#and also learn that like...... that's an option

[juniusgirl]

I had this giant golden when i was young that could open the sliding glass door. He'd get up on his hind legs, grab the door handle with his mouth (how...it was one of these:)

And then he'd push off the frame with his front paws. He was a clever dog, but a bit inconsiderate, as he never closed the door after himself. Still, the other dogs at the very least seemed to love it.

He would even try to do it when it was locked, and as anyone who has ever had a sliding glass door probably knows, the locks are pretty shit, and sometimes he could get it open just by trying hard enough. Eventually, of course, it broke entirely, and like in the video, or rather like anyone who has had a sliding glass door more than a year old, we put a piece of wood in the frame to keep it closed.

Of course, the stick method was far more effective, which meant our clever golden couldn't brute force it open if it were "locked" anymore. Which wasn't usually a problem, except for situations like this.

I more than once had been locked out of the house, sometimes on accident. Usually we had a spare key outside but in this particular incident it wasn't available for whatever reason. Naturally i tried to do this very thing with him. Like i said he was a very clever dog. He knew i wanted in! He tried the handle! But it just wouldn't budge.

I was reviewing my options, i couldn't get to a window i knew was unlocked without a ladder and we didn't have one. I had learned to pick one of my locks recently but i didn't have anything i could use for that on me. No one would be home for hours. My closest friends at the time, whose houses i'd just walked home from, lived 3 miles away. Looked like i might be stuck.

Then our other golden came to the door. She was also a smart dog, but more passive--a therapy dog actually--and she had some medical problems that meant standing up on her hind legs was difficult. But you know what she loved more than anything (besides disgustingly dirty scraps of old toys)? Sticks.

So i essentially started doing this, encouraging her to grab the stick, to show me her stick, get me the stick!

There was a lot of barking. A lot of tail-wagging. A lot of me getting more and more frustrated and desperate in the hot summer sun. But in the end....

She never figured it out. Luckily we had a big tree in our front yard so i climbed back over our fence and hung out in the shade until my mom came home. But i recognize sound effort, so we did play tug with a rank piece of what might have been a toy pheasant after dinner. She won.

This dog unlocked the door for his human

[sabrondabrainrot]

🫂💮🥀Farewell Puppet🥀💮🫂

(I hope the quality of the image isn't totally killed)

I just want to share some thoughts on Puppet! I really like Puppet, she grew a lot on me over the short time I've been binge watching all the shows. Puppet started off as this silly guy that loves anime and is Monty's dubious friend. She just grew from there. She met Foxy and Monty, and tried helping Sun and Moon. She revealed her own secret identity of being a woman and accepted that and lived as herself more and more. She made up with Golden and rekindled a relationship with her son, Freddy.

She found a life partner in Foxy and took on the role of being Foxy's own adoptive son's Mother. She helped save Earth when New Moon/Nexus first chose to go down his path and attacked his family. She helped advise Monty to make better decisions in their own life. She tried being more involved in the bigger universe because she was tired of being on the side and watching from the background. Unable to interfere.

She was never a perfect being, she made mistakes and had just as many flaws as the rest of the cast. Her dimension died because of her choices and she did leave Freddy when he was born. She's made mistakes even with decisions to use her own powers and when and when not to interfere and help.

I just like how she's changed so much. How she showed the rest of the cast of characters they can be more. They are not just animatronics.

Her death was sad, no kindness was spared to her. She had no kind words. Eclipse saw her off but even now he's still learning and not able to express to his friend the things he probably wanted to. Puppet didn't get to say goodbye to all her friends and family. To me that's sad. There's still beauty in her death. She laid her life down to save a child. She was given no real options but chose to let her last moments and last decisions still mean something.

She's just neat and I don't know how much Matt contribute to the writing of her character but I think she's neat and while her ending is sad I'm still excited for Matt. I heard he's moving to do greater things with his career and that's awesome for him. (he's also coming back to do occasional cameos so it's not a total goodbye!)

I used flower language for this farewell image by the way! White chrysanthemums, white lilies, pink and purple orchids, and purple carnations are used in farewells and funerals. I also did stained glass cause idk it's pretty. (useless info, but the glass is also transparent)

Goodbye Puppet and Goodbye Matt!!!

[agirlwithglam]

📚 It girl's guide to school 📚

hiii girls! this is part of the big Guide to being the It Girl. this section will be all about school, studying and academics. i'll teach you how to tackle school, get the highest grades effortlessly, and look chic and gorgeous doing it! the rest of the ultimate it girl series is linked! 🎀

guide to getting good grades:

LISTEN IN CLASS. one of the best tips ever. if you would actually listen to what your teachers teaching in class, you’d get to spend a lot less time studying.

ask if you need help! these teachers are qualified for the job, they’re meant to be good at it. so if you don’t understand something, don’t be afraid to ask. and if you’re really too much of a chicken, ask once the class is over or email the teacher. but honestly? half the kids probably aren’t even listening tbh so u do ur thing!

participate in class. actually participating in class will help you so much in recalling the information. it’s a great way to actively revise. you don’t have to be a teachers pet or anything, but if you know the answer, put yourself out there. anyone who judges you simply judges themselves and their inability to speak up.

change up your environment so that you're still interested and excited to learn! you could go to a coffee shop, set up a mini picnic in the woods, go to a library, etc.

use alter egos!! i will never stop recommending this because it really is an amazing tip. either you can create your own alter ego who loves to study and gets high grades, or you could pretend you're rory gilmore or hermione granger!

revision/ study techniques:

feynman technique: teach it to someone else/ to plushies. try not to look at your notes too much, pretend ur a teacher.

use practice questions/ practice exams! trust me this can be so helpful! try and find past exams and go over them in exam conditions so you can see what u missed later. or, you can get all the info and ask an AI like chatgpt to write questions based on it and go through them!

BLURTING! love this method! basically, you write all the information you know about the topic on one page (optional: set a time limit) and then go over it with a different colour pen and add in what you missed. do this a couple times until you haven't missed anything! - you can do this by creating a mind-map, or literally just scribbling down everything you know.

SQ3R method: survey/ skim over the text, question- make questions on it, read- begin reading to find the answers to the questions, recite- summarise the words in a section in your own words, review- quiz yourself on what you just learnt

organise/ prioritise what you need to study using the traffic light method. first, identify the topics, then highlight them according to these 3 colors: red- struggling a lot/ no idea , yellow- okay ish, need to work on it a bit tho , green- good understanding & confident on the topic.

make associations. this is especially helpful for when you need to memorise things. the thing you need to memorise- link it to stuff that you already know.

⭐️ use mnemonics, songs, raps to remember! a couple years back, my science teacher made us create a rap on osmosis (a biology term). and not even kidding, i still remember the simple definition of what it does because of that rap! so create songs or rap and maybe even make a whole music video on it! trust me, not only is it so fun but it really does help keep the information in your mind!

more resources:

huge big list of studying and school

another big study masterpost

100 reasons to study

how to be a whole new student this year

ACE your exams -by me!

study icons:

as i mentioned earlier, channelling the energy of a character who already studies and gets good grades is an amazing way of getting yourself motivated! here are some of my favs & tips to study like them! (p.s i've also added links to the names for a more in depth guide on each person!)

♡ rory gilmore

she loves studying- develop that mindset! have a passion for learning more.

