#24 K gold

[witekspicsbanknotes]

TANZANIA - 1000 Shillings gold note for collectors >>> Lake Tanganyika Catfish. Below another note from Tanzania of similar kind:

[yuwuta]

olympics coming up…… athlete aus on the mind….. satoru as a swimmer….. unreasonably large wingspan…. huge hands..... thinks “official” competitions and tournaments are boring because he can’t use the goofy purple googly eyes goggles he likes to practice in…… practices at ungodly hours solely because he likes when the pool is empty because that means you’ll dip your feet in at the edge and be there to greet him with a kiss when he’s finished his laps….. they bring up the stats board and it’s just his name ten times before the next fastest person and he could still lap them, and even tho he’ll always put so much pressure on himself to be the best, it’s worth it to have you hold his face and tell him you’re proud of him... he’s gotten so much merch from events and sponsorships and he used to think they just created clutter but that all changes when you start to wear his clothes (esp the ones with his name on it… he’s not proud to admit that does Something to him)…. always looks up to the stands when he finishes a race and if he knows you’re not there, he looks right at the camera, draws an infinity sign with his fingers, and blows a kiss (which, some commentators routinely call “unsportsmanlike conduct” but he doesn’t care, and always, publicly says he’ll pay the fees if it means blowing a kiss to his girl at home)

[rizanbullion]

Invest in confidence with our 8-gram 24K gold coin – a timeless symbol of security and prosperity. Invest in pure gold, where each gram reflects a commitment to your financial well-being.

[colleendoran]

LEGENDS OF THE QUENDI

Private commission, from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Pen and ink, watercolor, 24 K gold.

Gandalf/Olorin, Cirdan, Celembribor, Gil Galad, Melian, Galadriel, Elrond, Arwen, The Elven Rings, The Elessar, and a symbolic Belt of Melian.

No, I'm not playing hooky on Good Omens, I get about 20 minutes a day to work on other stuff.

I was getting a half hour a day, but even that's too much at this point.

And yes, at roughly 25 minutes a day, a piece like this takes a really long time. Months.

I'm a big believer in making sure you pick at something else even while working on a big project, even if you only use that time for warm ups. Keeps you from crumbling under the weight of the main project.

[crybabylipstick]

List of unreleased songs by Melanie Martinez:

Various songs have been recorded for Melanie Martinez's projects over the years that have been scrapped. This list aims to include all known Melanie Martinez songs which were not intended to be formally released. This list currently has 97 unreleased songs.

Take Me to the Moon (2011)

1. Curly Cue

2. Birthing Addicts

3. Smoke

4. The One

5. Milky Way

6. Alone

7. Oh Carousel

8. I Love My Ride

9. I Think I'm Crazy (single)

"Take Me to the Moon" is an extended play by Melanie Martinez that was recorded in 2011, however, it was scrapped after it had been completed. It was likely intended to be released in 2012, as Melanie posted the project's title in her YouTube description that year.

2013 EP (2012-2013)

1. A Million Men

2. A Thousand Words

3. Birthing Addicts

4. Bones Are Blue

5. Curly Cue

6. Dear Porcupines

7. Intervals

8. Night Mime

9. Race

10. Rough Love

11. Time Flies

The unknown extended play, sometimes dubbed as "2013 EP", refers to an unreleased extended play by Melanie Martinez that was planned to be released around September 2013, however, it was scrapped later that month prior to the release. The official name of the EP has yet to surface.

Cry Baby (2013-2015)

1. 99 Cent Store

2. Arts & Crafts

3. Animal Crackers

4. Ball Pit

5. Band Aid

6. Bombs On Monday Morning

7. Bones Are Blue

8. Cartoons

9. Coloring Book

10. Cooties

11. Gold Diggin' Love

12. Half Hearted

13. Haunted

14. Heartbeat

15. I Scream

16. Jumprope

17. King Of The Arcade

18. Mirror Mirror

19. Mistakes

20. Night Mime

21. Patient

22. Psycho Lovers

23. Ring Pop

24. Rocking Horse

25. Rotten Milk

26. Rough Love

27. Run

28. Schizo

29. Seesaw

30. Strawberry Fields

31. Sticks And Stones

32. Toy Chest

33. Trophy Wife

34. Twins

35. Unhappy Meal

36. Where Do Babies Come From?

37. You Love I

38. Zzzz

K-12 (2015-2017)

1. Eraser

2. Glue Stick

3. Papercut

After School EP (2017-2020)

1. Absorb

2. Chrysalis

3. Clockwork

4. Erase Her

5. Function

6. History

7. Lost & Found

8. Maze

9. Paper Cut

10. Spin The Bottle

11. The Tunnel

12. Trophy

13. Under The Desk

PORTALS (2020-2023)

1. Barely Juice

2. Corpse

3. Death

4. Dragon's Blood

5. Emerald

6. Fairy Dance

7. Fingers Crossed

8. Fragile

9. Garden

10. Hawaii Space Guitar

11. Inconsistent Flame

12. Jinx

13. Labyrinth (Version 1)

14. Labyrinth (Version 2)

15. Magnets

16. Menace To Society

17. Mother Of Pearl

18. Needle And Thread

19. Not Dead, Just Expired

20. Puzzles

21. Synchronicities

22. Tunnel Vision

23. Void

24. Walkie Talkie

Side projects:

1. Can't Shake You

2. Gravitate

3. Heart At The Door

4. I Scream

5. Night Mime

6. Until Sunrise

These are unreleased songs that Melanie made but never intended to put them on her projects.

