#thus is about Diane

[divinequo]

When the creators don't want to focus on a side character currently so you make fanart and little scenarios in your head over the potential backstory, plots, goals ambitions, and inner self of said character

[justanie]

Definition on the origin of Hoshi's daily clothing set:

I know the meme has gone out of style, but I had to do something to show more of my girl

After several months, Hoshi is back!

This time I wanted to tell something brief about her final design, because at first I thought that her school uniform would be her daily outfit, until a friend made me a drawing of Hoshi with the outfit in the image below and in the end I adapted it as Hoshi's daily clothes. But it is possible that I like them both equally, so I thought of creating a school for Hoshi (SFFI) and her original outfit will become her uniform-

I know it's not something that interesting to tell, but it's something stuff that came to me today after I found out that I haven't uploaded as much of her content since these months as I had planned to do ;-;

[apomaro-mellow]

Matchmaking Harringtons 2

Diane wanted to ask more about Steve's interaction with the cashier, but she remembered being a youngin. The more questions she asked, the more Steve would close up. She didn't know what her husband had said to get things started, but clearly they needed a different angle.

She said as much that evening as she and Jonas got ready for bed. He protested, as she knew he would, but it was her turn now.

So right away the next day, she returned to the mall, hoping Steve's intended would be there. And to her luck, he was.

"Hello, hi", she waved as she approached the counter.

"Hi. Did you need help finding anything?"

"Oh no, not really", Diane said. "You see...", she looked to his name tag. "Eddie, I don't know if you remember but yesterday my husband and I were here with our son, Steve?"

Eddie's cheeks got red and his mouth turned to a straight line. Diane would take that as a good sign.

"We really want Steve to find someone special", Diane said in a low voice, leaning in a bit. "Now I don't know what my husband told you, but I'm here to give you a bit of advice."

"Advice....on getting a date...with your son?", Eddie said slowly as if speaking to an alien.

"Yes. Now here's our number. Call today, we'll make sure he answers. And ask him out."

"Your son? On a date?"

"You've got to be assertive, really make use of this...", Diane gestured to his whole being, "alternative look you've got going. Steve's never dated anyone like you so I'm sure he'll get a thrill having a taste of rebellion."

Eddie smirked as he took the paper with the number written on it. "Getting permission to be rebellious kind of takes the fun out of it. Uh, where should I take him?"

"Some place where he'll get a real rush of danger", Diane suggested.

"A dive bar?"

"He's not of drinking age yet and I am still his mother. I've got to act the part." Diane had definitely drunk underage, but her parents didn't know about it. She was pretty certain Steve had partaken while hanging with his friends. But as long as she didn't see it, she could play dumb. "Where do you and your friends normally hang around?"

"Dive bars", Eddie answered.

Diane pursed her lips as she thought of the best course of action. "I've got it. You're going to say you're taking him out to dinner. But when you pick him up, you'll actually be taking him out to a movie."

Eddie was silent as he did the mental math. Tell the parents one thing, but do another, thus the rush of rebellion. Dinner was public and respectable. But two young folks could fool around in a dark theater. It was honestly something he might try to do.

"Okay, I asked your hubbie yesterday if this is entrapment and I just need to ask again."

"Our Steve is a good boy. He...just has trouble holding onto someone. We don't know if it's him or the girls. We just want him to find someone special."

"...How special? Like, should I be making room on my hand?", he asked, wiggling his ring covered fingers.

"Not that special. Just enough to get him on the right track."

Eddie looked down to the number, then this strange woman again. He braced his hands against the counter and took in a deep breath. "Alright. I'm a gambling man. My break's at noon. I'll call him then."

"Wonderful. And whatever you do, don't tell him that we came to you."

"I don't even know how to begin that conversation", Eddie admitted.

-------------------

Diane was staring at the phone like she was the one waiting for a date to call. Jonas and Steve were watching a game on the tv and she was practically guarding the phone, using dirty dishes as an excuse. When it started to ring, she bit her lip to keep from smiling too much.

"Steve, sweetie, can you get that? My hands are wet."

"Got it", Steve said, picking up the phone on the third ring. "Hello, Harrington residence."

Diane was pretty much just pretending to do the dishes at this point, eavesdropping on Steve's side of the conversation the best she could without looking obvious. She fought the urge to jump for joy when she heard Steve confirm that he would be seeing the caller this Friday at 7.

"Alright. See you then", Steve said, the cord twirled around his finger. "Bye."

He hung up the phone, a dreamy smile on his face and Diane knew that look for sure but she reigned in her own expression. She was about to ask but Jonas beat her to it.

"Who was on the phone?", he called out.

"Oh, um, it was...", Steve was clearly debating how much to tell them, if anything. He took a breath as he decided to trust them. "It was that guy from the music place. He wants to grab a bite this weekend."

"Grab a bite, huh?", Jonas sat up a bit in his chair.

"Yes. Just a little something, we'll probably go to Benny's or whatever", Steve crossed his arms like he always did when he was trying to downplay something.

He then quickly excused himself to go up to his room and Diane dried her hands off for real. She went over to Jonas and nudged him, then nodded to the stairs.

"What woman? I'm not psychic."

"Go and listen. I bet you anything he's calling a friend right now to tell about the date."

"Are we really dropping eaves on our son now?"

"Go and listen!", she whispered urgently.

Taking his sweet time, Jonas got up and crept up the stairs. Steve's door was closed of course, but when he put an ear to the door, he could hear him walking about the room and talking to someone on the line in his room.

When he figured he'd heard enough, he came back downstairs to report to his wife.

"Well?"

"He's talking to that one girl he never dated, Robin?"

"About Eddie?"

Jonas nodded. Apparently the other day, Steve thought he didn't make the best impression on him when buying the music. He thought he came off as boring compared to Eddie. So he was surprised to get his call.

Diane couldn't help but be a little smug. Now the ball was rolling.

-----------------------

Saturday night was here and at 7 o'clock sharp, the Harringtons heard a loud engine enter their driveway. Steve came downstairs but instead of going to the door, went to the bathroom and did a final check in the mirror as the bell rang.

Jonas opened the door and got a load of date night Eddie. The ripped jeans were still there. But now instead of the uniform shirt and name tag, he was wearing a t-shirt that Jonas was just guessing had album art on it and a ratty denim vest.

"Evening Mr. Harrington. Is Steve ready yet?"

"I am", Steve said, appearing behind his dad.

"You two have fun at the diner. Have him back by 11", Diane said as she saw them off.

Jonas was oddly quiet the whole time. Diane just waited him out, knowing he'd announce any opinions he had once they were alone. In fact the moment he closed the door, he turned to her.

"How sure are we about Eddie?"

"Oh here we go. Were we so sure about Chloe? Or Mary Lee?"

"I just thought he might clean up a little more for a date, that's all."

"The important thing is that Steve likes him."

They spent their evening, drinking some wine and watching a movie. But they made sure to be up in their room before it got too late. They wanted the boys to have just a smidge of privacy when they returned.

All the lights were off when they heard that roaring engine come back at 11:15.

"They're late", Jonas said. "That's a good sign."

Diane smiled. They were both listening hard for any sort of sound that might tell them how the night went. They heard the front door open. It was about two minutes before it actually closed. Another good sign. Steve tiptoed up the stairs but in the quiet of the night and them holding their breath, he was easily heard.

The door to his room closed and Diane gripped Jonas' arm tight. "Do you think it went well?"

"Are you gonna go knock on his door and ask? Or should we tap his phone line this time?" Jonas chuckled at his wife's pout. "We'll hear about it in due time. Good night, Di."

"Good night."

They both settled in, officially this time. If things kept going well like this, they'd be inviting Eddie over to dinner soon.

Part 4

Don't worry, we're gonna get some actual steddie focus soon. And Jonas still needs to warm up to Eddie all the way.

