#(and by newer ones i mean like. generation 6? i think is what it was?)

[sonknuxadow]

littlest pet shop officially coming back in just a few months nobody talk to me nobody touch me nobody look at me .

[embarrassinglastwords]

the results are in!

with 314 votes these were the top 10 stsg moments people can’t believe are canon (top 10 based off of the ones i listed lmao) this will be long but i did say i was gonna make a post of the results so -

10: in last place with only 1.9% - their names complimenting each other + Geto’s robes being called “gojo-gesa robes”

i included these together cause they are similar imo. both being based around the other.

9: “the only one i have”

the iconic quote with 3.2% that is so misquoted cause of that translation that i’m pretty sure people ignore that that’s actually what he says rather than “my one and only”💀 (myself included but for the sake of the poll i did the accurate translation)

8: the light novel in general

maybe i’m biased cause of my user but only getting 3.8% of votes surprised me lmao.

i mean i just think about “Even if everything was different now, there was still one thing- from that very moment it all started- that had never changed” as well as “Geto Suguru It was a name that the Jujutsu tech organization feared…but to Gojo Satoru, he was—“ all the time

i posted more quotes from it here

7: with 7.3% (nanami surprise appearance) we have their official songs stated by Gege.

Shame On Me being Gojo’s

and Come Back Home being Geto’s.

6: 8.9% of votes for this insane moment from the newer chapters after Gojo’s resurrection lmao

him and Kenny are fighting and Gojo offers to fight on Dec. 24th (Geto’s death anniversary) with Kenny replying “How romantic”

this legit made me scream when the chapter came out… anyways

5: i almost didn’t include this moment because i was sure it was gonna win because of how often it’s brought up but i’m glad to see i was wrong💀

but still in the top 5 with 9.6% is Gojo recognizing Geto by smell in JJK0… i have nothing to add to that cause like. what.

4: with 10.5% we have Gojo’s last words to Geto being “3 words” as stated by Gojo’s english va! (which i also mentioned in the post linked above)

(that being paired with the light quotes above and “such embarrassing words” and it being words they had “never said to each other before” … we all know what he said…🙄)

3: with 12.4%, the one that made me spiral and realize Gojo is probably done for, Gege himself saying “one cannot exist without the other” about Gojo and Geto…

so either Geto is miraculously gonna come back or they are sharing a death anniversary lmao

2: at 18.8%!

the infamous vol 0 quotes that are 100% parallels because the entire movie is.

Gojo, to Yuta in reference to Rika: “Love is the most twisted curse of them all” (idk why i said 'worst curse' in the poll lmao)

Geto as he dies: “At least curse me a little at the very end.”

bangs my head into a wall… okay and number 1!!

1: at 23.6% is the stsg moment. “My six eyes tell me you’re Suguru Geto but my soul knows otherwise! Hurry up and answer, who the hell are you?!”

not only was seeing Geto the reason for him getting sealed but he went against his own power, his own technique which makes him the strongest, to listen to his soul. and to quote Song of Achilles (which i made a joke the other day about stsg being modern day achilles and patroclus) “He is half of my soul, as the poets say.”

okay this was the first poll i’ve done like this besides some random funny ones on my other blog and i can’t believe it got 300+ votes. maybe i’ll do more in the future if i can think of some topics.

[eddiediazismyhusband]

I think part of the problem I have (and this may be an unpopular opinion) is all the hopes and opinions and ideas people (fans) have about the new season. And I don’t just mean things like the “mustache = obvious gay Eddie” that’s happening. But thoughts on Bobby, his and Athena’s living situation, Gerrard as captain, let alone Buck, Eddie, and others.

I know a lot of spec is just for fun, but some people take it quite serious. And I know I’m newer to this fandom but sometimes I read serious takes and go “….but that would never actually happen?! I know many of us don’t trust Tim and the writers but realistically that would never be a storyline on a tv show.…that’s a fanfic.”

So I can’t blame you for your pessimism or want to avoid spec. I hope we don’t get a lot of bts stuff either too, because I feel like fans will be trying to (over)analyze everything to figure things out. Only to likely be disappointed because I don’t trust these writers to write/do anything half as creative, original or logical as fans come up with. Expectation is the enemy and I’m afraid a lot of fans have theirs set too high for this season already

anon i have disgraced you by leaving this burried in the inbox and i feel awful 😭😭

i think fandom in general (and i mean any fandom not just 9-1-1) have this tendency to blur the line between cautious optimism/spec and actually convincing themselves of something happening…

i think a lot of people (and if you are one of these people this is NOT a dig at you) still want to have faith that the writers are actually going somewhere with the story, and they do so by speculating and putting actual thought into what the overarching storyline could be but unfortunately after 6 seasons of waiting, i’m getting tired of the whole thing being dragged out.

it’s no longer a will they/won’t they between the characters for me because multiple times they’ve reached the point where they don’t need anymore of that build; the only will they/won’t they is in terms of the writing team actually going somewhere rather than continuing to bait us

i have no issue with spec/theorizing (i may not wanna see it but i just filter out the spec tags) but my issue lies with some of the more popular buddie blogs having this whole “i can sense that buddie is happening” and then treating people who are validly apprehensive towards getting our hopes up like we’re brainless idiots who don’t know what we’re talking about

even though we literally went through the same thing of buddieblr being like “s7 is our year i can FEEL it there is no way they aren’t going canon”….. just for them to not go canon bc the writers (yet again) changed their minds last minute when they got an early renewal and realized “oh- we don’t actually have to commit anymore, we can just keep baiting snd dragging them along— and they technically can’t call it queerbaiting anymore bc buck’s bi now!”

like everything surrounding this season has been screaming to me (NOT anything from oliver and ryan— ive spoken before about how i think they are where we’re at in terms of being strung along by the writers every season) that we are just being baited again.

and as far as the over-analyzing, i’ve seen so many people saying things like “omg oliver and ryan posting candids/photos and tagging each other buddie is obviously happening”……. as if oliver and ryan aren’t friends…. like i fear the two of them posting eacg other doesn’t really mean much if anything when they’ve done that throughout their friendship.

and just because there are some deranged people on the internet spewing hate about them being friends doesn’t mean that their posting is a sign of anything either other than the fact that they’re probably blocking the lunatics and posting each other anyway…. it’s not some gotcha to anyone in the fandom, it’s not a sign that buddie is coming, it’s two castmates being friends, and doing things that friends do all the time

overall, like i said, i have no problem with people (other than myself) engaging in spec and at this point the people who are getting their hopes up will only have themselves to blame if we’re let down again… my issue mainly lies with some of the bigger blogs being dicks to people raising valid concerns over the new season and not trusting the writers when the writers haven’t done anything to earn that trust; in fact having only done things to the detriment of that trust.

anyway, sorry for the super delayed and super long response, anon 😭😭 i’ve been neglecting my ask box lately in lieu of a spike in temu stans sending me hate yet again but i was just scrolling through and noticed this one and wanted to make a response!

