#and shuts recreation centres

[changingplumbob]

Woods Household: Chapter 1, Part 2

In this part the couple work together to get the file from the sheriff, Reece learns how bad the attacks were, then the couple unwind at the romance festival.

I changed my limit of pic collages per story post to 20 a while ago but I felt like I wrote a lot here. I did math and it's 52% longer than part 1 so... grab that snack, grab that coffee, it will probably take a few extra minutes to read so may as well be comfy.

Low level content warning: Some sim spice, mentions of death and violence

Reece: You’re so damn precise, I love it

Samir: Sometimes, like when we’re together, I have to be. Safety first. Other times, well…

Samir pulls out a knife and begins swinging at the block, causing Reece to wobble in his tree pose.

Reece: *shocked* The hell are you doing???

Samir: If they didn’t want me to use a knife for woodworking, why would they include one with the table. There, one horse sculpture done

Reece: *quizzically* Are you… starting another one?

Samir: We have to earn money somehow. But go back to your brainwave

Reece: My brainwave?

Samir: I know you. If you were thinking about the sheriff then you were bound to come up with a brainwave

Reece: I was thinking, the file on your parents deaths has to have a hard copy in records. Do you know where they’re kept?

Samir: The station is technically a small office above the library, so they’ve got to be kept nearby but not inside

Reece: I was thinking I'll go and talk to Sheriff Captain about the deed stuff while you go have a look for the file. Then we, you know, run away

Samir: I don’t like the idea of using you as a distraction

Reece: I’ll have you know I am very distracting, it’s a quality I have. Besides, I don't think you'd be able to have a conversation with that jerk. Unless it was a see who blinks first contest

Samir: *snorts* Well if Captain seemed to think you were a responsible person, we may as well take advantage

Reece: Okay just... let me take a cold shower first. Hearing you work there gave me... some kind of feelings

Samir: *smirks* Alright but no cheating. Remember, good boys follow the rules

The two head to the renovated mill which now serves as the Recreation centre for the town. Before heading in Samir grabs hold of Reece’s wrist, and twists him so they’re face to face.

Reece: Are you all right? There doesn’t seem to be too many people around

Samir: It’s not… I mean people are difficult but… I wanted to say, whether we pull this off or not, it means the world to me that you want to help

Reece: Of course I want to help, I love you

Samir: And I love you. Have I told you that today?

Reece: Yes, but that doesn’t mean I object to hearing it again

Samir: 🎵I… Love… You🎶

Reece: Well be still my beating heart

Samir: I’m so proud of you for coming up with this idea

Reece: It wasn’t that tough, I just… you know… thought it up

Samir: It still came from your brain blondie. You're a genius

Reece: We should get inside before I turn red, or the sheriff hears your singing and figures out what we’re doing

Samir: You go first, then I get the best view. One damn fine backside

Reece: Just admit you want me to fail at not getting off. You’re so- oh hey look, laundry machines!

Samir: Good. You always get your clothes dirty

Reece: It’s not like I get them dirty by myself. Is it this way

Samir: Should be. Nothing else has changed here

Reece: That’s one big sign. Hey *laughs* do you get the feeling he’s compensating for something?

Samir: Please don’t suggest that to him

Reece: Don’t worry boss. I’m going to distract him, you’re going to find the file, and we’re going to meet back home after, no problems. You should be able to pick it from first page stuff without having to read the details

Samir: *sighs* We can do this?

Reece: We can do this

...

Captain: Oh, it’s you again

Reece: Yes sir, I’m Reece

Samir timed the closing of the records room door for when Reece shut the office door. The records room was larger that he thought but didn’t appear to be too disorganised. Now, if he was a cop who thought murders were bear attacks, where would he put the file?

...

Captain: I hope you didn’t think I was out of line this morning. As sheriff I'm supposed to... extend courtesy to the citizens here

Reece: Seemed to me like you were just making sure no one was damaging the property, for which me and my boyfriend are extremely grateful

Captain: Did you bring a copy of the deed? To prove you have a right to be there?

Reece: Did I- why yes, I did, hold on a second

Bear attacks would fall under the umbrella of animal attacks. But there was nothing labelled animal attacks. Instead from what he could see every case of an animal attack that the town had had was kept separate from one another. His parents were the only fatalities though. Most others just had people losing consciousness and being unable to say what happened.

...

Captain: I’m glad to see you’re true to your word

Reece: So is my boyfriend

Captain: *scoffs* he doesn’t seem to say very much

Reece: He doesn't need to. Besides, he’s had a hard life, remember

Captain: Right. Watcher I’ll never forget that scene, I can’t believe they managed to clean it all up to try put the place on the market. I would have just torn the whole thing down

Reece: It was… really bad then?

Captain: I had seen dead things before, growing up near the woods you do. But I hadn’t tossed my stomach like that before, nothing prepares you to see bodies like that for the first time

Reece: You said there were urban legends...

Captain: Sure. Go anyplace and you're bound to hear about one house where things went sideways, people got hurt, and rumours say you won't survive a trip inside. It so happens your house is that place in Moonwood Mill. The deaths... but that’s just memories now. Good luck renovating and selling the house

Reece: Oh, we’re not selling it

Captain: You’re... not selling it?

Reece: No. We’re going to make a home there

Captain: You mean *scoffs*… you two will be sticking around?

Reece: *carefully* Yes, Samir and I are both big nature fans. The woods here are lovely

Captain: They are but *sighs* nevermind kid. Look, you proved you can be in the house, I have work to do here. You should... you should leave now

Reece turns to go when he hears the sheriff clear his throat.

Captain: I hope you and your boyfriend aren’t doing anything too… intimate. Because if you are getting up to stuff when you’re still a teen, he will be held responsible in the eyes of the law. We take protection of minors seriously here

Reece struggles not to swing for him. How dare he talk about looking after minors when he'd been so insensitve to Samir, who was only 5 when it all happened. He took a deep breath, and chose his next words carefully

Reece: He is a teen himself Sheriff, and I turn 18 tomorrow... but thank you for your concern you... clearly take your job seriously

Back at home...

Samir: I found the file. It was labelled so I didn't have to look in it. Were you okay

Reece: Piece of cake. Apart from it seeming like he would be a lot happier if we left town

Samir: What did he say

Reece: When he implied we needed to sell the house or when he implied he would arrest you if we had woohoo

Samir: Jerk. Almost makes me want to bend you over the table just to spite him

Reece: I mean you could and I would endorse such action

Samir looks sternly at Reece.

Reece: *sighs deeply* But I can't get off until my birthday, I know

Samir pulls Reece close and kisses him on the forehead before the two turn their attention back to the file in front of them.

Reece: Okay, you ready

Samir: Yeah just... maybe read in your head... please

Reece: You take care of me, I take care of you

Report of first officer on scene: Sheriff Giles. The station had a call mid-morning from a woman out on a run. She said she saw the door at the Hadji house was knocked in. She told me she approached the property but got a "weird feeling" so decided to call me instead of heading inside. I left Deputy Greenway manning the station and I went over there. I sent her on her way and approached the house. The door was completely detached and the doorframe was splintered. The smell hit you before you could even see inside the house, it's a good thing the woman didn't get closer. My late father used to hunt the wild boar in the area. He would drain the carcass of blood in our backyard before cutting up his kill, the smell put me back there.

Reece: Okay this bit is just saying a Sheriff Giles was first on scene

Samir nods, indicating Reece should keep reading to himself.

Upon entering the property it was clear that there were the remains of two bodies amongst the wreckage, most likely the property owners Othman and Nadia Hadji. Around the body I assumed to be Nadia were chunks of flesh leaving gaping wounds in her back, enough gone to see bone. I'm sorry to say Othman was in several pieces, and the blood pools around him appeared to have been walked through. However it had likely been some hours since the attack, and alongside the main tracks were small tracks, most likely from investigating animals. The larger tracks weren't clear enough to place. Most of the household furniture in that main area had been broken and touched by blood spatter. I looked up and there was even some on the roof, figured whatever did it got mad. I called in to the station then to alert my Greenway to the situation. I told him I would require camera equipment first off, and that he should bring the town doctor with him because we had bodies to process. Poor bloke was silent for the longest time, probably figured all he’d be doing in a small town like this would be parking tickets.

Reece: *softly* Samir... I didn't know

Samir: *clears throat* anything strange yet

Reece: Seems like the sheriff then thought Greenway was not cut out for something like this

Samir: He had kind eyes that sheriff. Giles I think he said he was

Reece: You're right, that's what it says

Reece gave Samir’s hand a reassuring squeeze and carried on reading.

Once the lads arrived, I set about taking photos of everything I could. The doctor wondered about Samir but whatever did this likely dragged him off, the boy was tiny and would be easy prey for something that took down his parents. I figured if anything needed following up on, we should have original pictures. Sure the scene had clearly been contaminated by wildlife, but the higher powers would want evidence. I had moved on from photos of the bodies and was photographing the door, well what was left of the door, when the doctor said the strangest thing. He said the young Hadji boy was under his mother, and that he had a pulse? I had hoped that if Samir wasn't dead then at least he wasn't in the house when the attack occurred. No such luck. Together, the doctor and I, we shifted Nadia’s body as carefully as we could. Under her it was clear Samir had been torn, the doctor said it looked like the same kind of marks that were on his parents. It was a miracle he was still alive, I know not all the blood was his but those cuts on his chest looked deep, I was sure he didn't have long.

Reece: Your mother… you were stuck under her

Samir: I mean… I can’t remember much of that, I think I’d been in and out of consciousness for too long to take stock of anything *sighs* has it mentioned Greenway again

Reece: Yeah, down here, hold on

I called out to Greenway who had been tasked with taking pictures of the outside damage and setting up a cordon. The doctor said we had to get the boy to a hospital, that the local clinic might not be enough. I instructed Greenway to call for a helicopter but upon entering the house and seeing the bloodied boy squirming he… contaminated the scene. The helicopter arrived and I helped the doctor carry Samir, who was now crying and trying to push off the material stopping the bleeding. When he was off safe I had Greenway inform the local social worker while I continued cataloguing evidence alone. He contaminated the scene once, I wasn't about to let him lose his insides again. Still can't get the boys wild eyes out of my head though, that poor kid's all alone now.

Reece: This bit makes it sound like… you nearly died

Samir: *shrugs* That’s true. They said…

Reece waits patiently while Samir gets his words sorted in his head

Samir: They said ommi’s weight on my chest stemmed the blood enough to stop me bleeding out. It’s... not exactly the best pillow talk you know

Reece: I’m so sorry

Samir: *sniffs* Is there anything else in there

Reece: Yeah umm... Coroner’s reports, photocopies of pictures that I do not want to look at right now. Here we go, sheriff’s concluding statement. I guess that's kind of like an inquest

I have talked to the doctor and the local rangers. It seems clear to us that no man committed this crime. The violence was too severe, and too random, to have thought behind it. Doctor determined the victims suffered claw and bite marks, had to be a large predator. I inquired if the damage could have been done with tools, a butcher knife or scythe or something, watcher knows there are enough amateur hunters in the area. Doctor could see no evidence to support the conclusion that instruments were used though. With that knowledge I have determined the most likely culprit was a rogue bear, no other predators would have the strength to smash the door in such a fashion. I know the rangers doubt a bear would wander inside a house but agree bears can hunt down prey. This time the prey was just our citizens. Greenway is keen to support this conclusion, saying he had seen bear attacks like this before-

Reece: Wait, that’s not right

Samir: What isn’t?

