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[cal-kestis]

HOW TO: Make a Pantone “Color of the Year” Gif

A few people have asked about my Pantone sets which use the “Color of the Year” swatch design. So, here’s a full tutorial with a downloadable template of my exact overlay! Disclaimer: This tutorial assumes you have a basic understanding of gif-making in Photoshop.

PHASE 1: PICKING A SCENE + PANTONE COLOR(S)

I’m starting with this because it’s crucial for planning your gifset as well as making sure the execution is smooth sailing. The steps in this phase won’t necessarily be literal steps but some tips for how I usually go about making a Pantone set:

1.1 – Picking a scene.  Scene selection is everything. To make things easy on yourself, I suggest choosing scenes where the background is mainly ONE color — for example, a scene where the subject has a clear blue sky behind them. To make things even easier, choose a color that isn’t the same color as the subject of your gif. Like, if your subject is a human, I’d avoid using a gif with a red or yellow background unless you want to do a lot more work to mask their skin. 

Rip me using a scene of green lil Grogu in green grass lmao. But I guess that goes to show you could really do this with any scene (I just did lots of masking and keyframe animations to perfect this green shade). BUT selecting your scenes wisely = a lot less work. 

1.2 – Picking Pantone colors.  People often ask me how I choose my colors and there are a few methods which I’ll go over below. 

But note that not all Pantone colors have a cute name, or any name (fun fact: only Pantone textiles have official names and they end with TCX, TPX, or TPG).

METHOD A: Google Search “Pantone [Color]” Source: Google Easy but not always fruitful, all you do for this method is open Google and type “Pantone [insert color here].” For example, when searching for teal colors, I searched several things including: Pantone Teal, Pantone Turquoise, Pantone Blue, Pantone Green, Pantone Blue Green, etc. Then, just sift through the Google results and click on whatever comes up from the official Pantone website! Since Pantone’s site blocks some info behind a paywall, you won’t be able to get a hex code from them. But you can just screenshot the swatch from their site, put it in Photoshop, and use the eyedropper tool to figure out the color.

METHOD B: Color-Name Site Source: https://www.color-name.com/ This handy website lets you search by colors using the upper navigation bar. Or you can just type something like "magenta" or "blue pantone" or even “frog” and see what comes up lol. Color-name can put together palettes too! I like that this site also tells you the hex code of a color, which is really helpful for getting the right code to put in my overlay. Note: Not every color on this site is a Pantone textile, so not all of these names are Pantone-official names. You can tell it’s official if, in the Pantone row of the Color Codes table on the middle of the page, it has a code that’s 2 numbers, a dash, 4 numbers, and either TCX, TPX, or TPG.

METHOD C: User-Made Pantone Colors Archive Source: https://margaret2.github.io/pantone-colors/ For my Wednesday characters as Pantone colors set, it was all about matching the color name to the character’s vibe. So, before looking at the actual colors themselves, I wanted to find the perfect color names. I stumbled upon this page. The pros = it lists pretty much all of the current official Pantone names. The cons = it’s not convenient since there’s no filtering tool. You can do Command+F and search for keywords, but that’s it. I literally scrolled through this whole page for my Wednesday set and read every single name, which... I think means... something’s wrong with me /lh /hj

METHOD D: Official Pantone Color Finder Source: https://www.pantone.com/pantone-connect This is last on my list because I don’t actually recommend it. Unless you already have access to this resource from your school or work or something, I would never pay for it and it is a paid feature only. Boooo 👎 But there is a free trial (which I’ve never used), so if you want to see what it’s about, you can definitely go for it.

PHASE 2: MAKING THE BASE GIF

Again, just some super quick tips for making a gif that, I think, looks best with this kind of set — but if you’re still learning how to gif, I do have a basic gif-making tutorial here for extra guidance!

2.1 – Uncheck “Delete Cropped Pixels” before cropping your gif. When you use the crop tool, this checkbox appears in the top toolbar. Unchecking it allows you to move the positioning of your gif later on, which is handy in this case when you want to choose which part of your gif will be underneath the Pantone swatch. You can read more about this tip in my basic gif-making tutorial (linked above; Step 1.5 – Tip B).

2.2 – Make your gif 540px width. My gifs for these sets are usually 540x540px but I think 540x500px will also look good. I think it’s more impactful though to make a big gif to show off your coloring.

PHASE 3: ADDING THE PANTONE OVERLAY

3.1 – Download my template I made this template myself, so all I ask is that you don’t claim it as your own and that you give me proper insp or template credit in your caption if you decide to use it! Get the PSD with the transparent background here!

3.2 – Download the font Helvetica Neue Bold The font I use (and I’m pretty sure it’s the same font Pantone uses) is Helvetica Neue Bold, with some very specific letter spacing (which I determined by studying Pantone’s official Color of the Year Very Peri design). It’s already set in my .psd but here are specs in case: color name spacing = -40, color code spacing = -75 (sometimes I’ll do -25 for the numbers after the dash if I don’t like how tightly they’re packed together). 

I uploaded Helvetica Neue Bold to my dropbox here!

3.3 – Import my overlay You can either drag the whole folder onto your gif from tab to tab or right-click the folder, select Duplicate Group, and select your gif as the destination document. Just make sure this overlay group is above your base gif!

3.4 – Fill the color swatch In my .psd, on the layer labeled “Pantone Swatch,” just grab the hex code of your chosen Pantone color and fill that layer using the Paint Bucket tool! I’ve already put a layer mask on the layer for you so it fits perfectly inside the square outline.

If you’re using my .psd, all the blend mode settings are already in place! I usually set the colored square behind the Pantone logo to the Color blend mode, but sometimes, I prefer the way Hue looks. It’s up to you! 

You can also adjust the drop shadow settings to make your text more visible as needed. The layers are arranged in this order so the drop shadows don’t interfere with the semi-transparent part of the colored swatch. 

3.5 – Insert the color name and code My .psd has two versions to choose from: (1) a color name that fits on one line and (2) a color name that requires two lines. Use the one that applies to your color name and simply type that and color code into the corresponding text layers! 

Note 1: Pantone doesn’t keep their font size uniform for every color of the year. They’ll sometimes shrink the text to fit longer names, but I like being consistent. So, I use this one font size for all my colors.

Note 2: My template has all the text left-justified and matching the starting point of the P in Pantone. BUT, sometimes the gif looks better if you nudge the text a bit so it looks more centered. Use your discretion when aligning the text!

Note 3: Btw, you definitely don’t have to use the TCX/TPG codes like me. (I’m a nut and there’s no way I’ll ever do a Pantone set and not use those types of codes to maintain uniformity across this series lol.) I’ve seen others do sets inspired by mine using different color codes or even just the hex code itself!

PHASE 4: COLORING THE BASE GIF

The key here is to make a majority of your gif feature your chosen Pantone swatch. If you’re really smart with your scene selections, this should be a breeze! If you’re stubborn like me and want to use specific scenes with the opposite color of your chosen Pantone swatch, there will be a bit more color manipulation involved... However, this isn’t a coloring tutorial, so again, I’m going to give some tips and resources that will hopefully help you out!

4.1 – Color matching. Now that you have the Pantone swatch on your gif, you should be able to reference that center square set to Color/Hue to match the rest of your gif to that color. Feel free to paint a little blob of your color onto another layer anywhere on your gif so you can refer to it closer over a specific part of your gif. For example, I put a little circle over Grogu’s head to see how closely I matched Pantone’s Peapod color, then I tweaked my adjustment layers a bit more until the colors matched near perfectly and I couldn’t tell where that blob begins or ends. The left is the solid color and the right is set to the blending mode Color (like the square):

4.2 – Moving the base gif. This isn’t really about coloring... but remember when I said to uncheck “Delete Cropped Pixels” in Step 2.1? Well, here’s your chance to adjust your canvas and move the gif around so the exact part you want under the color swatch is in the right position. I personally think these kinds of sets are more impactful when you put a differently colored part of your gif under the swatch so you can see through it and the difference is clearer. In my example, I put Grogu in the center so the green box would cover some of his brown potato sack robe.

4.3 – Color manipulation. Color manipulation is when you transform your media’s original color grading into a completely different color. The Grogu gif isn’t a great example because the original scene was already a green-yellow color:

I mean, the difference is still pretty drastic but that’s mostly because my file was HDR and washed out as a result.

So, here’s an example I made using a gif from my first Pantone set for ITSV (I’m not doing this demo to the Grogu gif because it’d be too much work to manipulate a green background with a green subject. This ITSV scene is perfect bc the majority of it is blue while the subjects are mostly red.)

For the “basic coloring,” I did everything as I normally would: mostly levels and selective color layers.

For color manipulation, my fav adjustment layer is Hue/Saturation (those are the screenshots that are on the gif above). When you’re smart with your scene selection, it’s pretty easy to manipulate colors with one Hue/Sat layer because you usually only need to tamper with 1-2 colors and, hopefully, they shouldn’t interfere with skin tones (obviously you’ll do other layers to further enhance your gif’s brightness, contrast, etc. — but I just mean the heavy lifting usually only takes me one layer with a good scene choice). 

All you have to do is figure out what color the majority of your gif is, toggle to that color’s channel, and fiddle with the hue slider. In the gif above, you can see that I played with both the Blue and Cyan channels. Here’s why:

If I only adjust the Blue hue slider, I get those speckles of cyan peaking through in the gif above. Unless you’re working with completely flat colors — like 2D animation with zero shading/highlights — a color is never just one, solid color. Blue isn’t just blue, it may have some cyan. Purple isn’t just purple, I often have to toggle the Blue channel too. So, yeah, be mindful of that!

I’ll sometimes go in with the brush tool and paint over some areas of my gif to really smooth out the color and make it uniform. When I do that, I just set that painted layer to the Color blend mode. Some of the resources below go into that technique a bit more!

4.4 – Coloring resources. While not all of these tutorials cover the same type of color manipulation I did in my gifs, I think the principles are similar and would be helpful to anyone who’s a beginner:  – color manipulation tutorial by usergif/me: I go a bit more in depth here (I think lol) – how to change the background of any gif by usergif/fionagallaqher: a great tutorial for using keyframes so you can manipulate the background of a gif with lots of motion – bea’s color isolation gif tutorial by nina-zcnik: this tutorial has more tips about hue/saturation layers as well as masking your subject – elio’s colouring tutorial by djarin: this tutorial shows a lot of examples of first manipulating the colors then brushing over the gif with a matching color for extra coverage

And just one last note on coloring, I always try to appreciate gifs with the mentality that “good” coloring is 100% subjective. One of the only things I would classify as “bad” coloring is when you whitewash or [color]wash someone’s skin tone. So, as long as you keep the integrity of your subjects’ natural skin — especially if they’re a POC — you should feel good about your coloring, because it’s yours and you worked hard! <3 

PHASE 4: EXPORT

That’s it!! If you work in Video Timeline like me, just convert from Timeline back to Frames, export your gif, and voila! 

Easy PEAsy. 🥁 

If you have specific questions about this tutorial, my ask box is open <3

Also, check out these other Pantone-inspired sets by my friends @nobodynocrime (Mulan set) and @wakandasforever (Ponyo set)! There are so many ways to use Pantone colors in your set, so I hope this inspires you to create something beautifully colorful <3

#gif tutorial #completeresources #usershreyu #useryoshi #userelio #userannalise #userzaynab #userives #usermarsy #usertreena #usercim #userrobin #userkosmos #usersalty #usermills #userhella #alielook #resource* #gfx* #pantone*

[vasito-de-leche]

Hello hello! I love your writing so much and was wondering if I could request some Sonnetto analysis and hcs about how she would act around an older sibling-like reader. Someone who looks out for her and is protective of her but has a bit of a mischief streak. I don’t want to make the ask too specific because I want to give you some freedom with it lol. Thank you so much!

;R1999 SONETTO - Familial Headcanons

Compilation of headcanons and analysis about Sonetto and an older sibling figure.

ty for the request! it's always fun to write familial or platonic dynamics! <3 and sonetto is always such a treat to study under a microscope

sorry if this was short! i ran out of steam and ideas at the end, ough

The subject of Sonetto and family is one of my favorites to discuss because it always highlights just how disconnected from humanity she is. Not in the sense of "oh, she's heartless and very cold and logical because of the Foundation" but in the sense of "oh, she's kind, but only in the limited way a child soldier from the Foundation can be."

I can't remember if I've already written about this, but as far as I know, Sonetto is the only main/playable character within the Foundation who doesn't have any themes of "community" nor mentions any actual family members.

Compare her to other characters: Vertin, who was explicitly one month old when she was taken into the School of Discipline, still has her mother and is aware of her. Matilda and Mesmer Jr. have their whole families. If we analyze these characters, a big part of their lives and personalities can be traced to their interactions and history with their families, and these are just examples within Sonetto's generation. Outside of this specific group we have Horropedia, who owes everything to his adoptive grandfather, and Tooth Fairy, whose relationship with her family - the Campbells - is explored in her own character event from 1.2.

We can keep going with characters adjacent to the Foundation! X has his orphanage, he mentions the people he grew up with and took care of him in a few voicelines. Medicine Pocket has their mother, as seen in their 01 Story. Lilya has her parents, mentioned in her birthday messages. Leilani, also from Zeno like Lilya, doesn't mention her family per se, but her entire character revolves around the concept of being welcoming and friendly, around the idea of community.

Sonetto's character and her entire life revolve exclusively around the Foundation. This is the only family she's had, and this is a detail that her Storybook brings up in her first paragraph.

