#also new astronaut pic for fun

[baekhyunnybyun]

Lee Donghun in Every Era 02.28.1993 🩵 HAPPY DONGHUN DAY!!

Cactus ✦ Callin' ✦ Take Me Higher ✦ Under Cover ✦ Savage ✦ Goblin (Favorite Boys) ✦ Higher ✦ Changer ✦ My Girl

[somescenecatholic]

TODAY'S BEEN SUPER COOL SO FAR (plus rawr xd pic from yesterday)

(read the text!! X3)

ALSOO

I went driving today (last practice everr) and I during my 10 min break I went 2 a playground!!

ANDDDD I wore this to youth group/sunday school yesterday!

Sooo summers been pretty cool so far :DDD I got till August 28th then I'll be in ELEVENTH GRADEEEEE (I can't believe I graduate next school year it feels so dang weird!! Not ready for ppl to look at me like I'm some adult when I've just turned 18 and have no clue what's going on other than new fun at college and one more step closer to becoming an astronaut)

YEP ANYWAYS THATS ABOUT ITT

oh yeah I ALSO FOUND SUPER COOL POSTERS TO DECOR MY ROOM WITH

I NEEEEEDDDDDD

OK SO NOWWWW THTS ABT IT

BYEEEE

[queerpurpledragon]

Danny had pretty lousy grades by the end of senior year. Well, he had picked it up a little the tail end of junior year, around when he figured out about half of his rogues were fighting him for bonding and not to kill (someone, not naming names, still wanted his pelt on the wall, and so on), but it was stupid hard to catch up with all the stuff he missed before that. And school stuff takes time, so even with all that improving a bit, the interruptions that were still there, like Clockwork giving him little quests or Fruit Loop and stuff, he was always behind still.

Anyway, bad grades. His parents had already sort of accepted he was “the dumb one” of the family. Not maliciously, but it still kind of…stung. And he couldn’t be an astronaut anymore, even ignoring his grades. In his human form, he had lichtenburg scarring that was stiff and achey sometimes, and tremors, and his heart was slow and skipped beats sometimes. And he was cold, compared to a normal human, although he was typically actually uncomfortably warm, experience wise.

So, he had to choose a new career path.

And not be the dumb one.

Danny decided to be an engineer. Maybe with a space tech focus, who knows? He had learned the basics at his parents’ knees, in between cleaning up ecto spills and organizing parts and stuff, and practiced it plenty taking apart all kinds of ectoweapons recently. He could write something sappy for his essays around that first stuff, even.

But with his grades, no good engineering college would really take him. He gave it a shot, of course, and got a series of very polite rejection letters.

Except from Gotham U.

This was fantastic, actually-Gotham was seeping in emotion and death. Perfect for sustaining a growing halfa core!

His parents even helped him pack! It was the most he’d seen of them for months-they were hoping to get an official contract with some big ghost hunting show, and were working on piles of new inventions.

And driving away from his first haunt was a little like dying again, but he had already kind of not felt at-home for a while there, and it helped his fraid, Tucker, Sam, Jazz, and Dani were all gone from Amity, either to their own colleges or globe trotting. He didn’t crash the U-Haul, anyway, so it was fine.

Gotham was great. He had a little basement apartment he sprung for with funds from Sam’s weekly allowance, deciding him in a dorm was doomed to fail, which was cheap even for being in Park Row. He was able to be in the cold, and tinker on stuff, it was fantastic.

Gotham U itself was cool as well. Sam loved the pics of the architecture he sent her. His professors all seemed very attentive and knowledgeable. The dining hall food was leagues better than the ecto-contaminated stuff, let alone takeout. Between his parents wiring money every month (Jazz reminded them to set it up) and Sam sending him and Tucker funds to use her allowance, he was living like a king by college student terms. He didn’t even have to spend anything on Gotham essentials like gas masks because he could just stop breathing!

And he was doing really well in classes! Having a place to sleep and study that wasn’t going to attack him or portal in people to attack him did wonders for his stress levels, turns out. And Danny had even been taking courses with Dora and some more with assorted ghosts across the realms, so he had a bunch of background knowledge. He even decided to take some fun little extra courses, on top of the rotation they gave the engineering kids to help them determine their focus, which was stuff like chemical and electrical engineering. He took a Psych course in honor of Jazz, a fashion design one for Sam, and a coding one for Tucker. He was even doing well in those, too!

He hadn’t made a lot of friends, though. He thinks he’s a bit hard to relate to for a lot of his peers. Which is fine! He had a weird childhood, he was a bit of a weird guy. It’s just that everyone was also paying him a strange amount of attention.

Maybe he was just paranoid.

DP x DC prompt #162

Every Gotham U professor remembers their students and how every student who excelled in their chosen field of study became some of the most notorious Gotham Rogues. They become terrified for the future of Gotham when the newest student, Daniel Fenton, not only excels but is unparalleled in every field of study he participates in.

[afpwestcoast]

Colony, Woodstock, NY, 11/10/22

Long ago, in the Before Times, there was a band; a percussive duo called The Dresden Dolls. They weren’t for everyone, but for the flamboyant outcasts lurking at the edges of society their music was a healing salve, a fierce battle cry, a national anthem, and a barbaric yawp all rolled into one. Their live shows channeled the manic communal energy of a tent revival where people screamed and cried and laughed and sang, often all at the same time. 

After the band broke up a malevolent Id Monster was elected and a plague shut down the world (coincidence?); events that hit the band’s fanbase of theatrical misfits particularly hard. 

But fear not, my children, for I bring glad tidings: The Dresden Dolls are BACK! Not back as in the occasional nostalgic reunion show, but back as in together, writing and recording new material, and scorched-earth, take-no-prisoners touring. BACK back. 

The band announced their triumphant return with a trio of shows at Colony, a tiny venue nestled in Woodstock, NY - adopted home of Amanda Palmer - the first of which took place on Thursday, November 10, 2022. 

The evening began with an unannounced performance by Ukrainian artist Svitlana Zavialova, who combines dance, martial arts, and painting to create works with a fierce beauty that perfectly compliments the chaotic aesthetic of The Dresden Dolls.

And then it was time. The audience - neophytes and seasoned veterans alike - thought we were ready; that this would be a good concert and a fun show. Such naïveté seems quaint in retrospect. The Dresden Dolls were not there to entertain us, oh no. They were there to enlist us, to astound us, to redefine us, to use us as their instruments to create a space that was safe, yes, but also potent and human and defiant and sometimes maybe even a little scary. The universe created this night was small in both time and space, but it was powerful and it was searingly beautiful. Afterwards the crowd was left drained and exhilarated and awestruck. We were left to contemplate the meaning of our very existence in this brave new world. The Dresden Dolls are BACK.

And they are back with a vengeance! They opened with Good Day, which was their traditional opener back in the day (and the very first song I ever heard them play live in 2004), but then they torched through 5 or 6 (8? 12?) songs in rapid relentless succession without pausing for breath. If I hadn’t sneaked a pic of the set list before the show I wouldn’t have been able to keep up. 

Later in the set there was some of the traditional intra-song banter, but for the most part the entire set was pedal-to-the-metal and take-no-prisoners. These artists are each formidable in their own right, but when they combine their talents there is a cosmic resonance that must be witnessed (live!) to be comprehended. This show was dance condensed into music. It was emotion turned into sound. It was both a time machine to the past and a promise for the future. And both the band and the crowd were left wondering how we will survive two more nights of this.

Annotated Set List:

Good Day

Sex Changes

Gravity

Bad Habit

Backstabber

Modern Moonlight

Alcoholic Friends

Missed Me

Dear Jenny

Mrs. O

Astronaut

Delilah (featuring Holly Miranda)

The Gardener (featuring Brian on bass and drums simultaneously)

Whakenewha NEW SONG!! The name (pronounced Fuckin-A-Fa for no discernible reason) is taken from a national park in New Zealand, where Amanda weathered the pandemic.

(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!) (Beastie Boys cover) (featuring Holly Miranda on bass, Amanda on drums, and Brian on electric guitar)

Amsterdam (Jacques Brel cover) Amanda headed up to the balcony for this one, and finished by spraying the crowd below with beer. As you do.

Mandy Goes to Med School

War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)

Coin-Operated Boy

Half Jack

Girl Anachronism

——

Truce

Sing

Photo Gallery:

The official set list, which was subject to some minor modifications. Note the lyric prompts!

Amanda Palmer in her natural habitat, with drumstick.

Brian looking very dapper, at least for now.

Amanda trying to keep Brian in line.

Brian will not be kept in line.

Brian pulls double duty on bass and drums for The Gardener.

Holly Miranda on bass fighting for her right to party.

Amanda on drums and Brian on electric guitar join the fight!

Amanda up on the balcony for Amsterdam.

Oh hey, Regina Spektor!

