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#bc it was a secret well kept by the locals
lovelylivewirez · 2 months
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Figured I should post this on it's own since @au-sonic-smackdown has already begun (but I kept forgetting so... a few days later it is lmao)
I'll take this as a chance to ramble a little about this AU as well- putting under the cut tho bc it's gonna get a bit long and is probably a bit disjointed lol
So Sonic in this AU is immortal, right? He's like a demigod kinda. But so are Shadow and Tails (Shadow being the Ultimate Lifeform and Tails being a kitsune). They live far into the future, long enough to meet Silver as a child and see him grow, and will live far longer still.
Sonic is a nomad and lives anywhere as long as it's off the grid. He doesn't like other people knowing of his immortality out of fear that it will be exploited somehow. Eggman Nega would eventually prove that fear true, and some of his scars are from encounters with him.
(Some scars are from his childhood, but the prominent one running down his torso and the one in his ear, as well as a few other big ones covered by bandages, are relatively recent. They're indicative of some of the ways he has died before, if you're willing to take a guess.)
Shadow has taken over the role as Mobius' current hero, at least in the eyes of the public, but Sonic has remained a hero of legend. Silver also does his fair share of hero-ing, too, and is constantly chasing after Nega and foiling his plans with Shadow's help. Sonic will come in and help often, but leaves just as quickly as he came, often remaining unseen.
Meanwhile, Tails uses his kitsune powers to appear as a regular fox and hide his status as immortal. He poses as a local mechanic in Onyx City (the city from Archie Sonic Universe's Silver Age arc, but like. A good future instead of a dystopia) and helps Shadow and Silver covertly with his advanced tech.
When he's not saving the world from impending doom, Sonic either wanders the world to find places to nap in, hangs out with Tails or Shadow, or is hunted down by Nega.
Sonic's immortality allows him to regenerate and come back whenever he dies. The Chaos Energy inside of him won't let him die, he just heals and comes back, but it often leaves a scar, especially if the injury is severe. It's left him with chronic pain and fatigue. He uses a cane he carved himself out of a stick, unless in werehog form, where he just walks on all fours instead.
As a werehog, he's extremely irritable and pretty feral, but since he can control when he transforms most of the time (except new moons), he avoids transforming unless the boost in strength is absolutely necessary.
He's gotten pretty attached to lots of old things that remind him of his friends. Even if those things have started to decay, he hoards them in secret burrows across the world and refuses to let them go. His memory is not the greatest and has gotten worse as he aged, so he holds onto things that remind him of his late friends to ensure they live on in some way.
Anyways, that's all I have for now. Go vote for your favorite Sonic in the smackdown!
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bones-of-a-rabbit · 6 months
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u can never have too many au ideas (aka the cursed-sun/moon au)
(im copy n pasting this from discord bc im lazy sorry y'all fsjhf)
other au idea: Sun is a ruler or lord in a fantasy world or smthn and Moon is the form he's been Cursed into turning into each night. Reader is a low-tier magic-weilder (who has a secret past that involves smthn rlly Bad and they used to have a reasonable amount of respectability in th community but now theyre shunned and cant get a job anywhere and also has a big scar and/or only one eye lol) who's one remaining ability is the ability to lift minor curses or plagues. Sun has been searching for someone who can 'bless' the curse of Moon (or whatever is making Moon be nasty murderous bloodthirsty man) for ages but mages r rare and most of them spend maybe one night trying to cure Moon before either getting got or being scared into getting tf outta there
so eventually word reaches Sun of a mage who's been looking for work, with the only catch being that they arent very powerful and no one has much to say abt them, and Sun, who has burnt every single thread he has trying to find a mage, is like GOOD ENOUGH CALL THEM HERE
and reader is like 'oh shit this is potentially a rlly good job, the only catch is that i have to deal w a demon possessed guy thats like twice my height and three times as strong,,' and like. bc they have Zero Options and also feel like their life has run itself into th ground and there is little left for them/no way to get themselves out of their Issues, they r like 'yeah sure its gonna take a while bc i can only perform minor magic but i'll do whatever i can to see that this curse is delt with'
and instead of trying to face Moon head on, they start with just kinda,, getting to know him. he's kept chained/locked away in a chamber every night to keep ppl safe, but every night reader goes into the chambers, sits at a tea table just out of his reach, and just. talks with him
they dont entertain his trying to mess w them, taunting, cruelty, etc, but they talk when there's the chance for standard conversation. at first it's hell bc Moon is a little shit and he never cooperates. he never answers questions, he spends the entire night threatening to tear them apart and savor their insides, etc. they bring him a cup of tea every night, and every time he smashes the cup and throws the pieces at them
ok well point is eventually Moon starts to mellow out around them, will actually sit and have conversation with them, one day is like 'you think i dont know what youre doing?? youre just trying to bore me into falling for ur trap so u can kill me. i like ur style but its not gonna work >:3'
and reader is like 'i literally do not have enough magic to kill a toad let alone a whole entire possessed person' and moon is like ',, huh. so what IS ur goal here??' and reader is like 'i want to lift ur curse for both u and Sun's sakes. i gave u my word, and i will follow through, at the very least to clear my own conscience of a past sin'
and so eventually Moon, out of curiosity, and later bc he likes spending time with reader, starts letting them cast the healing magic on him, breaking the curse little by little every night
and at the same time all this is happening, reader is spending mornings and evenings with Sun and keeping him up to date on how the process is going and, eventually, becoming the person he turns to when he's stressed or tired or rlly just wants company
and idk smthn smthn eventually both of them rlly want Reader and they dont know how to act so they just b making fools of themselves but reader is a dumbass so theyre just confused
(Moon absolutely tells Reader abt every 'oh man i rlly wanna kiss kiss snuggle smooch the mage rn' thought Sun has during the day but Reader is so used to Moon being a little shit n making shit up to mess with them that they r just like ._. )
the plot twist part,,
(the secret dark past that reader is hiding is that they used to be a local mage for a nearby town who was known and respected for giving 'blessings' to ppl for small fees but one day for Reasons, they cast a curse upon someone and one of the biggest no-no's a mage can do is Curse someone so the town practically rioted, tore them down from their pedestal, called upon another mage to strip reader of their magic, and then cast them out)
(rn im considering the idea that the person reader Cursed is Vanny, who, because of her own curse, eventually went on to be the one who cursed Sun and Moon)
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star2fishmeg · 7 months
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Takajo Tsukasa, Todoroki Yosuke or Odajima Yuken (maybe all three at some point in the future but you can choose who to write) oneshots or headcannons with a foreign s/o that they somehow meet and keep it hidden from everyone until their respective schools find out about them? Like maybe it’s a long distance relationship and their s/o decided to visit them but the guys are at the hospital or getting treated because of a fight and they end up there. And the guys are like shocked or offended that they weren’t told they were dating and they pester the couple. Thank you if you do decide to write this. I love your blog, thank you so much for writing.
ᴏᴠᴇʀsᴇᴀs
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Pairing: Takajo Tsukasa x gn!reader, Odajima Yuken x gn!reader, Todoroki Yosuke x gn!reader
Summary: the boys with a foreign s/o in which they (somehow) kept a secret until they don’t
Warnings: fluff, Todoroki’s s/o is mentioned to speak good English, mentions of injury in Todoroki’s
Authors note: okay this was interesting and so I did all three, I hope I did them some justice! I also want to clarify that reader is not explicitly a native English speaker, but they speak English (how much is up to you) but they do speak Japanese
Request: above!