"i can go from 0 to studying in less than 60 seconds"

switch between different subjects when you get bored

ask someone to test you with flashcards

♡ elle woods:

study while you exercise- take care of ur body too!

"what, like its hard?"- i love her sm for this!! if anyone else can do something, of course you can do it too!

be ambitious + have strong source of motivation

get into study groups

♡ paris geller

have the discipline and ambition to do the things that will get you to where you want.

"i want to win, and i'm going to win." - love this, she's sure of herself and confident in her abilities.

prioritise & use to do lists

start early to be the top of your class!

♡ blair waldorf

honestly its so fun to embody her energy of high value, cares about her education, so confident and takes no sh*t from others!

"anything you can do, i can do better"

always have a plan

have flash cards, take notes

♡ hermione granger

always participate in class!

read more about the material. + learn more!

teach others & help them study

finish the hw/ work quickly and do the extra credit!

stylish in school 101:

SURVIVING SCHOOL AIR: here are some tips to staying/ looking pretty and refreshed all day at school bc u and i both know the horrors of school air 🙀 :)

DRINK WATER. stay hydrated - very important. always drink water. this keeps your lips hydrated, face hydrated, and just makes you look a lil less dead.

lip gloss/ lip balm to reapply throughout the day, esp for my girlies with chapped lips! i keep lip balm in my pocket so its always there when needed, but you can also keep it in your locker/ bag/ pencil case.

perfume. you can keep it in your locker/ bag/ pencil case to spray whenever needed and smell sweet and amazing the entire day <3

stop touching your face!! your hands have so much crusty dust and bacteria that can give pimples on your face.

keep hair away from your face. leave it out if you want, but try to make sure it doesn't touch your face too much- it also has tons of crusty musty dusty germs

keep a hairbrush in your locker. listen, i know how messy hair can get during school so keeping it in school is SO helpful to maintain the tidyness and cleanliness

waterproof makeup - if you wear makeup.

sunscreen!! keep. applying. SUNSCREENN!! i'm not going to elaborate further on this point.

ACCESSORISING YOUR UNIFORM!!

this is for the girlies who have a school uniform! i understand it can be so annoying so to have more fun and feel more confident, ACCESSORIZEE everything as much as you're allowed! here are some ideas!

♡ necklesses

♡ bracelets

♡ bows in your hair

♡ bows in your bag

♡ bows everywhere basically 🎀

♡ decorate your ipad/ pencilcase with stickers

♡ headbands

♡ rings

♡ cute earrings

♡ cute watch

♡ nails

♡ a cute clip!

the ultimate it girl series

xoxo, vanilla!

[diaper-fetiswing]

🔞⚠️ Ultra-detailed diaper training guide :

the goal: to become permanently dependent on diapers forever.

here are the headlines from my training plan

I) 🧠 MENTAL PREPARATION : (Acceptance, letting go, submission)

Before you start diaper training, it is crucial that you accept your kink, eliminate all guilt and let go.

1.1 / Accepting Your kink :

understands that your attraction to diapers is legitimate and personal. It’s not “bad” or “abnormal”.

identifies your mental blocks: shame, fear of judgment, self-sabotage

repeat positive affirmations to yourself: “I deserve to be in a diaper / diapers are my true nature”

find support like my blog, ( so if you link to that you can subscribe because my blog will allow you to achieve your goal, that's the goal )

1.2 / Letting go and submission :

wearing diapers all the time is mostly mental... people often come to me and say: "I want to be incontinent to be dependent" except that this is false and unhealthy... mentally, you have to accept that diapers are is your new reality (and it's a lot of work that takes time but once done is even less reversible than incontinence, but don't worry I'm here to help you)

abandon the idea of ​​choice, it is not a choice... in fact you have the impression that it is a choice, but if you dig into your psychological functioning you will understand that it is a need...

practice submission, (well self-discipline if you are alone): in a relationship, if your wife is dominant and Ok, you're lucky it will be easier for you, but my advice also applies to single, except that instead of someone else dominating you, it's you who must discipline yourself. There must be strict rules, with punishments if you don't follow your diaper training correctly. I'll leave the creativity to you for the punishments but they don't have to be very pleasant.

II) 🕰 PERMANENT WEARING OF DIAPERS :

objective : no longer wear underwear apart from diapers + (it's better but you don't have to) no longer see the toilet as an option.

🗓 ACTION PLAN :

✅️ throw ALL your underwear in the trash, only keep the diapers

✅️ put a diaper on after each time you change (it seems logical, but some times you will be tempted not to wear one again, so always wear a diaper, it's your rule and it's easy to follow)

✅️ always sleep in a diaper

✅️ organize your stocks: you must always have a huge stock of diapers at home...

✅️ (even without aiming for incontinence, I recommend it): prepare yourself mentally: “the toilet is no longer an option for me”

Solution for difficulties :

❌️ WANT TO REMOVE THE DIAPER: you can make your diaper difficult to remove (like by putting velcro on the fasteners)

❌️ SHAME OR DISCOMFORT: remember that you need diapers, that they are necessary.

III ) [💦💩] RE-EDUCATE YOUR BODY FOR INCONTINENCE :

I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS STEP, INCONTINENCE IS A HANDICAP IT IS NOT A GAME, I RATHER RECOMMEND LEARNING TO OWN YOUR NEEDS IN YOUR DIAPERS WITHOUT INCONTINENCE, but for those who really have the need to become incontinent here is the tutorial:

objective: to learn to remember and automate the use of the diaper.

3.1 / Urinary: loss of control :

🗓 💦 ACTION PLAN :

✅️ Drink plenty of water to force frequent elimination

✅️ as soon as you feel pressure released immediately: NEVER HOLD BACK

✅️ practice urinating in all positions, including lying down, to break the reflexes of holding back

✅️ at night drink before sleeping and urinate as soon as you wake up.

3.2 / FECAL : if I had to choose I would prefer this

🗓💩 ACTION PLAN :

✅️ eat foods rich in fiber, take mild laxatives from time to time to relax your intestines (don't overdo it)

✅️ as soon as you feel the urge, push yourself directly into your diaper without going to the bathroom, even if it's just for a fart

✅️ get used to never delaying elimination

✅️ uses plugs that stretch the anus daily for long periods, such as the balloon plug or the hollow plug, do daily sessions of 4 to 5 hours dilated.

IV ) 👥️ TOTAL DEPENDENCE ON DIAPERS SOCIALY :

the social aspect is quite important, to really sign your life forever it is important to take this point into account. the social and public part alone deserves an entire book... besides, I would love to write a book on learning about diapers... but that's for the future!

here are my tips for the social aspect:

✅️ accept the outside gaze: if someone guesses or sees your diaper, accept it or ignore it

✅️ expose yourself little by little: outings with a diaper more or less visible under your clothes:

✅️ you can tell a certain person you really trust that you are now in a diaper and that it is forever (without explaining why) and if someone asks you questions then you tell them that you need one and you can't do otherwise...

V) 🪷 CONCLUSION :

SO, as I say these are just certain points of my plan to address in diaper training in order to become completely dependent on diapers.

If you want to go deeper into certain steps, let me know in the questions!

