#Advanced Metal Techniques
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quickmetals · 8 months ago
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Innovations in Metal Processing: A Glimpse into Tomorrow’s Techniques
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The metal processing industry is on the cusp of a transformation driven by technological advancements. These innovations are not just refining existing practices but are paving the way for a future where efficiency, sustainability, and precision define manufacturing processes. Below, we explore the key innovations set to redefine metal processing.
The Advent of AI and Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are revolutionizing metal processing by:
Predicting Outcomes: Analyzing vast datasets to predict machinery maintenance needs and optimize production processes.
Automating Decision-Making: Enabling real-time adjustments in manufacturing operations, thereby increasing efficiency and product quality.
Enhancing Equipment Performance: Predictive maintenance schedules minimize downtime, while ML algorithms adapt cutting speeds to ensure optimal performance.
Sustainable Manufacturing Practices
Sustainability is becoming integral to metal processing, with innovations aimed at:
Recycling: Utilizing electric arc furnaces (EAF) to recycle scrap metal, reducing reliance on virgin materials and lowering carbon emissions.
Reducing Waste: Advancements in chemical milling and waterjet cutting minimize hazardous waste and water usage.
Developing Sustainable Materials: Innovating eco-friendlier materials and coatings to ensure high-quality manufacturing that is better for the environment.
The Development of New Alloys
The creation of new alloys is key to advancing metal processing, featuring:
Stronger Materials: Computational models and high-throughput experimentation are leading to alloys that are stronger, lighter, and more corrosion-resistant.
Tailored Properties: High-entropy alloys (HEAs) offer a combination of strength, ductility, and resistance to wear and corrosion, outperforming traditional alloys.
Industry-specific Applications: Alloys designed for specific industries, enhancing safety, efficiency, and sustainability in aerospace, automotive, and construction.
The Role of 3D Printing in Metal Fabrication
3D printing is reshaping metal fabrication by:
Enabling Complex Designs: Allowing for the creation of structures that are impossible with traditional methods.
Promoting On-demand Production: Reducing inventory costs and waste with the flexibility of additive manufacturing.
Extending Product Lifecycle: Offering new possibilities for part repair and refurbishment, contributing to sustainability.
Advanced Robotics and Automation
Robotics and automation are reaching new sophistication levels in metal processing through:
Adaptable Robots: Capable of performing complex tasks with high precision alongside human workers.
Collaborative Robots (Cobots): Enhancing safety and efficiency without replacing the workforce.
Integrated Technologies: Combining advanced sensing technologies and IoT connectivity for real-time monitoring and control.
Conclusion
The path forward for metal processing is illuminated by these technological innovations, promising a future of enhanced efficiency, product quality, and environmental stewardship. For companies like Quick Metals, embracing these advancements is essential for staying competitive and contributing to a sustainable manufacturing future. As we embark on this exciting journey, the potential for transformation in metal processing is boundless, offering a glimpse into a future where innovation leads the way.
Original content: https://quickmetals.com/innovations-in-metal-processing-a-glimpse-into-tomorrows-techniques/
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smartratework · 7 months ago
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pvc electric red and blue wire #smartratework#tumblr
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ismailfazil1-blog · 6 months ago
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Excavating Adventure: A Comprehensive Guide to Treasure Hunting Strategies
"Excavating Adventure" is your ultimate guide to the thrilling world of treasure hunting. This comprehensive book explores various strategies, from traditional methods to cutting-edge technologies, ensuring treasure seekers of all levels have the tools they need to uncover hidden riches.
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Dive into the rich history and techniques of treasure hunting, starting with decoding ancient clues and using modern metal detectors. Explore the depths with underwater exploration and magnet fishing, or embark on a digital quest through geocaching. Discover the mysteries beneath urban landscapes through urban exploring and geophysical surveys, while advanced methods like satellite imaging and sonar technology offer new perspectives on uncovering the past.
In addition to practical techniques, "Excavating Adventure" delves into the world of archaeological excavation, meteorite hunting, and fossil discovery, bridging the gap between science and adventure. The book also addresses crucial legal considerations, ensuring that treasure hunters remain within the bounds of the law as they pursue their passion.
Concluding with a captivating history of the world's most expensive treasures and ancient methods of discovery, this guide provides a wealth of knowledge for anyone eager to embark on their own treasure-hunting journey. Whether you're a seasoned adventurer or a curious beginner, *Excavating Adventure* equips you with the skills and knowledge to turn your quest for treasure into a successful and thrilling adventure.
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jadeseadragon · 1 year ago
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@baytal.fann
"Did you know that the art of stained glass originated in the Muslim world?
In the eighth century, skilled glassmakers in Egypt made a groundbreaking discovery—the technique of painting glass with metallic stain. This innovation led to the creation of transparent stains, colored with copper (producing red or brown) and silver (resulting in yellow), which became distinctive features of early Islamic glassware in Egypt and the Near East.
Fast forward to the 13th century, when decorators in the Syrian region achieved a significant milestone by applying enamels on glass on a large scale. Over the following two centuries, Syrian and Egyptian craftsmen crafted a diverse array of glass objects in various shapes and sizes, adorned with brilliant polychrome ornamentation. These items served practical purposes such as hanging lamps for illuminating mosque interiors, as well as functional vessels and other useful items, along with awe-inspiring display pieces.
In the later Middle Ages, European admiration for Islamic luxury glasses soared due to their exotic aesthetics and advanced technical craftsmanship. Some even believed these objects to be relics from the Holy Land. Fragments of Islamic glass, often adorned with gilding and enameling, have been discovered in archaeological excavations across Europe, while intact pieces grace cathedral treasuries. Notably, excavations have unveiled evidence of the exportation of Islamic glass vessels to China, highlighting the widespread influence and global trade connections of this innovative art form."
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luna-azzurra · 9 months ago
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Tips for Fight scenes #1
Consider how each character's personality, background, and motivations would influence their fighting style and tactics. A character who is impulsive might rush into a fight without thinking, while a more strategic character might carefully plan their moves. Use the fight scene as an opportunity to reveal hidden depths or conflicts within the characters.
Take advantage of the surroundings to add dynamism to the fight. Characters can use objects in the environment as weapons or shields, or they might use the terrain to gain tactical advantages. Think about how the setting could influence the flow of the fight and make it more engaging for the reader.
Describe the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of the fight to immerse the reader in the action. Instead of just focusing on the physical movements of the characters, bring the scene to life by painting a vivid picture of the entire sensory experience. For example, describe the metallic tang of blood in the air or the adrenaline-fueled pounding of the characters' hearts.
Ensure that the fight scene serves a purpose beyond just showcasing action. It should advance the characters' emotional journeys or the overall plot of the story. Consider how the outcome of the fight will impact the characters and their relationships, and use it as a catalyst for further developments in the narrative.
Don't limit yourself to traditional weapons or fighting styles. Research different martial arts, historical combat techniques, and improvised weapons to add variety and authenticity to your fight scenes. Think about how each character's unique skills and resources would shape their approach to combat.
Use pacing, suspense, and foreshadowing to build tension leading up to the fight. Hint at the conflict to come, then gradually escalate the stakes as the scene unfolds. Consider incorporating moments of uncertainty or doubt to keep the reader guessing about the outcome.
Every character should have strengths and weaknesses that come into play during the fight. These vulnerabilities could be physical, emotional, or psychological, and they should add depth and complexity to the conflict. Think about how each character's flaws or insecurities might be exposed under pressure.
Show the aftermath of the fight and the impact it has on the characters and the world around them. This could include physical injuries, emotional trauma, or changes in the balance of power between characters or factions. Use the fallout from the fight to drive further conflicts and developments in the story.
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lotpixel · 1 year ago
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LOTPİXEL - DEVASA+
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Texture is an essential element in design that refers to the distinct visual and tactile characteristics of a surface. It can be described as the feel, appearance, or consistency of a material, and it plays a crucial role in creating a sense of depth and dimension in design. Texture can be added to designs in various ways, including through the use of images, patterns, and materials. The use of texture can significantly impact the overall look and feel of a design, making it an essential consideration for designers. The importance of texture in design cannot be overstated. Texture can add depth, interest, and realism to a design, making it more visually appealing and engaging. It can also help to communicate information about the material or surface being depicted, such as its hardness, softness, or roughness. Textures can also be used to create contrast, balance, and harmony within a design, making it an essential tool for achieving a cohesive and well-designed final product. LotPixel.com is a valuable resource for designers seeking high-quality free textures. The website offers a vast library of textures in various resolutions, including 1k, 2k, 4k, 8k, and 16k. The textures available on LotPixel.com cover a wide range of materials, including asphalt, brick, concrete, fabric, metal, and marble texture. The site also offers PBR textures created using advanced photogrammetry techniques, ensuring a seamless and realistic texture for design projects. By incorporating these free texture into their designs, designers can save time and money while still achieving high-quality and visually appealing results.
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gliphyartfan · 4 months ago
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What do you think about the au humans are hylian space orcs?
Aaaa…hmmm
Ah yes I read that~
Four would be both bewildered and captivated by the fact that his best work can’t withstand Reader’s sheer strength. (Also most likely devastated that there is another person other than Wild who destroys weapons)
After watching them break or dent a weapon that took him days to make, he’s immediately on a mission to craft something that can keep up with them.
If given the opportunity, he’d spend hours, maybe even days, experimenting with Hylian metals, Goron ores, and enchanted gemstones, all in an attempt to create a weapon worthy of their power.
Each weapon he hands them is tested rigorously, and each failure only motivates him further. (Cause if it can handle their strength, than Wild can finally have one that won’t break.)
Each of Four’s colors has an opinion on the project too!
Green tries to focus on durability, while Blue insists they need harder materials.
Red wants to add enchantments for safety, and Vio is all about elegance and versatility.
They even argue over who’ll be the one to present Reader with the final weapon (whenever they feel it’s perfect.)
Compared to Hylians, I think along with strength and durability, Reader would have sharper senses, especially smell and sight. (Well sharp for a Hylian, pretty normal for humans)
They could detect subtle hints of smoke, monster musk, or even a change in the wind long before the others notice anything.
The group quickly learn to rely on them, amazed that they can smell monsters at a distance far in advance. (This is good if Reader isn’t one to fight but feels the need to still contribute in some way to the group.)
Their heightened smell would definitely be both a blessing and a curse. While it helps detect enemy movements, strong scents like Goron Spice can be overwhelming. Reader often comments on how powerful some Hylian food and potions smell, much to the Chain’s amusement.
Many monsters would find Reader intimidating. While some enemies are too mindless to notice their differences, others sense Reader’s uncanny strength and primal aura.
Think about it! Strong, intimidating monsters like Hinoxes and Lynels would seem to respect them in a strange way, viewing them as strong enough to leave them alone (not strong enough to beat them but just strong enough that Reader could pass through their territory without anything other than being eyed by the beasts.)
