#bb 15 task

[bonefall]

Can you tell us more about your plans to add more cat behavior in the BB rewrite??

First of all, patrolling is getting an overhaul!

There are now four patrols a day; Dawn, Noon, Dusk, and Night. This is based on the big change that BB Cats are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and twilight.

Dawn and Dusk patrols are the desired ones, unlike canon where Dawn Patrol is a chore. That's when everyone is awake! Noon is DREADED, because that's naptime. And Night? That's the most dangerous one, reserved for strong warriors.

Elders now also need to go on daily patrols, assigned as an apprentice task. I'm going to be tasteful about it, but there's something important about marking; that is urine.

The old cats NEED to go on patrols for their mental and physical help, especially toms. This leads into...

There are now some gender roles and expectations to go along with my transgender and queer cats. Contrast to canon where it just kinda ignores gender outside of snide "Ugh! Other gender!" remarks while still accidentally including a glass ceiling, lmao.

IN-UNIVERSE, there are 3 cultural genders. Molly (Yaow), Tom (Ssuf), and Gib (Meewa). There are queer cats with different relationships to these than what is socially expected.

Molly (Yaow) Behaviors:

Aggression and protectiveness. The "Motte" of a tom cat's "Bailey." This is based on how female cats tend to be more cautious and less likely to wander.

Building. Fixing dens, fortifying defenses, and other camp-construction behaviors.

Assertiveness. They are socialized to be more vocal and voice their opinions more than male cats.

Tom (Ssuf) Behaviors:

Curiosity and wanderlust, plus border aggression. This is based on how male cats travel further distances and mark territory more than females.

Playfulness and neediness. It is expected that tom cats ironically need more social stimulation than mollies, related to how they aren't supposed to ask.

Passivity. They are socialized to not argue as much as their molly and gib counterparts, and be less involved in drama.

Gib (Meewa) Behaviors:

Wisdom. This is because of heavy association with Gray Wing the Wise.

Compassion and social aptitude. They are expected to do more emotional labor than the other two.

Patience and tolerance. They are seen as hardy and dedicated, with more focus on long-term projects like land management and crafts.

So I'm taking the freedom now to try and give this culture a unique sense of gender, while still trying to include the joyous and irreverent way us queer WC fans just like seeing ourselves in the cats.

And lastly! More social behaviors related to real cats.

Cats sleep for 15 hours a day. Clan cats are considered "busy bees" for ONLY averaging 13 hours.

So there's now social naps. This is IDEAL sneak-out time, but you are expected to doze off with your clanmates in the middle of the day unless you have an assignment (the detested noon patrol...)

Allogrooming. The prevention of knots and mats is a social responsibility, everyone stays clean. Sharing Tongues is back and more important than ever.

Sparring. A formalized way to express play fights, and sharpen fighting skills while you're at it.

Something about scratching, but I haven't worked it out yet! I want the cats to have some kind of ritual related to this.

[taekooktimeline]

End of June 2023 (filmed), April 7, 2024 (released):

Yoongi’s “D-DAY in Seoul” BB is released on YouTube! I’ve already covered Taekook attending in more extensive detail in the recap linked below, but I wanted to add a few more things. Hopping around together -

Timestamp 13:15

https://x.com/_k91230v_/status/1776942488634433605?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Jk looks at Tae and starts dancing. Tae then starts dancing the same dance -

https://x.com/euphoria_pie/status/1776917742727426162?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Members yell out, “Yoongi,” during the VCR while waiting for Yoongi to come back on stage (Jk is the last to shout his name in this moment, and just like I mentioned in my prior recap, I love that we can see his eyes smiling even with the mask) -

Tae claps in amusement -

Timestamp 14:00

Tae shouts, “Yoongi!” when it’s quiet, which causes him to get shy and walk in a circle around Jk while the crowd cheers.

Jk is adorably amused by this and endearingly laughs while watching Tae walk in his shy circle around him. (Side note - I enhanced the brightness of the last photo to better see Jk looks to his left and right to watch Tae) -

https://x.com/kookvtwins/status/1776916884065079446?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Taekook are seen sitting next to each other when Yoongi finishes his set and comes backstage. It’s always the little things for me! Jk playfully yells, “Yoongi,” before turning to Tae with a grin. Tae immediately mimics him and shouts his own, “Yoongi!”

https://x.com/_k91230v_/status/1776945093133717785?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Timestamp 16:38

While there isn't anything seemingly poignant going on in the below moment, I found this really domestic. Tae fiddles with a necklace while his body is turned into Jk, who’s snacking, but also has his body turned towards Tae. It’s the subtler moments like this that speak volumes about their closeness. Even during simpler tasks, such as this, there’s a need to be close to the other.

Timestamp 17:20

As we already know, Tae and Jk arrived and left together! They’re glued side to side as they exit, despite the space next to Tae. As others have noted, it does seem like they’d have held hands had the cameras not been around.

https://x.com/vantegifs/status/1776920442281902214?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

https://x.com/ak74ecpgggsxrzu/status/1776926582340493766?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

https://x.com/kookieantae4eva/status/1776985604867453070?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

And some things never change between these two! Just like in years past, they decide to act out a skit, in this instance pretending to have just finished performing.

https://x.com/startksupporter/status/1776944053365485703?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

https://x.com/yoowrites_/status/1776925280004944278?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Raw - https://youtu.be/MdoJUJGrYFE?si=tKeQNtsEB5PbAFPE

Recap of June 25, 2023 (when Jk, Tae and Jimin attended) - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline2023/721854010781483008/taekooktimeline-june-25-2023-taekook-attend

[captain-price-unofficially]

USS New Jersey (BB-62), right, and the destroyer USS Fletcher (DD-992). The ships are part of a task group underway off the coast of California, April 15, 1983

[hetalia-club]

Got Bored And Made An Entire Hetalia Baseball League (HBL)

the league is meant to have fictitious and near impossible goals for regular humans to achieve. They are all scaled beside each other accounting for superhuman strength.