Songs made with Melanie:

1. AK-47

2. Last Chapter (Never Stayed for Love)

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Koenigsegg Jesko Attack, 2024. The Danish hypercar maker have delivered an Attack variant with raw carbon fibre bodywork and 24 K gold trim. Gold leaf has been used on front canards, the wing mirror arms, a central element on the front fascia, the aerodynamic flics on the side skirts, and the rear wing endplates.

[janmisali]

Super Mario Bracket: basic seeding information

okay to prevent any more "oh no [character that's in the bracket] isn't in the bracket" comments (it's already happened twice) here's a basic plaintext list of the 128 characters that are in the Super Mario Bracket, in their seed order.

Vivian (215 nominations)

Luigi (104 nominations)

Rosalina (101 nominations)

Waluigi (90 nominations)

Daisy (81 nominations)

Yoshi (71 nominations)

Catherine (66 nominations)

Shy Guy (60 nominations)

Fawful (59 nominations)

Mario (56 nominations)

Dimentio (51 nominations)

Sonic (49 nominations)

Wario (45 nominations)

Bowser (45 nominations)

Goombella (45 nominations)

Abe Lincoln (39 nominations)

Count Bleck (34 nominations)

Toadette (31 nominations)

Dry Bones (31 nominations)

George Washingtoad (30 nominations)

Peach (27 nominations)

Gorbachev (26 nominations)

Captain Toad (24 nominations)

Mimi (24 nominations)

Kirby (23 nominations)

King Boo (22 nominations)

Funky Kong (22 nominations)

Kinoppe (22 nominations)

Tippi (21 nominations)

Toad (21 nominations)

Mr. L (21 nominations)

Peasley (20 nominations)

Kamek (20 nominations)

Twink (18 nominations)

MC Ballyhoo (18 nominations)

Boo (18 nominations)

Strollin' Stu (18 nominations)

The Old Psychic Lady with the Evil Eye Who Reads Fortunes and Knows Everything Before It Happens (17 nominations)

Geno (16 nominations)

Bowser Jr. (15 nominations)

Penny (15 nominations)

Nabbit (15 nominations)

Orbulon (15 nominations)

Ashley (14 nominations)

Roy (14 nominations)

????? (14 nominations)

Slammer (14 nominations)

Link (14 nominations)

Iggy (14 nominations)

Starlow (14 nominations)

Bow (13 nominations)

Bowser's brother (13 nominations)

Yellow & Blue Toad (13 nominations)

Nastasia (13 nominations)

Ludwig (12 nominations)

Bobbery (12 nominations)

Boshi (12 nominations)

Shadow (12 nominations)

Dry Bowser (11 nominations)

E. Gadd (10 nominations)

Samus (10 nominations)

O'Chunks (10 nominations)

Koops (10 nominations)

Goomba (10 nominations)

Donkey Kong (10 nominations)

MIPS (9 nominations)

Cyndi Lauper (9 nominations)

Blooper (9 nominations)

King Bob-omb (9 nominations)

Whacka (9 nominations)

Popple (9 nominations)

Lemmy (9 nominations)

Petey Piranha (9 nominations)

Monty Mole (9 nominations)

K. Rool (9 nominations)

Captain Lou (9 nominations)

Pink Gold Peach (9 nominations)

5-Volt (8 nominations)

Toadsworth (8 nominations)

Bobby (8 nominations)

Dreambert (8 nominations)

Peachette (8 nominations)

Mallow (8 nominations)

Cappy (8 nominations)

Wiggler (8 nominations)

Albert Einstein (8 nominations)

Broque Monsieur (8 nominations)

Dorrie (8 nominations)

the letter "p" (7 nominations)

Pauline (7 nominations)

Ms. Mowz (7 nominations)

Gooigi (7 nominations)

Inkling (7 nominations)

FLUDD (7 nominations)

Goomba Tower (7 nominations)

White Mage (7 nominations)

Rawk Hawk (7 nominations)

Spike (7 nominations)

Morton (7 nominations)

Francis (7 nominations)

Pikmin (7 nominations)

GLOM (7 nominations)

George Washington (7 nominations)

I am a teacher: Super Mario Sweater (7 nominations)

Huey (6 nominations)

Plato (6 nominations)

Mii (6 nominations)

Lanky Kong (6 nominations)

Captain Syrup (6 nominations)

Koopa Kid (6 nominations)

Chuckster (6 nominations)

Bill Gates (6 nominations)

Chunky Kong (6 nominations)

Fracktail (6 nominations)

Gandhi (6 nominations)

Blaze (6 nominations)

Undodog (6 nominations)

Elvira (6 nominations)

Poochy (6 nominations)

Big Bertha (5 nominations)

