#i feel like several colors could have worked. i esp was considering green. but i think it would have been too much green LMFAO

[moe-broey]

Came to me in a vision 🫡 ALSO an excuse to draw some cute outfits!!

[artistictiliqua]

crossing a line (1/2)

Wrote another little ficlet for the ESP Dib AU! I mean I’m supposed to be working on DP Spirit AU chapters but I got distracted haha :’D There’s gonna be a second part dw!

Zim Fucks Up: The Musical

<1500 words

ESP Dib AU

ZADE/ZADF

Warnings: blood/injury, language

Illustrated ficlet

Please DO NOT tag as ZAD//R thanks!

ESP DIB AU MASTERPOST

It was supposed to be a simple test.

That’s all; a mere test of the Dib’s incredible, mysterious power which he kept hidden from his father, his peers, and every other creature on Earth’s filthy surface. And this has baffled Zim to no end-- in the Irken Armada, flaunting one’s abilities and skills is commonplace, even considered an expectation in social situations. So to Zim, the mere notion that any creature would keep an advantage such as Dib’s hidden is utterly inconceivable.

It simply doesn’t make any sense, and the Irken is certain that the unknown extent of the Dib’s abilities would drive him mad. Thus, as Zim has always done, he threw his entire being into finding a solution, searching for any opportunity to study the Earth-smeet’s power.

Whether by shooting a spitball at the boy in class, tossing the revolting Skool-food aggressively at Dib, or even throwing rocks at him as he passed, the child managed to either dodge the randomized projectiles or redirect them too quickly for even Zim’s enhanced ocular implants to pick up on. Hell, he even asked Dib directly if he could study his abilities and the filthy brat shrank back in horror before slamming his door shut!��

Zim convinced himself that the only way he could ‘coax’ the boy into showcasing his awe-inspiring telekinesis was by putting him in a situation he could not escape without using it. 

Creating that situation proved easier than Zim anticipated.

***

“It seems I’ve bested you once again, Dib-stink!” Zim crows triumphantly, baring his teeth in a savage grin, “Oh, the wonderful experiments I have planned-- perhaps I’ll send a piece of you to the Almighty Tallest as a gift,”

Pinned to the moonlit grass by all four of Zim’s gleaming PAK legs, Dib lies flat on his back, chest heaving with exhausted breaths as his hazel eyes grow wide with a terror that borders on animalistic. Zim laughs in a manic sort of way, clouds of condensation puffing into the chilly spring air as he does so. 

“N-no, no, no--” Dib stammers pathetically, still refusing to use his telekinesis in favor of kicking at the PAK legs that pin him down.

“Yes, yes, yes!!” Zim howls, “Once I’m satisfied with my experiments, I’ll present you to the Tallest as a gift; I’ll be greatly rewarded for such a gesture, and you’ll be able to travel through space as a tool for the Irken Armada! We both get what we dream of!”

Zim is most certainly bluffing-- he has no intention of harming the Earth-smeet, he’s grown somewhat fond of the smelly little thing-- but the Dib is unaware of this, and the Irken Elite can feel the boy’s heart rate climb steadily as the seconds pass.

The 15-year-old Dib grits his teeth and writhes with renewed vigor at the thought of becoming the guinea pig for an alien race, sweat beading on his skin. As he thrashes about like a fish out of water, slushy muck splashes into the air. Some of this frigid snowmelt splashes high enough to splatter across Zim’s arm, which catches the Invader by surprise and forces an involuntarily hiss from between his teeth. In the half-second where Zim is distracted by his angrily-blistering skin, he staggers back on his faintly-glowing PAK legs, and Dib wriggles free as quickly as a snake and sprints away through the dark spruce trees surrounding them. 

With a sour pang of annoyance, Zim hisses a curse word in Irken before bolting after the human boy. 

Despite the Elite’s superior speed and agility, Dib somehow manages to swerve so wildly between the frosty trees that Zim only catches flickers of the boy’s movement every few seconds. He’s certain that Dib is using his power to give himself increased speed, and the thought of that makes Zim’s blood boil in irritation. 

Inevitably, however, Dib grows tired and sloppy with his movements, and ends up tripping with a yelp when his sneakers skid on some half-melted ice beneath a willow tree. He quickly darts to his feet and keeps running, but the fall costs him enough time for Zim to close the gap and extend a PAK leg. 

Zim feels the vibration as Dib’s ankle bangs against the cold metal, and a wicked spark of glee alights in his chest when the teenager cries out in pain and alarm and falls clumsily into the snow. 

I’ve got you now, Zim hisses mentally, You’ll have no choice but to fight back.

Zim lets his brilliant red eyes flicker off to the right, where an old fir tree creaks in the crisp breeze. He casts a malicious glance in Dib’s direction before swiping a PAK leg off to the side and effortlessly slicing through the rotting wood. By now, Dib’s scrambled to his feet and looks up with wide eyes just in time to see the old tree bearing down on him. 

With a thrill of satisfaction, Zim watches as the Dib’s eyes light up with a faint amber glow and he throws both hands up in the direction of the falling tree. In an instant, it freezes in place, hardly six inches from the boy’s fingertips, and dry needles rain down from the branches to paint the snow a deep green. 

Had Zim been paying more attention, perhaps he’d have noticed the way Dib’s skin grows several shades paler and his eyes grow slightly unfocused. As it stands, however, the Irken Elite is too wrapped up in his success to notice such minute details. Instead, he lets out a laugh.

“Finally! I’ve managed to make you use your abilities!!” he exclaims, “Simply incredible!”

Dib’s throat bobs as a shudder passes through his lanky body, and steps out from the tree’s shadow before letting it crash to the ground. He opens his mouth, presumably to let Zim know that something is going terribly wrong, but before he can make a sound, the alien’s already knocking a sizable boulder into the air in Dib’s direction. 

Dib forces his aching body to obey, to force his powers to manifest once more, and they do. He redirects the boulder to the side, where it cracks loudly against a tree trunk. Icy sweat runs down his skin, chilling him to the bone, and he tries once more to tell Zim to stop.

He barely manages to stop Zim’s PAK leg as it swings towards him in a wide arc, and Zim still fails to notice the warning signs Dib shows. 

That is, right up until Dib’s eyes roll back and the teenager wordlessly collapses in a heap. 