[callmeblake]

My Chemical Romance: Behind December 2010’s SPIN Cover Shoot (X) Photo Credit: Ture Lilligraven Picture 1: The Concept

 In the video for the album's first single, "Na Na Na", My Chemical Romance, a.k.a. the Killjoys, are left with the remnants of a ravaged and desolate nation. They dress up in what's available — tights, biker jackets with American flags, roller skates, astronauts helmets — and race around in a weathered muscle car and shoot laser guns. It's quite surreal.

To stick with the theme, Egiziano and Lillegraven brought in a few props, including a giant red rocket, an orange-painted toy gun... and a giant inflatable panda bear. "They really gravitated toward the panda, so that became the focus," Lillegraven tells SPIN. "They ran with it!"

Picture 2: Way Out There 

While each member of the band was involved in the concept of the shoot, Gerard, the consummate frontman, took charge. "He was really interested in the artistic aspects of the shoot, and looking at and evaluating everything," Lillegraven says. "I always research bands before a shoot — but he did his research, too. He knew my work and I sensed that he likes to collaborate."

Gerard also flaunted his unique style. "He showed up in this American flag T-shirt, which was a perfect fit considering the video and concept. The shirt really popped with his bright new hair color."

Picture 3: Pool Party 

"I had each bandmember [guitarist Frank Iero pictured here] go into the pool and get under the panda and try to push it up," says the Los Angeles-based shutterbug. "It was a very interactive shoot."

Picture 4: Pool Party

The Pink Motel proved to be the perfect place for the photo shoot, since it resembled the dilapidated 1950s diner in the band's "Na Na Na" video. "It's a rundown and odd motel with this desolate feel," Lillegraven tells SPIN. "We wanted to draw from that Mad Max aspect of their new video."

Picture 5:Location, Location, Location

Lillegraven's approach was to set up a scene... then let the band run amok! "They just went with it. It was very spontaneous," he says. "They were falling all over the place and having a lot of fun."

Picture 6: The Play's The Thing

Lillegraven and Egiziano kept My Chem on their toes. "I had them running back and fourth with the panda and that's one thing Gerard really loved," says the photographer. "They're probably used to very static shoots, in which they're put in still positions, all dressed up and beautiful. With them moving around the shoot became more fun and interesting. It was different than just standing there and looking cool."

Picture 7: Panda Express

Lillegraven and Egiziano had the band work together during the shoot, resulting in some provocative and unique photos. "They couldn't just stand around with their hands in their pockets," says Lillegraven.

But the shoot ended up taking a toll on the panda prop: "There's a fan that has to be attached to it all the time. But it became a little deflated after a bit!"

Picture 8: Fun Times

The band, says Lillegraven, was having a blast with the photo shoot. "They were having a lot of fun with the little challenges," says the photog. "Everybody was falling all over the place! They chatted, hung out, and were very enjoyable and friendly people."

Picture 9: Hot Wheels

To close out the day-long shoot, the band jumped into a vintage Jeep — rented from a movie prop company — and took it for a spin. "I wanted to create this dreamy dust field for the photo," says Lillegraven. "My assistant would come spin donuts and kick up dust in another car, then the band would come burning through the cloud in the Jeep. It reminded me of a graphic novel. I grew up with that stuff, too, just like Gerard."

Picture 10: Cover Stars

The cover photo proved to be the most labor intensive for My Chem. "They were worried about running up the side of the pool over and over, since they're not exactly athletic people and it's over nine feet deep," says Lillegraven. "But they were all about it. They'd run up and someone would be blocked from the camera, so they'd have to do it all over again. But they did. They were such a pleasure to work with."

WATCH: Behind the scenes at My Chemical Romance's December 2010 cover shoot 

Here:

Link to pics on the site not used in the article Link to scan of the magazine

[cosplayinamerica]

Spiderman from Marvel 1602 // Cosplayer: kammospark

Tell us about Spiderman1602, I’ve seen many versions of Spiderman but  thiis is a new one to me! What led you to this concept of this version of Spiderman?

Well I've always had an appreciation for lesser know outfits of popular heroes. Looking through many wardrobes and outfits, the obscure ones always stood out to me, "Wow, I've never seen this one before!" I'd think to myself, and I figured others who know the characters well would love to see them brought to life too, or even people curious about the stories of them would enjoy seeing it. I feel everyone has a love for Spider-Man; he's such an iconic superhero and has so many suits, and even though they can be quite diverse, they still feel recognizable as one of the Web-slinger's costumes.

While I was looking at different Spiderverse characters for inspiration on a new Spider-Man cosplay, I saw Marvel 1602 and it immediately caught my attention; I thought it was such a fun looking design. Definitely away from a modern or futuristic look, it's charm won me over, and I had to put it together. And as a fan of the fantasy genre in general, thanks to many years as a GM from D&D as well as other media, I also enjoy Ren-faires and wanted something to wear to show my love for Superheroes and Renaissance.

When you wore it out to conventions, what was the response? Obviously they knew you were Spiderman because of the mask but were they confused about the rest of your outfit? What were some of their guesses?

Oh people certainly get a kick out of seeing the outfit. Some people have called Me 'Lord Spider-Man', 'Ren-Spidey', 'William Spider-Speare', a lot of creative names for it that never fail to make me smile as much as it does for them. Whenever I wear a Spider-Man cosplay, I always want to try and take pics with as many Spider-Men as I can find, and most of the time it's the other Spiderman cosplayers that recognize who the character really is. I love having people laugh and get excited over the character, it's part of that Con Magic where people just can't help but feel like a kid when they see something that fills them with joy; its my favorite part of this fun hobby, just making someone's day memorable, even for a moment.

Besides conventions , I see you wore the costume to a Renaissance Fair. What was responses there? Was it different from conventions?

Ren-faires in general are a great time! And when I started this costume, I was excited just thinking of the reactions from people and how happy they may be. I've taken 1602 to quite a few Ren-faires: Central Coast Ren Faire, NorCal Ren Faire, and Kingsburg Renaissance of Kings.

The first place I ever debuted it was as CCRF, and I was stopped by about 20 people before I could make it past the first 3 booths. It really does feel like a different environment going to faires. D

uring them, I'd be a bit more 'theatrical' and introduce myself as Peter Parquagh, and try my best to make people smile or laugh. I've gotten the opportunity to meet many wonderful people and people with stunning and gorgeous Renaissance outfits. Kids come walk by amazed that they actually got to see a Spider-Man at a Ren Faire.

One instance, a bard played the spider-man theme song on a lute as he traveled around me. At two different faires my presence was requested by the Queen, and I was escorted to her, one even knighted me! Everyone just has a blast role playing and getting caught up in the fun, the energy is so infectious and delightful! 

Take us through how the outfit was put together?

Well, I cannot take full credit on the cosplay. My mother was actually a large part of it. Growing up, my mom was always really involved and loved making costumes for Halloween for me and my sister. And one of her favorite aesthetics is period piece era fashion and she loves Jane Austen.

As I was looking for ideas for a new cosplay and showing her, she was drawn towards 1602 and offered to do as much as she could to help create it, and she loved helping putting it together. The suit is a handmade outfit following a 14th century cavalier pattern. The design called for detachable sleeves and very baggy slops, but we decided to have the sleeves attached and slim down the slops slightly, to give it a mix of authentic and Spider-man's sleekness.

We went looking online and found this wonderful blue velvet fabric with Fleur De Lis imprinted onto it and thought it'd really help the outfit pop! We had to make sure we kept the fabric in the same direction: it has a difference in shimmer if facing a certain way, and we wanted the Fleurs facing the same way as well, so we tried to be mindful of that. We pleated the red fabric in the front and it was quite stubborn, but we tried our best to make it look similar on both sides of the torso. The back has a spider and has legs that lead unto the front; we cut out red fabric and hand-stitch embroidered on, and was quite meticulous.

Me and my mom kept an eye out online for just the right buttons we wanted for the costume. Something antique and era appropriate but also thematic, and after a while, we stumbled across a web-designed antique gold button set. We also looked for a thick ruff rather than the costumes original thin look. The original costume look also called for the mask to have open eye holes, but I opted out of that, and felt that a traditional mask look better complemented the costume. After that I acquired socks and shoes and then it was finished! 

How did you discover cosplay?

As mentioned earlier, my mom loved making mine and my sister's costumes growing up. She's a seamstress as a hobby, and is so creative and artsy. Halloween was probably my favorite holiday growing up, and I was so happy I got to wear something made with much love from my family. Some of my favorite notable costumes growing up was a knight, an astronaut, and Pikachu.

As I got older, around high school, I still liked the idea of costumes, even bought a cheap Captain America outfit for The Avengers premiere night, but I mostly dropped off on dressing up. I grew up in a very small town, but eventually, after I moved out to the city, I heard about 'conventions' and I was interested and wanted to try and wear something to one. I decided to make a classic Punisher costume, and wore it for the con. It was a small venue, but even then it finally hit me, 'This is a thing people do. People love to dress up, go make friends, bring smiles and show their love for their Fandoms and interests. THIS is what Cosplay IS'. I finally understood what this little hobby of mine was, and I embraced it.