~Japan's Stats~

Batting Average Stats: Regular Season: .291 Projected: .300 Career: .294

Running Speed MPH- 15-20 mph Hitting power- 90-95 mph Regular Season Stolen Bases: 40 Career Stolen Bases: 540

Japan would be an excellent baseball player, known for his consistency, versatility, and disciplined approach. His ability to contribute both offensively and defensively, combined with his strategic mindset, would make him a key player on any team. He would be a reliable and valuable asset, respected for his skill, dedication, and tactical acumen.

Tsunami Titans- link to their team and positions

Other Players: (will update with link as they are added) America Russia Sweden England Ireland Iceland Canada Denmark Turkey France Scotland Greece Germany Japan Nyo!America Prussia China Nyo!England Spain Austria Italy Norway Romano Finland

Japan's breakdown below >> (Chat GTP helped with this part because I'm not good at describing things or sports talk)((it also made me the lay out above I made the stats and it put them in MLB format for me & calculated batting average because math :/ ))

Considerations for Japan’s Stats:

Character Traits and Personality:

Disciplined and Precise: Japan is known for his discipline, precision, and methodical approach to tasks. These traits suggest a player who would have a high level of skill, consistency, and focus.

Reserved and Tactical: His reserved nature and tactical mindset imply a player who may not be the most flamboyant but is effective and reliable.

Balanced Stat Distribution:

Regular Season:

Games Played (GP): 162, indicating he is a regular and dependable player.

At-Bats (AB): 550, suggesting he is a consistent part of the lineup.

Runs (R): 90, showing he contributes significantly to the team's scoring.

Hits (H): 160, reflecting a strong batting average.

Extra-base Hits (2B, 3B, HR): Good numbers in doubles (30), triples (10), and moderate home runs (15), indicating a well-rounded hitter.

RBI: 75, demonstrating his ability to drive in runs.

Walks (BB) and Strikeouts (SO): 60 BB and 70 SO, showing excellent plate discipline and contact skills.

Projected:

Slight improvements to reflect continued growth and potential in hitting and run production.

Career:

Games Played (GP): 2000, reflecting a long and productive career.

At-Bats (AB): 6800, showing sustained participation and consistency.

Runs (R): 1100, Hits (H): 2000, Doubles (2B): 380, Triples (3B): 120, Home Runs (HR): 220.

RBI: 900, indicating a consistent ability to contribute to the team’s offense.

Walks (BB): 700, Strikeouts (SO): 850, showing excellent plate discipline over his career.

Summary:

Regular Season: Japan’s stats reflect his disciplined, consistent, and precise nature, making him a reliable and productive player.

Projected: Small improvements in key areas such as hits, runs, and home runs to reflect potential for continued growth.

Career: Cumulative stats that highlight a long, consistent, and productive career, aligning with his methodical and reliable character.

Player Profile: Japan (Hetalia)

Overall Assessment:

Japan would be a very good baseball player, known for his consistency, discipline, and tactical approach to the game. He would be a reliable and valuable team member, contributing both offensively and defensively.

Key Attributes:

Consistent Hitter:

With a batting average around .291 in the regular season and .294 over his career, Japan would be a consistent and reliable hitter. His ability to maintain a high batting average suggests he has excellent contact skills and plate discipline.

Solid Run Producer:

Scoring 90 runs and driving in 75 RBIs in a regular season indicates that Japan is involved in many scoring opportunities. His ability to drive in runs and score himself makes him an important part of the team's offense.

Versatile and Balanced Hitter:

With 30 doubles, 10 triples, and 15 home runs in a regular season, Japan demonstrates versatility and the ability to hit for both power and precision. His ability to get extra-base hits makes him a threat to advance runners and get into scoring position.

Excellent Plate Discipline:

With 60 walks and only 70 strikeouts in a regular season, Japan shows excellent plate discipline. He has a good eye for the strike zone, allowing him to draw walks and avoid excessive strikeouts.

Reliable and Durable:

Playing 162 games in a regular season and accumulating 2000 career games indicate that Japan is highly durable and dependable. He rarely misses games due to injury and is a consistent presence in the lineup.

Tactical and Strategic:

Reflecting his personality in Hetalia, Japan would likely be a strategic thinker on the field. His approach to the game would be methodical and well-planned, making him a valuable asset in key situations.

[the-monkey-ruler]

Westward Journey Online II (2002) 大话西游2经典版

Date: August 15, 2001 / August 07, 2015 Uncoded test Platform: PC Developer: NetEase Publisher: NetEase Genre: Turn-Based Theme: Fantasy Franchises: Westward Journey Online Aliases: New Westward Journey 2 / Westward Journey 2 Classic Edition / Westward Journey Online / Westward Journey Online III Type: Reimanging

Summary:

Since Pangu opened up the world, the heavens are divided into three realms, and the earth is divided into four continents. All ethnic groups coexist in Dongsheng Shenzhou, Xiniu Hezhou, Nanzhanbuzhou, and Beijuluzhou, thus determining the pattern of heaven and earth. All species originally coexisted peacefully: The immortal clan ruled and dominated everything from above, the human race admired the brilliance of the gods and reproduced endlessly, the demon clan was always sealed in the darkness and lived stubbornly but arrogantly, the ghost clan continued the cycle of yin and yang, and lived freely in the underworld... all things in the cycle of reincarnated endlessly, and tens of thousands of years of time flow like water.

However, an accident 13,000 years ago caused the Demon Race to invade the Immortal Race, disrupting the order of the entire world, and the Ghost Race gradually became stronger. According to the historical records of the Heavenly Court: On the day when the demons slaughtered the immortals, the sky and the earth changed color, the sun and the moon were dimmed, the terrain of the invasion was like a broken bamboo, and the guards of the Heavenly Court were like fallen leaves in a strong wind... It can be seen that the degree of tragedy is extraordinary. After this battle, the dominance of the fairy clan was also shaken, and the sealed demon clan began to wait for an opportunity to come out. Wrathful ghosts and wild ghosts were everywhere in the land of Shenzhou, monsters are reborn, and it is even more difficult for mortals to resist the demons in their hearts as hate and killing fill the world. In the human world and the underworld, ghosts gathered for a while, and the ghost clan gradually awakened in the chaos of war and came to the Three Realms.

