#his jpg posts are something that can be so special to me

[twslug]

new lando.jpg post and story that i’m being VERY normal about

[covenists]

✦ LE TEMPS DE L'AMOUR, C. LECLERC

where he spoil his girlfriend of anything aside from love on the special day of the week.

vday series masterlist

now playing: françoise hardy — le temps de l'amour

yourusername added a photo to their story! 29m

seen by charles_leclerc, taylorhill, and 749,681 others

charles_leclerc

liked by damianodavid, and 750,368 others

charles_leclerc Flower girl 💐

view all 2,324 comments

yourusername oh i'm literally feeling so spoiled with this, thank you, cha🫶🏻 ilysm

username She's looking so smol like that 🤏

username ah to be posted by charles is gonna be my dream forever

username she's so lucky

username Why am I visiting his account on this type of day😭😭

username when will i find this man in my life

danielricciardo Tell me the location, I'm omw

   ⤷ charles_leclerc Buying for Heidi, I see.

   ⤷ danielricciardo No, it's for Max

   ⤷ username WAKE UP MAXIEL NATION

   ⤷ username what the—

yourusername

liked by gracieabrams, and 950,824 others

yourusername don't u love it when your boyfriend does 🤨

view all 8,572 comments

oliviarodrigo SO CUTE????

username we're coming back again with paparazzi y/n

username AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH

   ⤷ username so #real

username They're on a mission on driving people crazy on this type of month

username idk whose dog but OMG SO CUTE

landonorris okay then valentine family.

   ⤷ maxfewtrell Alright, let's go home, Grandpa

   ⤷ username GRANDPA😭😭😭

username Since when did his side profile become this attractive??????

   ⤷ maxverstappen1 Since then

   ⤷ danielricciardo It's no surprise that you're here, but commenting about Charles?! 😔

   ⤷ yourusername omg max look what did u do to my man danny

yourusername

liked by haileestainfeld, and 646,444 others

yourusername 🩷

view all 4,719 comments

charles_leclerc I hope you liked it, sweetie

   ⤷ yourusername LIKED?? I LOVED IT!!!!!

jennierubyjane You're an angel

username she's feeding us for this entire time is soo good i love it

username That massive heart ice cream looks really deli shoes

isahernaez The prettiest woman! 😍

   ⤷ yourusername you melt me like this ice cream on a hot summer sun

   ⤷ isahernaez 😚

   ⤷ charles_leclerc Whys betrayal always starts from Instagram?

   ⤷ username charles drama king is back again

lilymhe You didn't share the ice cream with me... 💔😔

radvxz You're gorgeous gorgeous

username i feel like charles should make a jpg account for his and y/n moments

   ⤷ maxverstappen1 And not for me?

this comment has been deleted

   ⤷ username wait i feel like seeing max's comment here

   ⤷ username dig more, i think it's probably buried along with other comments

   ⤷ username no he's replying to me and then the next second i check it, it's gone

   ⤷ danielricciardo You need to check it deeper.

username make up tut next time queen

yourusername

liked by franciscac.gomes, and 647,581 others

yourusername is this a bribe?

view all 2,763 comments

pierregasly Yes and stay away from it

username WITH A DOLLAR ON THE DOOR HANDLE I'M CRYING 😭😭😭😭😭

username the dollar is so random

   ⤷ username that's not a dollar, that's a coupon

username isa's comment is definitely brewed something in him

username the way that he immediately got her a bouquet is so funny to me

nicolezefanya I can literally hear what is he going to say to you

username i just know that was charles just based off his weird standing posture

   ⤷ username and his odd fashion too

   ⤷ maxverstappen1 We're kinda matching in that way, don't you guys think?

   ⤷ danielricciardo WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS ENDED UP IN CHARLES RELATED COMMENTS????

   ⤷ jackdoohan Someone's jealooouusssss

yourusername

liked by carlossainz55, and 792,480 others

yourusername happy valentine's day from me and my best boyfriend in the whole wide world<33 love you alllllll

view all 4,618 comments

pierregasly You didn't stay away, did you?

   ⤷ yourusername nope, not even a bit

username 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

lailahasanovic this absolutely warms my heart

username ‘will you be my valentine’ RIP MY ASS

username I would launch myself up to him too if my boyfriend is him

joris__trouche Congrats to you, Lovebirds!

   ⤷ username based on the shakiness, i know it's joris who took this one

username somebody push me off a cliff😭😭😭

username they really hate seeing us free

username we're literally got drunk in this valentine day posts💀

username i feel like this truly is a revenge for isa's comment😭 poor her...

maxverstappen1 THAT SHOULD BE ME

   ⤷ danielricciardo And that also should be me who you wanted

2 comments has been deleted

username NONONO I SWEAR I SEE DANIEL AND MAX FIGHTING

   ⤷ username alright let's drink your pills granny

danielricciardo You guys are so cute!

   ⤷ yourusername how is it going with the man?

   ⤷ danielricciardo Still trying, but I got it

   ⤷ yourusername you better be

TWITTER, AROUND 4 HOURS AFTER THE POST:

charles_leclerc

liked by sabrinacarpenter, and 1,469,835 others

charles_leclerc My Valentine's day with you are always been the best, I love you❤️ yourusername

view all 3,621 comments

username she's so stunning, no wonder he pulled her

   ⤷ username leclerc siblings are never pulled a bad one. they definitely has a quite similar taste in woman

yourusername you're the sweetest! i love love love love love you so much❤️❤️

username she look so good! what type of dress is that??

livkatecooke STUNNING!!!!

estebanocon That cake is looking so delicious

landonorris you guys suited valentine's day, ngl

username PARENTS 😍

danielricciardo We should do a double date!

   ⤷ yourusername have you get along with him?

   ⤷ danielricciardo I definitely have 😄😄

   ⤷ charles_leclerc I have a bad feelings about this.

anadearmas 🫶🏻🫶🏻

dovecameron I love love her fits so much

[crybabykiko]

I just came across you nsfw with Osamu and I really enjoyed it I was wondering if You could do one for Kita?

Hi love! This is for u 💕 and all the kita fuckers worldwide- myself included bc I’m in love with him now 🥺

NSFW Alphabet - Kita Shinsuke

Nsfw below da cut g

gn!reader focus in this hoe

A/n: ty @honey-makki for being my partner in degeneracy and my wife ilysm bc she can read when I can’t

𝕬 - 𝕬𝖋𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖊

Will feed you a full meal. His way of making sure you’re cared for is keeping you well fed. He will cuddle you and spoon feed you himself if he has to, as long as you eat every single bite. He has a routine for everything, aftercare is no exception. He runs you a bath, then, while you soak, he cooks. Will make sure to throw a hoodie in the dryer before heading to the kitchen so it'll be warm for you post shower. Then he feeds you and holds you, playing with your hair or your hands until you fall asleep.

𝕭 - 𝕭𝖔𝖉𝖞 𝕻𝖆𝖗𝖙

You already know what the fuck is going onnnn! Kita is honestly so well sculpted that it really doesn’t matter but let’s talk about his back/shoulders. He’s so mf broad and it's very sexc of him. He’s also very fond of when you cling onto and scratch it up…. delicious

He loves your hands. He loves to hold them, especially when he’s looking straight into your eyes as he drills the hell out of you- he’ll lift one up and kiss it bc ✨romance✨

𝕮 - 𝕮𝖚𝖒

Oh he’s going to fill you so full of cum that it pours out of your ears. He has a big breeding kink, and huge loads to match. But he’s also very healthy and takes good care of himself so his cum isn’t bad on your tongue on the off chance he hasn’t already cum inside you 600 times prior to finally doing so in your mouth. And he’s going to kiss you after- very sexc of him.

𝕯 - 𝕯𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖞 𝕾𝖊𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖙

Lost his virginity in a barn. Got a tick on his ass of all places. The barn isn’t the secret tho... the tick is.

𝕰 - 𝕰𝖝𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖊

When you got together- he was definitely a virgin. Had only gone as far as MAYBE second base. But you used that to your advantage, because you’ve essentially built him up and trained him to be PERFECT for you. You also helped him find out what he likes and what makes him feel good too. Sure there was a lil’ corruption involved, but in the end you’re both very happy with your sex life.

𝕱 - 𝕱𝖆𝖛𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖊 𝕻𝖔𝖘𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓

Full on mf wrestling mating press. He’s going to have his cock so deep inside of you that if he even pushed a bit more his body is gonna go in too. Then he’ll just live there. He’s fine with that.

𝕲 - 𝕲𝖔𝖔𝖋𝖞

Unintentionally so. Every once in a while, you’ll both giggle or laugh because you have to reposition when you start to cramp up or you accidentally hit him in the face when tying to pull him closer or something. But he’s a firm believer in the whole “if you can’t laugh with the person you’re having sex with you shouldn’t have sex with them” addage, so he’s very grateful for those light moments.

𝕳 - 𝕳𝖆𝖎𝖗

It could definitely be neater. He isn’t abysmal, but he is hairy and could stand to trim a tiiiny bit more often. He’s just very low maintenance down there. As long as it’s clean he's good, which is both true and a decent place to start but pls tell him to get a little off the top of you know what I mean.

𝕴 - 𝕴𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖆𝖈y

He’s! So! Loving! He’s always going to go the extra mile to make you feel special. He likes to keep things on the softer side I’d say 8/10 times. He prefers to make love instead of just fucking it out- but if you get into an argument or he’s frustrated, he will happily go hard… but still with candles and a massage. Also I said it already but he’s gonna hold your hands while he demolishes you- interlaced fingers and all that cute shit even tho you’re getting railed.

𝕵 - 𝕵𝖆𝖈𝖐 𝕺𝖋𝖋

His grandma is one of those old ladies that’s like “don’t do that you’ll go blind,” so poor baby was a lil pent up before he got older. Now, he still doesn't do it often, but he does it once a month or so as part of his routine. He uses coconut oil because he likes the smell and that it melts easily.

𝕶 - 𝕶𝖎𝖓𝖐

Breeding, listen it’s just embedded in country boys to fuck and fill. He is no exception.

Spanking, moreso as a way to direct you. Moving too much? slap to stay still. Changing positions? Slap to get you moving. Just wants to see you jiggle? Yeah that too. Motivational slaps also come into play when he wants you to know you’re doing a good job.

Auralism, He LOVES to hear you. The sound of your breath, your moans, the way you chant his name when you’re close… he eats that shit up. It feeds his ego and boosts his pride. He also makes a lot of noise himself, mostly really deep moans but there’s a sprinkling of praise throughout too.

𝕷 - 𝕷𝖔𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓

He needs privacy. So he’s definitely one to want to keep it at home or at least somewhere secluded and away, where he knows only you and him are there and will know about it.

𝕸 - 𝕸𝖔𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓

He doesn’t care how he does it, but his number one priority, is making sure that you cum. Kita is a giver. And he will make sure to give you whatever you want from him.

𝕹 - 𝕹𝖔!

He’s not into SUPER rough stuff. He’s not vanilla, but he is the kind of guy that sees sex as “lovemaking” so he’s not gonna punch you in the face or throw you around like a ragdoll. It’s just not his style. Of course if it's what you want, he will… but never expect him to ever bring it up or do so on his own.

𝕺 - 𝕺𝖗𝖆𝖑

Ok so- he's… teachable. I’m not gonna lie, he would start off as absolute trash. But the good thing about him is how adaptable he is, and how willing he is to learn. You’d have to have him work at it a lot but once he gets good he’s great. He’ll love the feeling of accomplishment he gets from you getting off with only his mouth- it does wonders for his pride.

𝕻 - 𝕻𝖆𝖈𝖊

It’s very even- until he starts to get close. When he’s close he’s going to speed up so much that you have to brace yourself against anything that’ll hold you. He is definitely a headboard grabber too.

𝕼 - 𝕼𝖚𝖎𝖈𝖐𝖎𝖊

He likes to take his time with you. For that reason, he isn’t a huge fan. You would really have to convince him that it's worth it. He doesn’t see the point in instant gratification, and thinks you should be patient. Good things come to those who wait and all that Kita stop being so stoic and rail me at the farmers market challenge

𝕽 - 𝕽𝖎𝖘𝖐

Lmfao you think this mans is really gonna go for a public or semi-public scene? Think again. Now, he’s into sex outdoors sure, but only in your fenced in, enclosed backyard. He’s not letting anyone see you point blank periodt, you’re for his eyes only.

𝕾 - 𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖆

Excellent self control. He can hold off on cumming for as long as you need him to. Usually he’ll tap out himself after you’ve gotten through at least 3 of your own highs- but his record is 6. Has a super long refractory period tho- so he does things this way to make sure you get everything you need in one go.

𝕿 - 𝕿𝖔𝖞

He actually likes using toys on you. He has a bunch of different plugs and vibes that he uses to suit the situation. He prefers to use a hitachi wand on you while he’s fucking you, but all the others he uses for foreplay- or after to keep you full to the brim of his cum.

𝖀 - 𝖀𝖓𝖋𝖆𝖎𝖗

You both tease each other absentmindedly. He doesn’t know why he gets so turned on by you scrubbing the floor on all fours (that’s why), but he does. He also doesn’t understand why you think its hot when he cuts firewood in winter or wipes his forehead with his shirt during the summer. He thinks he’s gross and sweaty- but you can only think of a million other ways to make him sweatier.

𝖁 - 𝖁𝖔𝖑𝖚𝖒𝖊

Listen we stan. He’s not quiet in bed by any means, but he’s not overly loud either. He’s the type who takes deep breaths and then on the exhale let’s out a moan from deep in his chest- you know the one. And he does that shit on purpose. Not really, but he does think of it as his way of letting you know that he feels as good as you feel. Will also 100% hit you with the “is that it baby? Is that the spot?” While you’re practically turning into jello underneath him bc he absolutely knows that’s the spot he just likes to make you say it.

𝖂 - 𝖂𝖎𝖑𝖉𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖉

Wants to recreate the sex scene from tthe notebook with you. He can’t explain why, he just has an unexplainable urge to suck your face off in the rain and then proceed to raw you after peeling all the damp clothes from your body. Please oblige him.

𝖃 - 𝖃-𝕽𝖆𝖞

He’s got the thickness. Not coke Can thickness but like… you remember the Alaskan bull worm from ep of SpongeBob? Well he’s the whole worm, not just the tongue. I’m going to hell for that reference but ya he has a nice dick. The perfect thickness and and I’ll say a pretty good 5.5-6 inches worth. It’s also very veiny on the underside which- yes I love that.

𝖄 - 𝖄𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌

Normal sex drive, since you tend to do it at least 2 times a week. He only seems to get a little needier when you CAN’T have sex regularly- ie, one of you is sick or you’re away from each other. When that happens, he’s a little edgier than usual, can snap sometimes but not often.