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ᴛᴀᴋᴀᴊᴏ ᴛsᴜᴋᴀsᴀ
Tsukasa met their s/o in a corner shop, this is the Oya district we’re discussing
In fact they saw their s/o every Friday at the same time every week, it was like they both had a designated time they’d go and buy snacks or something
Y/n usually went to this corner shop bc it was local and they had a small import section, not that they didn’t like or eat Japanese food but sometimes you need a sense of home
Tsukasa actually had no idea if y/n spoke Japanese at all but he was interested in whatever the snack they loved so much was and tried his best to speak in his little English but he was saved when they smiled and responded in Japanese
 Y/n had just recently been accepted into university and moved early to gather their bearings
He knew at that moment he had a chance lmao and offered to walk home with them, continuing to converse and exchanging numbers/social media. Talking so much that y/n eventually ended up asking Tsukasa out on a date and well their relationship grew from there
He walked home with them more than just once a week after a while. He’d meet up with them basically to show them around and his friends began to wonder where the hell Tsukasa disappeared to at specifically 14:50
“Are you sure this is where he went, Fujio?” Jamuo whispered, struggling to peer around the wall while Fujio crouched behind a bush.
“Yes, now shut it or we’ll get caught!” The Hanaoka replied, whispering louder than Jamuo originally had. The two had caught onto Tsukasa’s pattern and feeling excluded, followed him out of the school, down the street and snuck behind a bush on the opposite side of the street, watching Tsukasa stroll into the store.
After ten minutes, Fujio groaned, “What’s taking him so long, he’s usually the one pestering me to hurry up. When did he even start going here anyway!” He dropped his head and ran his hands through his hair, sighing. A part of him felt slightly betrayed that his best friend was keeping something from him, if he needed help he could’ve come to him.
“Fujio! He’s-“ Jamuo perked up. Fujio shot back to his original position of peeping over the bush.
“-with a person? Who in the- why has he got his arm around them?” Fujio grinned, “Oh I am so bringing this up to him!”
And he kept his word. The whole of the next day all Fujio did was pester Tsukasa about this mysterious and oh-so-secret person. It honestly looked like an excited puppy jumping around as Tsukasa’s laid-back figure slouched on his sofa, somewhat hoping Fujio would fall off the roof. This teasing did not just happen at Oya, Fujio literally followed Tsukasa to the store, hoping to meet his friend’s s/o, and also followed them to y/n’s home and bombarded them with questions.
ᴏᴅᴀᴊɪᴍᴀ ʏᴜᴋᴇɴ
Yuken definitely met his s/o when they studied overseas
They probably made a comment under their breath, and he laughed and initiated further conversation
They exchanged numbers/social media and continued talking/calling/meeting while they had time together 
And the day they had to part ways he genuinely was upset, but the communication didn’t stop regardless of timezones, they both made the effort
Yuken asked them out, over video call definitely bc he’s a tease
Their relationship would’ve been kept a secret bc 1. It was no one’s business and 2. He didn’t want to drag them into any danger, even if they were overseas
And it stayed their little secret for a long time, maybe over a year until Yuken’s birthday was approaching and his s/o wanted to surprise him. They had organised it with Yuken’s parents, flew over, dropped luggage off at the Odajima residence and skipped their merry way over to Housen
Sachio definitely would’ve known about it in order to even make it through Housen, he also definitely would’ve told the others to keep quiet and keep Yuken’s surprise and surprise, no matter how confused they were
Creeping through the doors to the meeting room, y/n kept their footsteps light on the floor, watching the other Housen members almost struggle to keep their eyes on Yuken, who was talking with his back turned. Sachio’s gaze met theirs, as if to give a signal and with a gentle tap on Yuken’s shoulder, he calmly turned around. His eyes lit up, in both joy yet panic at seeing their figure standing with a grin on their face, holding their arms out.
“Surprise!”, they said quietly, Yuken lumping his body over theirs and wrapping his arms around them, “Happy birthday, Yuken.” He didn’t say anything, but the tight embrace spoke volumes for him as he buried his face into their neck.
“Okay, so when did, like, this happen? And why are we, the bros, just finding out about it?”
“Don’t ruin the moment, Shidaken.”
ᴛᴏᴅᴏʀᴏᴋɪ ʏᴏsᴜᴋᴇ
  Oh Yosuke…this man will never live it down
  And he would never tell anyone how he and his s/o really met, which was through English tutoring. He kind of did care a little bit about being educated and since Oya was not great in that department, he had to find some way to be intelligent so he found a tutor at one of the local regular high schools who was willing to help – and they just so happened to have a great grasp on English
 But they would text a lot rather than call, telling each other about their lives and stories from schools, probably teaching each other more about their languages and cultures
 His s/o would be 100% aware of his lifestyle and fights, Todoroki would want to make himself look good somehow
 But after one particular fight, he ended up more wounded than he had expected and found himself in the hospital for a head injury – nothing too serious
After not hearing from Yosuke, his s/o would start to become worried, his fights didn’t last more than three hours and yet they were sat there at 8pm with no word
Yet they knew where he’d be, and without hesitation would throw on a jacket and shoes and make their way down to the hospital
Todoroki Yosuke I’m gonna beat your arse when I get there.
Y/n frantically skimmed the numbers on the doors as they power-walked through the corridor of the ward, hand clutching their schoolbag, worry surging through their veins. When they eventually found his room, the speed they bundled through the door startled the nurse already in there, as well as – who they assumed to be – Todoroki’s friends he’d talked about, Tsuji and Shibaman. They dumped their bag on the floor, immediately standing over Todoroki’s bed to see the boy with a bandage wrapped around his head but still looking healthy with just bruised knuckles.
“Yo, who the fuck are you?” Shibaman grumbled, side-eyeing Tsuji in the process.
“S/o. Is he okay?” they replied, taking Yosuke’s hand into their own and gently holding it. Y/n pushed a few stands of hair with a feathery touch off his forehead, eyes softening at his gentle expression.
“Yeah. So…when did this become a thing?” Tsuji mumbled.
"Six months ago. I tutor him.” Y/n explained, almost panting still from the hurry. Tsuji - suspicious still - nodded, signalling his head towards the door at Shibaman and the pair left to give y/n some privacy. Y/n smiled at them before shifting their gaze back to Yosuke and planted a kiss on his wrapped-up forehead. Yeah, Todoroki had a lot of explaining and reassuring to do when he woke up.
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H&L harem (if you wanna be tagged/removed in future H&L content, comment or lemme know via ‘chat to me bbygorl’ :D);
@straysugzhpe @airbendertendou @strxwberrychocolate @rouzuchan @yuken-gf @rinwhore @simpforchuchu @thatpoindexterpixy @rainisawriter @cheshirecatuniverse
[Masterlist]
[Requests OPEN]
2023 © STAR2FISHMEG All rights reserved - do not plagiarise, translate, repost, copy any of my works. If you notice that any of these have been done to my work, please let me know.