Zim shifts his attack just in time to avoid hitting Dib with his PAK leg, and scoffs in annoyance at the boy’s state. “Unbelievable. You’d go so far as to feign unconsciousness to avoid using your abilities? Pathetic.”

However, Dib doesn’t so much as twitch at the Irken’s words. Zim lowers himself to the ground with a scowl, crossing his arms and snapping, “Get up, pig-smelly. I don’t have the patience for your childish games.”

Still, he doesn’t move. Zim pauses, cocking an eyebrow in confusion.

“Dib-stink. Get up.”

No response.

“Hey.”

Zim’s crossed arms fall to his sides. A foreboding sense of worry begins to twist and turn in his gut. 

“Get up, Dib-stink.”

The worry wraps its disgusting claws even tighter around Zim’s insides, and the Elite walks across the mud and snow to where Dib lies deathly-still on his side. He pauses next to the fallen boy for a moment before shoving him onto his back. 

Zim feels his spooch twist with a spike of horrified nausea.

Dib’s chest scarcely rises and falls, and rivulets of crimson blood drip from his nose, mouth, and ears, staining the snow below his head with the damning color. His skin, once a light tan colour, now looks pallid white not unlike that of a corpse. Zim stumbles a few steps away from Dib, before feeling adrenaline burn in his veins.

I’ve killed him. I’ve killed the Earth-smeet.

No, I haven’t. I still have time to revive him. 

I should just let the brat die; it’s not as though he’s been anything but a nuisance in my mission to destroy Earth.

But…

What if…

“Ack, damn it all!” Zim snarls icily before extending his PAK legs once more and scooping the limp body of his greatest rival into one of them. 

Then, without a moment’s hesitation, the angry Irken Elite rockets away in the direction of the Dib’s house. 

[howtofightwrite]

Q&A: Psychic Pain

Is pain easier or harder to deal with if you know when & what kind, or does the answer vary depending on the person & degree of pain? Two characters’ (enemies) bodies are connected in that if one character is hurt, the other will feel it. I thought A could threaten to torment B (as coercion) by inflicting pain on herself out of B’s sight so that B can’t predict when/what the pain will be, but this only works if being unable to anticipate pain makes it worse (or at least B thinks it does).

ree-fireparrot

Technically, the question, without qualifications, is a yes. The source and kind of pain experienced will affect how severe it is, or how difficult it is to manage. Further, individuals have distinct pain thresholds, so, what you can endure may be unbearable to someone else. This is a non-answer in this case, because that’s not what you’re asking; but that’s the question.

Somewhat obviously, there’s not a lot of (reputable) studies on psychically inflicting pain on people, so the question you’re asking is significantly more speculative than it looks.

Specifically, how does psychically inflicting pain on someone relate to actually experiencing pain?

I dunno.

There’s no empirical data on this.

So, let’s split this up into three separate problems to consider.

First, psychic research is a thing. A lot of money has been thrown at researching ESP and other weird, neurological phenomena, but, there’s no smoking gun. A big problem with ESP research is, you can’t really create reproducible results. “With this person, I can have this result,” isn’t proof of anything.

To be clear, I don’t care if you believe in psychic powers or not, I’m just saying, “there’s nothing here to definitively help your question.” If parapsychology is your jam, there’s some fun stuff there, but always remember that this isn’t, really, science. It’s people taking their science toolkit and playing with ghosts.

Also, it doesn’t really matter if this is done with technobabble or magic powers, either way, there’s no real world data to work from.

The second problem is more complicated: sensory data is personal, language is communal. So, when I call something blue, you know what I’m talking about, but are we actually talking about the same experience of a color? Or, do we “see” different colors, but our understanding of language says, “it’s blue?” This gets a little trickier because we know there are some minor discrepancies in what we see, smell, hear, taste, and touch. Because of synesthesia, we do know, that your brain is doing a lot of work processing sensory data. Thanks to EEGs we know there’s some similarities, so it’s not like, “I see green and you see blue,” (assuming you don’t have tritanopia color blindness, in which case green is cyan for you), but pinning down exactly what’s experienced by the individual, without being able to externally audit that data, is frustratingly difficult.

In case anyone’s wondering, color blindness is a physical defect in the eye, leaving it unable to perceive specific (primary) colors (red, blue, and green, because we’re talking about light, not pigment), so everything they see is a mixture of the colors they can perceive.

The reason this is a problem is, you’re trying to psychically inflict pain on another person. Now, is the pain experienced by one person going to have the desired effect on another? I don’t know. It should be painful, but will it be more painful? Less painful? Will the pain be something they can filter out? Will it be impossible to filter? Could you outright kill them from the process?

I dunno.

Normally, this isn’t a problem, but when we’re talking about directly transplanting the experiences from one person to another, it all becomes relevant.

The third problem may be more of a boon. There’s a psychological factor to knowing someone else is being harmed. Your character isn’t being injured, a third party is. Depending on the nature of their relationship, that can carry a lot of psychological weight. Hell, if the person their linked to is someone they despise, feeling that person suffering could empower them with a sense of schadenfreude.

So, as I said, for the basic question, yes. People experience pain differently. People are different. Unfortunately that feeds into a larger issue where, people are different, and what they experience is different. The value in a scene like this isn’t the pain your character experiences, it’s the psychological factor of knowing someone else is being hurt, and having no control over that.

-Starke

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Q&A: Psychic Pain was originally published on How to Fight Write.

[aureliasaid]

Arizona & Utah - National Parks

30 Years & Parkatecture

A 9 day tour of the National Parks of Arizona and Utah. 

The Short Version (read on for more details)

Thursday-Saturday, April 23-25 2021

Historic El Tovar

Dinner in the dining room both nights

Kaibab Trail

Scenic Drive

 Saturday, April 24

All en route to our next set of stops:

Glen Canyon

Navajo Historical Bridge over the Colorado  River and numerous rafts having just started their jaunt into the Grand Canyon from Lee’s Ferry Page Horseshoe Bend Under Cover Lake Powell glamping “resort.” 

 Sunday, April 25

Boat rentals were out due to weather/winds so visited Wahweap Marina Lone Rock Beach Zion and Zion Lodge Zion Adventures to figure out the Narrows Hike dinner in Springdale at Oscar’s

 Monday, April 26

Angel’s Landing hike

Whiptail restaurant in Springdale for lunch Zion Lodge for dinner

 Tuesday, April 27

Bryce Canyon National Park is a much higher altitude at 9100 ft and thus the rain of Zion was snow at Bryce. 