Stalfos and other undead creatures could be particularly wary; maybe they almost sense that Reader’s bones are different, somehow denser and harder to break, and they find Reader’s resilience unsettling. (But in general Stalfos and undead don’t really think so they probably are part of the mindless pile)
But if they did think, they’d most likely be frightened by Reader. Seeing Reader throw one of their own in a moment of frustration or lift a broken weapon sends them into a panic. (But probably not)
Time would both irritated and fascinated when (y/n) steps in to protect him. It messes with his self-assigned role as the group’s guardian, and he’s unused to the idea of someone else shielding him.
Initially, he tries to brush it off or even scold Reader for stepping in, but when he realizes how capable they are, he probably feels a strange sense of amazement(and a little embarrassment).
Over time, he probably grows to trust their strength and finds himself relying on them almost reluctantly, (but quietly respecting them for it.)
Warriors at first, would be annoyed when (y/n) jumps in to protect him.
He’s used to being the captain and doesn’t want Reader risking themselves on his behalf.
But after seeing their strength in action, he’s deeply impressed (and a little possessive). He’s soon insisting they train together, hoping he can learn from their unique approach to combat and maybe teach them some of his own techniques. (That depends on if Readee uses a sword of any weapons Warriors is familiar with)
He views them as a powerful asset to the team, and while he admires their independence, he can’t help but feel a little territorial when Reader fights for him. (As he should.)
Wind is completely in awe of Readsr, seeing them as a heroic figure straight out of a legend.
He loves to hear their stories of Earth and insists they teach him to swim against strong currents. (Maybe he’ll finally last longer than several moments)
Reader’s strength make him want to be better, and he’s soon clinging to them for advice and guidance on everything from combat to survival. He’d bring her little souvenirs he finds, hoping to impress her.
But he DOES get a bit envious of their strength. Wind does occasionally feel like the little brother of the group, can get a little insecure them her handle monsters with ease. He’ll go out of his way to show off in front of them, trying to prove he’s just as tough, even if he sometimes bites off more than he can chew.
Hyrule would be fascinated by their physical resilience, and he’s constantly asking questions about human culture, Reader’s world’s monsters, and even their sense of smell. He’s especially amazed by what types of food they eat that he knows would make him deathly ill, and that always leaves him reeling.
Whenever they’re around, he’s watching her intently, absorbing every detail he can to better understand her.
Despite their strength, Hyrule can’t help but feel a deep protectiveness for them. He sees their slower healing as a vulnerability and insists on caring for their wounds and ailments whenever they appear.
He views it as his personal responsibility to make sure Reader’s safe, even though they can obviously handle themselves.
Wild is both amazed and a little intimidated by them (mark him down as scared and horny). He’s never met anyone who could eat the wildest Hyrule dishes without complaint, and he admires their adventurous spirit. They form an immediate bond, exchanging survival techniques and constantly pushing each other to new limits.
The two of them often find themselves in playful competitions, seeing who can handle the spiciest foods, carry the heaviest pack, or endure the most extreme conditions. (Reader tends to Win the strength contests)
Wild sees them as a kindred spirit, though he’s always secretly hoping to impress them.
Legend is equal parts fascinated and annoyed by their strength. He’s used to being the seasoned hero, and watching them take on monsters with brute force is both impressive and a little insulting. Still, he’s curious about Reader, even if he’d never admit it.
Though he’d roll his eyes at their antics, Legend keeps a close eye on them, never quite able to shake the sense that they’re different.
If Reader picks Twilight up, whether in Hylian or wolf form. He’d freeze, mortified and embarrassed by the gesture, but over time, he becomes completely enamored with the way they so casually carries for him (he’s used to carrying, not being carried and he’s learning why people like it so much), and he finds himself eager for their attention, even if he’d never admit it.
Twilight can’t shake his instincts to shield them from harm though. He’s constantly watching their back and getting defensive when others approach Reader, feeling deeply possessive over them.
Sky wouod be enchanted by Reader from the beginning. Their strength and resilience remind him of a knight’s bravery, and he respects Reader to the point of awe sometimes.
He’s constantly seeking reasons to spar or train with them, trying to absorb as much of their human technique as he can. Definitely asks them to nap with him, definitely loves when Reader picks him up and carries him when he’s still sleeping.)
Sky would be deeply curious about Reader’s world’s monsters, (or lack of) and he’d always be asking questions about Earth.
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literaryvein-reblogs · 1 month ago
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hello hello! i love your blog and it has been a fantastic resource for me. if i may ask, how does one go about writing music? my character is put in a situation where listening to a song is a large part of a scene, and i want to describe the song and music itself. while i would describe a guitar or drum, the song i have in mind specifically is mostly digital (think similar to edm) so i'm not sure how to do it. do you have any idea how i could tackle this?
thank you in advance!
Writing Notes: Electronic Music
Electronic Music - any music involving electronic processing, such as recording and editing on tape, and whose reproduction involves the use of loudspeakers.
It is produced from a wide variety of sound resources—from sounds picked up by microphones to those produced by electronic oscillators (generating basic acoustical waveforms such as sine waves, square waves, and sawtooth waves), complex computer installations, and microprocessors—that are recorded on tape and then edited into a permanent form.
Generally, except for one type of performed music that has come to be called “live electronic music”, electronic music is played back through loudspeakers either alone or in combination with ordinary musical instruments.
Musicians are always quick to adopt and explore new technologies.
The fast-paced changes wrought by electrification, from the microphone via the analogue synthesizer to the laptop computer, have led to a wide range of new musical styles and techniques.
Electronic music has grown to a broad field of investigation, taking in historical movements such as musique concrète and elektronische Musik, and contemporary trends such as electronic dance music and electronica.
The Art of Noises (1913) by Luigi Russolo is an important text in the history of electronic music, because it is the first attempt seriously to categorise all sounds and, indeed, to treat them as potential music.
Russolo wrote:
Every manifestation of our life is accompanied by noise. The noise, therefore, is familiar to our ear, and has the power to conjure up life itself. Sound, alien to our life, always musical and a thing unto itself, an occasional but unnecessary element, has become to our ears what an overfamiliar face is to our eyes. Noise, however, reaching us in a confused and irregular way from the irregular confusion of our life, never entirely reveals itself to us, and keeps innumerable surprises in reserve. We are therefore certain that by selecting, coordinating and dominating all noises we will enrich men with a new and unexpected sensual pleasure. Although it is characteristic of noise to recall us brutally to real life, the art of noise must not limit itself to imitative reproduction. It will achieve its most emotive power in the acoustic enjoyment, in its own right, that the artist’s inspiration will extract from combined noises. Here are the 6 families of noises of the Futurist orchestra which we will soon set in motion mechanically:
Rumbles: Roars, explosions, crashes, splashes, booms
Whistles: Hisses, snorts
Whispers: Murmurs, mumbles, grumbles, gurgles
Screeches: Creaks, rustles, buzzes, crackles, scrapes
Noises obtained by percussion: Metal, wood, skin, stone, terracotta etc.
Voices of animals and men: Shouts, screams, groans, shrieks, howls, laughs, wheezes, sobs
In this inventory we have encapsulated the most characteristic of the fundamental noises; the others are merely the associations and combinations of these.
Some Electronic Music Vocabulary
ADSR – Stands for Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release – refers to the envelope [i.e., characteristic of a sound (e.g. volume or filter) as it changes over time; can be used as a tool to shape a sound over time] applied to a sound to shape it over time. Can be applied to the volume, filter, pitch or more. Can make things sound plucky, soft, or ambient etc.
Aliasing – Subtle distortion that occurs in the digital realm when the input frequency is higher than the sample rate. The sample cannot be measured accurately and thus introduces imperfections into the sound.
Ambience – Can refer to a sound in a track which creates a sense of space or atmosphere – typically achieved by the use of time-based audio effects such as delays and reverbs. Also can refer to the level of sound in a recording that contains background noise, separate to the intended recording. Typically this background noise is undesirable, but sometimes it is an aesthetic choice.
Arpeggiator – A MIDI Effect that turns a static chord into an arpeggio. If that doesn’t make sense, it makes things go bleep-bleep-bleep.
Atmosphere – A sonic effect created by reverb, long tails and quieter sounds. Referred to as the background of a track.
Beat Repeat – A type of effect that takes audio as an input and repeats the snippet back at timed intervals to create a glitch effect.
Chill – A loosely-defined term to describe the sound of more relaxed, deeper and melody-driven music in electronic music. Sometimes people refer to this as a genre in itself.
Distortion – The processing of audio such that extra harmonics and loudness are added, creating a more fuller or aggressive sound. Distortion types include tube, clipping, tape, diode, overdrive, fuzz and many more.
Doppler Effect – The sonic effect of frequencies sounding higher pitched when moving closer to an audio source, and lower pitched when moving away. Like when you drive past a police siren.
Formant – A vocal quality of a sound relating to vowels, and a filter type that achieves a vowel-like sound. If you’ve ever heard an ‘oooh’ or ‘aaah’, then you’ve heard what a formant sounds like.
Gate – An audio effect that reduces the volume of a sound once it passes below a certain threshold. It’s good for reducing background noise or unwanted sounds in a recording or sample. Just like your gate at home stops unwanted people coming into your house.
Glide – Portamento—when the pitch slides evenly from note to note
Lazer – A type of sound made by a synth that features fast-moving pitch envelopes to create a ‘pew pew’ type effect.
Masking – A phenomenon when two sounds with similar frequency content cause one to become ‘buried’ due to phase cancellation or differences is loudness. For example, two piano sounds playing at the same time might cause one of them to sound less powerful and thin in the mix.
Normalize – Increases a waveform’s level to its highest before it becomes distorted
Panning – The process of moving a sound either left or right in the stereo field. Panning is a great mix technique to achieve width and space.
Polar Pattern – The way a microphone picks up a sound. Some pickup sound in many directions, others only in one direction, and everything in between.
Reflections – Part of a reverb that creates echoes based off sounds hitting walls and bouncing around rapidly.
Transient – The initial start point of a drum sound, where the audio goes from near silence to sudden loudness. Sounds clicky.
Voice stealing – When a synthesizer is programmed to play more sounds than accessible voices shuts down some present voices so new tunes can be played
Tips for Writing About Music
The most important step when writing about music is to write, read, and listen to as much as possible. Writing hones your voice, while reading exposes you to various styles and information that will shape your writing. The wider the range of music you embrace and study, the better your perspective and critical ear.
Read about music: Understand as much as possible about music, from instrumentation to how artists create their song lyrics. Reading also helps teach the technical vocabulary specific to certain genres. To help you gain a better command of music, use music writing reference books, such as A Short Guide to Writing About Music by Jonathan Bellman and How to Write About Music, edited by Marc Woodworth and Ally-Jane Grossan. Both of these works discuss how to research and write about music effectively, and are great resources for new music writers.
Stay informed: Develop an understanding of news, events, and cultural conversations that inform songwriters. For example, understanding the politics behind Russian feminist collective/punk group Pussy Riot is necessary if you want to write an informed piece on their output.