[project-sekai-facts]

based on the interview posts, it's definitely thought-provoking to consider what's going to happen next. personally i do wonder if pjsekai will become "multi-generational" if it remains popular enough to continue (which is nearly impossible not to be considering a good portion of its competitors have been going for longer than 6 years at this point), the original 5 units would be the first generation, a conceptual new number of units being the next, and so on, because of the implication that "the original 5's stories will reach their conclusions and have an end" and after their conclusions are reached then, while they could write a new story with the characters with new adult issues and seeing them grow up further, there are still a lot of opportunities to expand on the game's lore and universe with new units, how the original units affected others, and especially sekai lore, especially since a lot of the game's lore has to do with miku helping out many individuals with their problems, and currently the majority of that is only done through the original unit's sekais, which is only a select 20 people's views (minus the vs fes cards which only have little lore anyways). Maybe it will be something like lovelive where the original generation (u's) has officially graduated but are still featured in newer games and still get some content in those games. Ultimately what happens next is something we just have to see the game develop closer to, but it's a solid option that the game can technically go for.

yeah like they said it's a difficult decisions. because on the one hand you've got these beloved characters and stories that people will have grown up with at that point, and continuing them on into 3rd year/university would mean there's more things you can do with them and new ideas you could include. and i think in a natural storytelling sense it would make sense to carry on with the main 5 because quite frankly having them all achieve their dreams and that before they've even finished high school is... somewhat unfulfilling? especially with n25 i think it would make a lot of sense to carry them on into uni, maybe have Ena go to art school and Mafuyu go to nursing school. even if their stories ended before they graduated uni I feel like that would be a really satisfying conclusion for them compared to maybe just mentioning that's where they're going when they finish high school. but then there's the fact they mentioned about just carrying on because it's popular and the story going stale because they only wrote so far. and that's definitely a threat because that can happen if they've only planned so far ahead. then again, the writing team is generally top-notch and other games have proven that you can stick around without people ever getting tired of the story.

i do however think the generational format could work. as you said it could expand more on the lore, introduce new characters with new problems, and prevent people from growing tired of the old ones. on the lore side of things i wonder if they would be included in the Tree SEKAI with the main 5, or if there would be a new collective sekai for them? the only thing about having a generational format similar to Love Live (where you completely conclude the story of the previous generation before the next generation...ish) is that you have to execute it well. SIP -> Sunshine worked because there was an in-universe 5 year timeskip. it left you with this legacy that u's had left that people were trying to chase, and Aqours had to learn that they had to find their own radiance instead of trying to directly copy u's. u's was long gone from the story and never actually appeared in the present day and that worked really well and i think was the best decision they could have made because actually having them there i think would ruin the whole idea of legacies and how they can work (sorry for rambling on a bit here I really like Sunshine). even in Superstar and Nijigaku there are nods to SIP and Sunshine but the characters never actually appear. It's similar to the VBS story actually with Nagi and trying to carry her legacy (with the difference is that u's and aqours are still alive. probably.).

that got a bit rambly but what i'm trying to say is that if you want to do a completely new generation and retire the old ones completely, it has to be done in a way that doesn't rely to much on stuff like random coincidences. you need there to be solid reasons why some kid would look up to a group of 4 kids who performed at a disneyland equivalent or 4 kids who held a music event. obviously there will be development in their stories between now and new units being added but I think adding in a timeskip and saying "yeah, they went on to do this really big inspiring thing" would be much more effective than a bunch of new characters who are hugely inspired by a niche teen music group that honesly doesn't really have much of an impact on anything. the reason VBS' story with legacies works is because there's actual stakes. RADder was a hugely successful group that had CD sales, national tours and a member that became a successful independent artist worldwide. RAD WEEKEND, although more limited to Tokyo, was still massively popular and inspired many people to put on an event that will surpass it. RADder is a big name and a big inspiration and leaves big shoes to fill, and that's why it works so well because there's big goals to work towards.

also in some ways as well a bunch of characters surpassing RW2 just after we saw VBS&Co put on RW2 would be a little bit unsatisfying I think. RADder are side characters who people are less attached to than VBS, but if you were to introduce VBS2 just after the original, even if there's a timeskip, it would probably leave a bit of a bad taste for some fans of the original VBS who'd spent years following their story.

to throw my own personal wishes for the games story on here, i think doing something similar to bandori or d4dj would work best for them. as in, adding new units who kinda take centre stage but still having the old units getting events and stories of their own. we could have new characters to keep things fresh but still get to see the original 20 growing up, having their careers take off, facing more adult problems and such. you could have the OG20 around to mentor the new characters as well, and keep the whole tree sekai lore intact with that being something that revolves around the original 5 units (and actually fucking develop the lore holy shit colopale it's been 3 years don't drag it out another 3 and then actually reveal all the lore before then completely retiring it). ahaha maybe this is a bit too self-indulgent and wishful thinking because I am way too attached to the main 20 but also from the perspective of someone who has done screenwriting classes at college it does work.

[wingdingery]

20 questions for writers

Thanks for the tag @wildsofmarch :)

(Answering most of these questions about wingdingery but including some counts from other accounts because I was curious.)

1. how many works do you have on AO3? 24 DC (78 total)

2. what's your total AO3 word count? 283,276 DC (795,332 total)

3. what fandoms do you write for? Dick Grayson (I’m usually tunnel visioned into one fandom for years at a time)

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos? I don’t perceive stats/counts on my works or others’ thanks to a site skin so this is a mystery to me!

5. do you respond to comments? I try to! But I don’t have time consistently so I usually fall into the trap of falling behind → feeling guilty about replying late but also feeling guilty about replying to newer comments when I haven’t gotten through the older ones yet → paralyzed into not replying to anything → force myself to finally clear my inbox months later → run out of time and begin the vicious cycle all over again.

(But I do read all of them as they come in and appreciate them so much! The number of times I am driven to reread old works/write more due to a kind comment cannot be counted.)

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? once upon a time, maybe?

My non-happy endings are usually more ambiguous than overtly angstsy (on main, at least – the darkfic endings are equally angst, I think).

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I’ll pick hospitality for dummies just because I think that’s my lowest-stakes/happiest DC fic so far. But I do tend to write happy endings in general.

8. do you get hate on fics? The standard fare ship hate.

9. do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yep! I’m not really sure what “what kind” means… I’ll write pretty much anything if I’m in the right mood for it and I can make it make sense for the characters.

10. do you write crossovers? I like writing fusions but I’ve only contemplated writing one crossover in my life and never actually did it, so I think the answer is no.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen? Not as far as I know!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? right through my walls has a Spanish translation courtesy of Luck__y!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? I’ve done a lot of co-slinging-ideas-at-the-wall but I’ve never actually co-written a fic. I’m interested in trying it but my writing process is so wild that I’m reluctant to ask anyone to get near it. 😂

14. What's your all-time favorite ship? All-time is so hard to say! I shipped BruDick a long time ago and I’m back here now, so BruDick, I guess?

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will? If this question is referring to published WIPs, I will finish all of them. This year, even. You heard it here first.

(If unpublished… way too many to count, lol.)

16. What are your writing strengths? From what people have said, I think my top 3 are dialogue, characterization, and generally having wild/unexpected ideas (otherwise known as crack played so straight it develops angst).

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I think my writing is pretty plain. I have next to zero visual imagery (some people read or write like they’re watching a movie and seeing the scenes go by, but all I think in are words) so consequently my writing isn’t particularly descriptive unless I really try and figurative language is hard for me to come up with.