In a blink of an eye, it was the Tang Dynasty. It is said that one day, the Tathagata Buddha summoned all the Buddhas, Arrows, Jiedi, Bodhisattvas, arhats, monks, and nuns in the Daleiyin Temple of Lingshan to give lectures on the Dharma. He talked about the great numbers of the world and the good and evil of all living beings. Immediately, his compassion arose, so he summoned Guanshiyin Bodhisattva from the South China Sea, saying that there is a Tripitaka of Mahayana Buddhism, which can transcend the souls of the dead, free them from suffering, and make life and body invincible. However, those who have a predestined relationship with Buddha need to pray sincerely and overcome ninety-nine and eighty-one difficulties. Only by getting rid of the shackles of the physical body can he retrieve it; then he uses this scripture to pass on to the Eastern Tang Dynasty, and it can relieve the calamity between heaven and earth. So Guanyin enlightened the Buddhist monks to go west to learn Buddhist scriptures. Helplessly, the world has been determined, and the path to learn from the scriptures is doomed to be full of hardships.

At this time when the world is full of numbers, when immortals, humans, demons, and ghosts coexist in the world, you were born in a fishing village on the shore of the East China Sea that gathers the essence of heaven and earth, the aura of mountains and rivers, and talented people come forth in large numbers. People in the village say those who are born here are the people of destiny who shoulder the important task of resolving the great numbers in the world. So, you are on your way.

Source: https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%A4%A7%E8%AF%9D%E8%A5%BF%E6%B8%B82%E7%BB%8F%E5%85%B8%E7%89%88?fromModule=lemma_search-box

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNeQlXej8YE&ab_channel=thitramy https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1aN4y177F5/ https://xy2.163.com/

[lonestarbattleship]

USS Idaho (BB-42) departing Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on January 22, 1944. She and the other members of the Task Force were leaving for the next attack, against the Marshall Islands. They arrived off Kwajalein on the 31st.

Digital Archives of Hawai'i: PPFUR-3-15-012, PPFUR-3-15-011, PPFUR-3-15-013, PPFUR-3-15-014, PPFUR-3-15-015

[study-with-aura]

Sunday, February 25, 2024

The book I am reading is really good! I wish I had more time to read so I could know what was going to happen next, but alas, my days are meticulously planned and piano practice gets added first if I have extra time after finishing my school work during the week. The weekends allow me the option to trade in time gaming to do other things, but my brother was able to play tonight, so I traded 30 minutes of time for reading and then got on to play with Julien when he texted that he was ready whenever I was.

This week, I get to keep track of my emotions three times a day and then make notes about what I thought may have triggered any of the strong emotions. It's actually for two weeks, but it should be interesting to see what happens at different times throughout the day and how it could be linked to things such as sleep, exercise, nutrition, or whatnot.

Tasks Completed:

World History - Worked on essay (due tomorrow)

Piano - Practiced for 3 hours in 1 hour split sessions

Duolingo - Studied for 15 minutes (Spanish, French, Chinese) + completed daily quests

CLEP - Completed Module 10 reading "World War I" 12.2.3-12.2.5

Reading - Read pages 92-186 of A Door in the Dark by Scott Reintgen

Chores - Put the dishes away + vacuumed my bedroom, the study, and the front room + swept and mopped the kitchen floor

Activities of the Day:

Church

Bible Study

Personal Bible Study (Psalm 56)

Girl Scout meeting

1 hour gaming

Journaling/Mindfulness

-

What I’m Grateful for Today:

I am grateful for my friends. I say this a lot, but it is because I am exceedingly grateful for them, especially on days we get to see each other. It reminds me how lucky I am to have had them in my life for so many years.

Quote of the Day:

People really are like houses with vast rooms and tiny windows. And maybe it’s a good thing, the way we never stop surprising each other.

-Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, Becky Albertalli

🎧Impromptu in Bb minor Op12 no.2 - Aleksandr Scriabin

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

Immaculate Mary | BODY BACK Update #2

Harrison's back, and he's only getting worse! <3

Let's talk chapter 2 of my novella BODY BACK. We're all about villain eras, unexpected developments, Mother Mary, Jesus thirst traps (yes...) & more. Check out update #1 if you missed it!

Post starts under the cut!

Unexpected developments

I'd already planned that Suzanna, Harrison's mother, wasn't going to be a major character in BB as she is in Feeding Habits. I didn't think we'd see her "on-screen" in BB, but when you get caught breaking into a stranger's pool & need your mother to bail you out...

Suzanna & Harrison

CW: child neglect, addiction

Suz and Harrison have SUCH a complicated relationship. They were once extremely close, but are now near-strangers. Having abandoned Harrison when he was a child amidst her own substance-abuse problems, Suz also never reconnected with her son after she got sober. She is only part of his life now out of fluke (the fluke is Lonan, who runs into her by chance in Moth Work--you can read that chapter update HERE though it's old!).

Harrison isn't sure what to make of their relationship. On one hand, it's a relief to have his mother back in his life because he's missed her (amongst other feelings) and also has a safety net when he makes bad decisions (chapter 1 lmao). But on the other hand, he's *extremely* resentful of Suzanna (and rightly so). At this point, they've only been reconnected for 2 weeks, and while Suz is trying to transition their lives together as seamlessly as possible, the last time they meaningfully knew each other was ~15 years prior (1990-ish), which makes this task, especially on Harrison's end, impossible.

This relationship is probably one of the most complex things I've ever written. It's hard to verbalize/describe it because at times it's irrational, frustrating, lovely, horrifying, hilarious, and comforting (and sometimes all at once). This culminates to a volatile emotional climax for Harrison that serves as the inciting incident for BB.

Immaculate Mary

We open "Immaculate Mary" with Harrison and Suz in the Bakers' bathroom (the couple whose house Harrison broke into). This chapter is about motherhood, yes, but also sonhood, and how Harrison believes his sonhood intersects with Suz's motherhood (and conversely, how Jesus' sonhood intersects with Mary's motherhood).

