#which is why i experiment with and study the chemistry of baking/cooking

[2manyflannels]

Octopath Traveler Characters Ranked by How Good they are at Cooking

(Objective list up for no debate I am not wrong)

/j

(From best to worse)

————————————-

-H’aanit

This is actually in the game. She’s good at cooking, or at least baking, but I feel as though it’s fair to say that it extends to cooking as well. It also makes sense. Let’s be honest, Z’aanta can’t cook for shit. I think H’aanit would rush to learn so she can provide for them just so she didn’t have to eat his cooking. Also hunts can last a long time and she probably had to do a lot of campfire/over flame cooking prior to her journey to begin with. I think she’s also the most passionate about it as I can see it being a hobby of hers. (Also she hunts for her own meat! It’s hard to see this being up for debate)

-Olberic

This one might be more controversial this high up, but I believe he just has the most experience. I think he cooked a lot for the fellow soldiers during the war and he also lived alone in Cobblestone for along while, I think he’d pick up a lot of cooking skills a long the way. Also, he just kind of gives off the vibe of a dad who loves to grill. I think he isn’t as good at baking as H’aanit which is why he’s placed below her, but he can make an incredible fucking stew.

-Alfyn

I think this has the same reasoning as how chemistry and cooking go hand in hand, if you substitute apothecary/alchemy instead of chemistry. I think it also makes sense that the group doctor has a good grasp on cooking. Besides job based reasoning he seems like the type of person to help his mom out with cooking dinner ( I think also his mom taught him well and he loves making her recipes 🤧) I think especially after she died he really stepped up to help cook for Zeph and Nina (because they don’t have parents either, or at least I think I do)

(This is where there is a big gap between number 3 and 4, and a close race for 4-6. I think you could rearrange these next one as I feel they’re all around the same level)

-Tressa

This is kind of similar to Alfyn where I feel like it’s something she did with her family before she leaves on her journey. It just seems like the sort of thing they’d do together. I also think she’d be the best gatherer of ingredients, and I think she has a knack for creating her own recipes on her own merit. (I also think she improves a lot under H’aanit and Olberic’s guidance when it comes to cooking over the campfire)

Therion-

This is based on the fact that he’s had got to eat somehow, and as skinny as he is I don’t think he just eats stolen apples. I think he can cook with the bare minimum needed to survive. Like the real-world equivalent of knowing to put water in the easy-mac cup. Not extensive, but he knows the basics and can help out the group. (Also while not as skilled with picking out the best options I think he also is quite good at gathering ingredients)

Ophilia-

Like Therion I feel like she knows the basics, but she didn’t have much need to learn how to cook back in Flamegrace as that was more of the other clerics in the church territory. I do however think she improves the most during her journey, as she seems the type to be a quick learner when she’s focused on improving a skills.

Primrose

She lived in a mansion with servants for the first years of her life who would cook for her, and then I don’t think it would come up after Geoffrey died. I think she was busy doing other things, and unlike her bestie Therion I think there was just no free time for her to learn. (As shitty as Helgenish was I do think he fed them, though no trust in how much or nutritious it was). She does learn a bit and (unlike our last place) is able to help out with the cooking, she just is inexperienced and doesn’t have a knack for it.

-Cyrus

Are we surprised? No! This man is a disaster. He’s the definition of high intelligence low wis. I think he put all his energy into his studies that when it comes to life skills like cooking he just ignored completely and is shitty. Age≠experience in his case and he just keeps on making messes of things. I think it’s a Spencer Shay deal where if he simply touches a dish while cooking it’ll become inedible. He has been banned from being near the cooking pot, and settles for just making the fire before being shooed away.

[mcwriting]

A Science Project for the Ages

Big thanks to this anon for this request! Sorry it's taking me longer to fulfill my requests from when I was in quarantine but I'm trying to get those done soon!

This is a slight continuation of lab partners but can definitely be read alone :)

Ship: SoftNerd!Tom Holland x Reader

Word Count: 1883

Warnings: one blink-and-you'll-miss it bad word

⚛︎

There was a loud buzz as your phone vibrated against the wood table in the science library.

You quickly picked it up, trying not to disturb the few other students around as you looked down at the screen.

Tom.

Though you were together now, he very rarely called at this time. He knew you always studied here before dinner time and respected that.

You grabbed your notebook and bag and shuffled into the hall to answer.

"Tom? Is everything okay?"

"Hey, um. So sorry to bother you, but you've finished your science expo project, right?"

You furrowed your brows as you slid down the wall to sit and stuff your notebook back in your bag. You knew this conversation was going in a weird direction already. You could hear a faint beeping in the background.

"Uh, yeah..?"

"Right, and what was that project over again?"

"I did an analysis on light absorption of different common solutions and then compared them to the color they turned when I lit them on fire. I thought we already talked about this the other day..?"

"Yes, yeah, sorry. So one more question before I tell you what's up. Do you happen to know how to bake?" Tom asked quietly.

Suddenly you remembered what all his project was on.

He was doing a food chemistry project, explaining certain phenomenons that happen when you bake. He had hoped giving people baked goods would make them like his project more.

"I- Tom I told you I would help you but you said it would be fine," you said flatly."

"Well..... Now it's not fine, and Alex isn't here to help me. He went to his girlfriend's."

Tom's roommate. He was usually pretty patient with Tom's clumsiness, but sometimes he just had to get out and enjoy a day off, too. Tom understood, but now the burden fell on you.

"Fine, I'll be there in a little bit. Text me if you need me to bring anything."

⚛︎

You walked in to the smell of burnt. It was overwhelming and you choked as you rushed to the window to air out the apartment.

"Hey, sorry about the smell," Tom said nonchalantly from the kitchen.

You turned to see the situation at hand, which was definitely... a situation.

It was like something out of a movie. Messy bowls and utensils littered the sink. There was cake batter splattered across the counters. Finally, the culprit still sat in a muffin tin on the bar: a dozen very black cupcakes.

You sighed.

"Forgot to set the timer?"

"Yep."

"And let me guess. This was your first experience with baking?"

"That's exactly right."

"Of course," you muttered, but then clapped your hands together enthusiastically. "Well, then. Let's try and fix this, shall we?"

You leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to Tom's cheek, then brushed past him to grab the tray.

"First on the agenda, we are going to take off the papers and chuck these off the balcony to let out some frustrations, alright?"

You were lucky in that Tom's apartment was on the top floor, and his balcony faced a wooded area. The only thing he could hit was a tree and the food would eventually biodegrade into the soil.

You both tossed them, competing to see who could throw the farthest. It let Tom blow off some steam, and also gave more time to ventilate the place before you went back in.

After the last cupcake (if you could call it that) was tossed, you got started on cleaning everything up. He had used a lot of bowls for one boxed cake mix, but you didn't ask.

It took a while to make sure things were sufficiently clean, but finally everything was ready to make a new batch.

"Oh one other thing before we start. Have you ever made a meringue?" Tom asked as he preheated the oven, which you carefully supervised to make sure it was right.

"I mean, I've made some before. Why?"

"Well part of my project was talking about how egg proteins bind. They sound pretty easy. Just eggs and sugar, right?"

Your hand covered your eyes in disappointed surprise.

"What? No. Tom, meringues are like, notoriously one of the hardest things to get right. They land just before macarons, and meringue is one of the main parts of a macaron!"

"What are you talking about? How can something with two ingredients be that hard to make?" he tried to argue, but you weren't about to let him trick you into making something so difficult.

"Did none of your research explain how moisture, temperature changes, utensils used, and method of cooking affect the outcome."

"...Uh... no."

"Were you planning on using the Swiss, Italian, or French technique?"

".....I didn't know there was more than one."

"Well then you might go do a quick search to add to your presentation while I cover the cupcakes."

While he did that, you made up the batter and got the cupcakes in the oven (set at the right temperature for the right time), then got started making some frosting.

"Hey, y/n. Did you know you aren't supposed to make meringues in a plastic bowl?"

"Yep. Plastic can retain lipids which prevent proper binding. Same reason you can't whip the yolk."

"That's what this says! How did you know that?"

You shrugged.

"I like to bake. By the way, you better credit me as your pastry chef on the presentation."

"Will do."

He made some edits on the page and found a recipe claiming to be the easiest method, so you caved and agreed to help him make them when the cupcakes were done.

As you measured sugar and got the whisk attachment ready, you looked over and admired Tom as he meticulously separated the eggs.

You couldn't help but fall head over heels for him all over again seeing how he did each step carefully, all his focus on each little egg.

Sure, he was a little clumsy sometimes, but he was precious and cared about whatever he did.

It took what seemed like hours to get the egg whites whipped properly (and lots of arguing with Tom about what "stiff peaks" meant), but finally you had them in a piping bag and on a pan to bake.

You couldn't help but wait by the oven in anxious anticipation for the meringues to come out, even though they'd be in there for a while.

Tom sat right next to you on the (surprisingly) clean kitchen floor as you stared at the oven.

"Babe?" he asked softly, leaning into you.

You hummed a response, taking the opportunity to rest your head on his shoulder.

"Thank you for coming and helping me. I know you value your library time."

You smiled and sat back up, looking Tom in the eyes.

"You know, I wasn't really studying anyways. I was watching youtube videos with my headphones in because I didn't want to go home yet."

Tom had a mischievous grin and furrowed brow.

"So you just go there as an excuse to get away from me?!"

You laughed and knocked into him slightly.

"No! I just got done with my homework and wanted to hang around campus for a while... and I had a feeling you'd call eventually."

Tom gasped.

"You didn't trust me!?"

"Now that I can answer truthfully..." you started, causing him to pout. "I'm not saying I didn't trust you at all, it's just that I had never once heard of you baking and figured I would prepare myself accordingly."

"Does this mean that Alex knew too?"

"I can't speak on his behalf, but I'm glad it was just us anyways. I like getting to spend time with you like this." You paused to peck him on the lips. "Want me to read over your project? I know those spelling errors can slip by sometimes."

Tom grinned, wordlessly getting up and offering you a hand.

⚛︎

The expo was in full swing and you nervously stood on the other side of the room as your project to watch people walk by and observe your findings.

You had already given your presentation to the judging panel and now the expo was open to the public, so you tried to avoid stressing too much as you talked with some friends.

Suddenly a pair of warm arms came around your stomach and Tom's scent enveloped you.

"Hey baby, how ya feelin'?" he asked, resting his chin on your shoulder as your thumbs rubbed over his hands instinctively.

"You know me. A little nervous." You flipped in his arms to face him. "And what about you? The judges like our sweet treats?"

"They sure seemed too. Dr. Grand liked the meringues so much she asked for another."

You smiled.

"Well either way, I'm proud of us both."

"Thanks again for helping, I couldn't have done this without you. I made sure to emphasize how difficult meringue making is during my presentation thanks to you."

Finally your friends had enough of the cutesy bullshit and convinced you and Tom to rejoin the conversation, both of you with arms around each other as you conversed.

Time passed and eventually they gave prizes to the best projects of the expo. You knew you wouldn't win anything, there were some far better projects out there that included heavy research.

"And in first place, 'Science around us: the chemistry of baking' by Mr. Tom Holland! Congratulations! If all of our winners could come pick up their ribbons and get a photo for the newsletter, that would be great."

Tom stayed casually next to you, so you had to shake him and get his attention.

"Did you hear that Tom? You won!"

Tom blinked a few times, then gasped.

"I won!? I mean, we won!!?"

You rolled your eyes and pushed him forward.

"Go on, get your blue ribbon, baker boy."

He excitedly rushed up to the table where his prize awaited (tripping a few times, but you ignored that) and bounced on the balls of his feet as someone pinned the ribbon to his shirt.

You could see the sheer delight on his face as the winners took a group photo, and he practically skipped back to meet you.

You and your friends gave him congratulations as he happily looked down at the blue piece pinned to him.

He then unpinned it and tried to hand it to you.

"Now, don't congratulate me, y/n gets all the credit for making everything."

"No, no. It was your idea and you did the research. You deserve that more than anyone else. And plus, you were right. Baked goods did give you an edge over the competition."

"Well I say it was a science project for the ages!" he exclaimed, holding up the ribbon. You and your friends cheered to that.

"How 'bout we go celebrate your win over lunch, hm? The cupcake I had isn't holding me over and I'm starving."

"Sounds perfect, darling. Lead the way."

You happily headed off towards the nearest place on campus, completely oblivious to the fact that Tom had pinned his blue ribbon to your backpack.

He quickly made up time and slipped a hand into yours.

If nothing else, he was the boyfriend of the ages.

⚛︎

A/N: thanks to the anon who sent the request for this! I really enjoyed writing it! I think I could've improved some things but overall I'm pretty satisfied with it, and I hope you are too!

Permanent Tag List

Send a message or ask if you’d like to be added to my permanent or series taglists so I can verify you’ve been added!

@jackiehollanderr, @one-big-fangirl, @agentnataliahofferson, @spider-babe, @justafangirlduh, @hollandswife

[delvalentine]

Hello! Can I have a romantic matchup for tears of themis please?

Appearance : 5'4 ace/heteromantic girl ambivert.Dark brown hair/eyes (I wear glasses but they are also sun glasses because bright lights give me a headache) a little chubby/muscled and pale skin+permanent smirk/smile/ neutral face. Plump lips. My style varies a lot (always comfy) but I never wear dresses heels/makeup. I love to imagine outfits with symbols from fandoms or my own drawings so I have a rather unique style (most of the time I wear a NASA jacket and leather boots/sneakers, I also love sleeveless turtleneck) who changes a lot. I have malleable cheeks and tiny hands/fingers/wrist.

MBTI: INTP-T and chaotic neutral/good

Zodiac: Gemini

Personality : .Sarcastic,a little naive but I have a backbone (don't bother flirting with me and if you feel that I am flirting with you which happens a lot then it's just my personality and on the rare occasion I notice they have to confess or I won't believe it) ,calculative,protective,creative,expressive,manipulative,a devil's advocate,prideful,charismatic, smartass, bookworm, daydreamer, a little insensitive/blunt because I'm more on the logical side ,vengeful, mischievous, a huge tease, open minded, very curious, gets annoyed easily, impatient (unless it's in drawing because I am a perfectionist there) so kind of a bad temper, observant but not romantically,sadistic to a point but my conscience prevents me from doing these acts. Indifferent to many things, morally ambiguous as my moral compass is on the neutral side I don't believe in absolute evil/good, y'all better thank my conscience they work too well I never have fun.

With my friends I am either laughing, goofing around or annoyed. I love to give bad puns or cursed ideas who are gore/weird and saying I know y all love me. Those who don't talk to me see me as a nerd aggressive smart and blunt person ( even prideful) and strangers as polite and kind. I notice a lot of details because I don't let my guard down even if I daydream plus I have a photographic + sound memory and they work very well in all situations which can be a bother when I try to concentrate which is difficult for me because I get distracted easily. Also I have very weird reflexes so...anyone who approaches me by surprise gets hit, any sudden movement and I already have my leg/arm going their way which got me into a lot of trouble.

Dislikes: I fight for my beliefs. I have trust issues so I never talk about my problems and will use humor when confronted. Bright lights. Cooking. Slow things or people. When I get teased in a mean way (otherwise I actually like being teased it's a fun fight after). People who change side easily and hypocrites. Overly serious people. I tend to be aggressive and expose an annoyed face easily (I am moody), plus I hate orders and love pressing buttons it's funny(in a fun way rarely in a mean one) unless it's a sensitive subject. When I feel that I am unwanted or someone insults me or take me for granted I become very cold and distance myself and the relationship becomes strained the more they take time to ask for forgiveness, something I might give but will never forget.

Likes: I love cats/laughter/sweets/pranks/dark humour/ a true crime and Supernatural enthusiast and I love science especially concerning space, chemistry, robotic and psychology. Books, sleep, drawing and video games too. Cherries. Sushi.Oh and debates I love them. Surprises too I hate routine and runs away from it. I like making character analysis which I often get right but never show to the people around me because I know they will trust me less.

Hobbits : Reading, getting lost in a book, drawing, learning, debating, daydreaming, sports (I practice karate and shooting), art (piano/drawing/writing especially poetry) and video games

I have some bad habits like biting my nails (I just got rid of it by painting them black)/lips and moving my leg up and down because I am always nervous, disorganized room/sleep and eating schedule plus I am lazy. Also I might try to hide it but I am very competitive and a sore loser

Fun fact : I dream a lot and write my dreams. I don't mind nightmares on the contrary I welcome them because I find them to be a nice experience and they give me ideas plus the amount of emotions you can feel is amazing. I also tend to curse while talking.

