#or just order a takeaway haha

[o3o-lapd-o3o]

it may be 9pm at night, but time took cook myself some dinner and then play some hades as a reward (or read some more odydio fics who knows)

[crescentfool]

going to keep this vague on purpose but playing reload has reactivated brain chemicals in me that i forgot i had.

i think i'd want to make a more thought out post later, but i think my favorite thing about reload (aside from seeing minato in full HD glory) is how much it's made me think about video games as a storytelling medium- specifically with what mechanics and game design imply for characters.

there's a lot of quality of life features added to reload that help players easily enter a flow state and get immersed in the gameplay (most notable with tartarus)! which is so dope! reload has been such a nice blend of the mechanics from both FES and portable and it feels like a love letter to persona 3 fans.

there are definitely mechanics i miss from FES (minato's ability to wield multiple weapons being one of them). i can't deny that FES has some dated mechanics that don't necessarily feel fun for the player experience... but!

i think i mostly miss things from FES because i feel like so much of minato's characterization (for me) was informed by the gameplay experience and mechanics (e.g. fatigue system). obviously there's still other ways you can put together his personality (his dialogue responses), but i think game mechanics are a bit part of it, for me.

but in spite of that, i think reload is a really nice introduction to persona 3, it's so much more accessible and has a bunch of things to help make it more fun :) so far i think i'd recommend it to people :D

[mask-of-prime]

TLG: Battle for the Pridelands Sketches

To celebrate the 5th Anniversary of one of my favorite episodes of TLG, I decided to do some sketches of some takeaways I had during a rewatch of the episode:

1. Wema, Tunu, Dogo, and Kijana aged up to how old I think they'd be around the time of the episode. Why were they not aged up?? Kiara, Tiifu, Zuri, and Mtoto were given some specific age models only used in this episode, why not the Outlander kids? I feel the jackals would be the equivalent to 12 years old by this time, while Wema and Tunu would be like 8-year-old kids.

2. I've heard people ask where the zebras and baboons were during the final battle, and for a while I was like "Yeah aren't they significant recurring characters? Where even were they in the Pridelands Army arc of Season 2?", but THEN it dawned on me: Baboon. Zebra. Cavalry. When watching the scene where everyone charges to the Outlands, I saw the galagos riding the sable antelope and went "haha like horses, that'd be funny if it was with zebras because equines", then I was like "baboons would probably be like humans while riding zebras" and I was just "WAIT IS THAT WHY PEOPLE WANTED THOSE ANIMALS IN THIS EPISODE". So here we are, Big Baboon and Thurston team up to surprise the Outlanders (and even the Pridelanders) by doing what they do best -- throwing fruit and panicking and running, respectively.

3. A sketch of this sudden visual I got during Ushari and Scar's conversation where Scar promised that Ushari and the rest of the reptiles would have whatever's left of the ravaged Pridelands. I instantly imagined the Pridelands becoming this unrecognizable wasteland ideal only for heat-seeking reptiles after the disastrous volcanic eruption Scar had in mind. The environment would be a tad like something out of the Mesozoic era.

4. One of my favorite aspects of this episode: The famous important-as-hell-but-vaguely-presented lore drop of the Strange Lion's (actually pretty ambiguous) existence as well as his actions accelerating Scar's entitlement and envy of Mufasa (which would kickstart the very premise of the first movie and the franchise as we know it). I love this guy's design for the same reason I love Zira's -- it's just so consistent in shapes and colors that all match with each other.

5. I find it funny that in order to not interfere with the events of TLK 2, TLG just decided to have it so the Outsiders would be completely out of the loop of the fact that Scar's spirit returned. It could easily be explained that Scar kept Zira out of it on purpose, or that he didn't know (and possibly didn't care) that she was still around. I have to think that the Outsiders don't live too far from the Outlands Volcano, so they've had to have heard some commotion and wonder what on earth could be going on. Looks like Zira's fanatic spiritual connection with her beloved Scar can apparently be heard by her peers.

[sxfterhearts]

cafe crush

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ jiung x reader (+ side co-worker!theo) ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅

♡ genre/warnings: just fluff!!

♡ word count: 2,371 words

♡ summary: 88. “I'll see you later.”

♡ author’s note: i have not written in literal YEARS. but this is a quick one that i whipped up due to a) my ongoing obsession with p1harmony, b) that cursed gif of jiung in the purple hoodie asdfghjhkld, c) my own experience (aka this is heavily based on my cafe crush HAHA) and d) a sudden itch to write?! i'm so rusty, so expect nothing. enjoy!!!! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

//

“Just ask for his number!”

“Oh my goodness, stop it!” You hissed at your co-worker, Theo, elbowing him in the ribs. “You’re being so obvious.”

“Oh, shut it.” He retorted, trying to defend himself. Mere seconds ago, Theo was teasing you and laughing boisterously, attracting the attention of some other café patrons. “Not nearly as obvious as when you ogle at him as if he’s your prince charming or something.”

“Not true!”

“So true!”

“Who’s next?” The barista called out from behind the counter. You nudged Theo forwards in response, hoping to linger at the end of the line for a bit longer to catch a glimpse of your prince charming.

Well, okay, you were being dramatic.

He’s not technically your prince charming. He’s not your anyone, really. But he is the super-hot-waiter-who-works-at-the-café-you-frequent-with-your-colleagues-everyday (you figured prince charming was a shorter and more convenient name).

It all started out as an innocent crush �� someone who piqued your interest, really. You noticed a month or two ago that there was a new face at your regular café. He was probably around your age, perhaps slightly older, with strikingly silver hair. The first time you laid eyes on him, you nearly choked on your iced latte. He had the kindest eyes that turned into little crescents and a bright smile on his perfect face as he spoke calmly to the café’s never-ending patrons and urged them to write their names down on the waiting list. You even saw him put out a bowl of water for a cute corgi like a true angel, all while taking pictures of it using his phone.

The café you frequented nearly every single workday (and sometimes, even on non-workdays) was super popular. On most days, there was a long line of people waiting for a table at the entrance, and a small group of customers huddled around the takeaway station. You weren’t surprised. After all, the café was in a popular suburb, and they brewed coffee using well-sourced beans they freshly roasted in-house. The coffee always hit the spot for you, whether it was an early Monday morning, or a midday pick-me-up.

Throughout the weeks, though, you found yourself making the short ten-minute trip to the café more often than usual. You used to go to other cafes in the area. Granted, this suburb was filled with many high-quality coffee houses. However, you would be lying to yourself if you said you didn’t go to the café just to catch a glimpse of your favourite barista.

Slowly, you started to find solace in your little café trips. What used to be an obligation to get a shot of your daily caffeine, transformed into a little bit of me-time when you had the luxury of making the trip on your own. It gave you an opportunity to walk around the neighbourhood, or even walk the office dog when she was in (which got lots of attention from the locals along the way). You couldn’t explain it, but the anticipation of looking for something (or rather, someone) and finding them exactly where you expect them to be, brought you a sense of pure satisfaction.

Seeing him there, standing at the entrance greeting customers, or balancing three plates of brunch on his long arms, or even taking orders with a big smile, brought you a sense of calm and familiarity.

Your mind flashed back to one particular Friday, where the weather was ominous outside the office, and you were periodically nodding off at your desk. Something about the gloomy weather made you want to go home, crawl under your covers and take a nap. Just as you were re-reading the same sentence for the nth time, you decided to make a trip to the café. After briefly checking the time (you were lucky – it was only 1:30pm), you headed out with your umbrella in hands.

The moment you stepped outside, you momentarily regretted your decision. The skies had just opened up, and rain started to fall. You hesitated but decided that there was still four hours left of the workday, and there was no way you could get through it without a proper hit of caffeine from your favourite café. So, you braved the wind and the cold and made the trip down, clutching your tiny umbrella tightly in your fists the entire time. When you arrived there however, the rain reduced to a tiny drizzle, and the wind appeared to calm down as well. Just as you rounded the corner, you caught a glimpse of the familiar purple hoodie. With your heart thumping in your chest and a bright smiled plastered on your face, you took a quick glance towards the owner of said hoodie (who was busying himself with introducing the signature brunch menu to a table of first-time customers) and headed towards the takeaway counter.