[pricegouge]

prompt fill based off this request. can be read as a sister piece to unlucky foot

rat race

cw: simon x gn!fairy!reader. predator prey dynamic and i really mean it. implied deaths offscreen. MDNI

it's a new maze every time. peg board floor, the walls mounted to it shifting with each session to keep you confused and, lost amid the erratic angles and dead ends. sometimes they're mirrored, reflect your mounting dismay back at you with every turn. mostly, he likes other obstacles, small puzzles you have to solve before continuing on to the next part of the maze.

today's impediment is a little more dire.

you smell it before you see it, the familiar reek of soiled bedding and cloyingly strong aspen. you're not alone.

simon sees the minute you register your predicament, dark eyes becoming hyperfocused when you stiffen up, fear locking your joints. he looms overhead, bad omen hung double in the sky where the glass which prevents you and the rat both from climbing out catches his reflection just enough to mirror him again, superimposes his mask just there above you. inescapable.

you think maybe one of these days he'll make the maze the same and pray it's not this day. you'd rather starve to death within it's confines than let the rat live off your corpse for a few days longer. maybe that's where he'd gotten all those fairy specimen that lined his study, their little shadow boxes visible even now, his largest mount displayed proudly behind his desk, looking over his shoulder at you pityingly. maybe you'll get a spot of honor, too.

but not if the rat finds you, vicious teeth and ravenous appetite. it had come close a few times, clever little nose giving it a leg up on you. simon had never once moved to help as it had closed in, just leaning closer to watch as the rat closed in, eyes darting between the two of you with the sort of anticipation and excitement one usually reserved for a well-balanced match.

so you can't depend on his mercy - not that he's ever given you reason to, really, but you'd hoped -

the pegboard holes are just big enough to catch your toes. you trip as you scurry along, fingers trailing on the walls next to you lest you miss a turn in your haste. not that it really matters, not when each turn looks the same. simon used to leave you little hints, offerings of sweets which would guide you closer to the end. he'd long since stopped that, seemed content to watch you twist yourself into knots for hours before you found a way out if needed. you hoped that wouldn't be the case tonight. the rat rarely ever needed hours to find you.

you stop to catch your breath when you reach the next four-corners. it's a dangerous spot to be, what with all the straight shots where the rat might see you, but it also gives you the most options for an escape if it comes to it, something you've learned the hard way. your chest rises with effort, tiny cloud of condensation collecting on the glass above. beyond it, you see simon's eyes dart to your left with just a little too much excitement and you take off to the right before you can even collect yourself, wood paneling flying by as you run blindly, right, left, left again, one-eighty when you hit a dead end. you huff in frustration, a muted spark flying when your fists clench in frustration and fear. you have options, you know, but you don't like the odds and -

it's surprising how quiet your companion can be, when it suits him. you don't hear the quiet chuffing of his breathing, nor the gentle patter of his little paws as he creeps closer. it's not even the slithering of its tail that gives it away, but the subtle scrape of its whiskers against the paneling, the wall on your left seeming to swell closer as the beast stalks by on the other side of it.

simon had lied, that pointed look from before meant to send you scurrying in the wrong direction - right into the rat's clutches. you'd be more mad, if you had time to be.

the path to the right is short - doesn't let you wander too far away from the beast that dogs you before forcing you to turn left. you're running parallel with it now, or at least you would be if it had kept on its same path. but that's unlikely in this labyrinth, and one right hand turn could send it your way. another could have it barreling down the aisle at you. you dip right as soon as you're able, do it again at your next chance -

and stop dead in your tracks when you see the very end of its scaly tale disappear around a corner up ahead.

faltering where you stand, you take a minute to try and find your bearings, weigh your options as you see them. there's no exit behind, but death could be waiting before and it takes you a minute to remember that if it's not there, it will be around the next corner (or the next, or the next) until you find your way out of here.

so you creep forward, each step placed carefully lest you slip, bare skin squeaking off the cheap wood. you don't make a sound as you approach the blind, not even as you peek around the corner to find the rat still at the end of the path, strong nose raised as if to sniff out whatever might be on the other end of the wall before it. you keep your wits about you, pull your head back to collect a calming breath before darting past the gap while it's distracted, your footsteps coming a little more calmly, a little more confidently as you slink away. you can feel simon's heavy gaze on you, seemingly magnified by the glass overhead. he's rapt now, his unwavering gaze only adding to your stress, nerves a tangled ball of pollen you can't find the end of, can't get a grasp on.

maybe that's why you're too distracted to mind your breathing, the harsh pants of your panic alerting the rat to your presence. it chuffs in its excitement, long body struggling as it tries to turn around in the close press of walls that surround it. you hear the scrape of its little claws, a series of suppressed sneezes it would never emit if it was still in stalking mode. the gig is up.

you don't even bother to look behind you before you're off, feet slamming against the pegboard in your haste. simon's too excited to bother suppressing it, unwittingly leading you toward the exit by how he leans too far forward, a subconscious tell which you try to focus all your concentration on. anything to avoid looking back, avoid seeing the scurrying beast which tails you.

it's gaining is the worst part. you can take corners quicker than it, but it's faster on straightaways and it's only now, as you weave your way through row after row of them that you realize there are a lot of straightaways in this maze. simon's note taking wasn't just for show, it seemed.

right, left, straight, right and right again. teeth snatch at your clothes, sharp enough to tear instead of catch. a mixed blessing as it allows you to slip its grasp this time. you drive yourself harder, chest aching with your labored breath as you try to stay just outside of its range. it squeaks and squeals in its excitement, a terifying littany you can't quite drown out even with your blood pounding in your ears. you focus on trending right because that's the way simon's leaning, are just starting to worry you've misjudged him when you see it: sweet sanctuary, a perfect circle in an external wall, the sweet smell of candy sitting just beyond.

you leap through it as soon as you're able, shriek in fright when you swear you can feel teeth snapping at your toes. but simon shutters the door as soon as you're through it, dull thud of the rat slamming against it the last thing you hear of it for the night.

supine, catching your breath, you watch almost disinterestedly as simon stands and collects the massive box from off his desk, big meaty hands lifting it gently before carrying it off to the other side of the room where he takes a minute to extract the rat and return it to its cage. it nips him, retaliation for a pointless maze, but simon just chuckles darkly, calls it cheeky as he feeds it a grape from his pocket. when he turns back to you, he asks why you haven't had your treat yet and you just shake your head, stomach turning at the thought of sweets right then. or maybe it's because the thought of being treated like just another one of his lab rats leaves a sour taste in your mouth.

the chair groans under him when he sits back down, his fist heavy as it drags over the pad of paper before him, taking more notes. everything about him is heavy and he never lets you forget it - movements purposefully drawn out to emphasize it, as if he's any need for it. even for a human he's a large man, and there's nothing your paltry sparks could ever do against him. you're not stupid, despite what he thinks.

"almost got you that time," he grumbles as he finishes up. you're still laying on your back, processing your predicament. he just uses it as an excuse to slide the paper you're laying on closer, his palm planted frimly next to you, framing you between forefinger and thumb. you don't bother arguing with him, don't see the point.

over his shoulder, some long-dead kin seems to agree.

"you'll be a wet specimen, won't you?" his mask hides his expression when he says it, but his eyes are just as animated as they'd been when he'd lead you astray, gleaming darkly in the low light of his banker's lamp.

you can only pout up at him, confused until he picks you up, turns you so you face the cupboard, one of its door's hanging slightly ajar, the low glint of glass glowing from within. even static it seems to dance, and you imagine the jarred contents within rippling, the mangled little corpses preserved in formaldehyde bobbing along. you shake your head adamantly, fear bubbling back to life in your belly. you'd only seen inside the cupboard once but it had been enough, shelves full of gored little fairies haunting you ever since, constant threat.

simon tuts, as if you're being petulant and contrary. "you'd best shape up, then. can't mount a half-eaten fairy."