Have you discovered something about yourself through cosplay?

I've always thought of myself as a people pleaser. I'm someone who really only want others to be happy. I'm also someone who loves to share their interests and engage with others about things that we can share and discuss and geek out over.

When I was young, I often felt left out from social circles, due to my often eccentric personality. I found it really hard to make friends, and I am forever grateful for the friends that I have made and been with me for years.

Cosplay has opened up another avenue as far as friends and socializing. My first couple of cons I was initially intimidated, but I have to say that I'm so glad I got into this hobby, for I've met many people with interesting stories and wonderful personalities, and people I still talk to often. It's really helped me feel like I can make good friends and memories, and I'm sure that others have felt similarly and that's something I treasure.

What are your future cosplay goals?

As with most cosplayers I'm sure, I have way too many projects in my head with very little work on a lot of them. I suppose my current goal is to rework the headpiece of a cosplay I finished last year, my Bioshock Big Daddy Doll. The head was massive and too cumbersome so it needs to be redone.

As far as new projects, I would very much like to do a Prince Link cosplay, inspired by the creation of theLostSindar. Another idea would be to do more superhero variants and make a Blue Lantern Flash that 8ve been eyeing for a couple of years.

One thing I definitely want to get good at is working with foam. I am massively inexperienced with foamsmithing, and I strive to learn how to be good at it and learn how to make wonderful things with it. It's just like when I first went to cons; starting off can be a bit scary or even overwhelming before we really get it going, but that exposure to things we really desire is all we need to get hooked and make it our passion.

https://www.instagram.com/kammospark/

[almondscroissant]

Hi Elle!! Hope you're well :) You said you need a minute to reflect on Zayn's new selfie. Can you please share your thoughts? I would love your take on the photo/zayn's possible thought process behind it/etc... take all the time you need...

BEE!!!! It’s always so nice to see you around 🥰🥰🥰

Also no thoughts! My brain became instantly smooth as soon as I saw that pic lmao. But okay I will try to take this slowly so I don’t make a fire inside my head

This hair!!!!! How it’s long enough for the little curlies!!!! Looking so soft and effortless and the lighting makes it seem slightly lighter and sun-kissed or maybe he’s just been out in the sun a lot and it’s lightened naturally which :’’’’)))

I mean what is there to say about this except I feel blessed but also moderately exasperated that anyone has a section of their face that looks like this dkskdks. Eyebrows: a vision as always. Eyeballs: don’t talk to me about them just don’t. Eyelashes: astronauts are counting them from the ISS. And eyeliner??? Am I imagining him pulling out an Urban Decay Perversion pencil and standing so still in front of his bathroom mirror carefully drawing onto his waterline and being so pleased he posted this even tho it was just meant to be some fun?? A little bit tbh!!!!!!

The nose ring!!!!!!! (I just love seeing the nose ring and I’ve missed it a lot.) Also moment of silence and respect for that skin, like what lmaooo how does it look like that, what nights does he mask? AND FINALLY

Fenty Slip Shine who???? Also the facial hair that looks a little golden and that peek of an earring, I will somehow get through this day having seen all this but will I be coherent for any of it. No ❤️

Okay see, nothing of note to say 😂😂 Again I’m so happy to see you here, Bee, and I hope life is treating you so, so well!!!! 💖💖💖

[blastoisemonster]

Daa! Daa! Daa! Totsuzen * Card De Battle De Uranai!? 

Let's finally talk about a whole different anime and its tie-in game!

Known in the western world as Ufo Baby, this story was originally narrated by Mika Kawamura in a serialized manga first published by the Nakayoshi magazine in 1998, then as a year 2000 anime series of 78 episodes. Italian companies reacted well to it, as both the comic and cartoon got adapted almost instantly for us viewers in their entirety. The show began airing on the Rai Due channel from 2001 to 2004, and I happened to originally catch the last ten episodes while on air. Even though I was tremendously late to the party, the whimsicality of plot, characters and situations, along with the cutely drawn settings of rural Japan, instantly clicked with me. I even ended up recording some of the eps on tape! Watching only the final arc didn't even ruin the story, as its premise is very easy and gets repeated as a super condensed intro at the start of every episode.

Miyu, the teenage protagonist, is the only daughter of two japanese astronauts who are suddenly sent to work in the States; in order not to leave her home alone, they tell Miyu to go live at the Saionji temple for a while. Here she meets Housho, patriarch of the temple and old family friend, and his son Kanata, who shares her same age; however, Housho also soon leaves the two kids alone to go meditate in India, so the teens are basically left to take care of the temple by themselves. That same night a flying saucer comes crashing down in the temple’s backyard, and to Miyu and Kanata’s surprise, they now have two new guests; Ruu, a baby alien with the exact same appeareance of a human kid, and Wanya, his caretaker, that looks like a pudgy plushy anthropomorphic cat. These creatures have travelled through a wormhole from planet Otto, very far from Earth, and it’s gonna take a while before they can go back to their homeplace; finding the aliens friendly and harmless, Kanata offers them shelter.

And that’s it really; most of the episodes are centered on the daily life of the protagonists, showing Miyu and Kanata’s growing affection for eachother, Ruu and Wanya’s gradual fitting into Earth’s habits, and other various shenanigans involving secondary characters such as Kanata’s school friends and a few fellow aliens visiting the planet. There’s also a recurring cameo of the mangaka, constantly shown being comically overworked as all japanese artists usually are. The show is playful, lighthearted and filled with innocent fun, just the perfect recipe for the shojo that doesn’t want to be taken seriously.

What about the game? First off, did you know that the pics in this post are basically the first ones on the net that show its cartridge? There’s no documentation whatsoever anywhere else, and the only online listing I had found on Ebay had no pics up for show and even refused to send them privately when asked. It felt like I was looking for secret plans. I couldn’t find anything else even on japanese auction sites. >.> Eventually I gave in and bought it complying to the seller’s secretive conditions, feeling very relieved when I recieved a working, original, correct cartridge and not a shoddy reproduction or a downright scam (also because this caprice of mine costed 25€...). So uhm, enjoy this retrogaming discovery of mine! xD

I’ve reviewed a lot of these GBC-exclusive, anime inspired games with big colorful sprites and cute music lately, and Daa! Daa! Daa! fits right among them, filling all the right requirements: the anime’s main theme plays during the title screen; players can create their own profile with name, gender, bloodtype and birth date; cutscenes are presented in “visual novel” style with character busts appearing over beautiful pixel settings; there’s even a whole section for friends’ profiles, their phone number, and various notes. Before choosing wether we want to try out its Story Mode or Quick Match, we can also take a look at a quick tutorial on how to play: Daa! Daa! Daa! is actually a simple card game, and the player’s tasked with emptying out their hand by discarding higher cards than their opponent. The deck has numbered cards from 2 to 8 and an Ace, the most powerful. If in trouble, depending on what character we’re playing as (the Story Mode allows to choose between Kanata or Miyu at first), we also have a special power that can be used once per match, different for every chara of the series. Despite Story Mode being rather heavy in text, the game itself is actually easy to understand, and, if anything, maybe a little too basic, leading to think this is actually a game geared towards little kids more than the anime’s audience. It’s cute to see at least, and easy to pick up and play even if you don’t understand the language, if anything.

There’s no questioning on why this game got never translated for the western audience: not only it's targeted to such a restricted audience, but the fact that it’s so forgotten and unobtainable even among japanese retrogaming sites clearly shows that this didn’t sell well even in its country of origin. And yet, it’s beyond doubt that Daa! Daa! Daa! is a well produced game, although unfortunately one that not many have experienced. Wonder if it had more luck on planet Otto?

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Tulips, windmills, sketches, and floral wreaths 

Hello from Windy Grove! We’re here with Leif, Elodie, and Kia for the Windmill Tulip Festival! 

Daisy Jane, Alice, Fauna, and I have been busy helping Leif plant tulips all week. Planting flowers is a lot of work - at least according to me - so I don’t tend to my garden as much as I’m supposed to. I try but sometimes I find myself intimidated for some reason. The only exception is flower events, those I can handle since they’re only for a short period of time and don’t involve cross pollination. 

Just to be clear, I don’t hate gardening - in fact I enjoy coming up with rare flowers - but it’s one of those things that usually gets put into the backseat. I do try to keep up - and I’ve been doing pretty good so far in terms of trading flowers for stuff recently - but sometimes things fall to the wayside, especially when life gets busy.

So I did a lot of gardening this week and quite enjoyed it. Probably because I had a lot of help - flower food’s hard to come by; friends, not as much - so things went by a lot faster. Though to be honest, I think I’m gonna take a break from gardening for a while when we get back to the camp.

(Sorry Mom - we have a lot in common, but a green thumb ain’t one.)