When I get hurt, none takes me seriously because I start laughing uncontrollably even if it hurts a lot. Which means if I get stabbed, I am not dying of blood lost, nooo I am dying of laughter.

I rarely get motivated but when I do I give a very good work and put my soul in it, if I don't reach my goal I feel down for a while and become very snappy.

I am a lazy student (hell if I don't feel like writting I don't especially exercises that I understood) but also at top of my class so none says anything (i can befriend people easily if I want to, teachers included). My projects are often done last minute or just improvisation but I get a good mark at them which means that yes sometimes I can become arrogant and I don't really know what it feels like to study really hard and fail sorry. But I know it will bite me later. I often argue my way out of a situation with anyone : I know the exercise why should I write it? If I told you the answer then I know how I got it and you know it too no need for me to write the correction. Mum the brain is a muscle too so I am in fact exercising.

When dealing with an emotional person I don't know what to do I will try to give them words to keep going, it succeed but I am rather harsh plus I try to make jokes to cheer them up.But if a friend breaks down before me I will do my best to cheer them up (ahem jokes and reminding them of all the success they achieved) and if I am comfortable and they want a hug I will give it. I hate people who denies that others helped them.

My love language is gifts, quality time, a little act of service and affection in private if comfortable. I also love to send memes saying it reminds me of us/you and holding pinkies.

I am stubborn, moody (one day I can be really cold/snappy to the person because I am in a bad mood but I apologize after). I speak Arabic, french and English (in that order) and trying to learn italian. I am also an only child.

Thank you!

vyn richter

vyn has an ambiguous moral compass that would allow the two of you to be more compatible than with the others who are more goody two-shoes type. he has an extensive understanding of the human psyche and doesn't need you to explain yourself; he just gets you.

he finds your dream log fascinating, and also respects that you don't fear nightmares. often times the two of you might get together for tea and discuss the meanings, having actual conversations instead of just "how are you" "good" and letting it die there.

vyn is an academic and would welcome debate with you. instead of getting hostile or making it seem like fighting, the debates would be properly intellectual. he would quietly try to motivate you as well, perhaps baking your favourite treat, and being cruel enough to withhold them until you get something done. in turn, he needs to you balance out his seriousness, introducing him to new standards of life he dismissed earlier.

[twstarchives]

Trey Clover・Voice Lines

Additional Voice Lines: Star Send-Off Garments Event Card

School Uniform - R

Unlock Card “It’s important that you be cooperative if you want to get comfortable with this school. There’s no harm in listening to what the vice dorm leader says, don’t you think?”

Groovy “Watching you brings me back to when I was a new student.”

Home Setting “How are you feeling?”

Home Transitions “Something smells sweet? ...Oh, I baked a cake earlier. There might be some left if you run to the lounge right now.”

“Don’t Ace and Deuce ever annoy you? They’re not bad people, but they’re definitely an exhausting set of juniors.”

“Hahaha, it feels like you’re still nervous wearing your uniform. What? That’s not a bad thing. It’s innocent and endearing.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Hey, are you done with your classes for today? Don’t get too wild and bother the teachers, alright?”

Home Taps “Riddle has always stood out, ever since the moment he arrived here. It caused a huge fuss when he became dorm leader.”

“It’s important to study, but you’ll get nothing out of it if you work so hard that you make yourself sick. Taking it slow is the best thing you can do.”

“You should get dental exams just as often as your regular check-ups. Should I refer you to a recommended dentist?”

“If you want to know how to get along with your classmates, go ask Cater. He’s got a lot of friends.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m a little busy right now; could we do this later?”

PE Uniform - R

Unlock Card “Well, ‘easy does it,’ right? Getting too carried away isn’t a good thing.”

Groovy “You’re challenging me to a game of magift? Haha, alright. I’ll let you have a head start.”

Home Setting “Are you done warming up?”

Home Transitions “Ow... While we were in the middle of stretching, Lilia pushed my back down as hard as he could... I even told him to be gentle.”

“It’s really important that you exercise every once in a while and not just stay cooped up in your room. Well, I do understand not feeling up for it.”

“My glasses always get in the way when I’m playing sports... Maybe I should try contacts some time?”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “I’m really not that fond of exercising... But, I’m not necessarily bad at it.”

Home Taps “I used to play soccer a lot in the past. My parents were always really insistent that ‘You need to be strong for making sweets!’”

“Coach Vargas kept yelling ‘Show me what you’ve really got!’ at me today. I wasn’t exactly trying not to put in effort, though.”

“Cater was very insistent that I tell him how to grow taller. I told him that I didn’t really know, but he’s not the type to take no for an answer.”

“I agree that Flying is an important course to take, but the truth is, I don’t like it that much... Keep that between us, alright?”

“Since you seem to have so much energy today, could you go buy some things for me?”

Lab Coat - SR

Unlock Card “This kind of work is more my speed. No need to worry; let me handle things.”

Groovy “Work steadily and carefully. That’s important for both when you’re experimenting and when you’re cooking.”

Home Setting “What do you want me to make?”

Home Transitions “Have you gotten used to our school yet? You won’t exactly find a library or a botanical garden as big as the ones we have anywhere else.”

“They grow herbs and fruits that are kind of unusual in the Botanical Garden. Don’t go around carelessly touching them, alright? It’d be dangerous if one turned out to be poisonous.”

“Deuce was begging on his knees for me to help him with his work... I have to applaud him for that enthusiasm.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Why don’t you stop by the science club if you’ve got the time? I think Rook would be happy to see you too.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “I made caramel yesterday with some leftover ingredients I had. Would you like some? I have so much.”

Home Taps “I like chemistry. It’s a lot more time-consuming than magic, but in turn the satisfaction you feel when you see the reactions is much stronger.”

“Err, where did I put my glasses... Oh, here they are. I’ve been misplacing them a lot lately.”

“Professor Crewel is sort of... intense, but his teaching style is very thorough. He helps us a lot with our club.”

“Cooking is one of the science club activities too. It counts as a type of chemistry, doesn’t it?”

“If you honestly just can’t sit still for a few minutes, I’m worried about how you’ll be in the future.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Watching you guys reminds me of my little siblings. They were always causing a racket; I never knew how to manage them. Hahaha.”

Ceremony Robes - SR

Unlock Card “If you don’t want to lose your head, then behave during the ceremony, alright?”

Groovy “C’mon, are you sure you should be here right now? You’ll be in trouble if you’re late to the ceremony.”

Home Setting “Let’s hope nothing bad happens today...”

Home Transitions “What? Ace was trying to ditch the ceremony? ...I see. Thank you for letting me know.”

“Should you be wandering around by yourself here? We’re relying on you to look after Grim, Prefect.”

“You want to take my picture? I’m not that comfortable with things like this... Cater, on the other hand, would be thrilled to take one with you.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Alright, there’s a lot I need to get done today. Come let me know if you’d like to help out with anything.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Standing in the Ramshackle Dorm in your ceremony robes is definitely... an interesting sight.”

Home Taps “I know people have conflicting opinions on this, but I don’t think there’s a more fitting dorm leader for Heartslabyul than Riddle.”

“Lilia seems so bombarded with work on ceremony days. Being Diasomnia’s vice dorm leader must be rough.”

“The Headmaster takes very good care of the apple tree in the courtyard. That reminds me, which do you like better: apple pie or tarte tatin?”

“I don’t know how I ended up with Cater; it just happened. When I’m with him, I don’t have to be careful about anything—it’s very comfortable.”

“It’s for your own good that you stay obedient during the ceremony. It’ll drag on forever if you make the Headmaster angry.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Riddle has everything put together, so there’s not really anything for me to do as the vice dorm leader. I’m kind of like a decoration.”

Dorm Uniform - SSR

Unlock Card “I was in the middle of painting the roses, but... I guess I can’t turn you away if you need something.”

“The preparations for our parties must always be perfect. But don’t worry about it; I’ll handle everything.”

Groovy “It’s stressful having so many difficult people around. Make sure that you be good, alright?”

Home Setting “There’s nothing better than wearing clothes you’re comfortable in.”

Home Transitions “Here’s a chew toy so that Grim can clean his teeth... ow, ow, ow! Alright, I’m sorry! I get it—he can brush his own teeth!”

“Cater, I swear. He ran out on his flamingo feeding duty again. I have to admit, that silver tongue of his really is impressive.”

“Not a single rose can be overlooked while we prepare for our tea parties. They can’t be pink, green, or aquamarine; they all have to be red.” ¹

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Tea parties and croquet matches are both special, traditional events in Heartslabyul. As the vice dorm leader, I have to work hard for them.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Are you coming to our next Unbirthday Party? I’d like to hear your opinion on a new tart I’ll be making.”

Home Taps “The fireworks we use for the Unbirthday Parties are... What? Isn’t it obvious that we’ll be ending the party with fireworks?”

“‘Why aren’t our rose corsages painted all the way?’ It’s supposed to represent the moral that ‘You must not forget to double-check everything.’”

“I like hats, so I have several of them. This is a special one I had custom-made to match our dorm uniform.”

“Riddle and Cater are both so demanding when it comes to decorating the tables. Who do they think is the one who has to do it all...?”

“Oh, I know we’re supposed to have our buttons done, but... My bad; I’m out of uniform.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “‘When do I get mad’? It’s true, I guess it doesn’t happen very often... But isn’t that a good thing? It’s not like you want to see me that way, right?”

Duo Magic Trey: Sometimes we gotta show everyone our senior pride, Cater! Cater: Anytime’s fine by me, Trey! ♪

Birthday Celebration Outfit - SSR

This card was only obtainable during Trey’s birthday event (Oct 23 - Oct 29, 2020).

Login on Birthday “Haha, I’m kind of getting embarrassed. Thank you. According to the rules of the Queen of Hearts, you’re allowed to be selfish about anything on your birthday. So what should I ask you to do...? Oi oi, don’t get so tense. Wasn’t it obvious I was joking?”

Unlock Card “I’m glad that you’re all celebrating for me, but I think I’m better suited for being on the party planning side.”

“Today’s my birthday, huh...? I’d want to spend it as quietly as I can, but that’s impossible knowing this school. Honestly...”

Groovy “It’s actually kind of nice seeing you celebrate for me so passionately. I had fun thanks to you.”

Home Setting “I feel like this outfit makes me look like a birthday cake.”

Home Transitions “When you eat sweets at a party, make sure to brush your teeth thoroughly that night. That’s not one of the Queen’s rules, but I recommend it.”

“I used to bake the cakes for my little siblings’ birthdays when I was back home. I would burn them a lot when I first started making them.”

“Rook gave me a hat with a posh feather in it. ...What outfit would go well with this?”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “You remembered my birthday? Thank you. Let’s enjoy the party without going too over-the-top.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Now, since it’s my birthday, what should I ask you to do...? Don’t get so tense; I’m just joking. Just wishing me a happy birthday is enough.”

Home Taps “Cater and Riddle told me that I’m banned from entering the kitchen today. Am I really that predictable?”

“Lilia from my class told me that he used to get excited for his first 50 birthdays, too... What a weird joke.”

“Ace and Deuce asked me what I wanted for my birthday... and so I told them ‘juniors who actually listen to their seniors.’”

“Earlier, Chenya randomly showed up, said nothing but ‘Happy birthday,’ and vanished. He’s always so unpredictable.”

“This brooch’s design looks like rose vines in the shape of a club. Do you want to see? I could take it off and show you.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “I drink my favorite tea every year on my birthday. If you’d like, I could pour you a cup too.”

Duo Magic Trey: Oh, you came to celebrate too, Ace? Ace: As always, thank you, Trey!

Tutorial “We have to go soon. Or we’ll lose our heads.”

Lv Up “Haha, leaning on others for help sometimes is nice.”

“This wouldn’t have happened without you working so hard with me.”

“Yeah, I’m feeling really confident about this.”

Max Lv Up “I don’t want to let my juniors see the sides of myself I’m not proud of. That’s why I tried so hard.”

Episode Lv Up “I have a lot fun being with you. ...Hm? ‘That sounds like a lie’? What could I say to make you believe me?”

Magic Lv Up “My magic has gotten stronger than it was before. This is the result of the intensive training we’ve done together.”

Limit Break “I know this doesn’t sound like me, but... I want to try seeing how far I can go. Would you like to join me?”

Groovy “I’m happy to know even I still have room for improvement.”

Lesson Select “You seem kind of sleepy. I won’t wake you up if you fall asleep in the middle of class.”

“It’d be nice if our first-years here were just as dedicated to their studies as you are...”

“My best subject? I guess I’d have to say Alchemy... but I’m pretty average with everything.”

Lesson Start “Alright, time to focus.”

Lesson End “Good job today; let’s keep this up next time.”

Battle Start “I don’t really want to have to get violent...”

Battle End “I’m not that good at getting fired up about things.”

Other

Profile Quote “Sorry, but would you mind helping me paint the roses red?”

January 2020 Trailer “Whoa there! Be careful not to plant any white roses by mistake.”

Countdown Poster “Perfect timing! Would you mind helping me paint the roses red?”

Login Bonus “Oh, good on you. It’s a student’s job to get to class everyday.”

Player Birthday Wish “Happy birthday. I went all out baking a special birthday cake for today. Now, what exactly is ‘special’ about it... you’ll see once you eat it. Everyone’s waiting for us. Let’s go.”

Valentine’s Gift Letter (2021)

These letters were originally in English. I didn’t translate or edit them in any way. They came with official merch from Aniplex, and are not present in-game.

Hey you, Thanks for the gift. I didn’t expect anything from you, so you kind of surprised me. Now what should I give in return… I don’t want to give you something you don’t like, so please tell me: Is there anything you want? If there is, I’ll try to find it for you! Hope you have a great one!

1. They can’t be pink, green, or aquamarine

This references a line from “Painting the Roses Red”

[aferalracoon]

THE BLACK BULLS IN HIGHSCHOOL

Ok so I found myself thinking "what role would each black bull fit in a very cheesy-typical-american-teenagers-film environment?" and my mind ACTUALLY developed something.

So here it comes, my very first personal and self-made headcanon!

Enjoy!

YAMI: THE DAD- I MEAN, THE TEACHER

He is teaching PE (duh)

All students call me him "coach"

He is actually coaching one of the high schools' teams as well - something like basketball or baseball

It is not even the first team but he refused to coach the first teams and likes to focus on who is left behind because not as talented. Even if everyone consider his boys as loosers he would never give up on coaching them

Since he is the coach the team has actually improved - everyone is surpassing their limits and he is so proud of them

Would give emotional support to the kids that are not comfortable in PE class due to bullying, clumsiness or body immage issues

EVERY student would go to him when they have some kind of issue

He gets real about everything with his students: sex, birth control, sexuality, mental health...

But he would never judge them and would always offer the best support

He actually saved lives because of that

Students would fight for him when other teachers bullshit about his reputation as he doesn't get along with the rest of the staff

He is dad

ASTA: THE SPORT BOY

He is part of a bunch of different teams and clubs, and he rules in every single one of them

However he prioritise American football, he is the starting running back and the team's star

Would already have a bunch of college scholarships if it wasn't for his marks

Like he actually tries so hard but he just can't cope with studying and homeworks

He avoids basketball, he is short and insicure about it (he would be great at basketball too tho)

Very popular and all the girls have a crush on him

But he doesn't have a clue

Doesn't like hanging out with his team mates, most of them are "lads-lads" and bullies

He actually fights them a lot

Lowkey geeky, he loves hanging out with the geeks gang and nerd all they long with them when he doesn't have sports commitments

They would help him improve his scholastic performance because this boi really needs help

BONUS: Asta worships coach Yami like a god and Yami ATTENDS HIS GAMES TO SUPPORT HIM

NOELLE: THE RICH GIRL

Extremely popular due to her family reputation

She is part of the elite group in school, meaning the rich kids gang

She would act very cold and distant as the group's etiquette requires

She is actually extremely sad and bored - those guys are not her friends, she hangs out with them just because she is supposed to, so she feels like she doesn't have any friends at all.