Bill Board et al. (5 nominations)

Ninji (5 nominations)

Elvis (5 nominations)

the Yoshi kid (5 nominations)

Midbus (5 nominations)

Punio (5 nominations)

Mary O. (5 nominations)

Dribble & Spitz (5 nominations)

[ksadvent]

✨ K/S Advent Masterlist! ✨2/2

Day 21: ForFucksSakeJim: Heaven Had Come So Near (fic, TOS) Day 21: ForFucksSakeJim: that’s when I love you (fic (short), AOS) Day 21: Phoenix_Rose: A Winter's Break (fic, TOS)

Day 22: ForFucksSakeJim: A Phase Change (poetry, TOS or AOS) Day 22: ForFucksSakeJim: When Guards Are Lowered Free (poetry, AOS) Day 22: remylebae: Curation and Creation (fic, TOS)

Day 23: ForFucksSakeJim: devotions such as yours (poetry, TOS or AOS) Day 23: ForFucksSakeJim: This Simple Feeling (fic, TOS) Day 23: IvanW: Uncle Jim's Makeover (or Joanna McCoy's Holiday Miracle) (fic, AOS)

Day 24: ForFucksSakeJim: All I want For Christmas Is You (fic, AOS) Day 24: ForFucksSakeJim: Winter’s Bounty (poetry, TOS or AOS) Day 24: kayson: Duality Concordia (fic, TOS) Day 24: lorvee: Care for a room tour, Mr. Spock? (art, SNW)

Day 25: deliciousblizzardshark: Observance (fic (short), AOS) Day 25: ForFucksSakeJim: All My Flaws and All (poetry, AOS) Day 25: ForFucksSakeJim: I Just Want You For My Own (fic, AOS) Day 25: T'Lara: [manip] Happy Hanukkah! (art, TOS)

Day 26: ForFucksSakeJim: Of Gold and Blue (poetry, TOS or AOS) Day 26: ForFucksSakeJim: To That Which We Exchange (fic, AOS) Day 26: Orabla: An Evening Cuddle (fic, TOS) Day 26: T'Lara: Bitter Cold (drabble, TOS)

Day 27: deliciousblizzardshark: This is not a tragedy (fic, AOS) Day 27: ForFucksSakeJim: luck nor fate (poetry, TOS or AOS) Day 27: ForFucksSakeJim: Steeping Starlight (fic, AOS) Day 27: SButler: KS and McCoy By the Fireplace (art, TOS)

Day 28: ForFucksSakeJim: The Holiday on the Edge of Forever (fic, AOS) Day 28: ForFucksSakeJim: To Love and Be Loved (poetry, TOS or AOS) Day 28: indeedcaptain: The Royal We (fic, AOS)

Day 29: ForFucksSakeJim: Early Spring Snow (poetry, TOS or AOS) Day 29: ForFucksSakeJim: Our Minds Aglow (art, TOS) Day 29: ForFucksSakeJim: These Private Stars (fic, AOS) Day 29: ForFucksSakeJim: What We Orbit (fic, AOS) Day 29: mazarinememories: A Romantic Meal (fic, TOS)

Day 30: ForFucksSakeJim: Familiar Stars (fic (short), AOS) Day 30: ForFucksSakeJim: Frost and Found (fic, AOS) Day 30: ForFucksSakeJim: it might just have been you (fic, AOS) Day 30: ForFucksSakeJim: logic blind (poetry, TOS or AOS) Day 30: ForFucksSakeJim: Revelry (poetry, SNW) Day 30: T'Lara: Of Gourds and Peaches, Sumptuous and Ripe (fic, TOS)

Day 31: ForFucksSakeJim: Delta-Snowflakes (crafts, TOS or AOS or SNW) Day 31: ForFucksSakeJim: Keeping Count (fic (short), AOS) Day 31: ForFucksSakeJim: melt me like snow (poetry, TOS or AOS) Day 31: ForFucksSakeJim: No Troubles as Tribbles (fic (short), TOS or AOS) Day 31: ForFucksSakeJim: T'hy'la: Friend, Brother, Lover (crafts, TOS or AOS or SNW) Day 31: ForFucksSakeJim: Trouble With Tribbles (fic (short), TOS) Day 31: lesbobaggins: Starburned and unkissed (fic, TOS) Day 31: Lupo (LupoLight): Happy Mew Year (fic, AOS) Day 31: spacedogfromspace: Better Than Drinking Alone (fic, AOS)

The 2024 collection is now closed for posting. The K/S Advent Calendar will return next year for a new round. If your prompt(s) did not get filled, you can submit them as new requests for Advent 2025, if you wish to. If you do not want to wait that long, you can also submit them to our sister event @ksspringfever which will go live in March 2025, a fest without any specific theme as long as the work is focused on Kirk and Spock, be it slash or gen/friendship. Sign-up has opened a few days ago!

If you are sure you submitted something to the collection, but don't see it in the collection or on the masterlist above, please do get in touch with the mod asap so that we can investigate what went wrong with the submission: kirkspockmod+ksadvent@gmail.com

We are also happy to hear your feedback: How did you experience this K/S Advent? Any wishes, suggestions, complaints? Anything you wish would've been different? Anything that was unclear or confusing and needs better explanation in our rules/FAQs?