“How can I help you today?” The barista at the counter broke you out of your trance as you reached the start of the queue.

“Hello! Can I get a cold brew please?”

“Of course! Our cold brew is self-serve. Do you know how to work the taps?”

The cold brew and batch brews were served in coffee taps in this café. It was a favourite amongst your colleagues in the office. When it was sunny, everyone flocked to the café to get a cup of their cold brew.

“Yes, I do.” You chirped in reply and proceeded to pay and thank the barista, wishing them a good day.

As you made your way to the coffee taps, you caught a glimpse of your favourite waiter in the corner of your eye, filling up a bottle of water on the sparkling water taps behind you. You held your breath as you scooped a bit of ice into your takeaway cup and placed it under the tap. He was only five steps away from you, and you struggled immensely to keep your gaze fixed on the coffee instead of him.

While it was certainly fun to self-serve your own coffee, the lids always proved to be a challenge for you and everyone else. Theo himself spilled one too many cups of coffee at this exact spot, just because he couldn’t get the lid on the right way.

When the coffee finished pouring, you grabbed the cup with clammy hands and took a lid off the pile. “Here goes,” you breathed, feeling the eyes of not only the waiter but also the other baristas on you as you attempted to put the lid on.

Your tongue stuck out in concentration, fingers pressing around the rim of the cup. Your breath hitched when you felt the cup bend slightly under your touch. This was probably not going to end well.

“Do you need some help?” A voice spoke from in front of you.

You paused, heart nearly beating right out of your chest from the nervousness. This was the first time you’ve ever had any sort of interaction with the waiter, and for some reason, his velvety voice made your knees a bit weak. It was smooth and deep, like a cup of perfectly blended and roasted coffee.

“Ah…” You laughed, slightly embarrassed. Looking up, you flashed an unsteady smile. You were close enough for once to read off his nametag – Jiung. So that was his name. “I’ve got it, Jiung.” You said, determined.

You looked down before a shy smile appeared on his face at the sound of his name rolling off your lips. You took a breath, and tried again, this time with a slightly different approach. You got half of the lid to catch on the cup, finally, and just a little bit more until you got it secured, and you were so close, just a little bit –

“Ah!” You gasped in shock. Turns out, you pressed a little too hard and the cup folded in on itself, spilling half of the drink on the countertop.

“I saw this coming; you should’ve let me help.” Jiung teased in a light-hearted manner, hands already armed with a cloth to clean up the mess you made. He handed you a paper towel. “Here, did you get any on your clothes? Clean up and I’ll get you another one.”

“Ah, no.” You did a quick check and thanked the heavens that your grey sweater was safe from the coffee damage. “I’m sorry…” You said sheepishly, cheeks turning pink. “I swear I did it properly last time.”

“What’s taking so long? Ah, Y/N, you did it again.” Theo peered over your shoulder and shook his head in disapproval.

“Again?” Jiung questioned, trying to bite back a smile.

“Shut up, Theo!” You whipped your head around and shot daggers at him with your eyes. “It’s fine, I’ll meet you back at the office.” You squinted and stared at him, trying to communicate with him non-verbally to leave you alone with your café crush.

Thankfully, Theo was smart enough to get the message. “Alright, I’ll tell Keeho you’ll be late to the meeting because of your little accident.”

“Go!” You hissed, threatening to throw your used paper towel at him. His arms shot up in surrender as he backed away and walked back to the office.

“Your coffee.” Jiung said, presenting you with a perfectly covered cup of cold brew. “Next time, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You’d be amazed just how many people have done that.”

“But you guys make it look so easy, I thought I could do it too.” You pouted, accepting the drink and slightly brushing over his fingers as you did so. Your body tingled at the short-lived moment of skin-to-skin contact.

Jiung laughed at that. “You’re forgetting that we do hundreds of these a day. Let the experts handle it, okay?”

“Jiung, lunch!” One of the chefs yelled out from the kitchen.

“In a sec!” He yelled back. Turning back to you, he said, “I’m gonna go on my lunch break soon. Anything else I can help with?”

You gnawed at your bottom lip for a few seconds and played with your fingers which were interlaced around your cup coffee. Jiung couldn’t help but to watch and stare at your lips as you did so, hypnotised. “Actually, there is…”

“Oh, were you waiting on takeaway food? If you’re in a hurry I can check with the back if you – ”

“No, actually,” you interjected softly. “I was wondering if… I could get your number?” You asked, uncertain. “Only if you’re single, of course.” You took a sip of your coffee to calm yourself down. Clearly it didn’t work because you started to ramble. “But who am I kidding, you obviously have a girlfriend. Anyways, I’m late for a meeting so I should just go…”

Just as you were about to turn around and walk away and hide at your office desk, Jiung waved his hands out to stop you. “Wait!” He said belatedly, after opening and closing his mouth for a minute too long. “I- I- I don’t.” The two of you locked eyes, remaining silent for a few seconds to let his words sink in. “Hold on, you just- I just- I -” He shook his head and heaved a sigh. “Sorry, just give me a sec okay? I’m on my lunch break, I’ll walk you back.”

You couldn’t do anything but nod at his words as he turned around and raced back to the kitchen to grab his lunch. The minutes felt like hours as you waited for him, sipping on your coffee, and allowing the cherry and chocolatey notes to invade your tastebuds. You felt a bit numb after your confession that wasn’t really a confession, yet your heartbeat refused to stop thudding against your ears in anticipation. You really couldn’t tell how this would end.

“Hey, sorry I took so long.” Jiung said, breathless, as he came around the other side of the counter, dressed in a black cap to match his black hoodie. Now that he was standing in front of you, you realised just how tall he was. “Do you work around here, Y/N?”

You shivered at the way his voice wrapped around the syllables of your name. You could only look up at him and nod and point in the general direction of your office.

“I thought so, I see you here all the time.” Jiung continued, slowing his footsteps to walk at the same pace as you as you lead the way.

“You noticed me?”

“Of course, how could I not?” He replied, hands coming up to rub the back of his neck as an embarrassed grin paints itself on his features. “I’m always waiting around to catch a glimpse… of you…” His voice got softer and softer and trailed off towards the end of the sentence.

“You do?” Your eyes turned as wide as saucers.

“Yeah, seeing you is the best part of my shift.” He says, as plain as day, as if he was stating a well-known fact, or reading out the weather forecast, or answering a math question.

“Seeing you is the best part of my day.” You countered.

“Are you sure it’s not just the caffeine?” He teased, bumping your shoulders as you walked with matching steps.

“That too,” You admitted, lips pulling into a small smile. “But seeing your smile in the middle of a boring workday makes things a lot more bearable.”

“That’s…” Jiung trailed off again. “So cute.” He burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter in combined fascination and disbelief, and you thought that nothing, not even the sounds of angels singing at the gates of heaven could be better than this. “Oh, here.” He stopped and pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. He reached out for your hand, and dropped it into your palms.

“What’s this?”

“My number, silly. What are you doing tonight? If you’re free, let’s grab dinner?”

You couldn’t hide the pure excitement and joy seeping out of your body. It took everything in your power to not jump up and down on the spot. “Yeah,” you breathed out, still unable to believe that shooting your shot actually worked for once. “Yeah, I’ll see you later at 6.”

[bonebabbles]

I keep starting and abandoning posts that go into my drafts, as I try to stay tasteful about how fucking revolted this part makes me. Like, I'm legitimately unsure if the very relevant trauma I have is making me see things that aren't here

But first we see that Star Flower is trying to ingratiate herself to the group, just after she reappears from chapter 5. Chapter 5 is about how Clear Sky is still abusive towards his son, and she comes in after stroking his ego, stressing how alone she is, and appealing to how she'll be loyal unlike his child. (She glances over at Thunder, directly implying this.)

Now in Chapter 9, she's babysitting and trying to care for Milkweed's kits (in spite of discomfort from Milkweed), taking a wet sleeping space away from the others, and pulling more than her own weight "without complaint." Putting herself through harsh sitations to prove her worth.