The only person she trusts and vibes with in her group is Mimosa

Has the hugest crush on Asta

The two of them eventually become close and she starts to hang out with him and his friends

Would never confess her feelings tho

Very smart, her marks are top ranking and she is planning to apply to a very expensive and fancy college after grads

Extremely clumsy and insecure when it comes to sports and PE but since she befriended Asta she is getting better at it

Loves reading and is secretly part of the book club, which she considers as her self-care and happy place

CHARMY: THE MASCOTTE

Everyone at school loves her

She is always cheerful plus she is so tiny and cute nobody could even think about not liking her

Not the best marks but she gets along with all teachers very well

Always organising some sort of bake sell to collect foundings for the school

Eats the bullies

Would join Zora in his pranking sessions by time to time but she would always have her way while Zora is getting all the troubles

Started the cooking club at school - there are not a lot of members but they have a very good time

Always brings her own food for lunch - she hates canteen's food

MAGNA AND LUCK: THE TROUBLEMAKERS

Constantly in the detention room after school

Skipping classes is their favourite sport

Always together

Magna is kind of quieter than Luck and most of the time Luck is the one that is providing chaotic energies to the duo

Magna on the other side doesn't do anything to stop him - he is very chaotic himself, just way more self conscious

Magna is slightly better at school than Luck and he would pass him homeworks and notes

Teacher's worse nightmare

But when it comes to Yami they would do their freaking best to impress him

Their uniforms are always messy

They had a makeout session in Magna's room once - it felt good but now they decided to do not talk about it

Just a lot of homoerotic vibes

GAUCHE: THE MISTERY GUY

Always quiet

Doesn't speak to anyone

Kind of rude when you approach him

Only has one friend: Finral

Girls really like him due to his looks and his misterious persona - but he cannot be less bothered

Nobody knows when his birthday is

His marks are really good

Loves history class

Plenty of his little sister's photographs in the inside of his locker door

Has a part time afternoon job in some coffee shop

Only studies at night

One time Finral conviced him to go to a party and he still considers it as the most ridiculous experience he ever had in his life

FINRAL: THE PARTY BOY

Cute as hell

Super bubbly personality, always cheerful

He studies the bare minimum and survives by being extra nice to teachers in order to get higher marks

Somehow this technique fails when the teacher is male

Befriended Gauche (nobody knows how) but his bestfriend is Vanessa

Had sex with half of the school

Girls would cry in the bathroom for him

He is actually very insecure and scared of commitment but the only person he would talk about it with is Vanessa

He is the CEO of public relations at school and in charge of all the social events

Lying drunk on the grass in front of the school after a ball with Vanessa while looking at the sky and talking nosense is one of his best high-school memories

VANESSA: THE PARTY GIRL

She is older than anyone else as she had to skip a couple of school years due to her difficult past

Only student that lives by herself

If Finral is in charge of social events at school, she is the queen of throwing private parties and her place

Attended class in hungover or still drunk a lot of times

However she menages to get good marks and invests time in studying and doing homeworks

Would like to attend college but thinks she is too stupid for that

FINRAL WOULD FLIP EVERYTIME SHE DARES TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT ABOUT HERSELF

Boy crushes on her a lot but she is into older men

She goes to Yami's office everytime she has a mental breakdown due to her past traumas, she knows he would help her a lot - Finral and Yami are the only people who ever saw her cry tho

Wears her uniform in a very sexy way - and teachers disapprove that

Younger girls always go to her for beauty and dating advices

Bonus: Finral and Vanessa are like brother and sister and never ever had any type of sexual interaction - but nobody believes that.

ZORA: THE PRANK GEEK

Extremely smart, loves sciences

But his reputation among teaching staff is completely ruined due to his constant pranks

Like this guy could prank the principal himself and don't even care about it

He is actually planning to

Best detention pall with Magna and Luck

His tie is always undone

All the bad girls absolutely love him

Apart from playing pranks he is a big fat geek - he loves video games and often spends the weekends with Asta and the other geeks playing PlayStation all night long

Attends Charmy's cooking club quite often

Would skip classes just for the hell of it

Never attended a party

GORDON AND NERO: THE GOTH DUO (ALSO GEEKS)

Bestfriends, everyone thinks they are dating but they just vibe

Extremely good marks, they rule is chemistry class

They always pair up for projects and there is no competition

Very rare to hear them talking unless they are talking to each other

Spend lots of time at the library just being quiet and studying at the same table

Also love hanging out in their rooms listening to music or going to the comics shop

They absolutely love comics

Part of the geeks gang

Nero would spend hours reassuring Gordon after some girl that doesn't deserve him broke his heart

Gordon tries to find Nero a boyfriend at all costs and she doesn't understand why

Never skipping one of Asta's game

GREY: THE SHY GEEK

Absolutely hates PE

She always cries in the changing room before every single class

Yami knows how to reassure her tho

Only comfortable around her group of friends

Very good marks, she would love to study drama after grads

Big teather nerd, she loves the drama club and she is actually very good at it - it is also the only place where her shyness would completely disappear

Also extremely good at RPGs (like D&D)

Loves to organise RPGs sessions at her place with her group of friends

One time at school a guy flirted with her - she ran away and didn't show up for 3 days

She secretly admires Charmy for being so outgoing and sociable

She is also part of other clubs at school like book club and crafting club - these activities really sooth her

Actually enjoys sitting by herself in class if no one of her friends are there

Finds Luck and Magna extremely fun

HENRY: THE FRAGILE GEEK

He has a permission to skip PE due to health conditions - Yami makes sure that he is always included somehow so he won't feel lonely while his classmates are running around

Really good marks but his attendance is not the best

Loves literature class and loves reading

He read "The Lord of The Ring" 40 times

Also loves cinema and takes part to the cinema club

His friends would hang out at his place so he doesn't have to go out too much

when they go out they always make sure he's fine, is hydrated and not getting too tired

Asta would teach him how to throw a football

Always sitting in the first row in class

Would not take any bullies and roast the hell out of them within seconds

Loves to help other students with their homeworks

[kominum]

swept away // t.h.

hello, new writing blog here! i have another writing blog for a different fandom, but i wanted to make a separate one for t.h./p.p. scenarios. since this is new, i’ll be writing for prompts that interest me, but you can send in some as well for blurbs and whatnot! 

genre: some angst, some fluff, pining, uni!au 

prompt: you’re baking cookies in the communal kitchen at 3am and you’re really angry and hungry (adjustment from the prompt where another person is angry and hungry)

length: ~1.8k

This should not become a habit, you think to yourself. In fact, it shouldn’t have happened enough to begin with to even come close to becoming a habit, but after a couple of nights with too much alcohol and hangovers you’d rather never experience again, you’re here. 

Here, in this communal kitchen, at 3 in the fucking morning, baking chocolate chip cookies in the oven. 

Yes, homemade cookies are better. Yes, the tear-apart cookies from the grocery store are low-key trash. Yes, you know that they’re really not that good for you. But no, your professor decided to be an insufferable asshole during a physical chemistry lab session for the fifth fucking time, and you’re going to unwind somehow. You know that if you don’t, someone else will get the bad end of the stick aka someone will unfairly be on the receiving end of your murderous stare and you’d rather not get on anyone’s bad side. There’s a part of you that desires to be liked by everyone, which is probably 80% of the explanation as to why you let this asinine professor walk all over you for four hours a week.

So here you are, messy hair, lids heavy, eye bags dark, curled up in a chair and staring angrily at the oven, just waiting for the cookies to cook and let themselves be devoured by you. In the last few times, no one has been here, and you’re not worried about anyone catching you clad in a fandom hoodie and stained sweatpants. 

As you’re thinking about all the different ways you could “accidentally” spill a harmless but staining chemical on top of your professor’s hair (especially the one that he very first yelled at you about because he truly thought you were stupid enough to not wear gloves, but instead the chemical had stained past the nitrile for fuck’s sake), soft padded steps make themselves known behind you. Naturally, you freeze and peer into the reflection of the oven cover, eyes trying to make out the details of the person behind you. A young man walks in donned in an oversized t-shirt with some scrawled text on it and pink pajama pants who later jumps back when he spots you around the corner. You watch him flinch in the reflection and almost drop his unwrapped bags of microwave popcorn before you turn in your chair and just...stare.

He’s cute. Despite the outfit, he’s ridiculously cute, and you can’t find the energy to muster a smile or even say hi. So essentially, he’s receiving a bitch stare while fumbling with the unpopped popcorn, finally managing to place it correctly in the microwave and glance in any direction but you, his fingers tapping rhythmically against his thigh. Your 3AM, sugar-addicted brain decides that it’ll do the stupid thing and force you to speak.

“Don’t you have a microwave in your own room?” 

Cutie in pink zips around to look at you, completely bewildered, and he clears his throat. “Well..uh..the uh, um...microwave in my room is broken. Housing hasn’t come by to fix it,” he mumbles towards the end, your ears picking up a British accent. You hum in understanding and take a glance back at the timer on the oven, gauging whether or not your cookies needed more time. They’ve got a couple of minutes.

“Housing can take forever sometimes,” you add, trying to sound empathetic. “Both bags of popcorn are for you?”

“No,” he replies, sounding slightly offended. You throw your hands up in innocence, fighting a smile. “My mate and I are having a movie marathon. What about you? I can smell the cookies.”

“Yep, all 12 for myself. One of those days, you know? And it’s perfectly fine to have 2 bags of popcorn to yourself. Lord knows I’ve done it,” you snort, thinking about how just two weeks ago, the two bags of butter popcorn had become your dinner on a night that you needed to really hunker down and study.   

“One of those days? Wanna talk about it?” He asks while listening for the number of pops in the microwave. Harrison would never forgive him if he burned popcorn because he was too busy talking to a girl. 

“Well,” you rub your temples and stand up to take the cookies out of the oven. “Long story short, I have an asshole professor and I see him way too much for my own liking. If he makes another snide sexist comment about women being in science, I’ll be sorely tempted to complain to someone higher up.” Your hand picks up a cookie to check the bottom and nods in approval. “Want one?” You ask over a cookie in your mouth, handing the tray to the boy who’s putting in the second bag of popcorn. 

He shrugs, “Thanks.” Doing the smart thing, he blows a bit on the cookie first before popping half of it into his mouth, eyes closing in satisfaction at the warm chocolate hitting his tongue. “Anyone who argues that warm cookies aren’t the best things sent to Earth, I have half a mind to have a go at ‘em.” 

“I’m with you on that,” you laugh. “Better this than alcohol. Wanna take some more for your friend?”

“Yeah sure. Actually,” he pauses, gazing deeply into the microwave. “You wanna come watch the movies with us? Bring the cookies there too?” His eyes are full of hesitation and he chews nervously on the inside of his lip. Maybe he was too forward, maybe he was too friendly, maybe -- 

“Why not?” You shrug, said too fast and partially out of need for human contact and partially because the popcorn smells too good. It’d be nice to balance out the sweetness with some salt. “I hope they’re good movies.”

“Trust me, we have great taste in movies.”

And that’s how you found yourself following a cute British boy to his room with a tray of cookies and a warm heart. 

-

Things had kicked off since then, the surprised look on Harrison’s face that day still ingrained into your mind. You had also passed out on Tom’s shoulder and woken up with a sore back on the couch, both boys missing but a note on the table for you. Since then, numbers had been exchanged and a group chat formed. Tom has taken to asking you if you want cookie dough every time he goes to the grocery store now, and their room never seems to run out of microwave popcorn. Late night sessions turned into not-so-late rants, sometimes just tiredly knocking on their door and either one of the boys opening it for you. Sleep is important, and not only for the weak.

Yet when being caught up in the wind of things, you couldn’t deny that you felt something for Tom. College was a busy time and yes, you should have fun, and yes, you should shoot your shot or whatever the Internet says these days, but the fear of rejection outweighs the possible acceptance. Things are too good with Tom and you wouldn’t want to lose that. You know that if Tom denied your feelings, you’d immediately run away and lock the door on your heart for who knows how long. You’d abandon all traditions and any paths that could cross with them, foreshadowing that if you ever did see them, the embarrassment would overtake you. At that moment, you would want nothing more than to dig a hole and stay in it for the rest of eternity. 

“You’re being so dramatic,” you mutter to yourself, knees bent as you lay on a throw pillow against the arm on Tom and Harrison’s couch and flip through their Netflix. The microwave had long been fixed, and though your ears can definitely register the sound of corn kernels aggressively hitting the sides of the bag, they evidently didn’t catch Tom coming to see if you’d made a choice on a movie yet. 

“Who’s being dramatic, darling?” He asks in a genuinely curious tone and you almost want to smack yourself in the head. 

“Harrison,” you fib, mind scrambling for a scenario. “He’s watching the popcorn like a hawk.” 

“Oi!” He yells from the corner where the microwave is. “We can’t be having burnt popcorn under this roof, not on my watch.”

You give Tom the look, the kind that says see what I mean? and it only makes Tom laugh, which makes you happy because that’s the sound that dissolves any of your worries for the day. Well, except the one where you might accidentally burst and confess your undying affection for the guy. Other than that, it’s one of the few things that can really calm you down and let you relax. 

As Harrison dumps the popcorn into a bowl, Tom comes to sit next to you and your feet naturally pick themselves up to give him his space. He then pushes them back down so you can spread your legs over his to create a perpendicular model, and you try to ignore how the motion makes your heart flutter or how just his hands on your legs send heat surging through your system. It’s not fair -- no person should have such an effect over another human being. Can this be illegal? Can this not be allowed?

While thoughts are swirling in your brain, Tom can only think about how much he craves the moments like these, the ones where you’re comfortable enough to be in a position like this, the ones where you sometimes crash in his bed and he gets to see what your sleeping face is like. He prides in the fact that you seek him out on the rough days, that you see him as a source of comfort. Tom wants nothing more than to be that and more for you, just for you. It’s sappy, it’s gross, it’s cheesiest of all cheesiness, but he can’t even find it in himself to be embarrassed by how enamored he is with you. 

Harrison had caught on long ago on how whipped he was. “Just tell her bruv,” he pushed one time when Tom had gotten a little tipsy in their dorm. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“She rejects me and never wants to see my face again,” Tom had immediately slurred back and his eyebrows had sagged into the saddest kicked-puppy look that Harrison had ever seen for the first time in a while. Of course, he rolled his eyes to let Tom know that he was being unreasonable. Clearly, you were just as smitten, but both of you were as blind as bats. 

With the apprehension that neither will accept the other, both you and Tom have learned to become content with whatever is happening now. But at the end of the day, when good nights have been said and lingering hugs given, you and he both can’t help but wish for just a little more time with each other.

Just, a little more.

[fox-guardian]

Meeting the Master (part 2)

Part 1

His first task of the morning was to wake up his master with breakfast, so after getting dressed, he went out to retrieve it. Eggs, bacon, juice, biscuits; it smelled rather tasty. He brought it back up to his master's room and knocked upon the door.

"Master Henry, it's time to wake up," he called. He didn't get a response. He did this a second time before opening the door just a tad. Now he could hear snoring. He stepped inside and approached his sleeping master. He was laying on his luxurious bed wrapped in his luxurious sheets, and hugging a luxurious pillow tightly to his chest as he snored loudly. 

"...Master Henry," he repeated. Henry's eyes snapped open as he jolted awake. He turned and squinted at Poole, "Mm...Morning...." he greeted as he tossed his pillow aside. Poole took his master's glasses from his nighttable and presented them to him alongside his breakfast. Henry woke himself up a bit more, put on his glasses, and then sighed, straightening himself into perfect posture as he began eating. Odd, Poole thought, he didn't need to look so formal. He had just woken up. 

Poole stood there awkwardly watching him eat. "Is there... anything I could do for you, Sir?" he asked.

"You could leave me alone," Henry replied, rather bluntly. He then froze, as if immediately regretting what he'd said.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Sir, unless you have a specific task for me to do," he said, noting that this must be the sort of behaviour his father would want to hear about. Speaking of which, he hadn't seen Mr. Jekyll yet today. Or Mrs. Jekyll, for that matter. Perhaps they weren't up yet? 

Henry sighed, and continued eating in silence. Poole found a chair and sat down on it, taking in the room around him. It was clean and perfectly organized. He looked over at what appeared to be a sort of makeshift study area or miniature laboratory, with books and a chemistry set that took up most of a desk. 

"Permission to speak, Master?" Poole asked.

"Su- Yes, permission granted, Poole..." he replied. He didn't seem to be used to giving orders. Poole thought he would've had some experience with the other servants, but perhaps he was so naughty that those privileges had been taken away before he could practice.

"What's all that?" he finally asked, pointing at the bottles and beakers.