It’s nice catching up with Elodie and Kia again now that Wildflower Wagon’s back in business after a short break to reorganize things. Seeing their stand at the festival brings me such joy - it’s amazing how far they’ve come! What was originally a side hustle in Elodie’s room turned into something big and now she and Kia are traveling around the world. Along with floral arrangements, they also sell art prints and enamel pins - all which are very pretty and whimsical.

When I last saw Elodie and Kia, they were in the middle of making some major changes to Wildflower Wagon. Basically their small business has grown so much that it’s no longer possible for the two of them to run it alone. According to Cecelia - a well seasoned self employed artist, it’s a good problem to have because that means things are going well. But it can quickly become a bad problem if you don’t plan ahead.

As of two months ago, Nuvola and Mariya have joined the Wildflower Wagon team! Mariya’s not technically a full-time staff member but she supplies flowers she grows at the community garden at Mushroom Village. So she’s kinda like a supplier for uncommon flowers. Nuvola, on the other hand, is a full time employer, so she does customer service like answering emails as well as help package orders and send them out for delivery.

Since Mariya can’t be full time because of the Matcha Mint Cafe, Elodie and Kia are still in the process of taking on one more employer. Since Nuvola’s still new to everything and everything’s going smoothly, it’s not a priority at the moment. They didn’t say much, but if I had to guess who’s on the list, I’d say it’s either Tsuki, Shannon, or Theda. 

Probably at some point in the future it’ll be all three. At the rate Wildflower Wagon’s growing, that future could be within the next year or so. 

Things in Mushroom Village have been slow as usual, which is why Mariya and Nuvola joined the Wildflower Wagon team. Nuvola’s been going a bit stir crazy because of life stuff so I think working with Elodie and Kia will be good for her. She’s got experience as a secretary so customer service isn’t unfamiliar territory for her.

Poor Nuvies isn’t having the best week so the festival’s a good distraction for her. At least she’s in the process of leaving the Mushroom Village Gazette so that’ll be a load off her shoulders. I wouldn’t say she’s a bad reporter, more like badly miscast. She’s a curious one, just not one who's meant to dig up dirt on others. 

Ask an innocent or seemingly harmless question and suddenly it bursts open a can of worms. Where others dig up rocks, Nuvola somehow ends up with a landmine that immediately explodes the second she puts her hands on it. No matter how hard she tries, half the time her good intentions blow up in her face. Nuvola may not always know how to read the room but somehow she can tell exactly what’s troubling you - often in the most roundabout way.

Thankfully the fun festivities are enough to lift one’s mood after a rough week. Watching the windmills is enough to put me into a relaxing trance. Sometimes I wonder what it’s like to sit on one of those blade thingies and ride a windmill. It’s a good thing Siobhan isn’t here or else she’d be climbing up a windmill and hopping on a blade. And she’ll definitely get kicked out.

Getting lost in the tulip fields is a colorful experience, to say the least. I really need to restock on tulips for my garden. They won’t be as pretty and vibrant as the ones in Windy Grove, but at least I can plant my own colorful garden. Pink tulips are my favorite though lately I find myself gravitating towards purple. Both are rare - purple being more uncommon - so I’d better get cracking on planting and cross-breeding tulips if I want to get more purple tulips as well as other rare hybrids.

At some point I ran into Daisy Jane in the tulip fields and we did something that we hadn’t done in forever. I’d pose with the flowers and she’d sketch away in her book. Sometimes we’d turn it into a game where I’d do something silly and Daisy Jane would kick it up a notch in her drawing. So if I hugged a windmill while holding a bouquet of tulips in between, then she’d draw an octopus astronaut being hugged by a windmill covered in vines blooming with tulips and thorns. 

Let’s just say that if a stranger got a hold of Daisy Jane’s sketchbook or saw what we were doing, they’d be like WTF is going on in their heads? Because we too sometimes think that when we look back on these sketches.

After making up ridiculous stories behind the sketches, Daisy Jane and I met back up with the others to make floral wreaths. It’s kinda like making a flower crown but a lot more elaborate. Maybe I went a bit too overboard with the flowers, but hey, at least it looks super colorful! I don’t really go for a maximalist kind of look because I tend to overthink things and end up making it look too cluttered/unbalanced so I’m quite happy with how my wreath turned out. For a wreath, it sticks out just right!

For about two hours we visited various stands and bought a lot of stuff. I tried tulip bubble tea for the first time and it has an interesting flavor. A bit too floral for my liking but it’s not too bad. Of course, I bought art prints and bouquets from Wildflower Wagon, as well as a bunch of stuff from Folksy Florals, Ladybug Gardens, and Coconut’s Grove. I got to talk to Cecelia for a bit before the festivities really took off so that was nice. As for rides, I went on the windmill ferris wheel - which made me feel like I’m on top of the world! - and the flowery porch swing merry go round. 

Two hours flew by and next up on the itinerary was a windmill tour at the center of Windy Grove. The Grand Ole Windy is the oldest building in the village and it’s been taken care of by the same family for generations. While the ferris wheel made me feel on top of the world, gazing out the windmill window made me feel out of this world!

Then it’s back to the festivities for more fun activities. Bug catching contests, fortune telling crystal balls, furniture crafting workshops, tulip mochi treats with lavender tea, group pics in front of the gardens and windmills, bike ride tours around the village, quiet moments in the tulip fields - the hours flew by as dusk slowly turned into dawn.

I’d say the night is still young, but it’s almost sunrise. At moments like right now, sometimes I wonder what even is time?

[killian-whump]

i think anon is talking about some colin fans being nasty on twitter and saying how they can't wait for cs fans to see colin with his new tv wife as a stab at the colin calling jen his tv wife. they think maybe you were one of the people saying that, idk. I also think nonnie is siting the history of Colin's character on the new show which is he and his wife have a very toxic and fake relationship . I mean I don't expect next CS at all considering this show is not about love and romance at all.

Okay... Okay, I kinda see now what’s going on.

But sending off asks like that one - especially to people who aren’t even taking part in whatever nonsense is going on over there on Twitter - is basically just giving those nasty fans exactly what they want.

In fact, it kinda makes me wonder if that was even a legit ask at all... or a troll trying to make it look like CS fans are all up in arms about this shit. Either way... it’s bizarre, and I honestly don’t know why I got dragged into it.

I did reblog something earlier today and referred to his “TV Wife” for The Right Stuff... but that’s literally what she is? And I’ll be honest, man. I can’t remember his new co-stars’ names just yet, so it’s “other astronaut guy” “other other astronaut guy” “the wife” “patrick guy from once” and “no idea who this is, but they seem to be relevant”. Eventually, I’m sure I’ll start remembering names, but until then... I mean, I can only do what I can do.

I had no idea that the term “TV Wife” was now some kind of “off limits” phrase because of some drama somewhere. The post called her that, that’s what she is, so I went along with it.

I don’t think anyone’s under the mistaken notion that there’s going to be romance in this show. It’s about shooting dudes off into space in tin cans. I don’t expect the wives will play that big of a role to begin with, let alone we’re all already aware that Gordon Cooper and his wife were estranged and only pretending to be happily married - and he was banging the crap out of groupies the whole time. If folks on either side of the drama are trying to act like it’s any threat to CS, that’s just crazy. I mean, it’s not, but also what is this - Highlander? “There can only be one!!!��

Really, my only interest is if she’s gonna post BTS pics or info that might involve or relate to Colin in some way. And the pics posted earlier today DO, because she clearly was playing around behind the wheel of a 50s era car, and in the cockpit of a fighter plane - and considering her character doesn’t have any business being in a fighter plane cockpit, it’s a pretty safe bet they’re just letting everybody play around everywhere and that means MORE FUN FOR COLIN :D

Anyhoo... Thanks for sending me an explanation. Fandom’s weird.

[campdnpamerica]

meet the smarties tent!!

hi! i’m brook, im 15, i go by she/her, im pan, i’m queerdaniel on tumblr, and i’m the leader of the smarties tent 🤓! i’m also known as g8er boi when i sport my gay sk8er boi dress and some jean shorts bc confidence! im a hufflepuff, a band nerd, and an aspiring intellectual who’s in way too deep. i’ve been in the phandom for almost 3 years now, and i’ve been a campdnp admin multiple times and am the queen of tent wars, so you all better get ready, because i (and my tent of snorting candy) am ready to have FUN!

Hi!! My name is Layla. My pronouns are she/her or they/them. I'm bi (or smth honestly who knows at this point) and my tumblr handle is monachopism. I'm 17, from Boston, and I'm a makeup artist and musician. I play 5 instruments: Guitar, ukulele, bass, piano, and voice. I've been following Dan and Phil for about 7 years now. I fell out of touch with them for about 2 years until Dan uploaded his coming out video and I fell in love again. I love learning new things and meeting new people. I have a lot of passions; it can be kind of intimidating, but I promise I don't bite. I also have pretty bad ADHD and executive functioning issues so sometimes I won't do stuff/won't reply to things as often as I should, but that doesn't mean I'm not invested or interested!! Anyway, so so excited for this week. I can't wait to get to know everyone!