Learn music theory: The more informed your technical language, the better your music writing will be. Elements such as BPM, timbre, crescendos, adagio, and other music sounds will help you more deeply understand a particular piece of music and its relationship to other songs on an album.
Listen to music: Don’t only listen to genres that you prefer, but expand your ear to different types of music. Artists are inspired by music across time and genre, and the best music critics recognize those references.
Put work out: Whether you join your school’s paper, do creative writing, or start your own blog, getting eyes on your work is imperative to improving your music writing. There are also online resources that aggregate opportunities and writing prompts for writers of all experience levels, providing a great opportunity for new writers to get their foot in the door.
Pitch to publications: Online and print publications are always looking for new pitches from writers. The more places you pitch, the more likely it is that you will sell a piece. Don’t be discouraged if you pitch one outlet and never hear back. Lean into your passion, keep writing, and pitch some more.
Also describe the effects of the song to your character/s. The effects of music can be described using various adjectives like relaxing, calm, refreshing, soothing, etc.
Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs
Thanks so much, really glad to hear this! Choose which of these notes would be most appropriate to incorporate in your story. Do go through the sources as there are more information I wasn't able to include here.
Another reference on music-related terms, plus some great additions. And more resources that could help with describing sounds and scenes related to music in your story:
Words to Describe Sounds
100 Sensory Words
Some Percussion Instruments
Some Pop Music Vocabulary
Writing Template: Singing Scene
Finding the right words that could accurately describe the specific song you have in mind to your readers is one way to tackle this, but it's definitely a challenge. Hope you find the right words/references here!
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kaces-graham-crackers · 7 days ago
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A Love to Die For - Valentine's Special
| -Wednesday Addams x Reader- |
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Summary: A fierce fencing duel with Wednesday Addams turns rivalry into fascination. As blades clash, sharp wit and reckless defiance ignite curiosity and desire, blurring the line between enemies and something deeper. Victory is only the beginning, as an unconventional confession leads to an unexpected challenge of hearts.
Word Count: 1.6k
Somewhere along the way, this rivalry had become something else. It was supposed to be simple—an exchange of sharp words, a competition that never tipped past the edge of control. But the moment you challenged Wednesday Addams to a duel, that line blurred. Yoko had leaned against your desk, fangs glinting in the dim light of your dorm, entirely too smug for someone offering terrible advice. "If you want to impress Wednesday, do it in a way she'll actually respect." You had raised a brow. "By fighting her?" "By beating her," Yoko corrected. "Or at least making her work for it. She doesn't care about compliments—she cares about opposition. If you challenge her and hold your own, she'll be thinking about you for days." It made a disturbing amount of sense. But standing here now, on the polished fencing mat beneath the cold hum of the gymnasium lights, you were starting to think this was a terrible idea. Wednesday stood across from you, rapier poised, dark eyes calculating even through the mesh of her mask. There was no hesitation in her stance or doubt in how she held her blade. She had already measured you and begun dismantling your technique before the duel started. She wasn't wondering if she would win. She was determining how long it would take. Still, you lifted your blade. If she wanted to crush you, she'd have to earn it. The match began.
Blades clashed, the sharp ring of metal cutting through the still air. Wednesday fought like she knew the outcome before it arrived—every strike designed to lure you into a mistake, every shift of her weight a silent command you refused to follow. But you weren't a fool. You had studied her just as much as she had studied you. She favored control. Precision. Restraint. So you gave her chaos. A feint where there shouldn't be one. A reckless advance when caution would have been wiser. She adapted quickly—of course she did—but for a fleeting moment, you could see it. The way her fingers tightened around the hilt of her rapier. The sharp flicker of something electric in her expression. Amusement. Excitement. She was enjoying this. It nearly made you hesitate. And that, of course, was precisely when she struck. One misstep. One fraction of a second where she predicted your movement before you did. She turned the momentum against you in a single, fluid motion, her rapier slipping past your defenses like this had been inevitable all along. The strike's sting barely registered—what did was the sudden, breathless closeness. Her blade rested against your side, not pressing, just lingering, deliberate, and absolute. Victory. She had won. But the way she was looking at you? It felt like something else entirely. You yanked off your mask, exhaling hard. Your pulse was roaring in your ears, but Wednesday? She wasn't even out of breath. Her expression remained unreadable, but her gaze was too heavy and lingering like she was still assessing you. As if she were deciding something. And then—just as quickly as she had dismantled you on the mat—she turned and walked away. Leaving you standing there, gripping your rapier like you could still salvage something from the wreckage.
From the sidelines, Yoko let out a low whistle. "Well. That wasn't a total disaster." You shot her a glare, still trying to catch your breath. "I lost." "Yeah, but she looked at you like a person instead of an obstacle. That's progress." You opened your mouth—then closed it. Because she wasn't wrong. And that was exactly what scared you.
Wednesday sat at her desk, fingers resting idly against the worn spine of a book she hadn't turned a page of in twenty minutes. Thing tapped against the desk impatiently as if demanding an answer to a question neither of them had asked. Wednesday ignored him. Her mind was still elsewhere. Still turning over every second of the duel—how you fought without discipline but made up for it in instinct and unpredictability. The way you had dared to challenge her at all. You had been reckless. Unrefined. And absolutely fascinating.
Enid sprawled across her bed, finally noticed the silence. "Okay, you're thinking too hard. What's up?" Wednesday lifted a brow. "I think hard all the time." Enid rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but this is different. You're brooding." Thing tapped again. Wednesday exhaled, slow, and measured. "They fought well," she admitted. "Poorly executed but undeniably persistent." She tapped her fingers once against the desk, almost thoughtful. "They do not know when to surrender." Thing slammed a hand against the wood. Enid blinked. Then—her face split into a knowing grin. "Oh. Ohhh." Wednesday frowned. "What?" "You like them." The accusation was made Wednesday, but only for a fraction of a second. She closed her book with a soft snap. "That is a drastic oversimplification."
Enid cackled. "Oh my god, you totally do." Things dramatically flopped onto his back. Wednesday was inhaled, slow, and patient as if speaking to children. "I merely find them… intriguing." She considered it for a moment longer, tilting her head. "I suppose I'll ask them out." Enid choked. Thing threw himself off the desk. Wednesday lifted a brow, watching them flail in disbelief. "You're both being ridiculous." Enid pointed an accusatory finger at her. "You—Wednesday—you just said that like you were deciding to conduct a science experiment!" Wednesday simply folded her hands over her lap. "Perhaps I am." Thing slammed the floor in frustration in an attempt to face-palm. Enid groaned. "Oh my god. This is the worst enemies-to-lovers I've ever seen." But Wednesday ignored them both. Because for the first time in a long time—She was curious. And that? That was dangerous. You should have expected it. Really, you should have.
But when Addams appeared at your dorm door on Wednesday at exactly 9:06 PM, rapping her knuckles against the wood with the precision that suggested she had calculated the most effective knocking pattern for optimal response time—yeah, you hadn't expected that. You stared at her, still gripping the door handle, brain scrambling to catch up. "…Addams?"
Wednesday lifted her chin slightly, her expression unreadable except for the sharp flicker of something in her dark eyes—like she was studying you, assessing how best to deliver a blow. "I have decided something," she said, with no preamble. You blinked. "Um. Okay?" Thing appeared on your desk, signing to warn you of the incoming disaster. Wednesday barely acknowledged him. "I've given the matter appropriate consideration," she continued, voice flat, clinical-like she was delivering a scientific thesis instead of… whatever this was. "And I've come to a conclusion." A pause. A long pause. "…Are you gonna tell me, or are we standing here until the next century?" She didn't even blink. "We should go on a date." The words hit like a punch to the sternum. You blinked again. Once. Twice. Brain buffering. "… I'm sorry, what?" Wednesday tilted her head slightly as if contemplating the possibility that you had lost all cognitive function. "A date," she repeated, unaffected. "A courtship. An outing for mutual observation and analysis, culminating in the determination of compatibility." Your jaw dropped. "Did you just—did you just ask me out like it was a lab report?" "I fail to see how else one would ask someone out." You ran a hand down your face, your brain struggling to keep up with reality.
Wednesday Addams. Asking you on a date. You squinted at her, trying to read between the lines. "Wait. Is this another mind game? Are you trying to humiliate me in some slow-burn, Addams-style revenge plot?" Wednesday blinked, expression as unreadable as ever, but her voice dipped just slightly—lower, quieter. "I do not waste time on things that do not interest me." Your stomach did something that felt dangerously close to flipping. And then—just like that—you understood. The fencing match. The scrutiny. How she had studied you was like an enigma that required solving, a puzzle that was suddenly worth solving. Wednesday didn't just challenge people. She tested them. And somehow—you had passed. You exhaled, still struggling to process the reality of your life choices leading up to this moment. "Okay, um. First, that's the creepiest way anyone's ever asked me out." Wednesday hummed, pleased. "Good." "Second of all—are you seriously interested in me?" Her dark eyes didn't waver. "I would not waste my time otherwise." …Okay. That was probably the closest thing to a confession you would ever get. You crossed your arms, tilting your head. "Fine. Where exactly would we be going if we go on a date?" Wednesday clasped her hands behind her back, her posture almost too composed, as if she had already anticipated the question. "There is a cemetery just outside Jericho that dates back to the early 1800s," she said with zero hesitation. "They host midnight burials for reenactment purposes. I believe it would be both informative and engaging." You stared. Thing threw himself off your desk. "… You're taking me to a funeral?" "A simulated funeral," she corrected. "There will be organ music." You dragged a hand down your face, questioning every decision that led you here. "…You know what? Fine. Let's do it." Wednesday's eyes glinted, satisfied. "I knew you would say yes." Oh god, what had you just agreed to?
|Back in Wednesday's Dorm| "You're actually going on a date," Enid whispered, half in shock, half in delight, watching as Wednesday methodically polished the buttons of her usual black attire. Wednesday didn't look up. "I would not have asked otherwise." Thing tapped aggressively on the desk, asking what she planned to do next. Wednesday considered. "If the evening goes well, I may ask them to assist in an exhumation." Enid screamed into her pillow.
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gravity-what · 1 month ago
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I���look, I know this is supposed to be for OCs okay? But I was doing my Chinese practice so here we are…
(My practice was just colors and animals so there is a good chance that the other stuff on here is wrong, but I did my best. 😵‍💫)
Anyway, all of these are very specifically for the trio while they were together/before Chase’s betrayal. Including the songs which I put way too much research into. Hadn’t had the reason until now to read ancient Chinese poetry…
Translations and heavy details (fair warning, it’s a lot) under the cut:
Dashi
風/风龙 = Wind Dragon/Dragon of wind. Although there is a reason it’s so heavily obscured/faded.
大熹 = Dashi. Original named ‘大师’ (literally ‘Grand Master’) but he purposefully changed it upon joining the whole Dragon mess because he didn’t like the implication of his name and what it seemed to insist upon him. Instead he chose to replace 师 (shī) for 熹 (xī) meaning warm/bright. Dashi has no sir name per Zhang Zhung tradition.