𝖅 - 𝖅𝖟𝖟

He’s the type to get a second wind after. He’ll only go to sleep after he makes sure all your aftercare needs are met, and even then, he’s only going to power-nap it for maybe 10mins. He’ll stay still and cuddle you while you sleep, but he’ll most likely watch tv or scroll through his phone while you enjoy his warmth. Every once in awhile he’ll give you a kiss while you stir.

Taglist Starseeds (check ur privacy settings if your url is in bold): @honey-makki @crushzone @yumekosgamblingroom @boujiesav @onesingleravioli @ushijimasfarmhat @trouvelle @nekoma-hoe��@right-shoe-jpg @atsumusc0ck @nivky0-0 @animoozies @charmarsmith @tsumue @disasteren @hoe4abbacchio @sillykittt @ukaisbaby

[goadventuremaps]

Hi hi everyone!!!!!!!!!

For this map I have brought something that we all know or have ever seen, The yin yang island.

This island is perfect for a mini meeting on your sea voyages, as it can be an excellent stop.

the island is uninhabited, but it seems that several ships have reached it, since some treasures and weapons can be found on this island

I also decided to reduce the size of the grid so there is more space to move around on the map.

There is much more on my Patreon , if you liked the map do not forget to take a look at my other maps.

https://www.patreon.com/m/GoAdventureMaps

By supporting me you will receive for each map: high quality images, special version for Roll20, map tokens, color variations, versions without props PSDs and more

this is a preview of this map tiers

https://i.imgur.com/41ZBrf6.jpg

My main map is free and you can download it Here

https://www.patreon.com/posts/ying-yang-island-37051760

I´m stsrting to upload my maps in Roll20

https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/publisher/510/goadventuremaps

[senotsuri]

Way back when, I posted an image of an OC, who fairly recently got a full name (she only had a surname back then.) So, with Eliza’s name finally figured out, I realised I hadn’t actually given my overview of the game that spawned her; Champions of Vestroia.

Time to lose my mind, I guess.

Some fore-knowledge before we get into this.

I am, by all means, a legacy bakugan fan, not a reboot fan. I’ve only seen one double episode (the become-smaller-child episode, which was cute, and Outer Demons, which has a super good premise, but the execution is. something.) By all accounts, CoV is essentially my introduction to the world of the reboot, and I’ll come to this later.

I played both the first game (Bakugan Battle Brawlers, specifically the Wii edition), and the... third game (Defenders of the Core, shortened to DOTC, also for the Wii. The second game, for anyone curious, is Battle Trainer, a DS exclusive.) This will come up later, of course, but I want to point out these two as they’re basically my control group for the quality here (not for the battles though; different battle system and all.)

I am incredibly stay-at-home. A lot of people I know irl I don’t have contact with, and most of them don’t live in my city. This is only important when it comes to the protagonist and literally no one else in the game, but I thought I’d mention it anyway.

So the game begins with the character creator. This is pretty standard stuff, honestly. My one issue with it is just-- this is probably my fashion sense speaking, but the fashion in the game is very... for lack of a better term, naff. There aren’t many options that look good, personally speaking. This is ignoring the issues where the protagonist loses their name, mid conversation, or is referred to as if I chose the male option instead of the female option. These issues are likely just oversights, by all accounts, but talk about jarring.

The first time you see your character is where 3. comes in. The protagonist, no matter what you chose (I have two save files, in case there was a difference. There isn’t), will always be a football/soccer player. Are you one of many, many people who isn’t sporty, who is trying to play as themselves? Sorry, your character is sporty, and you can’t do anything about it.

In the legacy games, this was never really a problem; your character was never seen doing anything other than brawling and interacting with other characters. Whether they played sports, or stayed indoors and wrote fanfic, the game let you decide on that for your character, by not having them do either of those things: your character only battled, or snuck around in DOTC’s case.

Once you stop playing football, you get to run to your best friends, and I guarantee you, you won’t immediately guess who they are unless you somehow already knew.

I mentioned BBB and DOTC being my control group on quality. Bringing the character creator back into this, the NPCs are laughable in quality. Any character who has the same model as you (older child. There are only two other model types: adult, and younger child) will look like a remixed version of your character. Had it not been for some characters having special eye shapes, you could practically cosplay any character in the game, because they were made the same way you made your character.

This includes your two best friends.

You could easily make the same character (minus clothes) as one of your best friend characters, without knowing it until you saw them.

While, yes, BBB and DOTC had the characters from the legacy anime in them, the fact that your best friends are nigh indistinguishable from any other character in the area, because you could easily make any of them in the character creator, isn’t... great.

Speaking of that. Characterisation is questionable, to say the least. Whatever bakugan you have in your first slot will answer to you the same as any other bakugan you have in your first slot. If you started off with Howlkor in the front of your party, and you replaced him with, say, Barbetra, Barbetra will act the exact same as Howlkor did, and it’s really something.

There’s only (?) Armoured Alliance bakugan in the game, other than Dragonoid, Pegatrix, Trox, Hydorous, Nillious, and the afforementioned Howlkor. That’s a small roster, by all accounts, so having varied dialogue depending on the bakugan would make sense.

The characterisation of the other characters is also a little funky in places. Your best friends don’t brawl, and I honestly forgot about them for a portion of the game. The tournament brawlers are practically as faceless as the villain minions, and the villains- oh the villains...

Preston. I don’t like Preston, at all. He’s a villain from the moment you see him, and the whole “try to find Preston” section in Helena Heights makes me want to punch someone. When you fight him in the Parasol HQ, his dad being the CEO, it’s fairly clear that Preston is little more than a tool for him. Sometime later, you fight Preston again, this time as the final tournament’s final battle, and he’s laughably weak compared to the other challengers. Remember, this kid fights you with Leonidas.

You’d think Leo would be good, but I’ll get into the butchering that happened to my death dragon later.

Anyhow, he fights you, assuming his dad will enjoy him defeating you. With the power of you’re the player character, you beat him, he hands all of his bakugan to you, and gives up on brawling for good. Kinda.

The next time you see him... hoo boy. In Old Town, on the way to defeat dear detestable dad, you come across Preston. He offers you help, and when player character is understandably suspicious, Preston complains that... one of his toys was taken away because you beat him, and now he wants Revenge On Dad.

I wish I was joking. His revenge, by helping you defeat his dad, isn’t because he’s obviously neglected by his dad (company taking priority over him, the CEO’s son), and then is used as a minion to try and get rid of you. It’s not out of bitter feelings because his dad doesn’t care about him, no, it’s because his dad took his ball away.

What’s worse is how player character reacts: “Oh! :) You’ve learned that bakugan aren’t just tools! :) Yes you can help me, despite the fact that you learning this sounds less than genuine and definitely not last minute! :)”

This is a level of stupidity I’ve only seen in DOTC Mira when Spectra tricks her into giving him Drago. He’s literally sulking and moping about over his ball, and then he sees the player character, immediately being manipulative so that player character can take down his dad for him. 

Leonidas also forgives him, and has the same reaction as the player character.

Speaking of Leonidas! I think everyone’s been excited for Leonidas in general - we all love a shark headed death dragon, and we wanted one in the reboot for ages.

I refuse to call reboot Leonidas Leonidas. This is like the Shun Kazami debacle, but one I’m substantially more angry about.

Leonidas, in BBB, was untrusting of everything, wanted to throw down with everything in sight, had no fear of anything because “I don’t fear weak [humans]”, and literally came from hell. He eventually grew to trust you and others, to calm down and enjoy himself at his own pace, and was willing to have help from others, showing anyone around him that his origins aren’t the be all and end all about him.

Leonidas, in CoV, is immediately trusting of the first human who showed a hint of kindness, has a weakness to all attacks in the game, comes from Vestroia (not the Doom Dimension), and forgives the human who threw him away when he didn’t win the battle against you for him.

Ignoring the fact that Leonidas just doesn’t look good in CoV, I’d say he got bastardised. That’s not Leonidas, it’s just a dragon with the same name.

The main villain is the CEO of Parasol, an energy company that, assumedly, used to use solar power. Upon finding out that bakugan battles give off incredible levels of power, they turned to using bakugan, forced to battle, to generate power. These guys literally dug into someone’s house to try and get Leonidas. They’re evil.

On the topic of the battling for power generation; this has a decay effect on Vestroia, as it happens, as battling energy would usually go back into Vestroia, which would be recycled and reused.

The CEO doesn’t bend the knee to you until you break him, which is undoubtedly nice for a villain; I was honestly expecting him to give up, but he doesn’t. You beat him into a corner.

But as my introduction to the world of BP, through CoV, is lackluster at best. Obviously the game is meant for those who have seen the reboot, and don’t mind being completely disconnected from the story, because CoV is self contained, and Dan only shows up to be the tutorial giver (as a jpg, no less).

From what the game tells me about the setting; bakugan are often exploited by adults, bakugan do not like adults because of this, but can’t tell when a human child is manipulating them, unless another child removes them from that situation (the lack of agency here is somehow worse than in the legacy series, who knew).

Despite bakugan being around for 18 years in the setting, no one seems to be aware that they’re living beings, other than the main charcter, as if BP humans are equivalent to Legacy’s Vestals. I was already aware of Vestroia and Earth sharing a location in space, but the fact that drilling deep enough causes bakugan to appear on Earth seems... really weird? Schrödinger’s Bakugan Summoning Pit, but they exist on every digging site possible. Bonus points to all bakugan being able to speak, and they do speak a lot, but only to the player and whoever is around the player in a cutscene.

I’m missing a lot of things, such as battle items being the worst sometimes, I’m aware, but at this point I’m tired of rambling, so let me end off in a comparison.

CoV has, in my opinion, the same replayability levels as Pokemon Shield; I couldn’t replay either game to the end, and I wouldn’t recommend either to anyone unless they were desperate for a new game to play, and had nothing else to chose.

[trashyswitch]

Picani's Therapy House

Virgil feels like he might need some specialized therapy to help with being touch-starved and anxious about asking for love. Fortunately, there is a Therapy House nearby that just might help him...

There, he meets Dr. Picani and his special assistant: Şüräle!

Şüräle is a mythological character that I revamped and turned into an OC. Here's the link to the character:

https://trashyswitch.tumblr.com/post/625922793756917760/%C5%9F%C3%BCr%C3%A4le-added-drawings

In this fanfic though, Şüräle is a cute little grey stuffed mouse. This is what they look like: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/uOEAAOSwlixfJJgE/s-l1600.jpg

Hope you enjoy! And thanks @agarus-fallen-lershal for the adorable suggestion!

Chapter 1: A Welcoming Environment

Virgil walked into the open door and looked around the room for a second. The waiting room was childish-looking, but also homely. The room was painted a light purply blue color and covered with vines filled with little multi-colored flowers on them. The waiting room chairs were comfy-looking dorm chairs that were littered with cuddly blankets and fluffy faux fur pillows. There were side tables with sequined stuffies and those squishie toys, and even a pop up bin filled with pillow pets! Lastly: in the middle of the room was a kids table and chairs filled with interactive books and coloring pages with crayons.

Virgil smiled at the cute atmosphere, and walked towards the secretary. The secretary was wearing a light blue collared shirt with glasses, and had a big genuine smile on his face.

“Welcome to the Special Therapy House! I’m Patton. Are you here for an appointment?” The person at the desk asked.

Virgil was immediately caught off guard by the loud voice, but felt somewhat comforted by the heartwarming personality. “Y-...Yes.” Virgil replied.

Suddenly, someone else walked into the room. He had a black jacket on, a white shirt underneath and a pair of sunglasses on despite the man being inside a building. “Hey Pat: tone down the excitement a little bit. You’re scaring the poor little anxious man.” The stranger warned.

Patton sighed and turned to face him. “I can act how I want. And I want to make the new person feel welcome.” Patton explained.

“Well, guess what? You’re making the new person feel like running away. You wanna make them feel comfortable and safe. Not overwhelmed and anxious.” Remy explained.

“I’m...actually okay with how Pat introduced the therapy house. It...made me feel better about the type of therapy I’m here for.” Virgil explained a little quietly, but loud enough for the guy to see.

The guy with the sunglasses narrowed his eyes, but soon softened his expression. “Okay. A little warning though, I’m the only one that calls him Pat. Alright?” The guy warned.

Virgil put his hands up in surrender. “Okay.” Virgil replied.

When the sunglasses guy left the room, Patton waved him off. “It’s alright. I like the nickname. I couldn’t care less.” Patton explained to him. Which therapist are you looking to see?” Patton asked.

Virgil started to wrack his brain for a minute. What was his name again? Quickly though, Virgil remembered at least one of the names.

“Picani?” Virgil guessed.

Patton smiled. “Emile Picani! He’s a great therapist. You’re gonna like him!” Patton reacted. “You can go cuddle yourself in a seat over there, and he’ll be ready to see you shortly.” Patton directed.

“Thank you.” Virgil said with a smile before heading over to one of the seats. Virgil picked up one of the fur pillows, and immediately hugged it. Upon seeing an orange pillow on his chair, Virgil grabbed it and wrapped it around himself eagerly. He felt comfy, but it wasn’t enough. Virgil started looking around the room and came across an open chest filled with multi-colored blankets that were each made out of different materials. Happily, Virgil walked up to the chest with his orange blanket and started putting all the blankets on his head and shoulders. Sky blue, pink, brown, red, many different colors of blankets were now piled on top of Virgil. With his body now ready to marshmallow tackle someone, Virgil closed the chest and slumped into the waiting room chair with confidence.

“Uuuuuh...Hello?” Patton muttered, looking at the walking pile of blankets.

Virgil looked up at Patton with insane eyes and a mix of excitement. “I’m a blanket monster…” Virgil whispered in awe.

Patton giggled from the desk. It looked like Virgil was going to destroy the world with his blanket powers. What those powers would really be, Patton couldn’t tell you.

“Mr. San-...oh.” Someone said. Virgil looked up at the door, and gulped when he realized who it was. The man was wearing a white-collared shirt with a pink tie, and a beige sweater overtop. What really told him it was him though, was the name tag that said ‘Dr. Emile Picani, Psychologist and Therapist’.

“.........Hiiiiiiii Mr. Picani…” Virgil said awkwardly, still covered in tons of blankets.

Picani just bursted out laughing and whipped out his phone so he could take a picture. “Oh my gosh! Who knew I’d come across a blanket monster!” Picani joked as he took pictures.