Reece: When I was in distracting Captain... he said he’d never seen anything like that crime scene before

Samir: Yeah. That's what he said when I reminded him he vomited

Reece: But in here it says he told the old sheriff he had seen bear attacks that looked the same

Samir: *sighs* Thank the watcher for you blondie, I knew you’d find something. I know sheriff Giles thought it couldn’t have been a person but it must have been. I mean I can't imagine Greenway lying to protect a rogue bear

Reece closes the file, putting it back on the table. He hold Samir's hand, tracing patterns on the back with his other.

Reece: I just wish I could go back and comfort you. Samir you must have been so scared

Samir holds Reece's hand to his mouth and kisses it softly.

Samir: Pretty sure I wouldn’t have been in the mood to humour a talkative 3 year old, even one as cute as you

He puts his arm around Reece who snuggles closer.

Reece: You knows what I mean. I’m so glad you survived it

Samir smiles, kissing Reece on the forehead again.

Samir: Yeah, I’m pretty glad I survived it too. Now, good boys that find leads deserve rewards

Reece: So you’ll let us-

Samir: Go to the romance festival

Reece: *pouts* well that’s a good second option I guess

Reece: This tea tastes good

Samir: What’s in it

Reece: I don’t really know. It can’t have any alcohol since it’s a free for all

While Reece continues to speculate what might make the drinks, and themselves, glow Samir took a moment to relax. The past would be solved eventually, tonight he just wanted to be in the moment with the guy he loved. When Reece declared his intention of raiding the gardens for their own stock Samir took the opportunity to approach the romance guru. He didn't believe much in superstitions and fortune tellers but when in Rome.

After the guru assured him the future was bright Samir approached Reece’s mum who was here selling some of her lower level work.

Samir: *clears throat* Reece’s birthday?

Kayleigh: Don’t worry. Harvey and I figured you two will probably want your space tomorrow, I promise you won’t get swarmed by every Foster in the save

Samir: *chuckles* thanks. Umm… Monday... not busy... if you…

Kayleigh: Say no more, we will be there! Will we get to meet your mum and brother

Samir: Umm… crowds are…

Kayleigh: I understand, Keira is just the same. But Harvey and I would love to meet them sometime if you can arrange it, since the two of you are living together and all

Reece: What were you talking to mum about

Samir: Oh I said she and your family should come over on Monday

Reece: You? Inviting people over? People plural?

Samir: I know your family are close and I don’t want that to stop just because I can only tolerate people in small doses

Reece: Except me

Samir: Except you. I gladly have you in large doses

Reece: *gleefully* What a concidence, I enjoy your large doses

Samir: *smirks* Do you now?

Samir brushes Reece's hair behind his ear and leans in to whisper.

Samir: Imagine, a pretty blonde piece like you enjoying my "doses"... in you... on your-

Reece: *playfully* Excuse me Mr Hadji but that talk sounds rather forward and I’m under strict instructions not to get off until my birthday so unless you want me to fail you’ll need to dial it back

Samir moves back smiling proudly.

Samir: *chuckles* Good boy, you pass even if you are flushed, but I do love that colour on you. Let’s go get some food

Samir orders food for them, barely taking his eyes off Reece. When they sit down Samir begins to dig in happily before noticing that Reece is letting out sighs of frustration. Normally he enjoys those sounds, but that's when he's the cause of them.

Samir: Blondie, what are you doing

Reece: It’s these wooden things! How does anyone eat with them

Samir: The chopsticks? Relax, you’re a genius, you’ll figure it out

Reece: Charlie and Kaori make it look so easy!

Samir: Are you-

Reece: Yes! I’m stabbing the food to make it cooperate

Samir watches Reece as he attacks his food, and smiles. He's got most of the morning planned already but he does like running it over in his head to make sure he's thought of every variable.

The pair arrive home still glowing, but before they can sleep Samir has a gift.

Samir: I know there were a bunch of flowers at the festival, and many of them are more symbolic of love but… yellow is your favourite colour so I wanted to get you a chrysanthemum

Reece: Aww, I love it. I’m afraid I just got you the traditional rose

Samir: Hey blondie, I’ll happily take anything you give me

Reece: *giggles* normally I’m the one saying that

Samir: *chuckles* okay Mr smut for brains, time to go to sleep before you wind your self up

Reece: Do we have to boss?

Samir: Trust me, you are going to need your energy for tomorrow

Previous Part ... Next Part

#sims 4 #the sims 4 #the sims #Rotation8 #ChangingPlumbobStorytime #WoodsHousehold #SamirHadji #ReeceFoster #simblr #R0806

[vigilant-cleric]

@ownward

_____

The letter was succinct, as ever. A date, a time, a meeting place and a discreet wax seal depicting the insignia of the officer corps of the Flaming Fist. To anyone else, this would have been an exciting prospect, perhaps a secret message, an invite to the creation of a conspiracy. To Ashen, it was far less interesting. A routine meeting, no more, where the Fist's leadership would discuss upcoming decisions, new arrivals, economy matters, and expect their chaplain to bestow Helm's blessing upon their plans.

What could he do but serve, anyway? Like Helm, he was the unsleeping eyes of the Fist, a mouth remaining shut but a guardian of guardians, one of the only reliable members of the mercenary corps who valued his god's blessing above trading files for gold. Newest recruits like high commanders alike spoke to him and him alone on the same foot of equality. He valued their trust, and they valued his.

The location was no surprise to him. The Elfsong Tavern, a place which, since its creation, always remained soldiers' favourite place to gather. It might as well become the Fist's headquarters, and for the span of a meeting, it was about to be.

Or was it? Upon entering the intended meeting place, the creaking door reverberated in a way that was already telling of an empty room. Incredulous, the cleric pulled the folded letter out of his cuirass to double-check. This was the right place, he was even a little late. But there was no sign that anyone had been there at all; dust still settled on the centre table, the chairs were still neatly stored on the sides.

Cancellation without notice, Ashen thought. It was a rare event, but he had already told his higher-ups about his displeasure of such lack of courtesy. He inhaled sharply, grimacing at the prospect of walking back to Wyrm's Crossing. Upon closing the door behind him once again, a better idea seized his mind, a tinge of remembrance from a Baldurian holiday with fellow Hellriders.

As he retraced the steps of his departed companions through the empty rooms of the tavern, he was reminded of the ages-old quarrel between Elturel and Baldur's Gate, and his memories recreated, for a moment, the voices of the young soldiers, suspended in time. "Come on, lads. If they're going to pout at us like that, we might as well bill them our own service fee."

But now the cleric was alone again. The bottles of wine he was stuffing under his arm would not be shared. Upon realising this, he stopped his gesture of reaching out for another mid-way. He sighed, contenting himself with his two ill-gotten goods. Such a small theft would go unnoticed.

What did not go unnoticed, however, was an irregularity in the shelf on which he stored the unwanted bottle. Ashen frowned, probing the anomaly with the tip of his gauntlet.

With a grating noise, an empty barrel to his right opened, revealing an entryway. That was not expected. It looked like his Hellrider friends could have gotten better wine than the one they had gotten away with, after all.

"Who thought the Great Guard would reward me with his vigilance for something he would disapprove of," he muttered under his breath, not entirely unamused.

But perhaps the Great Guard knew something he did not. The thought did not cross his mind, and the chaplain stepped into the newly opened room.

#ownward #this work meeting could've been an email... #this starter too in fact. it's the longest i've written so far i think. IM SORRY.

[squideo]

Advert Alchemy: Supernatural Skittles

In this series, Squideo has examined the best ways to turn advertising content into gold. Now that we’ve broken down the eight key ingredients, it’s time to dive deep into some examples of stellar advertising. This week, the advert in question was picked by Squideo’s Marketing Executive, Emily Woodcock.

When asked why this Skittles advert has become her favourite, Emily said: “I saw it on television while I was on holiday. Maybe that's why it stuck in my mind. The dark humour certainly caught my attention and I loved the reference to Midas (of Greek mythology). Despite the video's resolution quality, I also think it's aged really well.”

Skittles Dance

This is the second appearance of the Mars Inc. company in our Advert Alchemy series. We’ve dived into the background of this American business, so let’s focus on Skittles. The history of its creation is a bit murky, but it’s widely accepted that a small British manufacturer first launched Skittles in the mid-1970s. They were soon bought by Wrigley, which is also owned by Mars Inc., who took over distribution and brought the sweets to an international market in 1979.

Greatly resembling another Mars Inc. product, M&Ms, Skittles are distinguished by a small letter ‘S’ on their shell. The range of flavours has changed several times over the decades like many other Mars products, and variation flavours have also been sold such as Tropical and Wild Berry. Unlike other products under Mars Inc., there hasn’t been any major rebrands attached to Skittles. The name has never been changed and the branding remains recognisable decades apart.

The product was marketed a very specific way from the start, and was so successful it stuck. A rumour spread about the origins of the sweet that it was invented by a British confectioner who looked up at a rainbow and wondered how it would taste. The slogan – “Taste the rainbow” – wouldn’t be introduced until 1994, but the sweet has always had this colourful association which Wrigley’s marketers have loved to centre their campaigns around.

Somewhere Over the Skittles

Launched in 2007, Skittles’ advert was created by TBWA, Chiat and Day. The brand had already run a series of successful adverts, in terms of viewership and commercial impact, and audiences started to have high expectations from the brand.

According to the Art Director Craig Allen, “We wrote a lot of scripts [and] thought it would be funny to do a slightly sad spot for a candy brand.” Former GCD Ian Reichenthal said, “We had a lot of conversations with the guys in advance about trying out new voices, but still keeping it Skittles.” The brand guidelines were firmly in place for the creative team, unlike previous entries in the Advert Alchemy series who were looking to shake things up.

Skittles adverts often feature technically challenging shoots, such as the one centred around a Skittles tree growing out of a human being. Recreating the powers of Midas also proved to be difficult:

“The effects in the spot had never been done before so we had a lot of technical problems, which made for a very long shoot day. So long in fact that the police came to try and shut us down during the last hours of shooting. Luckily, Tom (Kuntz) is a very smooth gentleman and persuaded them to let us finish.”

Their hard work paid off, and the Midas Touch advert was ranked as Creativity Online's most watched spot of 2007. But why was Skittles’ Midas Touch such a big hit?

Skittles Connection

Mesmerizing Mythology

Named for the myth that inspired the advert’s plot, the Midas Touch gives the main character Tim a superpower: everything he touches turns into Skittles. Yummy. On the other, everything he touches turns into Skittles. Yikes. This is a spin on the Greek myth of King Midas, who wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. Unfortunately, he didn’t think his wish through and Midas soon found he can’t eat. And when he tried to hug his daughter, he turned her into a gold statue.

This Greek myth remains popular in modern storytelling, which is why this fun spin on a well-known story worked so well. It also fits into the wider Skittles marketing strategy, which often uses the sweets in bizarre ways. In one advert, Bleachers, there is an outbreak which makes people break out in Skittles.