The Lodge at Bryce Canyon

Figure 8 trail which combines the Navajo, Peekaboo and Queen’s Garden Trails Dinner in Zion Lodge

 Wednesday, April 28

Capital Reef National Park via Scenic Highway 12 Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Cassidy’s Arch Trail. A+.

12 mile very rustic scenic drive

Moab Hilton Curio Collection Hoo Doo Hotel Antica Forma Italian restaurant

 Thursday, April 29

Canyonlands National Park

The Maze

scenic drive, hiked several 2-3 mile hikes (XXX) Dead Horse State Park Dinner at Josie Wyatt restaurant

 Friday, April 30

Arches

Salt Lake City - Kimpton Monaco Hotel.

HSL restaurant

LDS Temple

 Know before you go

Utah liquor laws are odd. No food no drinks. 1.5 oz only per drink Lots of places with only beer and wine, though marijuana is legal. Go figure.

Study up on the Moab area esp how to attack Canyonlands which takes more than a day unless you just do Island in the Sky area, but it deserves much more than that. And there is something for everyone - esp if hiking is not for you - 4x4, airplane flights, etc.

Avoid the parks on the weekend if at all possible.  Esp Zion and Arches I would not go to any of the Utah parks if you are going to do fairly serious hiking much after mid-May IMO. And def not the Grand Canyon. Books say start back in Sept...TBD. The heat and dry air are dangerous.

The Utah parks in particular are great for families as there are lots of short and fairly easy options climbing all over the rocks. Not so much for the Grand Canyon.

I might do southern Utah separate from the Moab area....so much to do in both areas on their own.  Could combine Moab with some of Colorado.

Consider going to the parks during winter for a different experience esp Bryce where there is lots of cross country skiing and snowshoeing. There would also be plenty of snowmobiling.

Capital Reef is an easy park to do in a day. No huge need to spend a night here.  We were glad we went on to Moab. Great park though cause it’s not crowded.

If you are visiting 3 parks in one year, an $80 annual pass will be a great investment and for a good cause.

Gran Canyon Tips

Def do the Kaibab Trail over the Bright Angel Trail...way better scenery and more dramatic Don’t go in the summer months period; Early May would be the latest I would go It’s coldest on the rim where it at 6000’. Every 1000’ descent, add 5 degrees Do lots of the overlooks on the rim scenic drive; all a bit different Layers and more layers Electrolytes The Grandview Trail looked like a great option as well.

THE FULL VERSION

Thursday, April 22, 2021 - Grand Canyon

In yet another reason to hate Ameican Airlines, our direct flight was cancelled 48 hrs before departure now with stop and change in DFW. 😡 But such is a travel and it didn’t suppress excitement and anticipation other than cut down on a potential late afternoon activity. Arrived Phoenix 1:30 and set off in our new home, a Mazda CX-5 past Sedona, to Flagstaff and felt right at home on I-40, except the end destination is LA, not Wilmington.

First stop is What-a-Burger for lunch and convenience store for styrofoam cooler and provisions. On to Grand Canyon Village with a stop outside the park for more substantial provisions. Don’t forget your yearly NPS pass if you have it!

Covid regs very prevalent as all museums and visitor centers closed, limited bus service and seats, mandatory masking, and reduced capacity in the restaurants that are open. BUT still packed. Lots of lodging options.....Historic El Tovar is the place of choice, designed in the 1904 by famed Mary Coltar, it has the divine feel of the parkatecture meant to be in keeping with the environment, but also more “luxurious” and cozy than the X Stanley Underwood historic lodges in many of the of parks. El Tovar def considers itself luxury and the prices reflect that both in lodging and in the delicious, highly desired dining room where tuxedoed wait staff show off their desserts as you enter and offer main courses $35 and up.  The main theme is to highlight the Native American culture (Navajo, Hopi, etc.) through artwork, rugs, aesthetics, carvings and on the hotel china. Rooms are modernized and very comfortable with spacious and updated bathrooms.

If you don’t want to afford the EL Tovar, check out the equally historic, but perhaps less lux accommodations at the Bright Angel Lodge just down the way, also built in 1935 in the same log cabin feel. This also has individual cabins that look quite quaint and several dining options and bar. Aside from these, there are several other hotels right in the village with great views and up the way by the Visitor Center area.

 A quick jaunt on the Rim Trail to get acclimated to Canyon Village and breathless views esp at sunset before having a relaxing dinner in the EL Tovar dining room which is a must whether staying there or not. Open breakfast, lunch and diner, reservations are essential though walk-ins are welcomed (the line had already started at 5pm!) It is the best room in the hotel....large, yet cozy with large stone fireplaces at either end flanked by large window views of the Canyon.  Very sumptuous in its own way.

Friday, April 23 - Rim to Rim Hike, Grand Canyon

East Coast time works to your advantage as the earlier the better in getting on the trails. The Kaibab trail is considered the most picturesque and we can vouch for that. We had our styrofoam cooler breakfast at 6am, caught the hikers shuttle at 6:30 and got on the trail at 6:50 though the sun had long been up since 5am. You can pick your turnaround point at various miles. We had thought to turnaround at the 4 mile point of Tip Off, but the Colorado RIver was just (seemingly) close and lured us as if sirens beckoning us on. And so we did. After all it was only 2 more miles and all those other seemingly unlikely people were doing it. In fact they were going Rim-to-Rim. Why not? We had plenty of provisions after all and it wasn’t too hot.

The Colorado River was in fact gorgeous. the color of grass and so inviting, we made it to Black Bridge, the lunch-stopping point for rafters and the home to the famed Phantom Ranch and campgrounds. BTW, reservations to Ghost Ranch is by lottery and a year out.  Good luck. And so, against all better judgement, we recklessly decide to go the Rim-to-Rim following the RIver Trail since Silver Bridge was closed and hooking up with the Bright Angel Trail which meant another 10 miles after having done 7. The theory was that it was different and not as steep as the return on Kaibab, but would be 3 more miles. Hm....lesser of two evils?? The River Trail was gorgeous, but as for the Bright Angel.....well, its a grueling slog. We are milking our R to R feat, but our feet (and knees) are still recovering. In hindsight, we shoulda stuck with the original plan which was down to Tip Off and then back (still uber strenuous) but then rent bikes and bike the Rim Trail which for non-canyon hiking sorts is perfectly gorgeous and can be 26 miles or 100 yards, whatever you want, and all flat!