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spacenintendogs · 6 months
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whats your modern au all about :D
ough!! i'm gonna kinda copy & paste a lot bc i was infodumping to @artinandwritin last night & didn't realize how much i'd talked abt!!! but!!! this is more the plot that parallels the first movie!!! bc if i kept talking abt it beyond that it'd get super long 😭 (longer than it already is)
for my au, the dragons are obv a thing & are more large dog sized than giagantic beasts but i think there'd be more of a conservationist push to it. the sanctuary already exists & valka is more like hiccup's mom in the books where she's absent for long periods due to traveling for work (dragon conservation) & hiccup is indoctrinated to it at a young age
so when he's 15 & meets toothless he already knows dragons are good & cool. it's the establishment of trust between him & toothless that stays the same as toothless is harmed by hiccup still, on accident but also not(?), in that they have traps set up for dragons for tracking purposes but hiccup sets his up wrong
so toothless loses his tail & while it leans more into hiccup making the automatically working tail like in gift of the night fury & httyd 3, he's still very present & active in toothless' learning of how to use it & their bond is SUPER strong (bestieeees)
obv with valka being so absent, stoick struggles with maintaining a relationship with her & bc hiccup looks up to her so much, they also have communication issues bc while stoick in my au doesn't see dragons as evil that *need* to be killed since they're relatively common animals, but he sees a danger in caring for them as well as seeing valka's more extreme version of conservation to be detrimental to having human connection
he also is just very Dad™️ in not having the same interests & struggles to connect, so he's harsher than he should be sometimes when it comes to hiccup & toothless
hiccup losing his leg is still caused by the red death, as it's a gigantic dragon thought to have long since gone extinct
hiccup lowkey has been keeping toothless a secret to this point bc if it got out he might have the potential last night fury, he'd get a lot of media coverage & he's afraid he'd be forced to give toothless up :(
but at the core of it all it's abt spreading education abt dragons as they are endangered & hiccup makes that his mission & takes over the conservatory (with stoick paying the bills until hiccup can do it on his own lmao)!! they go around locally & do "shows" to help spread the word & get younger kids into conservation work!!!!
the poacher & hunter issues come later but this is the basic gist that sets up the entire au & is the big initial plot!! all while hiccup is dealing with being a loner & missing his mom & wishing he could connect with his dad (two out of three of these are generally resolved/being worked on to success :))
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weremagnus · 1 year
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Ok, several questions bc you have my dream job lol:
1. How did you get into the video game industry as a concept artist?
1a. Was it hard?
1b. What kind of degree did you need to work with the company ur currently employed with?
2. Is it hard being a full time artist?
Hi! Thanks for asking these questions. I'll do my best to answer based on my experiences.
1. How did you get into the video game industry as a concept artist?
I spent a year after graduation from college taking on any work that came my way. All really low budget stuff, a real hodgepodge of things: some of it was games, some of it was like... logos for local businesses. In that year I also took a trip to Burbank to attend the CTN Animation Expo (there's another one called Lightbox now) and I brought my college portfolio with me to show recruiters. I ended up meeting some folks who worked at a studio that interested me and they passed my name along to their recruitment department.
I do want to note: I didn't start as a concept artist. My first position involved concept art, but was primarily creating 2D game assets. As I kept working I was given opportunities that eventually earned a concept artist role.
1a. Was it hard?
At times it felt really difficult. Between jobs during that post-grad year, I was online researching what studios were out there and sending my portfolio to any hiring email I could find. Here are some of the places I was looking (originally I thought I'd get into the animation industry)
ANW
Canadian Animation Resources
These are newer resources that I know of since then:
Game dev jobs
Canadian Game Devs Discord
I often felt discouraged and out of my depth. I had no idea how to get in, and it could feel hopeless when I'd never get any worthwhile responses. It took a lot of patience, perseverance and determination to keep at it.
1b. What kind of degree did you need to work with the company ur currently employed with?
I have a bachelor's degree of Visual Communication and Design with a character design specialization. I don't think I needed it to get hired, but it certainly helped. I think it helped most in getting hired for a position that was slightly above entry-level.
I've been part of the hiring process and I can confidently say that while post-secondary education credentials are great to see on a resume, they've never been the deciding factor. I've seen more importance assigned to a portfolio with strong fundamentals, examples of work that prove an artist can match the project they're applying for, and that they interview well.
2. Is it hard being a full time artist?
It can be challenging, especially when you're starting out, but I don't think that's exclusive to the art profession. My biggest challenges were lifestyle changes when I was suddenly no longer a teenager/student but now an employee who has to be accountable to others and be good at managing their time.
Challenges specific to the career: you'll have to learn how to be willing and open about having your work critiqued, by both peers and superiors (art director, professors, etc). You'll have to disconnect yourself from the work you create on the job otherwise you risk taking every piece of feedback personally.
There are many days where you have no will to draw or design, but you have to do it anyway because it's your job. And there's no secret to getting through those days: you just force yourself.
There are also days, sometimes weeks, where you have to work on an assignment that doesn't interest you at all, but you're responsible for getting the work done.
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unhingedlesbear · 2 days
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Fursona history dump!!
Literally gonna dump a bunch of art of EVERY past fursona of mine I could find. Some of them seem to have had every piece of art erased from existence so RIP Snowrush </3 but anyway. All sonas under the cut.
-Scruffy (Wolf)
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Scruffy was my first EVER sona. By that I mean I made him when I was like 6-7 and would roleplay as him 24/7, I literally convinced myself I WAS him. My friends called me Scruffy, I drew myself as Scruffy, I was Scruffy y'all. Wasn't until I was like 10 that I knew what a fursona was though, but he definitely was one. Anyway my friends and I called ourselves "the secret animals" at the time. The tiger and fox are two of them, and the cat is still my best friend to this day (she's a bunny now ofc but back then she was a black cat called Starlight) god I am getting nostalgic just typing this. Good times <3
-Alaska (Fox)
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Last piece by @mungosaur-4
Alaska was my fursona for YEARS. I'm still attached to her bc she was the sona I had when I was getting really into the actual fandom. Online, people knew me as her. Technically she was a fox/wolf/hyena hybrid but primarily she was a fox so lets just call her that. She was blue because I watched a lot of Pocari Roo at the time. To this day, I think Alaska is still the sona I've kept for the longest and in general have the most art of, because other people would draw her at the time online.
-Moth (Fox)
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All pieces except the first are by @bluedivvy
Moth was my reluctant break away from Alaska, when I was going through an identity crisis. They were still a fox because I wasn't ready to break FULLY away from that yet, but they also had an enfield form because literally why not. I liked Moth, thought they were cute but I didn't keep them for very long.
-Moth (Maned wolf)
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Second and last pieces by @bluedivvy, other character in the first also belongs to them
Moth was literally just a test really. She kept the name of my last sona because I went by that name at the time and wanted to keep it for my sonas. She was a maned wolf bc I discovered that the animal was pretty similar to me, and I loved the way they looked, but I didn't keep either Moth for very long.
-Mulee (Mule deer)
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Second piece by @mungosaur-4 and third by @bluedivvy, other character in the first also belongs to bluedivvy
I made Mulee when I was super obsessed with deer, especially mule deer, because at the time my daemon was near settling as one and I was filming some local deer for a school project. I loved Mulee, mainly because she felt more unique and distinct than my previous canine sonas, and also I LOVED her colours. That being said I was never really satisfied with her because I didn't feel like a deer fit me as an animal in the way canines and such did. Still, I had Mulee for a long time and loved her a lot.
-Corvix (Corsac fox)
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Maned wolf in the second pic belongs to mungosaur
I was back on my fox bullshit with Corvix. I abandoned Mulee in favour of a canine eventually, and I went for a corsac fox. She was cute, I liked her, but I never got really attached to her as a sona. She was more of a temporary thing.
-Grizzlee (Bear)
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Bird in the first one belongs to mungosaur, rabbit is my bestie obv
And that brings us to Grizzlee, my current sona and the first one since Alaska I've felt satisfied with. I went back to Mulee's colours for her as well, strayed away from canines for some variety, but didn't stray TOO far from canines. So pretty much I feel like I wanna make a suit of her bc she's my favourite and I'm glad I waited to find one I really liked.
Okay that's the sona lore dump of all time goodbye!