Tag Team

@tartarusknight @swimmingbirdrunningrock @estrellami-1 @potato-of-the-lord @dragonmama76 @m-owo-n @sticknpokelightningbolt @somegirlsomewhere @tinyplanet95 @samsoble @runniem

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

We NEED FlowerByte: Addressing the lack of Black Girl Representation in ATSV -

[a MEDIUM length essay addressing how FlowerByte IS NOT a threat to GhostFlower, and how the ship is actually NECESSARY to the ATSV fandom]

and examining the criticism against Miles x Margo:

Remember there's nothing wrong or desperate about people shipping FlowerByte. It's natural, fine, and to be expected.

Because - if you have doubts about FlowerByte - have you ever considered how there's no black girls other than Margo in ATSV? That ISTV features no black girls as reoccurring characters?

That the only two POC female characters - Jess and Rio - are adults in nurturing positions, shown only ever taking care of others?

Up until this point, have you noticed how much black girls are missing from ATSV?

Or did you not realize? Most don't. But black girls do.

Because black girls are one of the only demographics not shown or supported in the ITSV series.

As we know it, we have no young black girl characters that have more than maybe 10 lines. So far we have Gwen's bandmates and Margo.

Black girls are probably the only demographic NOT seeing themselves swinging around.

The only two black women characters are grown women, specifically MOTHER FIGURES. Characters written to aids others through their arcs, saving and comforting in times of need.

That's why I wrote Diane's background as it is. She's a born and raised Black Panther Party member, raise in the meeting house of her local chapter.

She's a black radicalist, and that's the center of her world and character. From her mirroring black disco divas like Diana Ross, to being a Black Panther, I wanted Diane and her world to be unequivocally black.

There's never any scene of a black girl in a Spider-suit, swinging around or saving the day. Not once.

And it's never been mentioned. To most people, it's not a concern.

To most people, the sad reality is - black women aren't a concern. Just side characters.

And that shows. Not only on screen, but in fandom as well.

At no point in ITSV are young black girls given a character in which they can see themselves - not even as background characters, let alone as a romantic interest.

You make think that FlowerByte is silly, because 'they don't really have chemistry, right?'

But there is nothing wrong or silly about black girls wanting to see Miles calling them pretty, or admiring them, or dating them.

Margo truly is the only black girl we even see Miles have a conversation with for the entirety of ATSV - for the entirety of the SERIES thus far.

And chances are - most people reading this didn't notice this. But black girls DO.

Imagine seeing multiple characters of the same race, but different gender as you - but NONE of your gender (nb peeps know what I mean)

Never being called cool, or strong. No gifsets of cool black girls fighting. No black girls in the fanart. Left off posters. Never seen as pretty, never shown as desirable, never having male counterparts consider them.

The message - and damage - it sends to young black girls is clear - even in ATSV.

'You're not a person to be desired or admired. You are a plot device and nothing more.'

It sends the message 'You are not an actual person. You're there to save Gwen, and let Miles escape. After that, get off the screen. Your character will be judged based on how you serve the characters around you. We don't have enough time to flesh you out any further. And we know no one will ask about it.'

Black girls notice how they're one of the only ones who doesn't get a character to wear as a Halloween costume, or as a cosplay. They notice when they see merch and there's none of anyone that looks then them. They notice when their only options are 'genderbent' Miles and Hobie, because most don't see Margo as a main character.

They notice when none of their favorite characters give black girls a second glance, or have crushes on black girls. They notice when the only black women aren't actually stories about BLACK WOMEN. They're stories about white women - with the character being drawn or cast as black.

Example: You'll never see MCU MJ talk about racism or something. Because she's not written as a black girl first. She's written as a MARY-JANE first - and the basis of her story is that and nothing more. Anything about her black identity is seen as at best unnecessary or worse, contradictory to the character of MJ - so her race is left as only a visual element, only a feature of casting, and not a true aspect of her character.

There's literally nothing wrong with Flowerbyte and I admire those that are making works for them.

Black girls deserve every bit of love, and ffs they're CUTE together.

Hobie and Noir get shipped together all the time and they don't even know each other (yet). No one cares. People think it's cute.

But Miles and Margo get shipped together - and suddenly theres a discussion on how 'unlikely' or 'forced' that ship is.

The same with Hobie x Black!readers, or Miles-42 fics - it's often when black women seek to fill their own lack of representation that others even consider them apart of the conversation. And even then - it's to force them back into their place.

'Miles is meant to be with Gwen. That scene meant nothing. They don't have chemistry. You just hate Gwen. You just want them together because she's black'

YEAH, AND? Liking FlowerByte doesn't mean they have it out for Gwen. It means they're desperately looking for representation.

YOU should be calling for that representation. Now that you know, doesn't this lack of representation disturb you? If it doesn't, but FlowerByte does, then I can't help you.

But yeah. Just a friendly reminder, FlowerByte is good for the soul and the fandom.

We as fans of ATSV have to be candid in admitting that the series SEVERELY lacks representation of young black girls, which is A HUGE problem.

The one black female Spider-woman they have had to be CREATED as black, from a white rendition of the character.

So far, Margo is the one and only original black Spider-woman in ATSV.

That needs to change. But until then, let FlowerByte sail on. If you're a Gwiles shipper, you can always double ship. Nothing wrong with it. I suggest maybe you check out some FlowerByte stuff. Maybe you'll like their dynamic, or understand why writers write it a bit more, if not 🤷🏾 hey, you tried.

I think we can all agree though - Miles' got the rizz.

Remember to support black women today. BYE.

[morganbritton132]

in the EMTTS, does Diane ever find out about the death threat letters to Steve? if her daughter watches Eddie’s tiktok she would’ve seen the videos about it so did she tell her mom? how would Diane react? would her reaction annoy Steve or would he actually find it sweet?

Oh man, her daughter would show her Eddie’s TikTok and Diane’s response would be the same one she has for a death in the family and divorces: desserts and being a pleasant presence in their lives.

Steve doesn’t immediately put two and two together because he kinda assumes that Eddie told their friends about it and that’s why people knew, not that he posted about it on the internet. He honestly just thinks that Diane is being her usual annoying self and thus, following the rules of upper-middle class etiquette, keeps having to bake for her.

She stops by one evening and brings them a plate of macaroons and spends an hour standing on their front porch talking about the neighborhood watch. They gained three new members. Steve interprets this as dig about his sleepwalking and then spends the rest of the evening hate-baking her a pie.

Steve is sitting outside waiting for his carpool one morning and she accosts him to have him try this new doughnut recipe she’s trying out. They’re begrudgingly delicious, but her interrupting the only peace and quiet he’ll get all day to talk about the neighborhood watch again is unforgivable. Steve makes her brownies.

Steve is laying with his back flat against the deck in the backyard, listening to Eddie chase Ozzy around the yard. His eyes are shut but he can feel the sun shining on him, and it’s the first time in a long time that he doesn’t feel like complete shit. So, of course.

“Yoohoo, boys,” Steve hears called over the fence and when he cracks his eyes open, he can see her waving at them. She has a tin of cookies with her and is already handing a homemade dog treat to Eddie, and Steve just sighs so deep within himself that he can feel it in his toes.

When he peels himself off the deck and drags himself over to have a pointless conversation by the fence, he can hear her talking about the neighborhood watch. Again. She is saying something about Suzanne down the street seeing a car circle the block a few time this week with their lights off, and Steve’s just had enough.

He doesn’t have it in him to bake another fucking pie.

He cuts off her rambling about being bad at guessing the make and model of cars with some barely concealed frustration, “That’s Ryan and Jackie’s kid. The one that just got a permit. He and his friends take their car out and joyride it around the neighborhood because Ryan refuses to teach him to drive.”

“We live in a cul-de-sac,” Steve adds because he thinks that she’s being a little ridiculous. He says it like he was no longer a person that had trouble leaving the house, that could open the mail without their hands shaking, that wasn’t in their backyard instead of on a run because they’re afraid – Wait.

Steve’s eyes flicker over to Eddie and then to Diane, and everything slots into place like the most obvious puzzle. Of course, she knows. Everybody probably knows. That’s why the neighborhood watch is suddenly so popular, and yeah.