Recovery consisted of ice cream, bath soak, laid out on the bed, and a martini with dinner back in El Tovar dining room.

TIPS: Def do the Kaibab Trail over the Bright Angel Trail...way better scenery and more dramatic Don’t go in the summer months period; Early May would be the latest I would go It’s coldest on the rim where it at 6000’. Every 1000’ descent, add 5 degrees Do lots of the overlooks on the rim scenic drive; all a bit different Layers and more layers Electrolytes The Grandview Trail looked like a great option as well.

 Saturday, April 24 - On to Lake Powell, Under Canvas

An early, but comparatively relaxed morning. Though breakfast starts at 7am, there was already a 45 minute wait at 7:15, which may be more likely cause of Covid restrictions, but worth the wait with a divine breakfast that we deserved having eaten in rationed portions throughout the previous day’s death march.

Off by way of the Canyon Rim drive to numerous overlooks....check out Mather Point at the Visitor Center for a great view of all your previous hiking (bike rentals here too); then Hance Point for great river views and on to Lipton and Grand View.

Onward waving good bye to the GC our next set of stops including the Glen Canyon for the Navajo Historical Bridge which is just an awesome view over the multi shades of the deliciously green Colorado  River and numerous rafts having just started their jaunt into the Grand Canyon from Lee’s Ferry which is the put in point and considered the start of the Grand Canyon. Back to do the Cathedral Wash hike, this seems an easy and unique 3 mile round trip walk through a gully canyon that can be a death trap during summer storms from flash floods.  Beautiful, it is unique, but not easy and it involves lots of rock climbing, some butt walking, all fours at times, and some bread crumbs would be good too as the trail, inevitably always changing, is not well marked other than by some well meaning folks placing rock stacks/cairns.  The prize though at the end is the Colorado riverside and a delightful foot dip is invigorating in its icy temps.

Highway 89 to Page where the famed Antelope Canyon Slots are closed after 11 people perished in a storm induced flash flood. (Another option to see this is by guided Kayak tours from page which we didn’t pay much attention since we planned to see it buy rented motorboat. Unfortunate decision.) A stop by Horseshoe Bend is a good bathroom break and leg stretcher for a beautiful view of the Colorado. BTW, Page, clearly a jumping off point for Lake Powell, is seemingly very skippable. On to Under Cover Lake Powell glamping “resort.”  A nifty spread of 50 “permanent” tents and the main tent with lots of outdoor seating, fire pits, and food truck type kitchen for breakfast, lunch and dinner. An engineering marvel, each tent is set up with all the modern conveniences. More of a Radisson than a Ritz in the world of glamping, you want for nothing other than decent weather and maybe a pair of earplugs for that tent down the way on their 3rd bottle of wine. Each tent is outfitted with full working toilet, wood burning stove, sink with potable water, hot shower (hand held) delightful bed linens and full USB mighty battery packs for lighting, and any personal charging needs.  A porch and porch furniture, inside leather chairs, and a king bed made for very attractive and comfy digs right down to the wicker tissue holder.

Winds were really blowing so we ate inside the main tent where there was live music and very fresh and creative food cooked on demand. A fun experience that may not be for all, but certainly unique and well done. Would be great with kids, though not small children IMO.

Sunday, April 25 - on to Zion National Park

Our MO of Lake Powell was to see it by boat. Alas, the weather did not cooperate. So what to do? A drive by. So back to Wahweap Marina where the house boats that are 3 stories high and sleep up to 20 are docked like dominoes. Something to behold. The lake is HUGE with majestic and classic red rock formations all around. We scooted over to Lone Rock Beach to see....Lone Rock....a huge rock in the middle of this part of the lake and a big “sandy” beach with tons of people camping, etc. Then onto check out the Amangiri Hotel, tucked away in the desert mountains...but alas...the intercom person at the gated subtle entrance said “we are fully booked and are not giving tours at this time.” Eye-roll. At $4000 a night, ok whatever. We skipped the suggested Wire Canyon slots in Buckskin Gulch and headed for Zion.

Beautiful day and clearly everyone else thought so too. Zion is not for Zion, but for Zoo! Our main goal is to hike the Narrows and when we see the weather for Monday looking rainy and cold, we hustle it up to get going today since its warm and sunny.

Zion is a large park, but very cut up, so the mainly visited section is actually very small. To cut down on traffic, the park closed the lone in and out road to cars except those staying at Zion Lodge, who get a special parking pass and code for the gate. If not at the Lodge, PLAN this well ahead to get your shuttle ticket, reserve your dry gear for the Narrows, food, etc. Otherwise you are dooking it out with the masses. Springdale borders the park and is a  touristy but very attractive town with plenty of places to stay and loads of restaurants.  There aren’t that many hikes, so you really don’t need more than 2 days here unless you want to horseback ride. They tout biking, but it is really mostly as a way to get about in the park. Rentals abound and I would get an e-bike if you need it. But just if you can’t navigate the shuttle, cause the road is not really suited to biking.

So we hurried to Zion Adventures to figure out the Narrows. Supposedly 6 hrs round trip, we decided just to do as much as we could. It can be 1.5 miles or 13 miles.  But MOST important is a good hiking stick, then the water shoes and socks. Additionally, we were geared up in springtime recommended dry pants and very happy with that as well. And we are off. Shuttle to Sinawava, the last stop, walk the riverside trail and get in the Virgin River.  We started at 2:30 and were like Salmon swimming upstream. The masses, hoards and throngs of people were amazing. A river of people in everything from Tevas and shorts with logs as walking poles to one woman with a 6 month old in her arms which is crazy as the walking is quite tricky picking your way thorough and around the rocks, quick current, and various water levels, typically to your calves, but to my waist in some sections. Fortunately most people were returning and we could avoid them. At its widest, the river is maybe 25 yards wide and at the point where we turned around about 2 miles upstream in the Wall Street area, its perhaps 5-8 yards wide. And beautiful. There is a reason it is so popular. Smooth canyon walls and cliffs straight up with varying colors of red, black, gray, and white plus the green vegetation, not often seen in the other desert areas.  Totally unique and worth the effort. I would have been very bummed not to do it. Oh, and it took 3.5 hours, not 6 for a total of about 6 miles from the shuttle drop off.