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wvthering · 1 month
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tell me about lord ito suguru. (  arata mackenyu, cis male, he/him  )    : ̗̀➛   twenty-eight years young , a non-bender from the noble house of ito. many know them to be impatient & egocentric . how unfortunate , truly … i’ve always found them to be brave & honest . they oft fulfill the duties of a member of the royal guard . oh , i should tell you — they are impartial to the rule of house yi . well , you know how every storyteller bends the tale they tell .   
this is my second muse, suguru (take a guess at which anime character he was named after). if you'd like to plot with him like this and i'll come to your dms!
background:
second child of house ito and the family's black sheep ✌️
a non-bender and lord ito was not happy about it, and thus never bothered to hide it.
grew up closer to his mother, who was also a non-bender, and as a child was clingy and prone to scared of everything, prone to crying at the smallest things.
forced by lord ito to learn martial arts from a young age. mother decided to teach him how to fight using the two sword style (her family was a known clan of swordsmen and she was an excellent one).
mother dies when he's 12, starting a very dark period in his life in which the only thing that held him together was learning how to become a swordsman.
is pretty much left alone by lord ito and his second wife (who he marries less than a year after his first wife dies) and prefers it that way.
grows up raised by servants and fighting masters and thus has more appreciation for them than for most of his family.
inherits his mother's swords, peace keeper (black sheath) and heavenly punishment (red sheath) and joins the military for a while before becoming part of the royal guard at age 25.
impartial to house yi, couldn't care less about who sits at the throne and is only part of the royal guard bc he has to deal with less people than at the military.
personality:
expects the worst out of everyone at all times and can't see genuine goodness in anyone.
used to being looked down upon due to being a non-bender, so he isn't the nicest person towards firebenders.
tends to be nicer to women (or at least less rude).
it's a open secret that his father kept a mistress (who later became his second wife) throughout most of his marriage, and suguru still blames himself for being born a non-bender and in his eyes causing his father to cheat on his mother.
so touch starved it's painful, if anyone touched him with gentleness he'd probably cry.
connections:
other members of the royal guard and members of the royalty!! let's brainstorm!!
drinking buddies! when not on duty suguru can be seen at local bars (he rarely gets drunk)
childhood friends who may or may not be in good terms
one best friend
anything and everything! let's brainstorm!
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rabbitcruiser · 5 months
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National Cinnamon Day
Celebrate and appreciate one of the world’s favorite ancient spices by getting excited about National Cinnamon Day. So grab a favorite cinnamon treat and read on to learn more about this delicious spice and the ways it has been part of human history for thousands of years!
History of National Cinnamon Day
Native to Ceylon, which is modern day Sri Lanka, cinnamon’s first recordings are from Chinese writings that date as far back as 2800 BC. Even today in the Cantonese language, cinnamon is still known as “kwai”. And in the Malay language, it goes by “kayumanis”, which means “sweet wood”. This is certainly an apt description of this spicy but uniquely sweet flavor.
During medieval times, doctors found that cinnamon worked well as a treatment for coughs, sore throats and hoarseness. It may also have been considered a status symbol and was often used as a special imported gift given to monarchs, royalty and other people of importance.
Cinnamon, along with other precious spices might seem rather innocuous now, but in the early days of their discovery, several wars were fought over the lands where cinnamon came from. The Portuguese, Dutch and British armies all sought to conquer Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka) in an effort to obtain full access to their spices.
Today, sourcing cinnamon comes with much less angst and political struggle as, for most people, it’s easy to simply pop over to the local grocery store, health food store or spice shop to pick some up. Typically cinnamon can be found in two varieties, ground or whole. Ground cinnamon is used in many different recipes for baking and cooking, while whole cinnamon sticks are more often steeped into beverages or infused into flavoring syrups.
Of course, cinnamon is really the star of the show when it comes to the beloved pumpkin pie spice. Combined with allspice, nutmeg and clove, cinnamon is the base for this grouping of flavors that represents all things fall.
In honor of National Cinnamon Day, it’s time to get creative and enjoy cinnamon in a whole myriad of ways!
National Cinnamon Day Timeline
2000 BC Spices are exchanged along the Silk Road
A network of sea routes link East to West, from Japan all the way over to Europe, and cinnamon is one of the spices traded on this route.
65 AD Emperor Nero burns cinnamon
Nero is said to have burned a year’s worth of Rome’s supply of cinnamon at his wife’s funeral. 
14th Century Portuguese explorers find cinnamon
While traders brought the spice to the West, the place where it originates from is kept secret until the Portuguese discover it in Ceylon.
Early 1800s British take over Ceylon
Defeating the Dutch occupiers, the British take over the island country of Ceylon, gaining full access to cinnamon.
1930s Cinnamon candy is made
Produced by the Ferrara Pan Candy Company, Red Hots are made using the panned method of candy making.
How to Celebrate National Cinnamon Day
Get excited about cinnamon and enjoy National Cinnamon Day with some of these fun and clever ideas for celebrating:
Eat Something Cinnamon
From cinnamon candy to cinnamon rolls and everything in between, National Cinnamon Day is best celebrated by enjoying the flavors of this delicious spice. Whether it’s simply grabbing a pack of cinnamon gum from the local convenience store, or a cinnamon latte from a local coffee shop, this is the day to enjoy all things cinnamon!
In fact, while often associated with sweet things in the West, cinnamon is also often used in savory dishes in many cultures. From curries to mole sauces to barbecue rubs, cinnamon can be used in every meal of the day for breakfast lunch and dinner!
Try a cinnamon roll or a healthy bowl of oatmeal flavored with cinnamon for breakfast. Lunch could consist of a Hawaiian pizza topped with pineapple, ham and almond slivers, sprinkled with delicious cinnamon. And dinner? Well, a big vat of butter chicken, cinnamon green lentil soup or chicken shawarma would do nicely, thank you very much!
Learn the Health Benefits of Cinnamon
Cinnamon is more than just a yummy way to flavor foods and beverages! It is also a natural substance that offers a whole host of properties that may be beneficial to human health. There’s a reason that it was often offered as a gift to kings!
Consider some of these interesting benefits of including cinnamon as part of a healthy diet:
Cinnamon is full of antioxidants. Fighting off free radicals is the name of the game when it comes to preventing health problems such as cancer, heart disease and other issues.
Cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation can be helpful in fighting off foreign bodies, but too much inflammation can cause huge health problems like arthritis, asthma, diabetes, cancer and so much more.
Cinnamon may help prevent heart disease. This unassuming spice has been linked as a way to reduce heart disease, which is the number one cause of death in the world today.
Cinnamon can help balance insulin. A serious problem today is insulin resistance which can cause type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Cinnamon can help to reduce the body’s resistance to the hormone insulin and help it do its job well.
Enjoy Baking with Cinnamon
Cinnamon brings a whole host of opportunities for cooking and baking in the kitchen at home. From cinnamon rolls to snickerdoodle cookies, from cinnamon donuts to cinnamon coffee cake, this spice really has it all!
Get creative by adding cinnamon sugar to honey and rolling it in phyllo dough for a pseudo-baklava taste. Or go a bit more traditional by baking an all-American apple pie that is, of course, spiced with cinnamon. Another enjoyable way to use cinnamon is to add it to a traditional loaf of quick bread, such as banana bread, pumpkin bread.
Savor a Cup of Cinnamon Tea
While many people think of cooking and baking with cinnamon, one of the best ways to enjoy this delicious spice is by steeping it into a hot beverage. Teas made from cinnamon can be not only tasty but can also offer a nice way to infuse some of the health benefits that were mentioned above.
So, in honor of National Cinnamon Day, perhaps consider trying out one of these delightful brands of cinnamon tea:
Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea. This is the most popular flavor of this company’s tea that is sold throughout the world, its flavors are of cinnamon, orange peel and sweet cloves.
The Republic of Tea Cinnamon Plum Tea. This is a black tea that is blended with zingy cinnamon spice and offers the calm taste of ripe plums.
Bigelow Black Tea Cinnamon Stick. A classic version with a spicy kick, this black tea is just the right balance of sweet and spicy.
National Cinnamon Day FAQs
Can dogs have cinnamon?
Cinnamon is not toxic to dogs, but it could cause indigestion so it may be best to avoid giving cinnamon to a dog.
Is cinnamon good for you?
Yes! Cinnamon is a healthy spice that contains antioxidants and may be helpful in fighting against heart disease, insulin resistance, and might even protect against cancer.