The title was just an inclination I had that addressed the chapter's holy and maternal themes. I was also aware this was a hymn, HOWEVER, upon writing this update (as in RIGHT NOW), I've realized this is a Catholic hymn I used to sing all the time in choir. So I guess I blocked that out?? LMAO

Scene A:

Suz attempts to blow-dry Harrison's hair which is soaked with pool water. This goes badly.

Scene B:

Desperate and unsure how to help her reckless son (lol), Suz drives Harrison to Eliza's apartment--where his ex, Lonan, now lives--in hopes he will talk to him. This also goes badly.

Scene B is *critical* here. Harrison isn't ready to face Lonan, even if that means merely facing the potential of seeing him. Suz rushing him into a conversation he isn't ready to have flips a switch inside of him. This is how we get to Chaotic Party Harrison, whose primary concern is A) forgetting and B) having a good time so he can forget some more.

The writing process

Writing this chapter was faster than chapter 1 because it's more action/dialogue heavy with longer scenes (it's also not as clean, lol).

I wrote a large portion of this chapter as a writing prompt for a class. The bathroom scene with Harrison & Suz was almost exclusively hand-written as a screenplay, so I had to adapt it. It was a lot of fun to have the dialogue/scene skeleton laid out, since it's not often I have a plan before going into writing sessions.

I similarly followed the circular plot structure I talked about in update 1. The "satellite" in this case was "mother/sonhood/mother Mary/Jesus." Mary x Jesus are critical to this chapter--not only does Harrison project himself onto Jesus, he also does the same to Suz, but with Mary. What does it mean to Mary to be the mother of the Messiah, and what does it mean to Suz to be the mother of Harrison? These are two questions we keep circling back to.

Excerpts

Guess who didn't share every single excerpt from this chapter so I actually have *some* new content??? :)

A plastic fantastic description of the Bakers' bathroom:

They stand in the Bakers’ bathroom. It vomits ‘under-the-sea’—a theme a child might request, but according to the living room’s unstained couch cushions and front mat’s lack of tiny shoes, no children live here. Perhaps Nash requested the décor. That might check out—a Ken doll on the outside dying to be coffined in his plasticky packaging, or in this case, plasticky bathroom. High-gloss cerulean walls. A clownfish soap dispenser. The toilet seat cover ridged into a lilac clam. A translucent blue shower curtain that flickers iridescent waves when you walk past it.

Here, we explore Harrison's psychology more overtly. Is he expecting to be yelled at--and why is that something he craves now?

In Suz’s body, Harrison expects rage. How far did she drive to get here? Honestly, he hadn’t tracked the length of the car ride when he’d hitchhiked. He analyzes her shoulders as she shuffles through the Bakers’ cabinet and emerges with a hairdryer, but she’s blanker than a blank slate—the empty air in front of God before he creates. If she’d only impale the wall socket with the dryer’s prongs. If she’d only grab his hair by the roots and hang him up to dry.

Harrison tracks the similarities of his and his mother's reflections:

Harrison stares at himself in the bathroom mirror. On his wrist: a gold herringbone bracelet Sadie hung on the key holder. In his ear: Lonan’s earring. His wet hair curls weakly around his ears, drips down his twiggy eyebrows. Last week, he caught his own reflection in the dishware cabinet and was so startled to find Suzanna’s face staring back that he dropped his cup. The crash pealed like a death knell long after the sound disappeared. Picking glass from the tile, it angered him that he looked like her. His father’s eyes, sure, but his mother’s bulbous nose, spare mouth, minky hair, stubby nail beds. The last time he’d compared their reflections, they stood in front of a funhouse mirror. They wore chromized party hats, technicolour butterflies painted on their left cheeks. He was five.

Here we have a description of Harrison wearing a (stolen) ring. This excerpt will be relevant in chapter three (also JEREMIAH BAIT):

He wears Jeremiah’s silver signet ring on his pinkie, and it clicks against the marble. Perhaps he’s been looking for it since Harrison’s been away. Hands and knees. Stuffing his head under his bedframe, a flimsy flashlight in hand, his mouth wide open.

(also... I may or may not have bought this ring... for myself)

The LINE of the century:

Harrison crosses his arms. The soaked leather of his jacket squelches, baptized by pool water just like him. His mouth is twitching again—he’d like to get high tonight, see neon, taste Jesus.

This is the unholy excerpt I vowed I wouldn't share (in other words, Jesus Thirst Trap -- take with that what you will):

How did Mary feel to mother Jesus? Listen, Harrison knows he’s no Christ. But Jesus was twenty-one once, wasn’t he? What did he do in his free time besides praise the Word of the Lord, perform miracles, etcetera, etcetera? He was a carpenter sure, nailed pleats of wood bare-backed in the tart Nazareth sun, flicked pearls of sweat off his tanned forehead. But did he ever break into a stranger’s pool? Did he ever wake up one morning, stumble out of bed, stick a frayed toothbrush into his mouth, stare at himself in the mirror and feel, with certainty, an unending urge to run?

Suz is exhausted:

Suz squeezes her nose bridge. She’s aged since August, if that’s even possible. The bags beneath her eyes are violet like the fleshy interior of a blueberry, the veins scarlet lightning bolts.

“Why are you upset?” Harrison asks, drumming his ringed finger against the counter’s lip.

This is a direct continuation of the above! This is actually sad I'm sorry:

What does Suzanna see when she looks at him? A miniature version of her wearing a jacket that once belonged to her at his age, and an earring that once belonged to another mother? Or is he a stranger? They know each other best by genetics. If she asked Harrison what he thought her favourite colour was, he’d have no idea. “This isn’t a big deal.”

“Oh, please,” Suz says, teary like the actresses on her favourite Portuguese soaps. Sure, Harrison doesn’t know his mother’s favourite colour, if in childhood she was the type of girl to make rings out of peach pits, if she was the type of girl to rip worms bare-handed, if she’d eat cottage cheese with cantaloupe, if she thought about enrolling in a life drawing class before she got pregnant, if her idols are pop icons of the 80s like his are, her favourite way to fold a paper airplane, when her birthday is. But he does know she does not cry.