Despite the cute reaction from Dr. Picani, Virgil’s embarrassment struggled to leave him and began to manifest into somewhat awkward laughter. With Picani’s help, Virgil put the blankets back and walked into the therapy room.

The therapy room had the same homely feeling put into it. There was chairs to sit on, a table to draw at if you wanted, a box of stuff in the corner, and a sheeted bed added to the side of the room. Atop the bed, was a little stuffed animal shaped like a mouse.

...Wait...Was the stuffy moving?

“Welcome to my love-atory! It’s a laboratory for those who are lacking different types of love and affection. One of my favorite psychologists to quote, is Neil R. Carlson. After a while of studying kids with little reactions to touch, Carlson said ‘When the enriched kids returned to the typical conditions that involved little touching, the physical and behavioral advantage they had obtained faded. Although the enriched group showed a better response to stress as long as eighteen months later, they still were socially withdrawn and failed to respond normally to other children and adults’.” Dr. Picani explained.

Virgil looked at him.

“Basically what that means, is even though touch-deprived kids are able to handle stress better, they are still lacking the ability to accept touch and affection.” Picani told him. “Have the people in your family been hugging you and giving you lots of love?” Picani asked.

Virgil sat down onto the bed. “Well, I have been getting lots of hugs from one specific caretaker. But everyone else has either grown up quickly, or grown to hate hugs.” Virgil explained.

Picani frowned hurtfully. “Really?” Picani reacted.

“I mean, I do get hugs and love. But I would probably get more love and affection if I could work up the courage to ask.” Virgil explained further, growing awkward from the idea of asking.

“Sounds like you’re a shy man!” another voice spoke. It sounded like the voice was coming from beside him. Virgil looked to the right side of him and reacknowledged the mouse stuffy that was there. He noticed it moving slightly before, but this time…

It was waving at him!

“Hi there!” It spoke suddenly.

Virgil’s eyes widened with surprise as he scooted away from the stuffy. He pointed at it. “Do-Does this stuffy have an automatic talking sensor or something?!” Virgil asked.

“Well yes, but actually no. He does have an automatic sensor...but by sensor, I mean ‘he’s alive’. This is Şüräle! My plushy assistant!” Picani introduced.

Virgil gulped nervously and looked at the little mouse stuffed animal. It was grey, had flat paws and even had a long, peach-colored tail! It looked somewhat realistic, but also cartoony. It had black eyes and no specific nose piece at the end, as well as no visible mouth.

“Nice to meet you! Do you have a name?” The mouse greeted.

Virgil kept in mind the moving black line that outlined the mouse’s mouth. It was...kinda cute! “V-...Virgil. My name is Virgil.” He replied, before holding out a hand. The mouse took one look at the hand, and immediately grew curious and eager for love. So, Şüräle placed his forehead onto Virgil’s hand and started rubbing its face on it. Virgil, surprised by the strange reply to his handshake, started giving Şüräle little pets and scratches. Şüräle practically melted like a puddle from the scratches and laid itself down on its back onto the bed so it could get some belly scratches as well.

“Good to see you two are getting along!” Picani reacted eagerly.

“Is it a boy or a girl?” Virgil asked.

“A boy. A manly, macho boy!” Şüräle replied, showing off its muscles and claws.

Virgil laughed at this and gave Şüräle some belly squeezes and scratches. “About as manly as a toddler.” Virgil teased.

Şüräle guffawed in surprise and started kicking, squirming and giggling. “Hehehehey! Thahahat tihihihicklehes! Hohohow dihid yohohou knohohohohow?!” Şüräle asked.

Despite his manliness being proven wrong, Şüräle seemed to love the tickles! And Virgil seemed to notice this right away! “So, I guess you like tickles too?” Virgil asked Picani.

Picani blinked in surprise and slowly started scratching the back of his head. “W-Well...yeah. It’s why I came up with this type of therapy in the first place.” Picani explained.

Virgil nodded in understanding. His hand slowly started to drift away from Şüräle, allowing Şüräle to get out and start breathing and talking properly.

“How would you like to start now?” Şüräle suggested.

Picani nodded his head and snapped his 1 finger. “Yes. Good idea.” Picani replied. “So Virgil: telling by your cute little reaction to Şüräle, I think you are a bit of a Ler, as well as a Lee.” Picani explained. “So, that makes this a little more complicated. Do you prefer to be tickled? Or would you rather tickle someone?” Picani asked.

Virgil looked down and visibly blushed at the internal thoughts he was having. “I wanna...I wanna be tickled.” Virgil replied.

Picani clapped his hands together. “Wonderful!” He reacted as he walked up to the purple-wearing emo. “Would you like to tell me where you’re ticklish? Or would you rather let me figure it out?” Picani asked. “Or, perhaps you could give me a spot to start with, and I can go on from there.” Picani suggested.

Virgil looked up at Picani with a smile and started giggling as he pointed to his own ribs. Picani narrowed his eyes and smirked as he understood just what he was telling him.

“Sounds like a plan!” Şüräle declared before jumping into Virgil’s hoodie. Şüräle immediately started skittering around in the sweater, and sniffing all over Virgil’s upper and lower ribs.

“Wha- HEY! NAHAHA! ŞÜRÄHAHAHAHALE!” Virgil laughed helplessly, doing all he can to not squeeze his arms against his chest.

Şüräle popped himself out of Virgil’s shirt collar. “Mr. Picani! Reporting high levels of ticklishness!” Şüräle told him.

“Ooooh! This is gonna be fun!” Picani reacted. Eager to start right away, Picani placed his hands on Virgil’s ribs and started wiggling and drumming the fingers.

“OhohoHOHOHOHOKAHAHAHAHAY! Hohold on-” Virgil instinctively started pushing away the eager fingers. He seemed really nervous about letting people know about his ticklish weakness.

“Pushing me away, huh? I guess I’m gonna have to...GOFORTHESTOMACH!” Picani declared before shoving a hand under the sweater and tickling his belly.

“HAHAHAHAHA! KNOHOHOHOCK IHIHIT OHOHOHOF! IHIHIT TIHIHIHICKLEHEHES!” Virgil laughed.

Picani giggled and started squeezing his belly more. “Look at how squish-squish-squishy your belly is! Such a chub-a-chubby belly!” Picani teased.

“NOHOHOHO IHIHIT’S NOHOHOHOHOHOT!” Virgil protested.

“But it IS! Such a lovely little belly for an emo like you!” Picani teased while he continued to squeeze it.

“Is it really that squishy?” Şüräle asked.

“Yes! It really is!” Picani told him, pausing his tickling. Şüräle gasped excitedly and shoved itself under Virgil’s shirt. With curiosity and mischief, Şüräle started squishing Virgil’s belly with its front paws, and started tickling his belly with its mouse tail.

“Hahahahaha! Yohohohour tahahail ihis soho sohohohoft!” Virgil told the mouse.

Şüräle popped out from under the bottom of the shirt and beamed. “Thank you!” Şüräle replied.

“Nohoho prohohoblehehem.” Virgil replied.

Şüräle crawled itself back under the shirt and climbed itself up Virgil’s body. It was about to pop out and snuggle into Virgil’s neck, but it stopped in its tracks when it started smelling something...pretty! It smelled nice, actually!

“Hey Virgil! Your armpit smells nice! What’s in it?” Şüräle asked as he shoved its nose into Virgil’s armpit.

“eeeEEEK! ŞÜHUHRÄHAHALE, NOHOHOHOHO!” Virgil laughed.

“Oooh! You want some help there, buddy?” Picani asked.

Şüräle removed his nose from the armpit. “Yes please!” Şüräle replied.

“Okay. Which arm are you under?” Picani asked.

“This one!” Şüräle replied while poking the sweater with its nose. Picani noticed the poking fabric, and lightly grabbed onto Virgil’s arm.

“If you were ever uncomfortable with the thought of being pinned, just let me know.” Picani told him. Then, Picani gently lifted the hand above Virgil’s head and lifted the other arm as well. With both hands pinned, both armpits were now vulnerable and ready for tickling.

“Thank you!” Şüräle said happily before sniffing and moving its nose around the armpit.

Virgil bursted into helpless giggles almost immediately and started tugging on his left hand. It was his left armpit that was being tickled by Şüräle’s nose right now, and he wasn’t able to stop it no matter how much he tried to. Picani was too strong. And yet...he didn’t have the heart to tell Picani to let him go. He liked this. It made him feel all giggly inside and made him want to curl up at the same time. It was a strange mix of feelings that he struggled to fight with.

“You feeling okay, Virgil?” Picani asked.

Virgil nodded in reply. He had a huge smile on his face that couldn’t be hidden, no matter how much he squirmed.

“That’s good. How would you feel if I tickled your other armpit?” Picani asked, as he slowly brought his left hand over to Virgil’s right side. Virgil squealed and squeezed his eyes shut. “Do you want me to tickle your other armpit? Or is that too much?” Picani asked.

Virgil looked at the lingering fingers above his right armpit and looked at Picani with a pleading facial expression. That seemed to tell him everything!

“Alrighty then!” Picani touched his fingers down onto Virgil’s right armpit and immediately started scratching and skittering his fingers in the hollow part.

Virgil let out a HUGE squeal and fell into loud, squeaky laughter! It was so cute to listen to! Who knew such an awkward and quiet emo would be hiding such a cute laugh?!

Finally after what felt like hours, Picani stopped tickling him. “Alright. I think you deserve a big break.” Picani told him.

Virgil was still giggling and kicking, and even shaking his head back and forth a little. It was like he was still being tickled.

Hmm...Maybe he was?

“Tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle! Such a cute little guy! I like you a lot! You’re so fun!” Şüräle’s voice spoke.

...So he IS being tickled still!

“Şüräle? Buddy? I said for us to stop. He needs a break.” Picani told him.

“Awww...But I didn’t get very long with him!” Şüräle whined.

Picani gave Virgil a guilt-filled ‘sorry’ expression. When Virgil signalled for him to get his mouse, Picani reached under Virgil’s shirt and pulled him out from underneath. “You sir, got more ticklish Virgil time than I did! So don’t start complaining.” Picani warned.

Şüräle frowned and pouted in the doctor’s hand. Virgil, finding it kinda cute, let out a giggle at the pouty stuffed mouse.

“Hey...don’t be giving me the whiny pouts, buddy.” Picani warned before curling his finger in an evil, threatening manner. Şüräle looked up, and immediately dropped his pouty face in surprise and slight eagerness.

Picani started tickling Şüräle’s belly with a couple of his fingers. “Kitchy kitchy kitchy kitchy koo!” Picani teased.

Şüräle let out a squeal and started laughing. The mouse’s laughter was super high-pitched and squeaky, making the mouse even MORE adorable!

Not even a second later, Picani laid Şüräle onto the bed beside Virgil and started tickling both their stomachs at the same time! Both of them were giggling, laughing, squeaking and even snorting!

Picani quickly figured out that Virgil has a snort when tickled long enough! And even though Picani already knew this, Virgil learned something adorable about Şüräle:

Şüräle will fall into fits of just squeaking when tickled a lot! It was like Şüräle was a real, living mouse! Only...its body was stuffed with cotton.

Soon enough, Picani let up on both of the adorable beings.

“Alright. I have to go talk to Patty the Secretary out in the waiting room. You guys can bond for a while. Okay?” Picani rold them.

Virgil nodded and happily took the time to get to know Şüräle. Through talking to the mouse, Virgil learned that Picani’s father actually get him the mouse when he was younger! Not only that, but Şüräle had taken on Picani’s childhood personality, including his childhood love for tickling! So through getting to know Şüräle, Virgil was getting to know Picani as a kid!

And of course, no bonding experience could ever be finished without a cuddle or a tickle. And for Virgil, he was gifted both. 

[83gigsof90semocore-blog]

Bonus post: Everybody Hurts - Review

So the letter D is going along nicely, but before that I'm going to do something quite different, namely a book review.

My hope is that my pseudo-academic academic style will be complemented nicely by exploring what other people have written on the genre. I hope to do more of these eventually, but probably not at a too steady rate because I can be rather lazy when it comes to reading.

Everybody hurts is a book published in 2007 that was written by Leslie Simon, who at the time worked as an editor for Alternative Press and Trevor Kelly who worked as a staff writer, also for Alternative Press. The book is actually quite different from my blog in many respects. Aside from the obvious ones, it isn't specifically focused on 90's emo but instead on what in 2007 was considered contemporary emo. Also unlike my blog it's focused on emo culture (the cover says "an essential guide to emo culture") as opposed to just music.

Some background: The 4th wave, Real Emo and the death of Scene culture

Part of what makes this book interesting to me is that it's very much a product of its time. The story that it tells about the music and community surrounding it is incredibly different than what would have been told in the 90's and even more so today.

So, first some basics: Emo is a very broad term that at many points have meant different things. One popular way to categorize it is by splitting it into 4 (or 5) waves. We have the first wave which refers to the offshoot of hardcore-punk that is the origin of the genre. The second wave is much more influenced by indie, alt-rock and pop. It's much less overtly punky, depending on where you draw the line between first and second wave. The third wave (which corresponds to the time period when this book was written) consists to a large degree of pop-punk and poppy post-hardcore. This is the period of time in which emo music was the most commercially successful and emo culture was properly cemented in the public conciousness. Finally, we have the fourth wave also known as the "emo revival". Now, this is where things get interesting.

As the name implies, emo revival was a movement concerned with bringing back emo to an earlier stage, namely the second wave. As such, many people associated with the revival where to some degree self-concious about the way "their" genre was misinterpreted as being about something else, namely third wave emo. Emo culture at the time was often mocked and the more commercial emo music wasn't looked upon favourably in underground circles. Fourth wave wasn't just a re-embrace of the values of the second wave but a rejection of the third wave.

I should also mention that this isn't nearly as true as it used to be now that enough time has passed for people to be nostalgic sooner than derisive, although it's an assumption that is very much woven into contemporary emo culture.

The history of emo as told from a fourth wave perspective would generally look on the third wave as an embarrassing parenthesis that we'd be better of forgetting. Some people have even gone as far as referring to the bulk of the third wave as "fake emo", being emo in name only while failing to embrace the core values of the genre sufficiently to be considered part of it.

So, this is where this book comes in. Being written in 2007, instead of viewing third wave emo as a heretical misstep, it's treated as the logical conclusion of the genre.

Emo as an identity

Another contrast with modern-day emo culture is it's treatment of emo as almost more of an identity than a music genre. This is also very typical of the time period. I'm born in the mid 90's, and my first exposure to the word emo (as I remember it) was when I was perhaps 10 or so and a friend told me about "a group of mentally ill people who dress in black and self harm". Not even a mention of the music! From then on my pre-pubescent self was mostly exposed to Emo as an identity. Sure, they had a special type of music that they listened to, but it wasn't any more integral to their emo-ness than their fashion for example.