银色 = silver (color). [all of the OG trio is represented by a precious metal in my stuff] in this case represented by Tibetan prayer wheels which are originally driven by wind. For Dashi in particular I tend to go with the Tibetan/buddhist symbolism of things so silver represents purity, protection, and ability to dispel negativity.
茉莉 = Jasmine. While in Chinese culture it represents long-lived love and loyalty, in Buddhism is actually is seen as a symbol of compassion, empathy, and showing kindness to all living beings in this world along with purity of intentions.
猪 = pig. While typically the pig represents abundance and happiness, and symbolizes honesty and generosity, in Buddhism it is also a symbol of ignorance and one of the three ‘poisons’ that cause suffering.
毽子 = Jianzi shuttlecock! Essentially a toy and one of Dashi’s favorite games to play (in my mind). Representing his playfulness and one of his main means of connecting to someone.
陌上来 = a yuefu poem called ‘Mulberry on the Path’ about a beautiful woman who gets hit on while on her way home from collecting Mulberry leaves for her silk worms. My choice of this particular piece for Dashi comes from a very specific analysis of the poem which says: “This poem depicts the image of a beautiful, chaste and intelligent mulberry-picking woman in a humorous style and comedic artistic technique as she turns down a man’s advances.” which I think Dashi would appreciate.
空 = Empty. It can also mean leisure or free time. This one’s a little complex because, while I chose 空 here, that actually isn’t considered a negative emotion. I chose it both for the initial western interpretation that comes with the concept of feeling ‘empty’ but also the deeper Buddhist/taoist interpretation of a ‘feeling between breaths’. A state of potential, openness, and the ability to receive new experience.
Guan
山龙 = Mountain Dragon (there are headcanons that go with this label but the gist of it is that the title of ‘Dragon of Earth’ didn’t actually solidify until later into 土龙 and part of that transition was Guan purposeful distancing himself from being a Xiaolin Dragon and pushing that title change so, if any scroll did magically show up with 山龙 next to his name the first association wouldn’t be to the Xiaolin Dragons.)
蕭關 = Xiao Guan. Xiao = sir name connected to the Xiao clan of Lanling with direct connections to the Southern Qi dynasty. 關 is a direct reference to Guan Yu a Chinese military general from 200 ce whose achievements were glorified to such an extent after his death that he was deified. Guan’s father named him 關 after him in hopes of him receiving as much renowned.
金色 = gold (color). While gold means a lot of good things (power, wealth, longevity, and happiness) I have specificity chosen to represent the color using the 馬蹄金 “Horse Hoof Gold” which I’m also using as a symbol of Guan’s Xianbei heritage and the cultural connection he is slowly re-affirming now that he is out of the more direct force of his fathers pressing demands.
寸寸金 = inch of gold. Meaning: Attracting wealth, rolling in wealth, great prosperity. It’s a plant mostly given during new years as a hope for these things in the coming year.
鹿 = Deer. wealth and longevity. But also white deer in particular are associated with immortality since it is believed that white fur is a sign an animals has achieved immortality. In deer specifically they are thought to live for 1000 years and to turn fully white at 500. For those who have read my Dashi era stuff you will probably recognize the additional connection to the 1000 year journey that represents the link between Chase and Guan’s friendship and ambitions.
關刀 = Guandao. While the first ever Guandao was made by General Guan Yu in 220-280 ce, Guan’s own version and modification of this famous weapon is already quickly changing it from a simple ‘Guandao’ to “the Spear of Guan”. it’s not quite there yet, but one day he is certain it will be just as famous as the Green Dragon Crescent Blade (青龍偃月刀).
木蘭辭 = The Ballad of Mulan, because Guan is a fanboy through and through.
无可奈何 = direct translation is ‘helpless’ but, from what I found online, it’s more specifically “feeling powerless or helpless in the face of certain situations, with no way to resolve them, leaving one with no choice but to accept them reluctantly.” Which, with his family situation…ya.
Chase
水龙 = Water Dragon aka: Dragon of Water
勇追 = Chase Young (Direct translation = Yǒng Zhuī, although Chase definitely still introduces himself as Zhuī Yǒng to be contrary. Also, post betrayal, he starts to use 永 (Perpetual/eternal) instead of 勇 (bravery) which are homophones of each other so, you know, still Yǒng Zhuī)
铜色 = copper (color). [If you have read chapter 2 of ‘gathering the dragons’ this is probably obvious]. However while Chase’s own interactions with the color are negative, copper does represent longevity due to how durable of a metal it is. Add that to the beautiful blue that is also becomes when exposed to water and oxidation and, well. Ya.
梅花 = plum blossoms. Meaning: resilience, perseverance, and hope. Furthermore, the five petals represent the five blessings (五福): long life, wealth, health, virtue, and a peaceful death. While not all specific to Chase, the number 5 is an important number associated with his and Guan’s relationship in my stories.
猫 = cat. Symbol of good fortune and used for pest control. While I mostly chose the cat because of its association with 9 lives (9 being an important number in Chase’s story) I also chose it because of just how much work went into adopting a cat in ancient China which…I liked they symbolism for for obvious (Omi related) reasons 😆.
手卷 = handscroll. (What can I say? In my mind he is a nerd who likes his scrolls. Side note: not sure about this particular translation at all since handscrolls seem to specifically refer to art scrolls and might not apply to historical/martial arts scrolls that I’m specifically trying to refer to here 🤷)
四坐且莫誼 = Let the Four Seats Be Quiet and Not Noisy. A Yuefu poem whose first line is 四坐且莫喧,愿听歌一言。which, supposedly, translates to: Please don't make any noise, I'd like to hear a song. Which mostly just makes me imagine Chase using it as a way to tell people to ‘shut up already and let me listen to the song already’. (Look, out of the trio Chase was the hardest to find a time-period appropriate poem for…which I still might have gotten wrong 🫠)
骄傲自大 = cocky/conceded/arrogant (negative). For…obvious reasons (tbh I love this character trait of his so, you know.)
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quickmetals · 7 months ago
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Emerging Materials in Metal Processing: Beyond the Conventional
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The constant quest for better, stronger, and more versatile materials has led the metal processing industry into a new era of innovation. Emerging materials, from advanced alloys to metal matrix composites, are opening up possibilities for applications that were once thought impossible.
Spotlight on Emerging Materials:
High-Entropy Alloys (HEAs): These novel alloys, made from five or more elements in equal or near-equal proportions, offer exceptional strength, durability, and resistance to wear and corrosion.
Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs): Combining metals with ceramic or carbon fibers, MMCs provide a unique balance of lightweight and high strength, ideal for aerospace and automotive applications.
Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs): Known for their ability to return to their original shape after deformation, SMAs are finding uses in medical devices, aerospace, and robotics.
Advantages and Challenges:
Enhanced Properties: These materials offer superior mechanical and thermal properties, opening up new engineering possibilities.
Sustainability: Some emerging materials can be produced with less energy or from more abundant resources, offering a path to more sustainable manufacturing.
Processing Complexity: The advanced properties of these materials often come with challenges in processing, requiring innovative techniques and technologies.
Conclusion
The exploration of emerging materials in metal processing is not just about pushing the boundaries of science and engineering. It’s about reimagining what’s possible in technology, transportation, and even daily life. As we continue to uncover the potential of these materials, the future of metal processing looks brighter and boundlessly innovative.
Original content: https://quickmetals.com/emerging-materials-in-metal-processing-beyond-the-conventional/
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monosanimegenericzone · 1 month ago
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Hunter x Hunter: Assorted Troupe Speculation pt 2
i have more (this was supposed to go out *checks watch* a month ago)
Table of Contents
how many principles of nen have they mastered/how proficient are they at using nen
singing voice
opinion on frogs
aura levels
knows what an optometrist is
favorite egg style
big ass post below. lots of yap. the spiders are VERY GORGEOUS TO MEEEEE.
NEN MASTERY [helper image from reddit for techniques i will reference]
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Chrollo: Proficient in all, exceeds expectations with: Gyo, In, Ken and Ryu.
Nobunaga: Master in all. I fully believe this man is a nen war machine but unfortunately has limited options being an enhancer.
Feitan: Proficient in combat techniques. exceeds expectations with: Gyo, Ko, Shu and Ken. Developing En but not quite there.
Machi: Nearly a master in all except En.
Phinks: Proficient in most. Master in Ko, Ken and Ryu. Struggles with En, In and Shu.
Shalnark: Practiced in all. Doesn't really need to use In and would struggle to learn Ko, Ken and Ryu because they are outside of his nen class. Focused more on Hatsu
Franklin: Proficient in all. Struggles with En and Shu. and tangent but- imagine franklin using In to snipe someone. invisible bullets. hear me the fuck out.
Shizuku: Practiced in all. I choose to believe she's pretty new to Nen and she's worked on her hatsu more than advanced techniques. But, exceeds expectations in Shu, Gyo and Ko.
Pakunoda: Proficient in most. struggles with En and Ken
Bonolenov: Proficient in all. Well rounded but focused more on his Hatsu and his advanced techniques are present but not polished.
Uvogin: Proficient in most. Struggles with En and Shu.
Kortopi: Proficient in En, Ko, Gyo and Ken. Struggles with/never attempted In, Ren and Shu.
SINGING VOICE/RANGE (Using Choir terms [its been a while be gentle])
Chrollo: Alto/Tenor. Can consistently hit notes as long as they are in his range (has a very high range). Very silky voice but cannot do long runs
Nobunaga: Baritone. Very small range and has more of a traditional japanese style of switching notes (the long delay between note jumps and dramatized vibrato).
Feitan: no. even if he could his raspy ass voice would die after one song. that being said he can hum a mean cover. Somehow has perfect pitch
Machi: no. refuses to sing (shes a soprano with a lower range)
Phinks: Baritone. Will usually just scream. if he hits the notes with his chest it actually sounds sexy as hell
Shalnark: Soprano/Tenor. Extremely high range and proud of it.
Franklin: Baritone. He's got the low husky drawl and its so mmmmmmmmmmmm. he doesn't usually sing and when he does he doesn't use a lot of energy. if he can't hit a note he won't even try.
Shizuku: no. Soprano but has no idea what pitch is.
Pakunoda: Alto. Has a lovely singing voice, though usually sings with her head and never goes above a certain volume.
Bonolenov: Alto. Not a stereotypically good singer but can sing the songs of his heritage with amazing range and accuracy.
Uvogin: uh. Metal screaming or full chest singing. there is no in between. has a surprisingly big range just because someone (shalnark) made fun of him for not being able to hit high notes.
Kortopi: no. i honestly don't know what his range is bcs he's whispering or muttering all the time. SING. PLEASE. ANYTHING.