All while trying to appear extra attractive to Thunder, and later Clear Sky. Basically every man in power who can "protect her"

Like, am I going fucking crazy? With how we later find out that Star Flower was "promised as a mate" to One Eye's subordinate Slash, is... is that hypersexualization? One of the extremely stigmatized symptoms of sexual abuse?

She goes to find Clear Sky alone to throw herself at his paws, and he's very quickly attracted to how she promises to perfectly obey him, have no needs of her own, and finally be the perfect servant that he desires

"I don't deserve your trust because I am dirt. I understand you because I also regret something. I'd die for you. I'll never betray you unlike those who have."

This isn't manipulation. She means this. The story is playing their romance sincerely. She's comparing "betraying" Thunder by telling her own father about an assassination ambush to Clear Sky's history of child abuse, physical assault, and murder

She believes she's on the same level as this; a monster who murdered a childhood friend in a fit of entitled rage. She was a victim of One Eye who really believes that the way her father used her means she "understands" this monster, deserves this treatment.

And Clear Sky LIKES that.

He likes that she will have COMPLETE FAITH in him. That she will follow him WITHOUT QUESTION. That she will OBEY his orders. That's fucking verbatim, that's THE TEXT!!!

WHILE HE'S STILL CRYING ABOUT "ive tried to atone every day" FOLLOWING THE LAST TWO BOOKS WHERE THE ONLY SHITTY THING HE DOESN'T DO IS MURDER INNOCENT WOMEN

Am I insane?? Am I wrong??? Am I missing something here???? Why the fuck is the fandom takeaway "haha sexy girl steals his dad." Did I read the same book

[kanaglows]

Hello sisnaoakaoiakwiqoaiaiauqiak I just saw your post today and im really excited since I havent seen much posts regarding pjsk x reader stuff. That out of the way, can I request for pjsk boys as your husband (seperated) or them as college boys? Disjisjsusisuauqhq that's all and I hope my request isn't weird or anything 🥲🥲

eeee first request, thanks for requesting me iuhjwsbdah i went with the husband thingy if that's alright with you, feel free to send another request if you still want the college boy thing, anon ☺️ also, i apologise if me and my writing feel a bit dry, i tend to feel a bit tense on the first few requests but i'll loosen up soon hjusdfj

style: bullets/hcs

notes: gender-neutral reader

Project Sekai Boys As Your Husband (Separate)

Tsukasa Tenma

He affectionately calls you nicknames like his co-star and his starlight

While he's busy during the day rehearsing for his shows, your job allows you to have more time for housework so you do chores around the house a lot. He feels guilty about not having a lot of time to do stuff so as soon as he gets home he immerses himself in chores to make up for it 😭

He frequently takes you out because he feels even worse about not spending more time with you throughout the day

On weekends, you have a special little tradition where you watch musicals together (sometimes bootlegs because musicals can cost a lot to watch online 😕)

He's totally smitten by you and often wonders how he was able to get such a great catch

Rui Kamishiro

You two are partners in crime. That said, you don't go too far with the crazy ideas.

As much as you love how creative he can be, you have to remind Rui not to blow up the house and bother the neighbours with explosions.

You have mini prank wars all the time, the winner is often decided by who pulls the most impressive ones

There's a lot more to Rui than pranks and explosions! If you're having a bad day, he always whips something up in his workshop to cheer you up. You'd be surprised how little time he needs to make something if he applies himself.

Rui can struggle with ideas but just spending time with you is enough to fill his head with tons of them

Akito Shinonome

You can be irritating but he loves you a lot ☺️

Karaoke is a frequent thing for the two of you, Akito doesn't like to say it out loud but he loves your singing voice and that's why he suggests karaoke so much.

He gets a bit embarrassing expressing his feelings through words but that doesn't mean he loves you any less, he does his best to show his affection through actions.

Akito's protective but not possessive. When you go out he will ask you where you're going but solely out of safety concerns- he trusts you and would never suspect you of anything wrong.

Toya Aoyagi

He's literally so sweet 😭If anything's up he'll go through any obstacle to help, his father didn't support him much in his childhood so he's decided to support his loved ones much better than his father could ever support him.

Toya's a dry texter, if you text him anything, ANYTHING AT ALL, he will somehow find a way to respond in the most monotone way ever. It's not intentional but you find it hilarious when he responds to a meme with a simple "haha".

Mornings are peaceful. Usually, the two of you just sit in the kitchen in your PJs together drinking coffee in silence.

He's an awful cook but he tries his best. In an attempt to help him out, you cook with him and give him some tips. Your help is beneficial but that doesn't mean that it won't always end in disaster. After training him for a while, Toya was trusted with the duty of making dinner. He decided to make Thai green curry with noodles however, when he realised that you were out of noodles and coconut milk he substituted them with spaghetti and cow milk. Havoc embarked and later that night, you were served a dire bowl of spaghetti in milk. You couldn't touch the meal and ordered takeaway pizza for the two of you instead 😭

[chuckeroo777]

Dungeon Meshi Volume 13 Part 1

Welcome back! Things are about to reach a breaking point! You know things are crazy when all six chapters of the volume have the same name.

Volume 13's cover is literally just the gang running away from a spoiler, so please accept these cute pictures of baby Marcille from the daydream hours.

A precious image.

Wishes, man. There's always a catch. Whether that be an evil genie, or a perfect unconscious wish, it never goes how you want. This one doesn't even let you say no thanks.

This is such a good fake-out. Now someone grab some zip-ties.

So, is Marcille going to struggle with impulse control for the rest of her life, or did it just eat her desire not to lead an army to the surface?

Sure you will buddy. *proceeds to, in fact, not be careful*

Oh god, if he defeats the demon, we'll be out of a job.

This is cool and all, but what happens to this avatar after the gang goes inside? Does it turn back into monsters? Does it simply vanish? It's totally gone next time we see outside.

There was probably a more literal translation for that onomatopoeia, but damn if that isn't perfect. I also like the detail that Mithrun lost his fake eye.

Happy 8/8 everyone.

Going a little out of order here, since Chapter 87 and Misc tales 13 go together. So, everything seems to indicate that the Demon and magic itself are one and the same. But where do spirits fit into all of this? Are spirits, like, sub-sentient demon bits? Are they micro-organisms that can use magic? Everything in this page sure sounds like gnomish magic to me.

Genuinely curious how the anime will handle these panels.

How? No, seriously, how did the ancients trap the demon? The demon is an entity of unlimited power. Why is it contrained to rules? We know it likes fulfilling desires, but what's stopping it from acting on its own? Why did it need to swap with Laios just to use its power for itself? It's never really explained how the demon came to be constrained. I understand the demon's current rules, but I don't know how we reached this point.

So much world-building in one panel. I don't really get how the demon managed such massive, world sweeping changes though.

The demon is exceptionally awful. It is manipulative, selfish, cruel, and it ultimately takes everything that matters away. But it didn't become that way because of its intrinsic nature. It learned to be evil by watching us.

Seriously, the exit is right there. What is keeping the demon bound to these dungeons?

Yeah, maybe should have figured that out before going right into the lion's den. (haha)

No, see, that's the beauty of Laios' plan. By focusing so hard on plan A, the lion will be completely blindsided by plan B.

I'm sure Falin would think it's cute.

She does her best not to show it... but this is a big moment for Izutsumi. No one has ever trusted her. No one has ever implicitly trusted her with something important like this. And the craziest part? She's actually going to do it. Laios is right to trust her.

One interesting takeaway from this story is the lesson that people are, by their very nature, selfish beings. Yet, we push through, and do the right thing anyway. I'm sure someone smarter than me could articulate it better. Something something, Laios' curse.

I have some thoughts on this panel. Check out my post where I go into it in detail!

I know this is a serious moment, but Laios just looks like a creepy chicken.

Laios failed the vibe check. He looked WAY too cool and professional as he chopped off the lion's head.

Laios doesn't have an evil bone in his body, yet we're getting a Laios villain arc anyway!

Oh no! What are our heroes going to do! Find out next post!

[thefandomenchantress]

Hey, I just noticed an interesting detail about the DRDT sprite gallery (which was created by the DRDT dev).

Before I start, however, I should say that I saw a post that inspired this one a while ago, a post that has now been archived (or so I’m told), that was created by @houseofbilliards. But houseofbilliards takes a long time to type so from here on forth I will just refer to them as the OP, as in the OP of the post that inspired this one.

