#Dry Fire Training Tool

[luminologism]

Sky Cotl Skytober 2024: A retrospective by ME!

All of my skytober pieces in chronological order! -> here The song I set it too! -> here

This year, I participated in an Inktober adjacent drawing event. I did the Sky Cotl version of Inktober, Skytober. Now that it's November 1st, I have thoughts and feelings about the experience, what I learned, what I did right, and what I can improve on! This post is very much for me to reconcile and reflect on the art I did this month, but please feel read and enjoy my raw thoughts as well. I feel like everybody can learn from or relate to what I'm gonna chatter on about below, so take a read if you're so inclined! I'll be touching on relatability, popularity vs niche, effort vs efficiency, and passion vs honing skill.

WHY I DID SKYTOBER

So, as I said above, I participated in Skytober! It's my first Inktober adjacent event EVER! I've done similar projects in the past related to other arts (NaNoWriMo for example) but ultimately failed! Why? Well, I just didn't see that stuff through. I did not have a strong goal, and thus the past projects inevitably failed.

This year, however, I was DETERMINED to finish this project! This is because I have been meaning to make my inevitable swap from Paint Tool Sai 2 to Clip Studio Paint for AGES. I've had this program since forever (and even had the old version Manga Studio as a kid!), but it was far too robust at the time for me to want to learn it. However, it's been sitting on my computer for ages, and I have a massive commission in the works currently! I felt many of CSP's tools would be useful for that commission, so I took a bit of a detour and decided that Skytober would help me sit down and actually spend time learning this damn program.

Needless to say, I think my attempts at learning at least a bit of the program was successful. I learned a lot of the basic functions and where I liked tools and functions placed, I learned how to fiddle with some interesting brushes, and I also spent a LOT of time learning how to (roughly) paint backgrounds! These are all skills I was desperately trying to learn anyways, so having some solid and strict direction very much helped. I still have a lot to learn program wise, but drawing (nearly) every day has definitely given me a solid foothold in this program. As a diehard SAI2 user, the jump is difficult! But I think I did alright.

MY CREATIVE MINDSET AND DIRECTION

Now, the art itself. There are favorites I have, and there are absolute duds as well. In my eyes, to be specific. Drawing (nearly) every day is bound to run you dry for some mental and creative resources, but I did a few things to help mitigate that and keep the train chugging. For a long time, I had been meaning to make a Sky Cotl animatic using the song Virtual Angel by ARTMS. That's a recent release from that music group, but it's been one of my favorites recently. I think it's a beautiful song, and with lyrics like 'for the sin of swallowing up the sun' and 'fly me to your eden, this is eden' and 'i'll be there for you when your wings break', I thought the song fit Sky Cotl's vibe perfectly. However, I know absolutely nothing about animatics, so I decided to repurpose the idea into assigning a lyric to each Skytober piece instead. This massively helped with direction of ideas. It wasn't perfect, but it still significantly helped. Another thing I did to keep myself inspired was I actually wrote out a significant number of my ideas beforehand. They were not super fleshed out at times, and often they changed if I got inspired in another way. And other times, I just completely gave up on any ideas and decided the goal was just to finish SOMETHING, if just to keep the ball rolling. Either way, at least planning some things ahead of time helped eliminate a majority of the 'idk what to draaaaw!' woes down. It also helped me stay efficient, and having the song as direct inspiration sort of kept stoking the fires of my passion and helped me keep going! Raaah! Even so, I still ended up with duds, and you can absolutely see that reflected in each pieces notes.

RECEPTION OF MY WORK

I've never had this much attention on my work before. I used to run a pretty popular twitter before restarting it (and then deleting that second one just recently due to twitter being twitter), but I've never surpassed 1000 notes on anything before. Please understand, while I know that's not really all that much, for me that is! It's like imagining 1000 people standing in the same room as me giving me a thumbs up on my silly picture. It was amazing!! I would look at my notes all day at the start of the month with a smile on my face. It was surreal seeing people's thoughts coming in in real time. Seeing everybody's thoughts and feelings and interpretations of my works was amazing and so interesting to see. There would be people simply screaming at my work with glee, giving me genuine and sincere compliments, giving me their interpretations of how my works made them feel, and so much more! The most jarring thing for me was seeing a few people tag their friends in my work. I would sit there like 'huh, this person liked this piece so much that they had to show their friend directly!'. And it made me smile.