Fast forward to today and I would never unironically call myself or anyone else "an emo", and I don't think almost anyone else would either. The understanding of emo that you find by modern fans is of something that might have cultural connotations, but is ultimately a style of music at heart.

While the authors where a lot more familiar with what emo in general than my 10 year old self and also saw music as a more central part of it, it is very informed by the view of Emo as a broader identity and only a small part of the book is actually about music.

My impression

The book starts of with a foreword by Andy Greenwald, author of Nothing feels good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, And Emo, a book that I'm hoping to eventually cover on this blog.

Then we get to the first chapter, titled ideology. For a second I (foolishly) thought that it would be a Žižek-style examination of pop-culture or something, and got very exited. Reading a few words below, we get a faux dictionary definition of the word:

ide•ol•o•gy n a body of ideas and social needs that separates you from your parents, the pep squad, and Dave Matthews Band fans.

Žižek was never this snarky.

After appropriately adjusting my expectations, snark is a constant background noise in the book. It's sometimes funny, sometimes making fun of a target that deserves it, sometimes an excuse to not treat a subject seriously and sometimes something that has aged quite poorly (ableist slurs stand out like a sore thumb, something it generally didn't in 2007).

The book is divided in 9 chapters, discussing everything from emo ideology, emo fashion, emo literature to emo eating habits and oh right, actual emo music. I generally found that the book was quite well researched (although it is an entertainment book, so it's not exactly done with any academic rigor) and that the authors where happy on going in to detail on most of the subjects they brought up. The facts and anecdotes that make up every chapter are accompanied by either helpful advice ("Don't put on a band shirt right after buying it from the merch table, you'll look like an emo novice") or snarky commentary ("Let's say that a guy and his crush watched One Tree Hill a week earlier with a group of seven of their friends. Never mind that there where nine people in the room. In emo terms, this was a date.")

One section of the book is about emo blogs. Just for fun, let's see how my emo blog measures up:

[From the section "how to emo-fy your blog" [...] you're going to want to look over your text and ask yourself a series of questions before hitting the "submit" button and releasing your deepest, most intimate thoughts into the world. Those questions are as follows:

Does this read well?

Am I making my points in a clear and efficient way?

Did I use actual paragraphs?

Did I capitalize all the words that need capitalisation?

Is this what my life is actually like?

Ok, 5. doesn't really apply but for the others it seems like I'm doing fine. So far, so good.

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you should probably scrap your post and start over. Ideally, a good emo blog post should be over dramatic and a bit abstruse. You know the magnets you see on fridges that people sometimes assemble into bizarre phrases? That's what emo posts are supposed to look like

Well, fuck.

Chapter 6: Music - a review

While it can be anywhere from amusing to interesting to read about everything from proper show etiquette to Emo porn sites (yes, seriously), this being a music blog first and foremost I'm gonna give some extra attention to their taste in music.

They have a section titled "Essential Emo Records 101". So what does it consist of and what do I think of it?

Rites of Spring, S/T

Embrace, S/T

Sunny Day Real Estate, Diary

Jawbreaker, Dear You

Lifetime, Hello Bastards

Texas is the Reason, Do You Know Who You Are?

Weezer, Pinkerton

The Promise Ring, Nothing Feels Good

The Get Up Kids, Something To Write Home About

Jimmy Eat World, Clarity

So far, so good. Lifetime is almost never talked about these days, but Hello Bastards is still a solid record. Mineral, American Football and Cap'n Jazz are all absent, although American Football and Cap'n Jazz weren't very popular until a long time after they split, so it's not that strange I suppose. They would be impossible to not include had the list been written today though. All the bands are accompanied by some text. For the first two albums they snarkily remark that they're not so much good as important historically. I believe that this comes from viewing the history of as stepping stones to what it was when this book was written and not with an attempt to see emo as it was at the time which I think is disappointing although not very surprising.

Saves the Day, Through Being Cool

Glassjaw, Everything You Ever Wanted

At the Drive-in, Relationship of Command

Bright Eyes, Fever and Mirrors

Thursday, Full Collapse

Dashboard Confessional, The Places You Have Come To Fear the Most

Taking Back Sunday, Tell All Your Friends

The Used, S/T

The All-American Rejects, S/T

Brand New, Deja Entendu

Coheed and Cambria, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3

Yellowcard, Ocean Avenue

Hawthorne Heights, The Silence in Black and White

My Chemical Romance, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge

Fall Out Boy, From Under the Cork Tree

Panic! At the Disco, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

There are a couple of albums that I personally don't really think qualify as emo even from a third wave point of view (although, maybe I'm just too poisoned by 4th wave elitism) namely Fevers and Mirrors, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 and A Fever You Can't Sweat Out. I do still think that at least the first two at least are quite good so it's more of a matter of being overly loose with the genre. Although, maybe it's worth interpreting this list as more "music that emo people like" rather than "emo music" in line with the rest of the book. I did honestly think that it would be a bit worse in terms of including "non-emo" music so I'm honestly positively surprised. The authors do in my opinion manage to escape with a good amount of emo cred.

One thing that I'm disappointed in is the complete absence of screamo music, although this is once again more disappointing than surprising really.

Final verdict

One helpful question to ask when reviewing any piece of media is "who is this for?". My impression is that it's mostly for people who are already immersed in Emo culture who are interested in laughing at themselves. It is a very silly subculture in many ways (particularly in 2007) and the authors poke fun of this many times. If you can take it in stride, this book might be a pleasant read. You might also learn some things that you have missed.

For people such as me who are trying to puzzle together what emo culture actually was like at the time I find that the snark gets in the way of actually learning things, and I wish that they had taken a slightly more serious approach. The book could also have done with a lot more interviews.

Ultimately I think this leaves the book with a quite narrow audience in the present day, but that's fine maybe. At the time it came out it was actually commenting on something culturally relevant and might have served as a decent primer to the subculture.

Today however, I think that I can only really recommend it to the unhealthily obsessed (like me) and the nostalgic.

[orokinarchives]

Legs Dialogue

(Fortuna hype image)

Legs is a Solaris merchant who builds Moa companions in Fortuna. Initially, Legs is known as Thursby, a young adult who inherited his parents' substantial debt after they were killed in the Deck 12 crackdown. With no upgrades and no assets, Thursby attempted to sell scrap to get by. During the Vox Solaris quest, when he enlisted the Tenno to help him by stealing goods from the Corpus, Nef Anyo had him bodily repossessed in retaliation. This event spurred Eudico to light the fires of Vox Solaris once again, and in the aftermath, she and The Business set Thursby up with a new body – built from plundered Moa parts – and a new shop, where he sells Moa parts and assembles them into battle companions. With his new form came a new name which he chose to better advertise his shop – Legs of Legs' Pets & Parts.

Idle quotes

These are un-subtitled lines that Legs says when he is not interacting with anyone.

"Hey yeah! Need to equip your trip with companionship? Talk to Legs, baby, the knowa' and showa' of primo Moa."

"Pets at impress design express, your request for the best has been addressed."

"Every bod a workhorse, reinforce supports endorsed, does all it purports, of course, leaving no cause for buyer's remorse. WE GOT PETS!"

Greeting the Tenno

(if the Tenno has just completed the Vox Solaris quest) "What? Don't recognise me? It's Thursby! Look what Biz and Eudico put together. Top-shelf parts. Not just that, Biz gave me enough spare stock to start my own shop. Legs' Pets & Parts. That's my new name: Legs. Don't call me Thursby no more. I got a new body, new store, new hook, new name. Come back anytime, and Legs'll build you a Moa just for you."

"If your ambition is the acquisition of a new addition, I'm just the patrician to hear your submission. Pets? Moas? We've got 'em all."

"Step on up, quick-like and snappy. I pay off some debt, you walk away happy. Now whaddya need? Moas? We've got Moas. Right!"

"Look around. Now, don't be shy. Good friends, good buddy, ain't hard to buy."

(if the Tenno has just reached the rank Old Mate) "You seem ace, so here's my face. But understand; I just got lucky, and I think you're beautiful just as you are."

(if the Tenno is rank Old Mate) "Well hey! It's the familiar killer to whom I love to deliver. Tell me the good news, sweets."

(if the Tenno is rank Old Mate) "Well! I do delight in the sight of fave-o-RITE. How are you doing, friend?"

(if the Tenno is rank Old Mate) "Lookee before me, who's this that I see? The Outworlder! Buddy! Long time absentee! HOW ARE YA BABY?”

(if the Tenno is rank Old Mate) "Why's Smokefinger always gotta be ridin' me? 'Wastin' my youth'. Better wastin' my youth hangin' out with my awesome robots than talkin' to dirt. Whatever. What can I getcha?"

(if the Tenno is rank Old Mate) "I keep tryin' to get Biz to tell me stories, but nothin'. That cove was a real doer back in the day. Eudico'd say 'Give 'em The Business' and then things'd get real hectic."

(if the Tenno is rank Old Mate) "My family didn't make it out the first time Solaris U got stomped. Aw, I know Eudico reckons it's her fault, but I don't see it thataway. She's done right by me. Way I see it, she and Zuud? They're my family now. Need anything?"

Assembling a Moa if the Tenno has no Moa parts

"I ain't part of what you might call… a legitimised supply chain. But! Bring in your own gear – heads, engines, payloads – and I'll put together a little buddy for ya quick smart, no questions asked."

"I work with salvage. Bring in heads, engines, payloads, and I'm your mucker."

"Can't work with what I don't have, cove. Gonna need some parts before we have this conversation."

Selecting a Moa part

"Okay, okay. I see where you're goin'."

"I like it."

"Nice."

If the Tenno idles while selecting Moa parts

"This is my favourite part, y'know. The parts get chosen, and a little fella gets born from it all. It's all down to you."

"People say Moas don't got no personality, but it's all in choosing the right components. You take your time."

"I'd offer you a nutrient canister, but you don't look like you're hooked up for it, and I'm all out."

"Need any help with that?"

"Just one more piece and I can get to work."

"Last piece. Big moment. Drum roll!"

Assembling a Moa

"Hello beautiful. Nicely put together if I do say so myself."

"There y'go, little fella. On your feet."

"And that… is that."

Exiting store with purchase

"Here's your manual and bot, so full of potential, instructions for use, you'll find them essential. Use it well, this device, g'wan an' have fun. But do check the fine print: there ain't no refunds."

"Golden."

"Aaaaand your change."

Exiting store without purchase

"Just here for the show?"

"Nooo sale. Right. It was the rhyming, wasn't it?"

"Well, I'm also available for parties."

Viewing Legs' daily special

"Ya wanted a Moa since you were protozoa, mechanical friend, fides that are bona. Wait no more, cove, my gear's all class, it's the daily special! I only take cash."

"A sleek little freak, take a peek, step on up, critique this physique! Hand-made, hand-designed, one of a kind. For today only. Seriously chic."

"Ya know ya want it, this revel's on the level. Bust open that wallet, it's a one-time special!"

Gilding a Moa

"Something this beautiful shouldn't be walkin' around without a name. Anything spring to mind?"

"So. She got a name?"

"I always like to name 'em. You should name her. What's her name?"

Confirming the name of a Moa

"Sure, why not."

"Welcome to the world, kiddo."

"Does kinda complete her, don't it?"

Skipping the naming of a Moa after gilding

"Free to be her own thing. Awright."

"Yeah. She is what she is."

"A thing unto herself. Sounds like somethin' The Business would say."

Bidding farewell

"And just like that, they were gone."

"See ya later, agitator."

"New items daily! Or as often as Boon can steal them."

"Cheerio."

"I think that went well."

"Right, now where did I put that bucket of spare ankles."

Legs' story is also told in the memory fragments scattered around the Orb Vallis. He is mentioned in the dialogue of Eudico, The Business, Smokefinger, and Roky & Boon, and in the lore fragments of Eudico and The Business.

[Navigation: Hub → Dialogue → Legs]

[supxrsanvers-blog]

Trying to find a photo editing software I discovered something new.

When I was searching the web for a beneficial photo editing software, I eventually tripped over this really great one.

Andrew lives in Corona, at the age of 55, and wants to purchase some of the most eye-catching photo editing software online soon. He muses now for quite a while, what he can perhaps order from his fortunately very normal reward because so all really spectacular photo editing tool for their hobby. Meanwhile, playing volleyball in nature, a bunch of phenomenal things come to mind. On the other hand, he does not want to decide what he finally gets. Therefore, he is desperately looking for ideas on what he could buy a totally charming photo editing software.

An acquaintance really has very sensible buying recommendations and supports him in the decision. When it finally becomes clear what he intends to acquire, Image editing refers to the modification of images or digital photos by the PC.

Most of the time, PC-based photo editing is used to remove vulnerabilities that often occur when taking photographs. This includes distortions and skin defects in portraits and the like. Because of these aberrations, the photographed shots are therefore often too dark and not perfect in any other way. The special photo editing software to beautify the images is sometimes a free photo editing software, so this kind of photo optimization is very common. The applications of digital photo editing are different and usually in principle only by the lack of expertise of the user to accomplish problems without problems.

Another potentially used field of application for photo editing is the stylistic editing of a recording. These include effects such as clip art, rotate, red-eye effect and blur. Existing image formats for image processing include jpg and tif.

User friendly photo editing software for Windows 10

https://wallinside.com/post-65246100-your-pictures-will-definitely-look-better-with-photo-editing-software-for-windows.html

Users who search the WWW for a photo tool, choose terms such as photo editing software free download as well as edit photos Download. So a Windows 10 photo editing software includes many graphics editing functions, which are generally listed in a menu and a toolbar. Common terms for image editing include white balance, cropping, monochrome and changing images et cetera. Photo editing software specialize in pixel graphics and are useful for alienating digital photos.

More https://coldklarny-07.webself.net

Also important is the fact that photo editing software are predominantly used to modify images, but sometimes also as painting software. Do you find pictures interesting? The tool with which the photo processing is carried out on the Windows PC is called a photo editing software. Dylan, who lives in Santa Clarita, 41 years old, would finally get some amazing photo editing software on a website soon. He muses for a while about what he almost certainly with the pretty small purse can get so really great photo editing software Meanwhile, when cycling in the village quickly come to him some fairytale things. On the other hand, he does not want to decide what he ultimately orders.

That's why he's desperately looking for advice on what to do, especially, to acquire an intriguing photo editing tool. A colleague really has a lot of tips and advises him in the decision. When he knows for sure what he wants to buy, he surfs and finally orders these beautiful things. In particular, digital image processing is used to eradicate errors in an image that are common in scanning images.