You can submit feedback via email (kirkspockmod+ksadvent@gmail.com), message to kirkspockmod on Dreamwidth, comment on the DW masterlist post, or Ask/message here on Tumblr. Part 1 of the masterlist is here.

[oleanderfox]

Palia Tips

Some things I have learned that might help others. 🩵

Game Controls

You can put away your tool by pressing X.

If you get stuck, type /unstuck in the chat window and you’ll be teleported to the nearest stable surface.

Right clicking with a tool equipped will let you switch between different types of ammo (for bug catching and hunting).

You can cancel without wasting ammo after entering "aim" mode by pressing the Shift key or right mouse button (h/t @sharky857 ).

You can climb ivy in addition to cliffs. (Like inside the lighthouse..!)

You can cancel climbing/drop from a cliff face by clicking X. (h/t @lazyadmiral )

You can jump (space bar) while climbing cliffs to climb faster.

You can hold down the mouse key when mining, tilling, and chopping down trees rather than clicking for each chop.

Camera & Photos

Press K to enter camera mode.

There’s a 🔁 button in the corner if you want to swap to a front-facing camera/“selfie mode”.

If you want to see your photos while in the game, you have to save them to the album. However all photos taken, even if you don’t do that step, will be saved to your computer’s hard drive.

To find your photos, open Windows Explorer and enter %appdata% in the location bar. From there navigate to %AppData%/Local/Palia/Saved/Screenshots. You should be able to pin this folder to your quick nav/favorites to find it again easily.

Time

One hour of real time = one entire day in Palia. That means an hour in Palia passes in only 2.5 minutes of play.

You only get "credit" (for building friendships) for chatting with villagers once per villager per day.

Many bugs, fish, and plants can only be found at certain times. Time in Palia is divided into: ‣ Morning: 3-6am (rooster crows at 3) ‣ Day: 6am-6pm ‣ Evening: 6pm-9pm ‣ Night: 9pm-3am (owl hoots at 9)

Time in Palia is the same across all servers. Midnight (a new day) will always be on the hour in real world time, so 6am in Palia is at X:15, noon is at X:30, and 6pm is at X:45.

6am is a "new day" for crops, but midnight is a "new day" for chatting with villagers. Midnight also seems to be when the furniture in Tish’s shop refreshes.

Gifting runs on real world time, not Palia time. You can only give a villager one gift every 24 hours in the real world, and "Weekly Wants" are valid for one real world week. The week currently resets on Mondays at 12am Eastern.

Once you get a villager's key, you can talk to and visit them even when they are "asleep".

Mail is delivered and picked up (shipping bin sales) at 6am and 6pm.

To find rare spawns, arrive in the area 15-30 Palia minutes before the start of its catch period and clear all the common critters/plants. This will make it more likely your rare will spawn when the clock chimes.

Inventory & House

Furniture does not take up inventory space!!

A gold star on an item's icon means it's "star quality." Starred items fetch higher sales prices and are required for some quests.

Starred items will not stack with normal items.

Only star quality food can be placed in your house/lot.

More storage chests = more storage slots, but you are capped at 8.

You can hang items on the exterior walls of your home - including wallpaper!!

When in placement mode, you can rotate items using Q and E. You can turn off “grid mode” by pressing z, which allows more flexible item placement.

Leveling

Your character level is a combination of your level in each of your skills.

Eating food increases your "focus," which applies a percentage bonus that will make you level faster.

You can increase that bonus by visiting the Dragon and Phoenix shrines and spending Renown to increase the percentage (Phoenix Shrine) and the amount of focus you can accumulate.

You can only "carry" 1,000 Renown at any time. If you're not spending it, you're throwing away Exp.

Renown is also needed to expand your housing plot (by buying "Writs").

Event

You can get "displayable" food from Reth and Delaila, but it's based on RNG. Just keep buying the item until you get a star quality one.

The quickest way to get Chapaa Chase tickets is by completing the Achievements; some require you to party with others.

The drums are not obvious, but you only need to go back and forth between a pair of them interacting as they light up. Eventually the big fireworks will trigger and you will get the achievement and reward. (Do this 2 more times for the second achievement!)

The event achievements are on the Event tab, not the achievements one.

Skill-Specific Tips

Fishing: If you don’t click in time and the fish disappears, don’t panic — the same fish will keep trying again! And if you change your mind, you can pull your line in/cancel and you won’t spend any bait. This means you can wait to be sure you’ve hooked the fish you want before reeling it in so you don’t waste all your precious glow worms! The one caveat is that sparkle pools (and the guaranty of a star quality catch) disappear if you don’t catch the fish on the first nibble.

Hunting: The Proudhorn Sernuk can teleport and the Azure Chapaa can make an illusion of copies of itself that disappear when shot. They're both very difficult to hunt until you learn to make Dispel arrows. If you’re still struggling to have enough resources for everything, learn the lowest quality arrow that can kill something in one shot and hunt with those. (Kilima chapaa can be killed with a makeshift arrow while regular Kilima sernuk require a standard arrow. Bahari chapaa need at least a standard arrow while elder sernuk in Bahari will cost you several fine arrows.)