Later when Steve can think about it all more rationally, it is sweet that their neighborhood is looking out for them and that they’re concerned. But in the moment, Steve feels like he’s been hit with a tidal wave of pity, and he gets frustrated. He gets angry.

He barely registers that he drops the cookie tin on the ground or hears Eddie’s blasé response about Steve’s clumsiness. He knows that he’s about to get mean and he doesn’t want to, so he just turns around and goes inside.

Eddie follows him a few minutes later, asking questions and says that it’s not a big deal that people know. He says that it’s actually better because it means there are more people looking out for him. Steve tells him that he’s not talking about it and goes to bed early.

He wakes up early too. He puts on his shoes and he goes across the street, and he tells Diane when she opens her door, “This needs to stop.”

“Oh good, you’re awake. When I saw you on the porch, I thought you might be…” She trails off, making a twirling gesture at her temple and then frowns. “Oh, that’s not correct, is it? April is always trying to teach me these new rules. I mean nothing by it, dear.”

“I’m not – I’m not broken,” Steve says. “I’m not sick, or weak, or – and I don’t need you to bake things for my husband or form a neighborhood watch for me. I need-“

“Dear, that’s simply not true,” She says, voice dropping into something serious. This might be the first time that Steve has ever seen her not smiling. “I heard about those awful letters you got sent to your door and you may not like it, but at times like these. You need people. You may not like that it’s me, sweetie, but that’s what you got.”

Steve hates how he feels like he’s ten years old and making up excuses for why his parents didn’t pick him up, “I can look after myself.”

“I’m sure you can, but do a girl a favor and let us look after you too,” She says. She must see that he’s not thrilled with that statement because she tells him about a sorority sister she had and the anonymous notes she used to find, and how they buried her two years after graduating.

So, she takes his hand and gives it a squeeze, “Let me do this. For me.”

Steve doesn’t pull his hand away and admits maybe for the first time, “I’m so scared all the time.”

[the-face-in-the-mirror]

Hello, I love your nnt rewrite and the redesigns of the characters, but I gotta ask: are you gonna rewrite the abilities of the main characters or are you gonna keep them as they are.

Hi, thanks so much!

For the most part, the main characters' abilities stay the same, but I am changing a few. Ban still has Snatch and Gowther keeps Invasion. Escanor still has Sunshine, though I explore it a bit more and what it could be capable of. Merlin still has Infinity, of course, since it ties in so much with her backstory and why everyone wanted her in the first place, thus leading to how she got cursed; though, I might tweak it a bit since it's so overpowered in general.

I thought about changing Diane's to something that ties in with her Sin of Envy (a kind of mimicry ability), but the Giants tend to all have the same abilities, so I scraped that idea and decided to make her envy more as a sense of inferiority. In the rewrite, Diane is a lot less talented with her powers unlike other Giants (whereas in canon, she was noted to almost be a prodigy) and so was envious of others for being just naturally better than she was. This ties into the whole arc I made for her (both before and during the main story) of fighting tooth and nail to become stronger and more skilled rather than just being a natural. But I digress.

The only mains whose abilities are chanegd the most are King and Meliodas. Since King wasn't originally born to the Fairy King in the rewrite, I decided to give him Elaine's ability, Miracle Wind, from canon, while Elaine had Disaster. Elaine is tied to the earth, whereas King is more tied to the weather (which is a big part of nature) and can greatly affect it with his winds.

Meliodas, on the other hand, now essentially has Sound Manipulation (like Vanya/Viktor from the Umbrella Academy, but a little bit different). It doesn't quite have the same effect as Full Counter, but it more or less does the same thing with him using the sound of a person's attacks to reflect it back at them (which, of course, works even better if the person uses a weapon). To me, Full Counter always felt a little bit silly and the most video game-esque of the main powers (even before the power level element got brought in). Still, I DID like the aspect of being able to throw an attack back at an enemy when they attack you. Meliodas' power in the rewrite now ties in directly with his backstory and his role among the Goddesses before the Fall. It's also why he's teaching Gowther the Circle of Fifths from Music Theory in one of my previous drawings and why he has so many instruments in Elizabeth's room in the rewrite.

Thanks for asking! Let me know if you have any questions.

[electronickingdomfox]

"Final Frontier" review

Novel from 1988, by Diane Carey. Not to be confused with the novelization of "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier", or Carey's "First Frontier", which is the one with the dinosaur on the cover. There may be no dinosaurs in this one, but it was pretty great nonetheless (and crazy as it may sound, I don't think that dinosaurs would have made it better in this case).

The story focuses on a so far unrecorded period in the Enterprise's life: that of its first mission. And by that I don't mean Kirk's first mission aboard. Not even Pike's. But its very, very first mission under the command of Robert April (from the Animated Series), alongside Kirk's father: George. There's tight action, ideological dilemmas, some funny humor, and Romulans (both good and bad), that borrow heavily from Diane Duane's Rihannsu series. The frame story, on the other hand, has Kirk reading his father's letters during shore leave, in his childhood farm of Iowa. While he reflects upon his life choices in the aftermath of Edith Keeler's death. The brief frame chapters, inserted between the main story, present thus a poignant, quiet counterpart to George Kirk's adventures.

I really liked the development of the new characters in this one, and had the impression of knowing them quite well, despite not appearing in the series (or barely at all). Robert April is the laid-back, gentlemanly and ideallistic Captain, and a clear counterpoint to George, the pragmatic man that sports a more militaristic approach for Starfleet. The narrative tends to side more with George's views, as April's decisions are usually ineffectual once the Enterprise enters hostile territory. Though ultimately, both of them end up understanding and adopting parts of the other's philosophy. In fact, at the story's climax, they're forced to stand up at the opposite side of their initial worldview. Thus, Jim Kirk is presented as the more succesful, balanced combination of both (it's a bit like Spock and McCoy's "reason vs. emotion", but translated to politics). Sarah Poole (April's wife in TAS) also appears as the ship's doctor; she has a lesser role, but was given considerable depth nonetheless. George's pirate-like friend, Drake, usually offers the comic relief. While the staple "noble Romulan" and "devious Romulan" are represented by t'Cael and Ry'iak, respectively.

In many ways, the Enterprise could be considered the main character, though. The story follows her baby steps as a yet-not-finished starship, her coming-of-age after being severely crippled and defeating her enemies against all odds, and finally her official baptism. There are sections in which the ship is even personalized as a sentient being, like a chilling scene where her memory is tampered with. Also, April and George act like two dads that can't agree about their child's true vocation.

I can't think of much to criticize this time, though there's a moment where it's stated that the Federation's constitution is directly based on the USA constitution, as the "prime example to follow". I don't know if this is an original idea of the novel, or if it ever was Roddenberry's intention (which could be, judging by episodes like "The Omega Glory"). But the whole thing was pretty eye-rolling...

Spoilers under the cut:

George Samuel Kirk (Sr.) and his friend Drake Reed are bored security personnel at a starbase. Until one day they're kidnapped by three mysterious individuals, who leave them unconscious. Upon waking up, George and Drake find themselves in the cargo hold of a small ship, and once they break free, George discovers it was his old friend, Captain Robert April, who ordered their abduction. April is gathering his most trusted friends (among them Dr. Sarah Poole, his future wife) for a special rescue mission (well, maybe he could have ASKED them!). A colonist ship has been stranded in the middle of an ion storm, and Starfleet has no means to reach it before hundreds of families die aboard from radiation. Thus, April has been tasked with testing a new, revolutionary ship, much faster and bigger than any other at this time: the first starship (you know which one, right?). This is the only way they could save those colonists in time. And George is introduced to a majestic first view of the Enterprise, still lacking a name, when they approach dry dock. April intends George to be his First Officer, as he values his insights above anybody else's. However, the views of the two men about the role of the starship soon start to clash: April wants it to be perceived exclusively as a tool of peace and exploration; while George argues that its weapon capacities shouldn't be overlooked, in order to defend the Federation.

