level 1) 960 (Level 20)

Power: 60

Speed: 50

Armor: 38

Critical Hit: 40

Elemental Power: 25

Water Form Upgrades:

Core Abilities:

Primary - Mist Claw: Prismystic makes a quick, medium range slash, extending their claws with mist.

Secondary - Mist Cloud: Prismystic summons a large cloud of mist that obscures everything inside of it. While inside of the cloud, Prismystic (and other Skylanders) will be invisible, but not invulnerable. If they attack while in the cloud, they will become visible for a few seconds. The cloud will last for around 10 seconds, before it shrinks into nothing. Only one cloud can exist at a time.

Upgrades (ordered by cost to purchase, Twin-Types get less upgrades per path):

1200 - Tertiary: Echoed Ripples: Prismystic creates a ring of water that burst out from their current location, slowly expanding, while dealing more damage the bigger it gets.

1700 - Extended Echoes: The Echoed Ripples will now create three ripples, the first one being smaller and weaker, the second being the same as the original Echoed Ripple, and the third one being larger and stronger.

Upgrade Paths:

Path 1 - Smokey Wallflower: Prismystic shrinks in on themselves further, living within their fog cloud near constantly

2200 - Extended Fog: The Mist Cloud lasts for 50% longer

3000 - Misty Echoes: When Prismystic uses the Echoed Ripples, the rings will generate a small fog cloud that works identically to the Mist Cloud, but lasts for half the time.

Path 2 - Water-Cloaked Assassin: Prismystic is a master of stealth and espionage, putting their sneaking skills to use with powerful, sudden attacks

2200 - Steaming Claws: Hold down the primary button to turn the Misty Claw into the Steaming Claws. Release for a medium damage double claw swipe. The Steaming Claws does double damage when an Enemy hasn't seen/can't see Prismystic.

3000 - Silent Echoes: The Echoed Ripples no longer turn Prismystic visible when used while in the Mist Cloud.

Soul Gem:

4000 - Lingering Mist: Prismystic will remain invisible for a time after leaving the Mist Cloud, but will become visible after using an attack.

Light Form Upgrades:

Core Abilities:

Primary - Rainbow Tail: Prismystic spins in a circle to do a medium range tail slap all around themself.

Secondary - Bursting Rainbow: Prismystic fires a bright laser forwards that deals high damage and pierces through enemies. The laser will get the attention of nearby enemies, causing them to notice Prismystic faster (Risk reward dynamic of high damage VS. more enemies)

Upgrades (ordered by cost to purchase, Twin-Types get less upgrades per path):

700 - Tertiary: Flashing Rainbow: Prismystic teleports a set distance in any direction in a burst of light, creating a bright explosion when reforming that deals low damage.

1200 - Rainbow Wraparound: The Rainbow Tail leaves lingering light around Prismystic that will deal minor damage to any foes close by.

Upgrade Paths:

Path 1 - Elongated Warrior: Prismystic is a bit of a show off, and they love to spin their whole body at top speed to show just how proficient they are!

2200 - Rapid Rotations: Hold the Primary button to have Prismystic begin to rapidly spin. Prismystic can still move while doing this, and leaves a trail of damaging sparkles in their wake. The spinning will deal rapid amounts of low damage as it repeatedly hits everything in range.

3000 - Rainbow Reversal: Hitting a projectile with the Rainbow Tail will bounce it back, causing it to be reflected. This only works on proper projectiles, so it can't reflect lasers and similar attacks.

Path 2 - Seven Colored Artillerist: Take any notion of secrecy and throw it out the window! This path is for Prismystic to go all out with brute force rainbow lasers!

2200 - Blazing Rainbow: The Secondary button can be held to have Prysmistic continue firing the Bursting Rainbow, with it glowing brighter and brighter as it deals more damage. Once the laser hits maximum charge, it'll remain in that state, with Prismystic taking 10 damage every two seconds it's held.

3000 - Rainbow Explosion: When the Bursting Rainbow attack is concluded, it will explode, with the explosion being more powerful the larger the charge was. This will attract enemies in an even wider range than the laser does.

Soul Gem:

4000 - Rapid Flash: The Flashing Rainbow travels twice as far, now making two explosions. One at the halfway mark, and a second one at the destination.

[the-ultimate-squish]

Welcome to the Ultimate Squishmallow Tournament!

PLEASE DO NOT BUY SQUISHMALLOWS IRL. If you do want to still purchase Squishmallows, buying them secondhand should still be okay. I made this blog before the CEO of Squishmallows made it aware that he is financially supporting Israel. More information/resources will be provided under the cut.