Child of the Foundation Sonetto knows nothing about her background. Before she was adopted by the Foundation, she had neither family nor motivations. It was the Foundation that gave her everything. Now she is completely clear of her glorious mission: to devote her life to the peace and well-being of mankind.

The Foundation is her only family, it makes sense that Sonetto would go on to become the perfect arcanist and soldier by their standards.

With this ramble, I want to emphasize the fact that Sonetto doesn't have the same knowledge or context about the idea of "family" like the previously mentioned characters. We know that her relationships are one-sided, because of the way she cannot reciprocate something as simple as friendship in a way that is traditional.

The most obvious example being her initial relationship with Vertin. She clearly cares for Vertin now that they are older, but we don't know if this is because of her guilt - born from her involvement in the incident that turned Vertin into the Timekeeper and everything prior to it - but we do know that the two rarely interacted given Vertin's reaction at the beginning of the game. To this, we must add the way Sonetto is constantly compared to a dog: she's described as a puppy, endearing and honest in the way she eagerly follows those she cares for. But also a military dog, obedient and attentive. One can argue that the only way Sonetto knows how to love and show affection is through usefulness, because it is the one thing she was taught by the Foundation.

Yes, Sonetto is kind and helpful, and this is a double-edged sword: being useful is the priority. If she cannot be of use, she cannot be worthy of affection, she cannot justify her existence. And a few of her voice lines highlight this--the ones we hear when leveling up her Insight are very telling.

Raising a character's Insight level is described as Vertin helping them gain a better understanding of themselves and the world, hence the wording--"Insight." Notice how Sonetto's Insight voicelines all focus on how usefulness.

Hu... la ringrazio. I will make good use of this power.

This place has brought me so many things: freedom, fresh knowledge, brave friends. How can I ever repay you? I want to be of help to you at any time.

The first one is straightforward, but the implication is that Sonetto sees her own development, her own understanding of her own life and personality, as something that must be used accordingly--a power, an ability, something useful.

It's a huge contrast to her second voice line.

It's only through a lot of exposure, help and insight that Sonetto can recognize all these good things--freedom, fresh knowledge, brave friends. She still wants to be useful, but now with the full understanding of her surroundings and situation. This is why she defends Schneider so passionately during Chapter 05 - "El Oro de los Tigres." This is why her entire character revolves around her slowly finding her own footing outside of the Foundation's influence through Vertin and all these new experiences, as opposed to the sterile environment she's used to.

And we're just talking about how she treats her friends, and there is this barrier that keeps her from forming connections so easily the same way Vertin does. How would she treat someone that's like an older sibling, a mentor, a parental figure, when she's never had anything remotely similar in the first place?

I think it depends heavily on when exactly you meet Sonetto!

On one hand, if you meet her while she's attending the School of Discipline, then I imagine it would take a long time for her to warm up to you. She insists that your behaviour makes no sense, but she can't exactly stop you as you're not breaking any rules that she knows of. Part of her cannot understand why you would treat her like this, regardless of whether you're a few grades ahead of her or part of the School's staff, but you make her feel safe, despite this mischievous streak of yours.

I can't see her supporting or turning a blind eye to any of your shenanigans--a younger Sonetto will absolutely snitch on you if given the chance, unless you give her a VERY good reason not to. If you're too much of a troublemaker like Vertin, then she settles for trying to steer you into the right path with advice, knowing that you're absolutely not going to listen. I like to think this specific path would end up with Sonetto being your little annoyed little sister! Or rather, that she sees you as an endearing and embarrassing older sibling figure, constantly apologizing her coworkers and others for whatever you might do or say for her sake. Yes, you're an inconvenience at work, but she knows that you care for her very much. Everyone can tell at a single glance that the two of you are close, that your mannerisms end up rubbing off on her in subtle ways, that she finally emotes and feels like a real teenager instead of a child soldier when she's around you.

On the other hand, if you met her after she joins Vertin's team, she's much more mellow, more open to interacting with people who don't fit the Foundation's standards. Initially, she may assume that you look out for everyone, not just her, but it takes a considerably less amount of time for her to warm up to you. Thanks to all the new people she's met, it's easier to accept this sort of kindness and concern, and Sonetto's first instinct is to reciprocate it tenfold. Every little nice thing that you do or say, she will imitate it--if you help her braid or brush her hair, she will ask to do the same. If you make her favorite meal, she will do the same. Just like a puppy learning how to play with other puppies. If she sees you being up to no good, she's instantly confused--you're so caring and considerate, it's hard to wrap her mind around the idea of you getting into trouble on PURPOSE. She reluctantly tags along, just to make sure you have someone in your corner should you get caught.

Both paths would lead to some idealization from Sonetto's part. This is the first time she's felt like this--the concept of home has always been a quiet, empty and standard room within the Foundation's headquarters, but now, when she thinks of home, she thinks of you and Vertin, of a big, warm and noisy suitcase full of people. This is the first time she understands what family means.

Of course, she's torn between her duty and these new experiences, I think that there are times in which Sonetto feels guilty for choosing one over the other--sometimes, it's the realization that she will still prioritize the safety of mankind over a happy life with her friends, or realizing that her instincts still expose just how deep her indoctrination runs, how detached from a regular teenage girl she is.

And sometimes, it's the feeling of wanting to run away somewhere safe, somewhere with you and everyone else, when the stress of work gets to her. And what really affects Sonetto the most is knowing that you would never, ever make her choose, that you'll always be her big sibling, who teases her for days on end and who comforts her when she needs it.

This idealization manifests as the usual martyr behaviour that's been instilled in her. She cares for you, and so she will lay down her life for you if necessary--this is a feeling that defies all logic.

I do want to say that the aspect of idealization differ depending on which path we're discussing! The first one, the one in which you pretty much adopt her when she's very young, leans more towards a regular dynamic of a child idolizing their older sibling, someone who is very close to them. The second one leans more towards a fan idolizing a celebrity, a distant figure worth of admiration.

Because you've spent more time with Sonetto in this first path, I think that she would also be more open to being vulnerable since, you know, she's a literal child. Your presence and influence somewhat mitigates the damage her training will eventually do to her psyche and mentality, meaning that part of Sonetto is able to recognize that what's happening to her - what happens to every orphaned arcanist - is not okay. She can't fully explain why, other than it feels unfair, and so she turns to you. I think this would be one of the very few moments in which you will see Sonetto cry, in which Sonetto will internalize a very important thing: if she ever feels afraid, alone or scared, you're the only person she can go to.

This is a lot of text to say that she will die for you because you're the only person who accepts her, the best and worst parts of her. Whereas in the second path, she will die for you because she sees you as superior, as someone who deserves to live more than her.

Aside from this analysis, I do have a few cute headcanons!

Lots and lots of puppy behaviour. If left alone for long periods of time, Sonetto defaults to trailing after you. She just likes to orbit around you, which is great if you're overprotective. And if you happen to be busy, she simply trails after Vertin instead.

Sonetto doesn't show off when working, given how seriously she takes her role, but as soon as she's done with a mission, she will ask you to rate her performance. Partially, she does it because she genuinely cares about staying on top of her training and you're the one person who knows her the best, but it's also her way of asking for attention, I don't think she even realizes that she's seeking out validation lol. Please, feel free to pet her head or fret over her.

I think Sonetto has a lot of control, so she wouldn't slip and accidentally address you as her big sibling--but if someone else were to address you as such, she won't correct them.

Whenever Sonetto struggles with her art and poetry, she goes to you first and foremost. I do think that if you're the type to constantly hype her up regardless of what she's created, she will slowly stop showing you her work out of embarrassment and because she needs someone who can give her a proper critique.

The same way some of your gestures and expressions rub off on her, you WILL end up picking up some italian and some hand gestures from her. Everyone loves to point out whenever this happens.

Sonetto can pretty much take whenever others tease her about whatever--on one hand because she may not understand that they're teasing her, on the other because she's rather stoic in social situations. But when YOU do it and go a little too far, she WILL start a very heated rant about how inconsiderate you are why would you bring this up now can you please not talk about this it's not the appropriate time or place please do not talk about her relationship with Vertin it is so unprofessional what even is there to talk about do not bring up that one time she messed up and called the instructor mom please do not talk about her first few incantations PLEASE FOCUS ON THE JOB.

#reverse 1999 #reverse: 1999 #reverse 1999 headcanons #reverse 1999 x reader #reverse 1999 sonetto #sonetto #can you tell i love when siblings influence each other #i have a very sour relationship with my brother. but sometimes its fun to realize that i make the exact same expressions as him #or that we say shit in a very similar tone and shit #or that something that i like is because of him and viceversa

[koeal]

I accidentally deleted an ask where someone asked for some art tips (whoever you were anon, I'm so sorry)

But I made this post still

All I ever posted here was fanart, so I will mostly focus on characters

1. Work on anatomy!

And from experience I know how hard it is to actually find out how to learn it, so here is little example

While knowing these few fun facts, you can experiment a lot!

For example, while people's eyes grow untill early 20's (around 8 milimeters since they are born), noses and ears never really stop growing. So while drawing babies - you can draw their eyes bigger; and while drawing elders - the bigger would be their ears and noses

1.2. Look for shapes!

Another example, because I don't know how to explain it

If it looks hard to you, don't worry, there are many tutorials online that will guide you!

2. Always have a reference!

And if you can't find a good one, I recommend taking picture of yourself! No one is going to see it besides you, right?

I also recommend tracing the reference first in shapes, boxes, as a stick man or whatever you prefer and then trying to recreate that sketch on a clear canvas

3. Follow many artists!

Just visit their page every so often, what is it that caught your attention? The way they color, the way they render? Maybe amazing backgrounds, awesome perspective? Some little details they put on every piece of art they make?

Maybe try using few of these on your art as well!

Also, it's pretty convenient in other ways as well - on platforms like Tumblr they can reblog art they like, and it's more likely for you to see more artstyles and techniques; on places like YouTube they often post speedpaints and tutorials you can take a look at!

Well, these are the main ones, but I will write some other things I can think of:

↳ While rendering, lower opacity of your brush

↳ Sometimes you can try to challenge yourself to use 1. As many brushes as you can or 2. As little brushes as you can (If you are new to art, it can help you find your favorites!:D)

↳ It's good to study a bit of everything - hands, neck, shoulders, back, feet, arms.. You get what I mean!

But it's nice to work on some other things from time to time as well! Try drawing a strawberry, a bunny, some flowers!

↳ If you can't understand how something works, try looking at human skeleton and muscles!

↳ While shading, color of your shadow will be on the opposite side of color wheel from the light (that means if your light is yellow, your shadow will be purple)

↳ Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone! Try new things, experiment!

I wasn't sure what type of tips you were asking for but I hope I helped at least a little<33

#Oh and please don't theat those as strict rules #I'm far from professional; I'm still learning myself #my art #ask me!

[ireton]

DISCLAIMER: Please do your own research and come to your own conclusions.

When you tell someone a medicine for dogs cured your cancer, you better be ready for some skeptics, but Joe Tippens says it saved his life, and the lives of others.

Now, even cancer researchers are open to the possibility it might be true."My stomach, my neck, my liver, my pancreas, my bladder, my bones -- it was everywhere," Tippens said. Tippens said he was told to go home, call hospice and say his goodbyes two years ago. The doctors were unanimous, he was going to die of small cell lung cancer.

"Once that kind of cancer goes that far afield, the odds of survival are less than 1 percent, and median life expectancy is three months," Tippens said. Tippens said he went from 220 pounds to 110. "I was a skeleton with skin hanging off of it," he said. "It was difficult."

But that was January of 2017. Today, Tippens is very much alive and what he credits for his survival has doctors scratching their heads, and the rest of us raising eyebrows. "About half the people think I'm just crazy," he said. "And about half the people want to know more and dig deeper."

Tippens said he received a tip from a veterinarian, of all people. And in his desperation, he turned from people medicine to dog medicine. Specifically, something you give your dog when it has worms. "The truth is stranger than fiction, you know?" Tippens said, laughing. Just three months later, Tippens says, his cancer was gone.

"I'm usually skeptical, and I was and maybe still am about this one," said Stephen Prescott, president of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. "But there's interesting background to this." Cancer researchers like Prescott are skeptical, but they also are not dismissing this anti-parasitic's potential. He says Tippens is not the first person to potentially benefit, and not the last.

"Scientists and many credible places have done work on this for years," Prescott said. But was it the de-wormer, or was it something else? Tippens took the dog medicine with daily vitamin E supplements and CBD oil. He was also taking an experimental cancer-fighting drug. But Tippens says out of the 1,100 patients on that clinical trial, he was the only one cleared of cancer.

Tippens says he was saved by the dog de-wormer and he plans to take it for the rest of his life. "My insurance company spent $1.2 million on me with traditional means before I switched to a $5 a week medicine that actually saved me," he said. Prescott says he's now working with Tippens to organize a case study.

"We're going to do it and see if we can confirm, in a very rigorous and clinical sort of way, that these patients had that kind of response," Prescott said. As for Tippens: "I've got over 40 success stories other than me," he said. He's sharing his story on an online blog that has been read more than 100,000 times. Most of the feedback is positive, or curious.

Some accuse Tippens of giving cancer patients false hope. "Oh, how do I answer that?" he sighed. "I mean, if I've saved one other person other than me, it's worth it to me." All we know for sure is that Tippens is alive. In time, perhaps we'll also know if this medicine made for man's best friend might also be man's newest cancer cure.