At the same time, we're introduced in some chapters to Field Primus t'Cael and his Romulan warbird, in another sector of space. T'Cael is dealing with intrigues aboard, instigated by an upstart spy from the Praetorate: Ry'iak. Dispirited by the growing suspicions of his crew, t'Cael has become rather seclusive, though he still counts on the loyalty of Commander Idrys. The Field Primus' moderate views have made him fall out of favor with the Praetorate, as t'Cael doesn't think that the Federation has hostile intentions against the Empire, and disapproves of the stealth attack the Praetor is planning.

For its part, the Enterprise has finished preparations for departure. However, soon after they leave dry dock, there's a catastrophic failure of the sealing elements in the warp nacelles. The only two options seem to be, either ejecting the nacelles (and thus losing warp capacity to rescue the colonists), or let the ship explode. But George doesn't believe in no-win scenarios either, so he pressures one of the engineers to think creatively and find an alternative. Using the energy from the shuttles to seal the leak at the last moment, they manage to salvage the nacelles. Nonetheless, George is suspicious of the failure happening right at the most critical moment, so he asks Drake to investigate the engineers, as chief of security. Drake tries to find a saboteur (not very subtly) among engineers Saffire, Graff and Wood, but finds nothing incriminating. Despite Drake not knowing, the reader does in fact find out who's one of the saboteurs soon thereafter, as Saffire breaks into the starship memory banks and tampers with the systems. The malfunction is delayed until the ship enters the ion storm, at which point there's a massive failure of the warp engines and the artificial gravity. April receives a head injury, while the ship is hurled light years away, into unknown territory. Well, not so unknown: they appear right in the middle of Romulan space, and face to face with t'Cael's warbird.

Confronted with the massive starship, the Romulans start fretting over a possible attack from the Federation. But t'Cael chooses to believe April about their ship being disabled and there out of accident. As a show of good faith, he agrees to meet with the First Officer (as April is too injured), in neutral territory on a nearby planetoid. However, once t'Cael gets off the ship, Ry'iak seizes control of the warbird and kills Idrys (a death that took me by surprise, to be honest). Then, he starts shooting at the planet from orbit, attempting to kill t'Cael too. Since humans and Romulans had never seen each other before, George mistakes t'Cael for a poor Vulcan prisoner. And there's a rather comedic scene, where he "rescues" the Romulan from enemy fire. Once the mistake is cleared, George has to overcome his xenophobic sentiments and cooperate with t'Cael to escape the planetoid. The escape involving alien wolves too.

Eventually, the starship manages to rescue George and t'Cael, using the new transporter technology (well, they accidentally transport an alien wolf too, which creates a bit of a mess). T'Cael agrees to help the Federation against his disloyal swarm of warbirds, as he believes that, if the starship is captured, this will precipitate war between the Empire and the Federation. In the later chapters, there's a pretty intense battle between the Enterprise and the Romulan swarm. While George uses a very Kirk-like bluff to discourage further attacks from the Romulans (which, in turn, explains the eventual development of the cloaking device). With the saboteurs finally captured (and in one case, destroyed in a very grisly way), and the warp repaired, the Enterprise can finally return to home space and rescue those colonists.

Spirk Meter: 4/10*. Spock expresses his grief about Jim's decision to quit Starfleet after Edith's death. And at this moment, McCoy understands how much the ship and Jim mean to the Vulcan: "more than a career, more than a refuge, and certainly more than McCoy had ever guessed". Later, when Kirk regains his confidence and chooses to stay as Captain, Spock looks at him in the bridge and acknowledges his "deeply personal synthesis between himself and Jim Kirk".

However, the relationship between Kirk and McCoy is given far more prevalence throughout the novel, and that's why I'm separating the two dynamics. McCoy won't leave Kirk alone in Iowa at his moment of vulnerability, despite Jim's wishes. At first, he tries to lure him with an invitation to have dinner together. And when this fails, he just pops up in the barn, offering "mouth-to-mouth" resucitation (of all things!) if Jim doesn't answer him (unfortunately for poor McCoy, Kirk doesn't seem too eager to receive a kiss from him). Later, McCoy tries to comfort Kirk about Edith Keeler's death, and share his pain, while Kirk assures McCoy that her death wasn't his fault. He also says that McCoy was worth everything. And once Kirk announces his decision to leave the ship, McCoy gets very emotional and tries to reason with him. Just then, Spock appears in the barn and wonders if he's "interrupting something"; to which both of them answer that yes, he's interrupting. For a novel that doesn't actually deal with the TOS characters, they surely managed to cram as much homoeroticism between Kirk and McCoy as possible...

Apart from this, George Kirk has several things in common with his son. Not just being an absent father... but also having very "intense" relationships with his male friends. There's a bit of it with Drake, that April brings along, not because he has much use for him, but because he can't separate him from George. Drake also waltzes into George's quarters and plops into his bed as if nothing. But most of all, George and t'Cael develop a very, veeeery close relationship (for good or bad), and have all these tense stares at each other, and this desire to protect each other. Just so you get an idea of what I'm talking about:

"Like me, George admitted to himself, unable to bury the color that rose in his cheeks and forced him to look away from t’Cael for a moment. When he looked back again, there was a touch of melancholy on t’Cael’s face. [.......]

George moved closer, hoping his eyes conveyed the depth of his promise. Solemnly he said, “Whatever it takes, however long it takes, I’ll personally make sure you have a place in the Federation. I owe you that,” he added, moving still closer. “In fact, I owe you more.”

A sudden, unexpected warmth came over t’Cael’s face, and he broke his communion with the monitor to look affably at George. “That’s kind of you. It will be difficult.” [............]

Allowing their intimacy to linger, George returned the grin,"

Huh, George, didn't you have a wife and kids back at home???

*A 10 in this scale is the most obvious spirk moments in TOS. Think of the back massage, "You make me believe in miracles", or "Amok Time" for example.

[evita-shelby]

could i request some drabbles:

Eva wanting to adopt a dog but it’s horrifically ugly (chewed up looking Chihuahua) and Tommy is like “hell no.” but Eva uses her daughters to wreck havoc on Tommy’s life and emotions until he inevitably caves. and despite his obvious disdain the dog ends up liking him best and tries to follow him everywhere much to his embarrassment when he tries to conduct Peaky business.

Thanks anon, gonna call you anon🐾 now

Xoco

Gif by @peakykoko

(No more taglists for these, we die like Grace)

“It looks like the one you had when you were little, mama!”

Those damn words started it all.

The salt and pepper chihuahua Eva arrived in Small Heath with had been old and sickly, but well cared for but the witch who had had Xoco since she was eleven years old.

It had a diamond necklace, for fuck’s sake.

Now this dog, also named Xoco, had been foisted upon him when the girls and their mother went shopping while he was meeting with the ministry of trade during their holiday in Mexico.

He had said no, Eva’s younger cousin Maddy, had given her two xolo dogs named Aristotle and Pesechat thus bringing them to four fucking dogs.

This did not include Charlie’s cats, their horses and the other animals that they had taken in at Arrow House.

“No, means no, sweetheart.” Tommy had been adamant, stood his ground and soon the matter was forgotten.

Except it wasn’t.

Flora cried the entire drive back to Chapultepec Castle, Diane glared at him until he sent them to their room, and even worse, Eva claimed to have a headache that night.

The first two he could weather; Charlie had gone through a phase where his tantrums had him questioning whether he could break his rule about no corporal punishment.

Thomas Michael Shelby enjoyed sex far too much to have his wife deny him.

Those months they were separated had been torture, but not enough to consider cheating on her because then she would kill him --- and he would have let her. And now having her deliberately do this while he is having to actually work this entire week is just cruel.

“Fine, the girls can have the rat they found on the street.” He said the next evening after Eva upped the ante by not wearing a damn thing to bed.

This had been preceded by Florence stealing all his glasses and Diane cutting holes in his pockets and both girls joining together to ruin the meeting he had before noon.

They returned home with the ugliest and most annoying dog he has ever had.