When young Jesus stayed in Jerusalem unbeknownst to his mother, what did Mary do? Perhaps she stared at her hands, thought of the last time she touched him. Perhaps she wept. Or perhaps she found the closest mirror, wiped her sleeve against the glass until it glossed, and tried to find her son in her own reflection.

Emo boi dialogue (this is an ouchie lol):

Suz soothes her index finger over her thumb over and over. “Things have been so…”

“So what?” Harrison knows she could mean so many things. So raw. So indelicate. So tense. So like we’re a VHS set in reverse.  “This isn’t a big deal. No one was hurt.”

“You cannot come and go as you please in other people’s houses, Harrison.” She can’t even look at him. He could call her out by name again—Suzanna, Suzanna, Suzanna. She winces every time he does, plays it off as a sudden headache or a flighty twitch.

“Isn’t that what I do at your place?” he says instead, his throat heady with the need to scream, or perhaps cry. “Parade around as your son and then crash on the couch?”

“Harrison,” Suz says. Her eyes are pellets of amber, her pupils preserved in their warmth. As a child, Harrison climbed onto the bathroom counter, pried his own eyes open between his chewed fingernails. The colour was wrong, too light, too cold, too much like his father’s—and what was a father? God is as much a father as he is a traitor to his own sacrificial son. Harrison stood there for so long his eyes stung, and when his lid eventually snapped back in place, the world stippled.

“What?” he asks now. Where the hell is God in this dim bathroom? Sucked up in the fan? Hiding in shower drain hairballs? And where is his father? Both perpetually missing like a television remote, a set of house keys. That’s right. God’s not here—not in the olive wall paint, not in the patterned hand towels, not in the piranha portrait above the toilet tank, not against Harrison’s chest like he used to be. He’s the only one here in front of his mother, all seven of Mary’s sorrows etched into a man. He almost laughs. “And my name is kind of idiotic, isn’t it? Harry’s son—but I’m nobody’s son.”

“You’re my son.”

(^^ Funnily, the Harry's son bit was in the handwritten draft and I thought it was kind of stupid, but I have been unable to delete it... there's something very real about that line, lol, yikes)

This finishes off scene A:

He kicks off the counter, pushes past his mother, walks down the hall and back into the living room. His ears ring. He’s not even sure what’s so bad about what she’s said. Change is good, isn’t it?

“Change is good,” he mutters to himself. “Change is good.”

The Bakers gape at him from the couch. This defectless couple like the blue and pink pegs screwed into a Game of Life car. Their faces scream GET MARRIED, JOB SEARCH, BUY A HOUSE.

Harrison looks at Sadie, her sad, dead eyes. “Do something with your life,” he says, then salutes and walks right out the front door.

Scene B starts very normally, right? Here's Harrison wondering what'd be like if he was... a shirt:

The city isn’t as interesting when it’s just cars, in fact, it’s not much different to Boston, to New York. Everything is brilliant and irrelevant and bleary and transparent, like a raw brain spinning around a washing machine. Harrison might like to walk to the laundromat ten minutes from Suz’s apartment, hop into someone else’s load and just let himself swivel until he’s unsure if he’s a man or a chemise blouse. The dreaminess of it all, the way silk knows it’s as defenseless as it is coveted. Harrison could be both, couldn’t he?

Harrison starts getting an inclination of where Suz is driving him:

“Suzanna,” Harrison says, wincing when the wild cherry air freshener noosed around her rear-view flails in his direction.

She takes the next exit, the car even faster now—seventy-five, eighty.

“Suz.”

“I want better for you.” Suz slows, now weaving through a residential neighbourhood. Men sit on unruly lawns, grimy hands fisted around beer bottles. At the next turn, a teenage girl hurries a sheltie down a crosswalk. A mother squints at a bus schedule while she nudges a stroller back and forth with her heel. Boardgame people just waiting for their next play.

Would you rather have a single conversation with your ex or jump out of a moving vehicle? We know Harrison's answer:

When she doesn’t answer, he wants to ask the question again, but something changes. Perhaps it’s the texture of the wheels beneath him, the way he remembers the grit of asphalt under the rubber like someone remembers the sound of their loved one’s footsteps. Perhaps it’s the way the sidewalk shimmers with rain that’s so familiar, the way the streetlamps seem to flash as they appear like a signal lamp, or perhaps Harrison’s not a fucking idiot. “Mom,” he says, already unclicking his seatbelt. She’s not going as fast now—maybe forty miles an hour, perhaps less. He watched a documentary the other day about jumping from moving cars, the best techniques.

'My heart is fine' and other lies this man tells himself (AKA em-dash wars):

“What’s heartbreak to you? A little boohoo? My heart is fine. Let me out of the car.”

“I know you think so—”

“Let me out of the—”

“But you can’t fight a battle and run from it at the same—”

“Suzanna—”

“You loved him—”

“And what the fuck would you know?” Harrison slams his fist so hard against the dashboard the plastic fractures, the break like the entire Pacific sloshing against an eardrum. Harrison doesn’t care. He does it again, again, until shards clatter, until his hand’s bloody, until Suz is horrified because he can be horrifying—and not just horrifying, but the entire fucking horror.

(also this horror line is... fantastic lol)

Aaaand final paragraph. He is not in denial. No way!

Perhaps Jesus would enter that apartment like it were his father’s temple. But Harrison is tired of gods, of ghosts, of men. He repeats this to himself as he hustles through the rain. No gods, no ghosts, no men. His teeth chatter. His hands shake. He’s not wise. He never wants to be again. No gods, no ghosts, no men. It’s easier this way, no need to contemplate the open window overlooking the parking lot, no need to contemplate who lives there now, who makes a bed there every morning, who drinks his coffee with half a cream no sugar at the breakfast table, who grinds an inkstick to practice his new interest in calligraphy, who reads poetry on the balcony every Wednesday, who finishes a one-thousand piece puzzle in an afternoon, who wears Suzanna’s angel pendant and says he bought it vintage, who takes up pottery, herb gardening, darts whenever he feels like it, who sleeps with both eyes closed at last. No need to contemplate what might happen if he spared one glance. Who he might see if he just looked back.