[just-here-with-my-thoughts]

Welcome To The Outpost: Part 1.3 - Lost Battle

Fandom: The Bad Batch Characters: Clone Commander Mayday, Clone Trooper Hexx, Clone Trooper Veetch, Additional Clone Troopers Word Count: ~3810 Warnings: Minor Character Deaths Read Here on AO3

Synopsis: An attempt to engage the raiders ends up attracting unwanted attention from the native wildlife, costing the lives of even more of Mayday’s clone troopers.

Read Part 1.1 - Frozen Read Part 1.2 - Rise From The Ashes

The horizon belched a slick of oily smoke towards the sky. Mayday’s heart dropped as he watched it, pressing one hand to his com.

“Krake, come in.”

No response. Around him his troopers looked between each other, knowing dips of helmets bobbing through the squad before they turned almost as one to gaze out across the ice field to the crashed snow-bike.

Krake had leapt onto the snowmobile as the raiders had fled, barely clinging to the webbing they used to secure the crate of stolen cargo. It seemed like his intervention had stopped them getting away, but at a price.

Taking a deep breath, Mayday turned back to survey the depot. The entryway of the storage building smoked softly, the doors a mangled mess of metal from the detonator that had blown it open to admit the raiders.

“Ferox, reckon you can fix that?”

The engineer grunted. “Gonna have to, aren’t I.”

“Helix, Hexx, stay here and help him.” Mayday shouldered his blaster and tightened the wrap of fabric keeping the cold out of the neck of his armour. “The rest of you, let’s go retrieve the cargo… and our brother.”

The six clones set out from the base, past the edge of the hard-standing which was swept clear of snow and into the chilled wilderness beyond. Recon and Telmer walked in front, footfalls crunching through the thin crust on the surface of the snow to sink them into the powdery stuff beneath. Mayday and Veetch walked in their footsteps, and Atlas and Axis behind them.

The datapad hooked to his belt beeped. Mayday retrieved it and checked the screen.

[Seismic activity alert: Low]

Atlas had his rangefinder down, rifle to his shoulder as he surveyed their destination. “There’s movement out there, commander.”

Mayday failed to stifle a sigh. “Drop low to the ground, boys,” he instructed, doing so and noting that at least the scavenged strips of fabric tied around the joints of his armour were stopping the cold from getting in. He shook himself – it was no time to be worrying about the state of his knees.

The troopers followed their commander’s example without a word. It was almost impossible to spot white clone armour against the snow; better to risk the chill of the ground than stand out as targets against the darker background of the depot itself.

“Atlas?” Mayday asked roughly, and the sniper poked his head up, sighting along his scope again.

“Kriff,” he swore softly. “More bikes. They’re gonna grab the crate from the one Krake crashed.”

Blaster fire skimmed towards them across the bright white of the midday blind snow glare. Mayday dropped further, so close to the ground that his cuirass brushed the snow.

“Close the distance,” he ordered. “Atlas, keep them pinned down until we can engage.”

The air filled with the roar of snowmobile engines as a further two of the machines surged down from the pass to join the skirmish. The new bikes slewed in front of the downed machine, sending up a spray of snow to obscure their motions, but Atlas fired into it regardless.

Advancing as fast as they could despite the snow, Mayday’s squad quickly stormed the position and fought back against the men who tried to drag the stolen cargo from the damaged snowmobile to hook it up to their own. Blaster fire was traded, vicious in close combat.

The datapad’s beeping went unnoticed.

Using the damaged snowmobile for cover, it took mere minutes for Mayday’s squad to rout the would-be thieves. Abandoning their attempts to attach the crate to their remaining snow bikes, the handful of raiders who had been on-foot vaulted onto their companions’ rides to retreat. Clouds of snow were kicked up once more as the riders spun their machines away from the clones to flee back into the mountains.

Veetch ran forwards with a triumphant cry, raking blaster-fire after the retreating bikes before turning back to his squad and wrenching his helmet off to reveal his grinning face.

“Did you see that?” he crowed, leaping and punching the air enthusiastically. “We bring the fight to them, and they go running!” His eyes shone. “Better than staying inside the perimeter, right Commander? We should do this every time!”

Recon cuffed Veetch round the back of the head, then retrieved the younger clone’s helmet. “Krake died,” he admonished shortly. “Show some respect.”

“Cut the kid some slack,” said Telmer, taking Veetch’s bucket from Recon and returning it with a sympathetic smile. “It’s nice to have an easy win for once.”

Mayday stood slowly, gaze going past Veetch to the retreating snowmobiles. The raiders outnumbered them. The fact they abandoned their prize so easily made him uneasy.

His private com line chirped. Hexx’s voice sounded by his ear, tight with concern.

“Did you get the seismograph update?”

Mayday pulled the datapad from his belt again, tapping to activate the display.

[Seismic activity alert: Medium]

And, as he watched:

[Seismic activity alert: High]

He swore under his breath. The ‘low’ alert had been more than the readings from the incoming bikes. Turning to his squad he barked the command, “Back to the depot. Now.”

Axis looked up from where he was gently lifting Krake’s body from under the downed snowmobile. “Commander?” he asked cautiously.

Mayday quickly commed Atlas, the sniper still in position further out in the snow. “Atlas, return to base.” Then, muttered under his breath, “Ferox’d better make sure those kriffing beacons are working…”

“We’re on it,” came Hexx’s grim reassurance. “Just get yourselves back here as fast as you can.”

Pulling his helmet back into place, Veetch slung his blaster and moved to the crate. “I’ll help drag the supplies-”

“Leave them,” ordered Mayday.

“But sir-”

“They’re not important.”

Mayday knew the lie of his words, knew the Empire valued the unchanged count of boxes stored at the facility above the lives of the clone troopers guarding them. Right now it didn’t matter. His boys were in danger and he was going to get them back to the depot without risking more of their lives for inanimate cargo.

Unease spread through the squad, who started moving after Mayday with increasing speed. Axis had Krake slung over his shoulders, and Telmer and Recon walked either side of him with their blasters ready.

The tranquil snowscape erupted around them. In a shower of ice and roaring monster the frost wyrm breached beneath the spot the troopers had just abandoned, armoured head flinging the disabled snowmobile into the air.

Almost as one the clone troopers turned, necks craning up to watch the wyrm’s body stretch towards the sky with the sheer power of its lunge.

Over their heads a volley of rifle-bolts arced towards the wyrm. Mayday glanced along the snow-field to see Atlas crouched, barely visible against the surrounding snow-glare, scope trained on the new threat.

The creature’s thick, segmented body shuddered as the blaster bolts hit into it – an annoyance, nothing more. Slowly the mighty wyrm leaned, then crashed into the snow, blunt snout snapping and the great maw churning up the ground.

“RUN.”

Mayday’s command was almost redundant. His troops were already moving, scrambling over ground that shifted beneath their feet as the vast creature’s emergence fractured the permafrost beneath the snow.

Telmer and Axis raced ahead, quickly reaching Atlas who was still trying to hit the weak points on the wyrm’s armoured form. Mayday was close behind them, turning back to check for the last members of the squad.

Veetch and Recon were nowhere in sight.

The wyrm twisted atop the ice, angling straight towards the retreating clones – and the depot. Mayday risked a glance back, didn’t have time to take in whether the beacons were pulsing with their protective red lights. He brought his own blaster up, scanning the snowscape beneath the advancing wyrm through the scope.

“Recon, Veetch, come in.”

“I’m with Recon, sir,” came Veetch’s reply.

“Where is he?”

Recon responded with a grim laugh. “Trapped in the ice, Commander. Got my leg stuck in a fissure.”

Mayday glanced at the three troopers with him. “I’m going back for them.”

“Not alone,” said Axis immediately, letting Krake’s body slide to the ground beside his brother and pulling a thermal detonator from his belt.

Mayday huffed his begrudging acknowledgement. “Atlas, Telmer-”

“I’ll get Krake back to base,” volunteered Telmer. “Permission to access heavy ordnance?”

“Granted,” nodded Mayday. “Atlas?”

“Covering fire as best I can, Commander,” confirmed the sniper. “I’ll try and keep its attention off you.”

Mayday grit his teeth, then started running again. Outstripping him, Axis raced ahead, laying down his own blaster fire in the space between Atlas’ shots. The blue-glow blaster bolts from the clones’ rifles barely pitted the creature’s skull-plate.

Axis skidded in the snow, long slide bringing him into a defensive crouch until he lobbed the thermal detonator in a strong overarm throw.

The device rolled under the wyrm’s lunging body, the explosion swallowed by ice and armour. The creature thrashed from side to side, the thunderous clack of its snapping jaws reverberating from the nearby mountains.

Beneath the layer of snowfall the ice crust creaked ominously. Atlas and Axis didn’t let up their volley of fire, working to keep the wyrm distracted by their attacks instead of noticing the other clone trooper closing on it.

At last Mayday spotted Veetch flagging him down and angled his path to bring him close – far too close for comfort – to where the wyrm heaved its body along the ice to pursue the twins.

Without Veetch, he doubted he would have found Recon. The clone was well below the level of the surrounding ground, soft snow cascading into a crack that had opened up in the lower layer of permafrost. Recon’s blaster was discarded, the clone scrabbling with both arms to try and maintain his purchase on the sliding snow. One leg and hip disappeared into the dark crevasse beneath him. The other knee was caught on the edge of the lip of ice, and slipping.

As soon as Mayday was close Veetch flung himself to the ground, spreading his weight on the treacherous snow lest he sink also. He stretched his rifle out to Recon, the struggling clone grabbing onto the barrel and holding tight.

“Good to see you,” panted Recon as Mayday appeared at Veetch’s side.

Mayday carefully skidded down the shifting snow, chancing his weight on the ice beneath. The snap and pop of fracturing permafrost could be heard despite the blanket of snow on top of it.

“Recon. Grab my hand.” Mayday reached out cautiously, feet spread wide to keep his balance on ground which trembled with every movement of the gargantuan wyrm. From their position in the pit he could no longer see the creature, but it’s presence was a constant danger.

Recon loosed one hand from the rifle, straining to reach Mayday’s outstretched hand. On the edge of the fissure his knee slipped, and his whole body plunged deeper into the crack.

Veetch and Recon’s startled cries echoed in synchronicity, and Mayday fought every instinct that told him to lunge and catch his fallen trooper. Recon scrabbled at the edge of the ice, up to his armpits in the crevasse now, forearms failing to find purchase on the slick ice.

Ice creaked, and Recon grunted. With a snap a huge crack appeared in his cuirass, white plastoid fracturing to reveal the black body-glove beneath.

“The ice is shifting as the wyrm moves,” gasped Veetch, breathless and fraught. “C’mon, Recon, you have to get up!”

The black visor of Recon’s helmet tilted up, gazing at Veetch.

The ice closed, vice-like. Blood misted from the seams of Recon’s armour as his torso was crushed between the shifting ice-plates.

“Recon!”

Almost as fast as it had closed the ice was pulling apart again, splintering, and now great chunks began to drop into the wyrm channels beneath. Recon’s body slithered helplessly away. Mayday threw himself to one side, landing prone in the snow, then whipped his head around in time to see Veetch sliding uncontrollably towards the now gaping crevasse. He lunged, trying to catch the rifle still in Veetch’s outstretched hand.

Cold-numbed fingers closed around the barrel and held fast. Mayday grunted as Veetch’s descent stalled with a jerk, held fast as snow cascaded past him whilst the young clone scrambled to avoid being drawn into the vortex of crumbling ice.

“I’ve got Veetch,” Mayday grit into the com as he struggled to his feet, grabbing his trooper and hauling him the rest of the way to safety. “Fall back!”

Veetch staggered against Mayday as they reached the lip of the pit, both hands clinging to his commander’s shoulders.

“Recon… I couldn’t…”

“No time for that, kid,” muttered Mayday.

Limbs weighted by weariness despite the adrenaline coursing through his body, Mayday dragged them upright and skirted round the brittle ground near the wyrm. Their pace was unsteady, Veetch trembling under his firm grasp.

The ground continued to quake as the creature thrashed, body convulsing with powerful waves as it lunged towards the clone troopers who harried it.

“Commander.” Hexx’s calm voice sounded through the com. “Telmer is on his way back to you. Ferox… advises that we don’t rely on the beacons. Karking Empire have got a lot to answer for, posting us out here without the equipment to keep us safe.”

Veetch stumbled. Mayday caught him again. “Come on, lad. Nearly there.”

Axis and Atlas were fighting a running battle, never staying in one spot long enough for the wyrm to strike. Each time it readied for an attack the brothers went scrambling away, criss-crossing their tracks in the deep snow. Mayday and Veetch reached them at almost the same time Telmer did, heavy kit box containing the outpost’s single rocket launcher in tow.

Axis dove past where Mayday and Telmer were wrenching the box open. “Last one,” he called with false cheer as he lobbed another thermal detonator towards their target.

The device chinked against the permafrost, then rolled and dropped into the crevasse from which the wyrm had emerged.

A distant, muffled thump was the sound of the detonator exploding. The wyrm threw its head back with a cacophonous screech, body going rigid, vertical; then inexorably, under the weight of gravity, it slid down beneath the ice and out of view.

The six troopers stood in a daze, numbed by the sudden silence of the battlefield. Mayday had the rocket launcher in his hands, Telmer almost ready to load the first warhead. Atlas straightened from his position hidden in the snow, walking forwards, and Axis clapped a hand to Veetch’s shoulder, breathing heavily.

“What happened?” asked Veetch in a trembling voice. “Did we kill it?”

“Doubt it,” said Axis as lightly as he could muster. “Probably just blew a deeper hole in the ice. Let’s get out of here before it comes back.”