I used to stress about this a lot, but I’ve heard that this makes my writing feel easy to read, especially for non-native English readers, so I’ve made my peace with not being particularly poetic.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I always write limited third POV so I’ll typically use a phrasing like “…,” they said in [language] or They said something in [language] if the POV character doesn’t understand it. I only ever write it untranslated if something about the exact wording is relevant to the plot (but even then, I only highlight the specific word(s) after).

19. First fandom you wrote for? Nancy Drew… the yellow hardback books Nancy Drew…

20. Favourite fic you've written? Currently, make a mercy out of me. As much as I love writing fics with a lot of plot and action and shenanigans, it was really satisfying to craft a quiet character/relationship study that’s introspective without feeling too heavy.

tag @artenon @faiasakura @chejuu @roipecheur you're it!

[ashalsdream]

I have some Thoughts about the reset so I'm just gonna write them all down:

This is in no way aimed at anyone specific and is mostly just my overall thoughts as a viewer

I think the fandom are being a bit dramatic over it atm, its been only a few days i think yall need to just chill. I know you dont like change but like, give it time?

for 1) the old builds lore etc arent GONE, they're just 200k blocks away, its the same server, theyre just very far away likely due to new terrain generation (if im wrong on this, please correct me) 2) the players were bored of the old server, theres a select few that WERENT bored when the majority were. I'm sorry if your lore got interrupted or was replaced but 1 or 2 players compared to the over 30+ other players, it was bound to happen. Timings just don't match up and any cc who is being stubborn abt it needs to understand its not All About Them when its a SERVER 3) about the above ^ ccs like Luzu, Mariana, Willy etc those that felt they COULDNT log on because it had been too long are finally being given a chance? PLEASE give them a chance. I know you're attached to your current ccs but these guys are AMAZING and deserve your time and finally they're able to do that! I'm sorry to say but having a lot more players on will mean more than losing one or two players who are being stubborn about old builds

4) I understand the frustration over things being behind pay walls or being slowly introduced but you have to understand THEY DID THE SAME THING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE QSMP! A lot of the newer creators just weren't around at that time so they joined to having everything unlocked. This isn't a new thing! Give it time! 5) at the moment everyone is just trying to find their footing again, this happened at the beginning of the qsmp as well - again just be patient, they'll get there! 6) this reset was done likely to remove the builds that F*rever did, I completely understand WHY this was done and I think moving forward we can look forward to an island that isn't tainted with his lore or what he built.

overall, I'm really enjoying the reset, especially as a Luzu watcher, I'm REALLY glad he's back because he's an incredible streamer. I get why people are so frustrated but PLEASE JUST BE PATIENT i know change is difficult but you need to give it time to settle - I'm sure they will be allowed to go back to their old bases, old lore etc!! There's no way they just destroy everything and forget about it. Just give it timeeee!

[crepes-suzette-373]

Garuda, Judge, Germa 66, The Divine

@sangerie Perfect timing that you bring up Garuda in your reply, because I remembered a while ago that I didn't check what Judge's current belt looks like when I made that other post and I was just about to make a new post about my findings.

---

I messed up and completely forgot to check when I made that other post. That was just more of an idle thought, though, not something I really wanted to analyse or make theories out of. This one is the (conspiracy) theory/analysis post.

Artistically this is big enough difference that I cannot chalk it off as "simplification/wonky artwork because of image size":

Plus, the "simpler" shape from the MADS flashbacks would be drawn long after the WCI arc. So this has to be a purposeful change on sensei's part.

What was it beforehand and why the change? What is the newer shape supposed to be?

So anyway, that realisation prompted me to look into Karura (the Japanese interpretation of Garuda) because I thought the current belt shape looks like the helmet Judge is wearing, which in turn vaguely reminds me of headdresses in Buddhist gods' statuary.

I think there could be connection between the two in terms of design:

Like, his hair could look reminiscent of the Karura's "fire halo".

The Karura in Japan is a being who is heavily associated with flames (which happens to also look like number 6 spirals in the statue, very interestingly). Some Buddhist teaching even say the Karura either manifests itself as flames, or lends its flames in support to other deities.

Karura's "fire halo" behind Fudou Myou'ou:

This I find to be even more curious, because in the first place Garuda is divine being, and Garuda's "holy flame" is something that purifies evil. Judge seems to be awful in every way, so why give him a nickname that's based on a holy being? Is this just irony, or is this a hint that there's something weird going on that has yet to be revealed? (something in their ancient history?)

Also, about the "69" in the skull's eyes. Even Sanji's Stealth Black/Osoba Mask belt has that "69" element, even if it's in the little wings on the sides and not the skull's eyes. Is that symbol so important that it needs to be everywhere? (to sangerie, if you see this: Niji's belt still has that 69, even much later in the cover story, it just sometimes look wonky in the art because it's too small)

That symbol is known in Japan as "two tomoe" (considered different from yin yang by the Japanese). A tomoe is that comma like shape, and the Germa one is specifically the "right curling" one, because there are versions of it that goes the opposite direction.

A tomoe is also a divine symbol, so it's very frequently seen as the "crest" of shrines. Funnily enough the origin of the tomoe symbol is actually water, but I'm not sure if sensei would go out of his way to research that. If he was using this as a purposeful symbol I feel like he's using it more in the generic divine/shrine related usage.

It's a symbol you see in the drums used by the the Raijin (god of thunder), which also was the design inspiration for Enel.

Interesting thunder/lightning connection there. It's 3, though, and not 2, so I'm not sure if this means anything.

You see that exact symbol with just two in Wano, though it's turned 90 degrees anticlockwise:

I have wondered multiple times if the Vinsmokes have connection to Wano in their past. Even literally just a few hours ago I made a post mentioning the same thing. I always worry that I'm making too deep of a reach, but every now and then I still wonder.

It also has historical connection in Japan, since a two tomoe design is a common samurai crest. I highly doubt it's related to this, but that exact "69" shaped crest is the crest strongly associated with the 47 Ronin.

The interesting thing about the 47 Ronin is that even though they're typically celebrated as heroes who defeated an evil lord even to this day, by historical accounts the 47 ronin were actually the ones in the wrong and the guy they had revenge on wasn't a tyrant or corrupt official. Still, I don't think this has any relevance.

I mean, there's nothing about Germa that suggests that "they seem evil, but actually they're secretly good".

I will admit there is a part of me that is developing a suspicion that there could be a random twist where Germa's whole point was "their motivation/end goal is not bad, but their methods is what's really absolutely disgusting" for various reasons. As in, what if their desire to conquer the North Blue is not just for greed or power, but for a bigger goal beyond it, and this "bigger goal" might not be entirely bad.

I doubt it, because so far everything that we've been shown is just nasty. I'm just automatically suspicious because the World Government labelled them evil, and I don't trust WG.

It could just be something like "they're so evil, that even demons are disgusted", though.

[fuck-customers]

I talked about my ordeals with who I dubbed Stalker Boy a while back, since I still don't know his last name (it took me about 6 months to find out his first name, since he decided to start stalking me at work after seeing me there once) but this isn't about him lol.

This time, the stalker wasn't here for me, he was after my coworker I'll call C. For context, C is barely 19 and tiny, and generally looks even younger than she is.