[yakuzapatch]

(Updated post)

Hello there!

Been a while, hasn't it?

New fans have grown up, old fans have passed on (and away), and our project team has not only expanded in recent months - with the help of the Yakuza Modding Community (full credits will be included in the mod) - but has also undergone a change in management.

Today, we finally have something to show you.

Keep in mind that the translation is still undergoing proofreading and polish, and both the UI and fonts will be improved. If it currently looks like Google Translate to some, rest assured - it isn’t. A member of the previous team was not proficient in English, but this, along with the text’s style, is being addressed.

Our goal as a mostly new team is to ensure that the game is not only playable but also stylistically consistent with the series and its historical period. References to 1600s Japan are carefully preserved and adapted to maintain immersion. No offensive language has been used, no content has been cut, and there may even be a few optional mods included.

Kenzan is getting closer to release - right now, we are reworking the UI using proper techniques we’ve learned along the way.

Soon, we will publish gameplay footage of the translation from our tests and refine everything to ensure it looks and works as well as possible.

See you soon - this time for real.

Sincerely, The Kenzan Translation Team

P.S. You may ask what took us so long? Real life and troubles with the previous "team". Now things go as smooth as possible. Stay tuned!

[khazrablood]

Also people like this know shit all about how much tracing one has to do in the art industry lmao Plus tracing is also a helpful way to learn especially difficult things that you need to practice.

You might as ban the use of Photoshop bc there's this handy option called "action commands" where you save a preset of an order of processes to edit so you don't repeat the same buttons and actions manually. It's basically a small script program running these, so -GASP- a computer program is part of the process time to ban it.

Preset brushes? Also should be banned by this logic. How dare you make a brush that repeats and ultimately is a type of traced picture that keeps repeating and you can give away as well so others can used this automatic tracing brush.

Light boxes and their companies need to be dismantled for encouraging tracing. And with that, every Renaissance artist is a fraud and needs to be cancelled for tracing now!

(source here, this is the first thing I can find at work since I don't have access to art history journals/sources atm)

Like these antiAI and antipiracy freaks need to jump off a bridge since they have 0 fucking clue wtf they're talking about and just run their stupid fucking mouths.

words and concepts don't mean anything anymore

[lexirosewrites]

Happy slick Sunday!

I've always wondered, if the scent changes when people grow up. And consequently, if we assume scent mates are a thing in that universe (which I like think they are) if you'd have a different scentmate in different states of life?

Like, Eddie and Steve knowing each other from school but never having interacted much cuz they didn't like the others smell or just weren't super compatible while also running in wildly different circles and it just didn't seem worth it. And maybe they liked they're smell more when the whole upside down thing happened but it still wasn't scent mate, you know?

But maybe they left Hawkins together and they live together cuz a flat for each? In this economy? Also, they're codependent af. And maybe they start changing as they grow older, they learn from each other and strengthen they're friendship and while they still each date other people, it just never fits rights.

Until one day Eddie comes home to Steve having just finished cooking and they're supposed to watch a movie together and it smells like home and like he and his scent just belong and he hasn't ever fit somewhere so perfect. They might not have been scentmates right away but they grew to be each other's perfect match.

And maybe, since it scent can change, maybe when you're mates usually your scent is more likely to change together so you can always grow and change together and still be a perfect match! (That might also be why Steve's parents used to always wear scent patches, even at home. Steve thinks it's nice that his and Eddie's flat always smells like home and love)

this is such an interesting take on scentmates! especially because it leaves option that option of friends to lovers that's always so sweet🥰

[forlorn-plushie]

Just finished running Eureka! Investigative Urban Fantasy: 10/10 This Fucks Like Hell

Specifically, I ran the recently-publicized The Eye of Neptune module. (No spoilers here) I had two days to prepare and read the rules and the module... and that was enough. Not just because I'm a quick wit, either. It's an elegant game, and every player had also read the rules - so when I didn't know something, someone else did.

The rulebook looks intimidating, at something like 700 pages - but a full half of that is optional rules that only players really need to be aware of, if they happen to pick the options that engage them. Another half of what remains was irrelevant to the Eye of Neptune module - firearms, mostly, which are handled in deadly detail.

And the rest can be condensed to a few dozen pages because for all the basics, there's summaries at the end. Quick little checkbox lists that condense what was said in full to reminder-sized lists. These will exist for everything, but the game is currently a work-in-progress. I'd love to see a second document that is just those, separated out with headers, for reference use.

So yeah, two days to learn, no problems. Eureka is also good at failing inwards - a forgotten rule won't cause too many problems. But! Knowing them and using them leads to very fun characters who are a bit idiosyncratic and can totally win a wrestling match with god. Or cause all sorts of problems all the time. Frankie you will always be famous. With all or most of the rules in play, the game thrives in a way so few other games do.

It's also one of the most clear and explanatory systems regarding how to run it, which is AWESOME - the game is there to create an experience, and it does it great. I didn't read all the player sections (short on time) but it also talks about how to play to get the most out of it.

Just an incredible game, one that sets out to create a specific experience and absolutely hits the mark. Go subscribe to their patreon or follow them on tumblr. There's a link in their pinned post where you can also join the A.N.I.M. RPG Book Club where I ran the game (as a one-off) - they're about to start playing Eureka in groups, as it won the nomination this time. There's still a few days to sign up!

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Based on the way canon framed Alya's big Rena Furtive reveal, it was obvious that Nino knowing was going to lead to Alya losing her miraculous. As is, that loss was incredibly lackluster since it was paired with the loss of all the other miraculous. Alya could have stayed a temp hero and had the same results, making it feel like her promotion and confession to Nino were only done for cheep drama and not as a strategic move for the narrative or even just a strategic character beat since she would go on to keep Scarabella from Nino.

Wouldn't it have been more fun if Alya kept her miraculous into season five, but lost it to Lila after Nino blabbed Alya's secret identity to the wrong person since he's been established to do that now? Then Lila's miraculous could have been the fox and not the butterfly! She could even get both! The fox could be how Lila gets into the mansion since it means she now has powers, explaining why she'd risk going to a superhuman fight. This would also let Nino's blabbermouth issues have actual consequences instead of just making him look bad for no good reason. If you're gonna assassinate the dude's character, at least let it be for something meaningful to the narrative! Make it something that he can learn from and not just further degradation of the secret identity stuff! Let him revealing Alya without her permission have consequences for their relationship!

To be clear, I don't think this plan would actually work in canon since they made the big team at the end and it would feel wrong to leave Alya out of the team, but it was a random thought I had and I liked it enough to share it. There's a version of canon where this could have been a lot of fun. Maybe Alya gets the turtle until the fox is recovered? There are endless options!

[hooksbooks]

Renegade Exchange '24: Her Kingdom As Great

I participated in @renegadeguild's typesetting and bound fic exchange, in which we trade typsetting/bound fic wishlists with other participants and then typseset/bind at least one fic from their list and send it to them.

This post is about the first fic I bound for @celestial-sphere-press: Her Kingdom As Great by MarbleGlove.

I was excited to see this fic on my requester's wishlist, because I've read this series in the past and really enjoyed it. I liked the imagery of the golden wheat berries from the Nearly Endless Plains being used in embroidery on clothing, so I wanted the cover to feature embroidered wheat sheaves.