Simply explain the image processing: What is meant by image processing? The term "editing photos" refers to the processing of images or digital recordings. Due to these photo errors a recording of the often just too bright and in any other way is poor. The application areas to edit photos are very diverse and usually only by the lack of knowledge of the user to accomplish without training period. The required photo editing software to remove this flaw is relatively cheap to get, so this way of image editing is in demand. Another possible application of image editing is the stylistic transformation of an image. These include recording errors such as underexposure and red-eye, and the like. Picture blur.

Existing common image types here are for example jpg, gif, tiff or png and also many other image formats. These include photographic effects such as labeling photos. Try here https://funnystelly.site123.me

The tool with which the image processing is done on the computer is called a photo editing software. Such photo editing software for Windows 7 includes many editing functions, which are generally listed in a menu bar but also in a toolbar.

Frequent technical terms in graphics processing are Umwwadlung in other formats, print image, blur image or even pictures et cetera. Photo editing software specialize in pixel graphics and are needed to modify digital images. It should be noted here that photo editing software are used authoritatively for the optimization of digital recordings, but occasionally also as painting software. Users looking for a photo editing tool on the Internet, The photo editing simply explains: What is meant by a photo editor? The theme of editing images is the perfecting of photographs or digital photos. In many cases, photo editing is used to get rid of mistakes in a photo taken during digital photography of images. This includes errors such as overexposure but also skin flaws in portraits and the like. Because of this blemish, the photos are often blurry and otherwise flawed. The necessary program to embellish the photos is sometimes free of photo editing, which is why this way of photo editing is appreciated. The functions of digital image processing are versatile in every respect and usually only by the lack of previous knowledge of the user without experience practicable. A possibly used field of application for photo editing is the stylish editing of a photo.

These include image effects such as clipart, clone stamp, add text or enhance. Popular digital image types for editing a photograph include jpg and png. So a photo editing software for Windows 10 and Windows 7 offers countless image editing functions, which are generally in a program menu or in a toolbar. Naturalized names for photo editing functions are resharpening, photomontage, masking or course et cetera. The tool with which image processing is done on the Windows PC is called a photo editing software.

It should only be mentioned here that graphics editing programs are predominantly used for optimizing digital photos, but occasionally also as a drawing program. People searching for an image tool on the net choose such keywords as photo editing software free download as well as software photo. Photo editing tools specialize in graphics and are useful for creating photos.

[musescore-com]

MuseScorer of the month: Takernikov

And here comes August’s MuseScorer of the Month!

In case you missed it, each month we pick one of MuseScore.com’s brilliant members, featuring him or her in an interview available to all MuseScorers. Last month we introduced you to flutist and composer Robin M. Butler.

Now, please welcome: the MuseScorer Of August, Takeru aka Takernikov from Fukuoka, Japan.

“I love the words of my professor at the university. He said, that good music has ‘consistency’ and ‘variety’; If no consistency, it would be confusing. If no variety, it’d be boring.”

The following interview is featuring Takeru and is conducted by our staff member Alexander T.

- Hi, Takeru.It’s a pleasure to meet you! Tell our readers, please, a few words about yourself.

Hello, Alexander, nice to meet you too. Well, I’m from Fukuoka, northern side of Kyushu island, Japan, and live in this city with my wife and a little son (three years old right now). I studied acoustic design at the university, i.e. solving room acoustic issues with physics. Actually I wanted to study at conservatory but my musical skills were not good enough to pass the examination. Luckily, I had an opportunity to take composing classes at the university. So, I learnt music theory, notation, how to compose, and musical forms like sonata.Now, I’ve been an IT engineer specialized in networks for a decade, I like this job. My experience as a musician includes playing: - tuba, double bass and clarinet at high-school; - bassoon and contrabassoon at university; - piano - since I turned 15 years old.

- Cool, such a variety of instruments ! Did you come a long way to learn playing them?

Actually I was kinda tone deaf when in junior high school. There were lotta choral classes sadly, the music teacher pointed out my tone deafness every time, some students teased me. But, finally, I overcame that so-called “tone deafness”; I got interested in music, I began to play piano, which had been bought by my mother when she got married. Then, I played in a brass band in high school. As far as I remember, at some point I came across a really attracting piece called “El Camino Real”. First time I saw the score, I was confused about the key signature for transposing instruments, but I found my own way to read it. The skill I got at that time has helped me a lot later, when studying from the other composer’s work. I was also playing contrabass for a year, clarinet for two months and tuba for about two years. When I entered university, as I have already said, I began to play bassoon and contrabassoon in the “Orchestra club”. I’ve played symphonies (Brahms No.1, 4, Beethoven No.5, 7, 9, Tchaikovsky No.5, 6, Rachmaninoff No.1, 2, Dvorak No.5, 7, 8, 9, Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, and so on), overtures and suites. I tried to perform in a rock band as a keyboard player, but sadly it wasn’t good…

- But, anyway, trying something different is always (or almost always) a nice experience...Well, let’s talk about your composing experience: what is that about for you, and what or who helped you to start composing?

Apart from the composing classes at the university, I took part in picking musical pieces for upcoming concerts as a member of the council of the university orchestra (I was a leading bassoon player). We listened to all of the ‘candidate’ scores to decide whether they are playable for our orchestra, worthwhile or not. So,I read a lot of scores from Bach to Shostakovich. Especially I’ve been curious about the orchestration, I tried to understand, how do composers notate their music to make it sound really nice and beautiful.

At first, I tried to compose something with Finale when in the university, about eleven years ago, but quitted composing after I graduated. As I dislike using a mouse, I felt it was inefficient to notate with drag and drop, so I lost some motivation. Then, when I was searching for sheet music from Final Fantasy XV soundtrack for piano, I came across this amazing MuseScore notation program. I remember, that I was greatly impressed by the features MuseScore had (and still has, of course). It has intuitive UI for me, mostly I can notate with keyboard quickly as if writing a document. Till that day I hadn’t composed a piece for about ten years. But now almost everything motivates me to compose, but especially natural landscapes or some exercises (sports) I did or things happened to me...

- ...and now, as I can see, you’ve got a plenty of your own pieces on MuseScore.com Can you describe at least some of them?

All-right. Let’s start with Snow Run - one Sunday morning I did a trail run with friends through an urban forest park and some ranch, the duration of the 3D map movie generated by my GPS log data on the run was 52 seconds, so I decided to compose this piece in 2/4, 52 measures with 120 bpm to make it easy to count. Composed this piece within an hour or so - I realized I could compose quicker than imagined...

- Sorry for interrupting, but I wonder - do you often compose these “GPS-log” pieces after your morning runs, and is that the only reason why most of your compositions are short?

Basically there are two reasons for that: 1: you are right about the “GPS compositions”: after I do some endurance exercise like cycling or running, there’s some service which can create some short movies by my GPS logs. Usually the duration of the movies are short, less than 1-2 minutes; I compose for this ‘movies’ on the same day and share with my friends. 2: I said “compose on the same day”. I set a deadline for myself and try to accomplish that on time. Kind of repetitive practices, it’s a good way to express my feelings and to ‘improve productivity’ in my opinion. I feel, this affects even my job activity in a good way as well.

- So, let’s continue with your compositions…

Ok, then I’ll tell you about a couple more. La Chute D'eau élargi - inspired by French impressionists, deliberately titled in French, however, it includes some pentatonic scales, so for me it sounds like some Japanese folk music. Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa - an attempt to create minimal music from my original phrases I came up with, after I was reading a picture book for my son. That sounds a little weird, but I ended up with clear and refreshing atmosphere in this piece.

- Nice pieces, the second one reminded me of Steve Reich. And now, here is our “traditional” question: what have you shared on MuseScore.com that you’re most proud of (and why are you proud of it) ?

It’s Symphonic Poem “Mamacoco”. This is the most emotional and dramatic one I have ever composed. Although I’m generally a short piece composer, the duration of this one is about 14min. and it contains almost everything I could do as a composer. Attempted to fill it with beautiful melodies and counterpoints in the tonal slow part, and to make it exciting in the quasi-atonal fast part, naturally “covered” the previous slow melodies with different instruments (brass). I was surprised what I did actually, huge resolution followed by very tensed atmosphere before the recapitulation. The last part starts with almost sad flute’s phrase, it gradually changes to a kind of brilliant sounding.

Symphonic Poem “Mamacoco” by Takernikov

- I love the melodies in it, for me “Mamacoco” sounds like ‘pastoral’ music. I wonder what composers/performers influenced you. And, generally, what are your favorites?

I love Russian composers Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Rimsky-Korsakov, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, and that’s why my MuseScore account name is “Takernikov”, like a Russian surname. I don’t mean that I’m limited by the Romantic era, I also respect Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Debussy, Ravel, Liszt, even Steve Reich. In film composing, Hans Zimmer is the first composer that comes to my mind. Generally, most of the film composers affected me: James Horner, Steve Jablonsky, Joe Hisaishi, Ryuichi Sakamoto, etc..Honestly saying, the composer I can’t even imitate is Don Davis. His music, especially the orchestration and atonality in it, is outstanding in my opinion.

Would like to admit, that Takernikov is the first composer I met, whose beautiful music is often inspired by morning runs and whose pieces’ length really depend on the time he devoted to his physical exercises. That’s an interesting fact and Takeru is a really nice composer, it was a pleasure for me to do this interview and to meet him.

Thank you, guys, for reading.

Yours, Alexander T.

P.S. Following the nice tradition - I am adding here a piece I really enjoyed , this is a kind of “spanish sketch” composed by Mr.Takernikov.

Él irá a España by Takernikov

[dramallamadingdang]

A buncha replies about high-poly hair, fur-coated vacation locals, evil enablers, laziness, an old game being old, time management or the lack thereof, creepy pizza delivery dudes, terrain defaults that may or may not work, House Hunters and stupid Americans, nuzzling cats, cheap but AWESOME 80s knives, fermented milk and Canadian weirdness about it, forcing TV on people who don’t want it, annnnnnnd...Texas? Yep, Texas.

Quite a list, ain’t it? :) IOW, these go back a bit because I’m...me. 

These are for @immerso-sims, @nekosayuri, @fuzzyspork, @kairisu, @alawren4ever, @ajaysims, @didilysims, @delicatesoul88, @dreadpirate, @treason-and-plot, @jellybeanery, @pensblr, @twofee, @hemfbg, and @penig. Because Texas. ;)

Also, peripherally, @twofingerswhiskey.

immerso-sims replied to your photo “So instead of filling up my queue OR firing up my rebooted Castaway...”

I am guilty of having quite a few high polycount hairs, but I don’t have much CC in general and my Macie seems to handle them well, even with an integrated video card, so all is well, but yeah, 30k is a liiiiiittle bit excessive.

I have a few really high-poly hairs (20+K), myself. My game/computer does seem to be able to handle them without a fuss. (I really don’t know WHY, since both the machine AND the video card are older models, but...Hey, I’m not gonna argue. :) ) Even so, the ones I have are special and unique and very fabulous in some way, and if I later find a similar just-as-nice but lower-poly style, I’ll ditch the high-poly one in a heartbeat.

Mostly, though, I stick to hairs that are ~10K polys or less. I’ll have as many of those as I want because I figure if my game can handle the 30K+ ones without issue, it can handle a bunch of 10Ks. I have fewer that are 10K-12K. 13K is generally (and arbitrarily) my hard limit unless the hair falls into the “unique and fabulous” category and, really, those are few and far between.

nekosayuri replied to your photo “So instead of filling up my queue OR firing up my rebooted Castaway...”

@digitalangels lowered the polycount on Aviary, I'm pretty sure

I wouldn’t be surprised if she has. But really? There are already plenty of quite similar hairs that look just as nice as that one and that have much lower polycounts. I’ll bet it’s one of those that has thousands of backfaces that don’t even show in the game. :\ 

fuzzyspork replied to your photo “Well. This isn’t something you see every day. :) (Guess I missed that...”

The static she will collect on the way down will make that coat look like a tribble.

Yeah, like a tribble...or like they slaughtered a thousand-and-one poofy Pomeranian dogs to make her coat. :)

kairisu replied to your photo “Well. This isn’t something you see every day. :) (Guess I missed that...”

she's sliding in style ��✨

Maybe. But she’s gonna make a mess of that fancy fur coat. :)

alawren4ever replied to your post “So now that the second Blind Date gift I was called upon to make is...”

Fun thing of course!

See? THAT’S JUST NOT HELPFUL! :D I enable myself to do the fun thing quite well, thank you. ;)

nekosayuri replied to your post “So now that the second Blind Date gift I was called upon to make is...”

Get a mouse recorder to do it for you XD

That’s tempting, but the majority of the time spent on the “editing,” such as it is, is cropping the pics in the right place and to (more-or-less) the right size ratios. It’s never the same twice, so it couldn’t be automated.

(Confession: I had to Google “mouse recorder.” I mean, I could kind of tell what one would do from the name, but I doubted that such things actually existed. SURPRISE! :) )

ajaysims replied to your post “So now that the second Blind Date gift I was called upon to make is...”

I really know what you mean. My head is always bursting with a million different hood and story ideas but at the end of the day a lot of the time I just wanna play without thinking about editing pics after.

Yep, that’s me, too. I mean, I have (literally) about 1200 GilsCarburg pics to post. I mean, they wouldn’t all be posted because a good chunk of them are similar, where I took a lot of pics knowing I’d pick the best one of the bunch to post, but still...a lot. It’s going through them and making the posts that I drag my feet on sometimes. I kinda have to psych myself up to do it -- although once I start, I enjoy doing it, so it’s not a chore or anything :) -- and it’s easy to distract myself by, for instance, downloading a bunch of hairs for my Castaway game because I want to try my hand at making defaults for it.

nekosayuri replied to your post “You're my Senpai. Lol jk but for reals I adore you! You make amazing...”

Senpai XD tbh this is one of those things though, people actually PLAY the game AND make cc AND download stuff AND organise downloads folder/Tumblr posts. How do people have time for all of that??

I honestly don’t know how most people do it. For me, the answer’s easy: I’m mostly retired -- I’ll do paid gigs if I get bored and want to, but otherwise? Eh. -- and I don’t have to worry about money. And I have employees. That helps, too. Also, I have health issues that prevent me from doing a lot of things I’d LIKE to do. So, I do Sims-related stuff a lot. And go on a lot of dates with my husband, but he DOES work, so I can’t be doing stuff with him all the time. So, for now, unless/until I decide to do some kind of volunteering, I occupy a good chunk of my time with Sims stuff. And with hanging out with friends and whatnot, too, of course. But...Yeah, I don’t have a “normal” life. I don’t know how people who DO have a normal life manage to do all the Sims stuff they do.

delicatesoul88 replied to your post “Hi there, I’m pretty impressed that you create and use a lot of high...”