Looting: For hunting, mining, and chopping down trees, everyone who gets one "hit" in gets loot, and the loot is not diminished by sharing. So working together to find pallium nodes or hunt rare critters rewards everyone. :) (Note that you need to have the required equipment quality to be able to share, though - if you get a message saying “sorry, you need to upgrade your equipment” then you won’t get any loot.)

Mining: On the topic of Palium, it’s not as rare as you think. It has very specific spawn points, which it only shares with stone - you’ll never find palium where you found iron before. This means you should mine all the stone sharing those points to encourage palium to spawn for your next visit. Palium can be found in the caves hidden around the perimeter of Bahari and in the Pavel mines.

Foraging: Purple glowing trees are flow trees, and require more than one player to chop them down. Again, everyone gets "full" loot, no matter how many people get a swing in. For small trees, let them heal after each hit if needed to make sure everyone present can get a hit. If you’re looking for a specific resource, say, sweet leaf, look up what it shares spawn points with (in this case, morels) and pick three as well so sweet leaf has a chance to spawn. Also, brightshrooms are typically found in ruins right up against the structures so they can be easy to overlook or mistake for glowing bugs at night.

Cooking: You can find recipes in villager's homes, by fishing them up in bottles, lying around the wilderness, and completing quests or bundles in addition to buying them from Reth.

Cooking together: Like with looting, everyone gets the full reward, even if you don't contribute any ingredients.

Lore & Fun Stuff

There is a mysterious beast in the Elderwoods.

The mine's haunted.

Sooo much queer rep: All the romanceable characters don’t care about the player’s “body type.” Sifuu, the Duchess (Kenyara), and Eshe are canonically wlw. Chayne was raised by two dads. The former lighthouse keepers in Bahari Bay were a gay couple. 🏳️‍🌈

Critters that have been mentioned but don't have in-game models or released concept art yet so we just have to speculate: ‣ Kitsuu: Sacred companions, according to Hassian. There is a kitsuu constellation which has "floppy ears" and horns. Possibly the "fennec fox with antlers" creature drawn in the Vault of the Waves? (Confirmed by the official Discord emotes!) No longer unreleased as of 0.3.6. :) ‣ Peki: Palian version of chickens, or at least they lay eggs and have feathers, and according to Nai’o “there are at least 72 unique color and pattern combinations for peki breeds.” ‣ Riffroc: Palian mounts. Nai'o has a beloved one named Sugarfoot; Kenyatta’s is named Sundrop.

Bug Reporting, Suggestions, and Help

Report problems here.

Give feedback and request/suggest features here.

If you're stuck on a quest or where to find an item, there's an "Official" wiki and an "unofficial" wiki.

[witekspicsbanknotes]

USA -> old high denomination rare US banknotes in 24 K gold version issued as fantasy notes for collectors.

[the-jewel-catalogue]

They’re a new pair of gold plated bronze earrings by designer Giulia Barela jewellery called the Rocking earrings.

Her website describes them as, “Sculpture and light are combined with a “rocking” effect. The playful movement of these earrings will attract everyone’s eyes.”

£190 Details: 24 K Gold-plated bronze

~ British Royal Jewels IG

[itzymidzy]

ITZY CONTENT OCTOBER 2024

10/10 Yuna on Dex's Fridge Interview

10/15 "GOLD" M/V

10/15 Neighbourhood Star K4

10/15 SBS Power FM 'Wendy's Young Street'

10/16 Yeji on Hyo's Level Up

10/16 Chaeryeong on Find Your KODE

10/17 Yuna and Chaeryeong on Jae Friends

10/18 Spotify K-Pop ON!

10/19 Ryujin on SBS 'SNAP! Cutenss'

10/19 Idol Human Theater

10/20 Inner Peace Interview (K-Pop ON!)

10/22 K-Pop ON! Behind The Scenes

10/24 Ryujin and Yuna on SBS 'What On Earth' ep. 1

10/25 Ryujin on Lee Youngji 'Not Much Prepared'

10/27 "Imaginary Friend" M/V

10/28 "Imaginary Friend" Performance Video

10/29 "Imaginary Friend" Dance Practice

10/29 Chaeryeong on MBC 'Man Who Clean The Earth'

10/31 Ryujin and Yuna on SBS 'What On Earth' ep. 2

[mingtinys]

songs of a caged bird

pairing : choi jongho x gn!reader

angst , fluff , lore based , outlaw!jongho , strictland!au

warnings : talk of raids and death , dystopian themes , tyrannical leadership

word count : 1.5 k

requested? yes

a/n : had to brush up on my ateez lore for this one

There's a voice on the roof.

You know because you've heard it echo through the thin walls of your apartment at the same time each morning. It started three days ago, early in the morning when the city sleeps and the guards change shifts.

5:00 A.M.

On the dot.