Snappy Slogan

“Taste the rainbow” was introduced as the Skittles slogan in 1994, but the marketing team have always kept this slogan adaptable and flexible. Usually it is accompanied with a tagline which can change to reflect the nature of the advert. In Midas Touch it’s “touch the rainbow, taste the rainbow” in reference to Tim’s superpower. In an advert featuring a tree which grows Skittles, the slogan is changed to “harvest the rainbow, taste the rainbow.”

The taglines use of verbs also reinforce that Skittles is an experience that the audience needs to actively participate in. Skittles isn’t just a snack, like the sweets aren’t just multicoloured. It’s a taste of the rainbow. And in the case of Midas, it’s as good as gold.

Cackling Comedy

Tim can’t hold his infant child, he can’t dress himself, or feed himself… then he tells the story of turning a man into Skittles that very day when they shook hands. Is that murder or manslaughter? Either way, Skittles’ Midas Touch is definitely running with dark comedy which helps make the advert even more memorable. Yet the plot is kept just light enough to avoid crossing into the macabre, by showing Tim’s power only used on inanimate objects.

Comedy is a staple of the Skittles brand, ranging from the bizarre to the grisly. They carry this over in all of their marketing, from adverts to their website. Customers now expect it of the brand, which has let the marketing team get ideas from well outside the box.

Content Worth Gold

What do you think? What made Skittles’ Midas Touch advert so successful? Watch the full advert below and let us know in the comments.

Get in touch with the Squideo team today to find out how we can improve your advertising strategy with video production, motion graphics, social media management and much more!

#skittles #king midas #midas touch #greek mythology #advert alchemy #blog #advertising #marketing #small business on tumblr #small business #marketing strategy #animation #2d animation #youtube #Youtube

[variousqueerthings]

was at an exhibition about top surgery where the artist had very simply shown lots of different bits that go into this part of transition (also included a section about cutting hair and trying out different hairstyles)

(describing in non-detail what was in that exhibit + non-descriptive discussion about surgeries)

-- included things like images of post-op + the tissue itself + a recreation of the surgery + plasters made of his chest before and after + more abstract sculptures 

and I got to talk with the artist about how ecstatic it felt to see all of this, to share in this experience, to feel the reclamation of talking about it as well as the process of the surgery itself and all the feelings it brought up for him and for the audience

and he said that apparently lots of cis people kept saying it seemed really traumatic/gory/graphic and were disturbed by the presentation, and you know, glad they were there and engaging, but so interesting that other people who want/have had top surgery (+ I assume trans and nb people generally, but didn’t ask about that) were sharing in it as something joyful -- difficult yes, but ultimately a process towards joy, and also just happy to see it through our lens and presented so simply and honestly 

and cis people (some) were scared or disgusted or horrified, as a natural instinct -- not bigoted necessarily, but completely shut off to what the purpose of this presentation was, that it wasn’t for them to feel comforted or for it to be simplified for them or for them to idk, see it and go “ahhh yes this process exactly relates to me now, therefore I can understand it exactly as it feels for others,” (if it did, then maybe you want top surgery...)

it was to tell a truth that isn’t commonly presented in so public a space, and certainly not by and for trans people

and it’s interesting, because a large proportion of people are going to have surgery at some point in their lives (presumably... most people?) and probably a major one. so there’s some questions there about:

1. what horrifies you about surgeries generally that you project that fear onto something that trans people (and any cis person who wants it) describes over and over again as a necessary, wanted process, the aim of which is to bring joy

2. what horrifies you specifically about the idea that someone might have surgery on their chest, and what do you need to do to unlearn that -- and this including cis women where there’s a non-zero chance that they’ll be getting a very similar surgery

3. what do you need to do to unlearn projecting horror images onto trans bodies/bodies that have scars/bodies that have had major surgeries?

4. what do cis people/what does cisnormative society have to do to unlearn the fears about bodies that undergo change, stop glorifying stagnation/stasis as the point of human existence -- because a non-zero part of that instinct towards fear isn’t just the scars, I think it’s the process itself, the showing of what is considered imperfection in a society that is meant to try to present as unchanging/unblemished/youthful (and thin, white, able-bodied, and of course: binary) as possible. If that goal is revealed to be undesirable, if an alternative is shown as simply as this exhibition did, your average cisgender person who’s taken in that messaging even if they’ve considered themselves to be allies (and probably still do) is suddenly faced with questions about what this means to them? It is no longer theoretical, they are looking at an imperfect body!

and to them this is meant to be a horror scenario, so even if it’s abundantly clear to us that it’s not, they just aren’t taking that information in. This process was desired, it was pursued, it was fought for, and their instinctive takeaway is “traumatic” (horror horror horror)

5. how come we don’t have a bunch of cool trans and disability oriented horror movies celebrating scars??? (and a bunch of horror movies centred on the violence of stasis)

-- also the thing that terrified me the most was seeing the bill, because this person was waiting so long on the NHS list that he eventually started scraping together the money to go private, as is incredibly common here..... maybe that’s where the horror should also be? @ the audience

#queer stuff #trans stuff #top surgery #transmasculine stuff #transmasculinity #(what are the odds that a non-zero % of cis people in there had to especially uncouple ideas about ideal femininity #from the images they were being presented with?) #this exhibit has helped give me a lot of perspective about going on t as well #i too have internalised fears about process -- i too need to unlearn glorification of stasis #i too most definitely have more work to do in loving the imperfect changing body #(and of course -- stasis is violence -- it's frog in boiling water violence -- it's easier to accept violence than the fear of change) #and now i go to bed

[fantasy-au-askblog]

Isaac Beamer and the Realm of Fantasy

IBVS by onebizarrekai

Chapter 3 – The Arrival of Royalty

Well this certainly wasn’t where he had originally fallen asleep... or somewhere he would willing fall asleep. Didn’t even look like his room one bit. Wait. This wasn’t his room! Where was his luxuriously large bedroom!? The large chest of draws where he stored all his valuable goods and treasures, the dark oaked desk and chair where he would write and scribble his plans for the future for hours on ends, and the metallic knee-high bucket where he stored his weapons by the door (just in case of an attack)!

Cream coloured walls instead of red. White coloured sheets instead of red sheets with the irritating tufts off fur on the end. A singular window that stood just above his head, a pathetic possible recreation of his grand windowed doors that led out to the balcony where he would spend the first few minutes of the morning gazing at the hillside and wondering what he hadn’t explored.

This definitely wasn’t his home. Let alone his castle.

So where was he?

His tired eyes wandered around the room, barely being able to focus on the ceiling. Itching. An irritating feeling lingered around his head and right arm. Tilting his head down towards his arm he noticed a bandage wrapped around it, must have been changed fairly recently, a faint pink blotch in the centre.

Shutting his eyes once more, he attempted to piece together the possible events that led him here.

Yet all he could recall was the day of his 16th birthday. Easily reminiscing the morning, the afternoon, the evening and the start of the ball. How it ended, however… evaded him. Last thing he could remember was bringing himself and his most trustworthy friend up to the tower…their tower.

Mustering up as much strength as possible, he turned to face the bedside table. Opening strained eyes once more an empty glass bottle stood towering before him. Attached to the cork at the top of the bottle, a slightly crumpled tan piece of paper had unfamiliar writing across it. Forcing himself to sit up, a quiet whimper broke the silence.

Once somewhat comfortable he picked up the glass bottle with much haste. The writing was small, smudged in a numerous amount of places, and rather difficult to understand what it said. But focusing all his efforts onto deciphering the text he could make out:

‘Hi, so just a quick reminder to dab loads of the kindness potion onto a rag and gently press it against the wounds. Though I’m sure you’ve mastered it. Anyway, remember! If you need me I’m just in the room down the hall.

-AJ’

Rereading the final sentence once more, he decided that he would go on ahead and check the room down the hall. Longing for some answers. Whether or not he would believe said answers, would depend on who spoke to him. This mysterious AJ was someone he had never heard of before…

Where they a possible friend? A future ally?

Swinging his legs to the side of the bed and keeping a tight hold of the cabinet, he felt his whole body shaking from his own weight. How long had he been out for? He could only dread the amount of time.

Wandering his way towards the door and pulling down the handle with a creak he immediately felt himself lean forward and tumble. Losing his footing as soon as he left the small space of the room. Tumbling and rolling down the stairs as fast as he could before he thudded against the front door of the bite size home.

“OW!-” he exclaimed. Swiftly bringing a hand to his head in order to rub it gently. “…Who put a door right in front of the stairs?!” He couldn’t help but angrily shout. Soon gasping in surprise at how loud he was being…yet how dry his throat felt… how wrong it felt to hear his own voice.

Picking himself back up to glance around the rather lifeless place. While it was obvious someone lived here, the place felt uninhabited. A ghost home. Even with the numerous amount of boots, coats and capes that were littered around the home.

“Hello?” He coughed out the singular word.

Grabbing a hold of the stair railing and walking towards what appeared to be the kitchen, the only noise he could hear, was the creaking floorboards under his own feet. Entering the kitchen the place was immaculately clean. He was beginning to think that this was a safe place.

Still.

He couldn’t be sure.

Was in a strange location that was extremely unfamiliar, with no recollection of what happened.

And was still the young heir to the throne of an extremely prosperous kingdom. Whatever had happened…it couldn’t be good.

Isolated from all he knew the instinct to protect himself grew stronger, especially as his eyes wandered to the kitchen side. A singular knife on the side.

Appearing as though he was alone and possibly vulnerable he didn’t spare a second thought upon grabbing the weapon. A warm handle. Someone had recently used this. Perhaps those who had taken him here had left for a long period.

Exhaling a staggered breath, his grip tightened as he straightened his composure. He must not look weak. He represents his kingdom. Strong and adventurous. Qualities he has always had. Tilting his head forward and straightening his back, he turned as fast as lightning proceeding to march his way to hide behind the back door.

With nerves of steel.

He was prepared to do anything for answers.

Barry couldn’t help but immediately pause what he was doing.

His voice. It was his voice. His prince had finally awoken, finally spoken after what had felt like months. Dropping whatever irrelevant item was in his hand and bursting past Nevin to stand in the kitchen doorway. Eyes widening in relief and joy at the sight he saw in front of him.

Well… he was overjoyed to see his face, him moving around without much difficulty. What he wasn’t so happy about was the possible escalation that he had caused.

“Hey put me down!” Isaac exclaimed immediately trying to kick his strange attacker in the knee’s, or, elbow him in the chest.

The attacker then pressing the knife harsher. “Once you tell me where I am and who you are, I may consider it.” They hissed into his ear. A cool whistle rippled into his ear…and the words felt like an empty threat. Devoiding Isaac of any reason to fear his current predicament.

“Hey look, I’m not sure where I am either.” Isaac began attempting to be calm. “But there’s no need for.” He grabbed a hold of the weapon.

His attacker blinked for just a brief moment and before they knew it, the freckled teenage had escaped his grasp and taken the knife with him. Pointing the knife at the other’s direction.

“This.”

“…How’d you do that?” A look of bewilderment dawned their face. Eyes hyper focused on what could only be smudges of ink now on the knife and along the floor.

“None-“ From the corner of his eye Isaac spotted a blue blur coming at him, pinning him up against the wall and restraining the hand where the weapon was tightly secured. “What the heck is wrong with you?!” Isaac shouted in Barry’s face, glaring at him as sharp as the blade could cut.