And yet, unlike the rest of the dogs –especially Cyril, that fucking traitor--- Xoco ,with it half-bitten little ears, incessant barking and need to leave to do her business outdoors through only the front door, had stuck to him like glue.

“That is the ugliest thing I have seen. Is that a diamond collar?” Ada said when she sees the little dog following him into the office and laying down protectively in front of his desk.

As if little Xoco could be of any protection.

“Yes, the girls picked her up in Mexico. She likes me for some fucking reason.” He said knowing his sister is trying not to tease him about it as he rubs his eyes.

This is made much worse when Xoco barks and snarls at his sister as if she were to attack him.

And when Ada doesn’t back off, the lapdog proceeds to attack.

It is a funny sight, seeing his sister shriek and retreat because a dog the size of rat is threatening to bite her, going as far as jumping at her hoping to get more than just her ankles.

“Call her off, Tom. This isn’t funny.” His sister said going as far as jumping into the chair to avoid being bitten by the little beast.

And he does, only after having a good laugh he hasn’t had since before France.

[chiprewington]

whats your take on chips thoughts of other managers ? does he have any notable relationships with any of em ?? minus Spruce that ones obvious

I have a much more in-depth post Here regarding his thoughts on some of the other managers! (One day I'll make a pinned linking my headcanons tag in it for folks to find stuff easier sdhfsdhgsd), Though I do have a couple other thoughts regarding Chip's view of a couple other suits.

This one isn't as long, but I'll still put it under a cut to be safe.

Poor Misty, you would need a mediator in the room for these two to interact. Chip doesn't know about the whole "refrain from giving them work until further notice" thing, all he sees is that Misty's stationed out in Barnacle Boatyard doing nothing. You could maybe say it's a bit of jealousy, considering his much more strict work position leaving him no wiggle room to breathe and take a break. But in his eyes, Misty just comes off as someone who's riding the coattails of the union and thus is able to get away with not working as hard. That, and Misty beginning to seek out toons in desperation for friendship would leave a bad taste in his metaphorical mouth.

Here's a fun one. Chip would recognize both Prester and Diane by name. Granted, now that Ms. Morsecode is the CLO he's likely heard more about her (albeit, with the same bitter anger he feels towards all of the bosscogs). His knowledge of them pre-C.O.G.S. is very limited though. He's moved around a good handful of companies with his usual work as an external consultant, including S.C.R.E.W... he knew getting the "promotion" (more like a whole new job at this point) at C.O.G.S. would put an end to that, but he didn't mind that. ...Unfortunately, now he can't leave.

[missielynne]

CBS Ghosts Review- Sam's Dad

I loved this episode, and especially that it was Sam-centered. I loved seeing her have a plotline that was about more than just her and the ghosts.

I also loved Patience and the use of her powers (I know there are some mixed feelings about her, and I've seen people who say she seems a bit intense for our happy show, but that's why I like her for a short duration, but I don't need her to become a permanent character on the show. Like if Hetty is calling her too intense, that's saying something.) But I think we needed to have a Puritan ghost on the show for more than two seconds just cause history of the country, you know?

Anyway, I did like watching the way things developed with Sam and her dad. How they actually took time to talk about things and say "Yeah, maybe I was wrong, and I'm sorry." I'm glad we got a good solid resolution for them (in spite of Sheryl, wow she was a problem.) And I hope he is able to come back, maybe after Patience has gone on and no one has to worry about a ghost with a big power just making things go awry. (But what was with Diane constantly trying the blood? That was weird and I don't get it. And watching poor Jay just have to keep scrubbing on his own...why didn't we see Sam scrubbing too? Give the man a break or at least help him out.)

And the Pete and Daddy thing...I know it's cause he doesn't understand kink and thus has no idea he's being awkward, but I thought they hit it over the head a little too many times. It was getting into "suck on the butterscotch" territory for me.

The breakups with the exes...good for Isaac for actually doing what he said he was gonna do even if he really took the bullet for it. That was a clever idea of Trevor's, and I honestly kind of side-eye Flower and Thor for chickening out, but at the same time, it seemed only right that Isaac bit the bullet so to speak and ended things on his own. (I love watching Alberta give genuine, sensible relationship advice, first to Hetty about not letting her past with Elias consume her own happiness, and now telling Isaac that breakups are hard and if you want to move on, sometimes you have to be the bad guy even if it sucks). It makes me happy.

Like I said before, I know there wouldn't have been a plot with Patience if Sass had just told her from the beginning that Frank and Diane got married in the car or something, since she believed it really easily, but really...that's all it took? Sass should make note of that and use it in the future for when Patience is...a lot. Or not. Who knows?

Sam and the recorder was just me getting hit in the face with memories from school and yeah, Nigel moving back into the shed because Baxter and Jenkins found Isaac's bragging so irritating? Love it. I'm surprised he wasn't whacked with fife or stabbed with a bayonet, honestly.

Can't wait for next week...the Halloween episode. More intense than last season? With Patience at the helm, probably. Definitely.

[thatonebirdwrites]

Soft asks: 4,11,15,28. ♡ Also, I know you answered 21 in the notes. So if it's okay to ask do you have any tea recommendations? and how do you prefer your tea?

4. Whats your favorite feeling?

A favorite? I'm not sure if I've ever really thought about it that way.

I'd say introspective. Not the introspective where I hyper-analyze everything I do, but the introspective where I let myself ponder the fact that I exist at the same time as all of you. That we are on this Earth together, and we are chatting in this manner, sharing thoughts and dreams and creativity. Where despite all the evils of the world and the horrors, we still find ways to show love to others, to show we care. That even in times of disaster, people are more likely to go out and help one another survive.

And I think of how, despite the horrors we face, many of us persevere, we fight the good fight, and isn't that lovely?

Isn't that the ingredients for hope? Where we plant that hope, tend to it together, and build it up? That even when we fuck up, we can hold one another accountable and do better? Isn't that growth marvelous to experience?

To exist in a time with you, the asker, and be able to hold this conversation is an incredible honor.

I don't know what to call that feeling, but I tear up when I think about it.

Maybe awe of the world and our existence?

11. Do you have a comfort item? Tell us about it!

Dog. I wrote about him here. I'm actually scared of large dogs, but I've had this husky plushie since I was three years old. He always sits by my pillow, regardless of where I am, and always will. The link is to a nonfiction tale detailing his life story.

My other comfort item is books. There's a few that I have read over and over: Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic series, Diane Duane's Young Wizards series, Nancy Garden's Annie on my Mind, J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Ryko Aoki's Light from Uncommon Stars, Nnedi Okorafor's Binti trilogy, Madeline L'Engle's A Ring of Endless Light, N.K. Jemisen The City We Became....

I can't choose between these books, hence why it's a list...

15. Comfort food?

Pho or Miso Soup. Seriously, these are the best ever.

Miso is one that is easy to learn how to make, but I have no idea how to make Pho, so I have to go to a local Pho place for it. (We have a large community of Vietnamese and Thai people in my city, so there's a lot of good Pho here.)

21. Infodump on tea for this question! I hope I don't scare you off with this, but I just LOVE talking about teas!!!

For tea recommendations, it depends on what flavor profile the person seeks. I'll cover tea from the typical tea plant, then dive into some of the herbal teas that come from different plants. This will be a massive infodump, so settle in I guess? lol

First we have the tea categories: Pu'er, Black, Oolong, Green, Yellow, and White.

Pu'er

Pu'er is from Yunnan, China, and often called the Emperor's Tea. The tea leaves are parched and then fermented, and thus have a fairly strong taste. It's also expensive. (Seriously, one rolled up ball of this cost 40 dollars, and that is just one teapot!)

If one can score good quality Pu'er, then be sure to have a glass pot, as many styles of it come as a ball that unfurls as it steeps. It's neat.

Black

Black tea is a more oxidized version of tea leaves than oolong, green, yellow, and white. The type of Black tea is named after the region from which its grown and produced.