"Oh, I recently got back from university. I'm now a doctor of medicine. That's my chemistry equipment," he still seemed annoyed by Poole's presence, and he couldn't blame him. He wouln't want someone spying on him all day either, but he assumed he was deserving of such punishment so he didn't have much sympathy for him. 

"Doctor of medicine? That's an interesting field choice," Poole said, trying to see how such an apparently unruly young man could graduate from a university.

"Mm," said Henry between bites of bacon, "My parents weren't as excited about my passions for science as I was. Perhaps that's why I also got a couple of degrees in law..." 

Law degrees? And chemistry? That's a lot of school he'd have to commit to attending...

"You've already gotten both law and medical degrees? How?" he asked.

"I attended medical and law school simultaneously. It's a matter of careful scheduling, really," he paused and took a sip of juice, "I didn't get much sleep..."

Poole was surprised. He didn't think someone so "disobediant" and "defiant" could commit to such a schedule. Surely there was a reasonable explaination, though he couldn't find it yet.

...

Later that day, Henry announced that he would be going out to spend time with a couple of friends. Poole asked another servant where Mr. and Mrs. Jekyll were, and was informed that Mr. Jekyll had left for work and that the Missus was off with friends somewhere and that neither would be back before the evening. A busy bunch, he thought.

Poole, as he was instructed, followed his master out as he went to visit his friends. They arrived at a cafe and Henry approached a certain table with two other young gentlemen sitting at it, eating lunch. One was a heavyset fellow donning a suit of soft blues and light blonde hair, and the other a taller, more brawny fellow wearing reds and browns, with very pale blonde hair that mostly covered one eye, glasses, and a nice mustache. 

Henry's demeanor seemed to shift as he greeted them. He stretched out his arms and spoke clearly and articulately, you could hear the smile on his face as he spoke, "Ah, Utterson, Lanyon, my dearest friends! How are you?"

They looked at him, a bit shocked and disturbed, as if a stranger had approached them. 

Henry continued, "Let me introduce you to my new servant, Poole," Poole stepped forward and bowed for them, "His job is to serve my needs..." his tone shifted slightly, "...and to report my misbehaviour to my parents."

His friends' faces fell with pity and understanding. Perhaps they were troublemakers as well and Poole was keeping them from their fun. They sat down with the two young men and ordered their food. Poole learned that the one in blue was "Utterson" and the one in red was "Lanyon". He also learned that Henry had met them both during university, he studied medicine with Lanyon and studied law with Utterson. 

The air became tense once again, and in an effort to break it, Lanyon suggested going for a walk through the park. As they made their way over, Poole stood behind the three friends, noting how much his master stood out from them. Not only was his fashion sense much darker than theirs with his jet black coat and hat contrasting with their more gentle blue and brown coats and hats, but they way he held himself was also odd. His friends walked... simply. Just walking as people do. He supposed Lanyon walked with a certain excitement, swaying a doctor's bag proudly with each step, while Utterson seemed more reserved, keeping his hands in front of him. Each of them bobbed with each step they took, and from a distance, nothing was very unusual or unique about their ways of moving. It was only up close and next to Henry that a distinction could be made. He held himself with perfect posture, his arms shifting only slightly by his sides and his head staying still with each step. If you couldn't see his feet on the ground you'd think he was floating just above it. His walk was perfectly even, almost eerily so. If it weren't balanced by his cheery demeanor, Poole would think a ghost was walking ahead of him. But even then it still seemed off.

Everything had started to seem off.

...

They finally arrived at the park, picking up pebbles and skipping them into the pond, occasionally picking up a conversation topic only to end it a tad sooner than Poole thought made sense. They weren't talking about anything awful, just reminiscing about recent get-togethers, or even university... but each topic seemed to die prematurely. It was quiet, tense. Poole noticed that Henry hadn't tossed any stones yet. He was simply standing by, out of place among his own friends. At first Poole thought that perhaps they simply spent time with him because of his status, but it became clear to him that Henry wasn't usually like this around them.

They stopped skipping stones and went further into the park. Lanyon suggested going off the path and wandering among the trees. Despite no signs saying that this was prohibited, and Poole recalling many times where people would do just that, Henry adamantly but politely declined. 

Poole looked at his master. He was smiling a perfect smile. The same smile he'd had on the entire time. It started to waver. It looked as if he was trying to fight back whatever expression was trying to pass over his face. He took a deep breath, exhaled, and finally agreed to step off the path. His voice also seemed to be caught in a struggle as he spoke.

They all wandered into the trees. Utterson pointed out animals and bugs, Lanyon smiling at the little flowers that popped up here and there, and Henry stepping on every stick he could find until it made a satisfying snap. 

"...Does anyone else smell pie?" Henry asked, sniffing the air.

"Oh!" said Utterson, "That's probably me. I went over to my parents' house and baked a cherry pie with my mother, so the smell may be lingering."

"Ah, that's right, you moved out of your parents' house, didn't you?" Henry asked.

"Yes, I'm still getting used to it... I miss waking up to the smell of breakfast wafting in from the kitchen," he said wistfully, and then laughed, "Now I've got to make it myself!"

"Get yourself some servants," said Lanyon, "a cook, a maid, a butler, it'd make things easier."

"True," Utterson replied, "but my mother taught me all these skills... It'd be a shame never to use them."

As they were talking, Poole glanced over at his master, who seemed to be trembling. Poole then came upon a realization. Ah... he thought, that's what's been creeping onto his face...

Henry then bent down and picked up a large, leafless branch. Suddenly, he lifted the branch over his left shoulder and swung it at the trunk of a tree, snapping the branch in half with a startling crack. Everyone jumped, including Poole. 

He finished his thought, ...rage.

Henry started pacing and muttering to himself, "...what's the point if he's just gonna tell them ev'r'thin... doesn't change anythin... it'll all be the same anyway..."

Utterson approached him, resting a hand on his shoulder, and began softly whispering to him. He seemed to relax. Lanyon also tried to calm him down, but to no avail. He started trembling more, crumbling into a little ball on the ground, hiding his face in his hands. They all stood by silently until he threw his hands up in frustration and stood up again.

"Forget it! I give up!" he said, having lost his perfect composure, "Doesn't matter anyway. Why bother? Let's go climb a tree."

Poole was... confused, at best. He had no idea what he was talking about, but was more than a bit concerned about that little rage fit. He'd have to report that, definitely.

They went on, enjoying themselves more thoroughly. Lanyon and Henry raced each other up a tree while Utterson stood at the bottom telling them were going to hurt themselves, they made little crowns out of flowers, and told silly jokes. Poole took note of everything particularly dangerous or inappropriate for a young gentleman to be taking part in, but they were mostly just being young men. Playing silly games, having fun... nothing Poole hadn't done when he was younger. He wasn't really seeing the man that had been described to him. Perhaps there was worse to come? Surely there was. This was far too tame to require a chaperone, especially for a grown man. Maybe the Jekylls simply had different standards? But wasn't this a tad extreme? 

Time would tell, he decided. He still had the better part of a week before the first meeting, there was still a lot to learn about his new master. Hopefully things would start to make more sense...

((Hoo boy a multi-part story W O W look at me go. I’ll probably do a third part soon as well but yeYE this is fun. This one feels a little messier though, so I hope y’all still enjoy it.))

[if-you-built-yourself-a-myth]

Best Laid Plans

Eliott was the kind of boyfriend who remembered that he and Lucas were coming up on the nine-month anniversary of their first kiss. Also the kind that planned something for it. It was probably bad to admit, but when he’d gone home after kissing Lucas, he’d penciled in the milestone for each month and waited for the best time to spring the celebration. He couldn’t help it. Even then, something in him had known that Lucas was the last person with whom he’d ever fall in love. Now he could see the payoff in the not-so-distant future. Finally, he would get to give Lucas a small taste of the happiness that Lucas had given him in the Polaris tunnel so long ago. 

Yann and Basile told him they would be free to help that weekend. Arthur said something about a family dinner, and while Eliott didn’t believe a word of the excuse, he couldn’t help but smile when Arthur promised to come later and stay to clean up. Lucas had such great friends. Eliott’s uni friends actually took time out of their day to study on the weekends instead of hosting parties—the audacity! Yann chipped in beer money and Basile promised to get the girls in on the surprise.

Daphne, of course, couldn’t wait to plan something else. 

“He’s friends with Imane,” she ranted to Eliott over lunch at a café. “Imane could invite him out to study for something, and we could have the party then. He never questions Imane.”

“Where would she ask him to study?”

Daphne didn’t even flinch. “A restaurant. Somewhere nice but not fancy.” 

Eliott shrugged. “I kind of wanted to surprise him in the place where it happened.”

“Then you can take him there from the restaurant. After food.”

Eliott thought about the plan for a second. It seemed airtight. Now that he was on good terms with Idris, Sofiane, and the others, he’d had them over at his and Lucas’s apartment to hang out several times. They brought Imane with them, and she and Lucas would talk for hours. Lucas would follow Imane anywhere with no explanation. 

“What restaurant will he like?” he asked Daphne.

“That’s your job to decide,” she replied. “You’re his boyfriend.”

Even after almost nine months, hearing the word boyfriend in relation to Lucas and himself gave Eliott butterflies in his stomach. No one in the history of ever could be as lucky as he was. 

Pasta. Lucas was a pasta kind of guy. Imane would have to lead Lucas to a place that served pasta, and then everything from there on in would fall right into place. 

As Eliott and Daphne got up to leave the café, he pulled her into a hug. “Thank you for your help.”

Daphne made a pssh sound. “I live for this sort of thing,” she said. “If Basile had let me, I would have planned my own surprise party.” 

There was no doubt in Eliott’s mind she was speaking the truth.

-~-

“Any plans for Saturday?” Eliott tried to sound nonchalant as he stirred the eggs around in the pan. Lucas was probably too tired to pick up on any hints of what was to come, but he didn’t want to take any risks and ruin the surprise.

Lucas took another bite of his toast. “Going to study with Imane.”

“Here? Should I clean the living room?”

They both turned to look at their mess of a home. Eliott rented the apartment because it was close to his university campus, and it seemed fitting to ask Lucas to live with him. Manon needed her room to herself. Although several months had passed since the move, they had yet to remove all of Lucas’s odds and ends from cardboard boxes, which now littered the floor. It would be impossible to clear it all in a day or two.

“No.” Lucas shook his head. “Absolutely not here.”

“What’s so bad about here?”

“Nothing, but Imane spends enough time in this dump as is. Not here.”

Eliott removed the pan from the heat and scraped his culinary masterpiece onto two plates for Lucas and himself to enjoy. Without all the funky spices and desire to experiment, he really was a good cook. Also, Manon gave him lessons on how to make a few things before Lucas moved out. 

He handed a plate to Lucas. “I don’t know many places beyond here.”

“It’s some restaurant or something.”

Excellent, so the plan had fallen into place. Eliott didn’t need to know any more about the situation. As soon as he finished his eggs, he would text Daphne and thank her again for her planning skills. Then he’d text Imane and tell her he loved her for playing along. 

“I don’t know why it’s a restaurant,” Lucas continued. “We don’t go to restaurants normally.” He paused to grab a fork and swallow a bite of egg. “She’s using me as an excuse to eat pasta.” Even half asleep, he perked up in confidence at this theory. “She’s using me to eat pasta!”

“What an Imane thing to do.” 

“Yeah. Doesn’t matter though ‘cause Arthur and I are just gonna—” 

Eliott tuned out the next few words by accident. There were two days remaining. He had to focus too much on shooting a message to Yann, using only his left hand and making quite a few typos in the process. It was time to complete the itinerary.

-~-

goodgalimane: We’re on our way

goodgalimane: He’s making fun of me for wanting to go here

goodgalimane: @srodulv Come get your man

y4z4s: aww 

basile_simple: we’re set

daph.pink: ready when you are

thank you imane <3

Eliott waited at a booth near the back of the building. He’d thought about wearing a suit and tie for such an important event, except there would be booze and Lucas would most definitely be partaking. He didn’t want to get anything sloppy on a nice outfit. He wore his normal brown jacket, a t-shirt with a picture of Polaris’s constellation, cuffed blue jeans: nicer than usual, in a subtle way Lucas would love. The rest of his friends were dressed to the nines in a similar fashion. Each had put a lot of care into their outfit for the event. Basile wanted to go for the tux, and only Eliott’s veto had stopped him.

When Lucas arrived, Yann and Basile would join him and Imane at the table and claim to have been invited as well. They would chat for a little bit, order some food, and eat as per normal. After the meal, the boys would request dessert. Eliott would come over with the cake he’d baked with Manon that morning, and it would be party time. Everyone knew this portion of the master plan, even the waitstaff. They didn’t know about the box Eliott had in his hand. That part, he decided, would be better if it was a surprise for everyone involved. 

He turned the box over and over in his fingers. Feeling it made it real, and oh, how he loved that it was real. Nine months seemed about time for something like this, especially with Eliott and Lucas’s legendary chemistry. 

They would go to the Polaris tunnel after cake to continue the party with music and dancing. It was extra, Eliott knew it, but Lucas deserved something extra for all he had to put up with.

Eliott’s phone pinged again.

goodgalimane: guys, something’s up

Yann and Basile peaked around into Eliott’s booth, brandishing Yann’s phone between them as if Eliott could not see the message on his own. Eliott noted in passing that Yann still had a photo of Emma as his lock screen, even though they hadn’t even hooked up since July… to Eliott’s knowledge. He pushed their hands away.

manon.demissy: what did you do to him

goodgalimane: Nothing

goodgalimane: He’s out of it

So, tired, thought Eliott, even though he knew that couldn’t be the case. He’d talked to Lucas earlier, and the boy had been more awake than ever before. It was almost as if he’d had a newfound purpose in life. Eliott loved seeing Lucas smile like that. 

“Damnit, Lucas, let us plan one thing!” Basile faked a dramatic faint in his seat. “Give Daphne this one thing.”

“It’s really my thing,” said Eliott, not like it would change Basile’s sentiment on the subject. 

Yann leaned closer to Eliott. “He’s okay, isn’t he? She doesn’t mean he’s sick?”

“No, she doesn’t.” Eliott scrolled to refresh the chat for more messages. “I was with him this morning and he was fine. He told me he was going to do laundry, shower, and then see Arthur and chat about something.”

“He’s seeing Arthur today?”

“Yes, something important for school to talk about.” Eliott’s tone is brusque. “He took a few of our…” He trailed off.

Yann picked up on the realization. “Arthur knows about this, though, he wouldn’t…”

Basile sat back up in the chair. “He definitely would, if their talk was anything scientific.”

They all turned back to their screens as another message pinged through.

goodgalimane: ok it’s for sure. he’s drunk. 

-~-

Lucas teetered on his own feet as he entered the restaurant. While he didn’t have to lean on Imane for support, he looked like he should have a wristband as a fall risk. Every step brought a wobble. Even when Lucas was buzzed out of his mind, Eliott could appreciate the grace that seemed to carry him around; as unstable as they were, his movements melded together like fluid. 

His spiky hedgehog hair gave Eliott another idea for a drawing.

Imane did not look nearly as blissful as her charge. She walked in behind him and shot a death glare at Eliott.

“Did you know about this?”

Eliott pulled his hands back in surrender. “No!” Imane could be scary when she wished, though she probably was not as serious as she sounded. He loved her to death while never daring to cross her. 

“Someone had to have known. Look at him.”

The rest of the group abandoned their hiding places to see the cause of the commotion. Other patrons ducked down over their food and pretended not to listen in on the conversation. Lucas ran into a table.

Okay, maybe not much grace. 

Imane punched Eliott lightly on the shoulder. “You knew about this.” Her grimace turned into the hint of a smile.  “You son of a bitch.”

“I didn’t!”

The ambient noise in the restaurant settled into silence as the other customers became intrigued with whatever weird drama was unfolding around them. A woman at a table close to where Eliott had been sitting quit trying to hide that she was eavesdropping. She inclined her head towards Eliott. Lucas, meanwhile, remained oblivious to the fact his friends had been trying to surprise him. Eliott stood out of his sight line, and Lucas seemed to have dedicated most of his focus to an embroidered picture on the nearest tablecloth.

“Do you do these here?” he asked a waiter, speech so garbled he could be mistaken for a tourist rather than a native French speaker.