You thought you might have been imagining it at first. Something as outlandish as singing hadn't been heard in, well, most of your life. Not in any instance without immediate consequence at least. And when you'd asked your neighbors they'd told you they hadn't heard anything of the sort. Then again, they've somehow also never been awoken by the sirens and late-night raids that take place on the streets just below your high-rise. Perhaps if you hadn't been born a light sleeper, you wouldn't either.

But now, as the sound amplifies on the climb to the roof, you're sure of it. There is a voice silkier than anything your mind could possibly fabricate, and the boy it belongs to, high above the world, shrouded in moonlight. He sits on the ledge, legs dangling over the sides, near your bedroom window. His head sways side to side, so consumed in his song that he doesn't notice your approaching footsteps.

"You shouldn't do that." You speak, and the voice halts. Though he doesn't flinch, nor seems the slightest bit startled by your interruption.

"Why not?' He questions.

The boy's dark eyes bore into your own. Tired and cast in shadows that seem to envelop everything around them. There's a blank expression scribbled across his face. Boredom.

Or is it curiosity? That still doesn't feel right.

Maybe indifference.

You can't tell.

"They'll hear you," you point to the streets, where new guardians take post around empty corners and alleyways. There's a chill to the night and you're quick to fold your arms in an attempt to block the morning breeze. "People have been killed for less. If they catch you they'll—"

"Are you going to turn me in?" The boy raises his eyebrows, like he knows you pose no threat to him. In fact, the question feels more like a tease than a presumption.

"I'm just saying, if I can hear you others can. Singing isn't allowed." Though you feel like he should already know this.

"Why?"

"Because, human emotion is the root of the world's—" You begin to regurgitate the same motto you've heard all your life, but the boy holds up his palm.

"I didn't ask you to repeat that jargon they spoon-feed you every day. Why do you think singing is dangerous."

No one's ever asked you that. They've only ever told. But never why, just that it is. Until now, you've never questioned it, and it feels like the boy knows that from your silence.

He's back the next morning. Same voice, same time, same song, same dark brown eyes. Except this time, his expression is different. He looks amused.

No. Delighted.

Actually, it's almost like a... pleasantly surprised look. Yeah, that sounds right.

"You're back." He says.

"So are you."

"I like the view."

"I live here."

"On the roof?" His eyes widen. "I didn't know rent was that expensive?"

Your brow furrows. "No, in my apartment. Below the roof."

"That was a joke," the corner of his lip turns up. "A bad one, but just a joke."

"Oh."

The boy hums, nodding as he looks back out at the city. "You want to sit?"

Part of you wants to stroll down to the 24/7 corner shop, buy a quality pair of noise-canceling earplugs, and tuck back into bed. Forget about the boy with a voice of gold and continue about your mundane life. But the other part feels an itching so deep in your bones it burrows an uncomfortable pit in your stomach.

So you sit, in hopes that learning more will quell that unbearable feeling.

"I'm Jongho," he smiles.

You've noticed Jongho has a habit of being vague. Whether it's answering one of your few questions or simply telling stories, he rarely elaborates on where his answers and tales come from.

Like on the fifth night you joined him on his ledge. When he told you of an island he'd once seen. One he claimed to be so full of color, music, art, and dancing he'd felt like he was back "home" for a moment. A fairytale, you're sure.

"—That kind of stuff is actually celebrated where I'm from." He says that a lot.

"Where I'm from." But never elaborates.

"People make a living out of it. That's what me and my friends wanted to do. But that was before..." Jongho's words peter out and his gaze falls to the distant, twinkling lights in the sky.

"Before what?"

"Before here."

There's something in his eyes you haven't seen from him before. You pin it down a little quicker than you expect. Something halfway between longing and sadness.

Whatever it is, it makes your heart hurt.

"Do you..." your eyes search the sky for the right words. "Wish you could go back? To before."

He nods. "Every day. But there are things keeping me here. People who need me. People I love."

"Your friends?"

"Yeah. Among other things."

Jongho's eyes leave the stars and settle on your face. The moon is full, and it's the first time you've been able to catch the warm, brown hue of them. Like the polished wood of a violin you'd once seen in a history textbook.

You hadn't questioned it back then, but now, you wonder how something so exquisitely crafted could be so scorned by those in charge. But then again, it wasn't your place to question such matters.

Right?

"You should really stop," you say. "I'm worried the guardians will—"

"I thought we weren't supposed to feel trivial emotions like worry?" Jongho grins. You've learned by now that when the corner of Jongho's lip lifts just enough to flash his canines, he's joking. "They might lock you up with me."

"I don't plan on being an accessory. Though I have to say, I will miss your songs." The words taste foreign as they leave your lips and judging by the way Jongho snaps his head to the side, they sound it too.

"Did you just make a joke? Didn't know they taught you how to do that at your prestigious institution." He quips back.

"They teach us a lot of things. Though I'm not quite sure how much of it to believe anymore." Lately, in classes, you've found your mind wandering. Recalling the many stories Jongho's told you and fantasizing about what it'd be like to live in a world with everything yours lacks.

He seems to think pretty fondly of his world. So much so, sometimes you think you're the one who wound up in the wrong world.

"And how does that make you feel?" Jongho presses. It's the most urgency you've heard in his voice since the day you met. It's isn't much, but it's there. Like he's been anticipating this exact moment.