But that blue eyed look in his eyes…it could have killed 20 people without hesitation.

Swiftly disarming Isaac and throwing the knife to the ground. “You pointed a knife at his majesty.”

“His whatjesty?”

“I BEG YOUR PARDON?!” Nevin suddenly emerged from the doorway of the kitchen, having heard the commotion. “HIS MAJESTY?” He stared at the person who he and Drew had seen unconscious for the past week.

Barry then picked up Isaac and threw him across the room. “Yes.” He looked back over at Nevin, his whole demeanour completely changed. Soon glancing over at the other seemingly requesting permission whether or not he may reveal his identity. A swift nod was all he needed.

“May I present to you, Prince Edward of the Foxfield Kingdom.”

Nevin’s jaw basically dropped to the floor. Unsure of whether to scream, cry, beg for forgiveness or drop to the floor and pay some form of respect. “I uh, uh-“

“What the hell is a Prince and why has he suddenly turned extremely violent.” Isaac sat himself up against the wall, rubbing his head.

“…You don’t know what a prince is?”  Nevin turned around, looking at him absolutely baffled at the question he was now asking a thief. “Surely multiple princes must want you dead by now.” He muttered to himself.

Isaac scoffed slightly. “You get caught once and all of a sudden people think I’m a failure of a thief.” Standing himself back up into the corner he eyed Barry cautiously. An aura of danger lingered around him… wasn’t the same snarky commenter that he once was, now he was as sharp as a blade.

Spotting the Prince and his accomplish in the corner, they were seemingly mumbling to themselves. A worrying and alarming conversation taking place.

“Barry what’s going on?” Ed’s attention was fully on the other. Watching his every move, his expression anything that gave him some form of answer to his previous question.

Yet his face was blank and his stature firm. “We were attacked in the evening-“

“Attacked?!” A look of confusion and panic soon merged into one. “Since when-“ Edward stammered. “How, how long have I been out for?!” He placed a firm grip on Barry’s shoulder, pleading for some form of answer.

Avoiding eye contact and taking a deep breath, “Over two weeks…” Barry replied, though his words were a combination of glee and heartbreak. Those two weeks had been the two worst weeks of his life…

“Two…weeks?” A mutter of disbelief. The young prince glanced across the room once more, looking intently at the unfamiliar individuals in his presence. “…Please, Barry please tell me everyone’s alive-“ His knuckles began getting pale from the tight grip he had on Barry’s shirt. The only thing that was giving him some form of stability, as he felt his knee’s begin to shake.

“Last I saw… was Cody and Geno…and that was two weeks ago.” Goodness knows what has happened since then.

Edward’s face fell ever so slightly. “…So there’s hope? That they’re alright.”

“That’s what you always say.” Barry gave a brief smile at Edward. Hope was all they currently had… aside from one another.

Soon Barry was trapped in an extremely warm and comforting embrace. Finally he could somewhat relax, resting his head on Edward’s shoulder as he shut his eye’s. He enjoyed the brief moment as Edward then pulled away from him. A determined gleam in his eye.

“Well what are we waiting for?! We must find them as soon as possible!”

“Understood your highness.” Barry bowed his head. Soon glancing over at the gobsmacked twins (Drew having now entered the scene, with Nevin briefly whispering to him what had unfolded) he quickly made his way over and extended his hand.

“I must thank you for your kindness.” He looked at Drew in particular. The one who for the first week of their stay was working non-stop to make sure Edward’s state was stable, and originally let them into their home no questions asked.

“It’s not a problem…” Drew responded just happy that he could help.

“And I must thank you for the hospitality.” Barry then proceeded to shake Nevin’s hand. “I will now unfortunately be leaving your company and accompanying my Prince.” Nevin appeared to have stiffened at the statement.

Especially when Edward himself came over. “…Thank you for taking care of me.” He spoke to both of the twins. “May I ask for your names?” He wondered, planning on sending some form of letter to the two once things settled down back in the kingdom, and he couldn’t exactly do that without names.

“Andrew Jovel and Nevin Jovel.” Drew spoke.

Edward quickly mumbled those names back to himself. “Well I certainly won’t forget either of you.” He stated boldly. “Thank you again.” He saw as Barry returned with a small amount of supplies which where neatly placed in a straw basket…

Nevin finding it strange how quickly he had accumulated those supplies. Had they already been previously stored for this occasion? Was he planning on taking them without permission from the start? Perhaps…royalty where no different to those of thieves.

“…Are you already leaving?” The room was stunned when the quite voice of Chris emerged. “But we all just started working together-“

“Then parting ways is for the better.” Barry gave a shy smile for the other. “Edward, are we going?” An applaud expression soon was plain to see on Barry’s face. “Edward!” He exclaimed in embarrassment, upon seeing the other by the doorway rummaging through a potion sack.

Holding up two potions of orange and light blue a pure look of glee and fascination dawned his face. “Are you seeing this?!” Ed turns slightly and shakes the orange potion in his hand. “It’s so, uh…Oh what’s the word-“

“Magical?” Drew suggested.

Soon jumping in alarm as Ed accidentally dropped a bottle, snapping his fingers together and pointing at Drew. “Exactly!” He stares into the potion once more. “…ever so magical…”

Yet the atmosphere around him shifted from magical wonder, to sudden fear and anxiety. A sinking feeling buried itself into his stomach as he felt as though he had disturbed some sacred ground. Something dark and mysterious looming over his shoulder.

Before anyone could react, Nevin had grabbed a hold of Edward’s collar and shoved him against the wall. “…What have you done.”

“…Dropped a bottle on the floor?”

Thud. Nevin had thumped Edward against the wall and caused certain objects to fall on the ground.

“Dropped a bottle on the floor.” Inhaling sharply as Nevin repeated what he had been told. “Dropped a bottle on the floor.” He continued, his eyes flashing teal. Despising how this ‘Prince’ treated the bottle as though it wasn’t a huge deal.

Subconsciously humming in his head about Chris’ ‘Noble King’ quest. Dreams of being a knight…how silly.

“I can get you a new one. An even better one if you want.” Edward didn’t seem phased from the display, starring at Barry instead. “Just…how’d you do that?” He shifted his attention back to Nevin. Relaxing slightly that Barry had placed the weapon back down.

“…Do what?” Nevin starred up in utter confusion.

“Your eyes.” A brief mumble came from the Prince. “They change colour.” Ed grabbed Nevin’s face and looked at them closely, observing as the teal colour in his eyes had quickly evaporated back to purple. “...How’d you change them back?”

“I don’t know!” Quickly shoving himself away, Nevin brought his arms to his chest and hid them within his coat. “I…just, just get me a new bottle or something.”

Soon feeling tender pats on his shoulder. “I mean I can just make one? Just gotta get some glass from the blacksmith is all.” Drew reassured his twin. “Or even better!” He opened up the satchel situated on his hip and crouched down next to the broken glass bottle, beginning to pick up the pieces. “I’ll just melt them back together, no biggie.” He smiles.

“Yeah, yeah…” Nevin said, barely audibly. “…Drew, you can handle this…right?”

A determined nod came from the other. “Of course.”

“Ok, I’m heading up for a bit…” He pulled out the necklace tucked under his petticoat…

Chris spotting that it seemed to gleam more vibrantly than it had the first time he saw it. But perhaps that was the evening glow of the sun…

“If you need me give me a shout.” Placing the necklace back where it belonged he spoke to Drew, before he ascended up the stairs without another word. Panicked footsteps all the way and the door shutting with the faint sound of a slam.

Drew awkwardly looked around the room once more. No that he was supposedly ‘in charge’ he wondered what he was supposed to now do. But he knew one thing.

“Barry, maybe you and the Prince should stay for a while longer.” He suggested to the other. Seeing a disgruntled look he added “I personally think it wouldn’t be wise of him to travel after just waking up, especially considering how confusing all the carriages and the timings can be.”

“I can figure that out, besides-“

“I like that idea good sir!” Barry’s eyes flashed in surprise at Ed’s sudden butting in off the idea. “I mean, I must admit my head still hurts and my body still feels weak. So, as you say it’s not wise.” He briefly continued.

“My head is starting to hurt from your mere presence!” The trio turned to look at the long haired blonde in the corner. Clearly he was still but hurt about being thrown into a wall.

“Maybe it’s cause you hit your head.” Drew responded while reaching back inside of his bag, dodging the broken glass, and retrieving a small glass bottle with the familiar green substance. Proceeding to approach the moody teen. “Here.” He hands over the small bottle. “It’ll help with the pain.”

Isaac gave a sceptical look at the bottle, snatching it from the other and quickly downing whatever it was. Instantly feeling some form of pain relief as his head instantly felt lighter…better even. Soon turning the bottle in his hand trying to figure out what it actually was.

“…Huh…” He mumbled out after a while. “Guess it did.” He smugly smiled.

Drew held his hand out back for the bottle, looking at Isaac curiously as he placed it in his shirt pocket. Clearly attempting to make some form of point.

“Thank you.” Drew thanked.

“Not a problem.” But Isaac still had one problem that he wanted to deal with. “So, question.” His eyes flickered between Drew to Barry. “Can’t you say sorry?”

“Apologise for what?”

A scoff followed. “You know exactly what.”

“And will you apologise for pointing a knife at his majesty?” The sceptical brow of Barry was raised.

“Apologise?!” Almost shrieking in confusion from what he was hearing. “Didn’t he pull the knife on me first? You two should both be apologising to me-“

Ow. “Isaac can’t you drop it?” Chris asked, having just elbowed the thief in the shoulder. “I’m extremely sorry for the trouble he’s caused-“

“No, no.” Waving his hand dismissively. “He does have a point.” Edward couldn’t help but look somewhat irritated. “…I apologise for the actions that I have taken towards you, it was a poor first impression.” Now he was about to make an even poorer first impression.

Especially as he seemingly teleported beside Isaac and picked the other up with simple ease. Instantly getting kicked in the chest.

“OI! STOP-!” Isaac shouted in his face, repeatedly kicking him in the chest like a rabbit would do if it was in a moody mood.

Ed’s face spelt disaster. Feeling every bruise in his body being targeted by the sharp precise kicks. Immense discomfort, a shooting pain was enough for him to drop the other. Chris darting to catch the thief so there hopefully would be no more conflict.

“Edward-“ Barry placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. “Did he hurt you?”

“Unintentionally…” His face contorted in pain, looking back over at Isaac.

Strange energy formed around everyone in the room. The one in monotone clothes had some faint energy…extremely faint, like he didn’t have a clue that it was there or how to access such potential. Andrew Jovel appeared in tune with whatever magical atmosphere that surrounded him. It felt calm…peaceful even.

The most powerful in the room (at the moment) was between him and purple boy.

Edward was extremely familiar with the gift that he has had for as long as he could remember. He felt extremely in control of it. However, when he glanced at Isaac…he was the complete opposite. His opposite.

“…What’s his name?” Edward then asked.

“Isaac Beamer the third.” Barry responded, a hint of scepticism in his voice. Never heard of an Isaac Beamer the first.

“…Isaac Beamer.” Repeating softly to himself. Soon turning to Barry and wrapping an arm around his shoulder, walking off to another corner so that the others would not hear him speak. “…Do you sense that?”