I’ll be building off of their theory rather than creating one of my own, but I’ll make sure to show the distinction between their and my ideas. Now onto the actual theory, haha. What I’m about to share is the OP’s findings.

If you look in the sprite gallery, you’ll notice there are variations for some characters, what with some getting redesigns and such.

One example of multiple variations is Whit, who has two. One for his old design, and another for his chapter 2 design.

However, there seems to be a pattern. Old designs are variation two, the new ones are variation 1. This is true for Whit, Teruko, and Hu:

…But strangely enough, David’s new design is variation 2, whereas variation 1 is his happy, upbeat self, or his original design.

The idea the OP proposed was that since the redesigns were permanent, they were variation 1, the main design. But since David’s old design is variation 1, this could indicate he could revert back to that design at some point, since it’s at variation one, where the ‘main’ designs are.

Now, this is where the OP’s ideas stop and where my input begins (I really hope they didn’t point this detail out too and I just forgot, that’d be embarrassing).

After the OP pointed all that stuff out, I went to the sprite gallery and investigated this pattern myself, curious as to if there were any other strange details. And the first time, I didn’t catch anything out of the ordinary. But recently, I noticed something odd about Ace’s variation order.

At first glance, everything looks normal. His new hair design is in variation one. But then I looked a little closer.

Ace’s Variation TWO is the one that has the bandaged neck. Which, if we go by the OP’s theory, would mean Ace would have to live long enough for his neck wound to heal, so that he could revert back to his main design, the uninjured design (variation one).

I’m not sure exactly how many chapters it would take for his neck to heal, but probably at least until chapter 4, if I had to guess. So the takeaway of this post should be that I will turn any theory into a reason for why Ace will be a survivor, or at the very least live a long time. :)

[realcube]

YOU GOT: SHINSUKE KITA (time-skip)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ matchup for @louddelusionaltale

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ if you would like a matchup, read this!

'Ideal partner would be someone who doesnt rush things and doesnt mind waiting for me to get comfortable around them.'

𓆩♡𓆪 okay so these first few hcs are gonna be quick BUT

𓆩♡𓆪 this so kita

𓆩♡𓆪 unbothered king 🙏🙌

𓆩♡𓆪 tbh he's not used to crushing hard so he might be a bit awkward during pre-dating stage

𓆩♡𓆪 he'll probably talk about his crush on you to like.. the rice weevils

𓆩♡𓆪 basically he'll keep to himself

𓆩♡𓆪and you can take all the time you need to get comfortable around him

𓆩♡𓆪 he honestly doesn't mind

𓆩♡𓆪 in fact it's probably for the best bc it will give him some time to figure out how to act normal in a relationship haha

𓆩♡𓆪 but yeah he is so patient with you and would wait for you for several years if thats what it takes

𓆩♡𓆪 though he does warm up to you pretty fast

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

'Someone who can just take it slow and sit in silence without saying much, so no need to always be doing something.'

𓆩♡𓆪 he is very calm and lowkey

𓆩♡𓆪 so he agrees that y'all don't always have to be doing something together to be bonding

𓆩♡𓆪 or interacting

𓆩♡𓆪 (though he does love talking to you more than anything bc you just get him)

𓆩♡𓆪 but also sometimes work at th efarm has just DRAINED his energy so he's too tired to talk when he comes home and just wants to eat dinner or relax in silence

𓆩♡𓆪 and he loves that you get and silence with you is never awkward or a bad thing

𓆩♡𓆪 though even when you are doing things seperately, he will pause occasionally to stare at you for a couple moments and just admire you , with a small smile on his face

𓆩♡𓆪 and then go back to whatever he was doing

𓆩♡𓆪 if you catch him doing this, he won't even waver though, he'll just continue to gaze at you with that lovey-dovey look in his eyes

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

'A lil something I'd like to include is my inclination to sneak up and scare anybody I can.'

𓆩♡𓆪 kita is very observant so idkk if sneaking up on his would work

𓆩♡𓆪 i think most of the time he would expect it and stare at you like this 🙂 when you go 'boo!'

𓆩♡𓆪 and you're disappointed </3 but he thinks it's sweet you try so hard though he doesn't fully understand the purpose of what you're doing

𓆩♡𓆪 however, maybe a couple of months into the relationship, you're finally able to catch him off-guard and scare him

𓆩♡𓆪 his reaction is a bit underwhelming. he just perks up a bit, his eyes widen and you hear a small gasp. it's nothing crazy funny like screaming or anything

𓆩♡𓆪 BUT after trying so hard it's suchhh a satisfying feeling of success that ofc you are super happy about it

𓆩♡𓆪 and kita after seeing you joyful was so pleased

𓆩♡𓆪 now whenever you try to sneak up on his, regardless whether he is actually frightened by it, he will try to give some sort of reaction of shock

𓆩♡𓆪 just to see you smileeee😭

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

'As for the first date, ideally having food and chilling. Maybe something like getting food then going to the supermarket to browse for dessert, relax in the park and get to know each other over a game of cards'

𓆩♡𓆪 yess y'all can go to onigiri miya !!! get some of the good stuff !!!

𓆩♡𓆪 kita would be a big fan of the takeaway food aspect

𓆩♡𓆪 massive hc that he is health food freak but he lovesss junk food a lil too much so getting to eat something GOOD for once with you would be like a dream come true

𓆩♡𓆪 definitely the sharing type; would let you have as many bites out of his meat bun as you want

𓆩♡𓆪 also the type to switch meals with you if you realise that what he ordered tastes better than what you ordered 😫

𓆩♡𓆪 king!!

𓆩♡𓆪 but also he is so enamoured by you that when you are taking bites of his food , he looks at you like this 🙂 which seems cute but it's a bit awkward when you have sauce on your lips and he's just intent on staring at you

𓆩♡𓆪 he would love to browse for desserts with you and pick out the best ones

𓆩♡𓆪 he would tell you all about his recipes and how he knows how to make some of the things and would ask you a ton of questions when he finds out that you bake/cook too

𓆩♡𓆪 also he would use this as his gateway to smoothly ask you on a second date by offering that you come over to his house and teach him some of the dishes you know ;)

𓆩♡𓆪 he's just too fly like that

𓆩♡𓆪 and when you pick out desserts for after your meal, y'all will definitely be walking out that shop with like 2 lemon tarts, 10 macaroon, 4 stuffed cookies, 7 regular cookies, 12 doughnuts, a whole cheesecake and a partridge in a pear tree

𓆩♡𓆪 like you just can't help yourself, it all looks so scrumptious

𓆩♡𓆪 and you can go to the park and play food critic

𓆩♡𓆪 okay maybe not on the first date actually

𓆩♡𓆪 kita wouldn't want you to think he is pompous hater

𓆩♡𓆪 but on later dates , once you've both established a shared pallette for desserts

𓆩♡𓆪 kita will test the waters with compliment sandwiches like 'these brownies are tasty but they are a bit dry. good for the price though' 👀

𓆩♡𓆪 and if you reciprocate, then you can both have discussions about your store-bought desserts and what ingredients you guys would've added to make them tastier

𓆩♡𓆪 ALSO another window for kita to ask you on a date to come other to his house so you guys can make improved versions of the desserts you're eating

𓆩♡𓆪 as for a game of cards , he would so enjoy that, especially accompied with casual coversation

𓆩♡𓆪 i can't imagine him getting overly competitive with it

𓆩♡𓆪 even if you did beat him, he probably wouldn't be all too bothered by it and just ask for a rematch

𓆩♡𓆪 he's probably more focused on the conversation than the game anyway , though he can multi-task

𓆩♡𓆪 he wouldn't want to lose by too much , or else you might think he's hopeless lol

𓆩♡𓆪 and he'd LOVE it if you were to teach him a new game that he doesn't know how to play

𓆩♡𓆪 bonding experience !!!

𓆩♡𓆪 just you being so patient and sweet to him when explaining the rules does something to this poor man lol

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

'As for love languages I'd list acts of service and quality time on the giving front, and words of affirmation and physical touch, whether its only in private or public for receiving.'