Hi! I’m Adriana, 19, knows how to read (barely), my pronouns are she/her and i’m bi. I’m from portugal. I’m serpensortiaxx on tumblr and I’m a potterhead (slytherin of course), adirectioner (yes, still) and a few more fandoms, besides phandom. Oh i also love marvel! I’m a math major in college and I love reading, in the moment i’m reading “They both die at the end”. I wear too much black (and I always do this pose taking pictures, I just realise when I was choosing the pic, oops). I have been watching dnp both for a few years now, they are two of my favourites youtubers! (Others are safiya, simsupply and cristine). It’s nice to meet y’all!

hey everyone! i’m hadley (they/she) and my url is starboydjh. beyond writing, dan and phil, playing video games and reading, im a big fan of all things nerdy, like Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Dexter and Star Wars. it works out that im in the smarties tent i guess! I’ve been watching Dan and Phil since 2008 when I found Phil on a weird sketchy Buffy server (that got deleted a month after I made my account lol) I’m a college student studying for my MFA in graphic design at the honors level and my BFA in marketing. I was a competitive irish dancer for 15 years and I’m also a proud vegan! hit me up if you want to talk about true crime, game of thrones discourse, or if you just want a nerdy friend to talk about stuff with

Hi! I'm Inês, my pronouns are she/her, I'm 19 from Portugal. My tumblr is confused-pumpkin.

I love to read, play videogames, listen to music and my dog! In fact, I like him so much that I chose a picture of him instead of myself, but I promise I'm a real person and not a 40 year old man. I'm very hyped for this camp (maybe the sugar on the candy is contributing for this) so let's have fun!!

yooo whaddup my name’s Ming Way :D she/her. i’m 18, i’m from Malaysia and i’m chinese. i’m formlessphan on tumblr. i like drawing and i also read a lot of fan fiction from whatever fandom im currently hyperfixating on. i’m currently in that limbo between college and uni, figuring out which uni to go to and having loads of free time which is hhhhHh Stressful but yay free time. gotta make my asian parents proud yknow sksksks. i’ve been in the phandom for about 4 years since 2015, so i skipped the really really bad stuff but yknow i caught up on cold tea🐸🍵 i went to singapore ii which was the best time of my life and i cried when they sang the ii song cuz i’m a nerd. i play piano, drums and a little guitar(like barely). i’m a big mcu fan and you can catch me crying about endgame any time of the day. nice to meet ya’ll!! <3

Hey you can call me Fin they/them but I don't really care. I'm ace and my Tumblr is @beanfish05 I like to draw, write and read. I can barely play the ukulele and guitar. I was in Hong Kong when dnp were in America and in America when they were in Hong Kong. and I don't know what else to put

I’m Rachel. She/her. I’m 26 from New York. I don’t remember exactly when I started watching Dan and Phil, but I think it was around 2011/2012. I love to read and write. Oh I forgot to add my tumblr is completelyuncreative2.

Hey nerds! My name’s Helen and I’m super stoked to be part of this! This is my second campdnp thing this year and the last one was... chaotic (shoutout to the Fijis), but super fun! I’m 17, I use she/her pronouns, and I’m a proud Hufflepuff. My tumblr url is panicatthechuckecheese (yes, it’s wild, I’m aware). Catch me on there spamming your dash with whatever my current special interest/hyperfixation is. I’ve been a fan of Dan and Phil since late 2014 and I’ve been to both their tours. I’m a massive space and math geek and I’m hoping to work in artificial intelligence some day and potentially become a programmer or astronaut at NASA. Can’t wait to participate in the rest of this week’s events!

[mrsq8geek]

Talent IS set, but not only by the natural ability.  It’s both nature and nurture.  One of my favourite examples of this is, who’s more likely to become an astronaut or at least work at JPL? Someone who went to Space Camp and lives in Texas or California, or someone from a back road in an oppressed village somewhere? Yes yes inb4 “anything can happen!” but if you’re from a country with a space program, your chances are much better, just like you’re a better basketball player if you’re tall or you’re born a certain month. 

That also affects the second part.  Insert obligatory pic or any variation you prefer:

Literally why I was better at some subjects at school than some of the other kids, because my mom sat with me to study and bought me educational games and all that stuff that made the path to studying easier, while some of the others had to rely on their own efforts, if at all.

The pic seems to be about musical practice, which is relatable for me because I used to play in school, I practiced with the accordion and the keyboard, and I was better than most because my aunt had a piano she let me use and then my teachers told my mom how well I was doing and she bought me a keyboard, and also I had a limited social life cause I was awkward af so I had time to spare for practicing how to play instead of, like, how to apply makeup like a normal person (still don’t lol).

But there was this one girl.  Oooh I still burn with jealousy.  I never got to know her well enough to know her background, but she was pretty in a cute way and her fingers were magic, and I could never measure up to her.  We both got to play solo pieces but hers was better.  Always just a little bit better, a little more effortless. We both practiced hard, but she had “talent”, whatever the source.

We typically hear “talent” being used to mean something like “innate ability”, and “skill” is a much better word, but also not the total picture.  I think what it comes down to: what’s your goal for learning and practicing? 

Are you doing it for fun? Great!  Do it while it’s fun, feel free to drop it if it’s no longer gratifying. 

Do you need this skill for school or work?  In that case it’s more like, “eh, good enough” because you just need it to pass/do the job.

Are you aiming for national/regional/international competition? This is where it’s getting harder and you need to keep your eyes on the prize because you will constantly be pushing limits much harder than if you practiced at your own pace.

Just be realistic too, try to look at the big picture.  For some things, the infrastructure just isn’t there.  It’s much easier to go find resources to learn English than, say, Xhosa, though it gets progressively easier the closer you are to those parts of Africa, just like it’s much easier to work at JPL if you already live around LA. 

The good news here is: you’re on the resources website! Or at least one of the big ones.  Tags upon tags of niche subjects and masterlists and tips on how to get better at stuff. And they’re all over the place in terms of “talent”!  From people just starting to people who make a living from it.  Even if you’re starting from a weaker place, there’s plenty of support for you here.

[miralsurvival]

4 pics 1 word 5 letters money scale

4 PICS 1 WORD 5 LETTERS MONEY SCALE ANDROID

4 PICS 1 WORD 5 LETTERS MONEY SCALE PC

Grand Theft Auto is one of the most successful video game franchises and one of the most acclaimed titles among action enthusiasts over the last 20 years. Each game of the saga has meant a real revolution thanks to its total freedom of movements, an open-world map that gets increasingly bigger with each new installment and characters with a complicated life that allow the gamer to become one of the bad guys. To find your referral code, in the cash app tap your profile pic in the. This time around we offer you GTA IV, the ninth installment in the series. The images below represent the entire set of puzzles that have 5 Letters.Look for your puzzle image below and click the image to solve your puzzle or you can go back to our 4 pics 1 word cheat to enter your letters to find the answer. Youll get paid per referral, with a max of 5 referrals. Go ahead and laminate for everyone to use over and over again. The main character of this installment of Grand Theft Auto is Niko Bellic, an illegal immigrant and Balkan War veteran that has traveled by sea to Liberty City, a fictional town based on a modern version of New York, searching for fortune together with his cousin Roman. Three easy ways to play and explore with LEGO bricks and letters. parents hate it. Answer if u can :)8 letter word :-' a t i a 'clues:1. They both end up in debt and entering a spiral of crime that's very difficult to escape. What is the 1 word (5 letters) answer to the puzzle below Scroll down to see the answer By Lisette Cheresson. 5-letter word answer for level 12217 on 4 pics 1 word on samsung galaxy s iii: pics are: 2 pcs of astronauts outside space capsule 2 pics of mard. Mission by mission, they'll have to fight against corrupt thieves and sociopaths to build up as much money as possible and climb to the top of the city's social scale. The launch of this much-awaited game was initially exclusive to third-generation video consoles. ABODE ABOVE ACHOO ACORN ACTOR ADDER ADMIN ADOBE ADULT AGENT AGING AGREE AISLE ALARM ALBUM ALERT ALGAE ALIEN ALLEY ALONE AMBER AMUSE ANGEL ANGER ANGLE ANGRY ANTSY APPLE APPLY. In addition we keep them always updated, so you do not have to worry. There are over 3,000 levels Please note that with our answers below the developer randomizes the levels approximately in blocks of 100, so we have listed the levels in groups of 100 and. 4 Pics 1 Word 5 letters answers We have put all answers of all levels of 4 pics 1 word 5 letters. It's quite fun and the difficulty varies from super-easy to quite hard.