Well a couple weeks ago (the week after Mario came out), she was walking around in the back with a manager doing whatever, and this guy, who was about 40, and also roughly 6ft 5, was following them. After a while, the manager stepped away and the guy used the opportunity to corner C. And you'll never guess what he says.

Creep: "Hey, I think you're really attractive. How much would I have to pay you to have sex with me?"

C ended up kinda staring at him and saying "I can't disclose that information" because she didn't know what else to do.

Luckily the manager who'd walked away got a bad feeling and came to get her. C filled in the manager but the guy had disappeared, so they had C shut herself in the break room (where I was on my lunch) until they could find him and remove him from the building.

After I come back from lunch, I go back to working door (taking tickets), and keep my eye out for the creep, which was hard because I never actually saw him.

(Seriously dude, I have a lot of respect for sex workers, but what the fuck makes for think that's an appropriate conversion starter, let alone using it on a teenager half your age and size that you cornered while she's sweeping up popcorn???)

Fast forward a couple days. We had what I was told was a glitch, but I think was actually human error, but we ended up having three shows, in the span of roughly an hour, for Mario where two shows had been created for each time slot in the same room. So it was crazy busy since they sold out and twice as many people showed up as expected. And since there were two tickets per seat, we had to implement system for explaining what was going on to people as they come in and establishing who gets the seat and who gets a refund, and it was just a huge mess. One of the shows, the first one that was double booked, had 250 seats, meaning there were 500 people there for it. And guess who decided to use the confusion to sneak back in.

So I finally managed to get to the end of the line, but the managers were still at the service desk trying to do refunds, and I hear one of the newer girls radio about a creepy guy who was standing inside the doors to the auditoriums and just staring. I'll call her N. N, like me, is butch, and I'm not sure if Creeper realized she's a woman, or if he was just only interested in C. Here's a helpful artistic rendering of what N was seeing.

(Not pictured: being in shadows because he was standing in a dark room)

At this point, we had no way of knowing that it was the same guy, but she kind of walked away, and when she came back a few minutes later, he was still there, though he later started moving to other auditoriums and doing the same thing. C was actually there that day but was on lunch.

So N was radio'ing about needing help dealing with a weird guy who's movie-hopping, and she said he was getting really aggressive when she asked him what he was doing. The managers kind of just waved N off (over the radio), saying that they were busy, and told her to deal with it the best she could. I was getting bad vibes, so I walked over to tell the managers directly that they need to go help N. I'm working the front door so I'm not actually allowed to leave the little area, but luckily, the service desk is right on the edge of my area.

And one of the managers snapped at me as soon as I got two words out and said "We're we're with customers, you know better than to interrupt". Which, they're right. I've worked here longer than both of them combined. I know damn well how things work and I follow the rules, so if I'm suddenly not doing that, it's because I have a fucking reason, m'kay?

N managed to summon enough guys from the cleaning crew to help her herd the guy to the front, at which point the manager who'd kicked Creeper out last time recognized him and realized how serious it was (she's not the one that snapped at me) and she kicked him out again.

Because I don't know why this guy would be hiding in dark rooms and watching and waiting, unless he was waiting for C to walk by so he could do god knows what to her.

And then about 10 minutes later, one of the managers who snapped at me came over and was like "did they tell you about The Guy?" And I just stared at him and said "*I* was trying to tell *you* about The Guy, and you told me to go away." And he didn't say sorry or anything, which is what I expected.

And then apparently Creeper came back two more times later in the week on days I wasn't there and on the fourth time, the manager had finally decided enough was enough and called the cops and he ended up getting arrested. So I hope that's the last we'll see of him but I'm not going to hold my breath.

[princess-of-the-corner]

You. . .should probably not have informed me that you have seen Sky High and have ever had thoughts about it, because now I am going to QUESTION you (I have not seen BNHA, despite my absolute best efforts, so some of these may be stupid questions):

1) I get the sense in Sky High that the power ratio is swapped compared to BNHA. Like, having superpowers is the 20%, not having powers is the 80%, which is why it's still expected that you hide your powers. Is this a regional difference? Is the power ratio actually different or is it just that Sky High is only for kids who's parents are heroes? And so lots of people are powered, they just aren't heroes and aren't focused on?

3) Actually, back on the hiding your powers thing, why do they do that in Sky High but not BNHA (to my understanding at least)? Is it just that the Sky High cast is all superheroes or the children of superheroes trying to maintain a secret identity, or is it that America has some sort of stigma on superpowers (possibly due to it being a minority)?

3) What is Sky High's relationship to UA? How rare are these hero schools? Are they even aware of each other? Are they rivals? Friendly? Do they do exchange programs? Does one have significantly more clout than the other?

4) The Commander and Jetstream are very very patriotic and American heroes. Is this just like their aesthetic, or does it have something to do with them being diplomats/representatives/mascots for America?

5) Sky High is built off beloved cheesy stereotypes, which means the stated goal of most of the villains is World Domination TM. Has anyone ever actually gotten close, and what would that have looked like in both areas?

6) What would a regional super school in somewhere like europe or south america look like and how would it compare to UA and Sky High?

7) Any and all thoughts on particular plot and character beats that you liked or did not like from Sky High, and/or how you would do them differently?

Sorry this is so long, I just wasn't aware other people who watched this movie ever had Thoughts about it outside the initial watch, and I am EXCITED!

Honestly I think most of my thoughts would be that Sky High happens earlier in the Timeline.

When Quirks are less common and being a Superhero is only a new profession, and due to how few Heroes there are they still maintain Secret Identities to the public but are government-registered.

Over time it transferred to how it is in bnha where Heroes are publicly known and less secret identities (though many do keep their homelife on the downlow while hamming it up at 'work'), and Quirks being much more common in newer generations therefore allowing more schools.

Hero Schools nowadays are decently common. Like in Canon bnha there's half a dozen for Japan alone. So you can only imagine how many America would have. At LEAST one per state. I think UA and Sky High would be aware of each other in the sense that they're considered the best Hero School in their respective country, and some friendly rivalry and international programs together. Similar with Hero Schools in other countries.

The Commander and Jetstream are def just Like That™ for aesthetics lmao.

Also in terms of plot, I'm not sure there's anything I'd say I wanted to alter, exactly. But Sky High was a single movie with a 1hr 40min running time. There wasn't a lot of time to explore everything it set up! So I'd say just make a whole series and explore all of it.

I think the only plot point I felt :/ about was Layla's whole 'I'm only going to use my powers when the situation demands it!' thing which meant..... not using them ever unless it was literally life or death at the last second? Like girl you're going to a Hero School to learn how to utilize your abilities through safe (ish) training exercises so you'll know how to use them in real combat. I think in a darker-toned series she might be forced to confront this fact in a harsh way, like another student calling her out on it because of their own tragic backstory.

[macgyvermedical]

Using Over the Counter Insulins to Manage Diabetes

In the United States, you can buy some older types of insulin (regular human insulin, NPH insulin, and 70/30 insulin) without a prescription. The cheapest place to buy these is WalMart, where these often cost just under $25 per 10-mL vial. This makes them an attractive option for someone looking for an emergency replacement for newer, more convenient insulins. This post gives an idea of what that could look like, and how to plan around it.

Now, it's important to understand that these insulins are not 1:1 your current regimen. You need to plan for this, and not wait until you're out of insulin to consider them.