@dramallamadingdang I feel like I should print this and place it up right next to my monitors for the next time I take the cc cleanup plunge. The flashing pink bug is real and has caught up to me, I also know its my own darn fault for having so much cc. My computer can handle it but my game can't, and this is the swift kick in the rear I needed to remind me of that.

dreadpirate replied to your post “Hi there, I’m pretty impressed that you create and use a lot of high...”

Personally what works for me (since I love my sims 3 and 4 conversions and my pretty hairs) is playing with smaller lots as much as possible and going easy on the clutter

Yeah, it’s all a matter of prioritizing. You truly can’t have everything because “old game is old” even if you personally own a supercomputer. So, you focus on what’s most important to you and sort of skimp on the other stuff. So if pretty hairs and conversions are your thing, OK, but you might have to sacrifice, yeah, large, heavily-landscaped lots and lots of deco-only clutter and/or a heavily-hood-decorated neighborhood. Or if you’re a person who doesn’t actually play the game and just does, say, decorating, you can have all the converted, high-poly/high-res shit your little heart desires because you don’t need the high-poly hairs and clothing or the neighborhood stuff. Or if you’re mostly a Sim-maker, you can have all the high-poly hairs with gigantic textures that you want because you don’t need anything else that taxes the game. 

And if you want to do everything...Then I say: Separate user accounts/different downloads folder for each purpose. So, if you wanna decorate, you load up the high-res conversions. You wanna make Sims, load up the high-poly hair. You wanna actually play...Don’t go batshit with the big stuff and you’ll generally be OK.  Conscious downloading is the way to go. Know what you’re putting in your downloads before you put it in there and make conscious, aware, informed decisions so you’re not surprised by any consequences (i.e pink flashing) that you experience..

It’s all balance, man. Like, be in harmony with the universal spheres, totally.

treason-and-plot replied to your photo “This pizza delivery dude that my game generated…looks like a pizza...”

He has seen things...

Seen many things, yes. Let���s just hope that he hasn’t done anything...to the pizza... :)

didilysims replied to your photo “This pizza delivery dude that my game generated…looks like a pizza...”

Just as long as he doesn't get any of those long hairs in the food.

Things like that, yes! :) Or, you know, worse. Ah, all those urban legends... :)

jellybeanery replied to your photoset “Happy Monday! Now that Blind Date is over, I’m back to doing Monday...”

Eeeee! Thank you! I'm grabbing this and gonna check it out tomorrow! ♥

Well, I hope it worked better for you than my first stab! :) Please let me know if it didn’t! 

fuzzyspork replied to your post “To be or not to be...a bitch.”

My reply to this sort of thing is "Oo, this is short notice. We already have plans!" Even if those plans are to watch Netflix in our underwear. They are probably just doing the Christian thing by inviting you guys and they may not even care if you come (my sister is of the High and Mighty mindset and she invites out of "duty" but is always relieved with people can't come or cancel, lol).

You know, of anyone else, I’d believe this. But whenever we’ve turned down an invite, there’s always been tons of wheedling about it. So, either they’re really good actors or they really do want us there. I’m pretty sure it’s the latter, since entertaining and cooking big meals and all that is what the female half of the couple lives for, since aside from going to church, she’s stuck at home, homeschooling their 7 kids, ranging from infants to teens. (Which is another reason to avoid their house, as far as I’m concerned. I’m done with kids. I don’t hate them or anything, but I really don’t enjoy being around them. Especially not toddlers. I’m not even goo-goo for my own grandkids, so I don’t want to deal with anyone else’s kids anymore.)

pensblr replied to your post “Random non-Sims things”

Just going to leave this here. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/75/a2/2d/75a22d07e38b1fedd15834c67bea0bb2.jpg

*sporfle* Yeah, that about sums it up, I’d say. :)

immerso-sims replied to your photoset “Kitten spam, with captions.”

The nuzzle animation is so cute :3

It is! I think they could’ve done so much more with pet-to-pet interactions, personally. Like, cats and dogs sleeping in piles like they do IRL. Also, pets sleeping on beds with Sims. (I have the mod that enables that for children, but it would have been nice if that was possible for all Sims.) But at least that one interaction is cute. :) 

fuzzyspork replied to your post “Random non-Sims things”

Oh god House Hunters. What gets me is when they decide they don't want to buy "the perfect in every other way" house because the paint/wallpaper/carpet is hideous. I always yell at the TV "THOSE ARE EASY TO CHANGE YOU PRISSY IDIOT!" But we ditched cable TV a few years ago and I've never been happier. It's so much more relaxing to just watch what we want streaming, when we want, not bound to a show's schedule.

Yeah! I saw that, too! I was like, “You know what? There’s this thing called painting. And if you don’t want to do it yourself, there’re even people who you can pay to do it for you!” But when the realtor says something like that (with not NEARLY enough snark, IMO), they’ll say “Oh, we don’t want any big projects.” As if painting one room before there’s anything in it is a “big project.” Stupidity abounds!

And yeah, I’m much happier without squawk boxes around. The only remotely good thing about it is Cartoon Network. And some of the HGTV-type stuff is fun to watch, I suppose, if only to get ideas for my game. ;) But I much prefer no TV. I mean, yeah, I know no one forces anyone to turn it on, but we feel like we should watch SOMETHING since we’re paying through the nose for it. :p

twofee replied to your post “Random non-Sims things”

house hunters international is hilarious because they always want to be in the center of whatever city, pay almost nothing in rent, and at least one person in the couple expects everything to be americanized. plus if they are asking for it to come furnished, they always complain about how its not their style or whatever. i just want to see the pretty scenery of the country youre lucky enough to be able move to. have you been able to guess which house theyll pick?

I can pretty much always tell the house they’ll pick because it’s usually the one that’s most like what the female half of the couple wants. Which is so stereotypical but...there it is.

And yeah, I watched an “International” one the other day. Some chick looking for a place to rent in Spain who was bitching about the lack of central air conditioning (In buildings older than America, that she said she WANTED to live in) and freaking out because -- OMG! -- the washing machine was installed in the (small) kitchen! Americans, SMH. Of course, she ended up in a new place with central air that was very American and also above her budget, but she justified that by saying she’d be more “comfortable” there. :p Moron. Why go live in another country if you just want to drag yours along with you? Isn’t that exactly what a certain sector of American citizens bitch about when it comes to immigrants? But what do American émigrés do? *sigh* Swear, most Americans just need to stay the hell in America because God forbid they deign to adapt to anything else. :p

hemfbg replied to your post “Random non-Sims things”

It's funny that you mention House Hunters- it's playing on the tv in the other room. Sometimes I'll watch it when it's on just because I like to look inside other houses, though I agree with you about it being very safe-for-tv and every episode being the same.

I did actually see a gay couple on it the other day! Of course, they were a white, middle-aged well-off gay couple looking for a place in Palm Springs, CA, which is pretty much a place you can’t live in unless you’re LGBT (and well-off), but still! Gay people, OMG! 

nekosayuri replied to your post “˜Tis reply time! \0/”

Maybe you could suggest it over at MTS to people who actually mod? it is a great idea overall! and it *might* be possible, but wont know till we try right? :D

I did post the idea in the “Hacks & CC You’d Like To See” thread over there. It’s not a request thread, though, because MTS doesn’t allow requests. It’s more like an “I wish” thread, and a lot of the stuff wished-for IS impossible, but sometimes people have picked stuff out of the thread and actually done it, so...Well, it’s out there in the world. Of course, right after I posted it, a little argument broke out about something unrelated, so it quickly got buried, but maybe something’ll come of it. Who knows?

didilysims replied to your post “Random non-Sims things”

3) I need to get me some of those knives! I feel like I'm sharpening my junky knives every time I use them because I refuse to crush my poor vegetables instead of cutting them. Never heard of the brand but I looked it up and apparently they're still making them. Probably not as good quality as back in the day but...I'll keep my eyes open in the stores now. :)

I was amazed to find out that Ginsu still exists. But yeah, those knives are way nicer than their 70s/80s ancestors. Which, yeah, probably means they won’t work half as well. :) Gimme my cheap plastic-handled bread knife made of God-knows-what ANY DAY!

didilysims replied to your post “Random non-Sims things”

1) Pretty sure internet packages try to include TV these days because the TV stations are paying them extra money to force it on people. 2) I say it the American way (never heard the English way in my memory) but I spell it with an H. There are almost as many different spellings as there are different Canadians, however. I've also seen yogourt, which is an odd one.

1) I’m pretty sure you’re right. I’m also pretty sure that most people do still want TV...although I’m pretty sure that, as time goes on, most people will prefer to stream what they want when they want it, so I think standard TV’s kind of on its way to dinosaur-hood. So perhaps one day it will no longer be forced on people. Probably won’t happen before I croak, though. :P 2) Yeah, @twofingerswhiskey reblogged with a pic of a yog(h)(o)urt container spelled “yogourt,” which is apparently how they spell it in Quebec (so I guess that’s how it’s spelled in France? Who knew?), which is apparently where most of y’all’s yog(h)(o)urt is made. :) Which is kinda weird, if you ask me. Why Quebec? Are there no dairy cows in Saskatchewan or Ontario or Alberta? :) I’ve seen dairy cows in BC, so I know they’re there...

penig replied to your post “˜Tis reply time! \0/”

Army bases can be beautiful. Ever go to Ft. Sam Houston? There's a reason all the officers retire here...

Nope, never been there. I’m sorry to say that I avoid Texas as much as I can. No offense to you or to any other individual Texan out there, but...y’all have a lot of bombastic asshats amongst you. And y’all seem to elect sexist, grabby-hands asshats at an alarming rate, too. Whenever I’ve been in Texas, I’ve had bad experiences at the hands of those two groups. So...Yeah, not going there if I can possibly help it. THAT said, I know that the cities are generally better and I’d like to visit San Antonio one day -- and maybe Ft. Sam Houston -- because I’ve heard that it’s, like, the artsy/hippie capital of Texas, kind of like how Santa Fe/Taos is the artsy/hippie capital of New Mexico, but....yeah. *sigh* 

[blogpr940]

Basic Fashion Sketches

These schools often require students to have completed basic art and design courses before entering a program. Applicants usually must submit sketches and other examples of their artistic ability. Other Experience. Fashion designers often gain experience in the fashion industry through internships or by working as an assistant designer. Hi everyone,This tutorial video is about how to draw a fashion figure for beginners(10 head fashion croquis) step by step. This is the basic fashion sketches. You’ll learn how to sketch a basic fashion runway figure and utilize various marker techniques to render multiple patterns like florals, gingham and leopard + textures like shine, denim, and fur. We’ll go over how to illustrate fashion details like faces, hair and difficult-to-draw hands and feet. First episode of the series to learn how to draw fashion. Follow my channel to be notified when further videos are posted!Today’s tips: 1.

Of all the questions and advice seeking that I receive from new and emerging fashion brands, the topic that is most often addressed is production. From “How do I work with a manufacturer?” to “My samples are horrible! What went wrong?!”, the trials and tribulations are aplenty.

This is because production is one of the most challenging parts of launching a fashion brand. Finding the right factory for your collection and then communicating properly with the people who are making your clothing is not something you can just wing. Planning and preparation are really important.

So when a designer asks me about where to even start in the whole manufacturing process, I always say two things:

Go through your pre-production checklist.

Create a tech pack.

Once you know you’re ready to work with a factory, have researched which factories makes sense for your brand, and have started to have a dialogue, Oone thing you need to have ready to present to your factory is your tech pack.

Capture One 20 on my Late 2018 mac Mini with internal SSD is horribly slow. It took over an hour to import and generate previews for about 7000 medium sized JPG files. And I noticed that during all that, it was using about 30% of one of the 6 CPU physical cores, 10% to 20% of the other 5 physical cores, and 0% of the six hyperthreaded cores. Capture one 20 slow start.

Tech packs are those things we’re all pretty sure we need to give to our factories but aren’t quite sure what they entail.

You don’t want to wing it with this one. The wrong info in your tech pack could mean the wrong finished sample. That means that tech packs are an incredibly important fashion business tool when you’re communicating your designs and specifications to your sample maker and factory.

The more detail you can give them, the less room for mistakes. The clearer you make your requests, the less likely there will be misinterpretations. The more you have in writing, the less likely you’ll be financially responsible for fixes.

Cover Page

The Cover Page houses the basic front and back view of the style. These sketches should have a white or transparent fill, and not contain color or print. The sketches can be computer generated, hand drawn, or photographs. An important concept to be mindful of is to make sure that the image is proportional and clean, meaning they should not be stylized.

Inspiration Page

The Inspiration Page houses any image(s) which helped create the original style. If the factory is to be the source of the pattern, the image(s) may help the factory create the pattern and reach the designer’s desired aesthetic. Inspiration images may contain whole garments or detail pictures, such as close up photos of a pocket or collar. An explanation of why the inspiration image is important may also be needed so the correct aspect of the image is conveyed in the style.

Callouts Page

The Callouts Page is used to articulate the type of construction and design details that should be used when constructing the garment. Be sure to use arrows to clearly mark what type of construction is to be used where. Also be sure that the factory understands any special phrases or acronyms that may be used to abbreviate words.

Print-Fabric Placement Page

The Print-Fabric Placement Page is used to indicate where you would like print and/or fabric. The front and back sketch of the style is colored in relation to a color key at the bottom of the page. This color key makes it very easy to distinguish the desired placement for each type of fabric. Prints could also be used to convey the placement of fabrics; such as one fabric being dots, and one fabric being stripes. Just make sure to clearly label the key.

Colorway Page

The Colorway Page identifies the colors which are to be used in the design. The current tab format includes several areas to input color information, and grids can be easily copied and pasted to create more information areas. Each color area contains sections for the color name, color number, and color swatch. The color number may be the pantone color number or an original number. If any other information is needed, simply edit the format so there are more columns in each information area.

This page may also hold print colorways if the design is not going to be one solid color. A true to size print out with color key may also/or instead be needed to identify each color in the print.

Bill of Materials Page

The Bill of Materials Page; also known as the BOM, is comprised of all materials used in constructing the garment. There are five main sections contained in this tab, which are as follows: Fabrics, Trims, Labels, and Packaging.

In each section there are five types of information that can be identified. This information includes Placment (where the material will be used or in what position it will be sewn into the garment), Comments (any extra means that are necessary to understanding the use of the material), Material (the fiber content, identification number, or substance the material is made of), Supplier (the provider of the goods), Color Number ( the item color to be used).