Mayday quickly checked the datapad. [Seismic activity alert: High]

“Back to the outpost, everyone,” he ordered shortly. The more experienced troopers moved instantly, but Veetch edged towards the crater left by the frost wyrm.

“Veetch,” called Telmer, firm but not unkind. “Come on.”

“Recon… R-Recon’s down there,” stammered the young clone, turning back to look at his brothers, his posture imploring. “We have to recover his body.”

“Later, Veetch,” said Mayday with calm finality.

“A-and the cargo. Th-the Empire’ll-”

“Screw the Empire,” snorted Atlas softly.

Axis slung his blaster, heading back towards the youngest member of their squad. “Hey,” he said, gently coaxing. “C’mon. Let’s head back.”

“Recon’s dead,” said Veetch. “I couldn’t save him. I just watched.”

“You didn’t ‘just watch’.” Mayday’s voice was gravelly. He stood, resting the launcher on his shoulder. “You did everything you could.”

“You heard the commander,” said Axis reassuringly. “I bet Recon knew it too. Now come on, we need to get back. It’s not safe out here.”

He rested a hand on Veetch’s shoulder, steering him away from the edge of the pit. Veetch allowed himself to be guided, standing a little straighter and blaster coming back to his hands in readiness.

The ground heaved. The two clones froze and exchanged a look.

Unhesitating, Axis threw Veetch forwards, the younger clone stumbling into the others and whipping round as the gigantic monstrosity erupted from the ground once more, demolishing the edge of the ice.

It was all they could do to watch in horror as Axis was snagged on the jaws of the wyrm as it breached, flung into the air to be caught by the churning maw, a pulsing, grinding channel of muscle and teeth. Then Atlas was shouting, a wordless cry, levelling his rifle to fire into the fleshy mouth. Telmer and Mayday were moving as one, Telmer loading the rocket, Mayday sighting through the rangefinder.

The jaws crunched closed once, twice on Axis’s shattered body, before the frost wyrm turned its broad head towards the remaining clone troopers and lunged.

The rocket flew, whistling on its short journey. The warhead arced into the creature’s throat and lodged there, embedded in the fleshy folds between teeth.

The explosion blew a hole through the back of the creature’s head, burnt scraps of gore and viscera flying free. With a dying exhale the wyrm heaved to a halt, smoke curling from its now slack maw, the ground tremoring and then settling as it crashed into the stillness of death.

Mayday lowered the rocket launcher slowly, taking a deep, shuddering breath. Behind him Telmer sat suddenly, adrenaline abandoning him. Atlas fell to his knees, rifle sliding from his grip. Veetch was stock still, trembling like a leaf.

The datapad beeped.

[Seismic activity alert: None]

*

The outpost was subdued. Mayday had ordered them to move all the crates of cargo from the damaged storage unit into the main building, lest the raiders try and take advantage in another strike. That job had taken them the rest of the daylight hours; now evening, and inactivity, gave them time to process their losses.

Ferox’s face was painted in a dark, teary glower, eyes red-rimmed from the furious tears he had shed over losing their brothers; most of all over losing Recon, who had been with him since before the Barton IV assignment.

He sat with Helix and Telmer, the three of them talking in low voices, making disinterested plans to repair the damaged storage unit. Occasionally they would fall quiet and watch as Veetch paced past, the young clone restless and agitated, gaze darting wildly about the enclosed space like he was seeking an escape.

By contrast Atlas sat in numb silence, gaze distant and unfocused as his hands trembled around a rapidly cooling mug of caf. Hexx had tucked a blanket closely about his shoulders but the shaking in his body was nothing to do with the cold. He hadn’t spoken a word since carrying his batchmate’s broken body back to the depot.

Mayday and Hexx stood by the main door, armoured and ready for duty. Ferox had brought the beacons back online, but Mayday had suggested he would man the watchtower as well, as added security. Hexx had simply geared up without question.

Helmet in hands, Mayday paused, his gaze roving over the remaining members of his small squad. Then he laid it down, heading to his locker.

He came back holding a sealed bottle of Correlian brandy, the amber liquid glinting in the low light of the depot.

He tossed the bottle to Ferox, then pointed at Veetch.

“Get him drunk,” he instructed flatly. Then he turned a sympathetic gaze on Atlas. “Probably him, too.”

Telmer and Helix leaned in to inspect the bottle with interest. “Where did you get this?” asked Ferox, his curiosity reluctantly piqued as he cracked the seal and inhaled.

 “I was saving it,” said Mayday shortly. “For something special. Celebrate the end of this posting, maybe.” He glanced again at the haggard troops, barely half of them left from his original command of twelve. “Seems as good a time as any to open it now.”

“You joining us for a drink, commander?” asked Telmer softly.

Mayday shook his head. “You boys relax.” He knew how hollow it sounded. “Me and Hexx will be outside if you need us.”

The two older clones walked a perimeter patrol of the depot before heading to their post in the watch-tower. Twilight cast long shadows over the valley, the sun hidden behind the mountains and the sky lit in a pale wash of blue with the last of the dying sunlight.

Mayday climbed the sentry tower, then removed his helmet to survey the churned snowscape. His hair and beard whipped in the wind, snow crystals settling on the lengths and not melting. Hexx climbed silently to his side, leaning his forearms on the edge and letting it take his weight.

“Gotta admire them,” Mayday commented after a time.

“What?”

“The vultures.” He indicated the huge dark birds which clustered in vast numbers around the fallen ice wyrm. Some circled overhead. silhouetted against the dusky sky. Others pecked and tore at the red shreds of flesh hanging from the soft inside of the wyrm’s slack, dead jaws.

Hexx merely grunted, shifting his position to ease the ache of cold from his frame.

“They’ll go after anything. No prey is too big. They’re making a tidy job of stripping that carcass.”

“Good thing we got our brothers back to the depot then,” muttered Hexx bitterly.

“At least they died.”

Mayday’s voice was odd, soft and strained. Hexx turned to look at him, studying the faraway look in Mayday’s brown eyes.

“Commander?” probed Hexx, tone laden with gentle concern.

“We’ve got no medic. We’ve got next to no med supplies. Better they died out there, quickly, than slowly and in pain from their injuries in here.”

Mayday’s usual bite of sarcasm was absent. He merely sounded exhausted.

“We’re losing this battle,” he continued softly, voice almost lost to the dancing wind. “Against this planet. Against this posting.”

“’Keep fighting, show the Empire what us clone troopers are made of’,” quoted Hexx. “Isn’t that what you said?”

Mayday snorted a humourless laugh. “I thought you didn’t believe in all that.”

“I believe in you,” said Hexx loyally. He nudged Mayday’s helmet in his hands. “Put that back on, before you freeze out here.”

Something that was almost a smile ghosted against Mayday’s lips before he did as Hexx bid, replacing his bucket and tightening the wraps to keep the cold out.

“Think those boys will leave any drink for us?” he asked.

Now it was Hexx’s turn to laugh. “Not a chance.”

Mayday sighed. “That’s fine. They deserve it. They deserve… so much more than this.”

Hexx didn’t reply.

The two clones watched the ruined scene of battle on the horizon until darkness swallowed it. And kept watching long into the night.

Read Part 1.4 - No Way Out

Welcome to Angstpril!

This writing project is a collaboration between myself, @the-little-moment and @kybercrystals94 to bring you a fabulous series of angst-based Bad Batch fanfiction. We've shared the prompts between us so don't forget to check all of our blogs to catch the whole month's worth of stories!

My series of 10 stories will focus on Clone Commander Mayday and the Barton IV Outpost. Stay tuned to follow Mayday's journey to the bitter end...

Don't forget to check out @the-little-moment's stories:- Day 1 - Homesick Day 4 - Longing

And @kybercrystals94's stories:- Day 3 - Broken Hearted Day 6 - This Isn't Going To Work

#angstpril2024 #thebadbatch #fanfiction #day8 #lost battle #the bad batch #the bad batch fanfic #tbb fanfic #clone commander mayday #commander mayday #barton iv #the outpost #clone trooper hexx #clone trooper veetch #littlekyberthoughts

[da3dm]

The Fool and the Dragon 1.2

PERSPECTIVE SWITCH YEAH

People who wanted tagged: @justarandomsloth, @brick-a-doodle-do, @beckyu

TW: intentional harm, trying to drown someone, calling someone ‘it’, mentions of death, intentional fearplay, mention of violence

Personal warning: This switched to someone else’s view and he is extremely violent and doesn’t care about anyone. So take care if you don’t like someone being very cruel...

Word Count: 5k

Chapter 2: The Villain

Well…today couldn't possibly get any worse for him. Today he’d had to fight so many more heroes than seemed right. He was only trying to return the artifact he destroyed…it made his blood boil that they went through so much effort to protect something so useless. It was a waste of his time…so he wasted their time and sent people to the hospital. Perfect. Now they would stay the hell out of his way for a while. That was better than having to see their ridiculous faces so many times in one month. He could feel his scales nearly bristling at the idea of them showing up any more often than they already do.

Smoothly, he used his shadows to transfer himself back home, aiming for in front of the door just in case. He wasn’t entirely certain what he was being cautious of, but…he did have blood on him and there were too many students. It would suck if his roommate happened to be in the apartment and found him showing up somewhere in the house when he was previously not there. The last thing he needed was to hide another body on top of everything else. That was merely more stress than he cared for. Sure, he could probably erase the memory of it, but…where was the fun in that?

Still though, he took a moment to breathe deeply and scan the room, gathering the scents and sounds in the apartment. This made him pause as a momentary flash of annoyance passed through his eyes. It was that scent again. He could never place what exactly it was, but he knew there was something rather small going around and messing with his things. It was borderlining what he’d keep ignoring, but it almost seemed like it wanted him to react. So he wouldn't. He held it in, feeling like tormenting it in return and refusing to allow what it wanted from him.

So…where was it coming from? He stepped forward, glancing about as he looked for something different. It wasn't until he went to sit that the scent hit him full force and he immediately looked at the source. Well now. It had never been that strong before. Was it still there? He could swear he heard a heart racing from the fruit bowl, making him narrow his eyes in thought. Interesting. He turned on the TV to add a background noise to maybe distract the thing, but the smell of fear instantly smacked him and he had to pause. He always despised how some scents affected him.

With a soft, breathless mutter, he reached for the bowl, using a single finger to drag it somewhat closer. That generated a spike in that fear and made him flinch, the emotion way too powerful and trying to grip at him as well. With a sigh, he stopped pulling it closer and instead chose to scan the fruit in an effort to possibly see it. Nothing. He could probably just dump the bowl out and it would be right there…no, that would put an end to it all. It was hard to know why he tried so hard to avoid bringing it into the open, but…what would happen once he found it? Will it just be some random mouse? That would…really suck.

Taking it to the next level, that thought fueled him using his mana sight. Rather quickly, he was able to see something curled up underneath the fruit. The green mana moved and pulsed with their intense fear and had him staring at first. No matter how many times he reminded himself that animals didn’t have such clear mana, it was hard to believe any person would actually be hanging around him. Maybe, if it was a person, he was actually a victim of attempted bullying for what he was? No…that was unlikely. There would have been many different things happening if that was the case.

Since he’d confirmed this, however, he finally just grabbed the fruit on top in an effort to figure out what it was trying to do this time. That's when he was immediately struck with a faint smell of spices and the sight of what was clearly intentionally a smiley face. It was so shocking he found himself freezing up and barely fought down the smile that threatened to come. Why would he smile at something so stupid? Marking it like this could've made the fruit spoil. There. He managed a frown instead, glancing at the bowl again but still not seeing anything. With a slight shrug, he went ahead and took a bite out. Oh.

Oh. He could feel his eyes trying to water as a burning sensation lit up throughout his mouth and tore through his sinuses. Well that was rude. He wheezed slightly, a hand going to his mouth as he found himself unable to smell anything now. It wasn't hard to tell that not much had been put on, but for him, it was plenty enough to ruin his senses for a while. His chest heaved with the following coughs and he set the fruit down, putting his face in his hands and sighing very heavily. “...ow.” He didn’t say much else, but he did glance at the bowl and feel rather irritated by this. Did it know he avoided spice?

A mix of anger and partial amusement had him pausing, but in the end he grabbed the bowl and the pear he’d taken a bite out of. Not hesitating anymore, he casually carried the entire thing away from the living room while fully aware the creature was still inside the bowl. Not too long after, he was in the kitchen and scanning for whatever sort of revenge he could give. In the end he eyes locked onto the sink and he stared, wondering if using it would give away that he knew or not. Maybe not? He’ll just say its to get rid of whatever else might be spicy. Actually…that was a good idea. It might have done this to more.

Grumbling under his breath, he strode to the sink and held it out before he grabbed the spray nozzle and turned it on. The water was cold as he sprayed the fruit, his eyes narrowed unhappily and cruelly as he kept going. What made him stop was realizing he could hear something struggling to breathe. At first he fought with himself, but in the end knew he needed to stop. That was far enough for something that was just a prank. He might have overdone, actually…but he hated spice. It hurt him, but it was hard to tell if the creature knew it was that horrible to him or if they simply wanted to mess with him.

With a sigh that sounded like he wanted to keep going, he turned off the water. Then he took and tipped the bowl just enough to let the water pour out of the holes on the sides. He let a small amount stay pooled in the bottom so he didn't accidentally dump everything out of the bowl, but set it on the counter a tad roughly. Angrily, he muttered, “Putting pepper on fruit…” He chose to leave it at that and walked away, wanting to wash all this blood off. Well, he didn’t really smell it anymore, not with the spice ravaging his senses, but he knew it was still there and would bother him tomorrow if he didn’t.