You feel... you aren't entirely sure.

"Conflicted."

You haven't been able to focus on much of anything lately. A whirlwind of questions, feelings, and fear cloud your thoughts day in and day out. Sitting through classes is suffocating and the watchful eye of the android guardians feels more threatening than ever. Like once glance and they'd see straight through you and reveal the doubt accumulating against everything you've ever known.

Your thoughts alone could land you a one-way ticket straight to The Disposal.

Only when you're next to Jongho, safely stowed away above the city on your little rooftop, does the weight lift from your chest. You're used to hiding all of your emotions. Yet somehow he still knows.

"You seem distracted lately."

You've never felt a need to lie with Jongho. "I think— I feel like life shouldn't be lived like this. Void of emotion and art. The way you've described it, it sounds so beautiful. So human. I just don't understand how it could possibly be a bad thing."

There's a softness to Jongho's gaze when your eyes meet and you swear, you've both somehow scooted closer during your speech. Close enough for your thighs to touch and the air between you to feel thinner.

"Do you think it's still possible to bring any of that back?"

"I do," Jongho says it like he knows something you don't. Then again, you've always felt he knows more than he's shared. "It's easier than you think, so long as we have people like you."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes." No doubt, no hesitation, you do.

His eyes search your face for what seems like an eternity and then suddenly, his palm braces against your knee as he leans and his lips meet yours across the narrow distance. It's short but still leaves a warm sensation that lingers even after he pulls away and floods through your veins.

Your head falls to his shoulder and if the morning wasn't so quiet you might've missed the sigh of relief he breaths out. You can physically feel him relax against you, letting his head rest atop yours. Giving your knee one last reassuring squeeze. Whether it's for you or him, you're not entirely sure.

"Jongho?" You whisper.

"Yeah?"

"Will you sing for me?"

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[haloslips]

do you have a daniel sprong primer or just in general what about him compels you? i don’t know anything about him so i’m just curious

do i "have" a daniel sprong primer? if you count my single braincell clinging desperately to daniel sprong being a kraken for life as something i have, well, yes! that braincell bounces around my brain NOT unlike - [lound honking].

anon, we're about to embark on a journey, i hope you'll take me in stride. before we start there are a few things you should know:

i took an edible about an hour ago that's just kicking in;

i probably won't finish this in one go so it's likely the tone will change inexplicably halfway through;

i want to Fuck That Man SO bad it makes me look stupid

great, let's get started!

important note: daniel was accused of pretty brutally assaulting a former indycar racer. (warning: graphic images) for what it's worth, the story is a little fishy and there is absolutely no mention of it other than the articles from august 11th - i followed this incident very closely because my first favorite hockey player was p*trick k*ne and i learned my lesson in a hard way, and there was no local news after the initial accusation, no criminal charges pressed, no statement again from anyone on either side. he obviously doesn't cross my personal rpf boundaries, but yours may be different!

okay let's continue 😎

my love for daniel sprong (i luv to full name him) is inextricably tied to his being a 22-23 seattle kraken, which is going to be My Team for the rest of my life god willing. it was just fucking electric to be a kraken fan in seattle that year, and daniel was a big part of that. he ended the 21-22 season with the kraken and as a free agent that summer signed a pto and then a contract with the team right before the season started and then had a career year with us. he was occasionally healthy scratched, but usually on the fourth line. a local like sports and culture writer started making memes about him on twitter in a fun way, idk there was just a lot of local hype around him. and he was playing well! he was winning games for us! call it bad data but the stats say we lost a LOT more games when he was scratched than when he wasn't.

before he was a kraken, daniel sprong was drafted in 2015 to the pens in the second round. he was in draft year (2015) which is a docuseries that appears to have been wiped off the face of the earth except for this instagram account and the google drives of generous friends. the series highlighted six (i think) players leading up to the 2015 nhl draft - it's a real gold mine of content, it's a shame it's not more widely available. anyway so he's drafted to the pens where he plays a handful of games with them and then is sent back to major juniors. i'm pretty sure the guys in pittsburgh do not care for him - he's known especially at the beginning of his career as being a pretty severe defensive liability.

the pens trade him to the ducks in 2018, and the ducks play him a little and then send him to the gulls because he's a defensive liability. in 2020 the ducks trade him to the caps. he played for the bears at first, eventually gets a contract extension and a little more than minimum wage. in march 2022 he's traded to the kraken! he's still a defensive liability probably but like i said he had a banner year 22-23. after that season, which was the entire length of his contract, he was a free agent and ron francis was like, go get your bag kid, and sprong signed a 2m x 1yr contract with the red wings.

he does alright with the wings - stays on the nhl team, scores some goals. he doesn't put up enough of a showing that the wings extend his contract and he remains unsigned for most of this summer. i think he ended up on the canucks on a pto and then they basically just gave him back to us. which is to say traded for future considerations.

then last week we put him on waivers and for 24 hours i considered death and dying and then he cleared waivers and now he's on our ahl team, which is not my favorite thing but also isn't my worst case scenario i guess.