Fold Page

First of all I would like to say I am happy user of Deezer, nice interface and alot of songs available, currently making several playlist. But i have several problems regarding Deezer with communicating to the Samsung Multiroom app, the last update of Samsung Multiroom was around 4 weeks ago and since then it goes from bad to worse. Samsung multiroom for windows 10. Hi, I can't login to deezer via Samsung multiroom. It keeps advising the ID or password is wrong. I've re-entered multiple times, even changed the password a couple of times, logged in and out of deezer directly using the same credentials (to prove it is correct). Have reset the multiroom. I've been told by Tech Support today (I had to contact them as they don't call me) that Deezer is no longer supported via the Multiroom App. This appears to be Samsung's solution to mine and other users problems with accessing Deezer via the App. They haven't chosen to tell any of us and Deezer still appears within the choice of Apps.

The Fold Page expresses how the garment should be folded and packed. This pack will then be shipped to the desired destination. This page should contain a series of sketches showing the step by step process of folding and packing a shirt. Each sketch has a description for easy directional reference. If sketches cannot be created, a series of step by step photos with explanations would be an acceptable alternative. A description without any supporting images can also be used, however the explanations need to be very clear and easy to follow.

Label Placement Page

The Label Placement Page explains the type of label that is to be used in the product, and where it should be placed. Remember, the material the labels are made of can be found in the BOM.

Proto Specs Page

The Proto Specs Page indicates the measurements to which the pattern and first fit sample should be developed to. The chart contains five columns of information.

The Point of Measure (POM) indicates how each part of the style needs to be measured to ensure the garment or handbag is the correct size and fits correctly.

The Description expresses how and what needs to be measured in correlation to the POM code. It should be specific enough to relay what and how the point should be measured. The acronym for ‘high point of shoulder’ (HPS) will be seen often. Most vertical measurements will be measured from HPS, and should be indicated in the description.

The Requested indicates the actual measurements that the garment or handbag should be developed from. If there is uncertainty of what a measurement should be, the column may be left blank and a note made for the factory to help determine the necessary measurement. The spec can then be measured and filled in at the first fit.

The Tolerance (+/-) indicates the most a measurement is allowed to be over or under the requested measurement. This number is very important during production, so that the specs of the product are in the approved range of measurements.

The Comments is for adding important notes.

1st Fit Specs Page

The 1st Fit Specs Page holds all spec information about the first fit sample of development. It includes all five columns of information in the proto specs an adds these additional columns:

The Actual column is the area in which the measurements of the fit sample are inputted to help visually compare them to what specs were requested.

The Revised column is the area to input the measurements that the next sample or production should meet.

2nd Fit Specs

The 2nd Fit Specs Page is identical to the 1st fit specs page, except in this page the Requested column is pulled.

1st Fit Comments Page

The 1st Fit Comments Page includes all corrections that need to be made to the 1st fit sample. The fit and construction of the product should be reviewed and commented on. All tabs that took part in the development and creation of the first fit sample should be reviewed as well, to make sure all aspects of the product were followed correctly.

2nd Fit Comments Page

The 2nd Fit Comments Page is exactly the same as the 1st Fit Comments page, noting any errors in fit and construction.

Graded Specs Page

The Graded Specs Page holds the measurements for all sizes that will be put through production.

There’s a lot that goes into an effective Tech Pack. We’ve created a clear, detailed template to make things easy for you. Plug in your info, save, and print. Get it now!

Fashion designers create original clothing, accessories, and footwear. They sketch designs, select fabrics and patterns, and give instructions on how to make the products they design.

Duties

Fashion designers typically do the following:

Study fashion trends and anticipate designs that will appeal to consumers

Decide on a theme for a collection

Use computer-aided design (CAD) programs to create designs

Visit manufacturers or trade shows to get samples of fabric

Select fabrics, embellishments, colors, or a style for each garment or accessory

Work with other designers or team members to create prototype designs

Present design ideas to creative directors or showcase their ideas in fashion or trade shows

Market designs to clothing retailers or to consumers

Oversee the final production of their designs

Larger apparel companies typically employ a team of designers headed by a creative director. Some fashion designers specialize in clothing, footwear, or accessory design; others create designs in all three fashion categories.

For some fashion designers, the first step in creating a new design is researching current fashion and making predictions about future trends, such as by reading reports published by fashion industry trade groups. Other fashion designers create collections using a variety of inspirations, including art media, their surroundings, or cultures they have experienced and places they have visited.

Fashion Design Sketches

After they have an initial idea, fashion designers try out various fabrics and produce a prototype, often with less expensive material than will be used in the final product. They work with models to see how the design will look and adjust the designs as needed.

Although most designers first sketch their designs by hand, many now also sketch their ideas digitally with computer-aided design (CAD) programs. CAD allows designers to see their work on virtual models. They can try different colors, designs, and shapes while making adjustments more easily than they can when working with real fabric on real people.

How To Draw Basic Fashion Sketches

Designers produce samples with the actual materials that will be used in manufacturing. Samples that get good responses from fashion editors or trade and fashion shows are then manufactured and sold to consumers.

Basic Fashion Drawings

The design process may vary by specialty, but it generally takes 6 months, from initial design concept to final production, to release either the spring or fall collection. In addition to releasing designs during the spring and fall, some companies release new designs every month.

The Internet and e-commerce allow fashion designers to offer their products outside of traditional brick-and-mortar stores. These designers ship directly to the consumer, without having to invest in a physical shop to showcase their product lines of collections.

The following are examples of types of fashion designers:

Accessory designers design and produce items such as handbags, suitcases, belts, scarves, hats, hosiery, and eyewear.

Costume designers design costumes for the performing arts and for motion picture and television productions. They research the styles worn during the period in which the performance is set, or they work with directors to select and create appropriate attire. They also must stay within the production’s costume budget.

Fashion Sketches Art

Clothing designers create and help produce men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel, including casual wear, suits, sportswear, evening wear, outerwear, maternity clothing, and intimate apparel.

Basic Fashion Sketch Design Model Stick

Footwear designers create and help produce different styles of shoes and boots. As new materials, such as lightweight synthetic materials used in shoe soles, become available, footwear designers produce new designs that combine comfort, form, and function.

[translationandbetrayals]

How reading To Love-Ru allowed me to know myself better. Polyamory reflection part 2 of 3.

(SPOILES ALERT!!! It is also taken for granted that there is prior knowledge about the story.)

To Love-Ru holds a very special place in my heart as it was not only one of the first anime I watched in Japanese with subtitles, but also the first full-length Manga I read in its entirety and followed for years.

(When I refer to chapters they will be from the Manga).

This one made sense to me by questioning the traditional view of romantic love to such an extent that I wrote about it in my life journal. But in this case, I will focus on the questioning of monogamy and the possibility of loving romantically more than one person opening the possibility of having a formal and happy relationship of two people. A vision that develops throughout the story and is not taken for granted at the beginning.

Initially I was attracted to the fact that Lala does not fall in love with Rito just because he tries to save her even though she is a stranger and in fact she does not fall in love with him until late in the story. And Saireji is not in love yet, even though she likes Rito's kindness. But she knows that this kindness is his personality and not something particular to her.

It is not until chapter 14 that Lala shows that she loves spending time with her new friends and especially with Rito, this after a trip with them is about to be cancelled because of a storm (which she destroys). https://images.mangafreak.net/mangas/to_love_ru/to_love_ru_14/to_love_ru_14_12.jpg

  Throughout the story, it is understood that what makes Rito fall in love is that he prioritizes helping people with what really makes them happy. Even going against the beliefs, doubts and conflicts that hold them back. He does it in a selfless way. Regardless of who this person is or the past that this person has, focusing on who is in front of him in these moments.

In my personal interpretation, the Darkness form of Yami is the representation of frustration and internal struggles that we carry inside, this resistance to change in the identity that we build. But more of the negative things, as if to accept these is to accept that "the suffering we lived through because of following these beliefs would have been in vain" (Tol ove ru darkness ep 41) episode in which our "Main Heroines" take a step towards this change.

  Returning to polyamory, (Darkness ep1) we see that Lala genuinely wants Rito to be with the girls Rito loves. Showing an understanding already shown before that Rito's love for another person does not limit the love he can feel for her, she prioritizes Rito's happiness, but without failing to express how she feels about him (although this vision does not finish building until near the end of Darkness). Since she still maintains the vision of a first and second wife).

On the other hand, this last point is the main difference in "maturity" that she has with Momo, a vision that she is developing, but questioning throughout the story. Momo generates the "harem plan" as a response to her resignation that she will not be loved by Rito because that place will be occupied only by Lala and Haruna. She adds girls to her plan in order to make merit with Rito on the one hand and on the other hand to reduce the guilt she feels about it, using as a justification that if Rito becomes King it would not be frowned upon for him to have a harem. Her insecurity is based on the fact that for her love is hierarchical and somewhat limited. This is reflected in the fact that for her the girls have positions in Rito's heart, where there is a first and second wife. So, both she and the rest of the girls would have the position of concubines. Category in which she seeks to have the first position.

Throughout this story I had many questions about love, questions that I have been answering and modifying these answers over the years and personal experiences. For this series of post, I wanted to rescue 4. The three with which I opened the previous post plus one.

Is love limited, does it have size or capacity, is it self-doubt that makes us want our beloved to have eyes only for us?

Is it just honesty?

But that is the subject of part 3.

So much for part 2 of 3.

By RainbowYami

[tinapaulick]

In Part 1 of my Interrailing in Germany series I gave some advice on how to travel around Germany, with specific tips for travelers with vision impairments.   This post is about our brief stay in Frankfurt am Main, the starting point of our trip. We decided to start in Frankfurt because Ryanair offers cheap flights to Frankfurt Hahn. All I knew about the city was that it is the financial capital of Germany, so we expected modern skyscrapers. There are definitly a lot of glass and steel buildings, but Frankfurt also has an old-style main square and interesting history.

Getting There and Accomodation

  It is an almost hour bus journey from Frankfurt Hahn Airport to Frankfurt city.  The main airport is closer but also more expensive to fly to. I booked one bus ticket for €15 online from the website of the bus company Flibco. I emailed the customer support copies of my ticket and my German travel pass and recieved the second ticket for free. Getting a free „assistant“ ticket was not offered on the website, but I usually ask anyway. The bus leaves only once an hour and we only got it because the special assistance at the airport skipped the queues with us. The journey to Frankfurt along the river Main is quite scenic in parts and brought us right into the city centre near the train station.

View from the bus crossing the Main

Where to Stay

We got a double room in the Easy Hotel Frankfurt City Centre for €50. The location was definitely central, which also made it a bit noisy. The onsuite room was tiny but clean enough, which is all you can expect for that price. The staff were helpful and we could lock our suitcases in the store room  after check out.

Getting Used to the City

After check-in we went out to get a feel for Frankfurt. The area around the main train station is probably not the best place to be.  There are a lot of small shops and takeaways. We used our canes most of the time and never had any problems. Frankfurt is a  multicultural city. We heard a lot of Turkish being spoken on the streets and our noses led us to a kebab place. Most kebabs in Germany are really good quality.

The Main Train Station

What are all these people doing here?

With over 700,000 inhabitants Frankfurt is a large city, but I thought there  where unusually large numbers of people in bars and on the streets. I forgot to bring toothpaste,  so we decided to find a shop. There is a massive crossing outside the main train station, which is really confusing for people with vision impairments. We asked another pedestrian for help and finally made it to Königsstráße, the main shopping street and google maps directed us to the next supermarket.

Inside it was as if the whole country would soon run out of beer and crisps. The cashier kept shouting „next, next“ at the top of his voice. He wasn’t  going to help us in our quest for toothpaste, so we went further into the shop to try and find it ourselves. Germans are normally helpful enough, but when they want something (in this case obviously alcohol) they can be ruthless. We wondered around  for a while, touching random items to see what they were, when an older guy in a white tank top asked us if we needed help. It turned out the shop didn’t sell toothpaste, but he helped us to get water without gas, which can be hard to find in Germany. While cueing, I asked the guy in German why everywhere was so packed and he told me, that the Frankfurt Soccer team was playing against Munich in Berlin tonight. They didn’t expect to win, but it was a reason to party anyway. We had managed to arrive on one of the busiest nights of the year, but we couldn’t have known that, since we have no interest in Soccer.  The cashier still behaved like a drill Sergeant and I was relieved to get out of the shop. In the end the guy who had already helped us even walked with us all the way back to the train station and showed us a drugstore where we finally got our toothpaste.   We decided to go back to the hotel to rest and to use our toothpaste  for which we had fought so hard.

Breakfast

We usually don’t avail of the breakfast buffet at budget hotels. I would have to go really close to the food to see what’s on offer and people sometimes complained that I smelled the food. In the past I just grabbed random items from the platters and hoped for the best. Now, I ask staff for help and usually they are helpful. Still, the breakfast is continental and I would not pay more than €8 for it unless I’m very hungry or stuck for time. There are lots of excellent bakeries in Germany where you can get two fancy roles, 2 strong cups of coffee and a slice of cake to share for €10. Every larger train station has a bakery with seating.

Healthy Breakfast

“Free” Walking Tour

The best way to get a feel for an unfamiliar city is to go on a Hop on hop off bus tour or a guided walk. Sitting in a car makes me sleepy and I find things move past the window too fast, so I can’t see them properly, never mind taking pictures. We are huge fans of free walking tours. They are a great way to experience a city without having to figure out where to go next and having to google what the buildings around us are. Free walking tour means that there is no fixed rate per ticket. At the end of the tour people decide how much money they want to give depending how they found the tour. I think that is a fair concept. In our experience the guide makes sure we don’t lose the group, either because they are nice or because they haven’t got paied yet.  For some tours you can book free of charge online, but most people simply show up. Finding the meeting point can be a bit of a challenge depending on the directions on the website, but it’s not as risky as paying for a tour in advance and than not finding it.

Enter a caption

Red Lights and Skyscrapers

Benjamin our guide was from Frankfurt and he spoke fluent German, Spanish and English. I think one of his parents was from South America. He got us interested in a city that is mainly known for it’s airport, banking and the red light district. By the way, the red light district with its sex shops is a bit of a tourist attraction in itself now. It is policed, and prostitution is regulated.

The banking quarter with its shiny glass and steel high rise buildings is only a few blocks away from the red light district. The architecture here looks very American, which is why Frankfurt is also called Mainhattan, after the river Main that divides it. After the Second World War the US dominated not only the West German economy but also the building style.