“Sense what?” Barry instantly began scanning the room for any signs of danger. Which he immediately stopped doing at the sound of a sigh and a squeeze on his shoulder.

“…Nevermind.” Surely it was obvious to spot. “…Let’s just stay here for a while. I do need to get better, my body feels weak…and I would like to try and convince them to come with us.”

“We cannot trust them your highness.”

“…Yes we can. Trust me on this. I know what I’m doing.” Edward quickly said. “…Just what has life been like here?”

“…Tiring. But good hard work. Nevin will allow us to stay here as long as we earn our keep and help him pay off of his debts to the Madame that runs this place.” Barry gave a quick summary.

“A Madame?” An idea conjured up in his head. “…We can use this little town to figure out where we are! Surely if she’s in our kingdom it’ll have her name written down in the book.”

“And if she’s not? Then what?”

“I’ll figure something out, don’t worry about it.” Barry couldn’t help but feeling bubbling hatred in his chest as Edward patted his head like he was a small child.

How could he not be worried?! His majesty could be so immature at times and trust his gut far too much. Acted based on feelings rather than rational thought. Watching as the other walked away and once again apologised to the thief and chose to indulge in conversation with the three that remained. How he hated it. Yet all he showed to the outside world was a hundred yard stare, seemingly no thoughts. Standing against the wall like an armour stand. Not exactly focusing on what was going on around him…

Especially as he jumped in alarm when Drew suddenly popped up next to him.

“I’m sorry to bother you Barry.” Drew awkwardly began. “…But are you still okay to help me with making dinner?”

Forcing a soft smile. “Of course.” Swiftly walking back to where he previously was...

Once again being of assistance to whoever asked.

#IBRF #Isaac Beamer and the Realm of Fantasy #Edward Quinton #Isaac Beamer #Barry Price #Nevin Jovel #Drew Jovel #Chris Jackson #Ibvs au #Chapter update #not my best chapter #but hey ho #Ed's here now

[thespacelizard]

Just a Crystal, Nothing More

@fluffbruary day 17 - some slightly angsty, reminisce-y Glasya/Mammon today. up on AO3 here.

In which Glasya comes across an old trinket.

Why is it, if Malbolge is a part of her, that she can never find the thing she wants when she wants it? Oh, certainly she could make a new dress, but that’s besides the point—recreated angel-feather drop-sleeves are not the same as the genuine article. She’s hardly going to make the impression she wants in imitation celestial sacrifice couture, now, is she?

With a huff, Glasya hauls another iron chest down from its shelf. The walk-in closet, deep in Ossiea, stretches back an unnecessary series of miles, and she’s already wasted most of her morning scouring them. Archdevils don’t tire the way lesser beings do, but metaphysically she’s sweaty and exhausted and about ready to overthrow a small mortal nation for the stress relief.

The suffering she endures is honestly too much.

“If it’s not in here, I’m sending a hunting party to Mount Celestia,” she mutters under her breath. “Daddy dearest can just cope.”

Glasya is, of course, precisely the kind of person to start an interplanar incident for the sake of her own vanity. Or such is the image she likes to cultivate, anyway.

The chest thuds to the floor and Glasya thuds next to it, legs akimbo, highly unglamorous, but there’s no-one around to mock, so she’s safe to indulge. She scratches one elegant copper claw over the lock and it falls open with a faint sigh. Within are piles of fabric, which is a promising start—she plunges her hands in and tosses out item after item in search of that unique softness that only comes with angel feathers.

This would, she knows, be easier if her palace weren’t wholly warded from locating spells. Truly, the sacrifices one makes for a pittance of security in the Hells are never-ending.

Then, just as she’s ready to give up and go crusading into the Seven Heavens; “A-ha!”

She lifts a waterfall of shimmering grey fabric into the light; long skirt, sheer bodice, and those perfect, perfect sleeves that will trail like broken wings from her perfect, perfect arms. Shining patterns of vivisected angels weave across the material in pale thread, their agony almost audible. She presses the dress triumphantly to her chest. See Baalzebul say no to her in this, there’s no way he’ll—

A glint at the bottom of the chest catches her eye. Glasya lowers the dress, cocking her head. Setting it carefully aside, she grasps the glint and lifts out a small, clear crystal. A golden sheen dances over its glittering facets as she turns it in her hands. It sends a whisper through her fingers that lights up her veins with the desire for more, and she has a brief yet powerful urge to own everything.

Even before she looks into the heart of the crystal, she knows what she’s going to see.

Herself, pressed against the side of another Archduke with beautiful, dark gold skin, and a scattering of verdant scales along his shoulders and sides. Her hand is resting on the centre of his lean, muscular chest, slightly curled—his own partly covers hers, his other arm around her shoulder. The image is cut off at the waist, but she remembers clearly that she had knelt on the snake-coils of his lower half; had to climb up on them to get high enough to fit them both into the enchanted image.

In the crystal, Mammon is looking at her, endlessly, like he loves her. In the crystal, Glasya is looking at him, endlessly, like she—

She tosses the crystal back into the chest and slams the lid shut. She snatches up her dress and, with a neat little kick, sends the chest spinning down the long and improbably endless miles of her closet. She has what she came for.

She stalks back to her rooms and finds that the dress no longer fits. In a fit of pique, rather than altering herself, she tears off the sleeves and goes to her meeting with Baalzebul wrapped in shedding angel feathers.

She gets what she wants. She always does.

Except for the times she doesn’t.

#fluffbruary #fluffbruary 2023 #my fic #glasya/mammon #glasya #forgotten realms #forgotten realms fanfiction #dungeons and dragons fanfiction

[sosa-royals]

Maxime: Another 100? This doesn’t make any sense to me.

Andrea: What doesn’t?

Maxime: Raphael. How is he smarter than me?

Raphael: Everyone is smarter than you Maxi. Don’t be jealous just because your grades are as mediocre as your personality

Maxime: A**hole

Andrea: Change of topic! Any plans for the weekend?

Raphael: (sighs) Aunt Bella is making me accompany her to the opening of a recreational centre for old people. It’s going to take up the whole day but she’s making it up to me by taking me wherever I want on Sunday.

Andrea: That sounds fun

Maxime: Do you have any plans Dre?

Andrea: I was just going to stay home and play video games or something

Maxime: If you don’t have any plans, we could hang out together...if you want.

Andrea: Really?

Raphael: That sounds like a great idea you two!

Maxime: Shut up Raph

Andrea: He’s right. It is a great idea. 

Maxime: I’ll see you on Saturday then

Andrea: Great

Next | Previous

#sims #sims 4 story #sims 4 royals #sosaroyals #Saliceau #Sim: Maxime #Sim: Andrea #Sim: Raphael #sims 4 royal family #storytelling #royal simblr #simblr #sims 4 royal simblr #ts4 royal simblr

[coopdigitalnewsletter]

19 Dec 2022: What if shops didn’t sell things?

[Image: a collage of Kuka/Ruscha/Burtynsky]

Hail and farewell

This is the last Co-op Digital newsletter. It has had an excellent and enjoyable run, thank you to everyone who helped get it going with decisions, everyone who kept it going with content, and everyone who read it. We’ve been wrapping up with 3 questions. Previously: more radical membership and more than a shop? 

Thank you all for reading and sending ideas. The Co-op story continues on the magnificent Co-op Digital blog. Rod will still be writing about climate change and carbon transformation at Holdfast and about money at Checksies. See you there?

What if shops didn’t sell things?

Supermarkets and many other types of retail businesses are often high volume/tight margin machines, looking to increase volume and find small gains and complementary products and services with higher margins. Will this always be the case? 

As climate change bites into the world, making it less predictable, will the cost and availability of materials change the dynamic for retail? Do supply chains fracture? Will managing the entire lifecycle of products and packaging add cost that makes retail unviable, or will it unlock new business? Can shopping fit into circular economies if recycling and reuse becomes central? What if shops bought things from you, instead of selling them to you?

2040

Aya looks the length of the warehouse. There’s a haze in the distance where the unfactory starts and above the superstructure is barely visible behind the ambient dayglow. A city inside a building.

She pulls the door shut on her housing unit and walks to the bus stop. There’s only a couple of minutes to wait before a driverless bus pulls up. These carbon grey boxes crawl the building, patiently looping between the different work, housing and leisure zones.

Aya gets on the bus and sits. Her glasses immediately pop up an interactive about hitting this month’s KPIs. With a glance she flicks it away, and looks the other way to access shopping. A carousel of plaid shirts flickering across the field of view, partly obscuring the view out of the window of apartment blocks, terraced 2-up 2-downs, community centres, and behind her in the distance parkland and the executive mcmansions. Aya considers buying a shirt that says 2005 and has all the confidence of that era. The checkout dances and says: “Hey you know you could put that 229.50 into something more long term? Say Pension to put it to work for you.” Aya sighs, shuts her eyes and whispers “Cancel”, the UI an afterimage in reversed colours.

Aya steps off the bus at the warehousing zone and passes through two layers of perimeter security: ID badge and then a tongue print which performs ID verification and a recreational drugs test. Now she is matter-side. She steps through the air wall into a cavernous space: kilometres of racking, ducting, assembly areas, disassembly areas, recycling, storage, cabling, transport, uncountable shelves of racking and gigantic bays of raw material.

10 years ago, at peak shopping, this building was Amazon’s largest fulfilment centre, the entire building performing inventory, pick and pack - all of it heading into cardboard boxes, out the loading bays and to everyone’s home via the Amazon-only lanes on the motorways. 

Since then, the building has grown and evolved in response to 15 years of carbon budgets and circular economy targets. The shadow of the smile logo is still faintly visible on the wall. The work is now two-way: they’re doing as much inbound for recycling as they do outbound retail: the increasing value of material feedstocks made disassembly and recycling higher margin businesses. Across the way, building crews are pulling out the pick and pack racking, and hauling in more recyc stations.

Conveyor belts of toys, consumer goods, electronics, plastic items, everything. Some things are automatically sorted, separated by size or material type into smaller flows on smaller conveyors, a river delta. The metal goes off along a conveyor to be remelted in a distant area. The plastic is ripped apart into uncountable white-edged grains of feed stock. 

Further away, and behind more layers of security, are the goop vats where the synthetic bio voodoo happens. There’s a smell of ammonia and long chain polymers everywhere, which the air ducting cannot ever remove entirely.

Here though, the river belt meanders through rows of stations, where human-robot pairs work next to each other, pulling objects off the main belt and moving them to several smaller tributary belts for onward sorting.

Aya walks up to the only unstaffed station. A fixed robot is at the wide conveyor belt. Its body is a 7-axis spine of rotatable stainless steel segments that look more like muscles than components. Its arm ends in an array of cameras, lidar sensors and rubber tipped and suction manipulators. Around the robot is a 2 metre no-go zone hashed out in hazard orange. It has placed several objects in that space around its base. A Casio watch. A christmas tree toy. A clown painting on black velvet. Lego pieces.

The supervisor approaches and shrugs at Aya: “You make it work, if you can. I in’t going near it though…” Aya swipes her badge into the work station. The robot’s arm monitors everything that passes on the belt under it, occasionally twitching as if indecisive. But it is not moving and not sorting items.