I also got to see in real time how my efforts can directly correlate with the interactions I got. And that swung both ways. There are some pieces I posted that barely had eyes on them, and it wasn't because I did poorly. It was because I think people can very much see when something is low effort or if you post something without confidence. Meanwhile, there were some pieces I posted that I sort of just threw together, and people LOVED? My picture for the prompt 'Mural' went absolutely bonkers, and I don't even really think it's all that good! On that piece I was just testing out manga stone wall brushes and fussing with glowing layer modes. It's by far my most popular Skytober piece as of posting this retrospective though, so it's interesting to see!

Another thing I saw that was interesting and I picked up very quickly on was my own OC content sees less eyes! Not because my OCs are bad or anything, but strangers can't relate to it! Even if the art is baller, my OC content had less interest than my more vague pieces. The pieces where I posted random moths (the closer to base game look, the better) were the ones people liked the best! That, or if I posted in game characters.

OVERALL

All in all, it was a very enlightening experience! If I do another event like this again, I will not pigeonhole myself to the square little paint stamp vibe I had going on. That made it hard to branch out or many images look wider. I will also put less effort in. Funny that I word it like that, but I actually think I put TOO MUCH effort in on some pieces! That made my inspiration (and other pieces) suffer. I also think that while I enjoyed posting my works with song lyrics, I won't do that again. Or if I do, I'm choosing a shorter song. I might also combine prompt days next time.

[sheerfreesia007]

Took a Louisville Slugger

Pairing: Seungmin x Reader

Word count: 2,793

Content warnings: Violence, cursing, fire, cheating mentioned, betrayal, suggestive

Summary: Seungmin is labeled the most dangerous man in your city and you make the mistake of breaking into his car. What happens when he catches you in the act?

The evening had started off wrong as soon as Seungmin had finished up his last meeting in the office. There was just something in the air that made the hairs on the back of his arms stand at attention and made his skin itch with irritation. He had gotten a message advising that the newest small-time gang was acting up in his jurisdiction again and they were harassing the businesses that were under his protection. Feeling the itch under his skin grow he had solemnly told his crew to gather and start rolling out so that they could deal with the gang. He was going to make an appearance and let these idiots know who was boss in this town and it wasn’t them. But of course nothing could be easy or simple, why would it be?

”What’s the matter? Can't the boss man over there step up and do the job himself?” Taunted the insignificant man who called himself the leader as he hung from the grip of the large man’s fist.

”Enough Nam.” Seungmin said darkly as he pushed off from the wall that he was leaning against. He rolled his shoulders twice as he kept his dark eyes trained on the pitiful man. Nam easily released his hold on the man and let him fall to a crumpled pile on the floor as Seungmin stalked towards him. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and slipped out of it before handing it over to Nam who took it without a word and moved a few steps away from Seungmin to take his place against the wall watching silently.

Seungmin comes to stand tall over the man slumped on the floor and sneers darkly at the man. Swinging his foot backwards Seungmin lets it fly and feels his steel toed boot connect with the man’s jaw causing the man to slide across the floor with a loud moan. Seungmin stalks over to him once more and grabs him by the collar of his sleeveless denim jacket hauling him up so that he gazes into his bruised and battered face.

”Nam is the better option when it comes to punishment. You would know that if you actually did your research.” Seungmin spits out in a low dark tone. “He doesn’t enjoy it like I do.” Seungmin hisses softly and watches as the man’s eyes widen with fear as a dark smirk falls onto Seungmin’s lips.

*-*-*-*

Hours later Seungmin is walking down the sidewalk adjusting his shirt cuffs under his jacket. He looks down at the white starched material and frowns irritatedly, there’s a bright red blood stain on the cuff near where his amethyst cufflinks are. With a deep sigh he knows that he’s going to have to send it dry cleaner tomorrow with a note asking for it to be deeply cleaned.

The sneer hasn’t left his face when he turns the corner to where the car is parked and hears a loud smash from down the street. He frowns darkly wondering what other nuisance was going to mess with his night as he turns his head to see a smaller dark clothed figure standing at the side of his car on the driver’s side. He stepped back towards the corner of the building and watched silently for a moment.