There's the Chinese Black Teas:

Fuijan (has a bit of honey after taste and a favorite of mine)

Lapsang souchou (strong smoky flavor),

Keenum (has hints of fruity, flowery, or pine-y flavors and one of my favorites)

Yunnan (dark malty flavors),

Yingdehong (has an almost cocao-like aroma and sweet taste),

Red Plum (long, smooth after taste).

Taiwanese Black Teas:

Taicha No. 12 (starts bitter then smooths out to an almost sweet taste)

Taicha No. 18 (hint of cinnamon and mint, not as bitter as 12)

Sun Moon Lake (honey-like tones that's almost minty at times, one of my favorites).

India

Assam (full-bodied and very strong malty tones, and one of the more common teas. When people think of Black tea, it's often Assam they're thinking of.)

Darjeeling (thin-bodied and more floral/fruity tones than Assam. Tho these days it's processed with Black, green, and oolong tea leaves, so finding a pure Black Darjeeling is hard).

Kangra (kind of similar to some of the Taiwanese teas but with more vegetal aromas)

Munnar (brisk and fruity)

Nilgiri (intensely fragrant and one of my favorites)

Nepali Black tea is from Nepal and tastes a bit similar to Darjeeling, but with a stronger finish I think. Another one of my favorites.

Sri Lanka produces the Ceylon tea, which is another very common Black tea. A lot of the cheaper Black teas in stores will be a mixture of Ceylon and Assam. Now the flavor of Ceylon depends on the altitude in which its grown. High altitude as a lighter flavor than low altitude, which is a stronger flavor. Mid altitude is between the two in taste.

Kenya produces a Black Tea with a rich and aromatic profile, and is a favorite of mine.

Korea, Turkey, and Iran also produce Black teas, but I have yet to try them, so I'm not sure of their flavors.

I know everyone has heard of the Earl Grey, Lady Grey, British or Irish Breakfast teas -- but those are actually blends of several different Black teas with specific oils. I still love all of them though.

Oolong

I love me a good oolong tea. It's a semi-oxidized tea.

For Oolong, it's classified more on how it's grown rather than just the region that produces it. So for example, the Fuijain Oolong teas actually have a variety of Oolongs depending on if its grown the Wuyi Mountains or Anxi County, China.

Wuyi Mountains makes the most expensive of all the Oolongs, and are often called Si Da Ming Cong teas, where they are variations of lighter colorations and smooth flavor tone. The two that aren't a Si Da Ming Cong tea is the Rougui and Shui Xian, both of which are very dark teas with rich overtones. I wish they weren't so expensive as I want to try them all! But alas, I am too poor for these teas.

Anxi Oolongs have milky tones, such as the Iron Goddess (a favorite of mine) and Huangjin Gui, which is more fragrant than Iron Goddess. I honestly love all of Anxi's teas.

Phoenix Mountain Teas rarely are seen outside China, but they tend to have flavor profiles that imitate other flowers and fruits. They are so expensive that I've only done a taste test at my local tea shop as I could never afford them. They are also seasonal.

The vast majority of Oolong teas are Taiwanese teas. These are more affordable for one thing, which is likely why people may think of Taiwanese Oolongs when the term is mentioned.

Dong Ding "Frozen Summit" is one of my FAVORITES. Has a light but distinct fragrance and a smooth finish. I just adore this tea.

Dongfang meiren "Oriental Beauty" is another favorite, and it has potent aromatics. It's typically a seasonal tea.

Alishan is seasonal and I've yet to taste it. It's also harder to find as it's only grown at very specific intervals of the year.

Lishan is like Alishan in how its grown, and I'm told Lishan tastes as sweet in tones. I've only ever had a taste test since it's hard to get this one.

Baozhong is the least oxidized Oolong, so it's lighter in tone than most oolongs and have almost a floral aftertaste. It's a favorite of mine too!

Ruan zhi is a lighter oolong that tastes a bit like an orchid tea. I never know what to think of it.

Jin Xuan is often nicknamed the "Milk Oolong" because it tastes so smooth and creamy! I honestly love it.

Black Oolong is a bit of a funny name considering it's not a Black tea since it's produced like an oolong, but it has a strong bite like a Black that some compare to coffee almost. I don't like it.

High Mountain is a family of Oolongs actually (Alishan is part of that family). They all have similar flavor profiles, which is why they are often grouped together I think. The oolongs that are not seasonal, like Alishan, are fairly expensive. From the taste tests I've done, they have a sweeter tone. I really enjoyed them, but sadly, can't afford most of them.

Taiwanese Tieguanyin is a variation of the one from Anxi, China. It's flavor profile differs in that they are less milky but still have smooth finishes. I think their aromatic profile is stronger too.

Four Seasons Oolong is the most well known of the Taiwanese teas as it is cultivated all year long. This is the one that people think of the most when Oolong is mentioned, and the one most likely to be in stores. It's okay. Still flavorful with a smooth finish, but it lacks the sweet profiles of the other teas.

Darjeeling Oolong and Assam Oolongs are made by oxidizing the Darjeeling and/or Assam teas in the same methods of Chinese Oolongs. Darjeeling Oolongs tend toward a more floral finish I think, while Assam Oolongs tend toward a more smokey finish.

A few other countries produce Oolongs as well, such as Vietnam, which has a full-bodied taste with a milky finish.

Oolong teas are also a bit harder to find. But I HIGHLY recommend them. I think they have the most rich flavors of all the teas.

Green

I admit, I am not well-versed in Green Teas, mostly because they tend to be very acidic if oversteeped and lack the smooth finish I love about Oolongs.

The Chinese Green teas range from a more grassy finish to a plum-like flavor to a flavor punch (like the Gunpowder Green tea). I'll drink them if I have no other choice, but I'm not much of a fan. Chinese greens also tend to either be pan-fried or sun-dried, which is what gives them their distinct flavors.

Japanese Green Teas are my favorite Green tea. They are steamed dry. I know these ones the best.

Sencha is has a bit of a grassy finish I think, but it's also the most well known of Japanese green teas.

Genmaicha is my FAVORITE green tea. It's green tea with toasted rice, and has a rich and aromatic flavor.

Bancha is picked after Sencha, and has a very bold, intense flavor. It's considered a "lower grade" tea.

Gyokuro is grown under shade at first, and this gives it a sweeter taste than most of the Japanese Greens. It's one of my favorites!

Hōjicha is a roasted Japanese tea, generally roasted with Kukicha twigs.

Kabusecha is shaded for only half the time of Gyokuro, so I think it tastes like a mix of Gyokuro and Sencha. So if Gyokuro is too strong, then this is a good alternative.

Kukicha is a blend of Sencha and twigs. I don't like it as much.

Matcha is probably the most well known. It's shaded at first like Gyokuro, but during its processing it's ground into a fine powder. It's this powder that gets marketed as the green tea. It's often used for Tea Ceremonies actually, as there is a specific way to steep and pour the tea. I really love matcha tea, but it's hard to find authentic matcha. I'm not sure how to describe the taste though. It's a unique bite to it but a tasty one.

Sincha is often called a 'first plucked' tea due to when it's plucked in the season. It's very expensive, very hard to source outside of Japan, and because of this, I've sadly never been able to try it.

Korean Green Teas are also very popular, but I know very little about them. They are categories as to when they are plucked and how they are prepared. I'm not sure if I've ever tried them to be honest. I tend so much toward Japanese Greens that I have sadly neglected Korean Green.

Vietnamese Green teas are the Green tea you are most likely to encounter in a lot of Asian restaurants. (Well, at least where I live there's a lot of Vietnamese and Thai restaurants, and many of them tend toward either a Japanese Green or a Vietnamese Green.) Vietnamese Greens also include scented Green teas, as in the tea is scented with a flower such as Lotus, Jasmine, or Chrysanthemum.

I admit I absolutely adore Jasmine tea. It's one I often have on stock, and fairly cheap to buy.

Yellow

Sometimes included with Green teas due to the light oxidation, but the difference is they are often "encased" as in sweltered to give the leaves a more yellow tone. China and Korea are the main producers of Yellow, but I've never had a chance to try it mostly due to how difficult it is to find an authentic yellow tea.