Where does cinnamon come from?
Originating from trees in Sri Lanka, which is an island in the Indian Ocean, a lot of cinnamon is now grown in Indonesia.
How to make cinnamon sugar
Cinnamon sugar is easy! Just combine 2 tablespoons of cinnamon with ½ cup white sugar and combine.
Can cinnamon go bad?
Though cinnamon will not usually “go bad”, it can get old and lose some of its strength and flavor.
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personinthepalace · 1 year
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I saw a local production of Legally Blonde the Musical today!
One of the local high schools in my city (my old school's "rival" in fact haha) is doing a production of Legally Blonde, and I went to see it today! I'm a huge lbtm fan, but this was my first time seeing a live production, and it was honestly very good!! I am very passionate about the door discourse so I was highly anticipating that moment in the ballad. And this production passed the test! As soon as I saw that they were wheeling out the door during that number, I was silently freaking out to my friend haha. Anyway here are some other random notes/thoughts that I had about the production:
Real dogs! Rufus was a golden retriever, and when he came out, the show paused for a bit bc of the applauding haha. Rufus also listened to Kyle's command to sit which was quite cute haha A HUGE ensemble (it's high school so it makes sense). But they bring back the ensemble for like every possible song Elle was great - she used some vibrato and trills during her solos. Most of So Much Better was kinda a mess (backing music/ensemble not really lining up well), but OMIGOD she held out that last note just like LBB did on bway so huge props to her! Warner was a good singer not as strong as the other leads but he has the best expression/acting choices - more on that later Serious: they didn't do the accidental proposal pose which I thought was a missed joke The violinist during Serious walked back out with some great sad acting after Elle left before playing the last notes of the song (I thought that she was someone from the orchestra but they were actually part of the ensemble so that was cool!) What You Want: Elle's white outfit was cute!! They used the "Jet Blue" line! The actors' school photos for the Elle x Warner poster which I thought was funny haha Harvard variations: they got rid of Sandeep's character so the song was shorter Aaron Sholtz and Enid Hoops were played by butch actors which was cool! Bruiser now loves the Bachelor Emmett - the actor playing him (who my sister knew from elementary school) is such a perfect emmett! Looks exactly like how one would imagine him haha Background acting: Emmett introducing himself to the students and shaking their hands while Elle and Vivienne had their first interaction in class Blood in the water: Callahan was also a very good singer. I think this was one of the strongest number of the show. They also added grey to his hair He was kinda touching Enid during his lines with her but she kept on pushing his hand away from her - foreshadowing! Paulette was amazing!!! I think she might be my favorite actor in the show. She sounds EXACTLY like Orfeh did on bway. Also asian representation!! Ireland - she killed it obviously - seriously amazing!! (though she did accidentally came in early at one part). The lyrics are different from the bway version though (they were about her grandpa) Playboy bunny costume - they added a little tutu to it which was cute! Enid sat near them near the end of this scene (in preparation for Elle stealing her glasses). She tries to drink from a bottle but Warner took it away from her and drank it instead Chip On My Shoulder: Elle wears Emmett's jacket! Emmett saying he hadn't slept since 1998 killed me bc this kid is definitely younger than me haha Elle and Emmett don't do any secret handshakes though :( Elle sat next to Warner during her squealing exit and I loved that so much haha Reclaiming Rufus scene: Elle ran back on stage and threw her arms around Emmett and Paulette - I am here for this trio friendship When Dewey re-exited the trailer and saw Elle, he twirled his long hair
So Much Better, as I said before, was sadly not the strongest number but I do like that Elle's parents appear offstage when she called them. And Elle held out that last note!! Once again no Elle x Emmett secret handshake :(
(Part 2 will continue in a reblog bc apparently I hit the character limit LOL)
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odinsblog · 9 months
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As a Black person who was raised in the Pentecostal Church (mandatory service every Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat and 2x on Sundays), it’s just sO funny for me hearing how the Southern Baptist church is kicking out churches with women pastors..???
My paternal and maternal grandmothers were both preachers, and my mom and most of my aunts and and and
I was in my mid to late teens before I even attended a church with a male pastor, and it was so jarring
I was like, “is this even a real church? because I don’t see any women in the pulpit”
They had to convince me that it was for real
This isn’t a post to convince anyone to be pro religion or pro atheist - just me sharing some personal experiences
BUT..!! I will say one thing: nobody on earth can convince me that if churches with women preachers & pastors were more common, you wouldn’t have nearly as much sexual abuse going on
Not that women are incapable of sexual abuse on minors, but I’m sorry, in small Black churches where practically everyone knew each other’s parents and children? Nah
If a grown man was trying to have ANY kind of “relationship” with a young girl (aka, a child), the moms would have had a fish fry with his peen. At the very least, they woulda shamed tf outta him to the point where he wouldn’t have shown his face
(and now that I think about it, that might be precisely why a couple of the older dudes seemingly vanished. at least, I don’t think the women straight up murked them … I don’t think)
The problem that a lot of these Pentecostal churches had was actually the exact opposite: they kept their girls on such strict lockdown that the very first time they “fell in love” with their crush, many of them got pregnant—because they had zero experience with dating and learning how to just BE around boys, unchaperoned
And as far as the women Pentecostal pastors violating young boys? Again, not saying that it couldn’t happen or that it never ever happened, but again just going on my lived experiences, the 10 - 17yr old Black boy who could keep his mouth shut about it was about as common as a unicorn
Ofc we all (the teenage boys) crushed on some of the younger women who were in their 20s and early 30s, and if ANY of us so much as got a kiss, it would have been on the front page of every local newspaper and all over the 11 o’clock evening news. We held those kinds of secrets about as well as a sieve holds water
And finally, I’m not forgetting about LGBTQ people either, at least I don’t think so anyway
One of my siblings is gay, and ofc I had no clue
Not necessarily bc I “missed” anything (although I’m sure I did that too), but because being LGBTQ in a Black church?? (any church, really) was more trouble than it was worth. The threat of becoming an exile in your own community was, unfortunately, very real
SN: I’ll forever be proud of the fact that I was the very first person who they felt comfortable enough to come out to
Anyway, it’s still funny to me that churches are willing to potentially turn away 50% of members at a time when church membership is shrinking
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hakubunii-ect · 7 months
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Jujutsu Kaisen OC
Name: Hana (花 Flower) Shirohane (白黒White, Wings/feathers)
Age: 26/27(girl I can’t decide)
Height: 5’4”
Physical:
Eyes: dark Magenta
Hair: Burgundy (but like, more pinkish), as an adult, she wears it in a milkmaids
braid that ends in a low ponytail tied into a pink bow. Her curly hair is messy at the ends, twirling out in every which direction. Her bangs are very loosely tucked behind her left ear and are semi in her face.
Attire: Somewhat revealing. She’s wearing an altered uniform that consists of a white, high collared, sleeveless bodysuit that stops mid thigh. A dark blue, off the shoulder Jujutsu uniform is worn over it, it’s sleeves resembling that of a kimono. She also wears a long skirt of the same color and material with a wide slide on the left side. Adorns a rosary around her waist, long black, fingerless gloves, and a garter holster type thing that holds various tools like knives or charms. She just wears strapped black sandals. We’re going for semi-functional SLAY not realism.