𓆩♡𓆪 OMG kita receiving acts of service would alter his brain chemistry lol

𓆩♡𓆪 like he's not used to people , especially women , going out of their way to do something for him

𓆩♡𓆪 whether that be helping him clean his house or pick up the groceries .. he has to take a moment to process

𓆩♡𓆪 and don't get him wrong he appreciates it so much btu he doesn't even know where to start when express how grateful he is

𓆩♡𓆪 he just thinks it's so touching that you care about him so much to do him favours like that without expecting anything in return

𓆩♡𓆪 spending time with suna+atsumu makes him think that favours are transactional 😅

𓆩♡𓆪 again it's soo beyond him and it actually makes him blush

𓆩♡𓆪 like hugs and kisses he's cool with .. but doing his dishes?? DAMN you've got him bright red

𓆩♡𓆪 ik this is so typical but i feel like kita covers all the love language bases to some degree

𓆩♡𓆪 because he is such a sweetie and very kind so he is consistently telling you how much you mean to him

𓆩♡𓆪 and he can be very cold/honest but that only helps him in the words of affirmation respect

𓆩♡𓆪 bc it means he's more likely to say what's on his mind and you know he isn't exaggerating when he says you're the prettiest person he's ever laid eyes upon

𓆩♡𓆪 you never get anything but the whole truth with kita

𓆩♡𓆪 as for physical touch , he is mostly private BUT he isn't like anti-pda

𓆩♡𓆪 he doesn't see anything wrong with a little bit of hand-holding in public and little kisses on the cheek

𓆩♡𓆪 especially bc sometimes you are so cute he literally can't help himself??

𓆩♡𓆪 omg and he does this thing whenever he think y'all are having a 'moment' where he puts his hands on your shoulders and gazes into your eyes for a solid 5 seconds before he pulls you into a hug

𓆩♡𓆪 call that the kita buffering period

𓆩♡𓆪 also this is soo cheesy and typical but also imagine cooking with kita and y'all are cooking like soup or something and gets a spoonful and feeds it to you while holding your chin?????

𓆩♡𓆪 OR cooking with kita and he rests his chin on top of your head while you are stirring a pot or smth

𓆩♡𓆪 but yeah he isn't overly extravagant with his touch , but he does appreciate cute little intimate moments like that

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

for @louddelusionaltale: okkk such a hard pick bc when you said you like low iq , i thought maybeee ushi ?? bc kita is canonically like one of the smartest characters in hq 😭 BUT you're love languages match kita so much more (he is probs a lot better at WOA than ushi) AND kita would match your love of cooking+the market a lot more bc he is a farmer n all.

[my-mt-heart]

Hi - I was at Tribeca and while I tried to post nothing got posted to the tags (damn hellsite). Here are some impressions:

Tribeca Film Festival - DD: TBOC

So I just got home and really enjoyed the first episode of TWD: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol. The show runners asked people not to spoil too much about the episode or the discussion, and since I work in a creative field, I'm going to adhere to their wishes although I realize people are going to people. Super minor spoilers ahead, so ignore if you want to wait until September.

Key takeaways in no particular order:

Episode 1 is heavy on Carol which is SUCH a relief as I find the French cast a bit dull at times

Carol does something so morally...questionable that I get why people don't love her but damn it was great to see Melissa McBride act her ass off

I'm fairly certain (spoiler here) that Cherokee roses don't grow in Maine

The talk afterwards only lasted a half hour and not much was revealed.

Norman spoiled that Caryl meet up in Episode 2, but in such a way who knows if that is true...

Norman and Melissa did a lot of communicating via eyes and mouthed words - it was too cute to watch

There was talk of "thing being resolved" and about how the original series left things unsaid that gave my little shippers heart some hope

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Here are my takeaways from your takeaways haha

I was really hoping the episode would be Carol heavy. We know she/Melissa can easily carry a show and we need some quality time with her, not just because we missed her, but to establish that this is going to be her story too.

Based on another anon's comment, I think I know what you're referring to that's "questionable. I suspect she's being driven by her desperation to find Daryl. She's the character who always makes the hard choices "nobody else will" for the people she loves, but I need to see how it's shaded.

I don't know about the roses specifically as an example (it sounds like it was a sweet scene at least), but Zabel and co. are all about cheap gimmicks. Nostalgia/shock/convenience come first, logic last.

I got the impression he was joking. There's a lot of circumstantial evidence that points to a reunion in the back half, but also, who knows. I don't like Caryl being separated because they have been for so long already, but if it's clear they're both trying to get back to each other, if they stay spiritually connected and we get the payoff we've been waiting for, I'll be okay.

The status of Caryl's relationship was definitely left unsaid in S11, even with their "I love yous" and Melissa even said that Carol was feeling "unsettled" watching Daryl ride away. So, yes, I really want that resolved by 206. Aka, I want canon. I'd actually love to hear how Carylers who saw 201 interpreted that element of the story. Forget about Zabel's saying "friends" a million and one times. Forget about the synopsis. You can be as specific or as vague as you want. Going off of Carol's moments of reflection and Melissa's performance, does it seem like the romantic undertones we've always seen are still there? Like it could lead somewhere? I'm asking because I'm picking up on multiple discrepancies between what the male EPs are preaching and what's actually making it onscreen according to fans.

[pants-magic-pants]

✧⊹JARETH BALLROOM COAT⊹✧

[This post is part of a series about constructing Jareth's entire masquerade ball costume. Visit the master post here.]

The Nightmare of the Lace [Part 1 of 2]

Welcome back to another long overdue episode of making that damn coat, which it's crazy to think was a year ago, that I was actually doing these things that I'm talking about. This seemed like a good time to round up all of my notes and pictures and diagrams etc. etc. about this, before content from my upcoming event fills my blog haha

There will be two posts about the lace, and in this post there will be two halves. The first half is about creating the pattern pieces, and the other half is about plans vs. reality, and some important things I've learned while attempting these steps.

Alright. Let's get into it, shall we?

First and foremost, I’ve gotta say… the lace was one of the most maddening aspects of this entire costume. I’m sure what made it so was a combination of velvet’s general menace towards any other material, the technique I ended up going with, my order of operations, and general lack of knowledge about the beast I would be pitted against. 

Let’s start happy and optimistic. 

Choosing the lace -------------------------

Photo (c) Yosa Addiss

The lace on his coat is a compromise between looks and durability. It seems like it’s very, eh, mossy and thick, and generally when you see lace like that, it’s either very light and stretchy or thick, stiff and raised. Light and stretchy just plain won't work, if the plan is to embroider or add beads on top of it. The weight of the beads will add up and distort/destroy the delicate pattern, and the stretching will give you no control over the design. On the other hand, thick, stiff, and raised lace uh... could potentially look, well, ugly. This is a matter of opinion, but I was not inclined to go for lace like that because of how stark the difference is in texture and light reflection, which you can see in the original in some photos, and for me it just doesn't look cohesive, and it's blocking out the beautiful metallic velvet instead of harmonizing with it.

Because of my issues finding something that resembled the original's lace without being weak/stretchy, or overpowering, I chose something less mossy, and less raised, but was durable and could withstand being stitched a million times.

The most important takeaway here is this was the kind of thing to either choose in person or at least order a swatch to test on, see if it can handle being worked on top of, and if it complements the fabric underneath it. Designing the piece shapes -------------------------------------- The plan for the lace pieces was to use my pattern for the coat as a guide. You can refer to the above diagrams.

Some areas of the coat are exactly a layer of velvet and a layer of lace, making it pretty straight-forward, but I’ll talk about the largest piece that drapes over the shoulders first. Because this is all one continuous piece, I needed to combine the back and front pattern pieces at the shoulder seam, lay the entire thing out, and then draw on top of it how the lace would fall down the shoulders and back into those characteristic “drips”, skirt past the armpits, and then tuck in around the waist. What resulted was a piece that looks like a lumpy shawl. haha 

There is excess lace past the edge of the shoulders that drapes in a leafy sort of shape, and all of it will house jewels/beads, even the part hanging down the sleeve. Also, the center drip in the back falls lower than the two side drips, passing the pleat seam about 2-3cm. 