White

There isn't an international definition for this. Usually it refers to tea that has little to no processing (as in isn't oxidized hardly at all). it has the lightest flavors of all the tea types, and I cannot stand them. I feel like I'm just drinking faintly scented water. No thank you. Won't even discuss the types because I am so not a fan.

Rooibos

This is a herbal tea grown predominantly in Central and Southern Africa, so as for the taste profile, it depends on which country of origin. The plant is quite different from a typical tea plant, in that it is a bit more reed-like. It's often an earthy taste, but depending on origin can sometimes have a honey-like aftertaste.

I really love it because it pairs well with other flavors such as vanilla, raspberry, etc.

Herbal mixes

There's a lot of flowers and fruits that taste great when brewed! Some of my favorites tend to have mint leaves in the blend OR ginger.

Yaupon

This is a caffeinated plant unique to South-western United States. It has earthy tones and a smooth finish. I absolutely love it, and prefer to buy it directly from the Indigenous people who grow it.

Anyway, now that I infodumped on teas, I will share how I make them.

Black teas: I boil the water at around 200 Degrees Fahrenheit and brew for three to five minutes. I will sometimes add a teaspoon of sugar.

Oolong teas: I heat the water to 190 Degrees Fahrenheit and brew from 1 to five minutes (usually three, but some teas require only a minute of brewing while others can be up to five). I rarely add a sweetner, but if I do, it's a few drops of honey.

Green Teas: this depends on the type of Green. Matcha is a powder so its swirled into the water. Genimatcha is only brewed for 30 seconds to a minute at most. Other greens are brewed from 1 to 3 minutes. I heat the water to 175 Degrees Fahrenheit, though for Genimatcha it's okay to heat up to 190. Honey is the sweetener of choice, but I only do that for the grassier teas. I don't use any sweetener for matcha teas.

Yellow and White teas: I'm not entirely sure the heating temperature or how long to brew them. I do know that for White teas in particular it doesn't seem to matter how long I brew them, the flavor is just lacking and it makes me sad.

Yaupon: I heat water to 190 or 200 degrees Fahrenheit and brew it between 3 to 5 minutes, depending on if I want a stronger or lighter taste that day. I either use sugar or honey as a sweetener.

Herbal Teas: I heat water to 200 or 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Then brew the tea for about five minutes. I add a dollop of honey.

The only time I do NOT brew a herbal tea for five minutes is when there is hibiscus in it. Then it gets brewed one minute at best. In fact, I suggest avoiding hibiscus. That flower takes over the taste profile; it is like drinking a punch to your mouth. Why people keep adding it to herbal blends is beyond me.

Anyway, due to the nuances of how the temperature of the water can affect steeping and taste, I find it crucial to either have a tea-momenter (get it? tea thermometer?) or an electric kettle with multiple options.

The electric kettle I use has a setting for each of the main types of teas. That way I have ultimate control of the brewing method to get the best batch of tea.

Final thoughts on teas:

To be honest, I think this is why some people think they don't like tea. They often have it oversteeped at the wrong temperature which can ruin the drink. (Do Not Trust Starbucks and Cafes that Leave The Tea Bag In. That oversteeps it and ruins the flavor. If they actually knew what they were doing, they'd time that shit and take the tea bag out to avoid oversteeping.)

I try to buy from the source when possible. Otherwise, I try to go local, as in buy from a locally owned tea shop. One of my favorite tea shops to order from is Gong-fu.

28. What are you proudest of?

I want to say my stories, but I also struggle with self-worth and doubt a lot. But if you do like my writing, check out my AO3.

It's art that I find myself proudest of, simply because I'm working in a medium that requires steady hands, and yet I have a hand tremor, so it feels like I conquered a mountain with each piece done. I rarely keep anything I make. I like to give the art to people I care about to bring them a smile, and to remind them that they aren't alone. That someone does care, even if it's little ole me and Quark.

Here are a few of the pieces I've done. One for each category.

For a friend who really liked eagles. (This is only 2.5 inches tall by the way.)

For my Legendfire chosen family, they each got a copy of this:

For a friend who ran a Legend of Zelda campaign:

I think most people here have seen the fanart I've done. I recently posted a piece with Lena and Kara, and if you go to my Tumblr blog, I have one of Korra and Asami. :)

Thanks for asking! And I hope I didn't scare you off with my tea infodump!

[broadwaydivastournament]

Audra and Christine: Best Friends Forever

VOTE HERE: Audra McDonald vs. Christine Baranski

Though they may tear us apart in this poll, Audra and Christine have been attached at the hip for years. As co-stars on The Good Fight, Diane Lockhart (Christine), and Liz Lawrence (Audra) have been friends, enemies, and lovers* for five of six fantastic seasons. There will be a much longer Good Wife/Fight post later, but for now, here's just a brief overview of these two lawyers and their fabulous wardrobes.

Both Diane and Liz originated from The Good Wife, the precursor to the Christine-led Good Fight spinoff. Diane as a supporting character in 156 episodes; Liz as a one-off friendly rival to Alicia Florrick (played by Julianna Margulies, and we don't talk about her here). Liz's first appearance was in "Runnin' With the Devil" where she squares off against Florrick in court.

And oh my, oh my will you look at that? Who can that be? Why, it's Bebe Neuwirth as Judge Claudia Friend in her third guest appearance. She too would later show up on The Good Fight (and her character is the subject of an ongoing fanfiction series...).

Audra and Christine shared no scenes in this one-off appearance, but they'd later more than make up for this oversight. Liz and Diane spend a fair deal of time at odds with one another over issues of race, ethics, and politics. But they love and respect one another just as their actresses do.

They also spend a lot of time making up while drinking. And speaking of drinking...

The pandemic gave us one good thing: zoom interviews and events like Sondheim's 90th Birthday concert where Broadway's best and brightest celebrated his legacy. The most iconic performance of the evening was, of course, Meryl Streel, Christine Baranski, and Audra McDonald in white bathrobes, getting legitimately plastered as they warbled out "The Ladies Who Lunch."

While The Good Fight may have come to a close, Audra and Christine continue to remain co-stars, this time on The Gilded Age, a show set in the 1880s where they have, thus far, shared no scenes. In 2022, stars from The Gilded Age appeared on the "Stars in the House" telethon benefit for Ukraine, and I need all of you to watch this interactions for a few reasons, number one being the appearance of Katie Finneran in the later half where everything devolves into chaos of the best kind. Katie, a woman after my own heart, basically propositions Audra and Christine for a threesome, and I am here for it.

If anyone wants to know how this interview proceeds, Audra and Christine eventually leave to get drunk together, and later Audra shows up on site to perform a song while ever-so-slightly tipsy. She is, of course, incredible.

I'll leave you with one more clip.

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A post shared by Audra McDonald (@audramcdonald)

[winterlogysblog]

Sacred Tree and Fairy Realm Headcanons

We don't really talk about the Sacred Tree and the Fairy Realm too much so allow me...

🍃 The Sacred Tree is a sentient being that simply wants peace for everyone. It has no physical form unlike the Demon King and Supreme Diety but it can connect it's consciousness to the current Fairy King.

🍃 The Sacred Tree is neutral on all fronts and doesn't want anything to do with the fightings of the Demon King and Supreme Diety but as all sibling fights do The Sacred Tree is inevitably caught in the crossfire.

🍃 The Sacred Tree is described as kind and benevolent a being that doesn't hold any malice. However, according to Meliodas and King it's also the one diety one should NEVER piss off.

🍃 The Sacred Tree has the closest ties to the Human Realm. It's the Sacred Tree's duty to cultivate the Human Realm making it a viable and prosperous place to live as ordered by Chaos but the Sacred Tree have other plans. Thus, making the Human Realm a place where all races are welcome to gather and live together in harmony. That was the plan. Unfortunately, the Human Realm became a battlefield instead for several thousands of years. Only when the war officially ended the Sacred Tree's wish is finally within reach. Then, Chaos is awakened and Arthur started tearing through Britannia, stealing pieces of land for his own. The Sacred Tree isn't too pleased about it.