Feeling very satisfied with ourselves, we had to have the equipment back by 8pm, so decided on dinner in Springdale at Oscar’s was recommended by the young staff at Zion Adventures. Excellent. Super casual indoors and outdoor seating with excellent Mexican and creative burgers. Outstanding. Note: Utah ain’t big on drinking, but know its big revenue, so they allow it with lots of regs: must have food with the drink, lots of places beer and wine only. Another note: my buddy Kirsten is a native Ute and Mormon who said that Mexican is the way to go in Utah and the Utah burger which is a burger with pastrami and gruyere cheese plus “Fry Sauce” -  1000 island/aioli type concoction of mayo, ketchup, pickle juice and salt. It’s quite tasty, but will opt for Mexican over the Utah burger....

 Monday, April 26 - Zion National Park

Not sure if its the weather or that its Monday, but the crowds have slightly dissipated. Nevertheless, our hike to the famed Angel’s Landing was also packed. This is quite the hike. Straight up and on the cliff and ridges. Not for the faint of heart or fear of heights. I bailed about halfway through. Then on to do all the 3 Emerald Pools, which are a great set of trails throughout the rugged terrain with great views, though once again, it felt like Mt. Everest with stop and go hiking at times. A store owner said that Zion had more visitors last year than Yellowstone though minute in size compared to Yellowstone and is busy 9 months out of the year. Something to think about.  Go in very off months IMO.

Then the rains and wind came and with the chilly temps, we packed it in to Whiptail for another delish meal not unlike Oscar’s. We toured some shops, art galleries, and checked out the visitor center which is open because of course its open air...funny that the Park museums and centers such are closed but the shops are open......and then took it in to give our calves and thighs a break.

Had to eat in the dining room, which given Covid and maybe (Utah) and the weather, was not ideal. Disappointing dining room in general with a cafeteria type buffet line, though closed, that made the atmosphere pretty utilitarian. Add ordering everything at the host staton and it delivered to your table. There was a full bar, so that was a bonus. And if we could have easten on the great deck, it would have been significantly better.  Back in the room by 8pm....

 Tuesday, April 27 - on to Bryce Canyon Nat Park

Cold and overcast, we blew out for Bryce by 7:30. Bryce Canyon National Park is a much higher altitude at 9100 ft and thus the rain of Zion was snow at Bryce.  Beautiful drive through the Red Canyon in the Dixie National Forest which was gorgeous. Snow everywhere and the red cliffs and hoodoo formations of Bryce were simply magical with a dusting of snow.

The Lodge at Bryce Canyon was much more what we hoped for in terms of parkatecture expectations. Not grand, but cozy log cabin style with good common spaces around the large fireplace, comfortable dining room with several fireplaces and overall homey and welcoming. The historic cabins looked desirable, but alas are not heated and don’t open til summer. Which was good since more snow arrived late afternoon and night.

We took off immediately for the Figure 8 trail which combines the Navajo, Peekaboo and Queen’s Garden Trails for about 7 miles.  Fantastical scenery of the hoo doo formations with the trail carved into the side of the cliffs and through the canyon bottom.  Lots of fun and challenging.  Afterwards, the scenic drive is a good way to rest legs and see remarkable scenery along the 18 mile way. A quick mile loop at the end for views (and the 1800 year old Bristlecone Pine tree.)

And the snow came again. Gorgeous wet, granular (called Grapple) flakes accumulated quickly and was beyond beautiful. A break in the clouds gave way for a blue sky sunset, but the snow showers returned covering the firs and junipers.

Dinner was much the same as Zion Lodge, only more utilitarian, but at least a more inviting setting. Order with the host, pay and they give it to you not on Poland but literally in complete take out paper bags. You can at least sit at the tables after sanitizing and if discreet, the staff looks the other way with regard to the no alcohol in the building. Makers and water in our water bottle worked just fine with the elk chili.

 Wednesday, April 28 - Capital Reef Nat Park to Moab

Once again, a “take-in” breakfast at the Lodge and then on the road to Capital Reef National Park. The big question: is Scenic Highway 12 ok to drive after the snow?  The pass at Boulder is almost 10000 ft and can be tricky. With temps predicted to be 60 by afternoon, we decided yes. And well worth it. Ducking through the Dixie NF and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which BTW is not a monument per se, but 1.9 million miles of area that refers to the stairstepped terrain from the seismic shift 60 million years from the Colorado Plateau down to and help setting the stage for the development of the Grand Canyon.

Anywho, arrived CRNP to low fanfare. A mid-major park, it is unique in its own right of white sandstone domes like Capital buildings and reef by the seafaring pioneers who were finding the travel difficult to navigate like reefs. Those determined Mormons MUCH later than the Paiute and Fremont natives) who did make a success here as the canyon bottom is quite fertile from the Fremont River. WIth limited time, we headed for the two starred hikes - 3.5 mile 1200 elevation Cassidy’s Arch Trail. A+. Get your knees limbered and Mountain Goat Shoes on as you climb the rocks - challenging and gorgeous but not scary and great rewards at the end for Cassidy’s Arch (so named since the area was a fav haunt for Butch and the Wild Bunch.) Then the 12 mile very rustic scenic drive to the Canyon Groge in and out. The last section is dirt road and is the Narrows for carsa Dan is more entertaining than the dry canyon narrows walk, which is still good. And that’s it folks for CRNP. Check. Off for another 3 hr drive to Moab.

So Moab....well described in the guide book - a cross between Aspen and Gatlinburg. The main drag is just that....Main Street is 4 lane and constantly busy and loud with major 18 wheelers heading right through town. We were very uneducated about Moab and it was much different from what we expected as were the parks there too. Much revolves around motorized sports - 4x4 wheeling, motocross, airplanes, etc. We missed that whole aspect.  Places renting every kind of vehicle with it without guides, then  all the mechanical shops to fix it right on Main Street.  It has exploded with 7 new hotels having gone up in the past 2 years, but it is a real mishmash of tourists stuff. It clearly developed as a means to an end and gentrification and sophisticated take a back seat.....so far. And that’s true with restaurants too. Plan ahead and get a rezzie at the Desert Bistro. 