Social:
Affiliation:
*Tokyo Jujutsu High/Kyoto Prefectural Jujutsu High School (The later being her alma mater)
*Geto Suguru
(briefly infiltrated his lil group in an attempt to gather information)
*Unnamed Tokyo Monastery
(Grew up studying to be a nun)
*Shirohane Clan
(Presumed only female and youngest member of her clan)
*Occupation: Jujutsu Sorcerer I guess
Relationships:
*Original an acquaintance of sorts of Geto and Gojo when they exorcised a cursed spirit that was attached to her before she grew a crush on Geto during so. They inspired her to pursue her technique and become a proper jujutsu sorcerer. Her crush on Geto was embarrassing and she worried it’d distract her studies so she opted to attend the Kyoto school. (Shawty was down bad lmao)
*Geto’s “wife” of sorts for a period of time. She basically infiltrates his fam for a while to try and get info on stuff her was doing. Trying to gain his trust (albeit an unwise idea) she becomes his “wife” of sorts and just kind of sleeps with him a lot before he dies. She becomes pregnant and accidentally does exactly what her clan expected of her- produce Shirohane children.
*Her relationship with Gojo is mostly professional but she does kind of sleep with him while the two were dealing with mutual grief over Geto as a distraction (I’m a lil shaky on this part and might cut it out) and accidentally makes him baby daddy #2
Mentor of a student, and very distant relative, Kikuko (She is an oc that has similar abilities to Hana)
*She actually hates her older clan members, old ass men who incompetently run their clan and often overlook Hana’s well being for the sake of “bettering their clan” and bringing forth stronger jujutsu sorcerers.
*Hiroshi (寛 Generous) Shirohane (白黒White, Wings/feathers) is her toddler son whom she is very protective of and dotes on. He is kept a secret for a long time until it is accidentally revealed that he exists. She named him Hiroshi bc she wants him to grow up to be generous with his time, affection, and heart.
Personality:
-Goal driven, will often pursue a goal of hers despite all odds and anyone’s opinions on it. This is both terrific and detrimental.
-Loyal to a fault
-Self sacrificing for greater good (putting needs of humanity or others before her own)
-Hardworking, extremely so
-Maybe a bit too confident that certain situations she gets herself in will have positive outcomes. Is this naivety?
-Is aware of the power sex has in this world and utilizes this to her advantage (When in a position where she has to, she will use her body like a Swiss Army knife. (Knows she’s hot, uses it in her favor when needed.)
-Still somewhat innocent despite the whole “Swiss Army knife” thing.
Slightly stubborn
History:
As a small child, Hana was sent to a nunnery when a cursed spirit that attached itself to her kept killing local boys and men whenever they try to talk or romance Hana. Was raised there to become a nun until her clan’s elders yanked her from the familiarity around the age of 15 because they were dying out and she was the only known surviving clan member that could pass down their technique and abilities. They request the sprite be exorcized, the job getting taken on by Geto and Gojo, who lured it out by like romancing her throughout the day(various dates of sorts, flirting, holding hands, KISSING-anything to make this bitch show itself) until it finally materialized and attacked them-they beat the shit out of it and Geto swallows it. Once she’s no longer a nun and free of her curse, she decides to become a proper sorcerer, inspired by the removal of her curse. She attends the Kyoto school because she developed a huge crush on Geto as a girl and was worried seeing him all the time would distract her learning. After having graduated and continuing her craft, her grade went up considerably and she became strong (idk what grade to make her).
Power/Ability:
Hana has a particularly potent energy that draws curses to her that she can then control to do her bidding. She doesn’t use this aspect often but she can send those curses into inanimate objects or corpses, kind of creating zombies that follow her commands. Because she draws cursed energy to her, she acts as a sort of conduit between them and humans and has an excellent ability at pinpointing where they are or where she wants them to be. Sometimes, her presence feels overwhelming because of this if she’s been doing shit with curses and exorcising them all day.
(She’s still a work in progress but I like her a lot. If you don’t like OCs or think mines stupid without actual good advice on how to fix her, mind your business. I do these things for fun. <3 )
ROUGH UNCOLORED SKETCHES!!!
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ilshaneul · 2 years
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hello ^-^!! my name is salem or sae! it has been a while since i’ve been in a roleplay, but i’m very excited to be apart of this one! anyway, in this little intro post i’ll include a little ooc info section, a run down on haneul, as well as plot ideas! i hope that this post makes navigating haneul super duper easy!
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full profile ♡ plots ♡ biography ♡ mobile navi.
ooc intro
♡ as i said, my name is salem ♡ i use they/them ♡ cst time zone ♡ i am twenty two ♡ i loooove plotting over twitter or discord, so if possible i always prefer those! my twitter is ( @/mlmjjk ) and my discord is ( salem#0048 ) ♡ fun facts about me: i have three cats, so you will be hearing about this!! and haneul is one of my favorite characters, i actually made him in 2017! crazy. but this character is special to me and a whole lotta fun. so i hope that you all will enjoy him~
jun haneul
♡ jun haneul... what can i say about him? well, first of my little dashing guy is twenty-five. he was adopted, but has lived in ilsang since he was five. he went to college in town, etc etc. and about a year or two ago he became a dj at the local radio station, so you can hear him on the airwaves. ♡ when you first meet him, you’ll probably see the fun loving, jokester he usually tries to be. you may hear him be crass, flirtatious, or anything in between. you might even think he annoying, or just a funny pal! ♡ but despite the outward appearances of a very silly guy, haneul actually is pretty serious sweetheart! ♡ you won’t find anyone as sweet as him, or as good as a friend! he prides himself on being the bestie of dreams, lol. he is very considerate, and spends a Lot of time getting to know and remember even tiny details about those he loves!! bestie WILL find out your love language and give you exactly what you need! ♡ anyway tho, seriously, deep down he is a lot more than jokes and usually hides himself under the jokes so people like him more, and hide that good ol’ Anxiety and, well, honestly he has dealt with psychotic breaks and departures from reality ♡ speaking of, if you grew up in town haneul could be described as: that weird kid who was always trying uncover a made-up mystery. think ryan in buzzfeed unsolved and you have haneul. only, um, sometimes haneul is kinda right, like.. maybe he isn’t right about the ghost that lives in cabin 3, but he was one of the very first to grow obsessed with and start positing ideas about ilsangs mysteries ♡ sadly, though, very few choose to hear haneul out!! in fact, haneul has since learned that his more serious ““ delusions ““ should be kept secret. however, little does he know... they arent fully unreal! ♡ there are a few people he tells though, especially those in his little gang and his closest friends ♡ anyway... haneul is also a major charmer (manipulator kinda, on accident??? ok. manipulate, malewife, and manslaughter), and being bisexual he is kind of always trying to charm people. you Will be flirted with if you come within 10 miles of him... but is he serious?? ♡ an actual introvert but you’d never know it bc he is a rambly people loving boy ♡ also, haneul is CF8A in preplot 8. he’s still looking for his childhood friend who loves him, as well as their two stowaways... so if u like haneul think about it ;) ♡ anyway.. does this man interest you? wanna know more?? you can buy him here for $19.99! or just message me :3
general plot ideas
♡ roomies ♡ party friends ♡ they think hes crazy ♡ they are crazy with him ♡ college friends ♡ someone who didnt like him/who he didnt like ♡ crushes, oh my god. haneul had so many, hes a loverboy ♡ exes, esp college era but also hs. ♡ friends when they were kids ♡ an alien who is crazy about teasing him ♡ want more ideas? check out my full plots page!
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tremulousbird · 1 year
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wip intro: these i can promise (got7 au fanfic)
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title: these i can promise one sentence summary: a mildly fluffy kidfic with Jaebeom as a saturnine detective, GOT6 as his bratty siblings and BTS being cool af in leather jackets blurb: Lim Jaebeom has made a good life for himself as a detective. He has a great team, a comfortable flat with two cats and nothing much to remember the dark life he left behind ten years ago by. But then, on a snowy day in December, he receives a call. Thrown into the guardianship of a ragtag collection of little brothers, he gets the chance to fight for a future that he had long ago given up on. A future where he is no longer the one who got away, but the one who kept his promises.