OPINION ON FROGS
Chrollo: neutral. they chill he's chill
Nobunaga: EW
Feitan: snack
Machi: neutral
Phinks: neutral
Shalnark: loves those freaky lil guys
Franklin: neutral
Shizuku: only likes the green and blue ones
Pakunoda: won't touch but will admire from afar
Bonolenov: loves
Uvo: neutral. likes the big ones
Kortopi: likes. will hold if he find
AURA LEVELS (based on Knuckle's units*)
*70,000 aura units appears to be the amount an advanced nen user will have. eg. Morel Mackernasey. this will be the baseline for "a lot"
Chrollo: Mid-level. He trades conditions for power so it's hard to say. and i vaguely remember somewhere it said that the abilities he borrow don't require his own aura but i don't know how true that is. personally i believe he's min/maxed the hell out of bandit's secret and his only limits are: the nen class the stolen ability belongs to and how long he can keep skill hunter active.
Nobunaga: unknown. he has enough to confidently run his mouth, but that could also be his confidence in his technique. who knows. show me your damn hatsu mister.
Feitan: High-Level. Listen. he summoned the sun. need i say more.
Machi: Mid-Level. I'd say she's on par with Hisoka who is going to probably be less than Morel. She also dips into two nen categories which greatly decreases efficiency but who knows. i could be wrong. she values strength over volume which aids to the point.
Hisoka (because i talked about him above): Mid-Level. he relies heavily on aura. his offense and defense rely on a constant maintenance of Ten, Gyo and Ken, on top of keeping track of Bungee Gum and using advanced techniques like In. But, he uses his hatsu sparingly and his fights are quick and dirty, never going over his limit.
Phinks: High-Level. also hard to judge because he ALSO relies on conditions for power. But i'd argue he's just as strong as feitan, if not stronger, in terms of base stats.
Shalnark: High-Level. he is very clear cut and easy to read so imma just say it. He's doing it. he's really doing it. having full autonomous control over the target, up to two, and having them forget are incredible feats that we have never seen in the series (except boki but he is a FRAUD). that + autopilot. i have an entire post on it go look it up
Franklin: Mid-Level. hard to tell. I can argue he's high level if we saw more feats. Mowing down 200 people is less impressive if you consider that he had piercing bullets and also 2 of them escaped.
Shizuku: Mid-Level. as said above I think she's newer to nen and has a long way to go. but as she is now, she's on par with the troupe so she's doing really well for what she has.
Pakunonda: Low-Level. Paku is clearer since we know what her restrictions are and she has two very powerful conditions: she must initiate touch and she can never fulfill her greatest desire. as for the bullets, those are easy conjuration and we know she doesn't use them a lot. therefore, she doesn't need a lot of aura to pull off what she does.
Bonolenov: High-Level. Jupiter. need i say more. ..... i don't but im gonna anyway. this man has THREE FUCKING HATSUS. he uses AT LEAST TWO- count 'em- T W O per fight. i need to stop myself before i explode
Uvo: High-Level. Probably the highest levels in the troupe and probably even exceeds Morel. He has one small condition on Big Bang Impact and it STILL did that much damage. On top of that, the capacity to take an anti tank weapon and DEADASS BE WILLING TO TAKE ANOTHER SHOT.
Kortopi: High-Level/Unknown. He might have conditions on Gallery Fake but we have been told nothing so the only fair thing to do is judge him with the idea that he is doing everything he's doing raw. From that perspective he probably outclasses Uvo by a long shot with aura levels close to a Chimera ant captain.
KNOWS WHAT AN OPTOMETRIST IS
Chrollo: yes
Nobunaga: yes
Feitan: no
Machi: no
Phinks: no
Shalnark: yes
Franklin: no
Shizuku: yes, duh
Pakunoda: yes
Bonolenov: no
Uvogin: no
Kortopi: yes
FAVORITE STYLE OF EGG (controversial)
Chrollo: Poached
Nobunaga: in soup or in chawamushi
Feitan: Only accepts it perfectly peeled, hard boiled
Machi: Tamagoyaki/scrambled
Phinks: Fried, over medium
Shalnark: Freeze Dried (as in out of a ramen packet)
Franklin: Soft Boiled
Shizuku: Tamagogohan or Fried over Rice.
Pakunoda: Omlete
Bono: Any. Not really picky
Uvo: Egg Fried Rice
Kortopi: Sunny Side Up
(did i have to look up different ways to prepare eggs? . . . . . . yes)
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itsvenera · 11 months ago
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ship: sasuke x fem! reader
genre: fluff
sasuke is travelling around the shinobi world during the blank period and he falls in love with a shinobi from one of the smaller villages like, the hidden waterfall after going on missions with them and eventually after a few months of knowing them he confesses ☺️😉
Sasuke x fem! reader
author's note: Once I read the request, I immediately had a scenario forming in my head and the whole story kind of "wrote itself"! I feel I did move a bit from the original request, but I really hope you still enjoy it! <3 Thank you so much for your ask!
Warnings: none really (Sasuke may be a little bit ooc? idk, it's always hard to decide with him, isn't it?)
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“Again.”
Taking a deep breath, your hands instinctively moved in front of your chest, forming the now way too familiar hand signs. Feeling a burning sensation forming in your stomach, you brought your hand up to your mouth, creating a cupping motion and exhaling a large wave of water from between your lips. One by one the targets across the wall opposite of you fell on the floor, unable to withhold the strong pressure of the water.
A thin wooden stick suddenly slapped you across the wrist, making you drop your hand with a wince.
“Again.”
Gritting your teeth, you repeated the action, spewing a large amount of water from between your lips, while twisting your body towards the right side of the room. Moving your aim across the wooden targets that stood in a row, you made sure to hit all five of them, before dropping your hand away. Turning towards your teacher, you slightly bowed your head, before clasping your hands in front of you.
Yakizo, the middle-aged woman who your family hired to be your teacher, looked at you with squinted eyes, before clicking her tongue and letting out a scoff.
“Hmph”, she walked around you, the end of the stick hitting the lower end of your waist, immediately straightening your posture,
“You are not fit for a fighter. Perhaps you should focus more on your healing studies.”
You bit the inside of your cheeks, a strong metallic taste filling the inside of your mouth.  The strong urge to snap back at the woman was making your fingers tremble and for a second you entertained the idea of unleashing your water wave jutsu directly at her always scowling face.
Your life has not always been like this.
Years ago, when your father was still among the living, you were trained alongside your brother Shibuki in various fighting techniques. But once he passed away and your sibling became the village head, everything changed. After drinking some of the Hero Water, Shibuki feared that his life span would shorten the same way it happened to your father, which would leave you as the only remaining member of the head family.
And that thought alone was enough for Shibuki to become paranoid and overly protective of you.
You were rarely allowed to go on missions and when you did - they were always lower-rank missions, way below your level of training and skills. Your lessons started to focus primarily on healing and medical ninjutsu, a decision made by Shibuki since "the village would benefit way more from having a highly-skilled healer, than another fighter".
When you refused to give up your fighting lessons, your brother decided to hire Yakizo to be the one teaching you. She was a bitter lady in her late 40s, who was a decent fighter, but a questionable tutor. She refused to let you practice anything more advanced than basic water release attacks and even then, she has always found something to critique.
"Lady Y/N", a voice called out. Both you and Yakizo turned towards the door, where a young male servant stood with his hands clasped behind his back, "Lord Shibuki request your presence."
Nodding your head, you turned towards your tutor, before laying your palms against each other in front of your chest and bowing respectfully. She never returned the gesture, instead clicking her tongue and twirling around, making her way towards the exit. You waited for a minute after her exit, before finally exhaling a breath of relief.
"Tough session, huh?", the servant asked, leaning against the door frame and smiling at you. You playfully rolled your eyes, before making your way towards him.
"Isn't it always, Suni?", you joked, exiting the room, "I don't understand why Shibuki insisted for her to be my teacher. I am pretty convinced she hates me."
Suni hummed in agreement, quickening his step so he could be beside you. Despite being from different social classes, both of you shared a strong friendship, which was formed early in your childhood days. Being the only person who knew the real dynamic of your strained relationship with your brother, he was also the only person you could fully relax and be open to.
"Perhaps this is exactly why he chose her", he said, tapping his index finger against his chin, "Maybe he hopes that since she is so awful, you are going to give up fighting altogether."
You snorted at his words, but you saw the logic behind them. And knowing Shibuki, it would not be surprising if that was his interior motivation for the choice.
"If it is going to make you feel better, I heard he is sending you on a mission", Suni said, bumping your shoulder playfully with his, "And this time it does not involve picking any fruits or vegetables."
A small spark of curiosity appeared in your eyes and you looked towards Suni, silently inviting him to say more. He, however, remained silent, choosing to move his gaze ahead instead.
"Are you not going to tell me more?", you pressed, leaning your head towards him, while trying to catch his eyes again. The way his face suddenly reddened and his eyes twitched in every direction but yours led you to believe that he knew more than he was letting on.
Fortunately for him, before you could enquire more, you both found yourself in front of the wooden sliding doors of the grand hall. Suni gave you a small apologetic smile, before sliding the door open.
"Lady Y/N", he announced your presence, before stepping aside and clearing a way for you to enter. Stepping inside, your eyes immediately fell on two male figures sitting opposite each other in the middle of the hall, one of which was your brother.
"Sister, welcome", Shibuki smiled and stood up, making his way towards you. You bowed your head towards him, before turning your attention to the other man. He remained seated with his head tilted down, calmly sipping from a small cup full of jasmine tea. His long raven locks fell in front of his face, blocking most of it from your view, but revealing enough for you to get an idea who he was.
"Please come meet our guest", Shibuki enthusiastically said, offering you his arm to grab, before he started making his way back to the centre of the hall. The man, who so far has not acknowledged your presence in any way, finally stood up, turning his head towards you. His onyx eyes met yours and for a second, you felt your breath hitch in your throat.
Finally finding yourself in front of him, you politely bowed your head, patiently waiting for Shibuki to introduce you.
"I don't believe you met last time you were here", your brother said to the man, gesturing with his hand for all of you to sit down, "This is my sister, Y/N. One of the best medical ninjas in the village, despite being still in training."
You bit your bottom lip, biting down the urge to snap at your sibling. Instead, you choose to let a tight-lipped smile spread across your face, but you couldn't help the slight gritting of your teeth.
"This is Sasuke Uchiha", Shibuki continued, this time turning toward you, "He is a ninja from the Leaf Village, who kindly agreed to come here to help us with our current problem with the threats we received last week."
Sasuke's face remained stoic, his eyes focused on you. Unlike you, he did not offer any type of response or a greeting, instead choosing to take another sip of his tea, while his gaze remained boring into you.
"Very kind of him, indeed", you commented, refusing to give up in this little staring contest you found yourself in. You couldn't help but feel your body becoming more tense as time went on, a feeling of uneasiness setting deep inside your stomach. Not because of the foreign presence, but rather from the fact that you still did not have even the slightest idea of what Suni was talking about earlier.