4 PICS 1 WORD 5 LETTERS MONEY SCALE PC

If you cannot find the answer, you can use the tips that will open a few letters, or spy on the answers to the game Clever on our website.By the end of 2008, the version of GTA 4 - Grand Theft Auto for PC finally arrived. It is an image guessing game where you are given 4 pictures and need to guess the word. After completing the chapter, which consisted of ten levels, you will be able to see statistics on how many answers you have found. The game has more than 600 levels with crosswords for every taste.

4 PICS 1 WORD 5 LETTERS MONEY SCALE ANDROID

Dingbats – Word game in android and IOS, which will test your vocabulary, and also help expand it. Step One: Bare the Bottom me/1jdJVo8V The wife who had to wear childish clothes and present her husband with a paddle for her spanking after dinner when she.

[empressxmachina]

Welcome Home, Sasha - One. by Imperial-Radiance (aka me)

To set the mood: 

Alexa, play this video containing simulated spaceship bedroom ambiance and featuring a fairly complementing background fitting for the first half of this part.

As for this preview pic that resembles the helm in the second half of this part, it's this picture off Pinterest, I think.

Now, the story...

   “So, can you tell me anything about why the hell they were getting emulsified by Commander Martin back there?”

   “Yes.”

   “Uh, will you?”

   “In due course, sure. But everything you need to know, for now, you already do.”

   “Well, fuck.”

   If you oversleep, then don’t expect to get work or pay during the day. That was one of the general, unspoken rules aboard the space station Novis, and Lieutenant Sasha Keeling had prayed that the team with whom he was meant to scout would be as apathetic as usual and not catch him arriving late to training. Or, they would at least allow him to pull some sort of overtime to make up for the time lost: not much, considering all he had done for them already just trying to fit in.

   Washing up and putting on his suit in record time, Sasha had zipped out of his quarters and through the space station’s corridors, hoping to catch up with his presumed partners before they made any bold decisions without him. But they had.

   Where he had expected to find them in Hangar C, conversing by and packing gear into the eldest’s parked spaceship, he instead found an empty parking space that had run cold. Any other day, Sasha would’ve just figured that its owner was out for a test run with his partners being elsewhere in Novis doing other things. But, the lack of message left for him, them not answering his calls for verification, and the teasing expressions and chuckles from those in the hanger that caught sight of him set in stone that they not only left him in the space dust but used him, never going to bring him along in the first place.

   Sasha hadn’t had much time to wallow in his embarrassment, though he definitely lived up to his given nickname of Sasha the Sheepish. As he turned around to head back to his quarters to nap and drink his shame away, he was stopped by a familiar but a nowadays not-so-frequent face.

   He, a superior on various levels except for height, had known all too well that Sasha had no business being in the hangar. He wasn’t enlisted for any mission at the time, yet there he was, ragged looking with his auburn locks going in all directions and his deep-set chestnut eyes no better but everywhere else suited up like it should’ve been.

   Sasha easily saw the judgment on his senior’s face, watching his facial muscles squirm and lift the textured, ebony hairs above and on it. But rather than being scolded on the spot as he and all the now silenced onlookers expected, the higher-up just guided him away from all their eyes to his haven with no questions asked, where he could take him in all for himself.

   It wasn’t the first time Tshepo Azikiwe, a Novis admiral, had brought him into his laboratory, finally greeting the shy subordinate with a “Glad You’re Back” upon arrival, but Sasha never thought that particular meeting then – one predicted to be another one-hour lecture on how he shouldn't be so susceptible to first-time kindness – would eventually lead to him taking the role not of just a passenger but of his Mission Specialist and potential copilot in Tshepo’s own ship, the Demeter, light years away from Novis and headed to… to…

   “Can you at least tell me where we’re going?” the now lackadaisical lieutenant probed in the present from down the hall, voice floating through the cracked open, milky glass doorway dividing the helm from the rest of the dark and dim ship.

   As far as he could tell, there was a blur on all the windows, and all the mapping systems in the Demeter except those in the cockpit were shut down. Sasha had no way of detecting where they were in the caverns of space, and there was no way he was going to be able to get Tshepo's lenses off him that did.

   To combat the boredom and Tshepo’s silence on the matters ensued, Sasha wondered to himself, lain with one foot on the bed of his cold cabin, twiddling and examining a miniature of a NASA Space Shuttle from years – decades, a century – past he’s had since childhood between his fingers. He gazed at it intently, still enamored by its attention to detail and maintained quality for something so small and ancient. He could even imagine almost undetectable, tiny navigators inside the orbiter, fiddling with the controls at the helm.

   As fun as it was to wonder, it wasn’t long before a wave of angst came through, making him reminisce of its and thus his own origins: his home world he hadn’t seen for over a decade.

   Every day, he wondered what his life could’ve been if things didn’t go as they did. Perhaps, he would've been an Earth-based astronaut for NASA rather than the distant affiliate he was now, helping and being a part of humanity directly rather than perusing the galaxies for the unknown just to keep the peace. It would sure be less hectic than potentially starting a war every moment solely by existing.

   “Have you finished setting up the mods on your suit?” Tshepo tested back from the driver’s seat, glancing at the rearview mirror propped to aim back toward the lantern-lit dormitory.

   It was a simple yes-or-no question: one of the few static binaries in the ever-expanding universe. So, how would a non-answer such as the one Sasha gave for a duration fit into the equation? The jab-less silence from Sasha was telling enough on its own, but with the distant footsteps and rustling and creaking of the bed that followed, along with another verbalized “Fuck”, Tshepo knew his authority still held its strength.

   “I thought so,” he chuckled, focusing back on the expanse in front of him. “I figured you would’ve at least tried to get it calibrated, but there’s no use worrying about that now.”

   Sasha set his toy down on his bedside table with a groan and hoisted himself off the bed to do as he had been instructed (after volunteering) to do. He began to stretch, attempting to revitalize his limbs and loosen his muscles, simultaneously scanning what practically was his second home – third, counting his quarters on Novis.

   A quaint hovel, his cabin was: a mobile, cup-sized, soup can of a capsule containing bits and pieces of him, old and new. Although the technological intricacies of his intergalactic escapades were worthily glorified – the inner, emerald luminescence and trackers of his spacesuit, prototypes and mockups of Tshepo’s various experiments, including those to which Sasha contributed, cycling through a Holo-Display and its cyan figures on his desk, the marvel that was the Demeter itself, etc. – the images of the relatively domestic side of his life overshadowed them through their simplicity and wholesomeness.

   Many scoffs and looks of confusion were always sent Sasha’s way about his suit and all of the old-school references and icons of Earth-centric media scattered on its chest plate via decals, but he never batted an eye at them, not ashamed of his roots one bit. Those sentiments spread to more than just absorbed culture, exemplified by all the pictures and video clips of Sasha’s various achievements, large and small, Tshepo pasted across the walls, ranging from his first time completing the Zero-G Hero’s Course as a wee kiddo with bruises for days to the recent ceremony locking in his promotion to Chief Atmospheric Engineer.

   Being just twenty years old and hand-picked by the commander, it was an honor in numerous aspects. He had quite a lot for which he could be celebrated, even if his so-called peers took heed to never acknowledge it. Tshepo had every right to be proud of him, but Sasha always wished for the recognition from someone else: two specific people, actually.

   Right next to the head of his bed, now behind the Space Shuttle model, was not a hologram or 3D print but an actual paper-printed and framed photo of a preschooler-aged Sasha and his parents together back on Earth. A smaller print also found itself pinned by his heart in his suit, adding to the tradition of having one within every uniform he had had over the years. Looking at the picture, no one would’ve been able to tell the magnitude of the global chaos lingering in its background and out of the frame that eventually led to Sasha’s relocation: just a sweet, happy, space-loving family unit he dearly missed.

   Although Tshepo was great in filling the void of his needs and most of his wants, Sasha knew it wasn’t what he wanted deep down. He was never totally sure why his parents couldn’t come with him, let alone why he had to go in the first place. With the fancy gadgets, doodads, and documents they kept around the house as far as he remembered, they had to have been qualified to study the stars and all they held, much more than where he was now. But, what could he do about it, a galaxy or several away? All current worries about them would be produced in vain.

   Eventually, his stretching session ended, his eyes shined from familial remembrance, and his hands went for his helmet sat at the foot of the bed. Upon grabbing it and staring into its innards, though, Sasha’s humility toward his abilities and its complementing worries were reignited and heightened as a recollection of Tshepo’s remark burrowed itself deep into Sasha’s consciousness, not for what he said specifically but what was inferred.

   “Wait, what?” Sasha muttered to himself, looking back and forth between the helmet and the rest of his suit, trying to remember how to even do the procedure. “If the calibration should’ve been done before landing, then why shouldn’t I be worried about doing it now?”

   “Because we’re here.”

   Before he could combat Tshepo’s sudden statement, Sasha could sense the truth enveloping under him, feeling and hearing the vibrations and power of the rockets and engines transitioning into the settings needed for a soft landing. As gravity began taking effect on the ship with its descent, Sasha took the moment to look over his shoulder to whatever he could see through his window. Out of all places to which they could’ve been headed, Sasha was shocked to find primarily warm reds, oranges, and browns in view: a spectrum of a hazily familiar planet that usually didn’t require any secrecy to reference.