The first thing you're going to want to do is make an appointment with your diabetes educator. Don't have one? Call your doctor's office and ask if they have one on staff. If they don't, ask if you can be referred to one. If you have the option, see an old one. One that was practicing in the 1990's, preferably.

Tell them you are making a plan for if you ever run out of insulin and need to use over the counter insulin. If they try to offer you discount cards or other ways of paying for insulin, accept them, but still insist they work with you to develop a plan to use the ones available over the counter. This is your backup, and you really want to have it available.

The reason it is your backup and not just your day-to-day (and also why you NEED to see a diabetes educator about them) is that the older insulins are genuinely more difficult to use. They require a lot more planning, a lot more timing of food, and often counting of carbohydrates or other skills not necessarily required of newer regimens of rapid-acting (aspart, lispro) and basal (glargine) insulins. Plus, this is going to require probably significantly more blood glucose checking if you don't use a continuous glucose monitor.

Next, you're going to want to present this to your doctor. You know your doctor better than I do and know how they're going to take this. Generally, this is second because doctors don't have a lot of time to discuss this plan, and it's easier to get them on board if you've already thought through things and discussed them with a diabetes educator. Reassure them that this is for short periods to prevent emergencies that could put you in a hospital, when other options have been exhausted. They're probably still not going to like it. Be prepared for that.

Below I'll discuss the differences between "newer" (what you are probably taking), and "older" (what Wally World has on offer).

Newer insulin regimens usually involve a rapid acting insulin taken each meal, combined with a basal insulin given once per day that covers the rest of the time. Since rapid acting insulins closely mimic the body's response to ingestion of carbohydrates, they can be taken immediately before a meal, which gives people a lot more flexibility as to when they need to eat. Long acting insulins don't ever really peak, so you don't need to time them as precisely with food. Skipping a meal, as long as you also skip a rapid acting administration, generally won't cause hypoglycemia.

Older insulins are less convenient and carry a higher risk of hypoglycemia. Older human insulin peaks about an hour after administration, meaning that to use it effectively, you have to give the dose, wait an hour, and then eat. It lasts about 4-6 hours. NPH insulin, which works for about 12 hours and peaks at 4-6, often requires a meal or snack at it's peak as well. Since both of these are often needed to manage blood sugar levels, timing is everything. That means no oversleeping, no changes to meal schedule, and no unplanned-for snacks.

TL;DR: If you ever think you might want or need to switch to an older, cheaper, OTC insulin, you should start planning now by seeing a diabetes educator about how to use older insulins.

[cr33p5]

any tips for newer artists? im just so impressed with your art all the time and i would love to know how you do it :)

thank you! :)

i am by no means a professional and i’m mostly self taught so take what i say with a grain of salt lol, but here’s some tips that helped me personally!

it also rlly depends what stage you’re at but i think these are just general tips that may be helpful :)

1. experiment! it’s very important to step out of your comfort zone and i still have a lot of trouble with that one, trying new things like techniques and styles is hard, but it’s so rewarding once you start to get the hang of something new

like seriously experimenting was SO helpful to me, that’s how you discover things. especially with things like brushes, textures, layer settings, shading, don’t knock it till you try it!

2. try not to get too caught up in replicating other people’s styles or methods especially in tutorials, i would often try to copy people’s exact steps and get frustrated when i couldn’t do it, think of tutorials more as a general guide than a concrete method. put your own spin on it!

3. take inspiration from other artists you like, one thing i did was gather up lots of drawings from my favorite artists and made a list of specific elements that i liked, to try them out for myself and see what worked and what didn’t

4. don’t compare yourself to other artists, i still have trouble with this, we’re all going on our own path and comparison can really bring you down and bum you out

5. depending on what you wanna do with art, don’t take it too seriously! especially if it’s just for fun or a hobby, there’s always room to improve but remember at the end of the day you’re doing it for you and you shouldn’t d work yourself to the bone

6. have fun! be silly with it, draw whatever you want and what makes you happy, i used to hold back drawing so many things out of some fear of being ‘cringe’ but who cares! if you’re not hurting anyone draw what you want!

[frostfangalphabitch]

Yo, have you played older armored core games, which ones would you recommend, and how would you recommend one goes about playing those games?

I have played the older games! I adore this series, and it's been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. I started with Generation 3, so that's going to be my recommended starting point, but there are a few places you could start.

Here's the TL;DR: The games from Gens 1, 2, and 3 are good, Nexus and Last Raven are excellent. All of those use a very different energy system from AC6 which might take some getting used to. Gen 4 is also fantastic and has extremely fast-paced combat. Gen 5 isn't terrible but is not looked upon fondly, and these entries are kind of only half a game without the online features. Also, pirating is illegal! But if you already own the discs, you can get the images off Vimm's Lair.

As a rule, I'd suggest going from older to newer. The original game used L1 and R1 for looking up and down and didn't start using the second stick for look controls until Nexus, which is in the middle of Gen 3. With that in mind though, here's my general guide to the games.

Generation 1 (AC1, Project Phantasma, Master of Arena) is a decent starting point. The games are unforgiving but still play pretty solidly even now. If you're willing to go back to PS1 games and don't mind failing and starting over until you finally figure out how to pilot your tank-controls mech, Armored Core 1 is a great place to start. Generation 2 (AC2, 2: Another Age) is also pretty good and is where the games transitioned to PS2. The games are a little more forgiving than Gen 1. Mostly.

Generation 3 expands on the formula from the previous games with plenty of quality of life improvements and more parts. AC3 is the first entry in this generation, and Silent Line is basically an expansion for it. If you liked 3, you'll like Silent Line.

The games past Silent Line are considered Generation 3.5, and this is where the games really start to shine in my opinion. Nexus is the first game where they make use of the second stick for look controls, and they started experimenting with new mechanics as well.

Last Raven is my favorite game from gens 1-3 and probably my 2nd favorite overall after 6. This is the first game in the series that has branching paths and multiple endings. The story is really engaging and you need to get all 7 endings to really get the whole picture of what's going on. Now that I think about it, this is kind of a prototypical version of modern FromSoftware storytelling. The only problem with this game is that it is extremely difficult compared to previous games, even AC1, and they were fully expecting you to make use of the feature that lets you transfer your schematics and parts from Nexus or Nine Breaker. If you're looking for a challenge, this game is really great! It's tough but rewarding and a ton of fun. Under no circumstances should it be your first entry into the series, though.

Formula Front and Nine Breaker can be skipped. Nine Breaker felt like an inferior Master of Arena, and Formula Front is just... weird.

AC4 and 4 Answer are the first games on PS3/X360, and they shake things up a lot. Brand new parts, new guns, new mechanics. They're the first games where you can boost forever, and the gameplay is extremely fast, easily the fastest in the series. If you're good enough, you can move so fast your camera literally can't keep up. 4A is my third favorite game in the series, but the whole generation is worth playing.

Gen 5 (AC5 and Verdict Day) are... I mean they're fine. They have good mech designs, the core gameplay is still there, and they slowed the gameplay way down after Gen 4, but they also focused really hard on multiplayer, which is now dead unless you're lucky. A lot of the gameplay revolves around online missions, so they're kind of just half a game now.