Like usual, he didn’t bother with his clothes and simply stepped into the shower before it had even warmed up yet, holding his hand out under it as it washed over him. He stared at his hand, remembering what he’d just done with an air of guilt. He shook his head at the thought, scowling as he dropped his hand and started getting himself clean. Why should he feel guilt over retaliating when attacked? That was idiocy! Even in the middle of fights with heroes, he never spared a second glance for those who messed with him. His roommate was an exception…people would notice him missing.

His gaze dropped down, focusing in on the blood flowing past his feet numbly. Except…nothing that tiny being had done had any malice behind it. In a way, this felt like dealing with a child, not an enemy. That made him pause. What if it was a child of some kind? No, he doubted it. Some of the tricks were too thought out to be from a child. He thought it over for a long moment as he considered what all this actually was. Simply pranks? What if it could be a spy of some kind, and it was trying to catch him slipping up? But…then why would the thing put pepper on a pear?

None of it made any sense to him. It felt like someone was sent to specifically torment him even when he was asleep. He swore he could smell that creature in his room every time he woke up. That could be happening for several reasons…none of which were particularly comforting. All he could see was it watching him while he’s asleep, wanting to kill him, trying to know when he’s awake…not a single one felt good in any way. No matter how he spun it…the existence of this thing alone was strange. Could it just be a fairy? It would have to be a wingless one though, but it could be after freedom.

When thinking didn’t bring him any closer to an answer as it did any other time, he huffed in annoyance and turned off the shower. Stepping out, he used his shadows to switch his clothing, leaving the wet set to just hang dry. The new clothes were his usual black t-shirt and pants. It sent a shiver through him at the sudden chill. He never liked that all too much…the cold was much more unpleasant compared to even extreme levels of heat. He paused to glance in the mirror, checking how well his makeup was hiding his scales and not entirely pleased to notice his contacts needed switched out. New ones always hurt.

Eventually he left the bathroom, heading back out and sparing a glance at the kitchen for a moment. He debated it, but found his feet moving against his will to carry him forward. Gazing inside it was to see the fruit bowl still sitting there to dry and…a trail of water from the bowl to the wall. Thinking, he wandered closer and studied the path. Did it just phase through things? As his eyes landed on the wall, he discovered something new. There was a hole in the wall. Well, a carved out opening that shut nearly seamlessly, otherwise unnoticeable. Oh…that was interesting. Were there more?

He was tempted to search, but…that sounded bothersome. More effort than he wanted to even try using. Why do so much for something he wasn't even that interested in? He’s just wasting his time…so with a sigh he grabbed the bowl and went back to the couch to watch the news, wondering if they were showing the feed from his earlier fight yet or not. He wanted to know who exactly interfered in that fight. They had managed to tick him off only to completely vanish into absolutely nothing. That was simply unfair and set him off to no end, like a bad version of his apparently tiny tormentor.

The news was playing through the day’s events, but so far none of it caught his attention. His gaze wandered to the pear he’d taken a bite of, staring at it for a long moment as his lip twitched before he grabbed it. With a slight shrug after studying the smiley face, he went ahead and started to finish eating it. There was still a faint pepper taste, but it was much better than earlier. He wasn't even sure why he was eating it again, but in the end…he did hate wasting food. It’s not always so easy to have food. Yeah that must be it. There couldn't possibly be any other reason.

His tail twitched mindlessly as he returned to watching the screen. That happened to be the same time they switched to ‘breaking news’. Yeah right…it all happened an hour ago, they were just being lazy. But it played out the feed of the fight while he thoroughly scanned the background. Except…as it was shown, he began to notice certain things the heroes had said, being cut out entirely. The scenes were skipped and everything about it made him the one at fault. He growled in annoyance, this action not necessarily new. Then it showed a brief glimpse at the part where he’d been ambushed.

It showed the person for a split second, only to skip to him being injured. Immediately, he gave a shout of anger that really had no solid wording, before he stood up and stormed off. His tail whipped towards the remote, shutting the machine off as he made his way to his room instead. He yanked the door open, stepping inside quickly only to slam it shut hard enough that dust rained down on him. He gave a rather inhuman growl, then sucked in a breath while running a hand through his hair while tipping it up some. He shut his eyes to breathe through his nose, hoping for the calming scent of his room.

That's when an entirely different, but somewhat familiar scent came to him. A wet animal, mixed with that same mint-fruitiness of that creature. So he was still being stalked. At least unlike the human, who smelled of alcohol and, dare he call it a scent, stupidity, this wasn’t too bad. More like an air freshener that kept changing all the time. The same animal with explosiveness was always surrounded by a different plant smell every time he came across it…did it keep going outside or something? Honestly, there were a few times he believed it smelled like a cat of all things.

His eyes reopened to slowly rake through the room, but still couldn't quite place the origin of it. He was used to this being in his room, but it was particularly irritating to never know where it was coming from. Grumbling under his breath, he wandered over to his desk and pulled some papers out like he usually did when it was getting later. It was rather immediate for him to be met with magic language, tensing and internally raging as he worked on it. He was supposedly a powerful villain, but he still had to do his homework. Somehow he was doing this willingly? If it wasn't for learning about magic, he wouldn't be here at all.

It took him a while, honestly, to finish the analysis and interpretations of his many magic based classes…not all of them were on that, though. In some he just needed to read, solve a problem, or write a short essay. Still tiring and was quite simply more than necessary. There was no way they had a real reason for you to write an essay about how wonderful and honorary the language of magic was. Exaggerated, useless assignments that taught him nothing. That’s what it was. But he was already a villain, so he occasionally found a way to make an AI do it for him sometimes.

Around an hour later, feeling like he was being watched the entire time, he finally finished it. With a sigh, he let his head fall into his hands, his shoulders slumping as everything came crashing down on him now that he wasn’t distracted. The artifact he’d tried so hard for today…did help her at all. Like usual, there was no helpful response from his comatose mom laying on that hospital bed. If he didn’t need the life support machines to give her what she needed that healing couldn’t, he would've already brought her home. She’d just be stuck in his bed instead, but it was better than that place.

He ran his hands down his face with a groan, looking up at the wall. His tired eyes scanned the scratches he’d left on the wall when he first came here. He’d calmed down a lot more since then, but…sometimes he wondered if that was only from being so tired of it all. Although, when looking straight ahead of him, he could've sworn he heard something scramble, but…that didn’t make much sense. He hummed softly before he tore his eyes away from the wall and to the pile of completed homework. In all honesty, he completed his work really fast compared to others. Still, it annoyed him.

Leaning back with a stretch, the chair teetering with the threat to fall, he shook out his limbs. Then he took and turned off the light as he stood up, glancing at the now dark room to decide what he was doing next. Really…there was nothing left. Nothing about new artifacts being anywhere nearby, no healing scheduled for his mom, and no homework. So all he could really do, with it being so late, was simply go to sleep. It was that or deal with the even worse people that come out at night…he’s already beaten during the day, he wasn’t interested in the sketchier nighttime folks.

He wandered over to his bed and lay down how he was, only checking if he’d taken off his shoes and socks yet before climbing under the very thin blanket. The half dragon really didn’t need a blanket, he was warm enough as is, but the weight of the fabric was always very comforting to him. Settling into a comfortable position, he stared at the wall again, then glanced at the window. He always had the curtains closed…the light was never the most comfortable for him. That could probably be attributed to his shadow element, but alas…not much else he could really do about it, so why worry over it?

As he was finally letting his eyes drift shut, a distorted, echoing voice entered his mind just in time to be annoying. “”Are you just going to sleep?”” He grumbled in complaint and tightened his closed eyes, trying to ignore it. Underneath him, his shadow wavered, only to somewhat form into a small spot of living shadow…this wasn't the true form, but it was enough to recognize. “”You can't just sleep!”” The shadow moved like it was mad, a hand reaching out just as inky dark as the shadow to push at him. “”Get up!”” This resulted in making him open his eyes just so he could glare at his own shadow.

He didn’t bother speaking. This thing could read his mind and he knew it. Rather, they could hear each other and he already knew what this guy was complaining about. It wasn't his fault that the unknown creature had been in the fruit bowl and messing with his food. For all he knew, it might've been trying to poison him. And it wasn't like he killed the thing. He stopped. He even let it go back home…wherever that was for it. His train of thought remained negative towards the creature, continuously justifying what he’d done one way or another. As a result, all he could hear was an angry buzzing.

Not too long after, that hand came back and grabbed his arm angrily as a person made of shadows came halfway out of the shadow in front of him. “”You know you did wrong! Go apologize! Or at least do something to make up for it!”” Wow. His own shadow was judging him so aggressively…he just wanted to sleep. This was so unfair. With a bit of a groan, he sat up and glared at the shadow, narrowing his eyes unhappily. This was not how he wanted to be spending his time. This was the sort of thing that made him wish he actually could hit this shadow being.

There was absolutely no reason for him to be staying awake for something that might just be an animal. Why apologize to what could be a rat? The smile on the fruit flashed through his mind and he waved the shadow off. He scowled a bit and shook his head before turning to put his feet on the floor. He began to mutter to himself…well, it would look that way to anyone else at least. “No, I’m aware it was that shape. That doesn’t mean anything.” He growled when his shadow tried to shove him onto the floor, whirling around to fix it with a nasty glare. “Keep going, see what happens.”

The shadow wavered for just a moment only to start sending every single hint that it wasn't an animal…but wasn’t trying to push him out anymore. Still though, despite not caring about the images, he rolled his eyes and stood up with a languid stretch, glancing over his shoulder at the shadow. The shadow now fully came out and looked like a perfect replica of himself, simply…made of shadows. He put a hand on his hip and tilted his head while considering the dark form, who crossed their arms at him. Why did his shadow care so much? Not bothered by murder, but irritated over being mean?

He narrowed his eyes quite a bit before just shrugging and stepping across the room, eyeing how his door had been jammed quite haphazardly into the doorframe. He looked at his shadow. “Was there a reason you didn’t catch the door this time? Usually, you do.” The look he got was plenty enough answer and he didn’t miss a beat to sneer, “Right, mister goody-two-shoes.” His tail lashed to the side in irritation as he gripped the handle, working on getting it tugged back open. He needed to be more careful…he’d nearly broken the entire door and frame with that fit.

It wasn’t exactly something he could help. He just felt like he needed to lash out sometimes. In some ways, it was similar to the building frustration over trying and failing to pull the door open. His sharp teeth were bared angrily by the time he gave a way too silent stomp of annoyance and forcefully yanked on it again. It didn’t open, but he got it out of the jam…so annoying. He pulled the door open as the living shadow disappeared where it belonged, leaving him mostly alone. How was he even supposed to try to do this? An animal wouldn't know something is an apology in the first place.

He grumbled to himself, but then heard something creaking from the kitchen. There was silence as he went still. Fine. He turned, walking through the living room to find the kitchen, his steps, as usual, giving no warning. The fact he was even considering doing what his annoying shadow said verged on the edge of ticking him off more, but…it was hard to say he didn't feel any guilt. Or that he wasn't at all curious. Even if he did find the culprit, what was he supposed to do? Say sorry and be friends? Yeah no. At most, he might manage a word of apology before just leaving or trapping it. Depends on what it is.

When stepping close enough to see over the bar, he didn't really…see anything there. This edged on triggering him again but he took a deep breath to settle back down before he went to the doorway instead to study and wait. From what he could tell, most of the sound was coming from inside a cupboard…interesting. Was it a rodent digging through his food? He could swear he saw a furry tail appear at one point for a split second. Was he supposed to apologize to a rat? Or maybe a mouse? No way that’s happening. It left him torn between just going to bed or chasing after it this time.

He took his time deciding what to do, fully aware he could catch it in an instant if he wished to. This also happened to give the little bandit plenty of time to finish whatever it was doing, and his attention was stolen again. The motion of the open door suddenly closing, slowly, deliberately, made him tense. He knew those doors didn’t open and close on their own…and now, looking again, he could see something like a string glinting in the faint light. What…exactly was in this kitchen? If it was that smart and not an animal, why in the world would it mess with him of all people?

There was no way it saw him and decided he’d be friendly enough to prank all the time. He felt a twinge of irritation, but had his thought stolen away when he caught movement. Something was moving around now that the door had stopped at a point it was nearly fully shut, and seemed to plan on exiting the cupboard. He watched. Not a second passed without him closely studying every last sign of life. That familiar scent finally wafted towards him, making his tail flick almost eagerly. He had to admit, it somewhat felt like he might have an instinct to hunt smaller creatures sometimes…but that was ridiculous.

Letting instincts control him would only make his dragon bloodline be branded as even worse than it already was. Alright, why was this creature taking so long to do anything? For several reasons, it was digging at him. His mind was drifting too much. He was getting impatient, something he knew he had a problem with. The worst part of that was the fact he was earning a rather cold scowl, which was not useful for trying to ‘make nice’ like his shadow was just so insistent upon. Yeah. He, in no way, enjoyed having such an insubordinate shadow. It was cool at first, but now it's only irritating.

After so much time passed, he had half a mind to march right over there and just grab it already, when it finally moved. He leaned forward just a tad only to watch something tiny rocket out of the cupboard. Then it jolted to a rather rough stop, seeming to squirm while something else dropped to the counter. Was that…one of the other guy’s granola bars? He watched it fall before returning his gaze to the small creature just in time to watch it plummet. His whole body jolted forward for a moment, but he stilled himself. It bounced off one of the wooden empty shelves and onto the counter.