"Right?", Shibuki brought his own cup to his lips, closing his eyes once the warm liquid made its way down his throat, "With allies like this, the people of Takigakure would have nothing to fear about."
"Forgive me my bluntness, brother", you said impatiently, your foot twitching nervously under the small table between you, "But what is the reason you have requested my attendance today? I assume it is not only so you introduce me to... your ally."
Before your brother can even open his mouth to reply, Sasuke's deep monotone voice sounded beside you:
"I need a guide."
"A guide?", your head snapped toward him, one of your eyebrows raising in a questioning manner.
"I need someone to be my guide during my time in the village", Sasuke calmly explained, his face remaining expressionless, "The threats you have received are made by a shinobi who, I suspect, are from the village. Their familiarity with the area is already to their advantage."
"I am afraid my duties do not involve providing tours to foreigners", you countered, your eyes squinting at him, before moving your gaze to Shibuki, "Brother, I told you that if you send me after them, I am fully capable to-"
"Enough!", your sibling's voice boomed, immediately silencing you, "Y/N, we already talked about this. You are not fit for fighting."
"But I am a shinobi! I just need a chance to prove myself and-"
"I SAID ENOUGH!", Shibuki's hands slammed on the table. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming his trembling body. It was a rare occasion for him to shout at you.
"You are to escort Sasuke during his time in the village. I believe you are going to be a good example of our village's hospitality and make sure he is feeling comfortable. You are going to accompany him to the neighbouring lands during the course of his investigation."
Your brother stood up from his chair, casting a quick glance at the clock on the wall opposite him. Nodding his head at the servants sitting in the corner of his room, he turned his attention back to the Leaf ninja.
"Please accept my apologies, Sasuke Uchiha", Shibuki's eyes quickly turned to glare at you, before they focused on the young male again, "I am afraid my sister sometimes forgets her lady manners and her place in this village. However, I believe she would be of great help in your pursuit of these criminals."
With those words, he bowed his head toward the man, before stepping aside and giving you one last warning look.
"Take Sasuke to his room and maybe for a walk around the village this afternoon", he commanded, before pointing his index finger at you, "And no fighting."
You reluctantly nodded your head, embarrassed that a foreign ninja became a witness to your little family row. Disagreements like this were not uncommon between you two, but so far they were rarely witnesses, and when they were, it was usually by people working at the Residence.
Once you were alone with the Uchiha, you took a deep breath, a polite fake smile forming on your lips.
"Well, then", you said, while getting up from your place, "I better take you to your room. Please follow me."
You turned on your heel and started walking, without waiting for him to get up. Your eyes met those of Suni, who gave you an apologetic look, before sliding the door open for you.
Walking through the corridors of the Residence, you had to look back a couple of times in order to make sure Sasuke was following you. He has remained silent the whole time, yet you could feel his gaze burning a hole in your back every time you faced away from him.
Finally arriving in front of a heavy wooden door, you grasped the handle and pushed it open, letting both of you inside. Quickly moving towards the window, you pushed the curtains aside, letting the daylight in.
"We are delighted to have you as our guest", the rehearsed words used for every guest made their way out of your mouth before you could even think about them, "I will be back later this afternoon, once you have a chance to rest. Meanwhile, if you need anything, a servant will be made available for you soon. You can let them know if you desire any food or refreshments."
Not waiting for a response, you started to make your way out, before his deep voice made you freeze in place.
"Your brother is right."
"I beg your pardon?", you turned towards him, waiting for him to elaborate. Sasuke was not even looking at you, instead focusing his attention on removing his cape and swords from his body. Your eyes fell briefly down his body, acknowledging how swiftly he worked his robe and weapon belt, despite having only one arm, but quickly made their way back to his face once he spoke again.
"These criminals are dangerous", he stated, grabbing his bag and starting to unpack it, "They have to be dealt with quickly and efficiently by a skillful shinobi, before they cause even more problems."
"I am a skillful shinobi", you protested, narrowing your eyes at him. Your fingernails pressed against your palms, a painful reminder that you were speaking to a guest and you had to hold your tongue behind your teeth.
"You said you were a healer", he looked at you, arching a brow. It happened just for a second, but you could've sworn that you saw the corner of his lip twitch upwards in what looked like a smirk. It disappeared as fast as it came, leaving his expression blank.
"Shibuki said I was a healer", you corrected, emphasizing your sibling's name. Sasuke hummed, looking you up and down, before focusing on unpacking his back again.
"And is he mistaken? Given your attire, I can already assume you are definitely not a fighter."
"Well, your assumption is wrong", the words came out more snarky than you intended, yet you did nothing to correct the way they sounded. Something about the way he was speaking irritated you - his tone, so calm and collected, sounded almost mocking in your ears. You couldn't help but feel judged by this stranger - whether it was because your brother has said something to him earlier or because he simply lacked a basic respect towards women - you did not know, but you did not like it.
Sasuke did not say anything else, instead letting out a low "hn" sound. He continued putting his clothes away, neatly arranging them by colour and size in the wardrobe. You stood in your place, following his movements with your eyes, before looking down at your dress. Technically, he was right that you were not dressed as a ninja - your long flowy light green kimono would be highly impracticable in a real fight, despite the fact you wore it during your basic training earlier. However, you felt unfairly judged, considering that you were at your own home, so of course you are not going to wear fighting attire.
Irritated by his earlier comment, you decided to bite back:
"You may have fooled my brother, Sasuke Uchiha", your voice came out low and sharp, "But the villagers, including myself, have not forgotten the terror you and your team of rogue ninjas have caused to our neighbours and allies. Do not mistake our hospitality for an opportunity to try and harm our village."
The words made Sasuke's movements halt for a while, his eyes glancing towards your through the thick curtain of raven hair covering half of his face.
"You have heard of me."
You scoffed, rolling your eyes.
"We live in the Village Hidden by a Waterfall, not in a hole in the ground", you replied, turning towards the door again, "And even then, I believe your reputation would've found its way there too."
Before exiting you made sure to stop, giving him a chance to give you any sort of reply, which he did not. Instead, he remained silent, and after a minute of waiting, you heard him walking towards the wardrobe again, carefully arranging his stuff. Realising you won't get a response, you left the room and made your way back to the training grounds.
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A few days have passed since Sasuke's arrival. Little words were exchanged between you, and when they were, they were primarily you explaining the layout of the village and him asking questions about the security around the area.
Being his guide was way more draining than expected. The large amount of time you spend in silence and his always blank expression soon started to bother you more than you'd expected. It was obvious that neither of you was thrilled with the other's presence, but you felt like you at least tried to pretend to be polite and appear unbothered. Something you couldn't say about him.
"He makes a lot of sounds", you complained one afternoon while sparring with Suni, "It is weird. It is like he has never interacted with another human being till this point! He just "hn"s and "mm"s all the time!"
The boy laughed, successfully blocking your swing towards his neck.
"You seem way too bothered about it", he commented, his smile dropping once you cast a harsh glare at him, "Just try to ignore him. I doubt this mission would last that long anyway."
You rolled your eyes, stepping away from Suni and wiping the sweat forming on top of your brow with the sleeve of your top. Taking this as a sign that the fight is over, he took a seat on one of the nearby rocks and passed you his pouch of water. Thanking him, you took it from his hands and took a large gulp of water.
"One mission this is", you mumbled under your breath, before taking a seat next to him, "I'm just walking the Uchiha around the village like he is on some type of holiday. Meanwhile, the threat to our village remains unresolved and my brother keeps holding me back."
Suni's eyes filled with sympathy and he laid one of his hands on your upper back, rubbing soothing circles.
"Shibuki just cares about you", he tried to reason, his words gentle and calm, "You are the only family he has left."
"As he is mine", you argued, turning your eyes towards your friend, " But I would never deprive him of the liberty of making his own choices. It's not fair! It is not right! There is a whole world out there I haven't even seen!"
You let out a sign, a feeling of guilt immediately washing over you. It was not Suni's fault for how you felt. And deep inside, you knew he was right - your sibling treated you the way he did, only because he was trying to protect you.
Sensing the way your body tensed, Suni wrapped his arm around your shoulder, pulling you towards him and landing a comforting kiss on top your head.
"Lady Y/N", a cold voice sounded behind you, making you jump away from the boy and turn around. Dressed in his cape and holding his bag over his shoulder, Sasuke Uchiha's dark eyes stared intensely at you, not acknowledging Suni in any way.
"Sasuke", you cleared your throat, suddenly feeling embarrassed by the idea that he may have heard your conversation. For how long was he sitting there?
"How can I help you?"
"I am leaving the village", he bluntly said, his eyes briefly moving to Suni and narrowing, before focusing back on you, "I believe I have all the information I need now."
You stood there silent for a while, both shock and confusion forming inside your mind. What was he talking about? What information? When did he even gather it, given for the past few days he was just silently walking around?
"I, um...", you opened your mouth, but quickly closed it again. You assume that you should have felt relief hearing his words, but for some reason, it never came.
Shaking your head, you offered him a tight-lipped smile, before moving towards him.
"That is great news", you said, your tone not matching the expected enthusiasm, "Please follow me. I will take you to my brother, before we provide you with enough food and coins for your journey."
Nodding your head to Suni as your "goodbye", you started walking towards the stairs of the Residence. You couldn't hear the Uchiha following you, but at this point, you have learned that he moved so silently, that it was impossible to hear his steps with the average human hearing. His long shadow, however, was an indicator that he was closely walking behind.
Your fingers were just reaching for the doors and about to open them when he spoke again:
"Come with me."
Your movements halted and you felt your breath hitched. Turning your head, you looked at him, sure that you have misheard him.
"Excuse me?"
"Come with me", he said again, this time taking a step closer, so he was towering over you, "We are leaving in an hour."
Opening your mouth, no sound came out, and you closed it again, before repeating. There was dozens of thoughts flooding your mind, yet none of them could make their way to your lips.
"I.. I can't! I have duties, I-", the words died on your lips and you suddenly felt unsure how to justify it.
"Duties of a 'healer', I know", the corner of his mouth twitched just a bit upwards, his expression suddenly looking almost humorous, "Your people seem to be of good health. I am sure they will manage a few weeks without you."
The mention of the word "healer" seemed to act like a switch for you and you managed to gather your composure. Your face hardening, you turned away again, grabbing the door handle one more time.
"It is not about that."
He hummed behind you, staying still.
"That's what you wanted, wasn't it? To finally have a chance?"
Closing your eyes, you nodded your head, before you let out a dry chuckle.
"I wish it was that simple", you mumbled, finally entering the building. Before you could make more than a few steps, however, a calloused hand wrapped around your wrist and tugged you lightly backward. You turned around, ready to question him, but stopped once you noticed how close he was to you.
"It is that simple", he stated, his fingers finally releasing you. His eyes traced your face from your forehead to your lips, before they stopped at your own, "I can find my way to the grand hall. You go and pack your bag. I will see you at the gates in an hour."
Before you could protest, he started walking away with a hurried step, leaving you alone in the corridor with a choice.