As for how to play the games... Unfortunately, they weren't super popular in the West, so copies that exist go for more than new AAA games these days on eBay, especially with AC6 out. Now, despite how that sounds, I'm not gonna say you should emulate without a legit copy of your own, since that'd be illegal. You should also stay away from a place called Vimm's Lair. You can download the discs there, but only if you own the discs themselves! That said, if you do happen to have legit copies and want to emulate them on your PC, Duckstation, PCSX2, and RPCS3 will be able to run them. But ignore that sentence if you don't own the games legally!

Generation 5 won't emulate properly no matter what, though, so you really will have to buy a copy to play on your PS3 for those.

...Damn, I did not mean to write a post this long. Then again, AC is one of my special interests.

[televinita]

Highlights of my Half Price Books Labor Day sale store tour (sightings & purchases edition):

Things Of Interest I Saw & Didn't Get:

-Both Flawless and Heartless by Elsie Silver. flipped through one out of curiosity, and JESUS CHRIST no I will not be reading those ever, ew.

-Magnolia Parks (incredibly ugly what-in-the-generic-2000s-chick-lit newer/traditionally published edition)

Side note: I really appreciate that at least my local branch has committed to putting the smuttier romance novels, even the popular ones (ex. Anna Huang's Kings Of... series), into their "erotica" section. It doesn't mean the ones in regular Romance are necessarily better, but it does help confirm which ones are guaranteed eyeball poison. I hope it also gives some people enough pause to think about their life and choices, confront what they're actually into instead of tee-heeing about ~spice~.

-The Bright Side by Kim Holden, newer & prettier cover edition, a book on my TBR that I can only get through I.L.L., but alas, the spine was not only wrinkled but fully bent into a backwards C. No, we're not spending more than $2 on that condition. >:( (bonus, now that I've had a chance to flip through it...eh, maybe I'm not that interested after all, the writing style doesn't feel that polished)

-The paperback edition of Fangirl with green sprayed edges and 2 color illustrations...which I should have but didn't realize were new for this edition, along with a new introduction, and damn, now I'm kinda mad at myself.

-If one were so inclined, one could have bought nearly the entirety of Colleen Hoover's backlist, including novellas, at a single location. You could do that at one of two locations, in fact.

-The Once Upon a Book Club special edition of A Diamond in London, in the regular section so I think no more than $10, with all its paper ephemera tucked inside. (tempting, but I already turned down an option to buy the full box on eBay for $30, in part because while beautiful, I'm not that enthused by the story. btw, fascinating that it's not listed on their website -- unless it was bought in the last 6 hours, they only have the trade paperback listed, and then this edition at $40).

-Dorothy Lyons horse book! Midnight Moon, for $35. It IS rare, but that's still more than I paid for my copy, and this one had a bit of the top of the spine bitten or torn off, no dust jacket either.

-Young Warriors: Stories of Strength, ed. Tamora Pierce, even though it was under $4, because I practiced miraculous restraint and reminded myself that I can get this through interlibrary loan and I'm literally only interested in her story and her introduction. How I had the strength to do this and still lost my mind later on is unknown, but at least I showed ONE ounce of restraint today.

-The massive Harry Potter World of Stickers book (truly tempting. but even $11.20 (the price after discount), while a great deal objectively, is a lot for stickers I know i won't use / a thick, heavy hardcover)

THINGS I GOT: (might photograph later but absolutely cannot guarantee it)

-A Mimi Matthews book! (Gentleman Jim, regrettably in its uglier original cover rather than the series-matching Perfectly Proper Press one but I'll still take it for access reasons)

-TWO Betty Cavanna books! (ugly Berkley Highland mass-market photo cover editions, and not ones I know or or am that excited about -- A Time for Tenderness and Stars In Her Eyes -- but I will literally buy anything from her. Also they were $3 each and came in plastic sleeves and, if ugly, are at least in perfect condition).

-Speaking of mass market vintage children's paperbacks in plastic sleeves, The Ghost of Five Owl Farm by Wilson Gage because I read another one of her books earlier this year and liked it. Also it was only $2.

-Did You Hear About the Morgans on DVD (clearance) so now we shall never be parted. 🥰

-I did in fact get the $3 pink edition of Fangirl, even though its spine is sun-faded, because I have spent fully two years now looking at the regular price of $10 and continually saying no to it. I just wanted the interior art!

-The Once Upon a Book Club special edition of The Lost Melody by Joanna Davidson Politano, also with its paper ephemera tucked inside, because that one I was somewhat tempted by when it was new, just not enough to get the full box. And it's even prettier than The Diamond of London, and it was only $6, even before the sale.

-Book 3 in the Alanna quartet by Tamora Pierce, in the pretty Atheneum trade paperback editions I'm collecting, on clearance for $2! Just one more I need now, I think. But should probably double-check.

-The Princesses of Iowa which wasn't even on my want-to-own list, but I happened to randomly spot it while walking past, where it was misshelved in adult fiction, and that felt like...a sign? Tell me why I spent $4.20 + tax on this though, even if it IS a pristine paperback, just because I felt surprisingly fondly toward it when I read it. (and it's pretty i guess)

-Scripted Unscripted, a random young-end-of-YA novel on clearance because damn it the cover is so cute and also I simply could not walk away from a premise of "daughter who normally helps her dog-trainer father on Hollywood movie sets randomly gets pulled to work in front of the camera."

[mamamittens]

Guestimating the overall length of the Moby Dick would be easier if the very anatomy of the ship didn't change every time we see it istg.

Bad math and more than the required assumptions to make an ass out of you, me, and everyone in the Blues combined.

See this very clear picture that implies we could possibly determine the size of this specific section my rough estimate based off of Whitebeard's height (divided down for his thighs assuming the seat is made to seat him comfortably sitting up, which means roughly the length of his thighs)? I'd be willing to assume it's about the length of the boxes along the side for ease of measurement. Also, side note, horrible stairs for everyone, they're not even for Whitebeard's feet and RIP everyone else's stride on these damn things.

A fucking safety hazard is what it is.

Anyway! Assuming quite a lot, we could theoretically measure out this one section as between the rigging for two masts, which is great! Fantastic! How many are there again?

4? Are we counting the one on the very back? No? Cool, let's just say 3. The ship is (roughly) divided into 4 parts. So, where's the even rigging section...

Not in this one? The railing isn't flat between two rigging sections on an even level. Okay, maybe another one?

Aha! It's here (apparently)! Odd... Big change for a ship... I'm a bit concerned ngl. Especially since that earlier scene is closer to the (unfortunate) destruction of the ship. There's no way they changed a whole ass mast/rigging/railing set up in a few months. They coated it between them and Marineford but I imagine restructuring the the vessel like that would take a lot longer and would be very ill advised all around.

Not to mention the whole ship is different, right down to the coloring. The first one is clearly newer...

Anyway! 6 green boxes (6 Whitebeard thighs, assuming that's 1/4 his height of 666 cm... 166.5 cm or 5 feet 5 inches... Sounds really short... Ah, his ass, right. Forgot to add his ass... Let's round it up to 6 feet to make it even!) So that's... 36 feet for 1/4 of the ship! Assuming our rough as hell math is correct that's 144 feet long of ship!

... 144 feet long? Only that much???

That... That can't be right.

That's like, a yacht?!

The Titanic was 882 feet and 9 inches. Six Moby Dicks is equivalent to one Titanic!