🍃 Inside the Sacred Tree there is a chamber that only the Fairy King can enter. It's guarded with an incredibly strong magic force for inside this chamber holds the tree called "Yggdrasil" the tree of life. It holds great importance to the nature of this world for if Yggdrasil dies, everything dies along with it.

🍃 Yggdrasil is made by the Sacred Tree to help continuously cultivate the Fairy Realm and the Human Realm for eons.

🍃 The Fairy King is the Sacred Tree's eyes and ears. This is how it decides if the current is worthy to continue ruling and how it is able to see and perceive the world.

🍃 The Sacred Tree has a fascinating intrigue about the Giant Race and likes how their innate power over the Earth perfectly harmonizes with the Fairy Race's connection with nature and plant life for there is no Earth there will inevitably be no life.

🍃King and Diane's union greatly pleases the Sacred Tree and with the official union of the two clans the Sacred Tree welcomes the Giants into the Fairy Realm. Think of it as a wedding gift of sorts.

🍃 Everything within the Fairy Realm comes in all shapes and sizes from giant mushrooms to huge and lush trees surrounding the place, if you can't fly and can't see high up you'll be lost. The Sacred Tree is the biggest, largest and highest thing in the Fairy Realm you'll never miss it.

🍃 Entrance to the Fairy Realm are usually opened, there is only one preexisting portal that leads to it which is located somewhere around the ruins of the forest that's destroyed 3,000 years ago, that is currently under the Liones Castle.

🍃 There is an entrance to the Demon Realm and the Celestial Realm located in the Sacred Tree. The entrance to the Demon Realm is all the way down to its roots. The entrance to the Celestial Realm is all the way up to the very top of the Sacred Tree.

🍃 The Sacred Tree adores King's children and Lancelot, gifting each of them blessings on the day of their birth.

[six-seasons-andamovie]

The fact that the end of bjhm S3 is the death for not only Sarah Lynn but also bojacks career:

Bjhm s3 is most well known for Sarah Lynn's death, and how it also essentially marks the beginning of the end for bjs career, as her death is what led to Paige Sinclair and Max investigating bjs past which all lead up to his cancellation.

But season three is also the last season to focus primarily on bojacks professional life as all seasons that follow are mainly about his personal life and relationships, ( and are also parallels to the first half of the season), thus the death of the series focusing on his career.

( Whilst yes season five does focus on bjs new big break in his career, it focuses more on the bojacks as a character outside of his professional life and his relationships, ( dating Gina, his friendship with Diane, the entire free churro' episode and his relationship with his mother ),

compared to that of season two, which while yes does focus on his personal life (new couch and Beatrice, Wanda, the aftermath of the telescope and how it all comes to a head in let's find out) it does so less than season five I feel. )

So the end of season three is the end really of bojacks life in the light in more ways than one

[buggiebeetlesposts]

Priest Rick(I-133) LORE + AU INFO Post 1/?

Richard "Rick" Sanchez, from Dimension I-133, also often referred to as Priest Rick by many. (Voice Claimed by Professor Venomous from OK KO)

He's one of the Ricks that think those in the Citadel are pussies and stupid, thus he rarely feels the need to have been there at all. He was arrested on the "alleged" charges of creating the first Diane clone (he managed to lie his way through the charges and then abandoned the failed Diane clone shortly after.), prompting the creation of a law banning clone experiments for Dianes.

I-133 has the typical Rick backstory, having his Diane and Beth die. He was a kind religious man before it all, soon turning to alcohol and science after seeing that preying would not cure his heartbreak. (C-137 has joked on the irony of Father Sanchez's moniker due to this, calling him "fan service for the show" as a fourth wall break, but Father Sanchez doesn't understand the joke, likely indicating that he doesn't have awareness to the fourth wall yet.)

He now resides in a dimensions where his version of Beth survived, however there are mild differences in that universe (Dimension Zeta 6B9).

The Summer in Zeta 6B9 is instead male, referred to as "Scotty Smith". He shares physical traits with a Summer, but seems to have an alternative clothing preference, inheriting many of I-133's things from when he was a teen(Pff, peepaw had a grunge/punk phase).

The Morty of Zeta 6B9 is referred as Mortimer by 1-133 and he wears a cross given to him by I-133, while Mortimer didn't know why his drunken grandpa gave him that one night, it seems to be a crude device to protect the boy. I-133 has shown to be much more compassionate towards Mortys, though still is semi dry about his niceness.

Beth of Zeta 6B9 seems to act like many other Beths, I-133 is actually quite apologetic towards his daughter and makes an effort to be kind (even if they seem more like awkward gestures).

Jerry Smith of Zeta 6B9, hated by his father in law with an even deeper passion than some Ricks have shown, likely fueled by how Jerry got I-133's Beth pregnant before marriage and overall pathetic behavior that Jerry has.

I-133 has not been shown to have many friends, though a picture of a version of Birdperson can be seen in his work desk at the church(which happens to be next to the Smith family home), indicating there must have been a version of Birdperson he met.

[foxzutheone]

inhale

*clanging pots and pans together* EVERYONE WAKE UP THERES AU OGERPON LORE EVERYONE SIT UP AND FOCUS

now if you please enter through the door that has the sign “keep reading” on it that would be lovely. we dont want anyone who doesnt CARE after all

Welcome esteemed guests and fans of Ogerpon. As you can see, I am clinically insane over this questionable pokemon who has murdered before.

This is mainly a means of explaining the lore of some Ogerpons for the blog @ogerpon-squad. You can check that out whenever you'd like.

Now, with the pleasantries out of the way, please welcome our esteemed Ogerpon guests. You better applaud or I will kill you.

Glitchpon:

Glitchpon is an Ogerpon made by Foxzu (yours truly) and is a part of the Hakkyo AU (also made by me). They are an empty soul with no other purpose than to serve the player Diane (players like you!). The AU takes place in the real world, where Pokemon is nothing but a video game played by humans. They are cold and emotionless (almost!), but will fit right in to the shenanigans of the blog.

Art and References:

Original Concept Art by @foxzutheone

Art done by @marisol124

Terapon:

Terapon is an Ogerpon made by @foxzutheone and is a part of the WALL-E AU (I love walle with a passion). They are a highly evolved version of Ogerpon that has adapted to the toxic environment. The air on earth is full of tera crystals, which are not breathable by humans and pokemon. Since all pokemon were forced to retreat, Terapon was left on her own with only one friend. She has no memory of the Loyal Three or Pecharunt, and thus is innocent and naive about the world. She is always will to extend a helping hand to anyone, whether they have good intentions or not.

Art and References:

Art done by @marisol124 (Lineart) and @foxzutheone (Coloring).

Onipon:

Onipon is an Ogerpon made by @foxzutheone, and is part of the Sharpened Horns AU. She is made of magic, like most pokemon in her dimension, and was sealed inside an ancient spellbook by the evil Dokutaro long ago. She has made a pact with Kieran, and has been slowly merging with him so she can taste life again. This may not be her only intention, however…

Onipon is sassy and vindictive, but is a good soul at heart. Being misunderstood her entire life, she has a vendetta against humanity and is generally not very supportive of them. She and Kieran prepare for the day Dokutaro is fated to return.

Art and References:

Onipon Concept done by @foxzutheone

Crumblepon:

Crumblepon is the Ogerpon in the Crumbling Castle AU made by @marisol124. The Ogerpon’s in this AU are a species made to protect and guard, however nothing is known about them other than the singular surviving one in Kitakami, as though a tale lost to time. Like canon, Ogerpon and her trainer end up in Kitakami and are taken pity on by the village’s mask maker. Then they get attacked by the Loyal 3 yada yada She ends up going with Florian. She’s such a silly little child she doesn’t fully understand what’s happening all the time but she's having fun.

Art and References:

Crumblepon Reference by @marisol124

That's a wrap for the explanation of most of these Ogerpons. Once again, I encourage you to check out the blog and to stay tuned for more questions and answers...