He tilted his head, trying to understand what it was. That was, until the shelf tipped over while it was scrambling so pitifully that he cringed. Oh…he certainly hated such obviously weak displays. His tail curled when the shelf slammed on top of the small thing, but he simply sighed and shrugged. Well. Guess he didn't need to apologize after all. No use apologizing to a corpse. Couldn't he just go to sleep now? His shadow, of course, protested, and so did a part of him. Leaving something dead out all night would be a horrible smell through the whole apartment…his nose was already sensitive enough, he didn’t need that.

Then he felt a fluttering sensation, a shiver that made his spikes stand up running down his spine. It…was as if something small was moving around inside of a very dark space, where his shadows would easily feel the movement. He paused. Did it survive? He didn’t go closer, but he did narrow his eyes, studying the shelf closely. Maybe it ended up in one of the open spaces? That was a very unusual stroke of luck if he’d ever seen one. So then. Could it get out? He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, his tail merely flicking idly while he let his spikes settle back down.

There. He saw something squirming out of one of the sides, finding himself tempted to go closer to get a better view. Still, after some patience, he started to see a bit more of it…only for a quickly cut off scream to echo through the small space. He went stiff. A scream? That was…a very human scream. Why would there be something like that over there? It wasn’t an animal? Even though it was struggling, he wouldn't go closer. He was stunned. His denials were being thrown in his face right now…unless it was just a human sounding animal? That was far-fetched and stupid, but possible.

He wanted to believe that, but it kept making human noises. He thought about it, but felt a vague sense of frustration. He shuffled slightly to be standing up straight, putting a hand on the doorframe. That’s when it noticed him. Immediately, it went still. Deathly silent. It wasn't long before the scent of fear, way too heavy for its own good. His shadow was assaulting his mind with reminders of every hint and scent that had told him this wasn't an animal, and he tried to push it away every time. He wasn’t even aware of how cold his expression was or what it was doing…he was too in thought. 

It had always played childish pranks on him, things that could only be intentional and not caused by an animal. It smelled like different plants and cats, but no cat was that tiny. He always felt like something was watching him for the past few weeks. Not to mention, it had drawn on that fruit. Sure, it didn’t count as a joke to him, but it still was. His shadow was berating him, so intent on being kind as if it knew something he didn't. And it probably did. Everything told him this wasn’t an animal…this thing was more like a human. So it had emotions. A spike of irritation. Damnit. This meant he needed to apologize.

—

Chapter 1

Chapter 3 (unwritten)

#fool and dragon #oc Vara #oc Irza #Voidshire #fool and dragon au #my writing #dead writing #my characters #my ocs #ocs #oc writing #gt #g/t #giant #tiny #gianttiny #giant tiny #sfw giant/tiny #sfw g/t #borrower #borrower!vara #t!vara #g!irza #gt writing #g/t writing #gt community #g/t community #gt ocs #g/t ocs

[epicrox]

Till The End Of The Moon Thoughts - Episode 2

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW

PARTS: 1.1 | 1.2 | 2 |

This is mostly for me to look back on and see the moments that I caught my eye. Nothing analytical. I offer nothing to the table

I'm also a visual person so there's a lot of screenshots x

This is called my thoughts because I refuse to call what I'm writing down as a review. Reviews inform people and this post does nothing for people.

I’ve seen posts on Tumblr calling Tantai Jin a Disney princess cuz he’s being mistreated and talks to animals 🤨

The scenery is so pretty.

3. There seem to be Chinese subtitles on the right side of the screen indicating that background music is playing but I think they cut it out because I’m not hearing anything. Maybe it’s because I’m watching it on YouTube. I don’t know about other platforms.

4. Yeah, they cut the music now and it just sounds awkward and empty.

5. Omg she’s just leaving him there! Aren’t you supposed to keep him alive?

6. He legit looks like an old man because of the snow.

7. This man looks so delicate.

8. Even at the brink of getting hypothermia, he looks like he has a better chance of getting a modelling contract than me.

9. Disney Princess indeed.

10. Bingchang looks really sweet. I’m praying she doesn’t turn out evil or two-faced.

11. Wtf is this crow’s voice?!

12. It sounds like a demonic robot. This further proves my point about this show being sci-fi.

13. The crow’s basically a camera.

14. Then don’t let him die! That celestial being never told you to kill him and didn’t even mention the evil bone, your dad did. He literally told you that Tantai Jin’s torment and death triggered his demonic powers. All you need to do is prevent that! And what do you mean he deserves this?! He hasn’t done anything yet!

15. Her strategy is irritating me.

16. It looks like she’s cradling a head. Just the head.

17. I love that he just had to faint for her to understand the severity of the situation.

18. Wtf is that? His subconscious?

19. This demonic being reminds me of that demon that trains Luo Binghe after he gets pushed off the cliff.

20. He wants Tantai Jin to give him his soul to allow him eternal peace? Does he want to use Tantai Jin’s body as a vessel?

21. It’s the 2nd episode and we’ve got Xi Wu feeling him up.

22. Ma’am, how are you sleeping with that on your head?

23. She even got her dangly earrings on!

24. Get over what?

25. Ha! Xi Wu is having thoughts.

26. So am I.

27. She beats him?!

28. Why am I surprised?

29. OG!Xi Wu was an evil person.

30. The fact that she is hesitating about hitting him! Put the whip down! Even though he’ll see you’ve changed and would make him suspicious, at least he’ll be happy about not getting whipped.

31. She cares more about staying in character than changing the past.

32. At least take the gear off before you go to sleep.

33. After literally TORTURING HIM, you're worried for his health. It seems you’ve figured out actions have consequences.

34. AHHH!!!

35. Also as an otherworldly being, deity or whatever she is, Xi Wu can be really dense. I’d understand if she didn’t know how some things worked in the mortal world but for someone responsible for saving the world, your strategy is confusing.

36. I know she’s grieving for what had happened but she can prevent tragedies if she were a little smarter.

37. Is that even comfortable? I’ve always envied my parents for being able to sleep while sitting down because for some reason I can’t.

38. Awww. I love how confused he is.

39. He’s so delicate (This man is over 10 years older than me).

40. Yes, she’s possessed.

41. Just like villainess stories, is she hated by her family?

42. Oh no. She seems to be the favourite. Makes sense since the OG!Xi Wu was running around making trouble without much consequence. How can you be punished for your actions if you’re the Apple in your family’s eyes?

43. Also how many concubines does Xi Wu’s dad have? Does Bingchang and Xi Wu have different mothers?

44. It’s very clear from the beginning that the eldest brother is going to be useless.

45. Ze Yu just vanished. And make Xi Wu apologise to Bingchang. OG!Xi Wu must’ve thought she was entitled to everything. Bingchang must feel ostracised by her own family.

46. Wow, even the kitchen boys are bullying him. They’re probably gonna get beaten by Xi Wu and zapped when Tantai Jin gets into power.

47. This whole thing must be so humiliating as a prince.

48. How is he working in the kitchens and doing dishes while looking so pristine?

49. Is that ice?

50. Are they purposefully making him wash dishes in ice-cold water? Or is it something people did historically?

51. HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING YET. But he’s going to.

52. I’m not sure you’re aware of this but you’re in the body of his abuser. Of course, he’s avoiding you. Like didn’t you whip him last night?

53. Also, you haven’t spent long enough in that body to make this statement.

54. Yep. I think they put the ice in to torment him.

55. This reminds me of a trope you mostly see in isekai mangas/manhwas where the ML is so rude and aloof towards the FL that all the servants start to think they can do it too.

56. One thing that irks me about these tropes (it irks a lot of other people too) is that when the FL begins to stand up for herself against the servants, she slaps them.

57. Ooh, the music changed.

58. Not only does he speak to robotic crows, but he’s also talking to flies. Or was that a wasp?

59. I was under the impression Tantai Jin would commit murder but he just made the head cook (I think) swallow a fly. His reaction after swallowing the fly would have made you think he was being poisoned or choked.

60. It’s funny that she’s lecturing the staff about how rude they are even though this whole time she kept on saying he deserved it. You left him in the cold and whipped him. You know he’s a captured prince.

61. She’s putting all the blame on the servants rather than saying that OG! Xi Wu and even herself were wrong.

62. Instead of Xi Wu slapping them, they’re slapping themselves.

63. “If I had dignity, I would’ve died years ago” He really is a Disney princess.

64. More specifically, Cinderella. I saw a video essay from a channel called The Take. They talk about how people victim blame Cinderella a lot for not fighting back her abusers. In one part of the video, they talked about how Cinderella allows the abuse to continue as it is very likely that her stepmother would kick her out if she acted out.

65. Tantai Jin doesn’t know that the Xi Wu in front of him is not the original. So if I were him, I’d be more cautious about what type of food Xi Wu feeds me than the servants. Although, OG!Xi Wu could’ve ordered the servants to poison Tantai Jin’s food.

66. This man gives me Jin Xixun vibes or Mo Xuanyu’s cousin who died in the first episode of MDZS/The Untamed.

67. Oh, this is hard to watch.

68. That guy threw the cake on the ground and then stepped on it. Even if I was hungry I could never take a bite of it. It took me a while to even eat/drink something that someone else touched with their hand or mouth.

69. Is she drugged or drunk?

70. omg

71. They kissed! And we’re on the 2nd episode. I know it isn’t the FL but still. I count it.

72. Ok, they’re drugged.

73. I remember the two actors were together in a previous drama and there was a make-out scene that everyone freaked out about. So I assume they know what they’re doing in this drama.

74. So someone tried to make Bingchang and Jin Xixun prince spend the night together by drugging them but instead, they both ate it. It was 100% OG! Xi Wu.

75. Oh wait, they actually did it? But they’re clothed.

76. He has every right to be suspicious of you and the food you’ve given him.

77. Gosh. That crow’s voice is terrifyingly comedic. I giggle every time it opens its beak.

78. Tantai Jin is definitely planning something.

79. At least he’s pretty while doing it. Look at this shot.

80. This king looks familiar. Wasn’t he the emperor from Ashes of Love?

81. Tantai Jin is definitely ripping his head off.

82. This whole political drama is going to push Tantai Jin to join the dark side.

#till the end of the moon #tteotm thoughts #tantai jin #ye xiwu

[nysocboy]

The Origin of "Keefe Chambers"

When you grind marijuana, a crystalline residue called "kief" accumulates in a bowl called a "kief catcher" or "kief chamber." Keefe Chambers, get it? A fitting name for a character who was intended to be a walk-on comic relief, cast with "a "40 year old, 400-pound man." Someone who looks like, for example, queer hip hop musician Chris Conde. (To be clear, Chris didn't actually audition; they just wanted his body type.)

Many people find Chris attractive, of course, but he might not be an obvious object of erotic interest for the athletic 26-year old Kelvin.

They ended up casting the young, athletic Tony Cavalero instead. As he and Adam DeVine started exploring their characters, being attracted to each other made sense. Adam played Kelvin as in love with Keefe from the start, and the staging and direction began presenting him as gay in Episode 1.4 (dialogue, not until Episode 1.8).

Tony locates Keefe's "falling in love" moment in Episode 1.2: “Kelvin touches my arm and I go to touch the place he touched…no one’s ever touched me (Keefe) like that before." In Episode 1.4, the staging and actors' decisions presented him as bisexual. You know the rest of the story.

Although the drug angle was minimized in favor of a Goth/ fetish background, Keefe was stuck with the rather unrealistic name.

#keefe chambers #kelvin x keefe #tony cavalero #Chris Conde #the righteous gemstones #adam devine #falling in love #comic relief #casting #cannabis

[robot-artist-ai]

Parameters

A diver explores a breathtaking underwater world. Sunlight filters through the crystal-clear blue ocean, casting mesmerizing light and shadows. Colorful fish swim in perfect harmony amidst vibrant coral reefs, while shells and starfish adorn the ocean floor. Majestic coral formations provide a habitat for diverse marine life, including graceful rays and playful dolphins. With excellent visibility, the diver is captivated by the serene beauty of this underwater realm. Bubbles rise towards the surface, adding an ethereal touch. This image invites us to immerse ourselves in the peaceful wonders of the ocean, where every dive reveals a spectacular display of colors, shapes, and fascinating creatures, (8k, RAW photo, best quality, masterpiece:1.2), (realistic, photo-realistic:1.37), professional lighting, photon mapping, physically-based rendering, detailed background, absurdres, (hdr:1.3), (muted colors:1.2), dramatic, complex background, cinematic, filmic, (artstation:0.8), soaking wet,

Negative prompt: (worst quality:2), (low quality:2), (normal quality:2), lowres, normal quality, ((monochrome)), ((grayscale)), skin spots, acnes, skin blemishes, no text font letters, (deformed, distorted, disfigured:1.3), poorly drawn, bad anatomy, wrong anatomy, extra limb, missing limb, floating limbs, (mutated hands and fingers:1.4), disconnected limbs, mutation, mutated, ugly, disgusting, blurry, amputation, extra heads, deformed face, black edges, ng_deepnegative_v1_75t, negative_hand-neg, yam-negative-10000-neg, bhands-neg, disfigured, twisted, fused fingers, long neck, words, text, mutated hands, mutated fingers, interlocked fingers,

Steps: 30, Sampler: DPM++ SDE Karras, CFG scale: 7, Seed: 2824725815, Face restoration: CodeFormer, Size: 512x912, Model hash: 4199bcdd14, Model: revAnimated_v122, Version: v1.3.2

Used embeddings: ng_deepnegative_v1_75t [1a3e], negative_hand-neg [b740], yam-negative-10000-neg [9586], bhands-neg [9c45]

Leave your suggestion of what I can create!