Aya watches the belt for a while and reaches out to pick up an old lunch box in blue and red plastic. She shows it to the robot, and then with great care Aya places it on the floor, inside the no-go zone, and steps back. The robot’s arm bends, the array inspecting the lunchbox for several seconds. 

Then it straightens, moves back over the belt, and starts grabbing objects and sorting them.

Thank you for reading

Thank you friends, readers and contributors. If you want to find out more about Co-op Digital, follow @CoopDigital on Twitter and read the Co-op Digital Blog. Previous newsletters. Stay strong.

[self-study-journal]

Women Are Witches

"Then go to hell with it!" She screamed, hands chained behind her back as it tugged her, scraping her knees that had tried to create a force against the direction the guards have been pulling, leading her to.

"You have created your own definition of hell on earth, condemning me to be the devil-" she spat the hair in her mouth (this is the only time she doesn't have one), "-as if you're the saint of heaven! To hell at lose! To hell you go!"

Eyes burning, chest heaving, her eyebrows furrowed in anger and unison. With her heart ablaze, anger pent up, she'd bargain a war of the souls of this world.

"You were never a saint, but since you've been placing yourself in heaven's gates, let me measure your heart in hell, after God obeys your laws!

"You were never a saint to begin with!"

The people raised their stakes, believing her to be a witch, vampire, or even the Devil himself.

Yet she breathed, calming herself down, collecting her thoughts as she wet her throat, clear in order to speak with the power she'd always have.

She'd started speaking.

"You dare claim to be of heaven?"

A silence befallens the land. Its people careful to be conscious as her voice demands them to be asleep. For slaughter. For ties. For all the sins their tongue filled with lies.

Her eyes locked with the king. Moreso, the queen beside him, angry and jealous at her beauty.

"Then let all hell break lose." The guard tugged at her, but she'd dug her knees at the stone, using whatever charms she had muttered under her breath.

Lower and husher than what people may hear, of course.

When people don't know the language you speak, they never bother. Never learn. For learning requires a confession to their stupidity, and their rejection a confession to their ignorance.

"May your sons be born as daughters, may your children have dead mothers. Moreso-

"May this kingdom be left to ruins, just as you have projected destruction that is justfully yours in the first place!"

"Shut up ya crazy fool-"

"We women are witches! To be burnt is to be fire!" SHe started panting, leaving the guard to be out of her charm, pulling her back up once again.

She was now being dragged to a wooden post at the Centre of the City, coals burning around as hustlers gaathered into a circle around her, recreating the burning pile that they condemn witches for.

Who's burning people as sacrifices now?

She'd tugged at the guard again, the metal puncturing through her skin.

"You will never shut out souls out from bringing back power to this world!" She knew her voice was to be heard, to be felt. No matter the size of cause, the enormousness of its effect, she'd still try.

She'd still attempt to get the messages through.

"You can never stop us from coming. To separate the sinner from heaven is to oppose the teaching of your God-

"You are not him."

The people have raised their stakes more, shouting louder than her.

It's okay. She thought to herself. I have spoken what needs to be said out loud.

I've done my work. She'd smiled to herself.

I've done my part.

She joined the other witches in burning.

#witch #witch poetry #witch writing #poetry #writing #writing with a vampire appearance makes it easier and more aesthetic #poets of tumblr #witches of tumblr #poetblr #story #essay #story writing #snippet #prompt #witches #burnt #women #feminism #empowerment #voices

[fionayiyang]

2024, Eternity and New Beginning

After months and years of painful healing, I am finally able to feel the soft springtime breezes brushing on my face again. Light, peace, and joy are finally resurfacing.

Standing underneath the hundreds-year-old blossoming sakura tree alone in centre Tokyo, I looked up at the delicate flowers against the street light from afar - the petals are turning from pink to transparent with stems outlined in silver.

In this very moment, I felt eternity.

"How could there be such beauty without God's creation?" I wonder. "Can human beings invent beauty at all?" I doubt it. I feel lucky by just experiencing true beauty and I think many artists are just trying to recreate it from experience. And yet this process of recreation itself holds power. The guilt of possessing such divine gift is so enormous that I feel compelled to share it. And by sharing it - I feel love.

For so long, I had gotten lost in the world of reasons, the toxic arguments, the fearful fights, and the meaningless right-and-wrongs. When I was trapped by running thoughts, it felt like being sucked into a black hole and nothing gets to escape. I wanted to shout, but I had no voice and no one could hear me, instead, I choked on my pains and fell into depression.

I believe there is a living hell - that's other people's opinions and other people's standards. When you try so hard to get your feelings across to the person you care about, and yet the only thing you get in response is seeing him distorting your words and intentions in real time - that is true frustration...

I majored in communications and yet never had I felt so helpless when you have words and feelings but the other person is talking yet actually shutting you off.

I understand his pains and his defense mechanism, and yet I have no keys as he guards himself from inside out and locked his heart by fear and tossed the key into the black hole.

Everyone's relationship has something to do with their childhood, and we spend the rest of our life repeating the early-on patterns that we were exposed to if we do not actively seek for improvement.

"Why spending the entire life living in the same patterns over and over again with predictable endings but just different people?" That I don't get... But, that is not my problem now.

To some, hell can be more familiar than heaven. And yet we cannot stay where we don't feel happy, valued, or appreciated.

Life is too short for hatred and let this be a reminder to myself that, this year, I will have to filter people out. I have my goals and dreams to achieve, and they are big ones. I need my friends and my allies to be rooting for me, just as the way I do for the people that I love. This is the year to give myself what I have always wanted but have given to others first.

Life is transient and yet beautiful. Use time wisely to love, to experience, to care, to laugh, to have fun, and to see all the miraculous views while allow yourself to be sad, to grieve, over the loss that will never come back. Yet that is OK, because in the end, everything will be gone but the happiness and kindness that we shared with others will be passed on.

Pains are inevitable, so choose wisely what type of pain that you are willing to suffer for in life.

Love never ends. Be brave.

Van Gogh x Klein

Love.

#art #wanderlust #sakura #photography #travel #heartbreak #love

[changingplumbob]

York Household: Chapter 8, Part 4

Time for my first in game high school graduation! Time to find out if it's worth it or everything just glitches to infinity and beyond. Deanna attempts to get a tan and Kelly spends time avoiding homework.

Snowball fight, check. Snowpals, check. Snow angels, check. Ice Skating, check. While Calista has high fitness skill Aaron has spent more time skating so can practice tricks out on the ice.

More of Aaron skating circles around the rest of the family.

Back home Kelly decided to warm up by riding his bike around. He seems to be turning in to a bit of a daredevil. Meanwhile Deanna got on to practicing her valedictorian speech

Deanna: We know why we have all come today... no. We know why we have spawned for... no. I am delighted to... Urgh

Aaron: I talked to her

Calista: And

Aaron: She wants to give Paris a home. I mean how can we disapprove of that without being in the wrong

Calista: I suppose. But amore what if-

Aaron: If anything goes wrong, we'll be right here to help. She told me we have to give her the room to make mistakes

Calista: I'll try not to worry I guess. Paris is a sweet girl, it’s not as if she’s a bad influence

Aaron: It's not like she's going to get her pregnant either

Graduation time! I think in future I'll see if I can play this separately to what appears on the calendar because... yeah things did not go smoothly, and the sims I wanted there didn't show up. Deanna got a moodlet for epic speech but the rest of the family had a boring speech moodlet...

Paris jumped on the stage, this should probably not be allowed... Kelly had fun finding some random background sims to terrorise. The other students who officially "graduated" all went before Deanna, but I suppose it could have been alphabetical. I tried to get her done first but no luck.

Paris: How did you know you were ready to move in with Samir

Reece: I didn't

Paris: Some genius

Reece: I just mean, he loves me and needs me there so it was really a no brainer

Paris: Well I do love Deanna, and I know she loves me...

Reece: So you're hesitating because why

Paris: It's tricky

Reece: This third party observer thinks you two are cute together

Paris: Oh we are absolutely cute together, that's not in question

Reece: Then what is in question

Paris: I guess I just don't know if I'm ready to start forever

Reece: Meaning

Paris: If I move in then we could be together like forever

Reece: And that's not a good thing?

Paris: I worry, do I even know who I am outside of being with Deanna

Reece: You seem young for an identity crisis

Paris: Maybe. I do want forever, a big house filled with grandkids, true love. But how can I know it's true you know

Reece: Talk to her about it, you need to be able to communicate

Paris: You're right. Maybe you're a partial genius

After a billion zillion years Deanna finally is called to get her diploma. Why are we high-tening the principal holding our diploma? Do you want it to get crumpled??? And of course the standard cap throw.

Middle of the night and Kelly wakes up with an evil smile. he hops out of bed and declares he's entering a picky eater phase. Mantis says, bloody hell dramatic much dude.

Deanna has an early morning jog while Kelly tries salad.

Kelly: What the duck is this

Aaron: Kelly!

Kelly: Why is there oil in this ship

Aaron: Watch your language. It's called dressing

Kelly: Well it tastes like poop

Aaron: Lot of experience with that huh

Kelly: Shut up pa

Aaron: Kelly! Timeout!

Aaron needs to use an archive for his work today so he and Deanna head to the recreation centre in Tartosa for the first time. I really tried with the lighting when I built it, but despite no lights being anywhere near Deanna her skin still lights up while Aaron looks normal.

Tamika: The hell are you doing

Deanna: Trying to get a tan

Tamika: With no clothes on

Deanna: It's not like kids are out of school

Tamika: You're doolally

Deanna: We can't all be born with the perfect shade of skin like you

Tamika: It is totally perfect

Deanna: Just be lookout a little bit

Tamika: That high confidence you have is ridiculous

Deanna: It's not like anyone will take pictures, we'll be fine

Tamika: What if your pa sees

Deanna: He doesn't see anything when he's working

Tamika: What if the bartender looks

Deanna: I'm sure she's seen crazier stuff in her line of work

Back home a freshly tanned Deanna hangs out the washing. I love how it actually gave her a reddish shade as if her pale self did actually get somewhat burnt. She takes time to test Gerald, second of his name. He doesn't say anything interesting this time.

Kelly once again neglects his homework and school project, choosing instead to calls his friends, play with toys, and bike around the place. Deanna tries to build some parts and despite reaching level 2 robotics, still hits her head with the hammer.

Poor Calista woke up in the middle of the night having had a bad dream. Then after managing to get back to sleep, she has another, resulting in being very scared. She tries online therapy while Kelly takes the opportunity to have what he wants for breakfast, cupcakes over salad.

Community centre time again. Deanna meets up with Noe this time to have a kick about. Aaron is meant to meet prospective clients but runs into best mate Harvey instead. How come sims bond well when playing soccer, even if they get hit in the face, but football practice is so destructive? Make it make sense EA

Paris: Hey babe, got time for a movie

Deanna: I fried myself earlier so yes

Paris: You did what?