Eliott raised his voice a little so Imane could hear him better without having to get closer. “He went out with Arthur earlier, and they might have overdone it?” He could still save the surprise if he could keep out of sight long enough for Lucas to sit down and get something besides booze in his stomach. He wondered what stuff Arthur had to say that inspired something as celebratory as getting completely and totally hammered. 

“Overdone it?” Imane laughed, and forgot the surprise factor. Just as well; Lucas was a bit preoccupied and probably didn’t notice her walking over to Eliott. 

“Yeah, a little.”

“You should call Arthur and make sure he’s still alive. This is way overdone.”

Yes, Eliott would be calling Arthur as soon as they had Lucas sorted out. He was sure Arthur would have some logical explanation for Lucas’s condition, one that made such perfect sense that Eliott couldn’t even be mad about it. He’d still like to know. Arthur knew about the surprise tonight and the party afterwards. He should have picked a better morning to pump Lucas full of alcohol and send him away.

The plan should continue as established. “Let’s just keep with—” 

Lucas’s head shot up from where he’d been studying the tablecloth. His hair, almost gravity-defying, bounced as he did so. Fuck, he was so beautiful. Eliott didn’t realize he’d spoken the last sentence any louder than the previous ones.

“Eliott?” Lucas turned this way and that.

Yann and Basile looked over at Eliott eyes wide. This could have been a gesture of what-are-we-supposed-to-do, or one of how-does-he-know-you-by-a-four-word-unfinished-sentence, but either way the jig was up.

“What?” said Imane, spinning to face Lucas again.

“I heard Eliott.”

“Are you sure?”

“I know his voice. He talks a lot…” The last word of the sentence dragged like a pen rolling off a table. “So much. So much. Especially when we’re going ov—” He stopped short with a gag. The waitstaff stood helplessly at their positions, begging Eliott with their eyes to get his boyfriend out of here. They might have been in on the party in the beginning, before they saw Lucas. Now all bets were off. 

Split-second decisions must be made occasionally. Eliott made his way over to Lucas. He adored the way the smaller boy’s face broke into a grin when their eyes met. 

Lucas tried to pull him down into a kiss before losing his balance and nearly collapsing on the floor. “Baby, what are you doing here?”

Eliott caught him. “Out with your friends is all.”

“Were you following me?”

“They have good pasta here.”

This remark was funny, apparently. Lucas broke into a fit of hysterical laughter. A nearby customer signaled to a waiter. A complaint, no doubt. Eliott and Imane locked eyes, nodded at each other, and then Imane passed the command onto the others with a shake of her head in their direction. Lucas had to get back home. The party would have to wait for another day.

“We have to get you home,” Eliott said to Lucas. 

The other boy whined. “No, I just got here!”

“You’re in the West. C’mon, let’s go home. Bye, Imane.”

Eliott would have helped Lucas walk from the get-go, but his boyfriend waving him off like an annoying fly. “I can go by myself. I’ll go by myself, okay? Go by myself.” The statement inspired a new fit of giggling. 

He took two steps toward the exit, tripped over his own feet, and smacked into the glass door. Not hard enough to do any damage. At this point, the restaurant manager would be out to kick them from the premises at any minute, and no one would blame him. Eliott bent down, scooped up Lucas over his shoulder, and carried him outside. Even if he couldn’t have a huge dramatic party, at least he and his boy could make a huge dramatic exit.

-~-

Lucas splayed out on the bed like a starfish, eyes closed, back to the ceiling. The gentle rise and fall of his body let Eliott know he was still alive. Eliott stood outside the bedroom, looking in, and dialed Arthur’s number on his phone to get the full story. Daphne sent him a few messages he decided to ignore for the time being. The phone line rang once before Arthur answered. 

“Hello?”

“Hey,” Eliott said. “Did you see Lucas today?”

“Is he not with you guys?”

Something fell off the bed in the bedroom. Not Lucas, thank goodness, but the little crash was enough to make the sleeping boy shift around in the blankets.

“No, no, he’s here with me.”

“Oh, good.” Arthur paused. “Just you?”

“Yeah. He’s a bit out of it.”

Rustling on the other end. Perhaps Arthur was sitting up. He seemed to shush someone just far enough away that Eliott couldn’t hear who it was. Probably one of Arthur’s family members, from whatever event he’d said he needed to be at tonight instead of Lucas’s party. “Is he okay?”

“Just drunk.”

“Fuck, really drunk?”

Eliott shrugged, then remembered that Arthur couldn’t see him. “I don’t know,” he said into the receiver. “Drunk enough that we went home. I’m not upset, I just want to know if something was bothering him when he was with you, or if he was drinking too much. That sort of thing.”

“Oh, okay.” More rustling. This time, Eliott could make out the voice of a boy besides Arthur in the background, saying something about cooking dinner and getting a stain out of a sweatshirt. “He was fine when I saw him. Um. Nothing wrong. We may have had a few, but...”

“Don’t worry about it,” Eliott reassured him. From the anxiety on Arthur’s voice, he had more pressing matters to attend to at the moment than Lucas having a few too many. “Are you still planning on cleaning up tonight?” 

“He’ll be there!” called the male voice from the background. “He’ll—hey!” 

Arthur returned to the phone. “Yes, I’ll go. Lucas is a no-go, then, I take it?”

“We’ll see. Thank you.”

“Of course. Anything else I can do, just let me know.” He hung up the phone halfway through the last word. Eliott understood anyway, so no big deal.

 Eliott headed into the bedroom, moved Lucas’s body to one side of the bed, and lay down beside him. If he was angelic while awake, the effect doubled upon sleep. Lucas appeared to the world as an ethereal being from somewhere better and brighter than Earth, someone more beautiful than Eliott could ever imagine having wrapped up in the same comforter as himself. Nine months ago, his life had changed. He’d kissed the best person in the universe in the pouring rain.

“Baby?” Lucas mumbled, a sound that would never get old.

“I’m here,” he answered. 

“I love you.”

“Me too.” Eliott ran a hand through his boyfriend’s fluffy hair. “What did you talk about with Arthur?”

“I’m his guru.”

Eliott didn’t know what that was supposed to mean. No matter. He could ask at a later date, when Lucas was more awake than asleep and not riding the high of alcohol. “It’s a shame. You missed a very nice thing I had planned for today. A whole big party.”

“Party?”

“Yes, a party.” Eliott produced the box from his pocket again, holding it in between their faces on the pillow. “A party for a very special reason. Nine months, Lulu.”

Lucas scanned up and down the box in Eliott’s hands. “You were… proposing?”

“No,” Eliott whispered, half-laughing. He opened the box to a small picture of a Pomeranian puppy. “I was thinking we would get a dog. You and I, together, like you wanted.” Lucas barely reacted to the good news, his eyelids fluttering and fighting to shut. “But you’re not going to remember any of this, are you?”

“Maybe.”

“That’s fine. Means I can use it again.” He pressed a kiss to Lucas’s forehead, listening to his love’s soft breathes as he drifted off to sleep once more. Then Eliott turned back to his phone.

daph.pink: @srodulv can we still have the party?

daph.pink: i already invited people

basile_simple: it would be a shame not to have it now, wouldn’t it?

y4z4s: I already bought the booze

goodgalimane: It would make sense.

He laughed. Only Lucas’s squad would pull shit like this, celebrating the anniversary of a kiss without either of the people who kissed present. 

yeah, that’s fine. Have fun !

He closed out of the app and cuddled up against Lucas. This would be better than a party anyway.

[joie-university-rp]

Dear, AUSTIN PILLSBURY-SCHUESTER ,

It is with great pleasure we invite you admission to Joie University! Welcome to the Thunderclap family!

–

Congratulations, DAISY! Please be sure to check the New Members’ Checklistand send in your character’s account within 24 hours from now. We cannot wait to see all that you will bring to this roleplay! We love you already!

OOC INFORMATION:

Name/Alias; preferred pronouns: Daisy aka Vice Provost D and she/her

Age, Timezone: 19 and EST

Activity, short explanation: 9-9.5/10, since I do have a lot of free time, but college will soon be a thing and I also spend a lot of time with family.

Ships: Austin/Chemistry

Anti-Ships: Austin/Forced

Triggers: Nothing that isn’t already listed

Preferred photo for Character’s ID (please give a link): One (1) giant nerd

Anything else: Here’s my happier son

IC INFORMATION:

Full Name (First, Middle, Last): Austin Michael Pillsbury-Schuester

FC: Casey Cott

Age/Year at University (Freshman [1st Year], Sophomore, Junior, Senior, or Graduate Student): 19/Sophomore

Birth date: November 10th

Hometown (please be sure to check the hometowns listed for characters your muse is related to!): Littleton, CO

Gender/Pronouns: Male and he/him

Sexuality: Gay

Major(s): Culinary Arts

Minor(s) [optional]: Business Studies

Housing request (remember, only the president of a Greek Organization is required to live at a Greek House to be in it!): Schuester 201

Extracurriculars (Click here for the list. Be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, secretary, etc.] If something isn’t listed, please put it here and we will add it to the masterlist!): Comedy Club, Drama Club, Fencing [Captain], Dance and Drill

Greek Life Affiliation [optional] (Please be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, pledge educator, etc.] or if your character is not yet a member, but plans to rush): N/A

CHARACTER PROFILE:

[At least] 3 Headcanons for your character:

Austin’s parents, Emma and Will, had quite the rollercoaster of a love story. Of course, when asked, they still told their children the story of how they met. When it got condensed into a short tale before bedtime, little did they know that it had turned Austin into a hopeless romantic. He dreams of having a fairytale romance or as close as he can get. Occasionally, he’ll try to go on a date in attempts to find ‘Mr. Right’, but more often than not, Austin simply longs for a love story akin to the one his mom and dad had.

[Anxiety TW] He was diagnosed with GAD during a regular doctor’s visit when he was 13 and he came clean about the symptoms he’d been experiencing. Restlessness and fatigue due to the barrage of thoughts slash concerns, almost always checking over his shoulders despite no danger being present, headaches were much more common. There were a few other related troubles he identified that day, but those three were the ones that gave him the most trouble. He tried taking medication for awhile, yet eventually came to find that exercise and keeping himself occupied with tasks that required his full attention helped.

Around this time, Austin discovered his passion as well as his talent for cooking and baking. It met the requirement for using his concentration, but it also brought him back down to Earth whenever he got too carried away with his thoughts. Of course, there is a minor stress baking issue, yet it’s been said it will fade with time.

He also has a strong passion for making people smile and laugh. He was named class clown in his high school yearbook thanks to his reputation for telling pretty decent jokes alongside puns whenever the moment called for it. It’s also why he is a member of the comedy club as well as the drama one. If he can help bring a bit of brightness to at least one person’s day, then Austin considers it be a win. Watching feel good comedy movies plus specials helped him through a difficult time, so he hopes to do the same thing for others.

STUDENT CENSUS SURVEY:

(Please answer the following questions IN CHARACTER. Responses can be as long or short as you see fit!)

What made you want to attend Joie University? “My parents are alumni and they’ve been singing the praises of this place for as long as I can remember. But I did a little research when the time came to apply to colleges then discovered they were praising this lovely place for all the right reasons. Plus having some stellar programs helped make the decision. In the end, I applied then got accepted and haven’t looked back since.”

What are at least 3 positive or neutral and at least 3 negative traits that you believe you possess? “Positive trait wise, I’m told that I can be clever, selfless, and trustworthy. As for negative traits, that would have to go to worrywart, impulsive, and hesitant.”

Which of your traits do you value most? “This is probably going to sound really odd, but I’m going to go with one of my negative ones and say I value the whole hesitant thing most. More often than not, I’m very careful with how I conduct myself and can figure out when to recognize an actual good thing amongst all of the other stuff that might be masquerading as one.”

How can that trait benefit the University (or its student body) as a whole? “Long story short is that I can speak from experience and can tell people to not take too many chances, to instead prepare themselves for whatever might get tossed their way. It’s best to be overprepared than underprepared, plus it never hurt to keep your guard up slash stay on your toes. Just to be on the safe side, you know?”

What do you hope to gain from your experience at JU? “I do hope to try stepping outside my comfort zone more often. While my brain does feel like it’s on red alert 24/7, I want to try to prove it wrong by getting involved in a lot more activities this year. That I’m capable of a whole lot more and that taking a leap of faith or two won’t always end in doom, gloom, or whatever worst case scenario my mind can cook up.”

What is a quote or song lyric that describes you? “'Out of the darkness and into the sun, but I won’t forget all the ones that I love’ from Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson. It’s a song about leaving what you know behind, taking those first few steps outside of your comfort zone, but also acknowledging as well as remembering the people who helped you get there.”

[aaltohelsinki]

Aalto-Helsinki 2020 is here, come meet us!

The time has come for Aalto-Helsinki 2020 to finally take over the blog! Despite the COVID-19 situation, we have been busy with planning our project since February. We have brainstormed, read countless scientific articles, contacted experts and companies and had a lot of online meetings. 

 Now let us introduce ourselves:

Tytti

I did my Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering and decided to continue with Biotechnology to the Master’s studies. What fascinates me the most about biotechnology is that we can study and engineer the tiniest components of life and at the same time do industrial scale production with them. I applied to iGEM because I’m very interested in entrepreneurship and this project mimics all the different elements that are needed to develop a business. Apart from science, my favourite things in life are playing the guitar, spending time in nature and enjoying tea.

An adventurous trip you have been on? My most recent adventurous trip was to Norway because I had always wanted to visit the Arctic Ocean. There was this fishing boat where some Finnish guy had designed a sauna among other unusual things. After warming up in that sauna, I jumped from the deck to the ice-cold water. It was cool to actually experience the Arctic Ocean fully!

Your most extraordinary skill? Making perfectly thin “muurikka” crepes

What is your favourite board game? Pandemic, rising tide version.

Carla

I am currently studying in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology MSc program at the University of Helsinki. I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Genetics at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), in Barcelona, Spain. I have always been interested in Genetics and Evolution of organisms. I believe that a lot has still to be learnt about evolution mechanisms to make insights that can be applied to healthcare and medicine. In my free time I like to exercise, I am a bouldering enthusiast and I also try to go running as much as I can. I love watching movies as well. I applied to iGEM because it seemed the perfect opportunity to work with a multidisciplinary team and get to know people from different science fields. I consider myself an extroverted and curious person, so this could be the perfect opportunity to make new friends and learn from them. I thought it would also be the perfect opportunity to start a project on a topic of interest for all of us from scratch.

What is your favourite movie of all time? I don’t have a unique favorite movie, but my list of must watch movies is the following: Inception, Shutter Island, Green Book, The Good Will Hunting, The Shawshank Redemption, Jungle, Into the Wild, Mr. Nobody, Untouchable, Captain Fantastic, Interstellar, Donnie Darko, V for Vendetta and Dead Poets Society.

What kind of music do you listen to? I don’t only listen to one type of music, I like all types. Some international artists that I like are: Jonathan Wilson, John Frusciante, Steven Wilson, Eddie Vedder, Chet Faker, Gus Dapperton, Isaac Gracie, Billie Eilish, The Kooks, and Men I Trust among others. When talking about Catalan and Spanish music I usually listen to rumba, and rock, and also a bit of pop.

Your dream travel destination? My dream travel destinations would be: Iceland, Canada, Japan and Australia!

Amanda

I am studying at the Bachelor’s programme in Science in the chemistry study track at the University of Helsinki. In this year’s iGEM team I will work in the wet-lab but I am also involved with the funding, human practices and business. I applied to Aalto-Helsinki team to get the opportunity to take theory to practice and to learn a lot. In my free time I like cooking, baking, crocheting, knitting and gardening. I recently bought a greenhouse, where I will grow lots this summer!

What’s the most interesting or adventurous trip you have been on? Hard choice, but I would have to say the trip to Kenya with my family. So different and we saw a lot of animals and the whole Big Five! 

What is your favourite board game now? And as a child? I think my favorite board game now is Dixit, but as a child I think it was Kimble.

Coffee or tea? Definitely tea, preferably green or white.

Artur

I study bioinformation technology at Aalto University. My minor is computer science. My role in our iGEM team is dry-lab and during the project I will be focusing on modelling as well as wiki development. I applied to iGEM because I wanted to be a part of a student driven team project and international competition. In my free time I enjoy programming, playing video games and going to the gym. 

Your best tip to survive the quarantine? Outdoor activity, that does not require other people e.g. skateboarding and riding bicycle. Also playing video games with friends and watching tv series makes it easy.