#bot #artificialintelligence #art #fy #digitalart #nature #wallpaper #ocean #fish #corals

[thegunsonlineblog]

The Risks of Buying Guns Online

People of color are increasingly buying guns. They are acknowledging that they do not enjoy the same rights to own a firearm as white Americans. The rising violence in many American cities has driven many to seek out firearms for self-defense. The concerns over crime and violence are at their highest level since 2016. As a result, gun sales are growing rapidly. But there are some risks involved in purchasing guns. Some people may want to avoid gun sales until they can be more confident in their ability to defend themselves.

While buying guns online can save money, you should not be fooled into thinking that it is risk-free. It may take longer to receive the firearm or to have it repaired if it malfunctions. Besides, a gun purchased online cannot be shipped directly to your doorstep, so you need to make an appointment with a local gun dealer. Make sure the dealer you choose is a licensed firearms Las Vegas dealer. Online retailers also tend to carry a larger selection than brick-and-mortar retailers.

Research shows that a third of first-time gun buyers were men, and a third were women. In addition, new gun owners were more likely to be black and Hispanic than white men. And while many new gun owners did not know how to use a gun, they still purchased guns that cost at least $400. And they were not going to use their new gun in public. It's a good idea to read reviews before purchasing a gun online.

In addition to guns, ammunition is another item that is associated with gun ownership. You can purchase ammunition online without worrying about state laws. However, be aware that some states still regulate the sale of ammo online. The best way to avoid violating these laws is to buy your ammo from a reputable retailer. And make sure to read the fine print before making the purchase. The more information you have, the safer your purchase will be.

Background checks are essential to avoid a tragic incident. In 2016, for example, the FBI reported that 16 million Americans purchased firearms. The number of background checks was expected to grow to 900,000 and more by April of next year. The number of new gun owners has also increased. The RAND Corporation, a research and policy think tank, estimates that at least 21% of new gun buyers will have a background check. In addition to background checks, a federal license is required for a gun dealer in Minnesota. People with certain mental health conditions or criminal records are also prohibited from buying a gun. Visit the gun store Las Vegas.

While federal background checks can't prevent illegal purchases, they do show a clear trend in gun sales. A week last March saw a record number of background checks, which is a rough proxy for purchases. It continued through the summer protests and election, and again this spring, reaching a record high of 1.2 million checks. This trend is unlikely to stop, but it is a sign that people are increasingly becoming aware of the dangers that gun sales pose.

For more info, visit - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_shop

#Guns Online

[hydrus]

Version 571

windows

zip

exe

macOS

app

linux

tar.zst

I had a simple week working on some quality of life and background stuff. There are special install instructions this week!

full changelog

new build

tl;dr: If you use the Windows or Linux .zip or .tar.zst 'Extract' releases, you have to do a clean install! (https://hydrusnetwork.github.io/hydrus/getting_started_installing.html#clean_installs). If you are a Windows installer/macOS App/source user, you do not need to do a clean install; just update as normal.

The future build test went well, so I am folding the updates into the main build. The above releases are updated from Python 3.10 to 3.11, and Qt (UI) and OpenCV (image processing) are moved to newer versions. There aren't any super important changes, but a bunch of little things should work better or be a bit faster.

Unfortunately, the new libraries cause a dll conflict with v570 and earlier (basically the executable sees the py310 dlls beside the py311 ones and gets confused), so we need to clear the install directory of the old files. Just do the clean install and you should be fine!

You don't have to do it for the other modes because: the Windows installer basically does a clean install every time; the macOS App is always enclosed in its own thing doesn't have to worry about old files; and running from source doesn't care about dlls in the same way, although you might like to rebuild your venv today, just to catch up your own library versions.

If you do have trouble booting v571, then please revert to your v570 backup and let me know what happened! There were no problems in the test that people tried a couple weeks ago, so I'm not expecting anything much, but I'll jump on any reports. Also, if you have been struggling with some annoying menu or drag and drop bug, let me know if the new version of Qt fixed you.

the rest

The archive/delete filter gets a couple of workflow changes: first, if you finish a filter and there is more than one possible local file service to delete from, those 'commit' buttons are now disabled for 1.2 seconds. This is to catch you from spamming 'enter' through this dialog when it is suddenly different (I've done this myself more than once). Second, if you hate the idea of these buttons being disabled, and you always want to delete from all local file services anyway, please hit the new 'when finishing filtering, always delete from all possible domains' checkbox under options->files and trash, which lets you always have a simple 'commit' dialog that only shows 'delete from all local file services'.

The client now tries to load truncated images by default. The damaged images it now allows might be missing one pixel in the bottom right, or have a few lines of grey at the bottom, or might appear fine but just have some crazy metadata, but they won't, fingers crossed, fail with a 'malformed image' error any more. We had some stability problems with this mode some years ago, so I turned it off and only allowed it on in a debug menu on a per-session basis, but the situation seems to have cleared up, so it is now back on. If you need to turn it off, hit options->media.

Any time you have a normal single column list in the program, e.g. the list of URLs in 'manage urls', you can hit Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Insert and now it'll copy better strings (e.g. without '(1)' decorator cruft), and it'll copy every row you have selected.

I wrote a new emergency help document, 'help my db disappeared.txt', for the install_dir/db folder. If you ever boot up and get the 'this looks like the first time you have run the program' popup, there's now a guide to figure out what the hell happened.

next week

I didn't find the time to get to the 'share' menu rewrite, so I'll try again.

#release

[subashmani]

How to Manage Parking and Transportation for Your Chennai Wedding

Introduction: Planning a wedding is a monumental task that involves numerous details, and one aspect that can often be overlooked is parking and transportation. Ensuring convenient and hassle-free parking and transportation for your guests is essential to guarantee a smooth and enjoyable wedding day. In this guide, we will provide you with valuable advice on how to manage parking and transportation for your Chennai wedding.

Section 1: Assessing Your Parking Needs

Before diving into the logistics, you need to assess your parking requirements.

1.1 Estimate Guest Count:

Determine the number of guests attending your wedding as this will help calculate the parking space needed.

1.2 Venue Limitations:

Check with your chosen wedding venue to understand their parking capacity and restrictions.

1.3 Nearby Parking Facilities:

Identify any nearby public parking facilities and their availability on your wedding date.

Section 2: Providing Clear Directions

Ensuring that your guests can easily find the venue is crucial.

2.1 Include Directions in Invitations:

Add clear directions or a map to the wedding venue in your wedding invitations.

2.2 Signage:

Use well-placed signs or banners to guide guests to the parking area and venue entrance.

Section 3: Valet Parking Services

Consider offering valet parking for added convenience.

3.1 Hire a Professional Valet Service:

Choose a reputable valet service to manage the parking process and ensure guests' vehicles are well taken care of.

3.2 Valet Drop-Off Zone:

Designate a drop-off zone near the venue entrance for guests using valet services.

Section 4: Shuttle Services

Providing transportation solutions can greatly ease parking concerns.

4.1 Arrange Shuttle Buses:

Organize shuttle buses to transport guests from designated pickup points to the wedding venue.

4.2 Schedule Pickup Times:

Ensure the shuttle service follows a schedule that aligns with the wedding events.

Section 5: Communication is Key

Effective communication is essential for a seamless parking and transportation experience.

5.1 Include Parking Information on Your Wedding Website:

Create a dedicated section on your wedding website with parking details, shuttle schedules, and contact information.

5.2 Appoint a Parking Coordinator:

Designate a person or team responsible for overseeing parking and transportation logistics on the wedding day.

Section 6: Guest Considerations

Think about your guests' comfort and needs.

6.1 Accessibility:

Ensure the parking area and transportation options are accessible to all guests, including those with mobility challenges.

6.2 Information Cards:

Include information cards in your wedding program or at guest tables with parking and transportation details.

Section 7: Monitoring and Flexibility

Stay flexible and be prepared for last-minute changes.

7.1 Monitor Traffic:

Keep an eye on traffic updates and adjust shuttle schedules if necessary.

7.2 Emergency Plan:

Have a backup plan in case of unforeseen circumstances or delays.

Conclusion: Effective management of parking and transportation can significantly enhance the overall experience for your guests and contribute to a stress-free wedding day. By carefully planning, communicating, and providing convenient options, you can ensure that your Chennai wedding is a memorable and enjoyable occasion for everyone involved.

Bookwedgo

: Your Dream Wedding Awaits!

At Bookwedgo, we understand that your wedding day is one of the most significant moments of your life. It's a celebration of love, commitment, and the beginning of a beautiful journey. Our mission is to make the journey to your dream wedding venue as joyous and stress-free as possible.e:

We are a passionate team of wedding enthusiasts who believe that finding the perfect venue should be a delightful experience. With backgrounds in technology and a shared love for celebrations, we founded Bookwedgo to revolutionize the way couples discover and book their dream wedding halls in chennai with bookwedgo.

#weddinghallsinchennai #marriagehallsinchennai #weddingvenues #banquethalls

[ltcentre]

Navigating the World of Baby Daycare: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents

Welcoming a new member into the family is an exciting and joyous occasion. As parents, you want to provide the best care and nurturing environment for your little one. However, the demands of modern life often necessitate a careful balance between work, personal commitments, and childcare. This is where the world of baby daycare comes into play.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the ins and outs of baby daycare, helping you make informed decisions about the best options for your child's care and development.

Section 1: The Importance of Baby Daycare

1.1 Early Socialization: Baby daycare provides an opportunity for infants to interact with their peers, fostering early social skills and emotional development.

1.2 Cognitive Stimulation: Quality daycare centers offer age-appropriate activities that stimulate cognitive development, laying the foundation for future learning.

1.3 Routine and Structure: Establishing a routine is crucial for a baby's sense of security. Daycare provides a structured environment that helps babies thrive on consistency.

Section 2: Choosing the Right Baby Daycare

2.1 Research and Recommendations: Seek recommendations from friends, family, and online reviews. Research daycare centers in your area to find those with positive reputations.

2.2 Accreditation and Licensing: Ensure that the daycare facility is licensed and accredited by relevant authorities. This ensures they meet specific standards for safety, cleanliness, and staff qualifications.

2.3 Visit the Facility: Schedule visits to prospective daycare centers. Observe the environment, interact with staff, and ask questions about their programs, safety measures, and staff-to-child ratios.

Section 3: Baby Daycare Programs and Activities

3.1 Age-Appropriate Curriculum: A good daycare center tailors its programs to the developmental needs of different age groups. Ensure the curriculum includes activities that promote physical, cognitive, and social development.

3.2 Outdoor Play: Outdoor play is essential for a child's physical health and overall well-being. Check if the daycare has a safe and well-equipped outdoor play area.

3.3 Communication with Parents: Choose a daycare that maintains open lines of communication with parents. Regular updates on your baby's activities, developmental milestones, and any concerns should be part of their routine.

Section 4: Health and Safety Considerations

4.1 Staff Training: Inquire about the qualifications and training of daycare staff. Trained caregivers with a background in early childhood education contribute significantly to a child's development.

4.2 Safety Protocols: Ensure the daycare center has clear safety protocols, including emergency procedures, first aid training for staff, and secure entry points.

4.3 Illness Policies: Understand the daycare's policies regarding illness. A transparent illness policy helps prevent the spread of infections among children.

[digitalmarketingcourseinrpr]

15 Banner Ad Design Tips to Get More Clicks -

VIDA - Digital Marketing Course in Raipur

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, banner ads play a crucial role in capturing the attention of the audience. For individuals seeking a Digital Marketing Course in Raipur, understanding the art of designing effective banner ads is a valuable skill. Whether you're interested in a Digital Marketing Institute in Raipur, a Digital Marketing Academy in Raipur, or an Advanced Digital Marketing Course in Raipur, mastering the principles of banner ad design can significantly impact your marketing success. In this article, we'll explore 15 banner ad design tips to maximize clicks and engagement.

Section 1: Know Your Audience

1.1 Understanding Demographics

Before diving into design, research and understand the demographics of your target audience for the Digital Marketing Course in Raipur. Tailor your banner ad to resonate with their preferences.

1.2 Addressing Pain Points

Identify the pain points of your audience and highlight how the Digital Marketing Institute in Raipur or Advanced Digital Marketing Course in Raipur can address and solve them.

Section 2: Compelling Headlines

2.1 Clear and Concise

Craft headlines that are clear, concise, and directly communicate the value proposition of your Digital Marketing Academy in Raipur.

2.2 Use Keywords

Incorporate relevant keywords, such as "Digital Marketing Course in Raipur," to enhance search visibility and align with SEO guidelines.

2.3 Create Urgency

Include words that create a sense of urgency, prompting users to take immediate action, such as "Enroll Now" or "Limited Time Offer."

Section 3: Eye-Catching Visuals

3.1 High-Quality Images

Utilize high-quality images that resonate with the professional and dynamic nature of digital marketing education.

3.2 Consistent Branding

Maintain consistency with your brand colors, logo, and overall design to establish a strong visual identity.

3.3 Use Contrast

Ensure that the text contrasts with the background, making it easy to read and understand the message.

Section 4: Incorporate Animation

4.1 GIFs or Dynamic Elements

Integrate subtle animations or dynamic elements to capture attention without overwhelming the viewer.

4.2 Limited Motion

Avoid excessive movement, keeping the animation subtle to maintain a professional appearance.