   Perhaps, his eyes were deceiving him, trying to give him a sense of comfort being thrust into what would probably be a challenge. After all, there had to be some reason why Tshepo chose him over someone else with more experience in, well, anything. To see if he truly earned his engineering chiefdom? To test his accuracies as the biogenesist he had been building himself to be through years of lab and class study? Just because he’s a favorite, more or less like a son or brother? With the almost missed plop and anchoring of the Demeter’s landing gear onto an apparently land surface, boosting his hypothesis of their location, it was time to find out.

   Feeling confident in where they were, Sasha didn’t bother putting on the helmet just yet, walking out of his cabin with it in one arm while the other tapped his breastplate right above his tucked-in family portrait as both a goodbye and a wish for luck to himself. However, rather than seeing Tshepo doing the same with his suit, approaching him from the helm, Sasha found him still sitting there in the pilot’s chair, not having moved and looking as though he wasn’t going to move, either.

   “Uh, are you not coming, Ki?” Sasha queried, stepping across the metal flooring past the lavatory and little lounge area for eating and through the foggy-glassed doorway to his friend/mentor/caretaker with a knock upon entrance.

   Tshepo perked up at the polite signaling along with the endearing nickname. While he didn’t feel that Sasha’s feelings toward him had changed since boarding the ship, it was still nice to hear them being as strong as ever, even if they had a sheer veil of sadness over them. The youngling’s sideward approach, leaning close by on the copilot’s chair – his if he wished to contribute – to see his doings hammered their veracity in deeper, making keeping the confidentiality alive all the more difficult with him right there.

   “I will if necessary,” he chided, not looking at Sasha as he adjusted the switches, buttons, and screens at the helm.

   Only seconds later, Tshepo felt Sasha bend toward him, breaths passing along the bushel of hair across the underside of his chin as the young adult gazed, trying to comprehend anything in sight. He was nervous momentarily, but the worries subsided when Sasha admitted defeat, ultimately sighing and returning to standing position, unable to read the respectively alien language everything was set to. Luckily, their orientation allowed for Tshepo to pull a smirk without notice, glad that his translation scheme actually worked.

   “But, right now, I have to make sure levels stay in order,” he continued, finally glancing up at his youthful familiar. “The connectivity to Novis, the Demeter’s power bank, the mods on your suit…”

   “And, why can’t you come with me to do that?” Sasha considered through an almost childlike whine. For one, his Ki to the cosmos wasn’t as locked down as he usually was. Or, maybe he was too much so. Either way, it was weird. “Surely, this mission of yours, whatever it is, isn’t time sensitive. You would’ve brought more people with us if that were true.”

   “Well, you’re right about the timing. This is a mission searching for accuracy and detail of the ecosphere rather than time being of the essence. Though, being punctual is never a bad thing. After all, your current timeline would be totally different if you had followed that rule, wouldn’t it?”

   Sasha caught the reference of petty, partner neglect immediately and couldn’t hold back an audible groan, earning a giggle from Tshepo.

   “Anyway,” the youngster tried putting the conversation back on course, “I can wait for you to do your domestic thingies first or even help you with them, and then we can do whatever bio-survey we need to do with you moderating the mods as needed.”

   “My suit can only protect me, not monitor you,” Tshepo prompted him, “and the mods are only on yours. They’re still on a test run for which you’ve accepted being the lab rat, so I can only do my part from here.”

   Completely disregarding the lack of protection implied, Sasha conceded,

   “Fine. Whatever you say, Ki.” He tossed and spun his helmet in the air, catching it like a basketball and observing it like a crystal ball. “I did say ‘Yes’ and all, so I don’t want you to turn me in for insubordination or some shit like that. Not that you would, but I’m not risking it with this secrecy schtick you’re playing right now.”

   Tshepo expelled a moan of disappointment, hearing his apprentice of sorts somberly drag him through the ground for what had to be one of the biggest miscommunications in the universe. “All I ask of you is to trust me when I say that everything will be clear as soon as you get out there. Okay?”

   Rather than addressing him back directly, Sasha, against his instincts, started setting and securing his helmet on its proper place on his collar, hearing the clicks and suctions of locks and beeps of computer systems turning on to standby, waiting for further instruction. He then turned his gaze away and resumed his ranting through a mutter to himself, given Tshepo’s new, closer proximity,

   “You’re already delaying clarifying stuff I was a witness for – what I saw and heard, so I guess it’s not that much of a stretch to think you’d hide stuff I don’t know, too.”

   “Sasha, you know I always try to have your best intentions in mind,” Tshepo reminded, rising from his seat and setting a gentle hand on Sasha’s shoulder with an equally endearing soft, russet stare.

   Doing so kept the youngling from walking toward the entry latch and expanding both the physical and emotional distance between them just yet. The young man already had enough to be sad about as is, and while the truth would just make it worse, Tshepo didn’t want it holding him back until it was right in front of him with no yield.

   “I didn’t think I had to explain how this actually wasn’t a mission for you,” he added with a lecturing cadence, “and I wasn’t supposed to bring you with me but did anyway.”

   From the gasp and look Sasha made back, it was obvious to Tshepo that his apprentice wasn’t aware of the helmet’s microphone’s immediate powering on upon placement along with that tiny truth. His slender suit may have been built fully in crimson with an almost radioactive glow of green in every vent and sliver inside and out, it didn’t dampen out the blushing that crept on Sasha’s cheeks through the viewing window.

   “Really?” Sasha finally replied after a pregnant pause, to which he received an authoritative nod. If his helmet wasn’t mushing his wispy locks down, then he would’ve been combing through or twirling the ends of them with a hand out of embarrassment: a habit burned into him since he was tween-aged. “Then, why in the fuck did you bring me? Why am I here at all?”

    “I already said I can’t test and check at the same time. I have my other reasons for breaking my binds, but don’t tell me you can’t do something as simple as making sure the mods work on the field?”

   “Whoa, hold up,” Sasha breathed, not expecting an interrogation, let alone one so seemingly lighthearted. “What are you implying?”

   “I don’t know, perhaps that your savant-like styles of science and surveying are bounded by walls.”

   As quickly as it came, Sasha’s shame was soon lifted, catching the challenge within Tshepo’s now-apparently friendly berating all the fatherlier. Little did he know that his eventual acceptance of it was falling right into Tshepo's plan. When fitting in a place of comfort, Sasha's cockiness and confidence weren’t hard to pop out.

   “No, no. You and I both know that's not true!” Sasha announced, playfully scoffing. “If the commander himself had enough faith to get me promoted – something I'm still not sure I deserve but am grateful of, nonetheless – then I can do a little scan or two. Watch me; I won't let you down.”

   “I never thought you would,” Tshepo smiled, patting his youngster's back as he headed for the entry latch to head out. “Just make sure the mods are functional.”

    Silence filled the airwaves as Sasha loosened the suction of the heavy latch and trekked down the pebbly path of the exit. He expected to hear winds or animals of the environment or voices of technicians waiting for his arrival, but, surprisingly, he heard nothing on the outside. There was only him, his thoughts, and the beeps and dynamics of his suit. If they weren't the medley of sounds that he was used to on the daily, having never really been talkative with anyone except those of the few positions higher than himself, then he would've thought it was weird.

   The young engineer had just made it to the external opening, just about to be exposed to the mystery destination one-on-one, before he heard Tshepo’s voice again.

   “One more thing before you go,” he directed through the microphone. “As much as I want you to be quick and correct…” He struggled to find the right words, not wanting to give away the truth about their reason for usage prematurely. “…tread lightly.”

   “I, uh…” Sasha caught the hesitation in his voice, frazzled by the strange instruction, but not wanting to restart another uncomfortable back-and-forth, he brushed it aside. Instead, he looked to the metallic, light tessellated walls and ceilings for the camera Tshepo had to have been using to see him, found it, and acknowledged him with a promising salute as he signaled for the doors to open and the exit ramp to be unraveled. “I’m on it.”

   Before either of them knew it, the sensors were set off, and the Demeter opened its maw to reveal its insignificant, human inhabitant and release him to the vastness of the unknown, outside world.

[elskamo]

I finally got back to playing the Sims 4 again! Sorry it’s been so long since I last posted about my TD Sims exploits, you’ve probably twigged by now that issues with sleep, stress etc. have been interfering with my ability to do the fun stuff. 

This playthrough was done in two separate parts! I started playing not long after my original poll went up asking about what I should do next. I didn’t return to the game until earlier this week, I also grabbed some extra content for the game during the Black Friday sales. In addition to the packs I have installed, I now have Cats & Dogs, Outdoor Retreat (which I bought solely for the TDI vibes), and My First Pet Stuff to make the gameplay more interesting.