And that ship had a max capacity of 3,547 normal ass sized humans. Not over a thousand, incredibly varied but generally quite tall humans/fishmen/whatever else. With modern amenities taking up space but also making it more efficient, you'd think the Moby Dick would need to be at least a third of the size, maybe two thirds to accommodate Whitebeard alone traveling hither and yon on his own damn ship without compromising the ship's weight distribution or general stability.

This ship is meant to be massive but two and a half count fit across a football field, whale nose to whale ass!

I know I'm bad at math but Jesus that's bad lmao, adjusting the green boxes to 8 would just make the ship 192 feet long. Which isn't much better if I'm being honest.

What a fucking nightmare lol, here's to hoping someone better at maths and nautical knowledge one day finds a better answer than mine.

[davekat-sucks]

Do you think Homestuck has value despite its flaws, or do you think the whole comic is a wash because it couldn't stick the landing?

Speaking as someone who didn't like basically anything after Game Over and agrees that Davekat was a dopey pairing (or at least too underexplored to be as satisfying as Rosemary or even a non-starter like JohnVris), I think you're being too hard on Homestuck. There are lots of ways it could've "made more sense" in Act 6 and beyond, lots of setups I wish it had paid off, but a comic doesn't have to be an equation. It can fuck up and fall to pieces and still be worthwhile, you know? It's okay for art to be messy.

Criticism is warranted, I'm not telling you to shut up and keep your opinions to yourself and I'm especially not going to defend all of Hussie's choices, some of which are definitely kinda nuts! But it sucks to see people turn on an artist like this just because he didn't deliver exactly what they wanted. Especially if the reason is that he went through a big transition and changed his perspective on the work.

Was the change in perspective from things like Hussie's father dying that the mood of the series turned out to be this way? Was it from bad influences from people he hired in WhatPumpkin? If it was something like this, I could almost give Andrew Hussie a bit of sympathy. Maybe more that he had the weight of the fandom on his shoulders and didn't react properly because he the attention made him nervous. Or that he took his persona of being an asshole author to far that he deluded himself thinking he is a likeable asshole. Of course, Andrew Hussie could have just given the series away or make the IP open to public. But did not choose that if it means he will lose attention on him and potential money. Whatever it may be, we won't ever know. Hussie sure as hell won't admit it out loud without his ego and pride placed out in the front. I probably wouldn't be as harsh on the series if stuff like the Homestuck Epilogues and Homestuck^2 did not existed to let people enjoy the webcomic. But if the sequels still needed to exist, then I just blame the new generation that took it too seriously as part of the next installment. It has been stated numerous times it was not canon, but now, it is still taken as part of canon from the fanbase. Even now, some of the fanart and fics will happen to be connected to those sequels in some manner because it solidify popular fanon for the modern generation, such as Davekat or Trans Roxy. I just wish WhatPumpkin comes out from the indefinite hiatus and lets out the story outline to say what was the complete plan for HS2. That or cancelling outright. Because the dubious sequels after it came out, left a horrible mark. You can't say you like DaveJade or say Roxy is not trans without people going on Davekat being a thing as well as Trans Roxy being now canon because of the non-canon sequels. It's why people are still arguing about John Egbert or June Egbert because of a damn Toblerone wish that was brought up. Some art can be messy. How one handles it varies from each individual. Just the way Andrew Hussie went about it was a clusterfuck in itself. I also don't mind if art is still messy to this day as I believe we can still like the things that it had worked well in. I mean, people still love RWBY for Monty Oum himself, the fight scenes, and the music that was in it. They don't have to like current RWBY under RoosterTeeth's control. That's how I feel it is with Homestuck now. Just that the fanbase is ever as hostile to others who disagree with certain opinions, as it is with this modern fandom under the influence of progressive activism. Either way, Hussie is a strange person that you know he is a massive prick, but still have small sympathy for. Those dark moments in his life had shaped to what Homestuck has become now and it is still being somewhat shown in the dubious materials and Psycholonials. People can still like old Homestuck and ignore the newer shit.

[emmy-dekarios-bg3]

Heart of the Weave - A Baldurs Gate Fanfiction

Chapter 6 - We’re having a WHAT?

“It…It can’t be,” Gale murmurs, an expression of horror on his face. I can’t even begin to think of what her reasoning could be, but then again, Mystra is a delusional and selfish goddess that will gladly do anything, good or bad, as long as it benefits her. The fact she groomed my husband and demanded the worst from him starting a young age speaks volumes about her character.

“Why on Earth would Mystra do this?” I ask. “You would think someone like her could handle it. What in the…”

“Unfortunately, you know just as much as I do. Who would have it in their hands? Who would she have given it to? Surely no one stole it, not that it makes it any better.” We all sigh, trying to process this predicament. Whoever has the crown can cause catastrophe or control the entire world like the elder brain attempted to do, and mostly succeeded.

“You know how I feel about that snot-nosed and self-absorbed goddess. She most definitely gave it up,” Karlach implies, and more than likely she’s correct. “No offense, Gale.” It seems we’re more doomed than we originally thought. We left Waterdeep not thinking anything of it, not considering the possible dangers we would be in. Regardless of where we live, we’re in trouble, but I’ll be honest: I’m glad we found out this way.

Baldur’s Gate is up ahead, awaiting our arrival and it seems to be just as lively as it was when we left before. The trees through Rivington are lively and flourishing with life, brightening up the scenery. The old circus has been torn down and replaced with other new buildings, such as homes for refugees and even a lovely museum. Though that general area reminds me of the horrific past of having to murder a shapeshifting clown, I can’t help but smile, observing the crowds and smelling the sweet aroma of fresh foods from the markets. No more posters of Gortash. No more Steel Watch. The city has changed dramatically since we’ve been here last and it’s definitely more clean than before. I also notice even more homes set up for refugees, a parade in the distance, and new amenities such as an upcoming new circus in a different area that hopefully won’t be filled with shapeshifting creeps in search of blood and body parts to sacrifice to the god of murder, Bhaal. Though, it’s safe to say that the temple is still alive and well unfortunately, which means the potential for murder and destruction is still there.

I love listening to the sound of bards playing their tunes while the parade is keeping the cityfolk entertained. It feels nice and comforting being back home, even for a moment. Hearing the sound of children laughing and dogs barking while running through the city is a sound that reassures me everything's okay and I have nothing to fear. While there have been traumatizing events to happen here in more recent times, this is where I was born and raised, where I learned how to hone my war cleric skills, where I stopped an elder brain from dominating the world. So many memories, both good and bad, and some I miss dearly. Businesses are thriving! I notice more restaurants and bars on every corner, looking to be restored and with newer, more friendly staff. Some of the previous owners of some of the bars were not happy to be there, or were killed during the fight with the elder brain.

“While you guys go to the healer or whatever, Wyll, my hammer, and I are going to visit with Fytz and catch up. She had her baby! I’ll meet you all back here,” Karlach says. She takes Wyll’s hand and off they go merrily, without allowing us to say another word. As Karlach and Wyll head out, we attempt to locate the doctor, but the city is so big and the lack of signs make it an obstacle, but after speaking with a couple townsfolk for directions, it appears they’re located in the Upper City. It’s strange; last time we were here, we were helping the city clean up all the dead mind flayers from the streets right after defeating the brain. So many people died as illithid and not themselves, which broke my heart to discover. I’m thankful everyday that wasn’t my fate, and I’m lucky I was one of the fortunate ones that was protected.