Checked into the Hilton Curio Collection Hoo Doo Hotel which is new and quite nice. ANd quite nice after 7 days to be in some commercialism. Get Hoo Doo has a great heated pool area, with excellent restaurant Josie Wells with a big outdoor space and also opens up into the pool.  Quiet, spa and right in town which is just what we wanted vs the much pricier and out from town Sorrel Lodge.  We walked to dinner at Antica Forma Italian restaurant, which left ALOT to be desired in terms of atmosphere - loud, a sort of independentyl owned Olive Garden type, BUT  the food was quite good - thin crust pizza and light, homemade tomato sauce in the lasagna. 

 Thursday, April 29 - Canyonlands National Park

A more relaxed, sunny and beautiful day going to 80 degrees with a sit down breakfast with Canyonlands National Park as the day’s destination. About 30 miles outside Moab, Canyonlands is all about the 4x4 and seeing the park is almost next to impossible without it. Not having planned for this, we decided to enjoy only the more popular section of Islands in the Sky. It’s almost 2 hrs to get to The Needles section or a different 1.5 hrs to get to the XXX section and The Maze is basically  only reachable by 4x4 or long hikes. So, we did the ubiquitous scenic drive, hiked several 2-3 mile hikes (XXX) and called it a day to go back and explore Moab, the pool, and get needed lunch provisions.  Great decision.  BUT if we had researched more or had more time or probably just now that we know, we would allow more time and plan for some of the other activities because it is beautiful and amazing.  Maybe more than the Grand Canyon, which while awesome, is just one canyon and this is HUGE, vast millions of canyons in every direction being carved by both the Green and Colorado rivers.  We were dumbstruck. Once again, the hikes were sorta crowded so ice there is not so much that can be done in one day for the average tourist like us.

Dinner at Josie Wyatt restaurant at the hotel which was quite good.

 Friday, April 30 - Arches National Park

We had seen the long lines of cars to get in Arches en route to Canyonlands, so we were up and atta’em at the gate by 8:30 still to a mass of cars filing in. Perhaps the horse heading back to the barn, or 9 straight days of hiking or the heat or the loads of people, but we were somewhat underwhelmed by Arches.  Still a wonder to see, this is the park for families. Like many of the other Utah parks, there is endless rock climbing hikes, but here there lots of short hikes just off the road easy for all.  And they were there.  Packed and wither ranger directed parking or circling lots hoping for someone to leave.  Ugh. We saw the most impressive arches and they were fun, had our picnic and pointed our car north to Salt Lake City where we stayed in town at the Kimpton Monaco Hotel. We scouted out the nest eats and landed at HSL about 10 blocks away and scored major.  Creative and outstanding followed by a night walk around the city where the Temple is something to see for sure.

 Saturday, May 1 - Salt Lake City departure

Flying the friendly skies, which BTW, the Salt Lake Airport is pretty great. Very close to town (stay in town unless your flight is seriously 0:dawn thirty) new, clean (like all Mormon stuff plus organized.) The Delta terminal is quite nice.

[fantasticalscholar-blog]

Getting Started - Playable Races, Mithra/Miqo’te, and Akadoubutsu!

Now it’s time to populate this gorgeously fun world you’ve created! Final Fantasy normally utilizes Humans to fill most corners of the world and to serve as the leading protagonist; BUT! That does not necessarily have to be the case for your FFD6 campaign! I

In fact, you can choose to include or exclude as many races as your heart desires! Heck! Make new one’s too! I know I ended up doing so for my Eleos campaign and it’s been a lot of fun!

No matter what you choose to do, there is a list of suggested playable races in the FFD6 PDF starting on Page 176. I personally think that this list is a great start, but there are a good handful of other races, or details that the PDF does not cover. As such, I introduce you to one of the biggest topics I’ll be touching on in this Blog: HOME BREW CONTENT (Game and System aspects that are not included in ‘official’ resources for tabletop role playing games!)

I’m not going to share all of the home-brew race content I’ve created just yet, since that’ll just be an absolutely enormous post that’ll take up half your feed. Instead, today, I’ll go ahead and focus on two entries.

I think it should, while PC Races are on the shelve, worth noting that FFD6 does not usually offer bonus Attribute Points or Skill Points (A topic saved for a post in the near future). However, if you are a die hard for adjusting stats and skills due to race, go nuts! I’ve included some suggested scores to improve, but a word of warning; FFD6′s level up system involves improvement of Attribute Points (AP, we’ll abbreviate) at every level, so the bonus would end up being a small push or detriment within only the first few levels.

I’ve also included a Favorable Jobs section to give suggestions to PC’s in case they have no idea what kind of Job, which is the equivalent of classes in FFD6, they want their character to have. With that being said, it is still to your preference and imagination for what Job a character should have. Honestly, some of the craziest combinations make for wonderful character concepts!

So with that in mind, sit back, and maybe consider some of these other fantastic Final Fantasy Races that have appeared in other games (and potential revamps of mentioned races!)

~ ~ ~

The Mithra / Miqo’te

Meet the Mithra and Miqo’te, felinesque residents of the Worlds Vana’diel  and Eorzea (FF XI and FF XIV). Technically different races, I still see it prudent to lump the two together as their design is essentially the same, and I observe few differences between the two. At the very least, I wish to highlight Mithra as they are discussed as a sub-race of the Viera. I personally like the idea, lore-wise, but I think it’s good to further distinguish the two more.

I’ll keep this brief as there are only a handful of differences between the three races;

Mithra: Sporting cat tails and ears, this  race does not stray very far from their description in the manual; the Mithra are heavily dominated by the female sex, as male Mithra have a fairly low birth rate comparatively. Very athletic and nimble, the Mithra are renowned for their tenacity and fierceness in battle. They are fairly conservative when it comes to technology, and are highly tied to their natural roots.

It should be known that if a Mithra, much like Viera, leave their homeland (typically tropical rain forests, deserts, and other tropical biomes), they are most likely to be treated as an alien upon their return. That doesn’t stop most adventurous Mithra, however.

Miqo’te: A sort of human-cat hybrid in appearance, the Miqo’te people are agile, clever, and often quite crafty. Whereas the Mithra are incredibly tied to nature and their clans, Miqo’te are loners for the most part, and are typically territorial to others around them (not in the least, other Miqo’te!).

It should not be surprising at all that Miqo’te are the kind of people to become wanderers. Cats very much so do what they want, and I think it’s fair to say that Miqo’te can embody this sort of fickle nature seen in many of our feline friends. But in the same breath, the phrase, ‘If I fits, I sits’ is also not that bad of a Philosophy for the Miqo’te, as it would only make sense that city life can be a good break from the hustle and bustle of adventure.