I will begin posting resources at the bottom of each poll. Any additional posts related to this will be tagged with #SquishBoycott ; while this is an important matter to keep up to date on and I urge you to continue your research/keep up to date on the matter as a whole outside of Squishmallows, I understand muting this tag for the sake of mental health, as this blog was originally created for fun away from the cruelties of the world. As a note this is not a part of the official boycott.

As of right now, I am not postponing the tournament but am open to doing so as the matter progresses.

This is a tournament to determine Tumblr's favorite squishmallow, inspired by accounts such as @webkinztournament, including all 2,000+ Squishmallows as seen on the wikipedia (which can be viewed here).

More info under the cut

Current Round

Round 2 will begin November 27 @ 12 A.M. EST and be posted every hour. Each poll will run for one week. Specific schedule for each matchup can be found here.

Resources

Squishmallow Alternatives + my current reasoning for the tournament (subject to change)

More info on the matter with sources

Official Boycott

If anyone has more resources please send them my way.

Exclusions

The only squishmallows that will not be considered for the tournament are licensed squads, unnamed squish, and any squish without a link on the wiki page. This last decision is due to the fact that I cannot find images or information on these squishes if they do not have a wiki page. A list will be provided here of all unincluded squish. If anyone would like to send a picture of said squish to be included, I will gladly do so! Otherwise, they basically don't exist anywhere I can find on the internet and will not be considered. Unnamed squishmallows and licensed squads will not be included regardless.

Pairings

For round 1, each squishmallow was randomly paired by spinning a wheel (this took actually forever). From there, winners will move on the face off the winner of the next pair, and then the winner of the next pair, and so on in a bracket. More information on each squish will be provided once there are less squish per round.

Ties

In the case of an even 50/50 tie, I (the host) will ask 3 irl friends that have not voted to break the tie.

Propaganda

You are welcome to send propaganda for your favorite squish via the ask box, by reblogging the poll, or @'ing this account. I will do my best to promote said propaganda on this page, tagged with #propaganda. Overall, please BE KIND. This is a tournament for fun and not meant to cause actual discourse.

Tags

#Announcement - Poll Announcements #SOT2023 - Squishmallow of Tumblr Poll #Propaganda - Propaganda for Squish #Not Poll - Other posts, likely reblogs. Will be used in this beginning week to promote the blog before voting begins, in attempt to get a bigger sample size

Additional tags will be tags for each round, such as SOT2023R1 (Squishmallow of Tumblr 2023 Round 1), the name of each 'mallow, and #Squishmallow #Squishmallows on one poll a day to avoid flooding (there are a lot of 'mallows). #tournament poll and #poll will also be used for sample size, as well as some other additional tags at least in the beginning. However, these are all the main ones to be used for navigations!

[more-than-tender-curiosity]

Cheater Chester Chester Zester

I'll answer this for Right on Time Chester specifically since it gives me a little more room to expand.

What is the character’s go-to drink order? Vodka red bull for alcohol, quad shot over ice with a splash of oat milk for coffee.

What is their grooming routine? First thing when he wakes up, he applies moisturizer. He is a dewy, well-maintained young man. Also his hair is permed on top so he has to condition it twice, apply gel while still in the shower, wrap his hair in a teeshirt, then carefully scrunch it up right once it's dry. He has to shave his face maybe once a week but he can never seem to remember to do it in the morning so it's usually right before bed/right before going out.

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? Cameras. Lenses. Straps (and not just for the camera). Anyway

Do they have any scars or tattoos? He has a little palm tree tattoo on his ankle from his 21st birthday trip to Miami. He doesn't remember the trip but he does remember the tattoo artist. He also has top surgery scars.

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? Chester cries watching drag race recaps leave him alone. From a real deep emotional standpoint, though, he doesn't cry very often. He handles grief very well and his folks were actually very good to him, so he's probably one of the best off of the gang in terms of mental health.

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest, or only child? He was the youngest with one older sister.

Describe the shoes they’re wearing. Chester has a lot of boots. His nan gifted him with her gogo boots from the sixties because as luck would have it, they were the same size. That was when he was 16 and he has since expanded the collection to include boots for all sorts of functions and occasions. In my mind's eye right now he's wearing untied doc martens from the 90s, no socks.

Describe the place where they sleep. Well, it was the couch that he and Nick broke last summer, but now he's sleeping on 500-thread-count silk sheets in one of Jay's guest rooms. He got the Lavender room. In his bed are 12 pillows (they should never have shown him the linen closet), a horrifically dogeared copy of some god-awful 50-cent mafia romance novel that he's otherwise meticulously annotated and sticky-noted, wrappers from some uhhhhh Recreational Edibles, and probably a sock or two (he always kicks them off). He hasn't been single in a very long time so he's feeling kind of piggish.