BEFORE all that, daniel sprong was born in amsterdam. his dad played hockey there, and when daniel was 7 they moved to quebec so he could pursue his hockey career more seriously.

now let's get into some fun stuff!

my first dms to beccah on the subject:

(sidebar i did actually submit a photo of daniel sprong to the leadership program & at the end the six weeks three separate people had left me shoutouts to thank me for my participation so. if you've ever wondered why i am the way i am it's because the universe only rewards me.)

my assessment of his fursona from this post about kraken fursonas i made:

some get to know the player graphics from the kraken and the red wings:

MUCH to consider!!!! sprong & burky were on the caps together for a brief amount of time, and have a known bromance (although i'm not sure burky has ever met a man he couldn't bromance). but WHAT a weirdo!! in another kraken media thing, he says wizards of waverly place was his favorite show growing up. i love him!!!!!

a really critical piece of media about him TO ME is this deep dive on his tattoos the kraken did. this is also were i sourced the first two photos at the top! some takeaways:

The first tattoo Sprong got was on the inside of his left arm. It's a rose with the birthdates of his parents, his sister, and himself inside. He got the tattoo in Montreal from an artist that a friend had recommended. "I'm not great with dates, but I don't really have any excuse to forget now," Sprong said with a smile.

okay girl. had to get a tattoo of your own birthday to remember it, i see you. this tattoo is kind of ugly so if you want to see it you will have to click the link sorry 🫡

"The outside is a bit of a forest and some water and trees with two wolves," Sprong said. "One wolf (represents) my dad, one (represents) me and the two birds are my grandparents back in Amsterdam."

i'm going to be so real with you when i say daniel sprong would be a furry in a life without hockey. further evidence:

But Sprong doesn't have to wait to finish the sleeve on his arm. He already knows what he wants for the front. It will be a play on imagery from his favorite movie growing up: Disney's The Lion King. Sprong's current vision includes two lions, something that holds multiple personal meanings to the 26-year-old, as well as Pride Rock.

OKAYYY yeah every hockey player wants a lion king tattoo. oh wait that's just me and all my friends.

here are some stills i have saved from draft year (2015) where he looks especially ridiculous and sweet:

here, he's talking about how much he misses peanut butter spread while he's adhering to a strict meal plan. i too would not handle giving up peanut butter well :( his fucked up teeth are sooooooo important to meeeeee

in this one i'm pretty sure he's winning an award playing on a team with people quite a bit older than him. look at his little neck guard!!!! his abundant curls!!! these days you hardly see him without a hat on because his hairline is awol. i truly don't understand why he doesn't just shave his head...... he would look amazing bald and yet he remains dedicated to the hair left on his head. actually ykw i accept this i think if he wants to rock his natural hair he should.

op i get you.

when luke prokop came out, daniel sprong was the first member of the caps to post in support of him:

also on the caps, daniel sprong did math!

here's a picture that drove me crazy from the moment i watched the video it comes from. daniel is ALWAYS wearing a snapback or something with the brim to the front (regrettably not as slutty as he could be, sigh) and looking down - so this angle is really striking imo.

OKAY pivoting hard but my absolute favorite thing is HOW BADLY HE WANTS TO BE A SEATTLE KRAKEN. when he was traded back to us this season from vancouver, he said he never really wanted to leave the team. HE LOVE US. i hate dan bylsma for scratching him 90% of the time he was with us before putting him on waivers. i'm not going to get into his recent post-game comments after scoring two goals and having an assist in his opening night w coachella because he's right and he should say it tbh.

another thing i love is that he talks like he has marbles in his mouth. it's that dutch french canadian thing he's got going on. it's charming!!!!!!!

also he is regularly on ice in shorts and flip flops. freak ass.

the following is NOT my favorite slow-mo video of him but unfortunately when my pc bricked itself a couple years ago i lost my favorite video, lovingly titled DANIEL SPRONG THAT ASS. but this video is mesmerizing also.

and finally!!!!! here's a snippet of burky/sprog fic i will probably never finish, if you've made it this far

in conclusion:

[goldduststevie]

Stevie's essential demos and outtakes:

 J-K - songs.

* indicates unreleased songs.

Joan Of Arc * - an unreleased song from the Tango in The Night sessions, better than some of her songs that ended up on the album....

Julia * - this song was tried for both Bella Donna and Wild Heart but remains unreleased so far.

Juliet - this is from the Tango In The Night recordings, it wasn't used instead an instrumental version ("Book Of Miracles") was used as a B-side for one of the singles. Stevie recorded her solo version for the Other Side Of The Mirror album.

Jimmy Come On Back * - a bit of RAL-madness, but such a fun song (and killer background vocals by Marilyn Martin, who still tours with Stevie)

Knocking On Doors/Lady - this is an early Buckingham Nicks demo from 1971, Stevie rerecorded it in 2014 for her 24 Karat Gold album. It's one of the rare cases where I actually prefer the newer version but the vocals on this early version are beautiful.

Kind Of Woman - One of Stevie's best songs imo. This haunting piano demo is from 1976 but instead of Rumours it ended up on Bella Donna. This is another awesome outtake from the BD recordings that I also had to share.