Photos (c) Yosa Addiss

The back drips and the front sides only needed to be stitched in place, but the bottom corner in the very front (including the seam where the zipper is) needed a seam allowance, so that it could neatly disappear and be sewn into the coat. There was no seam allowance around the collar – it just stops there, goes straight down, and has its raw edges hidden by the collar and lapels. 

One other thing that isn’t in my diagram: I did not trust the massive shoulder piece to just be draped and stay put, so while tracing off the pattern piece, I marked where the shoulder seam was, and created a folded rectangle of lace to stitch on underneath it. This went into the coat, so I may have peace of mind it wasn’t going nowhere because. You know. THAT LACE ALWAYS HAD A PLACE TO GO. *curls fist*

The other pieces (lapels, cuffs, collar) mostly were just replicas of the velvet pattern pieces. As far as I can see, only the top of the collar has lace. The only pieces that needed some extra designs were the lapels, which I thought should be held in somewhere at some seam, so they had allowances added to the whole top, allowing for a clean look at the marriage of the inner facing and collar. The lower diagonal parts of the lapels were just stretched and stitched at the edges. They also had allowances for the zipper seam of the inner facing, which I ended up just cutting off, because there were too many other slippery things that I was trying to get into that area.

I will discuss decoration and assembly in a second post, but I want to stop right here and spend the rest of this first post talking about...

Plans vs. Reality -----------------------

Originally, I thought it was going to be simple. I’d cut out pieces shaped like the coat pattern pieces, tediously stitch beads on them, add some seam allowances to some parts, sandwich them into the seams, and stitch down any other free-falling parts. 

It would not be simple. It would become the bane of my existence. The actual bead stitching was not the bane. It was tedious, but in no time I had a technique, and a comfy chair, and I would just stitch for hours, watching Better Call Saul. To this day, when I see the beads, nostalgic thoughts of Nacho and the cartel run through my head. 

But… here is what happened: the lace would become subtly warped by the stitching. It made the pieces like 2% smaller than they were originally. Pair this with the fact that from the start, they should have been 2% bigger than the velvet pieces, because as a general rule if you have two pieces that are going to be sewn together (like the front and back of a collar), the one on the outside needs to be ever so slightly bigger because it has to stretch around the other, and in this case, the lace needed to slightly stretch over the velvet. So we can say that by the end of all my bead stitching, the lace pieces were now 4% smaller, and that was enough to completely screw up my ability to line them up with the velvet and sew them together where they needed to be sewn together. 

Also also, velvet is slippery, and has a pile that sends whatever you put on top of it swiftly off. Think of a man stepping out onto some sleek pavement and landing on his tailbone, or… or a conveyer belt…. You ain’t gonna find nothing where you put it. This velvet and lace were like oil and water. Didn’t want to be combined. The lace was constantly fucking far away, houdini’ing itself several millimeters as I worked just to pin it down. It moved while I was basting it. All these things you’re supposed to do, to keep fabric in place, were already failing me. Ultimately, the only thing that worked was to cut out a courser sturdier fabric (for me it was Kona cotton), place it on top of the velvet, place the lace on that, then pin it, then baste it, then sew that, then trim the cotton so that it wouldn’t be seen past the seam allowance. 

And even then, the pieces were too small, and some needed to have lace added to the edges, in a less than neat process, or I had to consent to stopping just short of my original intended seams. This affected a lot of the coat, and because of this and the length velvet takes up just turning around its seams, the coat ended up being slightly smaller than I had planned, slightly shorter, slightly more form-fitting. I still am disappointed about this. It affected how high-rise I needed to make my pants. It affected where I had to place the cummerbund (unnaturally high….) So, yeah.

If I could have done it differently, I would have 1.) adjusted all the lace pieces so they were 2% bigger from the start, 2.) sewn them right away to the velvet pieces, 3.) stitched on the beads through both layers. Then, maybe, things would have worked out better. 

Part two, about lace decoration and assembly is here.

[ourflagmeansgayrights]

MAJOR OFMD S2 SPOILERS!!

talkin' about the most recent leaked audition tape below the cut!

so we now have the leaked archie audition tape, archie being one of the two probable s2 lesbians and who will be played by madeleine sami (who is not actually the woman in the audition tape, for those of you who are also faceblind like me lol). i want to talk about the first scene from the audition tape

it's hard to tell what's going on, since it sounds like there's at least three characters in this scene and two of those characters are being read by someone off-screen. but here's a rough transcript of that scene:

READER(CHARACTER 1?): Let me die you cunts! Archie: Woah, hey! Easy on the c-word, compadre. That word just—makes me feel really uncomfortable READER(CHARACTER 2?): Sorry, man, we got orders. ARCHIE: Bite down on this. [HOLDS OUT BELT] READER(CHARACTER 1?): Bite down on my nob you bugging twat! ARCHIE: ...Okay. [ARCHIE SMACKS THE BELT ONTO A TABLE OFF-SCREEN, POSSIBLY KNOCKING CHARACTER 1? UNCONSCIOUS] ARCHIE: Um, do you think you could do the honors? Cause I’m—I’ll be honest I’m more of a, um, stabber than a chopper. I don’t love chopping. [SMACK NOISE FROM SOMEWHERE OFF-CAMERA, PRESUMABLY THE CHOPPING] ARCHIE: Ooh, haha, ugh. Icky. Icky yucky. READER(CHARACTER 2?): Well that was um, that was intense. ARCHIE: Haha. Super intense, eh? Superrr intense. [LONG PAUSE, ARCHIE MAKES PROLONGED EYE CONTACT WITH PERSON OFF-CAMERA] ARCHIE: [WHISPERS] Do you wanna...? [ARCHIE GRINS AND RUNS OFF-CAMERA]

so, obviously we have to take scenes from auditions tapes with a grain of salt. like, i doubt this is finalized dialogue. it's possible the plot has changed in some way since casting the role of archie. and also, again, it's kind of hard to really tell what's going on

but from what i can see, here's what i personally think is going on:

izzy is character 1

izzy is getting something amputated. probably his foot or part of his leg.

izzy calls the people in the room "cunts"

archie expresses discomfort with the word "cunt"

izzy then calls her a bugging twat

archie knocks him unconscious

the other person in the room proceeds to chop off izzy's body part

archie and the other person in the room... get horny from this? and leave to go hook up

(that last one tracks with the next scene, where it sounds like ed is making archie and another person fight to the death because "all love dies." this could be the same person who did the "chopping" in the scene above.)

and again, we don't know for sure that this is what's going on here! the plot might change, and it's kinda hard to tell who's saying what. but here's my main takeaways from this bit:

1. this scene is meant to be funny

unlike the toe scene, this scene seems tonally in-line with lucius's amputation scene in s1e06. just like how roach saying "knives are knives, meat's meat" was meant to be funny, archie's "icky, icky yucky!" is meant to be funny. it's also meant to be funny that and then she makes bedroom eyes at the person behind the camera and they presumably go hook up, after just having chopped a body part off izzy.

and yeah, that's pretty gross and fucked up! yknow what else is fucked up? the nose jar. lucius cutting off his own finger. making a turtle fight a crab. beating each other up for "vacation." lighting people on fire. turning people into furniture. "making some poor bloke eat his own toe for a laugh."

the show treats stuff like this as funny. this is nothing new. this should absolutely not be a surprise to anyone. izzy's foot (or other body part, but most likely his foot as a result of an infection) getting cut off in a comedy scene is very on-brand for this show.

2. izzy's misogynistic language is given a female target

izzy's probably delirious and feverish from his infection, just like lucius was in s1e06. interestingly enough, lucius did not call anyone misogynistic slurs when he was delirious and in pain. and lucius especially didn't call anyone a misogynistic slur after they told him they were uncomfortable with the first misogynistic slur he called them.

yeah, izzy's probably delirious in this scene. but the writers who wrote this dialogue probably weren't. in this scene, a woman expresses discomfort with being called a misogynistic slur, and when izzy then tells her to "bite down on my knob you bugging twat" she proceeds to hit him, possibly knocking him out. this is not the final cut of the show, so this scene might play out differently on screen, or maybe this scene will be cut altogether. but i think there's three possibilities for what this means for izzy's character arc in season 2:

they cut this scene entirely and we never see izzy say sexist slurs to a woman at any point in season two. if/when he continues to say "twat" or "cunt" it does not get called out

izzy gets the same feminism 101 arc that black pete got in season 1

the story punishes izzy for using sexist slurs but he doesn't have any character growth about it. izzy getting body parts chopped off becomes a running gag.

and on a smaller scale, here's what i think it means for this scene alone, provided that the final cut of the show has similar dialogue:

the writers chose to have izzy call a woman a cunt to her face because they want to make it clear that he is the butt of the joke in this scene

this is different from lucius's amputation scene, where he was still the butt of the joke but he was portrayed more sympathetically. this decision to write izzy less sympathetically was done deliberately.