What is their favorite holiday? Thanksgiving. Yes he does the cooking, yes he does the cleaning. Mostly because everyone else around him is useless. Though now that he's living in a house with a full army of servants, it's going to be sooo different.

What objects do they always carry around with them? He always has a camera of some sort. Always. Even if it's just his phone, but he fucking HATES taking pictures on his phone because no matter how 'good' that camera is, he swears it can never compare to his 'real camera'. He's honestly right. Beyond that he always has chapstick and, in his wallet, condoms. Eventually jay gives him one of his get out of jail free business cards.

[creations-by-chaosfay]

Our tub isn't draining. 🙃

The guy who owned the house before we bought it was a landlord. This had been a rental for 50 years. He had done remodeling without license nor permit, and installed illegal plumbing, none of which the home inspector caught because we didn't have $800 extra to pay for him to crawl under the house.

The illegal plumbing is our biggest issue. He had dug a six inch trench down through the backyard. and installed plumbing to bypass the septic tank and hook up to a storm drain. Pipes need to be at least four feet deep and properly installed to the sewer line.

Last year, we were quoted $11k to dig up the yard, remove the illegal plumbing, install new plumbing correctly, and replace the old af pipes in the bathroom and in the crawlspace beneath it. All of this is very fucking necessary. Especially with the pipes in the house being old and more likely to burst. Oh, and the pipes that were illegally installed are also too narrow.

Well, the tub is clogged. We're gonna see about taking care of it ourselves because we're poor. No chemicals! The most we'll use is baking soda and vinegar. Those chemical clog removers destroy everything but plastic. They rarely work and will just sit there instead. Then the plumber will have to deal with it and the chemical burns they'll cause.

I need one of those sewing machines on my list so I can machine quilt my larger projects and list them in my shop. More people will then be able to afford my work and purchase it. Those purchases will pay off our current debt that I had hoped to pay off before November. That debt will start collecting interest next May and cannot be delayed. But now we may need to pay for new plumbing, which will be another debt if we can even acquire 50% upfront.

I may very well scream.

So much for giving my hands time to heal. I need to make things I can sell quickly.

[gamergirljournalist]

2024 will be the last year I buy Magic: The Gathering's Secret Lair products

I've been buying Magic: The Gathering's Secret Lair sets since the release of Faerie Faerie Rad. I don't buy every product that was dropped, only the ones that piqued my interest or would do well with my commander deck. But recently, after the events of The Marvel Superdrop and how unorganized and terrible the experience was, I have decided that 2024 may be the final year I purchase Secret Lair items until the system is fixed.

What Is Magic: The Gathering's Secret Lair?

For those out of the loop, Secret Lair is a special Magic: The Gathering product where it's mainly reprints of certain cards through unique artwork and interpretations. Sometimes, they would offer original/new cards due to collaborations with various IPs via its Universe Beyond program. These items are limited, feature 4-6 cards, and have a usual starting price of $29.99. It used to be a print-on-demand system, where customers would be given a few days or weeks to make an order, then would have to wait months for the item to arrive. But Wizards of the Coast changed it, having already printed a certain amount and it will be shipped immediately after a few days.

This new system is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, your stuff arrives quickly and can use it immediately. Also, not every set sells out immediately, so you can save up for a bit till your next paycheck and buy the item. Then, there is the clusterf*ck that was both the Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Marvel Superdrop release, where items would sell out in an hour, long wait times and most recently, people cheating the system.

While many complained about how bad this is, many sceptics believe that nothing will change since it doesn't hit Wizard's bottom line. As long the items sell out, there is no need to fix them. People will spend their money on it, regardless. They just need to know how to play the game. Well, guess what?! The game is rigged and it's unfair to those who really want it. What's even worse is for those in countries like Australia, who have to wake up early or stay up all night just to grab hold of these items.

An Australian Perspective of The Marvel Superdrop Release.

Many Americans and Europeans have said their piece about their recent Secret Lair experience. But what about an Australian? Well, as someone who managed to get through the lines without cheat codes, and still managed to get the product, here is my story on what happened during that pre-sale sh*tstorm.

I found out about the Marvel Secret Lair like everyone else, via New York Comic Con. I got to report about it for Collider and after watching Tolarian Community College's video on potential Commander builds, plus a funny card interaction from MTG Flavor Judge Drawings on X/Twitter, I've decided to order two sets - Captain America and Iron Man and create a Civil War-themed deck. Then my boyfriend, who was on the fence to buy this set, eventually agreed to throw money to Wizards as he liked two of the sets as well - Wolverine and Storm. The only thing we've debated was if we were going to get Black Panther and spend nearly $200 USD for the whole caboodle.