My first step was to work on the book cloth. I knew I wanted something tan that looked kind of hand-woven, so I went to the fabric store and got some linen-look fabric that I liked. I also experimented with three different ways of making it into bookcloth: backed with tissue paper filled with Heat'n'Bond (right), filled with a 50/50 mix of starch paste and matte acrylic medium (bottom), and filled with the paste/medium mix with a piece of tissue paper on the back (top).

I ended up liking the last option the best, though it meant the fabric lost the slubby linen-like texture I had selected it for. I wanted to go all-in on the tan wheat-tone theme, so I also printed the text on cream paper instead of white (the right typeset in the picture above).

I also added a tan bookmark, embroidered on gold headbands, and added an oxford hollow (although this book is a bit too thin to really need it).

When I went to cover the book, I had every intention of using gold HTV foil. However, I didn't take into account how the beads would inhibit me moving the iron around like I usually do with HTV (to avoid issues with the steam holes). It didn't end well. In fact, it ended very horribly.

The foil only partially stuck, and when trying to use the tip of the iron to apply heat only on the bits that hadn't stuck, the iron left a big black stain on my bookcloth. Luckily, it came out pretty well with a bit of baking soda on a nearly-dry toothbrush. I ended up asking a neighbor for some gold paint and using some regular vinyl as a stencil, which worked out OK. I found out later that it works better if you put down a layer of acrylic medium or the like first to avoid bleeding around the edges, but you live and learn.

Technical details:

Quarto size (quarter-letter, about A6)

Sewn on tapes

Sewn-on made endpapers

Chisel-trimmed

Rounded but not backed

Sewn-on endbands

Sewn-on bookmark

Oxford hollow

The tapes are frayed and glued to the exterior of the boards

The mull is also glued to the exterior of the boards

Full bookcloth cover

Things I especially liked about this bind:

The embroidery. It turned out pretty much exactly how I had envisioned it

The filled bookcloth. I don't think I'll do it by default, but I liked how it turned out and I like having it as an option in my back pocket

Things I'd like to improve for next time:

The title. I don't mind the paint rather than HTV foil, but I didn't love that it bled under the edges of the stencil. Next time I'll try using acrylic medium to seal the edges first, and see how that turns out.

The endpapers. I've been applying my endpapers with the covers open because I was concerned that they'd pull weird and possibly rip at the hinge. Unfortunately, this causes a big wrinkle in the endpapers that does not look nice. I figured out while doing the back endpaper that it actually is just fine to apply the endpapers as I close the covers on them because of the way I taper my boards and glue the mull on the outside of the cover.

Overall I'm moderately pleased. It's the highest-effort book I've made so far, and it turned out nearly how I had envisioned it with only minor issues.

[thelonelyshore-if]

I was just thinking how would the Ro's deal with a Mc who believes in all the witch stuff and practices it. Like with all the crystals and tarot cards.

Ooooh I love this question!! Answers under the cut <3

Beck- totally neutral feelings. He doesn't really believe in magic, but he also doesn't write it off, either. He'd jokingly claim that he keeps his options open. As such, he'd treat a MC who practices witchcraft pretty much the same way he'd treat one who doesn't.

Croft- is deeply immersed in the occult, themself, and while that's not exactly the same thing they're similar enough that Croft fully would respect MC's beliefs and finds them interesting. Also they are 100% deeeep into tarot. They probably have a really lovely collection of decks.

Jay- would be the most uncomfortable with it. They were raised Catholic, and they have a huuuge mistrust of magic and the supernatural. Due to, you know. Their-Dad-Got-Disappeared reasons. But they also would understand that it's different and would try to adjust their perceptions.

Perri- they'd think it's cool and want to learn more, hands down. They're not the most spiritual person in the world, but they'd be very supportive and eager about it...though tarot specifically would make them a bit uneasy. They don't love the idea of knowing the future.

Ravi- neutral to positive. He's also very into the occult and used to be way more into witch-y sort of stuff when he was a teenager. While he isn't as into it now, he's still deeply interested in magic. He'd enjoy being able to bond over it a bit, and would be very supportive!

Yasmin- she'd also be fairly neutral on the subject, though she might struggle with validating MC's beliefs, since she doesn't really believe in any kind of magic/the supernatural at this point. She'd do her best to be supportive, but finds it all a little hard to truly believe in. Once she finds out about the fog, though? She'd be much more open-minded.

[crowley-winter-boots]

I would like to add my own take to some of these/further expand on what you have written.

Start stealing things from supermarkets and malls:

I've literally walked out of stores in the mall with unpayed items. Check for the chunky plastic white tags on it, or a silver sticker with a black dot: these will set off alarms when you leave the door and they are very difficult, if not impossible to take off without getting caught by employees. Supermarkets are more iffy, I've never stolen anything from one, but they have more cameras there. Small stores in malls typically don't, at least not any I can see, which I'm fairly certain it is illegal for stores to have hidden cameras. Wear baggy hoodies, you can slip something in your sleeve quickly. Basketball shorts, parachute pants, other bottoms with large pockets are great for slipping something in unnoticed. Also, DO NOT dwell on something too hard. It will make it more likely to get caught- act natural. A lot of people go into the mall just to browse, so it's perfectly normal to walk out without having bought a single thing.

Put stickers everywhere:

It is incredibly easy to make your own stickers. It is better if you have some artistic ability so you're able to format the sticker sheets properly, but it's fine if you don't have those skills. It's like a jigsaw puzzle, you'll have to rotate the images in weird angles and look for patterns of where one nook fits into one cranny. Repeating patterns are good, too. You just need sticker paper, a printer, and an app that you can import photos into and create the sticker sheets: I personally use Procreate, but that's because I use it for artwork and it was the easiest option on hand for me, personally. Ibis Paint X is free, a bit difficult to import photos in my opinion, but it works. I'm sure Word could work as well, though not as well. The less white space, the better, but make sure to leave enough room between each sticker as to have even borders all around. A common mistake I made when I first started making stickers was that I would accidentally overlap some stickers or make them touching.

Learn how to sew:

Here is a punk fashion tip: USE DENTAL FLOSS. I know, it sounds weird, but it's a great option. Cheaper than thread, you can buy it in bigger quantities, it lasts longer, it's sturdier, and overall just a really good option.

Furthermore, since I mentioned a punk fashion tip, I want to add my own way to protest here, as well as other DIY things you can do.

Battle vests/jackets are excellent. I'm making one, as well as my own patches to add to it. DO NOT put political statements or LGBT-oriented things on the back: this can, and will, put you in danger. Not only will you not see someone coming at you, but if someone sees it from the front, they are less likely to actually harm you since you can see them coming. There are some other punk DIY clothing you can make, including crust pants and just homemade patches to add onto something else. You also don't have to fit the "punk aesthetic" to be a punk: it's an ideology.

Some more punk fashion tips: You CAN paint on clothes and fabrics. Just add equal parts fabric softener to equal parts acrylic paints. This will prevent the paint from getting crunchy, make it last longer, prevent it from chipping, allow it to stretch with the fabric, and make it machine washable. You can also make homemade pins: acrylic paint, bottle caps, soda tabs, safety pins, modge podge, and a lot of hot glue. Put the safety pin through the soda tab, and glue the soda tab down with hot glue. Drown that shit in it- may seem unnecessary, but hot glue is stubborn with metal and does not want to stick. Do this BEFORE YOU PAINT, I made the mistake and everything peeled off because it warmed up and stuck to my table. When you're done painting, seal it with Modge Podge: it's a type of glue-like substance that seals paint, makes it shiny, prevents it from chipping and peeling, and makes it last longer.