The person was dressed in a dark hoodie with the hood up and a black mask covering the bottom part of their face. At least they weren’t completely stupid. Seungmin watched as the figure looked quickly around for a second before pulling out a small handheld tool and lining it up with the bottom right corner. Suddenly the driver’s window shattered and the figure quickly looked around to make sure no one had heard. Seungmin stood there surprised that this figure seemed to know about cars before anger suddenly consumed him. Who does this idiot think they are to steal my car?

Just as you’re carefully clearing the glass out of the window, Seungmin is moving silently as his anger fuels his quiet movements. Just as you’re reaching into the car to unlock it he grabs you by your shoulders and slams you face first into the passenger side door. You groan low in your throat and Seungmin takes pleasure in knowing that he’s caused some pain to you. 

He suddenly flips you around and grabs the bottom portion of your face in his large hand and yanks you forward thinking that the mask will come off with force but it’s a cowl he realizes too late as your whole body follows his movement and you stumble into him. He angrily slams you back into the passenger door and you grunt out in pain before bringing your arms up to bash into his elbow causing him to let go of you.

Seungmin is surprised by the defensive move and he curls his lip in agitation before stepping closer to you with a menacing look on his face. You dart your wide shocked eyes around his face and he suddenly notices the longer eyelashes surrounding them, he frowns darkly before reaching forward as you flinch away from him and he slowly lowers your mask. His breath stutters in his chest as he stares at you in silence.

“You’re a woman.” he says softly and instant regret and guilt fills him. He was a dangerous man but he never would intentionally hurt a woman unless she would do him harm. His eyes dance around your face as your features twist in a scowl before you scoff at him.

“Don’t stop on account of that asshole.” you snip at him and he frowns at your words.

“What are you doing breaking into my car?” he snaps back at you still feeling his anger simmering in the pit of his stomach.

“Your car? What do you mean your car? This is my cheating ex’s car.” you argue and he shakes his head as it all suddenly starts to make sense to him. He rests a hand on either side of your shoulders as he hangs his head with a heavy sigh, of course his night would end like this.

“Sweetheart, this is my car. Not your stupid cheating ex’s car.” he tells you slowly and you frown as you turn your head to look around at the car you’re leant up against.

“You’re lying.” you say softly as your eyes start to widen slightly before you’re pushing one of his arms away and rushing to the back of the car. He follows you slowly and sees you checking the back fenders for something and he scoffs softly.

“I wouldn’t be stupid enough to dirty this beautiful car with a bumper sticker.” he scoffs out and you wave your hand dismissively at him while nodding your head.

“I told him he was stupid for doing it too but he never listened to me or my opinion.” you say without thinking and Seungmin tilts his head to the side as your response. There’s something about you that just captures his attention, it might be the fact that you don’t seem to know or care that you’re in the presence of one of the most violent mafia bosses in the city. “Shit.” you hiss out before you turn and face him and he smirks knowingly at you. 

You have a look of regret on your face before you close your eyes and scrunch your nose up cutely. Seungmin can feel a sense of excitement start to build within him, you now owe him for destroying his car. Mind you it wouldn’t take much for him to replace the car but he didn’t need to tell you that.

“You should've double checked before wrecking my car, sweetheart.” he taunts softly and you scowl at him darkly for a moment before tilting your head from side to side.

“Call it blind rage after finding out that my no good cheating bastard of an ex was sleeping with my best friend for most of our relationship.” you said with a sigh as you let your eyes fall close as your head tilted up towards the sky. Seungmin watches you silently for a moment, he likes how unapologetic you sound at getting caught destroying a car that you thought was your ex’s. “My dad owns a mechanic shop, I’ll get your car fixed for you free of charge.” you suddenly say and Seungmin looks at you surprised as he raises an eyebrow.

“Makes sense why you have that tool now. And that you appreciate the car.” he says softly and you open your eyes to stare at him. Your pretty eyes sparkle at him from where you shift from side to side on your toes looking anxious for him to answer you already. “Do you have somewhere else to be?” he asks finally and you huff at him before flinging your arms out wide.