Read Here
status & last updated: finishing first draft, 21 July 2022 scenes, snippets & outtakes: coming soon! playlist: coming soon!
characters:
//our hero// lim jaebeom (26) police detective, loves cats and glaring at people, a loner but fiercely loyal to his team/family, lots of trust issues
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//the gang of little brothers//
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park jinyoung (15) - eldest, fiercely protective of the younger boys, takes too much responsibility tuan yi en "mark" (14) - quiet and sweet but most likely to fight if the boys get in trouble/danger, twins with Jackson, harbours a dark secret tuan jia er "jackson" (14) - outgoing and a little reckless, helps jinyoung a lot, twins with Mark, struggles with school choi youngjae (11) - gets sick a lot, seems like an angel but is actually very naughty kunpimook bhuwakul "bambam" (9) - mature for his age, the first to accept Jaebeom, loves clothes and pretty things kim yugyeom (7) - the maknae, Jinyoung is his hero, a little spoiled bc everyone dotes on him and doesn't like telling him "no"
//jaebeom's esteemed coworkers (and their families)//
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kim seokjin (38) - the sergeant in charge of Jaebeom's detective unit, impossible to fool, cares a lot about his team min yoongi "suga" (32) - senior detective in Jaebeom's unit and Jaebeom's partner, scary lil dude, tries to be cold but actually cares a lot, says "fuck" all the time jung hoseok (25) - junior detective in Jaebeom's unit, does a lot of youth work and youth outreach, scared of yoongi, partners with Namjoon kim namjoon (25) - maknae of Jaebeom's unit, genius but clumsy af, disowned bc his parents wanted him to become a doctor park jimin (19) - yoongi's orphaned cousin that lives with him, college student that works part-time as a babysitter/tutor, dances really well, very good with kids kim taehyung (14) - seokjin's elder son, super (like super) into skateboarding, has a little too much energy, makes friends easily kim jungkook (7) - seokjin's younger son, shy and struggles a little to make friends, wants to do everything taehyung does //other note-worthy characters// kang sona - jaebeom and his half-brothers' mother hwang munrae - a local loan shark/gang leader
//warnings//
includes spanking and scolding as a form of discipline, although it is not the main focus of the story. child abuse and neglect. discussions of sa and human trafficking (in the past, but it is a major plot point). swearing, threats of violence and violence. murder happens off-screen.
taglist:
none yet! comment/dm if you want to be added.
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tthealchemy · 1 year
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What are your holy trinities on the following albums? Give reasons if you feel like it!
1. Debut
2. Speak Now
3. Evermore
Debut:
1. Our Song - the entire reason I love Taylor, my lil emo self would hide and listen to it in secret bc I loved it so so so so much and was obsessed with it but it wasn't "cool" to like country
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 2. Picture to Burn 3. Should've Said No - bops, self-explanatory (I am fine with my Taste of a Local for debut, I basically was a local for debut)
Speak Now:
1. Haunted - THE STRINGS. Also very rock-adjacent, which was quite appealing to me as someone who was still very much in their emo phase.
2. Dear John - I don't need to explain this
3. Sparks Fly - a lot of contenders for number three but I can't discount the serotonin released by GET ME WITH THOSE GREEN EYES BABY AS THE LIGHTS GO DOWN GIVE ME SOMETHING THATLL HAUNT ME WHEN YOURE NOT AROUUUUNDDDDD
evermore
1. ivy - she's just so beautiful 🥹
2. marjorie - trauma time, but major dead mom feels. As someone whose mom was terminally ill and mentally incapacitated much of my adolescence and passed in my early 20s, the entire bridge but especially "I should have asked you questions, I should have asked you how to be, asked you to write it down for me, should've kept every grocery store receipt cause every scrap of you would be taken from me" hits like a fucking brick building. Bc like....not only was time taken from me, but also time when she was HERE bc she was sick and not mentally well, and also physical things bc I literally do have nothing of hers or any mementos or anything bc we never got to do anything special together really, and ALSO like....the parental relationship people get to have with their mothers in adulthood. EVERY scrap of you would be taken from me.
3. rwylm - trauma but make it a sweet bop :)
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mantuasilkwear · 1 year
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Why is Silk Still Popular?
We all know someone that has bought a custom made silk scarf and loves it but do we know the origin of silk and why it is still so popular today?
Silk has a long and storied history dating back to ancient China, where it was first produced around 2640 BC. The secret of how to make silk was kept under wraps for centuries, with strict penalties for anyone caught attempting to smuggle silkworm eggs or cocoons out of the country.
Silk quickly became a luxury item, prized for its softness, strength, and shimmering beauty. It was used to make clothing, accessories, and even currency, as well as items like a custom made silk scarf and played a significant role in the development of global trade routes.
In more recent times, silk has continued to be a popular choice for clothing and accessories, and the famous custom made silk was born and has become particularly popular in South Africa. This is likely due to a combination of factors, including the high quality of silk produced in the country, as well as the growing trend of consumers seeking out unique and personalised items.
Custom made silk scarves offer a number of benefits over mass-produced options. For one, they are made to order according to the specific preferences of the customer, meaning that they can be tailored to fit a particular style or aesthetic. Additionally, custom made silk scarves are often made using higher-quality materials and techniques, resulting in a finished product that is both beautiful and durable.
Another factor driving the popularity of custom made silk scarves in South Africa is the growing awareness of the environmental impact of fast fashion. As consumers become more conscious of the negative effects of mass production on the planet, they are increasingly looking for sustainable alternatives, such as custom made clothing and accessories made from natural materials like silk. Another great thing about custom made silk scarfs is that they are made to order, which means less waste. When clothes are mass-produced, many end up in landfills due to overproduction. With custom made silk scarfs, you can be sure that only what is needed is produced.
Proving that silk is a sustainable and environmentally friendly choice for clothing and accessories. A custom made silk scarf is a luxurious and stylish option that is also better for the environment. So, next time you're looking to add to your wardrobe, consider a custom made silk scarf and make a fashion choice that is both stylish and sustainable.
Lastly, a custom made silk scarf can also be a great way to support local artisans and designers, who put a lot of care and attention into creating unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. Many of these artisans are passionate about preserving traditional techniques and skills and are committed to using ethical and sustainable practices.
In conclusion, custom made silk scarves have become increasingly popular in South Africa, thanks to the combination of their beauty, quality, and uniqueness, as well as increasing awareness of the environmental impact of fast fashion, and the desire to support local artisans and designers. Silk, as a natural and sustainable material, has a long history dating back to ancient China and continues to be a luxurious and sought-after choice for clothing and accessories.
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sweethotcocoa · 2 years
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History of Chocolate/ Cocoa
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History of Chocolate/ Cocoa
Cocoa and other chocolate products are enjoyed by billions of people around the globe, but surprisingly few people know the history of the confection. In fact, cocoa has appeared in different cultures worldwide for hundreds of years. Cocoa was first developed as a crop in many ancient South American cultures, with the Aztecs and Mayans being the most well-known of these indigenous populations. Researchers have found evidence of cocoa-based food dating back several thousand years.  
The modern word “chocolate” stems from two words in Nahuatl, the language spoken by many native groups: chocolatl, which translated literally means “hot water,” and cacahuatl, which referred to a bitter beverage made with cocoa that was shared during religious ceremonies. The history of the cacao bean was so significant to the local cultures that it was used as a currency in trade, given to warriors as a post-battle reward, and served at royal feasts.  
For these civilizations, cocoa was a symbol of abundance. It was used in religious rituals dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec god responsible for bringing the cocoa tree to man, to Chak ek Chuah, the Mayan patron saint of cocoa, and as an offering at the funerals of noblemen.  
When the Spanish Conquistadors arrived in the New World and began the process of invading, colonizing, and ultimately destroying the native cultures, they also discovered the value of the local cacao crop. However, they brought their own innovation to the appropriated drink, with the addition of sugar and spices to sweeten the bitter cocoa. After that point, chocolate became wildly popular amongst the Spanish, who kept the production method a secret from other Europeans for almost 100 years after their discovery.  