Engage in art

Art does NOT have to be good. Art is about having fun and expressing yourself. It takes YEARS to become good at it, but even then there is always room to improve. Don't downplay your own efforts because someone else has skills you don't yet have. Get creative. Bring out those cheap art supplies extended family bought you on a whim when you were in grade school. Cut things up and glue them where they don't belong. Spill coffee on it, crumple the paper, and destroy it before using it as your canvas.

Be loud and obnoxious

This is one I'm adding in here myself. The right wants to claim queer people are shoving their agenda down their throats, but then wave MAGA flags and ask for heterosexual pride month? Wave those flags of yours, wear way too many (stolen, or DIY ofc) pins of pride flags and pronouns. Wear pride flags like capes. Dye your hair crazy colours, put on crazy makeup just to go out to the store. Being visible not only pisses off people that don't want to see us, but it also helps other people feel seen and safer. THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS. Like I said with the battle vests, YOU CAN GET ATTACKED.

I've been wearing my transgender pride flag to school. Pride flags are banned from being hung up, but nothing in the dress code prohibits it. This weekend, I will paint "WE THE PEOPLE" on the back of it. Teachers have pulled me aside only on the second day of wearing it, asking why. I've been called an "it" (doesn't misgender me anyway, I use it/its so jokes on them), someone (pitifully) attempted to throw food at me, people have been shouting "what the fuck" and "is that a trans flag?" in the halls, people have been sideyeing and staring at me. There have been good reactions too, of course, but I'm sharing my bad reactions to further imply doing this can be dangerous. I live in central Texas, for reference.

The negative reactions, since they have not directly harmed me, I choose to find funny. I laugh it off. I want people to see that being trans isn't something that can't be erased from existence. I want them to see people like me are not going anywhere.

Survive and be safe

Another personal addition- but DO NOT give up. I know that things are bad, and that things will get worse. But living is one of the things you can do to stick it to them. Listen to "Famous Last Words - My Chemical Romance", that song can probably explain this as well. Do not stop fighting, and do not stop living. Be safe, don't put yourself in unnecessary danger in this fight, because it's going to be a big one. Make sure your mental health is good, and if it's not do what you can to improve on it. Don't let the government tell you that you don't have a place here; because you do. Fuck the government. Queer people have existed since before the Ancient Greeks, it's visible in nature all around. Lions and hens have been known for transitioning to male without actually having the male reproductive systems. Penguins and walruses have been known for homosexual relationships. America is built upon immigrants- the original Americans ARE immigrants because they came from Europe to colonize these lands. America wouldn't exist without immigrants.

I hope the expansion on what Kurohe had written is alright/helps out! Be safe out there and be yourself. Don't water yourselves down for the sake of people who don't want to see you thrive.

Things you can do to actively participate in the revolution

Here's the list !

I know some of those will look really silly, i promise they are not. And obviously, this is not a checklist, you don't have to do everything. But they're steps that you can absolutely take if you wish to, and they WILL help.

(i am continually correcting things when people point out mistakes. Thanks everyone for your help)

(under the cut !)

1) Let's start off with a very easy one you can do right now: stop using Chrome. It's a google owned browser, and it sents all of your data towards it. Mozilla is a very good replacement, but almost anything will do, really. We revolting against capitalism as a whole, and this is a good first step

Also, resign your amazon prime subscription.

2) Start stealing things from supermarkets and malls. I am not kidding. Little things, that aren't really monitored: a can of food, a lighter, a pair of socks. Condiments are particularly easy to hide in bags or pockets. Steal hygiene products, steal food.

Remember that you should have access to those for free, and you don't because a few rich guys don't want you to.

Additional tip: train station stores are very easy to steal from, because they're so busy. But don't put yourself in danger. Check beforehand if they check bags at checkout, look out for employees that might notice what you're doing. Don't be reckless.

(edit: this used to also say airports, but i've been told it's way too high risk as it's considered a federal crime. Thanks for letting me know)

3) In the same line, if you see someone stealing anything from a big store, no you didn't.

4) I know a lot of people are scared of disrespecting rules. By fear of being caught, or by guilt. My advice is: start disrespecting stupid, meaningless rules. I don't have specific exemples, but you'll encounter them and wonder why you're doing that. Stop doing it. This will train you to be able to disobey autority way easier.

5) Put stickers everywhere. If you already have them, go ham. Especially on public property (lamposts are amazing). If you don't, buy them from artists or independant stores, not big brands. If you cannot afford them, remember that you can simply write stuff on an A4 paper and plaster it to walls. Or even post its !

6) Carry a sharpie with you at all time, the big black ones. If you see propaganda, scribble it out. Keep a look out for terfs stickers, maga posters, etc. Also good for getting rid of transphobic and sexist stuff written on public restroom stalls !

8) Learn how to sew. I know, that sounds dumb ! But i promise you, not only will it be amazing to trade with other people ("i'll sew back ur shirt and in exchange, you give me a can of peaches !"), corporations also haaaate when you know how to fix your clothes. Because they want you to buy more. You'll spend a lot less money if you know how to fix em

7) Buy locally. This means going to the market or small stores, and thrifting your clothes. If you can't for money or accessibility reasons, try trading with your friends, family and neighbours. Get communication going in your circles, and you'll realise there are a lot of things that you can simply trade with or buy from people around you. Like a jar of jam against some eggs, or a pair of socks for a t-shirt you don't wear anymore !

9) If you have the space and the money, grow your own food, and share it or sell it around you. Be careful, some assholes will call the FDA on you. Do that with people you trust.

Additional tip: growing vegetables and fruits can be a real nightmare. You can absolutely start by just growing some basil or mint :)

10) Organise. Join leftist groups online, even if it's just to see what's being said, you don't even need to interact. Follow creators, repost and share their content. By doing that, you'll stay informed on group movements like strikes, protests and boycotts, which you can then participate in. It's very important you're connected to other ppl and the movements that are started !

11) Unionize. I'm very sorry I don't know the exact way unions work in the US, but if you can, join one. They will help you in times of needs, especially if you're a student or a worker. If you're not sure how to do that, absolutely ask around to people you know are very active politically, around you or online. People will help.

12) Stay. Informed. Follow independant papers and news outlet. If you can afford it, give them a dollar or two. They are fighting everyday for access to unbiased information for all, and sadly, their independance means that they rely almost entirely on donations and people simply engaging with what they put out.

If you can't access those: do not get your news from TV. Ever. Or anywhere else that has been bought by the far right. Sadly, the majority of TV channels are just the worst.

13) Share that information. Talk to those you trust and who are ready to listen to you, and tell them about what's happening. Get angry with them. Revolution stems from people coming together and realising that they're being used and profited off of. Share videos and posts relating to politics, especially informative videos.

And, most importantly: fact check. All of the time.

14) Go to protests ! If you've never been, i know it can be scary. But you can stay in the middle (don't go all the way to the front, that's where stuff can get heated) and scream and walk with everyone else. You'll meet people who, like you, want things to change. Capitalism wants you to stay as unconnected to others as possible, and that's a great way to fight that.