Either to finally give yourself what you have been craving for all your life or willingly give it up once and for all.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was either something genius about Sasuke Uchiha or something severely wrong about him.
There was no other explanation of how he convinced Shibuki to let you go with him outside the village and for an unspecified amount of time, on top of that. Either way, whatever tactic he used, he refused to share with you, instead saying that your sibling agreed straight away.
Surprisingly, Sasuke insisted on walking, saying that while it was a slower method of moving, it was a better way of caving your energy and chakra. The logic behind his decision was questionable, but you did not argue further, instead deciding to follow him. So far, he has failed to share any details about your pursuit of the criminals, other than both of you are heading towards the Hidden Stone Village.
Hour by hour, the sun was moving lower and lower towards the horizon, letting the forest around fall in darkness.
"We better find somewhere to rest. It is going to rain soon", he observed, looking up at the dark grey clouds that were slowly traveling your way. You followed his gaze, nodding your head, before looking around you. You were surrounded by trees and there was no sign of any caves or shelters, you could use as a cover for the night. Your trained ears, however, caught another sound.
"There is a river nearby", you stated, turning towards the sound of moving water, "We better set a camp there, so we can refresh in the morning."
Just like you suspected, just a few minutes walk away from where you stood, was a stream running in the middle of a small meadow. Wasting no time, you took your jacket off and started going around, collecting fallen branches, bark, leaves, and everything you considered necessary, in order to start building a short-term shelter for the night.
Sasuke watched you with interest, deciding to help you with some of the bigger branches, despite having one hand. While you knew that even like that, he was at least twice more capable of handling himself, you couldn't help but feel bad at his effort to felp.
"It's okay. I've got this."
He scoffed, ignoring your words and lifting some of the materials off your hands. You quickly dropped what you were carrying and grabbed the branches and bark back, while giving him a stern look.
"I said I've got this."
Sasuke looked at you in surprise and after a minute, he raised his hand in a defensive motion. Putting the branches on top of the pile on the ground, you again lifted all of the stuff, making your way towards the middle of the meadow.
"You have an attitude problem", he calmly stated, while watching you build the frame for your shelter. You couldn't help but let out an obnoxious snort, looking up at him with a small smirk on your lips.
"That is very rich coming from you", you mused, wrapping some of the branches together. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, but he remained quiet, knowing that you did have a point. He watched you for a while, before deciding to start unpacking some of the food and drinks you brought with you.
"You don't talk a lot", you decided to break the silence, still expertly working your hands at making a secure frame on top of which to lay the bark and leaves.
"I have nothing to say", he replied, his voice waving just the slightest at the end of his sentence. If you hadn't listened carefully, you would have missed it.
"That's usually said by people who have awful lot to say."
Sasuke didn't answer and you assumed that was the end of your short conversation. Lifting the wooden frame you managed to build, so it stands, you started to carefully put pieces of bark and leaves on top of it. Putting the last few ones, you felt the first water droplets landing on your skin.
Both you and Sasuke hurried under the shelter, escaping just by seconds the moment the rain intensified. The space was quite small and you had to sit extra close together, your shoulder and knee pressed against each other. While in any other scenario, you would feel quite uncomfortable by the close proximity, now your attention was solely focused on the raging weather outside.
The last time you left the village was before your father passed away. To you seeing the outside world again was almost like a surreal dream and you tried to engrave every single thing inside your mind, knowing that another chance like this may not present itself for a long time.
"I hate the rain", Sasuke suddenly said, bringing you back to reality. You snapped your head in his direction and before you could stop it, a loud "pfft" sound left your lips.
"How could anyone hate the rain?", a quiet chuckle left your lips and your eyes lifted towards the sky again. Rain was a rare occurrence in your village and definitely something that was admired by your people. It was believed that it carried good luck and prosperity.
"It brings bad memories", was all he said, his eyes staring at the distance. You raised your brow, expecting him to continue, but when you looked at him, he seemed lost in what you assumed was a painful memory lane.
Crawling on your knees, you exited the shelter, goosebumps covering your skin the moment the cold water drops hit your skin. Your hair immediately became drenched, sticking to the side of your face, but the small smile that started dancing on your lips hinted you are anything but bothered by it.
Your hand extended towards him, inviting him to take it.
"Come."
He looked at your hand with an unimpressed gaze, before lifting his gaze to your face and clicking his tongue in annoyance.
"Do you want to catch a cold? Come under."
With a playful roll of your eyes, you grabbed his hand and tugged him toward you, not hard enough to pull him completely outside, but enough for his sleeve to get wet.
"Are you insane? Now I am all-", his irritated rant got interrupted the moment you laid your fingers on top of his mouth, laughing at his sour expression.
"Is the great Sasuke Uchiha intimidated by some water drops?", you taunted, tugging his hand again, "Come on, stop being a coward."
"I'm not-", he started saying, before letting out a sigh. Gritting his teeth, he crawled after you, his eyes narrowing in annoyance once the water quickly made its way through his clothes and hair. Exhaling an angry breath of air through his nose, he glared at you.
"Happy? Now we are both drenched."
You shushed him with your finger, pulling him away from the shelter and towards the middle of the grass meadow. Once you were satisfied with the place, your dropped on your knees, pulling grumbling Sasuke down with you.
"What are you doing?", he sighed, reluctantly following your silent commands. Sasuke was not one to let someone drag him left and right but he knew there was no point in arguing with you, as it seemed you were just doing whatever you wanted, without real consideration of how he felt about it. He couldn't help, but question if taking you with him was really a good idea.
And then he felt it... a gentle touch brushing the sticky hair out of his face, exposing both of his eyes to you. His immediate reaction was to grab your hand and pull it away, but you slapped his fingers with you other hand before he could do so.
"Let them go."
His eyes widened, unable to move away from your own. The way you stared at him, full of hope and expectation, made his throat suddenly feel dry. Raindrops continue to fall on both of you and he could swear that the way they reflected the moonlight made you appear... almost ethereal. Almost like all of this was one strange dream, one he was not really sure he wanted to wake up from.
"You said the rain brings bad memories", you continued, blinking through the heavy drops falling on your face, "It is time to let it wash them away. Let them go."
He opened his mouth to reply but no words came out. Instead, he closed his eyes, letting the vivid images of his bloody past flood his mind. They felt so real, he almost thought he was experiencing it all over again, the only thing reminding him of the reality being the warm feeling of your hands holding his hair away from his face.
He would never be able to explain what happened that night. Perhaps he was tired, or having a weird sensation due to the cold... But something has changed. When he woke up the next day, you were already up, cooking some fish for breakfast. Looking up at him, you smiled.
"Beautiful day, isn't?", you pointed up towards the shining sun, while inhaling the smell of fresh grass, "It's like the forest had a fresh life brought into it. Wouldn't be possible if the skies hadn't cried their tears last night, I'll tell you that."
And for the first time he had known you, he openly agreed with what you said.
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You and Sasuke travelled for three months together. During this time you visited many different places, including his home village Konoha. He has not shared any details in your pursuit of the criminals threatening Takigakure, but you assumed that your long journey meant that they kept moving from place to place. It annoyed you that they always seemed to be one step ahead of you, but you used the opportunity to enjoy the scenery and experience the culture of nations, you have only read about in books.
During these months, both of you also grew closer, and you were surprised to get to know the man who was hiding behind this emotionless mask he presented to the outside world. What you thought to be a selfish and arrogant ninja, turned out to be a deeply wounded and hurt individual, who continued to seek its place in this world. He shared with you what happened to his clan, his raging teenage years, spent seeking revenge, as well the truth he learned from his brother during their final battle. He talked you through his journey of change and his ultimate decision to travel the world in an attempt to atone for his sins.
You, on the other hand, had far less to share with him about yourself but still did open up about your dream to be a fighter, your strained relationship with your brother, and the heavy burden you felt growing up in a society where women were expected to act and behave in a certain way.
"Sometimes I'm sick of being Lady Y/N", you shared one day, while you were walking through the woods, "Sometimes I want to be just Y/N."
Sasuke hummed at your words. One thing that hasn't changed is his preference to make noises, rather than use words.
"There is nothing wrong with being both", he finally said after a minute, and you clicked your tongue, before crossing your arms in front of your chest.
"But I don't want to be both", you huffed, annoyed that he couldn't just agree with you and instead wanted to counter your point, "I don't want to sit in pretty dresses and practice medical jutsus all day long. I want to fight for my people and protect them! I want to be a warrior."
Your words made the man stop in his place, turning toward you with unreadable expression. Staring into your eyes for what feel like couple long minutes, he finally lifted his hand towards your head, before flicking you on the forehead with his middle finger.
"Ow!"
He let out a low chuckle, something you have heard only once since you've met him, his expression looking amused, while yours seemed annoyed.
"There are far too many warriors there, damaging the world", he said, before pausing for a minute, looking up at the sky, "and far too few, who can heal it."
Your lips twitched sideways, brows lifting in surprise at his sudden wisdom. Adjusting the bag on your shoulder, you continued walking down the forest path,
"The most I've fixed is a broken wrist of a child", you admitted, grumpily, "The truth is that our ninjas do not get assigned a lot of missions, therefore they do not get hurt. So my healing record is just as bad as my fighting one."
"You healed me."
Those words made you stop in place. So far you've indulged only in two fights and Sasuke managed to handle both of them pretty much by himself without even a scratch on his body. So what was he talking about?
"What?"
He took a few steps towards you, stopping right in front of your face. You were not sure if the sunset was casting it's light into his pale skin or if it was a result of some other optical illusion, but there was the slightest hint of rose colour covering his cheeks.
"You are the most stubborn, impulsive, impatient, and assertive woman I know. You also have a massive attitude problem", he said and you felt your jaw drop. Was he serious right now? Clutching your fists next to your body, your eyes narrowed and were ready to fight back, before he continued:
"And believe me, I know a lot of women with attitude. Yours is unmatched so far."
Pushing him on the chest, you managed to make him stumble a step back, while you got directly in his face. With cheeks and ears reddened from the blood boiling beneath your skin, you were unsure where his sudden passive aggression was coming from, but if he was seeking a fight, he was going to get one.
"Yeah? Well, that's funny, considering you are the most arrogant man- Hmpf!"
Sasuke's hand covered your mouth and he smirked seeing the rage behind your eyes, while shaking his head.
"See? Too impatient", he said, before moving his hand and flicking you on the forehead once again, "It is this tough personality and behaviour, that is often too much to handle, that makes you the woman I admire and respect so much. You showed me what is really important and taught me how to let go of the past... past which has been haunting me for years and which heaviness I believed I was destined to carry for years."
The beating of your heart suddenly increased, loudly drumming against your ribcage. A warm feeling spread inside your stomach, making your muscles tense. You loudly gulped, bringing your hands up to move his palm away from your mouth. He let you do it, relaxing at the feeling of your warm touch.
"Are you saying..."
He nodded.