Playthrough:

- Brick quit his job as a Corporal in the Detective career track and changed over to an Intern in the Astronaut career, he started working on his logic skill before attempting to build a rocket ship at home.

- Duncan quit his job as a Minor Crimelord in the Criminal career track and changed over to a Lab Technician in the Scientist career. He also got a rocket ship and began building it. While he was doing so Alejandro and Carlos finally started bonding a little more before Alejandro ditched him and Carlos’s Evil trait started to make him feel angry… clearly a good idea for Duncan to try and be a better influence on their son!

- Courtney and Scott didn’t have work that day so Scott bought a restaurant for the two of them to try and run together. I cocked up a bit here and accidentally cheated Scott into completing his Fabulously Wealthy aspiration when I tried to give the restaurant enough funds to buy an existing building! Scott now has the Mansion Baron aspiration as it’s the other Fortune related aspiration.

- After designing the work attire, changing the menu, and hiring staff, Scott and Courtney opened the restaurant and started helping out themselves by greeting customers and cleaning up after everyone. The waitress they hired kept being rude to the customers and lowering their review scores so they had to do a lot of damage control! After losing a lot of money and having their great reviews knocked down by the shitty staff, the two of them closed the restaurant for the day.

At this point although there wasn’t a lot to write about I’d been playing and making changes in the game for most of the day and decided to take a break before resuming. Due to issues leaving me burnt out and using my free time to catch up on sleep I didn’t return to the game for a few weeks. When I did come back again I’d bought and installed some new content which I decided to start exploring with the TD Sims immediately.

- Bridgette decided to adopt some animals for the family and the game immediately bugged out during the adoption process. In the end the family adopted a kitten named Bruiser who Bridgette quickly befriended. Farley also took an immediate liking to Bruiser. While Bridgette got the cat settled in Heather finally started potty training Damien and managed to help him complete his potty training in one night.

- Brick went to his first day of work in the Astronaut career and while he was away Jo got their daughters what is supposedly a genetically engineered rodent ‘Bubalus’ which Jo then named Mary. Elliott kept repeatedly causing trouble and Jo kept discipling her before attempting to teach her how to say sorry.

- When Brick got home from work he and Jo got really flirty before Brick proposed and the two of them are now engaged! I attempted to screenshot this but completely fucked it up so I don’t have any pics for this one…

- Duncan continued to build his rocket while Carlos did his homework. Alejandro adopted a puppy named Petey and got him settled in before bickering with Carlos. The two of them stopped arguing when Carlos got sick, after getting medicine for him Alejandro started looking online for parenting advice because of how awful he’s been doing with his son.

- Duncan got exhausted and dirty from building his rocket for so long and took a break, while taking a bubble bath he had two breakthroughs for the scientist career. Shortly afterwards he finished building the rocket ship and celebrated by woohooing Alejandro for the millionth time, joining the 50-mile-high club in the process.

Side Notes:

- I rejigged the households and now all four couples live in separate homes, not all parents have custody of their kids:

Bridgette and Heather live with Damien, Farley, and Kristin

Courtney and Scott live with Albertha and Kate

Alejandro and Duncan live with Carlos

Brick and Jo live with Elliott and Lawrence

- I also edited some of the Sim’s names, I was planning on hyphenating most of them but it looks like there’s a character limit so I was only able to hyphenate one:

Bridgette Summers is now Bridgette Suoh

Courtney Garcia is now Courtney Campbell

Duncan Lawson is now Duncan Burromuerto

Albertha Garcia is now Albertha Campbell

Elliott Sylvester is now Elliott McArthur

Kate Garcia is now Kate Garcia-Suoh

- Now I have the expansion that allows pets, both the Suoh and Burromuerto families have NPC animals (the McArthur family do have a rodent enclosure but it’s classed as furniture by the game). At some point I’ll post profiles for the two NPC animals that have now joined the families.

Bruiser Suoh is named after Heather’s cat that was shown in the Celebrity Manhunt special

Petey Burromuerto is named after Duncan’s previous dog that was mentioned in TDI to have previously run away

Mary McArthur is named after Jo’s original name before it was changed for TDROTI

- The Sim relationships are still a little screwy and some have sentiments that may not be obvious from looking at their interactions:

Brick is deeply in love with Jo while Jo feels deeply connected to Brick.

Brick’s relationship with Bridgette is still described as ‘it’s still very awkward’ but neither have any sentiments about each other anymore.

Jo and Scott’s relationship is still described as ‘bad romance’ and Scott is still harbouring a festering grudge towards Jo

Despite how high their relationship is there’s just one sentiment between Alejandro and Duncan, with Duncan feeling closer from happy memories.

Even though they’re friends, Heather still has a festering grudge against Duncan for reasons I don’t understand

Alejandro and Carlos consider each other good friends but Carlos still feels hurt by Alejandro

Carlos and Kate are good friends and feel deeply connected towards each other, Carlos also feels closer from happy memories and is growing closer from quality time

Courtney feels deeply connected to Scott while Scott doesn’t currently have any sentiments towards Courtney

Courtney no longer has any sentiments towards Heather but their relationship is still classed as ‘it’s very complicated’

Courtney is adoring towards Albertha and feels closer from happy memories but both sentiments are close to expiring

Bridgette is good friends with both her daughters but while she’s adoring towards Farley, Bridgette feels hurt by Kristin for reasons unknown

Bridgette and Heather are adoring towards Damien but while Bridgette and Damien are friends, Heather and Damien are only acquaintances

Bridgette and Heather are deeply in love with each other, Heather is also adoring towards Bridgette

Charts:

I’ve added the kids onto the main relationship chart to show how they feel about their parents, extended family etc.

The family tree chart is still really weird because of who’s dated and had kids with who. The kids are on the line between both their biological or adopted parents.

[grantimatter]

From the Guild:

SONG: Welcome to the Landing

SONG:

“Welcome to the Landing” [Download]

ARTIST: grant.

SOURCE: Based on NASA, 5 Mar 2021, Welcome to ‘Octavia E. Butler Landing'”, as used in the Science Art post “Welcome to ‘Octavia E. Butler Landing’, NASA, 2021.”, as well as, to a smaller degree, Science, 22 Feb 2021, “ Martian rover sends back ‘overwhelming’ video, audio from the Red Planet“, as used in the post “Mars rover sends “overwhelming” audio home. (And video and pics too.)“.

ABSTRACT: I really wanted to sample some that Mars audio for this, but it didn’t really fit. I even tried running my voice through NASA’s kind of fun “Your Voice on Mars” page … but it doesn’t come out sounding musical enough for this pretty little song.

The song started as a kind of challenge to myself. I used basically none of my usual audio tools, not even my microphone. It was done entirely on a new, inexpensive laptop a friend gave me, and was done with basically an out-of-the-box installation of Reaper in nagware mode. I downloaded a single VSTi, a synthetic hang drum – one of those fun tuned percussion things that are like steel pans that you play with your hands. The drums, which is what I started with, were just my fingers tapping on the keyboard with a lot of effects on them. Then I added the hang drum track, then the sine-wave synth Reaper comes with. Everything else is a vocal sung into the onboard mic inside my car in the driveway at 2 a.m. The house was sleeping.

It turned out pretty well, performance-wise, and the mic made sense from a story perspective, as a kind of message from Mars.

The idea for the song – well, this is only the second time I’ve ever done a song on a “Science Art” thing rather than a research project, but since it’s on the Perseverance landing site, it’s still current.

I’m still turning over in my mind the idea of someone in the near-ish future living on Mars and using placenames given for people who’d never been there. That seems like a very colonial thing (did Columbus ever visit Colombia? Or Columbus, Ohio?), which makes it fairly ironic that this particular landing is named for Octavia Butler, who was a pretty thoroughly post-colonial science fiction writer. She was also very concerned with growing things and the relation living beings have with the soil, so it seems like future settlers would appreciate her way of looking at things (although probably not the things she did with parasitic wasps in some of her stories). I’m sure she’d be tickled, too, to have a place named for her on Mars.

And of course, if a colony does get established and take root on Mars and grow, eventually places like Octavia E. Butler Landing are just going to become like Jamestown – historical sites. There will probably be tours. And some local guide will have to explain that no, this landing wasn’t named for a colonist, or even an astronaut. Just a lady with an imagination and a knack for a good plot. A spiritual mother for future generations of space people.

LYRICS:

Welcome to the landing Thank you for understanding Despite our atmosphere She never landed here

Except in science fiction When Mars was just prediction Our ice, imagination Our soil, ripe for creation

She built a way to be Before the rockets came. We were colonized Here’s her name.

Welcome to the growing green The first farmer’d never seen. And follow us across the field Where we’re bringing in her yield

Mother never saw this sky Never planted, never cried From blisters in this dust Yet she lives in us.

She lit a campfire here Before the rocket flames. We were colonized Here’s her name.

Welcome to the landing Welcome to the landing Welcome to the landing

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