But then, we learned that Wizards was also giving a limited Arcane Signet card featuring the Avengers Tower. With that knowledge, we agreed to get all 5 Marvel sets, but under the condition that I fork out the shipping if I do manage to get Arcane Signet. According to my boyfriend's version of Girl Math, the shipping cost would be less than what the card would eventually be worth in places like TCG Player, and it's true as the last time I visited, a single copy of Avenger's Tower Arcane Signet was $50 USD.

As someone who lives in Australia and freelances for a North American news outlet, the timing of this wasn't that bad. All I had to do was work as normal then by 4 am, when I was supposed to sleep, just spent at least 30 minutes in line and get the item. The most I've spent in line for a secret lair was 40 minutes, and that was for the Hatsune Miku Superdrop Part 2. So theoretically, it didn't sound like a bad plan, it's a great plan.

Boy was I wrong...

4 AM came and little did I know that buying Marvel-themed Magic cards would be as bad as buying Eras Tour tickets. And that's saying something because I waited 8 hours just to see Taylor Swift. I was on the site 1 hour before the items were on sale. I went to the bundle page, put everything in my cart and off to the races.

"More than an hour"

That's what it said when it came to my wait time. I had to wait for more than an hour. How long? Didn't say, but boy howdy I was going to find out. Not only was it long, but the lines paused for a bit due to "technical issues." Eventually, it moved, but I wasn't at the checkout till 6 AM! Not only that, I had multiple checkout issues, like the site logging me out despite being logged in, and removing Arcane Signet from my cart because the card I used had insufficient funds (turns out shipping added an extra $10 USD from the usual $7.99), and, not to mention, didn't find this out till after the transaction, there was a stupid hidden transaction fee that no one was aware of.

TLDR: I waited 2 hours in line, only to be forced to sign in again once I made it to my cart, lost my Arcane Signet promo, and paid too much due to added shipping cost and a hidden fee.

What... the... f*ck...

Needless to say, the sun was already rising and the birds were singing the moment I paid and my order was sorted. The bedroom needed to be in total blackout and I needed to wear an eye mask if I wanted to sleep properly. But dang, I could have pulled off a 24-hour no-sleep challenge if I wanted to thanks to Wizards.

Magic: The Gathering's Secret Lair System is Broken

Yes, I've said it, the new system is broken. Not only did it create an even worse experience for customers, but there were multiple reports of people skipping the queues, which could explain why my wait time fluctuated between 20 and 40 minutes, why many of the cards were scalped and put to the aftermarket, and why I missed out on Arcane Signet.

What's the point in buying limited Magic: The Gathering product if you're going to be stuck in line the whole day and have a high chance of not getting anything? Not to mention, is Wizards of the Coast going to fix its queuing system? If not, I'm literally going to pull the same moves as the queue cutters once Hatsune Miku Part 4 drops sometime in December or January, just so I can end this nightmare.

My experience at the Marvel Superdrop opened my eyes to how bad this new system is. Back then, I wasn't too fussed about it as usually, I waited less than an hour and due to my job, I can order the items with no issues. But suffering from severe sleep deprivation was definitely not worth the $120+ AUD (inc tax, shipping, and hidden fees).

Including the Marvel Superdrop, I've purchased a total of 7 Secret Lair items under my account, maybe one or two if I were to count the stuff my boyfriend ordered on his side. I only bought one set via Facebook groups because it was a better deal than ordering via the Secret Lair website at the time. Until then, my experience buying limited cards wasn't that bad. It wasn't great either, but it was fair and less stressful. But this latest experience sucked so much that it drained so much energy out of me. Never again do I want to experience that. So once the fourth and final Hatsune Miku Superdrop is released, I will end my support for Magic's Secret Lair and will resort to either making proxies or buying singles until the system is fixed.

[simoncardonefishes]

STALKING GREENFISH – The Swimbait v Soft Plastic Impoundment Challenge!

By Simon Cardone

My personal cod quest began in in the year 2000 and has since taken me all over Australia fishing fast flowing gin clear waters right through to giant murky slow-moving rivers and everything in between.

Like most cod fishos that I know, the search for new locations and different methods to catch greenfish is constant, so with some of the reservoirs managed by SA Water finally being opened to the public of South Australia for recreational activities I immediately purchased a fishing permit and got out exploring.