 What is your favourite movie of all time? Definitely Interstellar. After watching this for the third time I still get chicken skin. This almost three hour movie is a perfect combination of action, sci-fi and drama. Hans Zimmer did an astonishing job on music in this movie. I still keep one of the movie's soundtrack as my wake-up alarm. It's so good!

 Who is your favourite scientist and why? Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku. I remember watching his show on Discovery Channel about black holes and teleportation. He got me interested in science and that's why he is my favourite scientist.

Daria 

I am a second year master's student in Genetics and Molecular Biosciences, with focus on Molecular and Analytical Biosciences at the University of Helsinki. I have done my bachelor's in Biotechnology at the University of Silesia. I have experience in both environmental and biomedical research.

What was your favourite game to play as a child? Scavenger hunt. We lived right next to the forest, it felt good to be there for hours unsupervised. 

What’s the grossest food you ever had to eat to be polite? Bananas. My culinary nemesis. Being grossed out by them is one of my earliest childhood memories.

What was the worst haircut you ever had? Bob at the age of 13. Thanks, mum. 

Emilia

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from Tampere University and I’m now continuing my MSc (Tech) studies at Aalto University School of Chemical Engineering, major in Biotechnology. In my free time, I work out at the gym and love to cook. Also, I enjoy being outside in nature and spending time with my family and friends. I applied to iGEM because of my passion for life sciences and interest in challenging myself. I wanted to be a part of a powerful team of young professionals who share the same goal to achieve something meaningful. iGEM is a unique opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary team and carry out a research project from start to finish. In this iGEM project, my main responsibility is working in the wet-lab and obtaining funding. I will also contribute to human outreach activities and updating the team’s social media. Furthermore, I hope to learn more about bioinformatics and modeling. I have some experience in biomedical research and I’m looking forward to expanding my knowledge in the field of synthetic biology during the iGEM project. In the future, I wish to work with innovations which would somehow improve the quality of life.

What is your favorite time of the day and why? I love quiet mornings. I want to enjoy my morning coffee in peace and start my day without rushing. On the other hand, I also love spectacular sunsets, especially during the summer in the Finnish archipelago.

Your dream travel destination? Iceland. I would love to get to experience its unique nature, geysers and hot springs.

Coffee or tea? Coffee, of course.

Gustav

I am currently finishing my first year of masters studies in biosystems and biomaterials engineering. I applied for iGEM since I have always been interested in cell mechanisms and the intriguing and complex principles behind these cellular-systems. In the Aalto-Helsinki team, I am primarily doing wet-lab and budgeting, which means that I’m currently mostly researching data and cell-mechanisms related to our project. I often find one hobby at a time for which I am very passionate until I get tired of it and eventually switch. Previous hobbies have included been sewing, chess and origami, but for the moment I most do horticulture. 

What is your dream travel destination? I would love to see the Socotra Island and the strange species living there.

 What makes you happy? A cup of good quality tea in the evening.

 Cats or dogs? Both??

Julia

I study Molecular Bioscience at the University of Helsinki. My part in iGEM is mainly in the wet lab, but I also take part in social media and human practises. Outside of iGEM I enjoy reading and listening to music, as well as playing video games and D&D. I applied to iGEM because I wanted to do something different and concrete with my knowledge and skills. Besides molecular biology for the last year I’ve been studying Chinese and hope to be fluent in it one day.

Most interesting trip you have been on? A couple of years ago my friends and I went on a trip to Chongqing, China. The trip was very pleasant despite none of the locals knowing English, the hole in the outer wall of the room or there being no warm water for the first couple of days. One thing led to another and we somehow ended up as models for the hostel’s website, which meant a full-blown photoshoot with free drinks and food. Afterwards the hostel owner even treated us to delicious hot pot!

Also, the baby pandas were cute.

What is your favourite book of all time? The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman. The heroine of the story is refreshingly sensible, the plot innovative and the book builds an interesting world for the sequels. Would recommend to anyone who likes fantasy, paranormal, or is interested in librarians using spycraft to steal books from alternative worlds.

Coffee or tea? Most definitely tea. Jasmine tea is especially close to my heart.

Maria

I am a third-year physics student from the University of Helsinki, majoring in theoretical physics and minoring in computer science. My main motivation for applying to iGEM was to apply my science skills to a real-world problem. I’m also eager to learn how research projects work. In our project I will focus on modelling, human practices and social media. Besides science, I love languages, especially French. In my free time I enjoy ballet, board games, walks and reading.

What fictional world would you love to visit?  With all the chaos in the world currently, I’d love nothing more than to escape to Moominvalley. Moominmamma’s pancakes and a worry-free life sound really appealing. I’d also like to visit Hogwarts, I have been waiting for my letter since I was 10.

What skill would you love to master? I’d love to master flying, imagine all the freedom it would bring! However, all my attempts so far have failed. I wonder why that is.

What is your favourite board game? Probably Battlestar Galactica or Dale of Merchants.

Nata

I study Biosystems and Biomaterials Engineering in the program of Life Science Technologies at Aalto University. I completed my Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology and Chemical Technology. In this journey of iGEM, I'm responsible for Human Practice activities and taking part in the wet-lab work as well. In my free time, when I'm not passionately studying life sciences or being fascinated by nature, I keep myself active with group gymnastics, friends and family. I applied to iGEM to be part of the fascinating project in the field of synthetic biology. I'm sure that we will learn precious skills of planning, team working and presenting as well as meet many wonderful people! Currently beside the iGEM, I'm working with seedlings of tomatoes and herbs that I will relocate in my glass house when it gets warmer. 

Describe your dream job: In my dream job, I would be able to utilize the field of life sciences to help people and the environment at the same time.

Your best tip to survive the quarantine? Your favourite movie of all time?

 My tip to survive this quarantine would be to spend time in nature and watch as many movies as possible. One of the movies should definitely be my all time favourite: The Intouchables.

[liliannorman]

Science isn’t just for scientists

On a sunny day, a yellow school bus heads to Elver Park in Madison, Wisc. The seventh graders inside are excited to launch the rockets they’ve built in class. 

At the park, the students find their assigned flag posts, armed with their rocket, notebook, pencil and angle finder. Two at a time, they march to the launch pad and prepare their rocket for take-off. They wait for their teacher’s signal to start the countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… GO! 

With the angle finder and a little math, they estimate each rocket’s maximum height. They calculate how their rocket fared against 90 others made by their classmates and teacher. 

“With the rocket unit, I teach the basic principles of physics and motion,” explains David Ropa. He teaches science at Spring Harbor Middle School and embraces learning by doing. That includes taking math and science into the park. 

“Kids, like all humans, are doing science all the time,” says Ropa. They explore the world through play, he adds, whether it’s stacking toys or building bike ramps. They have a hypothesis. They set up a test. They analyze the results. Then they adjust their strategy. 

The tools his students use at school, says Ropa, are the same as those that many adults use at work. Some of these adults wear a white lab coat and carry a business card with the word “scientist.” Most don’t. 

Chefs, musicians and gardeners often use the scientific method, though they may not call it that. Their jobs — and many more — apply textbook principles of science in the real world. 

The science of cooking 

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the chef at a German-inspired beer hall and restaurant in San Mateo, Calif. He also is culinary director for Serious Eats. That’s an award-winning blog about “anything food and drink.” In its Food Lab section, Lopez-Alt “unravels the mysteries of home cooking through science.” He also wrote a bestselling book on that topic.

At age 18, Lopez-Alt wanted to become a scientist, like his dad and grandpa. He took biology classes at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. He also worked in a biology lab. But being a scientist soon began to lose its appeal. 

“Although I loved biology, I found the day-to-day lab work very boring,” he explains. “I couldn’t see myself doing that for decades.”

Searching for a summer job outside the lab, Lopez-Alt stumbled upon cooking. A Mongolian restaurant needed a prep cook to start right away. At that job, he fell in love with cooking. Although he graduated college with a degree in architecture, he kept returning to the kitchen. He worked his way up the ranks in several restaurants. 

The more he cooked, the more he started to question the assumptions behind his recipes. Much of cooking is tradition. But, he wondered, are there scientific reasons for preparing food the way we typically do? 

In his restaurant jobs, Lopez-Alt didn’t have time to pursue that question. That changed when he started working at Cooks Illustrated. This cooking magazine features detailed recipes that describe how they were tested and tweaked. Lopez-Alt started as a test cook and writer. Soon, he became the magazine’s science advisor.  

In that role, “I could finally answer all these questions that had been building up in my head during my years as a line cook,” says Lopez-Alt. He especially likes to apply his knowledge of physics and chemistry to home cooking. 

Kenji Lopez-Alt boils potatoes in slightly basic (alkaline) water before roasting them in the oven. That gives them a delicious brown crust without their getting too soft inside. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Lopez-Alt still creates many new recipes by questioning assumptions. For example, people often boil potatoes in plain, pH-neutral tap water. But roast potatoes taste best with a crunchy outside and a creamy, flavorful center. To achieve that taste, Lopez-Alt adds a little baking soda to the water. That raises its pH. The water is now slightly basic (alkaline), instead of neutral. 

That helps because the cell walls in fruits and vegetables contain pectin. This starch breaks down more easily in alkaline water. Thus, the outer surface of potato chunks boiled in that water gets softer while the inside stays firm. That soft surface becomes deliciously crispy when coated with oil and roasted on a baking sheet. 

Another longstanding tradition is to sear a steak in a pan, then finish it in a hot oven. Lopez-Alt prefers his “reverse sear” method. He starts with slowly heating the meat in a warm oven (275° Fahrenheit; 135° Celsius). The sear comes last. Science explains why that produces a more tender piece of meat with an evenly browned crust. 

First, by the time the steak’s center reaches medium-rare in a hot oven, its outer layers are overcooked. That bull’s eye effect is due to physics. The larger the difference between the temperature of an object (steak) and its environment (oven), the larger the difference inside the object. That’s one of the laws of thermodynamics.

Second, meat contains enzymes that break down its connective tissue in a warm environment. While the meat roasts slowly in the low-temperature oven, those enzymes have time to tenderize it. But if the oven is too hot, it turns off the enzymes. 

Third, it takes five times more energy to evaporate a gram of water than to bring it from ice-cold to boiling. (That’s physics again.) Searing the raw meat first wastes energy on drying out its moist surface to produce the brown crust. But searing the meat after the oven has evaporated its moisture browns it more quickly and evenly. 

Piano science 

Like cooking, music combines art and science. That’s also true when taking care of instruments. 

“The process of tuning a piano is a physics lesson in action,” says Don Mitchell. He’s a retired piano technician in Vancouver, Wash. He used to teach at the School of Piano Technology for the Blind. 

A piano tuner uses a wrench to tighten metal pins attached to strings inside the instrument. “Tuning a piano is a physics lesson in action,” explains Don Mitchell, a retired piano technician. ahavelaar/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Mitchell grew up in Oregon in a music-loving family. At an early age, he was fascinated by science. He loves to sing and plays the piano, guitar, banjo, mandolin and bass. 

Blind since birth, Mitchell relied heavily on listening to learn to play those instruments. His job combines those listening skills with science. He uses the physics of sound (acoustics), the mechanics of motion and the mathematics of musical scales. 

Piano keys are mechanical levers for strings inside the piano. Pressing a key makes a small hammer hit these strings. The moving strings cause molecules in the air to vibrate. The vibration travels through the air as a sound wave. 

The length and thickness of the string determine the frequency, or pitch, of the sound wave. Short and thin strings produce high pitches, which we hear as tenor and treble notes. Longer and thicker strings produce lower pitches, which we hear as bass notes.

But short strings don’t make as much sound as long ones. The higher pitches combine up to three strings to make them loud enough to hear. That’s why most pianos have 88 keys and around 230 strings. 

To tune a piano, Mitchell uses a wrench to turn metal tuning pins attached to the strings. That changes the strings’ pitch by adjusting their tension and length. But tuning is more than getting each key to produce one specific pitch. 

Mitchell has to adjust multiple vibrating strings together so that the intervals between notes match intervals in musical scales. These scales are based on mathematical relationships between pitches. To describe them, scientists measure each pitch in hertz, or vibrations per second. For example, the pitch of the note A above middle C needs to be 440 hertz. The pitch of the note B next to it should be about 494 hertz.

The challenge of tuning is that the interaction of multiple strings is different for each piano. That’s why Mitchell has to combine his math skills with an excellent musical ear. He has to make all the intervals between pitches sound correct. A well-tuned piano has a smooth, rich and pleasing sound, no matter what combination of notes a pianist plays. 

When Mitchell repairs a piano, he uses the same strategy as a scientist testing a hypothesis. He changes one part at a time while keeping all others constant. “Eventually, with years of experience, you hear the sound and already have a good idea what’s wrong,” he adds. “That’s especially true for blind people.”

Problem-solving for airplanes 

Lynze Price’s childhood dream was to become an astronaut. In the end, she found a more down-to-Earth job: She helps planes fly safely. At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., she earned a bachelor’s degree in aviation-maintenance science. 

As a corporate aviation technician, she combines her love of physics with her knack for fixing stuff. She calls herself an “aircraft surgeon.” She must diagnose problems and figure out how to solve them.

Lynze Price combines her love of science with her knack for fixing stuff to make sure each airplane under her care is safe and ready for take-off and landing.Harley Cook

For example, airplane antennae transmit or receive electrical signals through shielded wires. Those signals help a plane navigate to its destination and communicate with traffic-control. 

When an antenna doesn’t correctly sense the airport runway, Price studies the plane’s wiring diagram. It shows all of the plane’s electrical connections. Electrical engineers with advanced degrees designed that system. Price has to locate on the diagram the wire linked to the problem. Then she can hunt down the wire to fix a loose connection or other issue. 

Brake valves are another example. The plane’s computer system controls these valves. Computer engineers put that system together. When brakes have issues, Price uses her troubleshooting skills to figure out what’s wrong. Sometimes the brake needs a new valve. Other times, it’s the computer system that needs a small adjustment. 

“As an aviation technician, I’m doing some of the same practical things that engineers do,” says Price. “I’m just not the person sitting behind a desk and designing the entire system.” 

Caring for plants 

Leslie Hunter also uses problem-solving skills to keep a system working well. But she’s in charge of plants, not airplanes. She started her own vegetable garden at age eight. Her parents tilled the ground, but she was in charge of all else. 

At the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden in Iowa, Leslie Hunter takes care of plants and designs new gardens. Here, she’s just yanked out an especially big thistle weed. Courtesy of Leslie Hunter

In college, Hunter discovered horticulture. That’s the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants. Today she works in Iowa, at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. 

As part of her job, Hunter regularly tests soil pH and levels of nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen. She uses chemistry and soil science to decide which fertilizer will best support which plants. For example, many green leafy plants prefer more nitrogen. But in flowering plants, extra phosphorus is a bloom booster. 

From soil science, Hunter knows that evergreens, rhododendrons and azaleas need acidic soil, with a pH below 7. Maples and butterfly bushes prefer alkaline soil, with a pH above 7. In some flowers, pH levels even determine the blooms’ color. 

Explainer: The fertilizing power of N and P

The science of insects (entomology) and of plants (botany) help Hunter control garden pests and weeds. That’s also important for knowing when and how to prune shrubs and trees. 

Sometimes, Hunter tests new plant varieties in a garden plot. She uses genetics to understand how plant breeders created these cultivars. That helps her decide if they might be a good fit for Des Moines.

Role playing and role models

In Madison’s Elver Park, the students make their rockets fly as high as they can. That teaches them the physics of flight. It also instills a sense of wonder and hopefulness, says Ropa. 

Some kids will never forget that rocket launch. For others, a crime-scene-investigation unit may hook them on science.

“Kids are morbidly curious,” says Ropa. “Just watch them when a dead fish washes up by the lake.”

In a classroom-turned-briefing-room, Chief Detective Ropa introduces a suspected-murder case. There’s a body outline on the floor, complete with autopsy report, fingerprints and a few samples. (Ropa removed images of the dead body from a real report and added fictional names.)

Science teacher David Ropa (left) helps students launch rockets (below) they built in class. That’s how his seventh graders informally learn the principles of physics.Silke Schmidt

The students use science to solve the case. To understand the reported time of death, they learn how the heart and lungs work. They decide how to use the samples for DNA tests. They figure out how to turn fingerprints and DNA results into a list of suspects. 