Deanna: It was a minor electrical shock, so long as I don't tinker for the rest of the day I'll be fine

Paris: You have to take better care of yourself

Deanna: Isn't that your job

Paris: True

Aaron: We've got to talk about this picky eater phase

Kelly: I said I was sorry for snapping at you over salad

Aaron: You didn't actually

Kelly: That you heard. I don't want to talk now

Aaron: Kelly, sit back down and listen

Kelly: Why

Aaron: Do you want to be grounded and not have friends over

Kelly: This is stupid

Aaron: I hear you neglected your school project, again

Kelly: It was boring

Aaron: How do you know if you didn't try

Kelly: I just do

Aaron: Well you can sit here and "just do" your homework

Kelly: Or what

Aaron: Or no friends over

Kelly: Fine. But a B isn't a failure pa

Kelly: You know how I'm your favourite

Anya: Are you trying to get me to kill you, I said keep it to yourself

Kelly: Want to swap friendship bracelets? We can be bracelet buddies forever

Anya: Fine but only cause you're desperate

Kelly: Boom! Swapped!

Anya: Up top bracelet buddy

Calista has a day working from home and has to give an inspirational speech. Who stops by but an as normal irate Ava (Tamika's mum, Noe's step-mum). I'm sure we're bound to fail but Calista pulls it off and gets Ava smiling.

Previous Part ... Next Part

#sims 4 #the sims 4 #the sims #Rotation8 #ChangingPlumbobStorytime #YorkHousehold #KellyYork #DeannaYork #CalistaYork #AaronYork #ReeceFoster #ParisPearl #Simblr #R0801

[darknesscrowned]

michelle yeoh. 60. cis woman. she/her. ┊┊ AMELIA MCBRIDE, better known as agent MIDNIGHT has been with cerberus corp as an eo since 2020 and is LEVEL II. A LATE NIGHT PRISION BASHING has gifted them DARKNESS EMPOWERMENT, though LIGHTWEAKNESS has also been noted. when they aren’t protecting the tri-state area, they are fond of PARKOUR and are never seen without A GOLD COIN. civilians think they are INTELLIGENT & CUNNING , but some of the other agents see them as OBSESSIVE & UNPREDICTIABLE. cerberus corp should consider the fact that their last mission status was SUCCESSFUL THOUGH A NOTE WAS MADE ABOUT MISSING ITEMS. ┊┊

002.  EXTRA ORDINARY

(violence tw) near death experience…

Amelia was in and out of prison most of her teens and never quite learned to keep her mouth shut while inside. 19 years old, on her third stint in prison and her first in the adult system, Amelia was brutally bashed by 3 other inmates. She was cornered by the three women and forced in a dark room away from the prying eyes of guards. She was found barely alive an hour later by a patrol.

power...

The first year after her NDE was spent mostly in bed. No one could quite work out why she seemed to recover and crash repeatedly. She was released from Prison into home detention at her parents house (Amelia would have preferred prison) to receive more treatment. The wounds were gone but it seemed she was sick. During the day she would have excruciating headaches and would pass out simply walking around her parents home. At night however she felt strong and well. It took another year of experimenting (still doing her best to play the poor victim when her parents were looking) before she really clicked onto the fact that light was the reason she was sick.

Amelia's powers are completely connected to dark, without darkness she has the average strength/powers of any 59 year old. She doesn't instantly lose her powers during the day/light however her powers will drain substantially the longer she is exposed to sunlight/bright light. Its important during the day/bright situations that she paces herself. If she drains her powers too quickly and there is no darkness to recover she can't use her powers and becomes physically vulnerable.

Amelia can manipulate the darkness to create a cover for herself and others (think smoke bomb but pitch black) She can't create darkness nor manipulate shadows. Amelia ages slower than normal/Has the ability to never age or at least never suffer the ravages of aging. Because of this, she will always be at her physical prime as long as she is in the dark. Her physical durability (ability to endure/resist damage) is extremely high, allowing her to take numerous blows of internal or external assaults before succumbing to the effects. Amelia’s body is highly resistant to the build-up of lactic acid in her muscles, allowing her to be physically active for considerably longer periods of time than the average human. She has strength beyond that of a normal human. She can rapidly regenerate. She recreate lost or damaged tissues, organs and limbs (this is incredibly taxing), sometimes slowing, or even stopping, ageing. Amelia can sustain herself/her powers by feeding of the darkness. Her physical needs are greatly reduced or completely removed. These needs include sleep/rest, food, drink shelter from environmental effects (except light) Amelia is also able to stay unmoving without the normal effects this would have.

drawbacks / vulnerabilities… 

Light is Amelia's greatest enemy. Most kinds of lights (including your average light globe) have some kind of effect on Amelia. The effect can range from a tiny amount of drain to full burns (on bare skin, clothes help avoid burns). Constant exposure to intense light could kill her. Light Manipulation is highly effective against her. Amelia is constantly trying to monitor her exposure to light and can often be standing in the corners of rooms to avoid the light in the centre.

(if applicable)  cerberus corp… 

Amelia auditioned for Cerberus. She has a very long and shady past. She was a thief, (Something she does admit when asked.) However, she doesn't admit her work with others. The work that would get her branded a villain is something she holds to her chest. She had joined Cerberus for information, a spy looking for information to sell to the highest bidder. She had loved the idea of getting in and causing issues from inside however after her first year she found herself getting attached to several agents (including her new girlfriend) Three years into her service at Cerberus and she feels as if she is a completely different person than when she entered and not entirely sure what she wants anymore.

Amelia prefers to work alone but has some favourite partners to work with. She is a level II agent and at first had been offended at not being level I but she's found it much easier to do things without being noticed

codename… 

"Midnight strikes again"

A local newspaper had began the headlines during her early twenties. When Amelia would simply steal for the joy of stealing. She got attached to the name and has continued to use it ever since. She answers to both Midnight and Amelia

003.  EXTRA

(death and murder tw)

Amelia was born in Malaysia. She was adopted by an American couple shortly after her birth and brought to the United States to be raised in Chicago. She has no idea who her birth family is or the circumstances around her birth and adoption. She has an incredibly frosty relationship with her adopted parents for various reason including this.

Amelia prior to 2020 was a villain for hire. She worked for the highest bidder and anyone who could convince her that what they wanted to do was worth her time. She specialised in theft and assassinations. Her abilities (especially the ability to provide herself cover in the form of darkness) played well into these fields. It was said victims would simply be engulfed in darkness one moment and on the floor the next.

She hides most of her face in her "superhero uniform" just like she did in her villain outfit years prior. She believes it's important for only those who need to know who is under the mask actually find out. During her time as a fulltime villain, if you saw her face while in her suit you were either incredibly privileged or about to be incredibly dead.

She had earnt the moniker "The Queen of Shadows" by 1990. She loved this moniker far more than any she had ever been given. She had a golden crown added to her outfit and whole heartily took on the name.

She doesn't have a crown on her Cerburus uniform but does wear a gold bangle gifted to her by a friend from her past.

#amelia | intro #cc.intro #if you've read my first version from my first stint you can get away with just skipping down to “EXTRAS” that's where most of #the new info is hiding. which isn't much but its stuff!!

[mathiskamp38]

Does Lax Home Security Systems Really Impact Your Way Of Life? Remedy It.

Home security systems must be an issue for everyone that has beneficial valuables or folks that they wish to guard. If you want to find out more about creating your home safe, you have arrive on the right location! Keep reading for helpful tips so that you can really feel guarded in your house. If your alarm is defective and will go away at random occasions, have it repaired. Tell your neighbours after it is actually in working order. The reason behind this is that your neighbors will start disregarding a security alarm that should go off of for no reason and it will surely be useful when they know your alarm is at working condition. Developing a dog can deter intruders. Even small dogs that make a great deal of noises a may be powerful. Most crooks dislike pulling focus on their reputation. That said, educated guard puppies aren't usually very good animals. Invasion education and obedience coaching are two various things. Any property household pets ought to have only obedience education. If you wish to store firewood, ensure that is stays at the very least 30 yards from your own home. This is a combustible object, that may result in serious problems to your residence if this grabs fire. Invest in a drop or isolate an area of your yard for all those items that you should shop that are great for this outline. Generally have your burglar alarm system checked out each year. Request đá ốp tường bếp to give it a peek. A number of aspects could cause troubles with your security system, which include outdoors pets and nature. Should you don't begin to see the dilemma, you may remain unaware of it. Recreation area in the storage area. While it might be tempting to utilize the car port being an extra storage area as an alternative, accomplishing this means that you need to park out where anyone can view your automobile. Not only are you setting on your own up to have your automobile vandalized, but criminals could also record if you are house and when you are away. Check the home address at the end of your prevent to be sure that it is actually obvious in case there is an urgent situation. If you notice which it appearance illegible, phone your community centre to see if you can obtain a new indication to your street. This is certainly vital as firefighters or police automobiles should get to your residence right away in desperate situations. Acquire flame extinguishers for every single room in your house in case of an emergency. Also, make sure that you coach everyone in the residence on its use, to ensure the whole family is able. Putting out a blaze since it is in their early stages will help keep your house. Always make sure your entry doors are locked. Whenever you open your house windows to oxygen out of the home, go about and make certain the fastens later in the day. Many people forget to achieve this, and the truth is, most crooks acquire access through doors and windows. Fasten every thing, whatever time it is actually. No-one should certainly view your valuable items from outside. It is wise to invest in coverings for large house windows that can give thieves a huge see of your residence. Be sure to put drapes on the top-going through windows so people can't see your useful items. To reduce the possibilities of a house intrusion through the night, make sure you have suitable lighting effects. Intruders try to use darkness being a deal with to prevent acquiring caught. Outdoor lighting will make it seem like you're residence and might also help it become more difficult for intruders to sneak around unseen. When you are on a journey, attempt using a clock looking for the lamps into the future on and go off of at particular times to make it tougher to allow them to tell if you're home or not. Keep your garage doorway shut. If you individual an automobile, ensure that it stays inside the storage area all the time. Not only will this maintain your vehicle risk-free, but a crook will not know when you are at home and if you are out. The garage is easy access to many of your valuable items as well as a fast access to in your home. If you want a house alarm system, but cannot afford the high-priced installment and fees each month, you may have an alternative choice. You can buy a wireless network DIY home security which has many of the characteristics you wish cheaper than $200.00. Furthermore, there are no monthly fees along with the technique is mobile. In case you have set up a wireless Do-it-yourself home security method, you may set it up to contact you or as much as 10 other individuals in the event of a break-in. Nevertheless, you can not set up 911 as one of the amounts to phone, and there is not any authorities back-up. The program is purchased far more by flat residents than house owners. Even if your automobile isn't inside of, secure your car port. Anyone can come in and grab whatever you keep there, and a lot home owners have several important products in their garage area. Sports products, saved loved ones mementos, tools and appliances may be there, and burglars want to take it all by you. Before heading to rest, locking mechanism your home windows about the initial flooring of your house. An unlocked windows encourages undesirable site visitors. Although you may feel you reside in the harmless local community, burglars know no borders. You should not imagine that your wide open windows should go not noticed. Continue to keep all those microsoft windows shut so your house will never be a simple target. Making it tough for everyone to gain access to your house unwelcome, create your exterior doors ready. Every one of them need to have a very good one-inch deadbolt installed like a minimum. This product makes the entrance significantly more difficult to break into than the usual easy knob-locking mechanism, supplying you with more time to phone authorities or perhaps just persuading an thief to quit leaving. Performing simple things like adding a fencing, a "large dog" sign or perhaps a peephole within the entrance might help profoundly with safeguarding you and your family. Don't take a chance when it comes to your loved ones. Keep in mind recommendations in this post so that you can really feel safe and sound.