Harrison from now on:

Yes you will bb!

That's it! :) Chapter 3 is writing itself. I'll be back soon lol.

Rachel

[princess-of-the-corner]

Toontown: Corporate Clash Recap: Barnacle Boatyard Sidetasks Part 2

So… Let’s get the remaining Sidetasks out of the way:

First Mate Makeover

In order to start this Task, you need to speak with Choppy McDougal at Blackbeard’s Beauty Parlor on Buccaneer Boulevard.

Apparently, the Lawbots stole McDougal’s treasure. If this is the Task that I think it is. Kinda hard to check, Choppy McDougal doesn’t have a page on the Wiki.

First order of business: REVENGE!

Choppy tasks you with defeating 15 Lawbots.

Once they’ve been defeated, you’re sent to retrieve Choppy McDougal’s treasure, as the Lawbots threw it into the ocean for some reason. (Again, assuming this is the Task I’m thinking about. It might be a later one with this plotline.)

To do this, you need to ride the Trolley until you’re randomly taken to the Treasure Dive Minigame, and recover at least ONE Treasure Chest.

Good luck, because the Trolley Game you get is based ENTIRELY on RNG, and Treasure Dive is one of FOURTEEN minigames you can get.

Be glad you only need to get ONE chest, because Trolley Dive is a pretty tricky game.

(Here’s the Wiki page, in case you don’t believe me.)

Anyways, once you’ve returned the Treasure Chest to Choppy, you’re rewarded 2,469 experience, 200 Jellybeans, and the “Wonky” nametag.

Actually, looking at the task name again, I don’t think this is the one with the stolen treasure, but I do remember the stolen treasure task was a freaking NIGHTMARE to complete!

But I also have no idea why it’s called “First Mate Makeover”, because I can’t remember what Choppy has to say, the wiki doesn’t have their dialogue, and every Let’s Play I watch skips all the task dialogue too quickly for me to read anything.

Which is a crime, because the writing in this game is HILARIOUS.

Dressing Sea-Lads and Lasses

To start this task, you need to talk to Fishy Frank at Salmon Chanted Evening Wear on Buccaneer Boulevard.

He tasks you with collecting 10 Treasures in Barnacle Boatyard Playground.

The treasures he speaks of are the Laff Pick-Ups that spawn around the Playground, not the Treasure Chests from Treasure Dive. As a reminder, the Treasures in Barnacle Boatyard are Starfish (not to be confused with the Starfish you can get while fishing), and they spawn underwater, meaning you’ll have to go for a swim to pick them up.

As you have a Task to collect them, you can pick them up without being hurt. Just go and try to swim through as many as you can until your Toon stops picking them up.

Now that he has the Starfish, either for inspiration or payment, he can make you an outfit. He just needs the proper tools.

First, he needs a single “Some Small Sewing Needles” from any of the Micromanagers in Toontown.

Once that’s taken care of, he’ll just need A Piece of Thread from any Cog anywhere.

After you’ve gotten his materials, he’ll send you to defeat a Cog building, since your outfit should be complete in the time it takes to bring it down.

Once you’ve conquered the Cog Building, return to Fishy Frank, and he’ll give you the BB Sailor Shirt, BB Sailor Shorts, BB Sailor Skirt, 2,394 experience, and 200 Jellybeans.

Straight to Boardwalk

In order to kick off this task, you need to talk to Davey Drydock in What’s Up, Dock? (get it?) on Lighthouse Lane.

The first thing Davey tasks you with is defeating 15 Cogs in Barnacle Boatyard. This should go without saying, but only Cogs defeated in Barnacle Boatyard will be counted.

After this is done, you need to speak with Linda Landlubber at Disembark! Tree Surgery on Buccaneer Boulevard, because Davey needs some lumber from her. She agrees, on the condition that you do the following for her:

Defeat 7 Cogs on Buccaneer Boulevard (buildings count).

Pay 50 Jellybeans.

Once those are complete, she takes your Jellybeans and gives you some lumber, which you need to deliver to Davey.

He rewards you with the Boardwalk Nametag, 2,560 experience, and 200 Jellybeans. This means that it PROBABLY would’ve been cheaper for him to pick up the lumber himself, but whatever, you got what you came for.

Next time, we head back to Toontown Central to discuss something you unlock automatically upon starting the Barnacle Boatyard taskline.

-

Oh the RNG of that would be hell for me oh my god.

Also re: the dialogue! On youtube if you pause and tap the coma or period keys (’,’ or ‘.’) then you can go a bit more frame by frame.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Friday, December 23

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

A Little Christmas Miracle (Of Their Own) (Buffy/SPike, PG-13) by apachefirecat

Faith's Xmas Miracle (Buffy/Faith, G) by RavenclawSlayer

So this is Christmas (Buffy/Faith, NC-17) by Alwaysandforevermylove

Conversation between seasons (Buffy, Not Rated) by convolvolo

The Last Gumdrop Button (Giles/Reader, PG-13) by BreakfastPastyDrabbles (BreakfastPasty)

Christmas Without You (Buffy/Spike, R) by Dusty87

Ducks and the Art of Gift Giving (Buffy/Loki, MCU xover, G) by pprfaith

Stay, Stay, Stay (Buffy/Spike, PG) by acekoomboom

[Chaptered Fiction]

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion Chapter 367 (Ensemble, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure xover, PG-13) by madimpossibledreamer

Ending & Beginning Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by bramcrackers

The Time We Had Chapter 19 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Dusty87

Fire In The Blood Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, R) by BeauNorth. COMPLETE!