Sometimes, there are sites that have a planning for all protests happening in a city. Look up if one exists for yours

15) Create and strenghten community. I know i really struggled with this one, because it's so vague. But here's a few places you can start:

-Go and introduce yourself to your neighbours, if you deem it safe. Give them a little gift if you can afford it, like a pack of pasta.

-Make new friends, even if they aren't deep friendships. You need connections. Online or irl, both are fine- don't stay isolated.

-If you already have community, go check on them right now. Ask your friends how they're doing, and if they need anything- ask how they're being impacted by what's happening right now politically.

16) Look for ways to fuck over the institutions in easy ways. One example that went around tumblr a lot is letting dandelions grow in your backyard, because landlords fucking hate it. If you work in retail or fast food, cheat. Accidentally forget to scan the diapers. Put in 7 nuggets instead of 6.

17) Engage in art. MAKE art. Music, shitty paint drawings, craft, anything as long as you're being creative. Share it. If you feel like you can't do that, then support artists. Make a point to look up cool illustrations, and new music. Go to the cinema.

(edit: been told that it's very risky for walmart workers to not scan things, so beware.)

If you're an artist currently in an underpaid office job, please, by the love of god, be creative during office hours. You're underpaid, they do not deserve your full time and attention. Take 30 minutes to write that snippet you've been thinking about.

(and actually, if you're underpaid at all: do the minimum required. So that you can't be fired, but that's it. Any more effort is not worth it. Companies will never be thankful for what you do.)

18) Look up books that your state banned, and go read them. You can get them secondhand, or as pdfs online. (if anyone needs ressources, i will glady look for and share them.)

19) Seek education. There's a lot of youtube channels out there talking about educational subjects in a fun way. Some things the rich assholes who run the country specifically don't want you to learn more about are: biology, history and archeology, social and economic sciences. GO LEARN ABOUT THOSE.

And, actually, read books in general if you can. Yes, fanfics count !

The people in power don't want you to be educated. It's why they eviscerated the education system.

20) PIRATE. I cannot stress this enough, anything you can pirate (that isn't from small, indie creators, except if you absolutely can't afford it) do it. Download music illegally, torrent movies and games. If you want access to academical studies and papers, some writers will give them to you for free if you email them about it. There are also ways to go around paywalls.

21) Don't fall for the traps of "progressive brands". Lately, i've seen a lot of praise for Ben and Jerry's for openly supporting lgbtq rights and being globally anti-trump. They are still a brand. Avoid buying from any big names when you can. That being said, if you have to, check beforehand which ones and what their history is. Some are more evil than others.

Additional tip: a lot of brands you see in stores are actually owned by bigger brands. One prime example of this is Nestle, who are fucking evil, but they own a shitload of other big names. Be careful what you buy.

22) I hate to say this, but be prepared to defend yourself. Revolutions are never peaceful. You will get in danger. If you can, get in ok physical shape. If you can't, buy a gun. (Remember Alabama has a 99% acceptation rate, you can get one in 10 minutes.) I hate firearms, but the enemy will have them too. Arm yourself.

If none of those are available options to you, please, make sure you have someone around you that will be able to protect you, or a place where you can be safe. Whether you are disabled, a minor, or anything else. Don't put yourself in more danger than is necessary.

23) Last but not least, be kind. When someone cuts off a woman speaking, interrupt and give her the floor back. Shame those who think it's right to say bigoted shit in public. Listen to those around you. If you can't act, then remember to always have empathy for the homeless, for drug users, for immigrants. Understand they are people just like you. You are not immune to propaganda and prejudice, no matter who you are. Always question yourself and your biases.

(if you've read this far, please repost. We need this to reach as many people as possible)

I want to remind you that you're not alone. I know things seem hopeless, but the simple fact that you're reading this is proof it's not. I don't live in the US, but i'm supporting you as best i can from where i am, and sending you strenght.

If you have any questions, do ask away. I'll end on this image that's very dear to me:

[whateversawesome]

Spy x Family Ch. 111: Anya's Mama

So many things for such a little chapter, don't you think?

We saw baby Anya and we finally caught a glimpse of Anya's biological mother.

Something to notice is that they're both wearing hospital gowns, which makes me think they were in the lab and, because of that, we can solidify the theory about Anya being born there. It could be that her mom was pregnant when captured or that they experimented on her and she got pregnant while in that lab. A secret third option is that Anya's mom actually volunteered for the experiments (maybe she was a scientist herself or a family member coaxed her into doing it), although I find this unlikely due to her comment about the butterfly. Either way, I have a feeling we won't know for a very long time.

Mindreading or no mindreading?

Endo chose not to let us know about that explicitly. However, look at this panel:

I don't think Anya's mom is talking here. I think she's thinking this. Because of that, I do suspect Anya can read her mama's mind. She doesn't fully understand it but those words are inside her memory.

However, as you can see in the panel below, we don't see her classic mindreading sparkles. So, it' could also be that she saw her mom getting sad or nostalgic and she wanted to hug her. Kids are very perceptive of their parent's emotions.

If you ask me, I think she was born with that ability. Either her mom was also a telepath who was being studied during her pregnancy or she was experimented while pregnant and gained and passed her abilities to her daughter.

All this makes me consider that maybe Anya wasn't experimented on like many of us believed for a long time. Maybe those scientists were just studying her/observing her in order to understand and try to replicate her abilities. I'm really hoping Endo will go this route, it's less cruel. In any case, keeping someone so young as a case study is still wrong and I don't think Twilight and Yor will like this.

Anya's Mama

I'm talking about Yor, of course.

First of all, I think Endo summed up what motherhood is about in this panel:

It's not exactly that a mom can read their kid's mind, but it's something close. As a mom you get to know your child inside and out. When you take care of them, see them grow and love them with all your heart, you simply learn to "read every part of them."

That's how we know that Yor loves Anya and that she is her mom.

I don't know what happened to Anya's biological mom; she could be gone or still be alive. I'm sure we'll find out eventually. However, no matter what happens, I think Anya will always have that unconditional love from Yor.

There's a prevalent theme about motherhood in sxf: a mother as a safe place. Yor has mentioned it several times; she knows her job is to protect Anya and Anya feels safe when her mama is around (even Twilight notices this.)

I think the bond between them will get stronger as the story moves forward. Come on, it's pretty obvious Anya is Yor's baby, she's already head over heels and she decided she wanted to be a good mother since day 1. Also, a big theme in the story are bonds that are forged, and chosen family. In the story, blood ties sometimes are complicated (look at the Desmonds, for example.)

I'm not fluent in Japanese, but I am aware that Anya calls Yor and Twilight, Haha and Chichi, which is an English equivalent of "my mom and my dad", instead of just "mom and dad." In case you are wondering, Anya did call her biological mom, the right way: "mama."

At some point in the story, I think we will see Anya call Yor and Twilight, mama and papa the right way. I suspect this will be the moment when they will realize they're no longer a pretend family, but a real one. And it'll be simply beautiful 💖

A Few Questions

Whenever we learn something about one of the Forger's past, we are usually left with even more questions like:

Where's Anya's mom now?: I think either she's still a prisoner somewhere or she's dead. And if she's alive, does she know Anya lives?

How did Anya escape? She was so little! She must have had help from someone.

Who is Anya's dad? Maybe a scientist? A prisoner of war? Or was artificial insemination possible back then?