#đá gốc thạch anh

[oliviap]

Week 8: Illustration Show & Tell Part 2

For my second illustration I chose to recreate one of my old drawings I made on procreate. I think making this on Illustrator will be a good challenge as there are a lot of complex shapes and details.

The original image originally had a colourful background so I roughly removed it so it would be easier to work with.

I started by creating a base layer of the general shape. This took a while as there were a lot of sharp corners and curves which took a lot of handle manipulation. I used the pen tool for this which I think was the best choice as it is a complex shape.

I then moved on to making the outlines of the blazer and the skirt. I did this using the pen tool as well. I traced from the original drawing to save myself some time.

As you can see it is still a bit rough around the edges as the base blue layer can be seen at some edges. But I'll fix this towards the end as there will be more examples like this.

I then moved on to making her eye. Her eye has a lot of flecks in them and I don't think this will easily recreated in Illustrator with what I know so far. Instead I started with making the rough eye shape and making a gradient like in the penguin task in week 3. I played around with the placement of the reds, oranges and yellows. I ended up having a bold red outer edge and a mix of yellow and orange inner eye. I then added a pupil using the ellipse tool. I decided to add a small gradient effect in the centre using the same blue as her skin tone. I then make some highlights also using the ellipse tool.

I then began making her eye lashes. I once again used my favourite pen tool to make the curves to incase her eye and then used the polygon tool to add triangles for her eye lashes. When using the polygon shape tool, it originally drew a hexagon so I had to drag down a small point on the transform box. This removes points until it only has 3 left (becomes a triangle) as two would just be a line.

I then made her mouth. In the original drawing, her mouth had been sowed shut so I tried to make it as similar as possible. I used the pen tool to create the curved shape of her mouth and then made a stitch. I used two circles (ellipse tool) and a curved line (pen tool) to make the stitch. I then held down option to duplicate the stitch and continued this process until her whole mouth was sowed together.

Next was the design on her head. This was just a random squiggle that went all over her head. I used the pen tool to make random curves and circles all over. The handles are a bit all over the place as the goal was to get it to look crazy, but I did keep them small.

I then used the rectangle tool to make the earring. I made one small square and then a much larger one and joined them at the point. To make sure they remained square I held down the shift key to restrict the resizing.

I then made the ear. I traced the shape from the original image and the colour a shade lighter than the base layer. I then made the darker section for the inner ear and finally the small piece to finish it.

I'm not sure why I made the earring first. In reflection it would have made more sense to make the ear first and then the earring but I decided to do the opposite at the time.

I also added a shadow on the back of her head and on the underside of her neck. In my original drawing, I had used an airbrush brush in procreate so the shadow was very smooth. But I think the line suits the style of the illustration in Illustrator.

I then decided that the front of the face was too flat so I needed to add some more highlights on her forehead and cheek. I used the pen tool to make play around with some rough shapes of the highlights. I used the same shade as the ear.

This pretty much finishes the face. I will tidy up some minor details at the end but for now I'm really pleased with how this looks. I think the hardest part was getting the shapes right as otherwise it would throw her face proportions off.

I then moved on to adding detail to the blazer. I started by adding shadows with the pen tool. I traced the shadows from the original image and then adjusted them to match the shape of the blazer. I found every time I traced from the image, the shapes didn't quite match up with the other shapes. I just used the direct selection tool to reposition some handles and anchor points.

When I went to add the detail, I had to punch a hole in where the gap in the arm should be. I originally just had a white shape in there but I used pathfinder to clear the space. I used the 'Minus Front' feature.

I then added some buttons to the blazer. Used the ellipse tool making 6 circles: One large one, a slightly smaller and darker one and then four small ones in the middle.

I then duplicated it twice to make three buttons.

I then moved on to the skirt. I split the original skirt into three sections: highlights, medium tone and shadows. For the medium tone I used the base colour of the skirt which I has already applied to the shape.

I started with the highlights. I used the original as a reference and then used the pen tool to make them.

I then made the shadows. They weren't as defined in the original drawing so I made them up. I followed the shape of the arm and the sleeve and then dragged some sections down.

At this point this is what the illustration looked like so far.

I then added the shadow on the legs and then the toe nails. I did this using the pen tool.

I then added the string on the blazer. I used a similar process to the stitches on the mouth. I made 8 small circles and then used the pen tool to create the string.

I then copied the base layer and changed the fill to green. I had to rearrange it and send it to back. I then made the background black and this completed the illustration.

Overall I was really pleased with how this turned out. It used a lot of different anchor points and it was a good challenge trying to use as few anchor points as possible and trying to make the handles as small as possible. I used the pen tool, path finder, gradient tool, rectangle tool, polygon tool and ellipse tool. I think it was a really good and fun illustration to make. It took me quite a while but I managed to get everything done that I wanted to.

[atlanticcanada]

Annual Vince Ryan Memorial Hockey Tournament gets underway in Cape Breton

The puck drops Thursday night for the start of the Vince Ryan Memorial Hockey Tournament - one of the most well-known recreational hockey tournaments in Canada.

Earlier in the day, the "Friday Slashers," a team competing in the tournament’s A Division, hit the ice at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre in Membertou, N.S., for some last-minute practice.

Team member Ben McLavish has been living in Cape Breton for about six months now after moving there from Calgary.

This will be his first Vince Ryan tournament. He says it's bigger than any tournament he's taken part in back home.

"We've got nothing like that out west, especially for rec league hockey. So yeah, I'm looking forward to it," McLavish said.

Three years ago, "the Vincey," as it’s known by many, was one of the very first events in the Maritimes cancelled by the pandemic.

The tournament was just days away from beginning when everything shut down in March 2020.

In 2022, it came back but with teams only from Nova Scotia.

This year, there are 96 teams.

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality facilities manager, Paul MacDonald, who manages several of the rinks that will host Vince Ryan games, said it’s a boost to have the buildings full of bookings for games.

"It's bringing in a lot of folks from out of town, filling up hotel rooms and restaurants and all that wonderful stuff. It's great to have them back," MacDonald said.

But this time, there's another hurdle to overcome in the form of the weather forecast for overnight Thursday into Friday.

"Well, isn't that the funny piece? I don't know if it's funny. Ironic, probably," MacDonald said. “We're starting the tournament, and we're getting a large snowstorm in the area. It's always something, but it's been my experience that they always find a way of overcoming these challenges."

The weekend is also the first big one of the year for hotels.

The tournament typically contributes about $5 million a year into the local economy.

The Vince Ryan also raises thousands of dollars each year in local scholarships.

The tournament's games wrap up on Sunday.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/aCHmphj

#new brunswick #prince edward island #nova scotia #news #politics #canada #CTVAtlantic

[functionbydesign]

Arrested again part 38

(with apologies to cuffedstories deactivated 202211)

 I laid on my bed and watched several hours of mind numbing television before deciding to go to sleep. In my mind I went through all the items that I would need need to get in place - getting my drivers licence back, buying a car,  renting accommodation, opening a bank account, organising health insurance and buying some clothes were some of the major priorities. I hoped to get the ball rolling on these the following morning.  Before turning off the lights, I checked that my tracking device was still plugged into the charger. Noting that it was I turned off the lights and went to sleep.

Next morning when I awoke I unplugged my tracker with view to having a shower. To my horror I noted that the low charge warning light was flashing. For some reason It hadn’t charged despite having been plugged in and the power connected all night. I fumbled around for the card with the monitoring centre number on it. I quickly dialled the number and was greeted with the message “the number you have dialled is not connected. please check the number before dialling again”. I dialled yet again and received the same response.

In desperation I decided to ring Mitch.  Despite several attempts all I received was busy tone. I re-plugged the charger in and checked all the settings. They were all in line with the instructions I had been given. The low charge light continued to flash regardless of the charger being plugged in. I was in the process of trying to make yet another call to Mitch when there was a loud knocking on the door.

“Open the door Beck” bellowed a voice which was unmistakably Mitch’s. I undid the latch only to have the door fly open.

“Turn around and face the wall!” ordered Mitch. “Hands up against the wall where I can see them”.

I did as he demanded, and soon felt the cold steel of handcuffs slapped  around my left wrist. He immediately pulled the left wrist down behind my back, then grabbed my right wrist and likewise cuffed it so that the palms were facing outward. Not content with that, he twisted my hands up into the small of my back, applied a black box to the cuffs, then used a belly chain to secure it all tightly against my back. Not surpringly, a pair of leg irons followed around my ankles.

“Now that you’ve finished, can I explain that the charger didn’t work” I started. “I had it plugged in all last night, but I woke up to a flat tracker this morning. I tried....”

“Shut up!” yelled Mitch. “The reality is that the tracker is not registering, and you will be returned to County while the matter is investigated. Whether or not you are re-released will depend on that investigation”.

I was really getting to dislike this guy, and only held my tongue as I was aware that being rude to him would be counter productive. He collected up the charger and my personal property the frog marched me out to his cruiser. He strapped me into the rear seat, which was super uncomfortable given how he had cuffed me. The trip to the jail was in complete silence.

Joe was at the front desk when we arrived at the jail intake area.

“Back so soon!” he quipped.

“Not my doing” I replied. “I’m losing faith in electronic equipment”.

“This is a frequent occurrence” said Joe. “GPS dropouts do happen”.

After a laborious intake process, I was back in the jail uniform, and escorted to my cell. While it was a free recreation time, I was in no mood to speak with anyone, so I sat and moped in my cell.

Shortly afterwards Scott arrived.

“Hey Will, perk up!” he exclaimed.

“Why should I?” I replied.

“Because you’ve been dealt the nastiest trick in the DOC playbook” said Scott. “They do it often to guys like you who have committed parole violations before. Because electronic tracking is usually involved, they give you a stuffed charger, and a fake contact number. The tracker eventually runs out of grunt, and you can’t contact anyone. They bring you back here for a couple of days until their investigation finds you were telling the truth and release you again. The aim is to scare you into not violating parole again. I bet your parole officer handcuffed you in some super uncomfortable manner just to hammer home the point. And it wouldn’t surprise me if he intimidated you all yesterday. If any complaint is made it all was just an ‘unfortunate mistake’ “.

It all suddenly made sense. They were trying to stop me being cocky about being on parole.

“I think you have an appointment with your lawyer in the legal counsellors’ room” Scott suggested, a smile beaming across his face.

“And I suppose you’re here to escort me there?” I queried.

“Hands behind you back, inmate” he barked. No sooner had I done so, than a pair of cuffs slipped loosely onto my wrists. He marched me to the non-existent appointment in the camera free room.

As usual he ordered me to my knees and gave the usual “ You’re going to have to earn your way out of those restraints” line. And as usual I provided him with the satisfaction he was after. I loved this man.

True to form, in three days Mitch sent me a message to say faulty equipment and an expired contact card had been provided. No mention of “sorry”. He said I would be discharged that afternoon and returned to the transit accommodation.

By that evening I was again in the transit room. As it was after the 6pm curfew I had to send out for a food delivery.

I received a sms, not from the food delivery company, but from Mitch.

“Be in my office, 8am tomorrow” it said. That guy was really testing my patience.