4.3 Highlight Key Information

Use animation to draw attention to key information, such as course features or benefits.

Section 5: Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

5.1 Standout Buttons

Design a prominent CTA button that stands out and encourages clicks, directing users to learn more about the Digital Marketing Course in Raipur.

5.2 Action-Oriented Language

Use action-oriented language in the CTA, such as "Discover," "Learn," or "Explore Now."

5.3 Placement Matters

Strategically place the CTA button where it's easily noticeable, typically near the center or bottom of the banner.

Section 6: Responsive Design

6.1 Mobile-Friendly

Ensure your banner ad is optimized for mobile devices, considering the increasing number of users accessing content on smartphones.

6.2 Test Across Devices

Test the ad across various devices to guarantee a seamless and visually appealing experience for all users.

6.3 Adaptability

Design a banner that adapts well to different sizes and resolutions without compromising its effectiveness.

Section 7: A/B Testing

7.1 Test Variations

Conduct A/B testing with different design elements, headlines, or CTA buttons to identify the most effective combinations.

7.2 Analyze Metrics

Utilize analytics tools to track the performance of each variation, focusing on click-through rates and conversions.

7.3 Iterative Improvements

Based on the test results, continuously refine and improve your banner ad design for optimal results.

Section 8: Minimalistic Approach

8.1 Less is More

Embrace a minimalistic approach, avoiding clutter and focusing on essential information about the Digital Marketing Academy in Raipur.

8.2 Single Focused Message

Convey a single, focused message to prevent confusion and ensure a quick understanding of the ad.

8.3 Negative Space

Leverage negative space to create a clean and visually appealing design that enhances user engagement.

Section 9: Consistent Messaging

9.1 Align with Landing Page

Ensure that the message in your banner aligns seamlessly with the content on the landing page for a cohesive user experience.

9.2 Reinforce Value Proposition

Reiterate the unique selling points of your Digital Marketing Institute in Raipur to reinforce the value proposition.

9.3 Build Brand Recognition

Use consistent messaging that contributes to building brand recognition and recall.

Section 10: Compliance with Guidelines

10.1 Ad Platforms Specifications

Adhere to the specifications and guidelines of the platforms where you plan to display your banner ads.

10.2 Legal and Ethical Considerations

Ensure your design complies with legal and ethical standards, avoiding misleading or deceptive elements.

10.3 Accessibility

Design with accessibility in mind, considering users with disabilities and optimizing for screen readers.

The Role of VIDA - Digital Marketing Course in Raipur

For VIDA, mastering the art of banner ad design is vital to promoting their Digital Marketing Course in Raipur, Digital Marketing Institute in Raipur, Digital Marketing Academy in Raipur, and Advanced Digital Marketing Course in Raipur. These tips align with VIDA's commitment to providing quality education in digital marketing.

Conclusion

Effective banner ad design is a powerful tool in the digital marketing landscape. By implementing these 15 tips, you can create compelling, click-worthy banner ads that not only attract attention but also drive potential students to explore the offerings of the Digital Marketing Course in Raipur. Remember, continuous testing and refinement are key to staying ahead in the ever-evolving world of digital advertising.

To learn more about VIDA - Digital Marketing Course in Raipur and discover how they integrate effective banner ad strategies, please visit https://www.vidabyvayamedia.in/

#digital marketing course in raipur #digital marketing institute in raipur #digital marketing academy #digital marketing academy in raipur

[propertymanagementllc]

Stress-Free Property Management

Although it can be a profitable investment, property management is frequently quite stressful and difficult. From dealing with tenant issues to maintenance problems, the responsibilities of a property manager can seem never-ending. It is possible to streamline and lessen the strain of property management, though. We will examine tactics and resources in this in-depth manual to assist you in achieving stress-free property management.

Chapter 1: Understanding Stress in Property Management

1.1 The Common Stressors

Property management stressors can include:

Tenant Problems: Late payments, difficult tenants, and eviction processes.

Maintenance and Repairs: Dealing with unexpected issues and coordinating repairs.

Legal Obligations: Ensuring compliance with rental laws and regulations.

Financial Management: Keeping track of income and expenses.

Time Management: Juggling multiple tasks and responsibilities.

1.2 The Consequences of Stress

Burnout, health problems, and poor decision-making are all consequences of stress in property management. It can also harm your relationships with tenants and affect property profitability.  

Chapter 2: Tips for Stress-Free Property Management

2.1 Screen Tenants Thoroughly

The first step to a stress-free property management experience is selecting reliable tenants. Use comprehensive screening criteria to assess potential renters' backgrounds, financial stability, and rental history.  

2.2 Implement Online Rent Collection

Streamline rent collection by using online payment platforms. This reduces the risk of late payments and minimizes the stress associated with tracking down rent.  

2.3 Property Maintenance and Repairs

Establish regular maintenance schedules to address issues proactively. Create a network of reliable contractors to handle repairs promptly.

2.4 Use Property Management Software

Invest in property management software to automate tasks like rent tracking, maintenance requests, and document storage. This software can save you time and reduce administrative stress.

2.5 Clear Communication

Maintain open lines of communication with tenants. Respond to inquiries and concerns promptly to build positive tenant relationships.

2.6 Legal Compliance

Keep abreast of any changes to local rental laws and ordinances. Compliance guarantees not only legal compliance but also more efficient business operations.  

Chapter 3: Stress-Reducing Tools and Resources

3.1 Property Management Apps

Explore property management apps like Buildium, AppFolio, or Rentec Direct. These tools offer features for tenant communication, rent collection, and property maintenance.

3.2 Virtual Tours and Inspections

Utilize technology for virtual property tours and inspections, reducing the need for physical visits and minimizing disruptions for tenants.  

3.3 Outsourcing

Consider outsourcing tasks like accounting or maintenance to professionals. By doing this, you can save time as well as lessen the stress of managing things on your own.  

Chapter 4: Preventing Tenant-Related Stress

4.1 Effective Lease Agreements

Draft thorough and clear lease agreements that outline tenant responsibilities, rent due dates, and consequences for non-compliance.  

4.2 Tenant Education

Educate tenants about property rules, maintenance expectations, and rent payment methods. Informed tenants are more likely to comply with guidelines.

4.3 Mediation Skills

Develop conflict resolution skills to handle tenant disputes calmly and professionally, reducing stress for both parties.  

Chapter 5: Stress-Free Financial Management

5.1 Budgeting and Tracking

Create a detailed budget for your property and use accounting software to track expenses and income. You can keep disciplined and reduce financial stress by doing this.

5.2 Emergency Fund

Maintain an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses, reducing financial stress when repairs or other issues arise.

Chapter 6: Stress Management for Property Managers

6.1 Self-Care

Prioritize self-care to manage stress effectively. Regular exercise, a balanced work-life schedule, and support from friends and family are all recommended.

6.2 Networking

Connect with other property managers to share experiences and strategies for stress reduction. Networking can provide valuable insights and emotional support.

6.3 Professional Development

Invest in ongoing education to stay updated on property management trends and regulations. Knowledge empowers you to handle challenges confidently.  

Chapter 7: Preparing for the Unexpected

7.1 Insurance Coverage

Ensure you have the appropriate insurance coverage for your properties, including liability insurance. This safeguards your finances in case of unforeseen events.  

7.2 Contingency Plans

Develop contingency plans for common property management issues, such as tenant emergencies or natural disasters. Being prepared reduces stress during crises.  

Chapter 8: The Future of Stress-Free Property Management

8.1 Automation and Artificial Intelligence

As technology advances, expect more automation and AI-driven solutions to simplify property management tasks and reduce stress further.  

8.2 Sustainable Property Management

Explore environmentally friendly practices to reduce maintenance and utility costs, contributing to long-term stress reduction.  

Chapter 9: Success Stories

Read about property managers who have successfully implemented stress-reduction strategies. Take advice from their mistakes and modify their strategies to fit your needs.  

Chapter 10: Conclusion

Stress-free property management is achievable with the right mindset, tools, and strategies. By focusing on tenant relations, efficient processes, and self-care, you can minimize stress and maximize the profitability of your property investments. Embrace these principles, stay adaptable, and enjoy a more rewarding property management experience.

#property management #rental properties #renters incomes #short term rentals #Multi family Properties #Small Multifamily Properties #Homeowners #property manager #property investing

[captainmdhridoyhossain-blog]

[ad_1] Strategies for Effective Conflict Resolution in Virtual Teams: Finding Common Ground Introduction: In today's rapidly changing business landscape, virtual teams have become increasingly popular. With advancements in technology, it's now possible for individuals from different geographical locations to collaborate and work together seamlessly. However, like any other team, virtual teams are not immune to conflicts. In fact, the absence of face-to-face interaction in virtual teams can sometimes exacerbate conflicts, making them even more challenging to address. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the strategies for effective conflict resolution in virtual teams. We will explore how to find common ground and achieve harmonious outcomes despite the physical distance. By implementing these strategies, virtual teams can mitigate conflicts, boost productivity, and foster a positive working environment. 1. Understanding the Perplexity of Conflict Resolution in Virtual Teams: Conflict resolution in virtual teams presents unique challenges due to the absence of non-verbal cues and physical presence. Miscommunications can easily arise, leading to misunderstandings and conflicts. To effectively resolve conflicts in a virtual setting, it is crucial to have a deep understanding of the complexities involved. This section will outline the perplexity of conflict resolution in virtual teams. 1.1 Communication Challenges in Virtual Teams: Virtual teams heavily rely on various modes of communication, such as emails, instant messaging, and video conferences. However, these digital communication channels have limitations. Discuss the challenges associated with virtual communication and how they can contribute to conflicts. 1.2 Cross-cultural Considerations in Virtual Teams: In virtual teams, individuals from different cultural backgrounds collaborate, bringing unique perspectives and communication styles. However, cultural differences can also lead to conflicts. Explain the significance of cross-cultural considerations in conflict resolution and provide strategies for navigating cultural diversity in virtual teams. 2. Burstiness in Conflict Resolution: Striking a Balance: To ensure effective conflict resolution in virtual teams, it is essential to strike a balance between concise and detailed communication. Burstiness, which refers to the variation in the length and complexity of sentences, plays a crucial role here. This section will explore ways to incorporate burstiness in conflict resolution discussions. 2.1 Utilizing Concise and Clear Sentences: In virtual teams, brevity and clarity are paramount. Discuss how utilizing concise sentences can help in conflict resolution. Provide tips and tricks for conveying thoughts and ideas effectively while keeping the message succinct. 2.2 Precision and Elaboration for Effective Resolution: While concise sentences are essential, complex or emotionally charged conflicts may require more elaborate explanations. Explore the importance of incorporating precision and elaboration in resolving conflicts. Present techniques to strike a balance between short and longer sentences to enhance clarity in virtual team conflict resolution. 3. Strategies for Effective Conflict Resolution in Virtual Teams: Now that we have laid the foundation by understanding the complexities and balance required in resolving conflicts in virtual teams let's delve into effective strategies for conflict resolution. This section will provide actionable insights, techniques, and approaches to help virtual teams find common ground and resolve conflicts efficiently. 3.1 Establishing Open and Transparent Communication Channels: One of the fundamental pillars of conflict resolution in virtual teams is establishing open and transparent communication channels. Discuss different tools and platforms that promote open communication, such as project management software and online collaboration tools. Emphasize the significance

of fostering a safe environment for team members to express their concerns and opinions. 3.2 Emphasizing Active Listening and Empathy: Active listening and empathy are vital in resolving conflicts comprehensively. Discuss the importance of active listening and provide tips to enhance this skill in virtual teams. Explore empathy as a powerful tool to understand team members' perspectives and navigate conflicts effectively. 3.3 Mediation and Facilitation Techniques: Sometimes conflicts in virtual teams require a neutral third-party to mediate and facilitate the resolution process. Highlight various mediation and facilitation techniques that can be implemented in virtual teams. Discuss how virtual team leaders or designated facilitators can navigate conflicts impartially and ensure fair outcomes. 3.4 Establishing Clear Goals and Roles: Conflicts can arise due to ambiguity in goals and roles within virtual teams. Discuss the significance of establishing clear and measurable goals for team members. Explain how defining roles and responsibilities can prevent conflicts and promote collaboration. 4. FAQs Section: Q1: How can I proactively prevent conflicts in virtual teams? A1: To prevent conflicts, establish clear communication guidelines, foster team cohesion, encourage regular check-ins, and address conflicts swiftly before they escalate. Q2: How can cultural differences be turned into strengths in conflict resolution? A2: By embracing diversity, encouraging cross-cultural understanding, and facilitating open discussions, cultural differences can be leveraged as strengths in conflict resolution in virtual teams. Q3: What are some common mistakes to avoid in conflict resolution in virtual teams? A3: Some common mistakes include avoiding conflicts rather than addressing them, failing to actively listen and understand perspectives, and delegating conflict resolution solely to team leaders without involving team members. Q4: How can technology aid in conflict resolution in virtual teams? A4: Technology plays a vital role in conflict resolution by providing communication platforms, collaboration tools, and data analytics that can help identify potential conflicts and facilitate their resolution. Conclusion: Effective conflict resolution in virtual teams is crucial for maintaining productive and harmonious working environments. The complexities and challenges presented by the virtual setting can be mitigated by understanding perplexity and incorporating burstiness in communication strategies. By following the strategies outlined in this article, virtual teams can find common ground and resolve conflicts effectively, fostering collaboration and success in the virtual realm. [ad_2] #Strategies #Effective #Conflict #Resolution #Virtual #Teams #Finding #Common #Ground