Happy Valley

The closest reservoir just minutes from my home is Happy Valley, located about 25 minutes’ drive South from the Adelaide CBD. Prior to Happy Valley being opened for fishing in December 2021, it was decided to stock the reservoir with 1000 mature murray cod ranging from 2 to 9kgs in weight so that visiting anglers could have something to target apart from the noxious redfin perch and carp that already inhabited the impoundment.

This proved to be a great move, as the cod immediately started feeding and spread out quickly to all parts of the reservoir. The fish were attacking all manner of artificial lures and almost everybody who had a crack in the early days ticked a murray cod off their bucket list. This feeding frenzy didn’t last however as the cod started to see more lures, they become more selective when it came to what to eat.

Changing Tactics

Due to the Happy Valley cod being smaller sized fish in the 50-80cm range, I initially opted to target them with golden perch tackle, casting 50 – 70cm crankbaits. This worked a treat for the first few weeks, but then the crankbait bite shut down, partly because the bait fishos had moved in and the cod were now feasting on an almost daily diet of chicken and cheese!

This required a rethink on my part, so I decided to walk the banks and fish in places where other people weren’t. Sticking with a seven foot 3-6kg rod matched to a 2500 sized reel spooled with 15lb braid, I tied on a 20lb fluorocarbon leader and grabbed a couple of packets of four and five inch Bite Science paddle tailed plastics. Selecting the appropriate jig heads required a little bit of trial and error, but I have now opted for a ten gram standard 4/0 jig head for the five inch plastic when fishing deeper water, and a 3.5 gram 1/0 weedless jig head for the four inch plastic when fishing shallow water.

After a few fishless sessions with the crankbaits under the belt, I was quietly optimistic that the switch to a more life-like presentation might get me back on the winners list. My hunch proved to be correct, with a brace of hungry cod in my first two sessions exploring new water. A simple slow roll is the preferred retrieve method after allowing the plastic to hit the bottom initially.

Enter the Swimbait

Observation of the immediate environment will always be a key to fishing success, whether on the day or in the future. While the soft plastics were still nailing cod after a few months of fishing, I had noticed a pattern where most of the hits and hook-ups were occurring in a metre or less of water over either rocky bottom or on flats with reeds and weed beds.

For my next outing I decided to leave the plastics at home and cast swimbaits exclusively. I tied on a 190mm Shimano Arma Joint to my 40lb fluorocarbon leader on my swimbait setup and it has stayed there ever since! Again, success was immediate, if not stunning! The short hour-long session yielded five fish from six hook-ups, including three in as many casts. My son also got his first cod off the top on a surface paddler during our brief mission. Again, a simple slow roll is the best retrieve for this lure type – the action is so lifelike.

Of course, I had to try and replicate the results the following week, and yes, the swimbait delivered – it was no fluke. I encouraged a mate who had been struggling to get a fish for a while to give the swimbait a crack and his first session out managed to land seven cod from ten hook-ups – champagne fishing in anyone’s book!

The Verdict

So which lure is best? There was only one way to find out. I spent the last six months of the year fishing with both lure types during all my sessions at the ressie. I have fished at various times of the day in various locations and in all types of weather. And the fish tally is about 50/50 after all this time. Some days both lures have success, on others it’s one or the other, but the numbers don’t lie!

Overall, the soft plastic is the more versatile of the two lures, given you can rig it differently to suit the water depth and surrounding structure. So, on days when the fish are sitting out a little deeper it is a clear winner. As mentioned earlier, the lighter spin outfit used to throw the soft plastic gives the cod a chance to give an honest account of itself as a hard-hitting sportfish – the drag peeling shallow water runs are fantastic!

The most exciting lure in terms of the strike and crunch factor, is the swimbait. Nine out of ten strikes are off the surface – these fish are hell bent on killing the larger prey item and are not messing around. After the initial chaos, generally the fish I have encountered are relatively easy to subdue on the swimbait setup I run. On some days I have had cod follow the lure all the way to my feet, including two cod that hit each other as they both tried to slam the lure!

Go Your Own Way

With both land based and fishing from canoe or kayak being permitted at the reservoirs here in South Australia, fishing with soft plastics and swimbaits are methods that every angler should have up their sleeve for those times when trolling a deep diver or casting a crankbait or spinnerbait isn’t creating any interest from the resident cod – this has been accepted practice by most switched-on cod fishos in the eastern impoundments for some time now.

I highly encourage you to go out and explore your local impoundment either for the first time or with some of the methods I have described – especially with many of the rivers and creeks across the Murray-Darling basin in flood at the time of writing - you might be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Finally good times ahead for South Australian freshwater fishos.