3. medical inaccuracy in ofmd is alive (lol) and well

bro they literally just leave him there. like they chop a body part off this man and then leave him there. they don't stitch him up or anything they just leave his unidentified body part as a bleeding stump. whatever they cut off is probably still on the goddamn table.

this shit is hilarious i love this show so fucking much.

[rockethorse]

Day twenty-one: One community lot and four businesses ready to be run!

All the lots are CC-free... except one, which only uses two pieces of CC which have good odds for already being in your game.

WARNING!! This is a LONG post with a lot of pictures underneath, but I figured it was better than splitting the post up - just be warned!

These old lots are from a new BaCC-style challenge I started developing a while ago but decided to reboot from the ground up with a better approach. Some of the lots were cool, though, so I refined them into the gift you see today.

First up is Seven Sisters Fine Foods, a very large community lot primed to be an owned business based on the architecture of my home town of Adelaide. This is the lot that contains CC - the Maxis Lost & Found plumbob arch, and frillen’s Invisible Tiles, in order to create the arched walkway you seee in the preview photos above. Both files are included in the download.

As an owned business, the intent is for your Sims to sell Seasons produce and fish they have grown and caught themselves, along with restockable grocery bins and some kitchen appliances. There is a staff area on the second floor of the greengrocer’s side, and space for packing stations there and next to the fishmonger’s if you play with them (not included).

There’s already a little garden area for Sims to grow produce, and you could easily add a pond on the opposite side if you want to employ Sims to fish. This lot is built with a rowhouse effect - so that if you know how to use the Lot Adjuster, you can have other lots appear “attached” on either side - but simply delete these extra walls/bushes if you don’t need them.

The second lot is Rosé Bistro and KISS@TEN Cafe, inspired (obviously) by a TS3 rabbit hole that functions as a restaurant. I hate running restaurants so this is the only lot not primed to be run as a business, haha, but you probably could if you’re a masochist! The lot is primed to accommodate toddlers if you have mods that let you take them to community lots.

The first two floors are one restaurant, with a casual family dining area downstairs and then a fancier dining area suitable for celebrations and functions on the second floor. Of course, Sims will sit wherever they please.

The top floor is KISS@10, a little coffeeshop (and... magazine seller) based on Japanese cafes. If you did want to run this as a restaurant, then this would be a good place to sell takeaway or deco food. Sims should not trek up here to sit and order food as none of the chairs/tables/counters work together.

You can see below this lot is built for the side street to either back onto another road or lot, but you can simply close it off with a fence behind the stairs as necessary.

The third lot is the Dewitt Yuself Hardware Store, based on the kind of place we would call Bunning’s here and I guess... Home Depot? In the states? One of those big comforting home reno & garden centres dads love. This was an interesting exploration of the kind of business a Sim could run without CC, and your shop stock ends up being a mixture of fixtures, Build Mode objects, and some garden supplies. There are two checkouts, and an employee area upstairs.

And lastly, you get two more business presented as one, because they’re designed to look like two halves of the same building; Tiny Smiles Daycare Centre and The Stretched Canvas, an art/art supplies store.

The daycare centre sells toddler supplies as well as tickets, even though by default most of the clients will probably be adults. You could probably try and run it as an actual school/daycare if you use the appropriate mods.

As usual, there is an employee area upstairs.

The art store sells supplies on the ground floor and has an empty gallery on the second floor as well as a maker’s space. You could either sell tickets and charge people to view the art and take art lessons, or you could sell the art itself; either sculptures and paintings your Sims have made, or regular decorations from the catalogue. I won’t tell anyone.

It’s a bit boring, if I’m honest, but I included it for convenience to attach to the daycare - if you’d like to turn this into a different business or community lot, just use the Clean Installer to install it without any furniture. There is a pretty convenient employee area/living quarters in the back.

Thank you for scrolling this far! All lots have been cleaned with the Lot Cleaner as well as tidied from any Sim references in SimPE.

Download All Businesses/Community Lots @ SFS

[valeffelees]

HI HELLOO 📓 !!!!

HELLO HELLO! 🖤🖤

okkk, lemme think... OH, ok. i've got one, and i think i'm just going to have to accept the reality that i have no true "unwritten" AUs 'cause i do have a couple thousand (yes, thousand) words of this fic in a docu somewhere, but i can't even remember what the working title for it is at this point.

i think it might be "There's a Werewolve in London" or something? but really, who knows. LOL and so, yeah, the plot is about werewolves.

i'm gonna hide the rest of this under a cut tho bc turns out i don't know how to be normal about my fic ideas??? and this is just, so fucking long. like, i-would-not-blame-you-if-you-didn't-read-it fucking long.

but hey, at least i had fun! 😂

i dunno if i've already talked about this fic before? i'm nervous i have just on account of how OLD this idea is, it's one of my early early early snowbaz fic ideas bc i went through a phase where i was just, desperate for werewolf!Simon content??? but n e way, the tune of the plot goes: at the beginning of seventh year, Simon goes out on a mission and disappears without a trace, so of course the WoM has to assume the worst bc there's just no way for a magician with that much magic to blink off the map unless he's... well, yeah.

but life goes on. the Insidious Humdrum stops attacking Watford, the holes in the magickal atmosphere stop spreading, so really, what else is there to do?

Baz plays football. he studies in the library. he turns nineteen. he finishes at the top of his graduating class, wins a half-dozen academic awards, and skips the Leaver's Ball. he moves to London by himself and adopts a cat. what he doesn't do is think about Simon Snow, because he's twenty-three, and in university, and life goes on.

and then one day Baz is on his way to class and he sees a familiar mop of bronze curls and okay, fuck, sure life goes on, yadda-yadda, whatever, he knows those curls. he knows those shoulders, those freckles. he knows—

Simon Snow. older and healthier and standing there in the middle of the library, browsing fucking books. after a moment, Simon's nose flares and his head snaps up. "... Baz?"

and Baz thinks that, really, it's a bit cruel of the universe for him to still be in love with Simon Snow, even after all these years. (he thought, at least for a while, that he wasn't anymore, bc it didn't ache so deep when he thought about him) (but that was when Baz thought he was dead and Simon wasn't in front of him with his eyes and his mouth and that little pinch between his eyebrows, alive alive alive.)

Simon asks how Baz found him, and Baz says, "found implies i've been looking for you," and Simon replies, "right," and is clearly just, so fucking uncomfortable, like this boy wants to get the fuck out of there, but Baz knows that if Simon leaves now he'll never see him again, he's so fucking sure of it, so as Simon is bumbling his way through something to the tune of, "haha well funny catching up, see you around, mate—" Baz blurts out, "do you want to get coffee?"

and Simon stops, and stares at him for a minute, and looks down at the takeaway coffee cup Baz is clearly already holding, and then shoves his hands in the pouch of his hoodie and is like, "yeah, okay."

so they go for coffee, right, and Simon of course eats his body weight in pastries (but he's funny about it) (Baz doesn't comment, but he won't touch things with chocolate, with raisins, with nuts or seeds, and he doesn't actually order a coffee, or even a tea) while Baz sits across from him trying to figure out what to say, but Simon has always been the brave one and starts up with some small talk, polite things, like they're old friends or something, asking what Baz is studying, if he still plays the violin, and then strangely, "do you have a cat?" and Baz is like, "... i do. Olivia. she's orange." and Simon just nods, and keeps eating, and Baz realises Simon isn't going to be the one to bring it up so he finally asks, "Snow, where the fuck have you been?"

but Simon like, dodges the fuck out of that question, he doesn't even acknowledge it, he replies with something like, "i like these," about whatever baked good he's shoving in his face.