You give me something I can hold on to Chapter 4 (Giles/Jenny, PG-13) by mst_52

The Sun Chapter 22 (Tara/Willow, PG-13) by heckate

Not So New Chapter 4 (Ensemble, PG-13) by tinfoil_paint

All That Is And All That Seems Chapter 64 (Faith/OMC, R) by MalkMcJorma

You're the One Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, R) by BloodyThorn

What Lies Within Chapter 24 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by cawthraven

Coexist Chapter 24 (Buffy/Faith, PG-13) by Coraniaid

Make Sunnydale Whole Again (Book Two of the Reunion Trilogy) Chapter 31 (Angel/Buffy, Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by MCorey1317

Sleigh Fest 06 Chapter 4 (Buffy/Faith, PG-13) by QuillBard

The Long Haul Chapter 14 (Buffy, Willow, Stargate Atlantis xover, R) by BlueZeroZeroOne

Jingle Belles Chapter 3 (Buffy, Dawn, Hank, Joyce, multiple xovers, PG-13) by Vidicon666

Buffy and Spock Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spock, Star Trek xover, Not Rated) by That_Random_Daisy

Charmed: The Faith Chronicles Chapter 19 (Buffy/Faith, Charmed xover, PG-13) by BrennaLynn

Fade Away Again Chapter 24 (Buffy/Spike, PG) by Willow25

Vacation with a vampire (Sequel to The Sphere) - Part 2 Chapter 19 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Coraline

The Thing About Being on the Road Chapter 17 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by scratchmeout

You're the One Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by BloodyThorn

Out of Time Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, R) by joycometh

Merry and Xander Chapter 5 (Larry/Xander, Merry Gentry Series xover, NC-17) by calikocat

[Reviews & Recaps]

Video: The Body • S05E16 by Passion of the Nerd

CBR: This Episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Brings Out the Christmas Spirit (Amends) by ELENA CONFORTI

[Recs]

Fanged Four fic recs by somekindofadeviant

[Fandom Discussions]

Your theories about the LORE by Archonate_of_Archona

Tara, my love by Individual-Task-4586

BB's Top 50 Most Memorable Scenes in The Buffyverse - Redux (Week 13) by Buffy Summers

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

Screen Rant: Buffy Confirms That Drusilla Wasn't Spike's Darkest Romance

The Mary Sue: We Ranked Every ‘Buffy’ Villain That We Just Love to Hate

[anmolsmsblog]

Swiss Beauty Matte Shiny Pearl Water Drop Blemish Long Lasting Balm BB Lightweight, Liquid Foundation, Face Makeup, Shade-03, 40ml

Price: (as of – Details) Swiss Beauty’s Blemish Balm BB Foundation is the perfect all-in-one solution for those who want a natural, luminous finish without the hassle of a full face of makeup. This multi-tasking foundation is designed to perfect, and protect your skin, making it the ultimate time-saving product in your beauty routine. The non-greasy formula glides on smoothly and provides SPF 15…

[bonefall]

Since she was mentioned briefly in the previous post- can Fernstripe and Sunbeam have at least a single conversation together? Something like “hey, what were your trials like and what should I expect?” It doesn’t have to give anything away by having her go “my trials were done under Bramblestar, not Squirrelstar, I can’t promise our trials will be remotely similar”. Though I just want Sunbeam to have friends outside of her in-laws and it’d be cool to see Fernstripe do something outside of “oh yeah she exists” without her actually appearing.

Fernstripe and Shellfur got blorboified. They're one of my favorite background character ships entirely because of BB additions, lmao

They bonded over Shellfur asking her for "niceness lessons," because Spotfur wasn't going to have her husband's bully of a brother know his nespring if he didn't figure his shit out.

I used them for framing what a Gathering and Aftergathering look like at the Lake

Fernstripe can't cook for shit

I am once again, much like a firm guardian telling the kiddies to not get too attached to all of the foster kittens we're sponsoring, saying that I can't say how exactly I'll be using Fernstripe in ASC quite yet. But I CAN promise you for sure that she is going to have waaaaay more of a role.

Both as a fresh migrant to ThunderClan just like Sunny-B, and also as a member of the Graykin family through her mateship to Shellfur. The Graykin family gets a lot more focus in BB because I can't be normal about them.

Assorted thoughts;

I want Sunny to have a bit of a concern, through Fernstripe. See, SHE belongs because she's mates with Shellfur. But what would that mean for Sunny if Nightheart never comes back?

Fernstripe should be someone that Sunbeam gets to know very well, if I do end up going to her having more agency over "constructing" teams of cats for her trials.

And she explicitly should realize, "Fernstripe is my friend which makes me want to pick her; but she's intelligent, not powerful. I can't put her on any tasks that involve that."

"............or anything food-related. of course. good lord"

Someone will mention that Fernstripe was grandfather-claused under any revision that bumped up the 1 task to 3. Most of ThunderClan is pretty openly rolling their eyes about even the 1 task, so they're definitely not going to make Fern do 2 more.

It's funny that there are now 3 cats with Fern prefixes in ThunderClan lmao.

And there's been even more ferns, historically

Brackenfur was named after a type of fern. His daughter, Honeyfern, was named after him before earning that Honor Title

Ferncloud just died, Spotfur named a kit after her (not graystripe), there's also Fernsong, and now Fernstripe. In Clanmew these are all different types of fern, but they're still ferns.

It should be a running joke in other Clans that they use "fern" as the prefix for random hypothetical warriors.

Kinda like how if you're talking about Americans you'll be like, "John Hamburger visits 200 diners a minute and consumes half of the world's oil," or if you're talking about Brits you're like "Kingsley Bigglesworth is repelled by spice like a vampire to the sun, must have an IV drip of blended beans-on-toast to survive."

"Fernface hears a cat sneeze across the lake, arrives with 15 clerics and a bowl of fruit juice they call "soup", cries when you don't say thank you more than twice."

Fernstripe must have been mortified when she realized that her parents named her Fern and then she ended up joining ThunderClan, lmao

[market-news-24]

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[seagulls-paradise]

USS North Carolina

The USS North Carolina (BB 55) was commissioned April 9, 1941. During her shakedown period she steamed into and out of New York Harbor so many times she earned the nickname "The Show Boat". She more than earned that nickname during her service in World War 2. The North Carolina participated in every major naval offensive in the Pacific Theater carrying out 9 shore bombardments, sinking an enemy troop ship, shooting down 24 enemy aircraft and survived being torpedoed. Earning 15 battle stars, USS North Carolina was the most decorated American battleship of the war. The ship survives today as a museum in Wilmington, North Carolina.