With their data, the students make hypotheses about who did it and why. Ropa listens to them debate and defend their ideas. For the next two months, he only answers questions as Chief Detective Ropa.

Role models like this can get and keep students interested in science, says Ryan Lei. He is a psychologist at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. His studies show that the language a teacher uses can also make a difference. 

Kids stay more confident about “doing science” when their teachers use those words, Lei says. Talking about “being scientists” actually may lower their confidence. The kids in the studies ranged from preschool to late elementary school. 

Attitudes toward science and scientists often change as kids mature, says Lei. So do the factors that shape those attitudes. Older students may care more about adult role models than a teacher’s language. But those adults don’t have to be scientists. They just need to model the human curiosity we’re all born with.

Says Hunter, “That’s what scientists really are — very curious people who keep that curiosity going in their jobs.” 

Building 3-D printers via trial and error

Maarten van Lier stands next to a 3-D printer.Courtesy of M. van Lier

Maarten van Lier loved to build stuff as a kid. After earning a degree in computer science, he developed software for different businesses. He eventually quit and returned to building physical things — 3-D printers. 

These machines assemble objects from computer models by adding one thin layer at a time of plastic or some other “ink.” Van Lier didn’t take any classes in electrical engineering or robotics. He found everything he needed to know on the internet. 

He often starts with some component he found on eBay. The rest is trial and error. He comes up with a design idea, tests his hypothesis and observes the results. If it doesn’t work, he analyzes why and starts over. That’s not so different from how a scientist runs experiments. 

“I always felt that I used a lot of science but would never call myself a scientist,” says van Lier. Instead, he’s “applying their original ideas to real-world problems.” 

Science isn’t just for scientists published first on https://triviaqaweb.tumblr.com/

[tiny-tany-thaanos]

Dr Griffin Williers for @legendofsim

Childish | Genius | Book Worm | Charismatic | Eccentric | Vampire

Each vampire choses their own way to spend the eternity. Griffin chose knowlegde. Using his long lifespan, extraordinary memory and logical and technical mind Griffin traveled all around the world, studied in plenty universities and colleges and got degrees in mathematics, geology, astronomy, genetic engineering, chemistry, phychology and... slavic linguistic (the last one was a dare, all right?). He has also PhD in astronomy and chemistry. 

Each time he used another name and fictive biography, each time he was someone else. He also worked in universities and schools all over the world. Fortunately his charming personality and ability to restrain his lust for blood allow him to live in modern society. There are also rumors that he was the one who grew the first bloody fruit. 

His hobbies are tinkering, spending time in his labour experimenting, analysing humans, reading and baking muffins and brownies which are literaly the single dishes Griffin can cook even though he had enough time to learn. 

Despite of this succes Griffin there is something which bothers Griffin. His real name faded away in his memory although he can’t forget anything. He knows for sure that the place where he was born was destroyed durung the second world war. As he was turned at the age of 18 and two centuries have passed since that moment, his parents, siblings and kids of siblings died long time ago. He has absolutely no idea whether his family has descendants and if it does where are they. He has never grounded family himself although but there might be possible children of him somewhere in the world as he had a lot of lovers. But it doesn’t really matter - he is so distant from his family that he knows that meeting them will break his heart as he would never be able to reveal them, who he is. 

This is why Griffin instantly accepted the offer to become a teacher in Dimension Traveller School - first of all this is something new for him and being a scientist Griffin always seeks for the new experiences and knowledge. Secondly, he has nobody back “home” who would miss him.

CC: Hair  Skin and eyes are my defaults, I also use the mod which turns vampires’ “lighting” off

TOU: Don’t touch his features, reupload or claim as your own. Tag me if you use him. And please do not make him human or other occult! You may change everything else!

I hope you’ll like him!

Private Download

[maraudersmemoria-rp-blog]

Remus Lupin Application

OUT OF CHARACTER:

Name/Alias: Admin Sammy

Preferred pronouns: She/Her

Age: 21

Timezone: CST 

Activity: 8/10 - As a full-time student and a part-time worker I am going to be around but cannot give myself a 10

Do you have RP experience? I have 10 years of roleplay experience but this is the first group I’m admin for.

Triggers: Blood & Needles

IN CHARACTER

Full Name: Remus John Lupin

Face Claim: Nat Wolff (lol Wolff)

Preferred Pronouns: He/Him

Sexuality: Pansexual

Age/DOB: 17/ 10 March, 1960

House: Gryffindor

Affiliation: Order of the Phoenix -- Remus Lupin was a man of brilliance whose life seemed to revolve around danger. He had never intended to go looking for trouble until it found him and grasped onto his heart with no intention upon releasing him. On the contrary, Remus Lupin’s life would only grow more and more troublesome as years went by. When a war broke out and all of his friends insisted that they were going to join the Order it was only right that he tag along with them. It was both the right thing to do and only fitting that such a trouble-ridden boy dig his grave ever deeper.

Species: Wizard/Werewolf

Blood Status: Half-Blood

Patronus: A great big wolf -- Remus hates it because this means the creature is not only an infliction of the flesh but also of the soul.

Boggart: As a small child it was wolves, then the full moon, it’s currently seeing his friends’ corpses with their blood on his hands, and will eventually change back to the full moon given that his friends will either be dead or in prison for killing them but hey, at least Remus didn’t kill them.

Quote: “I can’t go back to yesterday, I was a different person then.” --Lewis Carroll

Aesthetic: 

Hot Cocoa with Whipped Cream

Star Charts

Over-sized Sweaters

Cottage in the Woods

Worn-Out Books

Laugh Lines

Frosted Tree Branches

Pet(s): Barn Owl named Noctua

Occupation: Bookstore Keeper in Muggle London

Ships/Anti-Ships: 

+Wolfstar

+Chemistry

-Remus/Snape

-Remus/Forced

3 Positive Traits/3 Negative Traits: 

+Inquisitive

If you were to approach Hope Lupin and ask her about a characteristic of her son’s the first one she would list would be inquisitive. From the moment he opened his eyes for the first time, Remus was always studying the world around him and attempting to figure out how exactly things worked.

+Quiet

Remus quickly learned how to listen once he had been bitten. He was shuffled from treatment to treatment, cottage to cottage, told not to speak to the neighborhood children. Any time he broke that rule they were forced to leave again. He had started to learn how to speak up once he got to Hogwarts. However, old habits die hard.

+Collaborative

Remus Lupin does not know how to take care of himself when he does not have others checking upon him. That is not to say that he cannot survive but his standard of living goes down. However, when others are involved anything he puts his mind to improves immensely. Look at all that the Marauders had accomplished throughout the years, the achievement he is most proud of being the Marauders Map due to the skill it required to create.

-Impatient

Waiting is painful for Remus. When he has a goal in mind he wishes to rush in and get it done. People expect him to be the level-headed planner but the truth remains that he is as impulsive as his friends despite Dumbledore’s attempts to make him more responsible by naming him prefect. He supposes that is why James was made Head Boy.

-Temperamental

To pair up with the fact he is not the level-headed boy everyone expects him to be, Remus is rather temperamental. He tends to fly off the handle at even the most minor inconvenience, though that is usually of the self-deprecating variety.

-Dishonest

Remus’ life has been riddled with so many secrets that he has become somewhat of a pathological liar. The added negative for this trait? He’s a terrible liar. 

Example: In Prisoner of Azkaban when asked if he knew Sirius Black he threw his suitcase across the room and shouted “SIRIUS BLACK? NEVER HEARD OF HIM!” Despite all of the hullabaloo surrounding Black’s escape from prison.

4 Headcanons: 

Remus Lupin is not a morning person. He is used to late nights whether that was spent with his nose stuck in a book, out pranking in the corridors, or thrashing around the Shrieking Shack as a bloodthirsty beast. He does not seem to have a healthy sleep schedule so waking up before eleven in the morning is a struggle for our friend Remus. If you see him before he’s had his coffee it’s even worse.

Remus is considering actually getting a pet rabbit who he wishes to name Fluffenstein so that the rumors won’t be entirely incorrect. In the future he would joke with Harry about his classmates being under the impression of him having a badly-behaved rabbit as his “furry little problem” but every time he enters a pet shop he has to look at the bunnies and contemplate the decision for a good while. So far he has had enough self control to not pull off the act but we all know how impulsive he is.

His parents had been rather well-off until after he was bitten. After the attack they funneled most of their funds into experimental treatments for their son to no success. This led to a strained relationship between him and his father Lyall. Hope loves him unconditionally but Lyall resents his son, fueled by his own guilt for causing Greyback to target Remus in the first place.

Remus is rubbish at potions and baking but cooking is where he excels. He loves to experiment with recipes and flavors, which is especially convenient when on a budget and unable to afford a lot of foods.

Biography: 

Remus John Lupin was born to Hope and Lyall Lupin on March 10th, 1960 as a healthy baby boy. He was the pride and joy of his family, the prodigy. That all changed once Lyall shot off his mouth about werewolves in front of Fenrir Greyback, the most sadistic of the species that the Wizarding World knew about. At age five, Remus was tucked into bed, read a bedtime story, and left to dream about the stars. What they had not known was that Greyback had hidden himself inside the child’s closet to attack once the full moon had risen.

After that he was dragged from experimental treatment to experimental treatment, being let down time and time again and having to move from one village to the next with no roots to be planted. He learned to keep himself distant from those around him, learned to observe more than he participated. None of the Lupins would have expected that he would ever be allowed to leave home for even a night. When Dumbledore arrived at their doorstep on Remus’ eleventh birthday, everything changed.

He was brought to Hogwarts with tremendous caution and instilled with a level of fear of his classmates that Lyall considered healthy. Hope told him the opposite: that he was supposed to make friends and live his life as much as he could. While Remus had intended upon following his father’s instructions it appeared fate admired Hope a little more.

Throughout his time at Hogwarts, Remus grew out of his shell more and more until reality set in as to what life would be like once he left the castle’s walls. He had to face the fact that, as a werewolf, he would have little-to-no future in the Wizarding World’s society. When it came time for his O.W.L.s and his N.E.W.T.s he admitted to Professor McGonagall that he would take everything available in the hopes of perhaps landing some form of job upon graduation.

Now that his time at school has come to an end, Remus has been thrust into an unforgiving world ravaged by war. How will he survive in this world that has already taken so much from him?

Para Sample: 

(600 Word Minimum) -- Will be redacted upon acceptance

[aastralfox]

Pairing: Time Canary (Rip Hunter/Sara Lance)

Word Count: 1,337

Rating: General

Notes: Written for the amazing @brooklyn1949 for her birthday!! Love you! <3 Also I’m only about halfway through season one of LoT so if there are inconsistencies here then that’s entirely my fault, sorry!! (Also on my ao3).

Cooking was chemistry.

After a year of listening to Palmer and Stein chatter away about science, Sara knew a thing or two about chemistry. HCl was hydrochloric acid and shouldn't be touched with bare hands under any circumstances. She knew that pure sodium reacted with water and could be used as an explosive under certain circumstances (a tidbit that she greedily absorbed - it could come in useful). She knew that bromine and mercury were the only elements which were liquid at room temperature and that liquid nitrogen was really freaking cool (pun very much intended).

So yes, Sara knew a thing or two about chemistry.

Cooking? That was supposed to be way easier. People cooked all the time. It was supposed to be those simple basic things that everyone could do.

Whatever the hell this was? It wasn't easy.

Sara had all of one minute to study the charred remains of the first pancake before Gideon's fire detection systems came online and doused the mess hall in flame suppressants.

Something told her that the white fluff now coating what remained of the pancake mix wasn't quite edible. In fact, it probably went under the category of 'inedible' at best, and 'downright poisonous' at worst.

"Sara! What in God's..." Sara turned at the sound of Rip's voice. He ran his hand through his hair, surveying the mess. "What are you doing?"

"Making breakfast," Sara answered, with a proud tilt of her head. A fleck of flour coated the end of her nose. Or maybe it was some flame suppressant. Who knows.

Rip eyed the carnage. "For what species?" he asked.

Sara's expression shifted into the territory of 'definitely not amused' as she tilted her head to the side, mouth tightening around the corners. "Ha ha. Very funny, Rip."

"No, honestly. What were you trying to do? You know that the dispensers provide us with enough rati--"

"The rations taste like butts," Sara countered, flatly.

"...Fair. They don't make for the...finest of gustatory ‎experiences, but they are perfectly edible. Unlike..."

Sara huffed, colour rising to her cheeks. "Fine then. Don’t worry, I'll clean it up. I can probably do that without setting fire to the kitchens," she muttered to herself. “You go. When you come back it’ll be spotless and don’t worry, I won’t try it again.”

Not after this debacle, at any rate.

Maybe she should have gotten Mick to help her. It would have been the same result anyway and she could, at least, blame the fire on someone else. Though, Sara knew full well that Mick Rory was perfectly capable of doing things without igniting a room, if he so wished. Case in point was the fact that Mick made the best baked goods out of everyone on the Waverider, and everyone knew it. So, really, as far as shuffling the blame for a ruined kitchen went...Mick might not have been the best person to blame.

"I. No. Sara," Rip's tone was tinged with the same degree of exasperation normally reserved for Snart. "I only meant...what were you trying to accomplish?"

"I just said--"

"No, no. I wasn’t asking after immediate, obvious accomplishment of making breakfast...what I meant was...why?"

Sara tugged free one of the kitchen towels and wrung it in her hands for lack of anything better to do with them. ‎"I wanted to make something for the team...for you," she admitted. She turned her back swiftly, scrubbing at the nearest mess - the length of counter nearest to her. (Only the rest of the kitchen to go.)

"That's...that's quite sweet of you, Sara." He sounded almost proud of her and damn if that didn't set her off-guard. ‎She scrubbed harder, watching as the streaks of batter and suppressant cleared away with each successive pass of the cloth.

"I just...wanted to do something. To help take care of everyone," she said. Miranda probably made him breakfasts, in that happy future of theirs - the one they were trying to save. If anything, she had hoped to make for a nice moment, something to help ease the grief that she knew he still carried over his lost family.

A warm hand came down on top of hers and she stopped moving. "Sara, you take care of us, all of us, in your own way," Rip said, gently. "You keep us all safe and alive. You're there to make sure that no one gets killed."

"By killing."

"By protecting‎," Rip insisted. "You mean more to me...to us, than you know."

Sara stared up at him and, for a moment, neither spoke. Rip let go first, retracting his hand and coughing (more to clear the air than his throat). "So there's no need to try and help us through...food poisoning," Rip said, gesturing vaguely at the mess.

Sara snorted, covering her laugh. "You know, you were way cuter ten seconds ago with that speech," she informed.

Another startled cough. "I what--?"

Sara launched a spare kitchen towel at him. "Start cleaning."

The ensuing silence was only broken by the squeak of dishcloths rubbing over glass counter tops, and the occasional spray of water as they were rinsed. “Perhaps, once we’ve amended this disaster, I can show you how to make a real breakfast?” Rip offered.

Sara paused, tapping the end of her finger against the counter. Her nail clicked against the surface in a light tap-tap. “I can handle the batter,” she decided. “I used, to all the time before...with my family,” she said, remembering the bright Saturday mornings with Laurel and her father. This was years ago, of course, before the Gambit sank and before either Lance sister bore the title of ‘Canary’. “So I take care of that while you fry up the pancakes. Deal?”

“Deal,” Rip agreed, with a grin.

There was a shuffle near the rear of the kitchen and a muted yawn - Ray - followed by a low grumble - Mick, likely - and a thump from a shoulder catching against a wall, accompanied by muttered curse - Jax. No doubt Len and Kendra would be down shortly as well. Stein had been awake hours before Sara had, and was likely already down below decks, tinkering. He’d be back in an hour or so for a coffee refill.

“Better make it quick, Captain. The zombies have risen,” Sara commented, wryly. 

“Evidently. Well, since they’re here, I can’t see why everyone can’t assist. Many hands to feed the many mouths, as it were.” Rip raised his voice, turning to the group. “Dr. Palmer, if you could assist Sara with making the pancake batter...”

“Got it!”

“..and Mr. Rory, kindly man the fry pans with me, hm?”

“With you? You’re goin’ to have to keep up with me.” Mick Rory was particular about the way his pancakes were cooked. 

“We shall see. Jefferson, if you could ask Gideon for some orange juice. We’ve glasses in that far cupboard there. And, Sara,” Rip dropped his voice, drifting back over to her. “Perhaps we could save a more...personal cooking lesson for later?”