One of the most famous sky scrapers is the 150m high Euro Tower housing the European Central Bank. The free-standing Euro sign in front of it is probably the most photographed attraction in Frankfurt. There has been a competition among companies who built and occupied the tallest building in Frankfurt.  At present this “title” is held by the Commerce Bank Tower. With a Hight of 260m it is the second highest building in the European Union, but not in Europe.

Euro Sign outside the Euro Tower

Stolpersteine

Benjamin showed us Stolpersteine (Stumbling stones), which can be found in different locations in various German and European cities. Stolpersteine are stone plaques to commemorate Jewish citizens who were deported and in most cases killed during the Nazi regime.  The stones are placed in the pavement outside the person’s former house and contain information about their life story. To me the message of this project is much more powerful than conventional monuments. It highlights the victim’s individuality and links them to the place where they lived. People can come across one when they least expect it. So have a look out for them when you visit Frankfurt or another city in Germany.

The New Old Town

Our walking tour ended in the Neue Altstadt (New Old Town).  This area with its half-timbered houses and churches provides another stark contrast to the banking quarter. It is called the new old town, because the majority of the houses were only built between 2012 and 2018. The original market square and its neighboring streets were completely destroyed during the 1944 air raid on Frankfurt. In the 1970s modern buildings were built instead. Some of the new houses are reconstructs of the originals. It’s a lovely square and we listened to a Glockenspiel (Chime). There are also little figurines coming in and out of the top window of the tower similar to a cuckoo clock, but we both could not see them.

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There was a great atmosphere in the city, because as I mentioned earlier the local soccer team had surprisingly beaten Munich and the team was due to return home for celebrations at the main square. However, we did not want to be in the middle of a crowd in an unfamiliar city so we made our way back to the train station.

Lunch and an Unusual Complement

We had lunch at Feinkost Paradies. It was near the shop Goldexchange on Kaiserstraße where we had met earlier for the walking tour. We wondered in to ask if this was the right place and the owner sold us delicious Turkish apple tea for a very good price. We had a chat and he told us that for him Frankfurt is a great place to live and very few people were racist towards his family. He was very helpful and said my eyes have a beautiful colour. Some women might find that creepy, but I think it’s a nice compliment. Part of my eye condition is called Nystagmus, which  means that my eyes cannot focus properly and move around. Sometimes people stare at me, making me feel very self-conscious. I was thrilled that for the first time someone remarked on the grey-blue color of my eyes, rather than pointing out that there was something “wrong” with them.

Fazit

We enjoyed our stay in Frankfurt. The city has more to offer than two airports and good rail connections. Unfortunately, we did’t get a chance to walk along the river Main, so we would like to come back. We recommend spending one or two days in Frankfurt. Other towns near by worth visiting are Marburg and Heidelberg.

  Interrailing in Germany – Part 2: Frankfurt am Main In Part 1 of my Interrailing in Germany series I gave some advice on how to travel around Germany, with specific tips for travelers with vision impairmen…

[ritacavicchio]

Kale Yeah Market Bag

The Peabody Pop Up Market “Kids Day” was yesterday, July 10, 2018 at the Leather City Commons off of Lowell Street in Peabody.

It could have been the heat or something, but there were about half the vendors there. But–no harm!–more shoppers for the rest of us! Haha! It sort of worked out for me, because I got to set up at one of the park’s entrances, which allowed for more attention. I abutted two great new vendors.

It was hot, but there was a lot of shade and I got my NEW tent up with a little help from my neighbors. I was also able to give my “old” tent to a local artist named Lauren, whom I met through a GreenPeabody friend. She was so excited to have a tent and the old one wasn’t any worse for wear, so that was a real “win win”! My tent weights–which are compact, horseshoe style square weights–have been ordered, but didn’t come in time, but the tent stayed put.

One of my abutters was Reni (pronounced Ree-Knee) Wilson from Tumbled By Time.  Reni has been collecting sea glass only from the beaches of Marblehead (birthplace of the American Navy and famous pirates, too!) for the last 28 years. Recently she decided to figure out how to make her found treasures into unique jewelry pieces. She doesn’t use clasps, but slip knots to make the necklaces and bracelets and she uses black fishing twine, so you know you can never wear her pieces out!

I got a little sea glass lesson from her, too, and told her all about my glass collecting friend from Canada. I chuckled when she told me the beaches in Canada aren’t good for sea glass! What beaches were she talking about, Deb Reid? Reni is able to tell exactly what type of bottle the glass originated from on most of her pieces and she was a font of knowledge about all thinks sea glass. She was originally from Ohio, but got lured here to our Atlantic Ocean beaches in her early years. They really DO lure you, don’t they?

To my right was a curious man named Adam who was wearing a fruit-adorned shrubbery on his head and handing out samples of “shrubs”. I was curious so I just had to ask what a shrub was…it’s flavored vinegars that have healthy/probiotic and culinary uses. Go figure!! Very keen hipster dude, who helped me out in the end when a certain someone whom I avoid IRL sauntered by.

I got back in touch with my friend, Michael Lucas from back in my days as CSM and VP of a local catalog company.  Michael is retired from most of his other jobs, but he is still doing his Justice of the Peace gig, but also is selling the most unbelievably tasty flavored olive oils and vinegars–real authentic Greek oils! His son-in-law and he have a store at the North Shore Shopping Center (we old “locals” still call it that!) called The Branch Olive Oil Company.  After trying his Fig Flavored Balsamic Vinegar yesterday, I can tell you he can keep his JP skills and just hand me over a bottle of that Fig Flavored Balsamic Vinegar for my salads!!

P.S. I guess there is life after working at a certain local catalog company! Go figure!

I also ran into several GreenPeabody members, including Sheila D’Ambrosio back from Maine, Pam Paine and, of course, Janette, who also runs the Tillie’s Community Herb Project over on Tillie’s Farm on Lynn Street.

Pam was headed to the Salem “No Place For Hate” Meeting…sure do wish we had one of those committees in Peabody, but she said she was turned down when she proposed it to the mayor. It may be something to revisit, Peabody?  What do you think?

Not that many produce/farmers, which I think was the reason why the original farmers market outside of City Hall didn’t do well. Lisa from Bella & Harvey–the event coordinator–has done an outstanding job of getting and keeping interesting vendors and activities. For clarification, this is Peabody’s version of the traditional farmers market, which I think is great, because it allows people like me with natural and/or handmade products to have a booth. Anyone have any ideas? Are you a vendor and want to show your wares? I can point you in the direction of the woman with all the knowledge!

Because it was Kids Day at the market, I gave away some coloring sheets that I did using my Cricut, of course! Full sized pages were also for sale and in about a dozen FREE designs from Cricut’s Design Space.

FREE Coloring Pages

FREE Coloring Pages

FREE Coloring Pages

FREE Coloring Pages

FREE Coloring Pages

FREE Coloring Pages

Sample coloring page drawn and cut using my Cricut Maker

And because I use the creamiest, thickest white card stock, it elevates your coloring experience all the more.

This was the first market that I had some soaps for sale and I did sell a few bars. Lip Balms were the other purchases. I had a load of really fun market bags, but I think I have to display them better. Oh! And it didn’t help that the DJ was giving away free market bags around the corner.

Of course, I’d like to have sold more, but the benefits still far outweigh the difficulties! ❤

The NEXT Peabody Pop Up Market will be on Tuesday, July 24th from 3-7pm. I *think* the them is Crafty stuff…so I won’t need to make anything “special” for that….cuz everything I have is crafty! BOL!

Here are the vendor details from this post.  If you visit any of them, be sure to tell them you heard about them from my blog!  Thanks, loves!

  The Branch Olive Oil Co.

North Shore Shopping Center, 210 Andover St., Peabody, MA

(978) 531-1920

The Branch Olive Oil Co.

New store coming to Pickering Wharf, Salem, MA in 2018

Also on Facebook at /thebrancholiveoil

  Tumbled By Time:

Studio located at 28 South Street, Marblehead, MA

(617) 510-1846

Tumbled By Time

Also on Facebook at /TumbledbyTime,  Instagram and Twitter

  Peabody Main Streets:

Pictures are posted on Facebook.com/peabodymainstreets

E-mail newsletter at: Live Peabody

(978) 538-5704

  La Diva Bella/Miss Rita to the Rescue! (that’s me):

Miss Rita to the Rescue! The Blog

On Facebook at /MissRitatotheRescue and /LaDivaBella

Also on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Quora under my name: Ritamarie Cavicchio

Art with Lauren:

Sit and paint events, bachelor/ette parties and private art lessons

on Facebook at /ArtWithLaurenNoyes

  Peabody Pop Up Market:

On Facebook at /Peabodyfarmermkt

  Soap for Sale at the Peabody Pop Up Market

OMH

Rose Scented

Chamomile Soap

Lavender Soap

    Peabody Pop Up Market: Kids Day The Peabody Pop Up Market "Kids Day" was yesterday, July 10, 2018 at the Leather City Commons off of Lowell Street in Peabody.

[musescore-com]

MuseScorer of the month: Hans Jacobi

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the new MuseScorer Of The Month ! Every month we select one of the brilliant MuseScore members, doing an interview and featuring him or her for all users. Last month we introduced you to Celthyan.

This month, meet Hans Jacobi, organist and composer from Netherlands living in The Hague:

Hans publishes his own compositions for piano and organ on MuseScore. Unusual harmonies make his pieces really special.

Here is an interview with Hans Jacobi (H.J.) conducted by our staff member Alexander T. (A.T.):

A.T.: You’ve posted alot of interesting compositions on MuseScore this May. Are all of these pieces composed by you ? (talking about "Music for a dance" and "Album leaf" series). Are they from some kind of "suites" - as they share the same name but have different numbers?

H.J.: Some sets are coherent suites, like Music for a dance, Seaside walks and Natural history. Others are sets that grew out of hands, like the Album leaves and Wabi-Sabi explained. These endless sets are more like a diary, or like regular contributions to a blog.

"Album leaves" belong to my very first MuseScore pieces, 2012-13. I re-posted them because I almost forgot about them and wanted to reconsider them (some of them were already recycled). But also because the quality of the MuseScore piano soundfont has improved so much.

"Music for a dance"(2015) started at the request of ferrie = differentieel (also a MuseScore member). He wanted some music for a dance production. He only needed one piece,no ,three, I believe. But I got inspired, and started an imaginary dance sequence, based on a real story about a fraudulent inventor.

A.T.: Do you compose for piano and for organ only or do you have some ensemble/orchestral pieces?

H.J.: I'm not trained in writing for orchestra or ensemble. The organ and piano are instruments that I can imagine. And the organ I play for a living. However, I did write pieces for recorder solo and recorder & string trio. I adore the ‘flauto dolce’, I have worked with recorder players many times. I also posted pieces for choir.

A.T.: So, organ and piano...Can you tell me, as a composer, what is the difference for you?

H.J.: In general I would say that my piano pieces belong to an imaginary private world. I composed them for fun, expression, exploration. For me certain complex harmonies are profound emotions. The sonority of the piano is ideal for such, like a gaze in the abyss. Alas I'm not a concert piano player myself, but I'm intrigued by the expressive possibilities. (Some sets are not so complicated to play, like the Seaside walks. I played this one in public.)

My organ pieces belong more to the real world, because that's my profession. Most of my organ pieces were deliberately composed for the Sunday service in church. So for me there is a certain exchange between composing, church work and social media. I use some of my own recordings as audio source:

A.T.: You mentioned that organ pieces are “your profession”. So, what is your “main” job? Church organ player?

H.J.: Yes, my 25th anniversary as a church organist is upcoming; my extra activities in church include giving courses about classical music. I'm also an employee of a large internet-library for mostly cd's and dvd’s.

A.T.: So, I think you got some higher musical education? And also wondering: are you coming from a “musical” family?

H.J.: I'm not from a particularly musical family. However, my father was an amateur organist and an enthusiastic singer at the annual performances of Bach's Matthäus-Passion. His playing of Bach chorales was the greatest musical influence on me. I studied the organ and church music at the conservatory. I also have a master's degree in musicology.

A.T.: I see, long years of studying to become a professional musician. I am familiar with that. But let’s return to the “composing” topic: which pieces (composed by you) would you like to put a spotlight on?

H.J.: The first one is “The Scent of Rain” - a joyous piano piece, my most popular so far. It was performed and recorded on video by Anna Sutyagina.

Then, "The Bells" - it hasn’t my harmonies, but I love to play it. It seems impossible to do so, but actually it isn’t that difficult. It is an evocation of the friesian countryside of my youth, with their churches and bell towers.

"The Bells" by Hans Jacobi

The third one is “Rondo à la Purcell” - a clear pastiche, but not without elements from my style. It’s fun to play. It can be played on the piano or organ alike.

And the one I am most proud of is “Towards Habanera”. This could be the quintessence of all I have achieved last years: funny, entertaining, but also dark, sinister and desperate. Dilapidated taverns, souls lost in tequila, the ghosts of conquistadors, you name it. It needs a lot of experience to make something like this. I couldn’t have done it before 2012.

“Towards Habanera” by Hans Jacobi

A.T.: Are your compositions played by some performers (ensembles)?

H.J.: Some of my pieces were reworked by sound artist ferrie = differentieel, as soundtracks of documentaries or music for exhibitions. My piano piece “The Scent of Rain”, as I have already said, was performed by Anna Sutyagina. I’m a performer of my own pieces, of course.

A.T.: And what is your inspiration? What motivates you to compose?

H.J.: I'm motivated by making compositions because it is a huge emotional outlet without any dangers. It's also a great way of communicating. In church I have a very diverse audience, which is a challenge to please. But somehow it works in a way that many professional composer could be jealous of. I compose for church on a regular basis.It has the advantage of building a collection of pieces that can be used again. In a big church on a big organ it is much easier to create a certain effect. But on a small organ like mine you have to work much more economically.

A.T. Great, and really interesting to know. What about your favorite artists? I mean: which kinds of music do you prefer?

H.J.: I like all kinds of music, it changes over the years. Bach, of course, but also Wagner, Debussy, Messiaen and many more. I'm not particularly fond of jazz, pop music, or popular film scores. But they also have influenced my music, it's all part of our musical environment, whether I like it or not.

It was very exciting to conduct this interview. Hans is a professional organist and composer, so his attitude and musical personality is rather different from other MuseScorers Of The Month. It was pleasure and honor for me to meet him and to reveal at least a little part of his works. Check his profile for more scores and sets, and watch for our next MuseScorer of the month in July!

Yours, Alexander T.

P.S. This becomes a tradition already - would like to add here a piece I really enjoyed , it is one of Mr. Jacobi's organ works:

“Toccata on Old Oak and Dunes” by Hans Jacobi