Baz: "Snow."

Simon: "i love pumpkin, i make a thing sometimes, like a butter. pumpkin, brown sugar, maple syrup. s' good."

Baz: "Snow."

Simon: "this has been nice," and then he's pushing back his chair and brushing the crumps off his lap and shrugging into his coat and he drops two ten-pound notes on the table and then he's turning to leave, he's leaving, so Baz lurches forward and grabs his sleeve and says, "Simon," and Simon stops, and takes a breath, and mumbles, "please don't ask me again. i can't say no to you, Baz. so please, don't. because i'll tell you. and i can't."

and Baz doesn't ask again. but he tells him, "the whole World of Mages thinks you're dead," and Simon replies, "i know," and looks back at him over his shoulder, "do me a favour and keep it that way."

Baz: "then let me see you again. i don't want this to be the last time."

so Simon agrees and they start meeting there, at that coffee shop, every day, the hour between Baz's morning and afternoon classes, and he doesn't ask about it again bc Simon is here, showing up, and that's fine, that's enough, he doesn't need to know, and if Simon is a little different, well, that's fine, too. and they carry on like that for a whole month, or just about, and one day they're wrapping things up and like usual Baz says, "tomorrow?" and Simon's face falls a bit as he replies, "i—can't, tomorrow. or the day after, i'm, well, i have a thing but, Tuesday?" and Baz wants to ask, but he doesn't.

"Tuesday, then."

and so—holy shit, am i still talking? i'm gonna have to add a cut to this at the top, i'm sorry. but n e way, it is by the pure chance power known as 'this is a fanfiction' that that night Baz goes out hunting later than usual. had a friend-date with a girl in one of his classes and had to stay up later than he thought to catch up on studying, so he goes out and instead of going poking through catwalks for rats and shit, he decides to take a drive so he can get his hands on something more substantial and maybe go on a bit of a walk, so now Baz is in an ambiguous Forest location and it is the middle of the night, and the weather fine, and the moon is full, and... it's very quiet.

nature is never this quiet, even around him. and that's when Baz hears it. a low, thick growl that makes every hair on his body stand, and before he can think better of it, fight or flight has him sprinting, and something is giving chase, something fast enough to keep up with a vampire, snapping at his heels, and Baz isn't stupid, but Crowley, that's just his luck, isn't it? the one time he decides to hunt in the forest at night on a full moon, there's a fucking werewolf in London. teeth catch the ankle of his jeans and Baz goes down, and instantly rolls himself onto his back and hikes his legs up to catch the wolf on the chest and hold it back from his throat, his back drags and drags and drags into the ground until he slams into a tree, and there are teeth snapping for his face, and through the dark, its eyes are sharp and bright as moonlight and narrowed to a point and blue blue blue—

and he knows that blue, like he knows the toffee-brown of its fur, the dappled pattern of spots in its coat—

"Simon?"

and it, he, stops. Simon is panting, and staring at him, and still baring those huge (fucking huge) teeth at him, and so Baz says his name again, and he blinks. and blinks again, his eyes blowing in the dark, softening, recognising him, just for a moment. and then he's gone, disappearing into the trees, the sound of his paws pounding the ground echoing in Baz's head long after he's stopped hearing them. or maybe that's his heartbeat.

Baz gets the fuck out of there as fast as he can, but he doesn't sleep that night. he stays awake until dawn, and then he's back in his car, back out at the forest, waiting. the sun comes up, and Baz almost thinks he has it wrong, but then the trees shift and Simon Snow comes stumbling out looking like he's been run over by a fucking train, he's in joggers and a zip-up hoodie, his chest is bare and so are his feet, and he doesn't notice Baz at first but when he does, he stops walking and glances behind him like he's thinking about running back into the trees (LOL), so Baz is like, "come on, Snow, i don't have all morning," and Simon does the world's most awkward monster-walk-of-shame in history, toddles the fuck up to Baz's car and gets into the passenger's seat without a word.

in the car Baz asks Simon if he remembers what happened. Simon says, "a little. m' sorry for, um—" and Baz tells him it's okay, and they don't speak again until they're pulling up outside Simon's flat where Simon opens the door, and gets out, and then stands there for a second before ducking his head back in and asking if Baz wants to come up for breakfast. "i won't be awake very long," Simon says, "but we can eat. and you can stay, if you want."

Baz, of course, does, so he follows Simon up, and this is kind of where the idea starts to fall apart and the details turn to mush, but i know Simon makes breakfast and Baz sits on the kitchen counter and lets him talk about things at his own pace, and that Simon has a roommate, an older werewolf from his pack named Drew who comes in while Simon is in the shower and tries to tear Baz in half, and prolly would've succeeded if Baz wasn't a magician, and the gist of the story from there is mostly about Simon and his pack, who've come to England from Wales to help a local pack whose youngest wolves have been going missing during the full moon, and Simon and Baz running into each other and doing their whole... thing, has really just been a chance encounter in the middle of something much bigger, and of course, now that Baz knows about it, he's hell-bent on helping.

there's also a neat scene (and actually, this is the scene that inspired the entire idea of this fic) where Simon and Baz go to the Bunces at some point and Penny is going on and on about how, "this doesn't make sense, there haven't been werewolf packs in England since the 1750s," and Simon laughs and opens her kitchen window and leans way out and cups his mouth and howls... and a minute later, a dozen voices howl back, and then he rests his elbows on the windowsill and grins over his shoulder at her and Baz and says, "turns out magicians don't know everything."

and yeah, i think i should stop talking now, but that is my werewolf!Simon fic. 😄

[kierancampire]

I've been really good at not ordering takeaway any more, like as you can see I last ordered it in January. Don't get me wrong, I have eaten it a couple times since then with family (like, 5 times or less), and I have craved it. But the delivery services add so many fees, and just in general, the price of one fast food meal could be multiple days worth of food for me, so I just made myself sorta stop. Like look at that, £40 at KFC? Just can't afford that stuff

But I'm pet sitting again, mum has almost no food here, and yeah, I broke my streak haha

[markantonys]

Hey! How do you make your gifs?

hello! when i make gifs, i need only the following tools: 1) photoshop (my version is cs5), 2) a high quality video to gif from, and 3) a screenrecording program to get that video. super serious giffers will tell you that you shouldn't make gifs of anything less than a 4k downloaded file, but i'm lazy and don't have infinite storage space on my laptop and don't care if my gif is only 720-1080p instead of super HD or 4k, so if i'm giffing wheel of time, for example, i will just screenrecord a small clip straight off the prime video player rather than download the entire episode. i use the xbox windows app to screenrecord, which is free - not sure if there is an equivalent for macs.

i did a gif tutorial a couple years ago that should still be pretty accurate! just 2 updates i would add now: 1) over the summer tumblr added something that made gifs fucked up, i forget the details but my takeaway was that in order to preserve gif quality, i need to change the speed of just 1 frame of the gif. so if my gif has 50 frames, i will make 49 frames a speed of 0.06 and 1 a speed of 0.07 or 0.05. i'm not sure if this is still necessary or if everybody hated the gif update so much that tumblr changed it back, but i still do this every time to be safe. i think it was that if your gif is all 1 speed then tumblr would change it into some bizarre file format to compress it or something, with the result that it looked awful. so just change the speed of 1 frame to get around this (it's totally unnoticeable in the final product if 1 frame has a speed that's 0.01 different from the others).

2) the coloring psd pack i linked in the old tutorial worked great for medici, the main show i was giffing at the time, but it doesn't look good for wheel of time. instead, i have created my own psds for wheel of time - i'm not going to do a coloring tutorial because i'm an amateur and i just mess around until i get something i like, and i wouldn't be good at explaining that mess around process haha so instead i will link the 2 psds i've made! with the following TOU:

please like/reblog if downloading

do not reupload, claim as your own, or use it as a base to make a new psd which you then upload and claim as your own

the 2 psds are very similar - the difference is that #1 is brighter, more vibrant, and closer to the original colors, while #2 is a bit subtler and has some alterations to decrease greens (since the original scene had a green tint)

psd #1: download here

psd #2: download here