Sara tightened her lips to keep from smiling, and failed. “I’d like that.”

“Well look. It’s a regular party here,” Len commented in his usual drawl, strolling into the mess to drop his weight on a dining chair.

“Pancakes? Ooh, can we add cinnamon and banana slices?” Kendra asked, arriving shortly after.

“Though...” Sara said, in a low whisper. “I’m not quite sure when we’ll find the time with this family.”

“Ah, you’re all finally awake and, industrious, I see. Good for you. Now, if I may just get past you, Mr. Palmer, I’d like my refill,” Stein said, trying to squeeze by the others to reach the coffee machine.

“It’s Doctor Palmer,” Ray countered, with a pout, as he shifted his bulk to one side, bumping into Mick who was trying to ready the skillets. 

“Watch yourself, Haircut.”

“Sorry!”

The chatter continued in the background as Rip snorted softly. “I suppose then, we’ll have to make time.”

“I suppose so,” Sara agreed.

[paullassiterca]

Higher Daily Fiber Intake, Less Risk for Disease

Doctors have a lot to say about how people can avoid catastrophic health events like strokes and heart attacks, but scientists in New Zealand recently perused thousands of studies spanning more than 40 years and identified a nutrient that can be a genuine game-changer in the alleviation and prevention of many diseases: fiber.

Researchers from the University of Otago conducted their review to verify why fiber has such a stellar reputation in helping to maintain overall health. They scrutinized 185 observational studies, which involved 135 million person-years and 58 clinical trials, comprising 4,635 adult participants.

Results of the study, published in The Lancet, revealed that people who make a habit of eating high amounts of dietary fiber are 15 to 30 percent less likely to die prematurely from any cause compared to people who include the least amounts of fiber.1

The researchers also disclosed that eating foods containing lots of fiber is directly correlated to a 16 to 24 percent lower incidence of stroke, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, as well as colorectal cancer.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the authors noted that the impact could translate to 13 fewer deaths and six fewer cases of coronary heart disease per 1,000 participants, and that eating plenty of high-fiber foods is also linked to decreased weight and optimized cholesterol levels.2

The Lancet study wasn’t the first to show how important fiber consumption is. A 2014 study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology showed much the same thing: that a 10 percent reduced risk for all-cause mortality was observed for every 10 grams of fiber participants added to their overall fiber intake.3

A Call for Nutrition Guidelines to Emphasize Fiber Intake

The scientists in New Zealand used only healthy participants so their findings couldn’t be applied to people with existing chronic diseases. Jim Mann, a professor at the university and corresponding study author, noted several significant findings in regard to increased fiber consumption and the reduced risk of disease and death. According to Mann:

“The health benefits of fiber are supported by over 100 years of research into its chemistry, physical properties, physiology and effects on metabolism. Fiber-rich whole foods that require chewing and retain much of their structure in the gut increase satiety and help weight control and can favorably influence lipid and glucose levels.

The breakdown of fiber in the large bowel by the resident bacteria has additional wide-ranging effects including protection from colorectal cancer.”4

Besides looking at the causes of premature deaths from certain cancers, the researchers focused specifically on cancers associated with obesity, such as endometrial, esophageal, breast and prostate cancers, the study stated.

In recommending a healthy amount of fiber to consume, the authors noted that for every 8 grams of increased fiber intake per day, the study subjects showed a 5 to 27 percent decrease in incidences of Type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer. Protection against stroke and breast cancer also increased.

So how much fiber is recommended to optimize your health? According to the study, consuming 25 to 29 grams every day is merely adequate; their data indicated that higher intakes would be more protective, and therefore advised. Further, diets stressing a low glycemic index and low glycemic load, besides allowing added sugars, were shown to provide limited protection against Type 2 diabetes and stroke.

Mann emphasized that findings from the study point to a dire need for a change in nutrition guidelines to focus on an overall increase of fiber intake, not just because it’s “good for you,” but because it’s shown to literally change the dynamics of disease.

One thing to note is the mention that bacteria in your gut impacts so much of your overall health, not to mention your ability to maintain a healthy weight and fight off disease. It’s no secret that I believe gut bacteria to be a huge key to health, and maintaining a good balance of bacteria to ensure a healthy microbiome is crucial to many aspects of health, particularly for those fighting cancer.

Brush Up on Your Fiber Knowledge, as Well as Your Intake

There are two different types of fiber, and both are important. Soluble fiber easily dissolves in water and becomes gel-like in your system, acting as a sponge in some respects, as it moves into every crevice of your colon and helps to slow your digestion while also slowing the rate at which other nutrients are digested. The positive effects of soluble fiber come from actions that it both fosters and prevents.

Insoluble fiber, which does not dissolve, stays basically intact as it moves through your colon. Besides being completely devoid of calories, it helps prevent constipation because it “gathers” the byproducts and fluids you don’t want; it forms the waste that will eventually — and optimally — leave your body in the form of waste.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,5 25 grams of fiber per day is sufficient for women, while 38 grams is recommended for men. However, in my opinion, this is one case where more really is better: My recommendation for daily fiber intake is 25 to 50 grams per 1,000 calories consumed.

How Fiber Works, Which Kinds Are Best and What to Avoid

Offering a synopsis of how fiber works in your body, Mann noted that when you eat fiber-rich foods that require extra chewing, and which also retain their basic structure in your gut, it can accomplish several goals. It satisfies food cravings and contributes to weight control, while positively impacting your lipid and glucose levels.

As bacteria break down fiber in your large intestine, they impart a number of additional benefits, not the least of which is protection from colorectal cancer. There are a number of ways to increase your fiber intake.

According to Mann’s team, “Foods rich in fiber include whole grains, vegetables, fruit and pulses, such as peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas.”6 Vegetables and fruits are whole foods that should be the backbone of your diet, but there are issues with both grain, including whole grain, and beans, such as those listed.

Yes, lentils are an example of a highly nutritious legume as they contain high amounts of folate, protein, manganese, iron, thiamin and phosphorus. But beans, lentils and chickpeas are also examples of foods that contain lectins that bind to carbohydrates and attach to cells that allow them to wreak havoc as part of the plant’s self-defense mechanism against pests, and have the potential to harm humans.

Steven Gundry, the doctor and author who in recent years has called widespread attention to the problems you can experience when you eat foods with lectins, notes that lectins can trigger uncomfortable physical symptoms similar to those caused by gluten, although in both cases, it depends on your system, and everyone’s system is different.

In addition, beans are high in net carbs, and therefore best avoided due to their toxic or allergenic effects. And that brings us to wheat, which also contains lectins.7 In fact, wheat and other seeds of the grass family, including soy, soy products, peanuts and some nightshade foods such as potatoes, bell peppers, eggplant and tomatoes, are among foods that contain the highest amounts of lectins.

One of the reasons wheat ends up being toxic is that it’s attracted to glucosamine, a monosaccharide found in your joints.8 (You may know that glucosamine, a compound your body produces, is a common supplement many people take to alleviate joint pain, although how glucosamine works should be researched by individuals before beginning a regimen.)9

Anyone with autoimmune conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, obesity, diabetes or thyroid dysfunction, among others, is advised to be careful when eating foods containing lectins. You should at least curtail your intake of lectin-containing foods, Gundry advises.10

Cooking them correctly — read: thoroughly, such as with a pressure cooker, and with lots of water to help rid them of the toxicity — is important to avoid what can result in painful symptoms.

Fortunately, it’s easy to get plenty of fiber in your diet without focusing on grains. Healthy foods with high amounts of fiber include green peas, artichoke, baked sweet potato with the peel intact, spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and many other vegetables.

Additional foods that are also excellent in providing fiber include pears, raspberries, stewed prunes, dried figs or dates (eaten in moderation due to high sugar content), pumpkin, almonds, apples with the skin intact, bananas (also eaten in moderation) and oranges. Organic psyllium seed husk (nonorganic psyllium is typically loaded with pesticides) is another excellent way to optimize your fiber intake.

Benefits From Fiber Are Innumerable, Long-Lasting and Crucial for Health

When food gets “stuck” in your colon and refuses to leave, it causes a number of issues, not the least of which is pain. Eating a high-fiber diet has been shown to help prevent and alleviate leaky gut, suffered by as much as 80 percent of the population in the U.S.11 It starts in your small intestine and involves toxins caused by undigested foods, leading to allergies and worse.

Fortunately, few risks are associated with a high intake of fiber, although the featured study noted that people who have low iron or mineral levels who consume fiber in the form of bread, pasta and/or processed foods may further deplete their iron stores. In addition, “the study mainly relates to naturally-occurring fiber rich foods rather than synthetic and extracted fiber, such as powders, that can be added to foods.”12

from Articles http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/02/25/dietary-fiber-health-benefits.aspx source https://niapurenaturecom.tumblr.com/post/183042451141

[jakehglover]

Higher Daily Fiber Intake, Less Risk for Disease

Doctors have a lot to say about how people can avoid catastrophic health events like strokes and heart attacks, but scientists in New Zealand recently perused thousands of studies spanning more than 40 years and identified a nutrient that can be a genuine game-changer in the alleviation and prevention of many diseases: fiber.

Researchers from the University of Otago conducted their review to verify why fiber has such a stellar reputation in helping to maintain overall health. They scrutinized 185 observational studies, which involved 135 million person-years and 58 clinical trials, comprising 4,635 adult participants.

Results of the study, published in The Lancet, revealed that people who make a habit of eating high amounts of dietary fiber are 15 to 30 percent less likely to die prematurely from any cause compared to people who include the least amounts of fiber.1

The researchers also disclosed that eating foods containing lots of fiber is directly correlated to a 16 to 24 percent lower incidence of stroke, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, as well as colorectal cancer.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the authors noted that the impact could translate to 13 fewer deaths and six fewer cases of coronary heart disease per 1,000 participants, and that eating plenty of high-fiber foods is also linked to decreased weight and optimized cholesterol levels.2

The Lancet study wasn't the first to show how important fiber consumption is. A 2014 study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology showed much the same thing: that a 10 percent reduced risk for all-cause mortality was observed for every 10 grams of fiber participants added to their overall fiber intake.3

A Call for Nutrition Guidelines to Emphasize Fiber Intake

The scientists in New Zealand used only healthy participants so their findings couldn't be applied to people with existing chronic diseases. Jim Mann, a professor at the university and corresponding study author, noted several significant findings in regard to increased fiber consumption and the reduced risk of disease and death. According to Mann:

"The health benefits of fiber are supported by over 100 years of research into its chemistry, physical properties, physiology and effects on metabolism. Fiber-rich whole foods that require chewing and retain much of their structure in the gut increase satiety and help weight control and can favorably influence lipid and glucose levels.

The breakdown of fiber in the large bowel by the resident bacteria has additional wide-ranging effects including protection from colorectal cancer."4

Besides looking at the causes of premature deaths from certain cancers, the researchers focused specifically on cancers associated with obesity, such as endometrial, esophageal, breast and prostate cancers, the study stated.

In recommending a healthy amount of fiber to consume, the authors noted that for every 8 grams of increased fiber intake per day, the study subjects showed a 5 to 27 percent decrease in incidences of Type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer. Protection against stroke and breast cancer also increased.

So how much fiber is recommended to optimize your health? According to the study, consuming 25 to 29 grams every day is merely adequate; their data indicated that higher intakes would be more protective, and therefore advised. Further, diets stressing a low glycemic index and low glycemic load, besides allowing added sugars, were shown to provide limited protection against Type 2 diabetes and stroke.

Mann emphasized that findings from the study point to a dire need for a change in nutrition guidelines to focus on an overall increase of fiber intake, not just because it's "good for you," but because it's shown to literally change the dynamics of disease.

One thing to note is the mention that bacteria in your gut impacts so much of your overall health, not to mention your ability to maintain a healthy weight and fight off disease. It's no secret that I believe gut bacteria to be a huge key to health, and maintaining a good balance of bacteria to ensure a healthy microbiome is crucial to many aspects of health, particularly for those fighting cancer.

Brush Up on Your Fiber Knowledge, as Well as Your Intake

There are two different types of fiber, and both are important. Soluble fiber easily dissolves in water and becomes gel-like in your system, acting as a sponge in some respects, as it moves into every crevice of your colon and helps to slow your digestion while also slowing the rate at which other nutrients are digested. The positive effects of soluble fiber come from actions that it both fosters and prevents.

Insoluble fiber, which does not dissolve, stays basically intact as it moves through your colon. Besides being completely devoid of calories, it helps prevent constipation because it "gathers" the byproducts and fluids you don't want; it forms the waste that will eventually — and optimally — leave your body in the form of waste.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,5 25 grams of fiber per day is sufficient for women, while 38 grams is recommended for men. However, in my opinion, this is one case where more really is better: My recommendation for daily fiber intake is 25 to 50 grams per 1,000 calories consumed.

How Fiber Works, Which Kinds Are Best and What to Avoid

Offering a synopsis of how fiber works in your body, Mann noted that when you eat fiber-rich foods that require extra chewing, and which also retain their basic structure in your gut, it can accomplish several goals. It satisfies food cravings and contributes to weight control, while positively impacting your lipid and glucose levels.

As bacteria break down fiber in your large intestine, they impart a number of additional benefits, not the least of which is protection from colorectal cancer. There are a number of ways to increase your fiber intake.

According to Mann's team, "Foods rich in fiber include whole grains, vegetables, fruit and pulses, such as peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas."6 Vegetables and fruits are whole foods that should be the backbone of your diet, but there are issues with both grain, including whole grain, and beans, such as those listed.

Yes, lentils are an example of a highly nutritious legume as they contain high amounts of folate, protein, manganese, iron, thiamin and phosphorus. But beans, lentils and chickpeas are also examples of foods that contain lectins that bind to carbohydrates and attach to cells that allow them to wreak havoc as part of the plant's self-defense mechanism against pests, and have the potential to harm humans.

Steven Gundry, the doctor and author who in recent years has called widespread attention to the problems you can experience when you eat foods with lectins, notes that lectins can trigger uncomfortable physical symptoms similar to those caused by gluten, although in both cases, it depends on your system, and everyone's system is different.

In addition, beans are high in net carbs, and therefore best avoided due to their toxic or allergenic effects. And that brings us to wheat, which also contains lectins.7 In fact, wheat and other seeds of the grass family, including soy, soy products, peanuts and some nightshade foods such as potatoes, bell peppers, eggplant and tomatoes, are among foods that contain the highest amounts of lectins.

One of the reasons wheat ends up being toxic is that it's attracted to glucosamine, a monosaccharide found in your joints.8 (You may know that glucosamine, a compound your body produces, is a common supplement many people take to alleviate joint pain, although how glucosamine works should be researched by individuals before beginning a regimen.)9

Anyone with autoimmune conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, obesity, diabetes or thyroid dysfunction, among others, is advised to be careful when eating foods containing lectins. You should at least curtail your intake of lectin-containing foods, Gundry advises.10

Cooking them correctly — read: thoroughly, such as with a pressure cooker, and with lots of water to help rid them of the toxicity — is important to avoid what can result in painful symptoms.

Fortunately, it's easy to get plenty of fiber in your diet without focusing on grains. Healthy foods with high amounts of fiber include green peas, artichoke, baked sweet potato with the peel intact, spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and many other vegetables.

Additional foods that are also excellent in providing fiber include pears, raspberries, stewed prunes, dried figs or dates (eaten in moderation due to high sugar content), pumpkin, almonds, apples with the skin intact, bananas (also eaten in moderation) and oranges. Organic psyllium seed husk (nonorganic psyllium is typically loaded with pesticides) is another excellent way to optimize your fiber intake.

Benefits From Fiber Are Innumerable, Long-Lasting and Crucial for Health

When food gets "stuck" in your colon and refuses to leave, it causes a number of issues, not the least of which is pain. Eating a high-fiber diet has been shown to help prevent and alleviate leaky gut, suffered by as much as 80 percent of the population in the U.S.11 It starts in your small intestine and involves toxins caused by undigested foods, leading to allergies and worse.

Fortunately, few risks are associated with a high intake of fiber, although the featured study noted that people who have low iron or mineral levels who consume fiber in the form of bread, pasta and/or processed foods may further deplete their iron stores. In addition, "the study mainly relates to naturally-occurring fiber rich foods rather than synthetic and extracted fiber, such as powders, that can be added to foods."12

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/02/25/dietary-fiber-health-benefits.aspx