[Average Attributes]

Typical Height: 1.6 - 1.8 m / 5′ 2″-5′9 [Males and Females Similar]

Typical Weight: 49 - 66 kg / 107.8 - 145.2 lbs. [Males and Females Similar]

Hair Color Ideas:   Reds, tawny, blacks, grey

Eye Color Ideas: 

Mithra: Reds, Golds, Silvers 

Miqo’te: Blues, Greens, Yellows

Lifespan Suggestions:

Child-Adolescent: 8-17 Years Old

Young Adult - Adulthood: 18-90 Years Old

Older Adults: 91 - 180 Years Old

Suggested Attribute and Skill Bonuses (If Applicable):

+2 Dex, (-1 RES)

+2 Thievery, +2 Nature, +2 Lore: Cities

Ideas for Favorable Jobs:

Mithra Females:

Warrior - For the strong willed and fierce, may work with tribe in squads.

Geomancer - For the spiritual leaders of tribes, may even be the Matriarchs.

Ranger - For the loner and marksman, also make for good hunters.

Mithra Males

Geomancer - A good, spiritualistic class to gain favor in the eyes of  female compatriots in the tribe.

Thief -  For those who have literally gone rogue and abandoned their tribe, and entered human society.

Entertainer - For the light hearted wanderer, and one who was tasked with music or poetry within the tribe.

Miqo’te

Theif - Light on their feet and quite possessive, good for the mischievous.

Gambler - For the fickle of heart and cocky. Besides; Black Cat with gambling powers anyone?

Dragoon - With incredible reflexes and jumping power, Cat Dragons are totally in this season.

~ ~ ~

Akadoubutsu

The next race I’d like to introduce is, as I will dub them, the Akadobutsu (Ah-kah-doe-boot-sue). Though there is no official name for the race, the  Akadobutsu first were introduced in FFVII where the main party encountered and was joined by one of these beings named Nanaki (pictured above).

The  Akadobutsu are a sentient race, capable of learning and speaking the Common languages of the world, and are known to be highly intelligent. As many of the other animal like species in the worlds of Final Fantasy, the  Akadobutsu are known to function in groups of tribes, often residing in areas of great spiritual importance. It is also known that, in their appearance of FFVII, a flame was kept at the center of the Akadobutsu settlement, which may hold some significance to the eternal flame that burns at the end of their tails. Depending on the setting of your FFD6 campaign, the GM and the player of a  Akadobutsu PC can determine if this is significant.

The Akadobutsu are known to be incredibly tied to the natural world, and are very in tune with the condition of the world. This strong bond has manifested itself in a way that many  Akadobutsu are mistrusting of large civilizations, and even more so of incredibly advanced technology that can damage the environment. Furthermore, such close connections with nature has also shown to increase the magical prowess of the  Akadobutsu, though they are known to more so rely on their fangs and claws for weapons.

One last thing to talk about; The  Akadobutsu are normally Quadrupeds. This can either limit what weapons they can use, or you can have an explanation as to why the fiery character can wield a 30 pound sub-machine gun. ESP maybe? They are also capable of walking on their hind legs? Do they start with natural weapons with their claws and teeth? Who knows! Make sure to talk to your GM and vice versa to figure out how you can live out your fantasy while playing as an   Akadobutsu.

[Average Attributes]

Typical Height: 1.2 - 1.25 m  / 3′9″- 4′1″ [Male]  1.0 - 1.05 m / 3′2″ - 3′5″ [Female]

Typical Length: 1.4 -1.5 m  / 4′5″- 5′ 0″ [Male] 1.2 - 1.4 m  / 4′0″ - 4′5″ [Female]

Typical Weight: 63.5 - 86.2 kg / 140 - 190 lbs. [Male] 52.2 - 77.1 kg / 110 - 170 lbs. [Female]

Fur Color Ideas:   Reds, golds, oranges, auburn

Eye Color Ideas:  Yellows, Greens, Reds

Lifespan Suggestions: 

Child-Adolescent: 20 - 140 Years Old

Young Adult - Adulthood: 140 - 460 Years Old

Older Adults: 460 - 700 Years Old

Suggested Attribute and Skill Bonuses (If Applicable):

+1 DEX, +1 MND, (-1 RES)

+2 Athletics, +2 Nature, +2 Lore: Religion

Ideas for Favorable Jobs::

Geomancer: To be so attuned to the world around them, Akadobutsu  would make for excellent candidates to unleash the power of nature on those that wish it harm.

Dark Knight: A particularly tragic hero of the Akadobutsu could go rogue, harnessing the powers of darkness after witnessing the destruction caused to that which was considered sacred.

Samurai: For an enigmatic, lone wolf of a character, to choose to be a Samurai allows Akadobutsu to uphold and fight with honor though they have left their respective tribes.

~ ~ ~

Well now! That took me awhile!

After several sessions of adding info and researching, I present to you a start on races! I’ll again suggest glancing at Chapter 6 in the PDF (it starts on Page 174), and from there you can glance at the provided list of races and the worlds they normally inhabit!

I hope that now you can start feeling comfortable with the sense of freedom FFD6 offers, and if you are eager to unleash your imagination, that you go for it full throttle!

If you see grammar mistakes, contradictions, mathematical miscalculations, have observations, or suggestions, please let me know! With this mention of AP (Attribute Points) and SP (Skill Points) this time around, you can expect a character creation post just around the corner! Is it weird to abbreviate those, or should I just type them out? FIRST HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT QUESTION!

Anyways; thank you for your time and your interest. I hope you have a wonderful evening, and enjoy the approach of summer and last hurrahs of spring!!! ~ Ryan

- Lots of credit this time!

Thank you KuraudoStrife from the site ‘The Lifestream’ for the image of the races at the top!

Pictures of the Miqo’te found on the consolegames wiki site, where you can find their page and info right here!

Pictures of Nanaki, or Red XIII, and information on his character and race were found on the Final Fantasy Wikia, and you can find this page right here!

The Miqo’te, Mithra, and proclaimed Akadobutsu races were originally conceptualized by the creative teams at Sqaure Enix, and much of the information gleaned for this post comes from the Final Fantasy Wikia and the FFD6 PDF created by ‘Dust’.