"I am saying that during these past three months, you made me feel and experience things I have never before. Seeing the world through your eyes felt like... it felt like I was seeing it for the first time too", he moved his glance sideways, focusing on the little white flowers poking out of the grass next to you, "You have brought a fresh life into my existence."
You stayed silent, your brain taking some time to process his words. Sasuke's hand became tense in your hold, a sign of his anxiousness as a result of your lack of response. He was about to pull it away when your fingers dipped into his skin, a small playful smile playing on your lips.
"Say it."
"Say what?", he looked at you confused.
"Say "I like you.""
"I've literally just did that", he deadpanned and you rolled your eyes, tugging him close to you by his arm. Pushing your face into his again, you tried to ignore his musky smell, instead focusing on remaining a serious expression.
"You didn't say it directly, you just hinted at it", you pointed out as a matter of fact, tilting your head to the side, "I want to say it directly."
"No."
"Coward."
You stepped away with a smile, but before you could pull your hand, he laced his fingers with you, before starting to walk again. His expression and attitude seemed completely nonchalant, but the slightest blush covered the side of his cheeks, neck, and ears. You smirked a little, deciding it is enough teasing for now and giving him a light squeeze with your fingers, while continuing your journey through the woods.
"I like you too."
"I know", he said, his voice giving away the small smile on his lips. Clicking your tongue, you slapped him playfully on the shoulder, before your eyes widened.
"Wait a minute...", you stopped in your tracks, noticing the waterfall in the distance, "We are back home."
"We are", he confirmed, seemingly unphased by the fact you were back to the Village Hidden by a Waterfall, completely empty-handed. Not only you did not capture any of the rogue ninjas that threatened your home, but you didn't seem to have made a lot of progress in finding who they were during the few months you were away.
Running in front of him, you laid your hand on his chest, stopping him from continuing forward.
"Wait", you panted, your brain erratically thinking of what you should do, "We can't go back. We have not found those ninjas yet, we-"
"They have been in prison for months now", he interrupted you, "We captured them on the morning of the day we left."
Your mouth fell open and you tried to pull your hand away from his grasp, but he held it firmly. Unable to control yourself, you slapped him on the chest with your free one, emphasizing each word with each hit:
"You. Tricked. Me!"
Sasuke pulled you forward, using the opportunity to wrap his arm around your shoulder and press you against his chest, stopping your movements.
"I didn't trick you", he defended himself, "I said I was leaving because I had all the information I needed, which I did. I knew who the rogue ninjas were and I left Shibuki to deal with their punishment."
You relaxed in his embrace, processing what he said. So the whole time while you thought you were chasing some genius criminals... you were just travelling from place to place?
"The day we left... You said there is a whole world out there you haven't even seen", his words brought you back to the day you sat in the gardens, complaining to Suni, "I wanted you to have that."
His words soon started to fade away and your focus shifted to the sound of his heartbeat. Your arms, which were limply hanging down, slowly moved around his waist, pressing him against you as a silent "thank you". Your eyes set at the horizon, following the shapes of the dark clouds forming in the distance.
"It's going to rain."
His chin gently relaxed on top of your head.
"I like the rain."
cc artwork: Arthur Zima
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blueiscoool · 7 months ago
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3,600-Year-Old Jewelry and Weapon Hoard Found Under Field in Czech Republic
Archaeologists used metal detectors to find the hoard, which includes several pieces of jewelry and weapons.
Archaeologists discovered a hoard of Bronze Age artifacts while doing routine survey work in a field in the Czech Republic.
The bronze objects — which include eight arm rings, two pins, eight axes and one spearhead — were found near Budyně nad Ohří, a town about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of Prague, Radio Prague International reported.
Researchers estimate that most of the items, which they found using metal detectors, date to around 1600 B.C.
"Most items are characteristic of the Middle Bronze Age, with only one ax belonging to the earlier period," Martin Trefný, an associate professor at the Museum of the Říp Region and the University of Jan Evangelista Purkyně and the curator of the hoard, said in an email. One ax is even older and dates to the Early Bronze Age.
"Axes could have been used as tools or weapons. The latter function also applies to the spearhead," Trefný said. "Bracelets were forearm ornaments, and pins served either to fasten clothing or, for example, to style women's hair."
Archaeologists remain unclear about why the hoard was buried, but they have proposed three possibilities.
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"In the first case, the hoards are presumed to have a votive function, meaning they served as offerings to deities," Trefný said. "In the second case, we speak of an economic function, where hoards are interpreted as, for example, storage for manufacturers of the given items."
Alternatively, the buried items could reflect "a crisis situation, where it was necessary to hide the items, for example, from enemies," he said.
The treasure could be worth "millions of crowns," Trefný told Radio Prague International. (One million Czech crowns, or koruna, is about $42,500.)
"All the items testify to the technological advancement of bronze casters and processors in Central Europe 3,500 years ago," Trefný told Live Science. "The composition of the hoard also contributes to understanding the warfare, craft techniques and contemporary fashion of the time. Considering that hoards might have a ritual significance, they can also reveal a bit about the contemporary religion."
In the "near future," these found items will be on display at the Podřipské Museum, located about 30 miles (50 km) north of Prague, Radio Prague International reported.
By Jennifer Nalewicki.
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hyperactively-me · 1 year ago
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king!ghost x reader -- hand to hand, man to woman
In the days that followed the incident with Graves, Ghost’s concern for your safety only grew stronger. The memory of Graves’ disrespectful behavior towards you weighed heavily on his mind. One sunny morning, he approached you with a determined look in his eyes, his usual stoic demeanor tinged with a sense of urgency.
“Darling, I believe it's time for you to learn hand-to-hand combat and self-defense,” he began.
You raised an eyebrow, somewhat puzzled by the suggestion. “Hand-to-hand combat? Why would I ever need to learn that when we have countless guards and knights?”
Ghost's expression remained serious as he replied, "Listen, dove, I won't always be here to protect you, and having the guards around can only go so far. Learning self-defense is a crucial skill, one that could prove invaluable in times of danger.”
He grabs your hand, squeezing it gently. “You should feel comfortable in your own home. I just want what’s best for you.” 
Your initial reluctance slowly gave way to understanding, and you nodded thoughtfully. “Very well, teach me.”
. . .
Over the next several days, you embarked on a rigorous training regimen with Simon as your instructor. Each morning, before the day's responsibilities took hold, you met in a secluded training area within the palace grounds. Simon taught you the fundamental principles of self-defense, emphasizing agility, smarts, and knowing how to use your body's strength effectively.
You practiced various techniques, from simple strikes and blocks to more advanced moves like escaping holds. Simon was a patient and skilled teacher, always ensuring that you felt comfortable and confident in your abilities.
One day, at the end of one of your training sessions, Simon reached into his belt and retrieved a familiar knife, the same one you had seen the night before he proposed to you in your home kingdom. 
He slid the knife into your hand, the cool metal a reassuring weight. “I want you to keep this,” he said softly. “This knife has always been with me, and now I want it to be a symbol of your safety. You should always feel safe, no matter where you are, even if I’m not with you.”
Touched by his gesture, you held the knife carefully, a tangible reminder of Simon’s dedication to your well-being. Tears of gratitude welled up in your eyes as you held the knife close to your heart. You knew that he had always been by your side, watching over you, and this gift was a physical representation of his unwavering commitment to your safety. 
“I'll cherish it forever,” you whispered, your voice filled with emotion. You pulled Simon into a tight embrace, feeling the warmth and strength of his presence. “Thank you for always protecting me, Simon.”
Simon's fingers gently stroked your hair as he held you close. His voice was soft but filled with determination as he spoke, “It's something you'll never have to ask me for, dove. Remember that.”
In that moment, as you held the knife and embraced the man who had become your steadfast protector and loving husband, you felt an overwhelming sense of security and gratitude.
- - - - -
(masterlist)
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wheelsgoroundincircles · 4 months ago
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1968 Wood, Hot Metal, and Gasoline: The Improbable Marcos 1600 GT
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1968 Wood, Hot Metal, and Gasoline: The Improbable Marcos 1600 GT
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1968 Wood, Hot Metal, and Gasoline: The Improbable Marcos 1600 GT
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1968 Wood, Hot Metal, and Gasoline: The Improbable Marcos 1600 GT
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1968 Wood, Hot Metal, and Gasoline: The Improbable Marcos 1600 GT
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1968 Wood, Hot Metal, and Gasoline: The Improbable Marcos 1600 GT
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1968 Wood, Hot Metal, and Gasoline: The Improbable Marcos 1600 GT
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1968 Wood, Hot Metal, and Gasoline: The Improbable Marcos 1600 GT
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1968 Wood, Hot Metal, and Gasoline: The Improbable Marcos 1600 GT
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1968 Wood, Hot Metal, and Gasoline: The Improbable Marcos 1600 GT
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1968 Wood, Hot Metal, and Gasoline: The Improbable Marcos 1600 GT
It’s easy to deride the Marcos, but its “plywood” is more akin to a state-of-the-art composite technology. Wood in cars? The mind goes to the faux wood paneling on
the left tasteful Chrisler production of the early 1990s, or the anachronistic Morgan Roadsters. But the Marcos 1600 GT is much different than either of those applications. And it owes a lot to one of the greatest warplanes of all time: The de Haviland Mosquito, which relied heavily on plywood construction.
Yes, plywood. We think of it as a cheap material, maybe even an inferior one, and certainly not something that has any place in a sports car. But use it correctly, and plywood's limited weight and incredible strength do wonders. Think of it as a composite material: You can alter the aspects that make up its structure to change its characteristics—the wood type, the number of plies, the orientation—just like you can with fiberglass or carbon fiber, which can be made of different weaves or molded using different techniques. And like those materials, it's impressively strong for its weight (especially at the time of the Mosquito and Marcos).
You won't be surprised at all to learn that the aerodynamicist and co-founder of Marcos, Frank Costin, worked as an engineer on the Mosquito as a during the war.
The brand is the first king, the Xilon (Greek for "wood") used plywood chassis construction (the car was remarkably ugly, too), and the GT was a further development of these techniques. The body is constructed of fiberglass and supported by the wooden chassis, which gives the car a rigid structure that's lightweight—it's about 1,800 lbs—and strong. Consider the issues that Colin Chapman had with the very advanced Lotus Elite, an all-fiberglass monocoque road
car that suffered from some notable failures. The hybrid construction of the Marcos, on the other hand, proved remarkably durable.
And to be very clear about the comparison to the Morgan roadster, the Marcos GT's chassis is plywood, whereas the Morgan has a steel chassis and an ash-framed body. Later Marcos GTs, however, used a steel chassis that had some issues. Notably rust. As such, steel-chassis Marcos are far less desirable among fans of these little sports cars.
This particular car, powered by a Ford Kent crossflow inline-four that's been bored to 1.7 liters. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission and a 3.73:1 differential.
Sources: motortrend.com ; classic.com ; wikipedia.org ; autoevolution.com
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