Is Anya her real name? I'm wondering if her mom called her differently. Here are some theories about her name. I suspect this will be important and I wouldn't be surprised if Anya is not her real name, almost as a foil of Twilight's name and story.

And also, there's a gap between that scene/memory and when Anya gets adopted by Twilight. We know thanks to Franky that in the year before Twilight adopted her, she was previously adopted by four different families, however, there's still a chunk of time missing.

I estimate she's probably 2 years old in that memory, she was 4 when she was adopted by those other families, and 5 years old when Twilight became her dad. That leaves 2 full years blank. Where was she during that time?

[zorlok-if]

How are the RO’s cooking skills from best to worst?

Best > Worst:

The Celestial > EJ > Danny > Adam/Eve > Rose > Lucía > Dev > Ciel

(Explanations under the cut)

The Celestial (Best)

Kind of unfair for em to even compete with everyone else. Ey's been cooking for millennia, traveled the entirety of this world, and is fascinated with cuisine and enjoying the little things in eternal life.

EJ

EJ is a great chef and an excellent baker. They enjoy cooking based on feel/instinct and rarely follow recipes. Cooking/baking for people is one of the main ways they casually show their love and care for people. They can make anything they put their mind to but their specialties are homemade pasta, snickerdoodles, sourdough bread, and savory pies.

Danny

An excellent chef who doesn't use recipes, they prefer to cook based purely on what's available and what they're/people around them are craving. Unlike EJ though, they can't bake. There's something about the regimented steps that just doesn't work for them and they have no patience for spending a lot of time baking only for it to be messed up (which is pretty much what always happens when they try to bake).

Adam/Eve

Relies pretty heavily on recipes for dishes they aren't familiar with but once they've gotten something down, they feel comfortable enough to stray from the path a bit. They love cooking during the winter especially. Soups and stews are some of their favorite things to make year round but they do love a barbecue in the summer.

Rose

Is a decent cook but this is mostly through many years of having to cook for himself and his daughter. Cooking is not something he's naturally skilled at or particularly passionate about. However, he does love to break out the grill when the weather's right and he makes a mean stack of pancakes.

Lucía

Can cook for herself and does but it's not something she likes to do. She prefers incredibly simple nutrient packed meals that she can make a big batch of at once (and will last her a long time) or things that are already prepared and she just has to finish or warm up. If it were an option, she'd live solely on protein bars or shakes. That would be her ideal.

Dev

Dude seems to live on coffee alone. Xe hates to cook but also has a thing with eating things other people have made (as in xe doesn't like eating things made by other people). EJ is pretty much the only person xe trusts when it comes to eating their food (and EJ is fine cooking for Dev, sometimes they will cook Dev something and pretend that it was their leftovers).

Ciel (Worst)

Ciel could burn water. They never learned how to cook, have no patience, and zero interest in cooking.

[kaythefloppa]

New Wild Kratts Special

Season 7 of Wild Kratts continues on into 2025. According to the Kratt Brothers, 6 new episodes are currently in development, including an hour-long TV movie. Although Martin Kratt said that the 200th episode would air this season, several other sources report that the season will end with 20 episodes. Which indicates that we're halfway finished with Season 7. And given how the modern seasons take 2 years to finish, the final 9 episodes of the season will most likely be released this year.

The second half of Season 7 will premiere in April of 2025. The one-hour special is the only episode on TV listings that has a title and synopsis, so we will focus on it here.

Wild Kratts: Activate Kid Power - Parts 1 & 2 - Airing Monday, April 7th, 2025

When the Wild Kratts receive an overload of calls for creature rescues, their creature power capacity fails. The team is left helpless, but soon learn that by the working with Wild Kratts Kids that Kid Power is perhaps the most amazing and effective creature power of all!

Pre-Episode Thoughts + Predictions:

Back in August, the Kratt Brothers had a Creature Heroes Foundation event in which people could send videos or pictures of them helping out animals which could potentially be used in a new special (my lazy ass didn't find the time to do this FUCK). This is definitely that special they were building up to. It's very meta, but also incredibly sweet.

Ok but I have literally been in love with this episode's concept. I always thought the idea of the Wild Kratts working with the Wild Kratts Kids would have the perfect formula for a series finale where they retire and pass on the torch to those who have learned from them over the years, and it would've been a great plot for the movie. Even though this episode isn't the series finale, it's still great that the series proper is utilizing it. Once again, Season 7 is trying a lot of interesting ideas, especially character-driven ones that feel the most appropriate.

Chris and Martin teased at grizzly bears and sea turtles appearing in the special. Initially I wasn't excited because we've seen those animals before, but knowing the main synopsis of the episode I'm now excited. It could be in similar vein to No Name Dream where we see familiar animals, but they are largely the backdrop to character-plots. Again, really nice.

Whilst I'm glad that we're getting an episode on the Wild Kratts Kids, I can't help but still feel sad. Because again, most of the WK Kids from the earlier seasons (Gavin, Ronan, Aiden, Nolan, Ellie, ect.) wouldn't be able to return with speaking noises because their actors are all grown up. So will the show age them up so that we can see them as secondary characters again? Or will they recast them with younger actors? Or will they once again be be relagated to cameos? I'm hoping that it's the first option, because it would be a really bold move for the show to do, especially in a season that they are hyping up so much.

I'm 99% positive that Paisley Paver will appear in this special. Again, I don't mind the fact that she's not a series regular after her redemption (in fact, I'm glad because it would be really distracting). But still, Our Blue and Green World was the biggest episode of the season and solely because of her redemption. And the writers have admitted to committing to this change for the rest of the series. To not follow up on it, with so much of her character to explore, and especially when we're nearing the end of the season is a crime. For this episode's plot specifically, I hope we get scenes of her helping the Wild Kratts Kids/receiving their help, and attempting to earn their trust after previously threatening their animal friends. Seeing as we've never seen the Kids interacting with/reporting Paisley ever since her introduction, it would be so interesting.

As an add-on to that last point, since pretty much all of the one-hour specials nowadays have villains in them, that means that Zach, Donita, and Gourmand will appear here right? Initially I wanted the specials this season to not have villains, but with how the direction of the show has gone in regards to Paisley's character, I'm actually hoping that they do appear and face off against Paisley. Maybe the Wild Kratts Kids come to her rescue, or better yet, the villains go after the kids, but Paisley is able to hold them off long enough for them to get somewhere safe. And maybe we could finally get our long-awaited Rex-demption arc. I don't think this could happen because it would be too much to cram into a 47 minute episode, but it seems like the perfect place to wrap up that storyline.

Will the Wild Kratts Kids get their own Creature Power Suits? I feel as though "Kid Power" will be more metaphorical than literal, but I really hope that is the case. Even though I like the idea of the WK Kids having their own Creature Power Suits, it would cheapen the lesson given that anyone in their own backyard can make a difference for the Creature World. Plus, I feel like any supporting character like say, Gavin or Paisley activating a Creature Power before Jimmy just feels wrong (once again, hoping that he activates a CPS before the end of the season).

Finally... I really hope there's not a musical number in this special. With the exception of the Blue/Green special, every single one of the musical numbers in the one-hour holiday specials have been complete ass because the actors do not have a good singing range, nor are they directed to do so, and the only one of them who is a known singer (Zachary Bennett) is somehow never called in for a professional villains' song.

Those are all of my thoughts for now. Expect the promos to arrive either at the end of this month or the start of next month.