North Carolina was the first battleship built by the USA in almost 20 years. First in Class and the first “fast battleship”. As such there were lots of adjustments to be made before it was fully operational. The more powerful drive caused lots of vibrations. That’s why she was in and out of port so much. The extra shake down resulted in the rear rangefinder being reinforced with extra braces.

The "Other" USS North Carolina 

USS North Carolina SSN-777 Virginia class attack submarine US Navy

North Carolina SSN-777 Virginia class attack submarine is the fourth ship of the Navy to carry the name North Carolina. The original was USS North Carolina (1820-1836), the second (ACR 12) (1908 - 1921), and the third (BB 55) (1940 - 1947). North Carolina received 12 battle stars for World War II service. North Carolina (SSN 777) was built by General Dynamics Electric Boat Division in Groton, Conn., and Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va., and joined the fleet in December 2006. As the Navy's next-generation attack submarine, the Virginia class provides the U.S. Navy with the capabilities it requires to maintain the nation's undersea supremacy well into the 21st century. North Carolina has improved stealthiness, sophisticated surveillance capabilities and Special Warfare enhancements which enable it to meet the Navy's multi-mission requirements. Virginia class submarines are able to attack targets ashore with highly accurate Tomahawk cruise missiles and conduct covert long-term surveillance of land areas, littoral waters or other sea-based forces. Other missions include anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare; special forces delivery and support; and mine delivery and minefield mapping. With enhanced communications connectivity, the submarine also will provide important battle group and joint task force support, with full integration into carrier battle group operations. North Carolina's keel was laid May 22, 2004. The first major milestone for the submarine North Carolina was the keel authentication ceremony held at the shipyard on May 22, 2004. The submarine's sponsor, Mrs. Linda Bowman, wife of Admiral Frank "Skip" Bowman USN (Ret), the former Director, Naval Reactors, inscribed her initials on a section of the pressure hull that were, subsequently, duplicated in weld by a shipyard worker, who, uniquely, resides in North Carolina. The pressure hull welding completed in September 2006, with work on the interior of the submarine continuing. In October 2006, the ship's Commanding Officer, Cdr. Mark E. Davis reported aboard. On May 5, 2007, the submarine was lowered into the water for the first time and moved to complete her construction. On December 12, 2007, North Carolina got underway for her first builder's sea trials. The successful trials led to her second builders trials just before Christmas. Following the third and final round of builder's sea trials in February, Northrop Grumman delivered the submarine to the Navy on February 21, 2008. The ship was brought to life during her commissioning ceremony at the Port of Wilmington in North Carolina on May 3, 2008. More than 6,500 guests, including submarine veterans and battleship North Carolina alumni attended the ceremony welcoming the submarine as the 4th vessel named after the "Tarheel State."

[angieowlie]

Happy 2024!~!! ☺️

Hope your new year has gone off to a kind, gentle start <3

This year my main goal is to pace myself. In all aspects of life, including writing, working, exercising, and resting. I've been thinking a lot about what I want my day-to-day life to look like, and I've drafted a rough schedule of what I would like to follow.

I feel as though the stress of the holidays has fallen away and, with it, the emergence of the bright new start of January have slowly eased away my winter blues. I feel safe and rested and ready to write regularly again, to come back to where I left off and return to the story like returning to a warm group of friends. I've been allowing myself space to write little drabbles of whatever comes to mind, not thinking too much of grammar and wording, only of creating a small piece of happiness before I start the day.

Despite the (freezing) weather that is Canada, I've been bundling myself up and driving to my favourite park and making sure I get out of the house for a breath of fresh air, even just 15 mins. Slowly, it's begun to do wonders for my mental health and I feel myself, well, feeling like myself again.

Working from home is amazing, but sometimes you feel trapped by the walls of your room and the walls of your mind. That's why I've been coaxing myself to go outside, even just for a bit, because it does help. I often worry about wasting gas or catching a cold or what-have-you, but all of that pale in comparison to looking after my mental health.

I realized last year that, because I've gotten to know my bbs more now, I actually feel like redoing parts of vol 3's plot XD So that's what I'll do after finishing up my current task of editing vol 2 draft 2. I also want to start brainstorming vol 4, mostly because I've been editing and rewriting since September of 2022, and, creatively, I am yearning to write something new X'D It's fulfilling to go back and polish up a draft, of course, but I do miss the magical feeling of coming up with something new. The excitement and wondrous joy of discovering where a new plotline will lead to, you know?

Towards the end of 2023, I began reading The Creative Act by Rick Rubin and, oh my goodness, it's now my creative bible (after Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way Every Day). It's filled with such gentle words of wisdom and, like, permission to just create and have fun.

I also reread the first 2 volumes of The Dangerous Convenience Store, and my most joyous discovery is that the fandom has nicknamed Gunwoo as "Ah-juicy" 🤣 I have the Mandarin version from Taiwan, so I had no idea what the English fandom was up to. That being said, still no word of the other volumes being translated in Taiwan 😭 pLEASE put me out of my misery, I need to know what happens next!!

I also started watching (of all things) All Creatures Great and Small, and it is just the wholesomest show ever! (The 2020 version.) Peaceful village life and cuddly animals~ Sigh~ Yes please~

Anyway, I hope this year you read and write and create things that make you happy! And look after your mental and physical health. And drink lots of water! And look at stars. And laugh big deep belly laughs. And accomplish one goal on your list (you can do it! 💕)

Until next time, here's to more magic 🧚🏻‍♂️✨✨

[apkedotin-news]

Bigg Boss 15: तेजस्वी और जय भानुशाली की दोस्ती में आई दरार? टास्क में हुआ जबरदस्त झगड़ा

Bigg Boss 15: तेजस्वी और जय भानुशाली की दोस्ती में आई दरार? टास्क में हुआ जबरदस्त झगड़ा

बिग बॉस 15 (Bigg Boss 15) में आए दिन कंटेस्टेंट्स के बीच जबरदस्त लड़ाई-झगड़े देखने को मिल जाते हैं। वहीं, शो पर प्यार और दोस्ती भी कुछ कम नहीं नजर आती है… इस सीजन में सबसे चर्चित दोस्ती रही तेजस्वी… Source link