[vloggingcameraswithflipscre-blog]

Nice review Nikon D7200 DX-format DSLR w/18-140mm VR Lens on amazon

1 Another great Nikon camera good enough for pro work By venuspaint

This is a very nice best vlogging camera for the money and the 18-140 mm zoom is a handy lens to have around. I use the 7200 for professional photography and it does everything I need it to do and love the fast continuous shooting mode for sports. I keep the 18-140 lens on my back up 7000 for snapshots around the house and from my car. I liked that this is the US version not the gray market. It arrived in 3 days which was faster than the vendor had estimated.

2 Nikon D7200 Camera is a Good Quality Camera By Michael

When it comes to digital, I love this camera. Always used the Canon "AE-1" line in the film days. I have the Nikon D80 as well. Really like the options with the D7200. Very impressive camera. Finally at a price that is affordable. Waited some time to get this model. Very pleased with quality, styling, and features. Great price with the included lens.

3 The camera is beautiful, feels a lot more substantial than the D7500 By Leon Kunstenaar  

Just got it yesterday. The camera is beautiful, feels a lot more substantial than the D7500. I have been testing all the functions including near/far focusing. Everything is spot on.

Now the bad news. It was delivered by an unmarked van and was left on the street in front of my house. I get lots of packages (many from Amazon) and they are always left inside the front gate which is very easy to do. I went looking for the camera when I saw the van leave and found it on the street. Kind of scary with an exensive item.

4 Looks great and well packaged By Hansel Pena

It came very well packaged as you can see in the photos. The camera looks amazing with several accessories. Everything looks perfect, and it is the right model D7200. Will complete review when my sister in law uses it. As mentioned in the product details it is only the body so need the len to try it and she is the one who has it. Other than that looks great.

5 Happy with my new tool By Christian Saa Almeida 

I am a NatGeo Photo instructor atbtje galapagos islands. I have in my hands the Nikon D7200 and Im very pleased and happy with my new tool, I will Recomend this camera to all our guests and I am very satisfied with tha amazon service, very efficient and just on time.

6 I can't see than anything is worse, and lots of things are better By Amazon Customer 

Updating from a D300. Everyone seems to be waiting for the successor to the D300 (D400?), but I think this is it. I can't see than anything is worse, and lots of things are better. High ISO performance is amazingly good, relatively. The U1 and U2 programmable presets right on the control dial are very handy, since I have two very different situations I work in. AF is essentially instantaneous. What's not to like?

7 Highly recommend. Someone at NIKON must have been listening to ...By brian cukrowicz 

Highly recommend. Someone at NIKON must have been listening to the users. It is very easy to use. Most of the changes that you would make in the course a photo session are brought out to the camera exterior so that you don't have to drill down in the menus. The photos are crisp and properly exposed. I did comparisons of specifications and features. This camera body matched a more expensive model that I initially was considering. I could have spent a few hundred dollars more. But would not have gained.

8 Love my NIKON D7200 and Lents kit. By Herman B. 

Great camera and lens! I'm t must be a none USA camera because NIKON wouldn't let me register it on their website. It is a lightly used camera without any papers or documentation.

9 Nikon D7200 Best in the Series By JJ Finklestein

I do candids and portraits. The D7200 offers accurate focus, white balance and flesh tone color balance, exceeding my expectations. I own a D7000, D7100 and this D7200, this is the best of the series. I used the D7200 matched with a Nikkor 85mm f:/1.8 lens on a First Friday Art Walk in low, less than optimal light without flash, taking over 300 shots. Quite an impressive camera, especially considering the affordable price point. As the body includes the focus drive motor, I can still use older Nikkor auto focus lenses or modern AF-S lenses.

10 Great image quality. Top-notch system in every way. By Jack Coleman

This was an upgrade from a D5100. It is a serious step up but well worth the $$ and the climb up the learning curve. I use it daily for a variety of photographic purposes and have not been disappointed. No regrets whatsoever in the decision to move up. Not necessarily a 'starter' DSLR, but clearly worth consideration simply because the value is there along with the advanced technology.

11 A Lightweight, Multi-Talented Nikon By Robert Warren

Fantastic at what it does. Having used a D800 for the majority of my professional life, I use these cameras as trainers for my students. While you can't expect full frame quality from a crop sensor, the D7200 does a VERY nice job in the speed and sharpness category. Also, I've been impressed at the quality of video this little guy can grab! I've taken to carrying one in my kit as a backup!

12 grwat upgradw from Nikon D7000 By Anaheim

Excellent upgrade from my Nikon D7000. I really wanted my next Nikon to have the Expeed image processor 4. I almost purchased a reconditioned Nikon d7100, I am glad I waited. The images look great. I really like being able to see in the LCD screen the focus points of the picture. The low light abity of this d7200 is excellent. I will be using this on a trip to Japan in May. I will use my Nikon 24 -70 f2.8 lens. I will have to spend some time with the manual. I purchased this at a camera store in Pasadena ca

13 Great for the serious hobbyist By Chess

Gift for my wife. Seems to be doing everything she wants a camera to do and more. Descendant of the Nikon film camera she learned on. One of the highest rated, high end amateur cameras made. Almost professional quality. Great for the serious hobbyist.

14 Great pictures with 18-140mm...amazing quality By Jawaid

This is a great camera in terms of performance and build. I have purchased it with kit lens which is 18-140mm. The actual power of this camera can be unleashed using other professional lenses. Here is are some photos with 18-140mm lens.

15 Great camera, improved but not quite there yet By NCHammer 

- Vastly Improved auto focus speed (Multi-CAM 3500II DX) and sensitivity (center point sensitive to -2 to -3 EV of "darkness" in actual use).

- Improved sensor noise and less horizontal banding at highest ISO (compared to D7100). Still quite noisy however esp compared to D500.

- Larger buffer than D7100 (seems a no-brainer feature since buffer adds so little to manufacturing costs but has huge benefit for users)

- Largely identical external controls and layout - cheap vlogging camera with flip screen

- Other spec improvements are minor but welcome such as audio and flat picture mode (not sure if new though)

- Image quality (per pixel) has improved. However Image quality (color rendition or white balance) has not been improved by very much IMO. The D7100 color is better at both low and high ISO. D7200 has a green cast for jpg cast in good light, pinkish cast in medium light and dark brown/gold cast in low light. Slight improvement in white balance under artificial lighting / indoors. These are probably due to the new EXPEED 4 generation.