“How are you feeling?” Gale asks with a hopeful look twinkling in his eye. I sigh, holding my hands against my stomach as a nauseating knot forms once more. So help me if the smell of meat gets near my face, I’ll definitely vomit. That wasn’t the case last night though. What the hell is going on? Gale rubs my back gently as I take a deep breath to keep it all in.

“Like my stomach is being twisted around and punched multiple times. I feel better than I did, though,” I add. I could be feeling much worse.

“Thank Sêlune that we handed that orc’s ass to him before he could get to you,” Shadowheart says with relief in her voice. “I’m so sorry you can’t fight in this condition, but I’m glad we could protect you.” I smile at her comforting words, making me feel slightly better about the situation. Months ago, I could destroy a man with my sword in one hit. Now, I’m so weak I can’t even lift a fucking sword.

After some walking through the city and grabbing food from one of the local vendors, we finally find the doctor, who is apparently new to Baldur’s Gate and came from Neverwinter directly after the brain and its thralls were defeated. We go inside the building and notice several paintings of animals, one of them being a wolf. I just know the doctor is a druid.

“I’ll wait outside if you need me. I’m still terrified of wolves, even if it’s a painting,” Shadowheart says. “You can thank all of my trauma for that, which I can’t seem to recover from.”

“We shouldn’t be too long,” I tell her. She half-smiles and nods for us to go inside. Gale and I walk in, noticing a younger wood-elf druid at the counter. Ah, so not only was I correct about the doctor being a druid, but now the paintings within the building make more sense. Then again, it makes sense for a healer to be a druid in the first place. His golden-blonde hair touches his shoulders, freckles covering every inch of his cheekbones, and his forest-green eyes are enough to gain someone’s full attention, so bright and lively. Like Halsin, he appears to be extremely friendly.

“Hello, welcome! My name is Jasik. How may I help you two today?” he says, a positive and welcoming tone within his voice. A small, white cat is sitting on the counter, licking its paws.

“I need help and fast. I’d rather not discuss my symptoms out in the open. Can you help me?” I ask. “I’m rather…ill.” He nods, opening the door of the counter and walking us to the hallway.

“Come. Let’s get you to the back.” Gale and I hold hands as we follow the young man to the back room. The building reminds me of a beautiful cottage or cabin, a very comforting feeling that gives an “at home” aesthetic. As we walk, we notice more paintings are hung up on the walls through the hallway.

“Well, if Shadowheart gets sick, this is not the place for her,” Gale whispers. We walk into the room with the doctor, sitting down on the beautifully carved wooden chairs that seem to be made of oak.

“Glad to have you both here today. Could you kindly explain the issues you’re having?”

“Well, where to start,” I say with a soft voice. Gale squeezes my hand, admiring me as I speak. “A lot of nausea. Light headed. Body aches. Vertigo… The list goes on. Oh, and a random fever that comes and goes when it pleases. Not consistent at all.”

“And no healing spells or potions are working for you?” Jasik asks. I shake my head no and sigh. If only the answers were that simple.

“And the tadpole I had, it’s been gone for over a year,” I mentioned. “These symptoms may not sound as bad as I’m making them out to be, but… Man, they feel intense. And this is coming from someone who has been poisoned, burned, and licerated. Someone who was almost a mind flayer.” Jasik observes me, trying to see if he can locate any physical symptoms I may not be aware of. He advises Gale to leave the room, but not to be too worried. I’m not sure how I feel about him not being by my side, but surely it’s for safety or privacy concerns…right?

“I’ll be outside if you need me,” he says, kissing the top of my head. Gale’s eyes are full of worry, and he looks at me as he leaves the room to go stand outside with Shadowheart. I begin to panic even more now, though Jasik said everything seems to be fine. I wonder how serious it is that he can’t mention it in front of my own husband.

Jasik grabs a needle and a potion bottle filled with some mysterious clear liquid, which isn’t water, that looks extremely unfamiliar. I stare at the medical instruments in front of me, questioning to myself what kind of procedure this is and what I got myself into. I have never heard of anything like this before.

“I’ll need to prick your finger for blood, then I will add it to this potion bottle. The color of the liquid determines what issue you have. If it stays red, then you’re fine. Green is not good and a cause of serious concern. Blue or purple is more ‘mild,’ such as a stomach bug, cold, or pregnancy. You’d think I’m some sort of sorcerer or wizard, but the truth is, I’m a druid. I did attend school for the arcane as a young boy and did various studies with top-notch professors, though.” I sit here quietly, staring at the potion bottle in front of me, dying to know what color the liquid will turn and what this means for me. He pricks my finger rather quickly, squeezing the droplet of blood into the bottle. The blood swirls within the liquid, causing it to change various colors. I swallow nervously, my attention hyper focused on the bottle and bubbling liquid within.

“That is a rather interesting process,” I say. I’m thinking about how Gale might be feeling, and if this is another tadpole situation. I never got captured again, so surely that’s not the problem, right? “Is this a common practice?”

“Well, it’s becoming common. In Neverwinter, this is how we have discovered the answers to various of problems and illnesses. With the knowledge of the arcane and nature’s guidance combined, it’s been extremely accurate and hasn’t failed us yet! They brought me here to help spread the word. Plus, there aren’t enough healers or doctors in Baldur’s Gate.”

Jasik observes the potent potion as it turns into a very vibrant purple color, bubbling with intensity. The colors remind me somewhat of the Underdark. My anxiety is rising just slightly as I wait on his response to the color change. He gasps as he turns around to face me; however, he’s smiling, so it must be good news.

“Well? What’s wrong with me?” He claps his hands together, taking a deep breath while he’s still in a very enthusiastic state.

“Oh, praise Silvanus!” he exclaims. “You are going to be okay. Nothing to worry about at all, you just need to stay hydrated, take it day by day. Be wary of what you eat. Just…lots of rest, dear.” I smile, sighing in relief at his comment.

“So, I’m not terminally ill or anything, it’s just a stomach bug?” Jasik hesitates, as if he’s trying to figure out the words to say as I still sit here, waiting for some sort of explanation. Why can’t he just tell me outright? “I’ll take that as a yes and I’ll be on my–”

“You’re pregnant,” he interrupts, placing his hands over his mouth as if he’s excited for me. I pause, unable to respond to his words from the sudden news that was just thrown in my face. My hands begin to shake as I try to process this.

“W-wow, I did not expect this. Um… Why am I getting a fever if that’s the case? Are you sure I’m not just sick?” His smile does not fade but he shakes his head in response.

“The potion does not lie. You are absolutely pregnant. This has been tested by our most knowledgeable of scholars, and has been proven correct with previous patients in the past. I do want to ask – do you plan on keeping the child? I ask because if not, you could swallow the potion and it will…um… Cancel out the pregnancy.” I sigh, staring at the potion that could determine my fate, but I refuse it.

“No, I… I’m keeping the baby.” I walk out of the office nervously, heading toward the front door. I hold my stomach, unable to think clearly as I try to contemplate on how I’m going to tell Gale. I’m not even sure I want to leave the building right now.