The Spanish could not hold onto their secret forever, and chocolate quickly spread across the rest of western Europe. Chocolate then still exclusively in the form of a drink appeared in France, and then England, in royal courts and special “chocolate houses” that served the social elite. Hot chocolate was hailed by the upper classes as both delicious and healthy, and cocoa ultimately gained the reputation of being an aphrodisiac.  
Chocolate has a long and fascinating past, as delicious as its taste. From 1500 BC to 400 BC the Olmec Indians are believed to be the first to grow cocoa beans as a domestic crop.  From 250 to 900 CE the consumption of cocoa beans was restricted to the Mayan society's elite, in the form of an unsweetened cocoa drink made from the ground beans. In 600 AD Mayans migrate into northern regions of South America establishing earliest known cocoa plantations in the Yucatan.  
In the 14th Century the drink became popular among the Aztec upper classes who usurped the cocoa beverage from the Mayans and were the first to tax the beans. The Aztecs called it "xocalatl" meaning warm or bitter liquid. By 1502 Columbus encountered a great Mayan trading canoe in Guanaja carrying cocoa beans as cargo. Then in 1519 Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez recorded the cocoa usage in the court of Emperor Montezuma. 1544 Dominican friars took a delegation of Kekchi Mayan nobles to visit Prince Philip of Spain. The Mayans brought gift jars of beaten cocoa, mixed and ready to drink. Spain and Portugal did not export the beloved drink to the rest of Europe for nearly a century.  
Hot chocolate was hailed by the upper classes as both delicious and healthy, and cocoa ultimately gained the reputation of being an aphrodisiac. But the exclusivity of chocolate was ultimately diminished by the onset of the Industrial Revolution, when steam-powered machines made the production of cocoa powder significantly quicker and more affordable. Solid chocolate hit the market and found wild success by 1850, due to the discovery by Joseph Fry that adding cacao butter to the cocoa powder formed a solid mass.  
16th century Europe, Spanish began to add cane sugar and flavorings such as vanilla to their sweet cocoa beverages. In 1570 cocoa gained popularity as a medicine and aphrodisiac. In 1585 the first official shipments of cocoa beans began arriving in Seville from Vera Cruz, Mexico. The first chocolate house was opened in London by a Frenchman in 1657. The shop was called The Coffee Mill and Tobacco Roll. Costing 10 to 15 shillings per pound, chocolate was considered a beverage for the elite class. By 1674 eating solid chocolate was introduced in the form of chocolate rolls and cakes served in chocolate emporiums.⠀  
Cocoa beans had dropped in price from $3 per pound in 1730 to a price within the financial reach of others. By 1732 French inventor, Monsieur Dubuisson invented a table mill for grinding cocoa beans.⠀ Then in 1753 Swedish naturalist, Carolus Linnaeus was dissatisfied with the word "cocoa," so it was renamed to "Theobroma," Greek for "food of the gods." In 1765 chocolate was introduced to the United States when Irish chocolate maker John Hanan imported cocoa beans from the West Indies into Dorchester, Massachusetts, to refine them with the help of American Dr. James Baker. The pair soon after built America's first chocolate mill and by 1780, the mill was making the famous BAKER'S ® chocolate baking bars. In 1795 Dr. Joseph Fry of Bristol, England, employed a steam engine for grinding cocoa beans, an invention that led to the manufacture of chocolate on a large factory scale.⠀  
1800 Antoine Brutus Menier built the first industrial manufacturing facility for chocolate. Sixty years later, the art of creating chocolate confections with flavored filling, referred to as pralines was born. A Belgian inventor, Jean Neuhaus II also went public with a chocolate product. From there, the chocolate and cocoa industry exploded in popularity and quickly spread around the world. By 1819: The pioneer of Swiss chocolate-making, François Louis Callier, opened the first Swiss chocolate factory.⠀  
In 1828 the invention of the cocoa press, by Conrad Van Houten, helped cut prices and improve the quality of chocolate by squeezing out some of the cocoa butter and giving the beverage a smoother consistency. Conrad Van Houten patented his invention in Amsterdam and his alkalizing process became known as "Dutching". Several years earlier, Van Houten was the first to add alkaline salts to powdered cocoa to make it mix better with water.⠀
A form of solid eating chocolate was developed in 1830 by Joseph Fry & Sons, a British chocolate maker. Then by 1847 Joseph Fry & Sons discovered a way to mix some of the cocoa butter back into the "Dutched" chocolate, by added sugar and creating a paste that could be molded. The result was the first modern chocolate bar.  
By 1849 Joseph Fry & Sons and Cadbury Brothers displayed chocolates for eating at an exhibition in Bingley Hall,  in Birmingham, England. The Prince Albert's Exposition in 1851 London was the first time that Americans were introduced to bonbons, chocolate creams, hand candies (called "boiled sweets"), and caramels. By 1861 Richard Cadbury created the first known heart-shaped candy box for Valentine's Day.⠀  
1868 John Cadbury mass-marketed the first boxes of chocolate candies. Daniel Peter of Vevey, Switzerland, in 1876 experimented for eight years before finally inventing a means of making milk chocolate for eating.  
1879 Daniel Peter and Henri Nestlé joined together to form the Nestlé Company. Also in the same year Rodolphe Lindt of Berne, Switzerland, produced smoother and creamier chocolate that melted on the tongue. He invented the "conching" machine. To conch, meant to heat and roll chocolate in order to refine it. After chocolate had been conched for seventy-two hours and had more cocoa butter added to it, it was possible to create chocolate "fondant" and other creamy forms of chocolate.⠀  
1897 the first known published recipe for chocolate brownies appeared in the Sears and Roebuck Catalogue. Canadian, Arthur Ganong marketed the first nickel chocolate bar in 1910. William Cadbury urged several English and American companies to join him in refusing to buy cacao beans from plantations with poor labor conditions. Then in 1913 Swiss confectioner Jules Sechaud of Montreux introduced a machine process for manufacturing filled chocolates. Then Belgian chocolatier, Joseph Draps in 1926 starts the Godiva Company to compete with Hershey's and Nestle's American market.  
Throughout its long evolution, one factor has remained cocoa has attracted devotees worldwide. Today, over 4.5 million tons of cocoa beans are consumed annually around the globe, in everything from drinks to candy bars  
It’s safe to say that the ancient Mesoamericans who pioneered the crop could never have imagined the popularity cocoa would someday experience. Cocoa sustainability was and is very important to the sustainability movement to help secure the future of chocolate and ensure that it’s available for generations to come, it’s essential that sustainable farming practices and ethical means of production are implemented in the cocoa supply chain. The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) has teamed up with over 100 large companies around the world to make the cocoa supply chain more sustainable.  
We would like to give special thanks to World Cocoa Foundation and Thought Co. for the information they provided, so we may help inform further generations of hot cocoa lovers on the History of Cocoa⠀  
We are making cocoa history right now at April Mae’s Sweet Hot Cocoa & More, We are small family owned business that has developed a healthy kosher friendly hot cocoa mix. Our cacao powders are based upon our secret family recipe and are hand crafted in small batches for freshness and quality on a per order basis. All of our cacao powders comes from ecologically and socially responsible harvesting. We also add no anti-caking agents such as corn starch or other fillers like chocolate chips, marshmallows, mixes or candies. Every batch we make is pure, healthy, sustainable cocoa! Along the way we have used our cocoa mixes to develop 50 + cocoas, cocoa fruit smoothie mixes, cocoa moon milks, we also have soups, apple ciders, and a range of gift sets. We are very passionate about what we've created and now we are sharing it with you. The difference and taste is Amazing!
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