“Duh idiot. I still have to go find my ex’s car and smash it to bits.” you tell him as if he’s clueless. Seungmin’s breath punches out of his lungs at your honesty and he grins widely as excitement suddenly takes over him. “Look, here’s the card for my Dad’s shop. Give him a call and let him know his daughter sent you and will take care of the work herself.”

“You’re a mechanic?” he asks curiously and you shoot him another dark scowl that has his blood singing within his veins, the fact that you find him annoying and aren’t afraid to show it draws him into you easily. He wants to be around you more, he wants you to scowl at him like he’s a pesky fly buzzing around you. It makes him feel alive.

“With a motorhead Dad who wished he had a son of course I know how to fix a car.” you scoff at him as you walk around him back towards the driver side door. He turns with you so he can keep an eye on you and watches with bated breath as you bend slightly and pick up a wooden bat that you had propped up against the side of the car.

“Do you know who I am?” he asks suddenly as he takes a step after you and you laugh over your shoulder at him.

“The most dangerous man in our city, do I look stupid to you?” you asked him derisively and Seungmin halts at your words as a wicked grin slips onto his face before he’s scrambling to follow you as you begin to walk away with the bat slung over your shoulder.

“Can I help?” he asks as he falls into step beside you. You look over at him and he can’t help but admire your upturned face as you study him for a moment before nodding your head. He feels giddy as he continues to follow you until you come to a stop next to an almost identical car to his own. He notices the garish bumper sticker and scoffs softly at it, idiot.

“Here take my bat for me while I get us in the car.” you tell him without looking at him as you hold your bat out and he easily takes it from you. You walk over to the driver side door and quickly punch out the window. Seungmin looks down at the bat in his hands and his heart soars as his eyes trail across the words ‘Louisville Slugger’ in dark lettering on the side. “C’mon get in loser, we have a car to destroy.” you call out to him and he whips his head up to see you already in the driver’s seat waiting for him to get in. Seungmin smiles darkly as he quickly rushes to the passenger side of the car and climbs into the car.

*-*-*-*

Seungmin watches gleefully as you raise the bat above your head once more and swing it down onto the hood of the car for the fifth time that evening. He’s leaning back against the hood of his car while Nam walks up to him holding a gas can filled with gasoline.

“She’s really done a number on that car huh?” Nam asks softly and Seungmin beams at him as he turns his head to him. Nam hands him the gas can and Seungmin eagerly takes it.

“Idiot deserves it. He cheated on her with her best friend for at least two years. And fucked her best friend in her bed multiple times.” Seungmin explained, he had listened to your story about how your ex and best friend had done wrong by you and you were thirsty for revenge against them now. You had told him that while they were both holed up in the best friend’s apartment you had already blasted their cheating ways all over social media on untraceable accounts that couldn’t be accessed by anyone and would remain up with all the proof for everyone to see. And now you were taking away one of your ex’s most prized possessions, because in your words he didn’t deserve it. And Seungmin agreed with you wholeheartedly, he didn’t understand how someone could cheat on you.

“You like her.” Nam says softly and Seungmin’s grin is uncontrollable as he nods his head once while his eyes follow you around the car as you powerfully swing the bat at the trunk of the car.

“She’s different and I like that.” Seungmin says softly and Nam nods his head before smiling knowingly.

“She won’t make it easy for you.” he tells Seungmin which causes Seungmin to laugh delightedly.

“I wouldn’t want her to.” he confesses softly which has Nam grinning widely at his boss. Seungmin then pushes off from his car and begins walking towards you and the car that you’ve destroyed. You turn and look at him before your eyes catch on the gas can in his hands and your eyes widen with excited delight. Seungmin moves around the car dousing it in gasoline before he comes to stand in front of the car at your side. He slips out one of his many lighters that he owns and holds it out in the palm of his hand. You turn your head to stare at him surprised before you reach out to take it, but Seungmin quickly closes his hand around it causing you to whip your head up at him with a scowl.

“S-” you begin to scold him using the first letter of his name as a pseudo nickname for him, it brings him joy that you’re already speaking to him this way but he smirks down at you as his eyes dance around your face for a moment.

“You’ll get it, but I want something in return.” he says tauntingly and you tilt your head at his words in silent question. “Let me take you out to dinner tonight and every night after.” he says and you smirk up at him before stepping closer to him.

“You want me so bad.” you tease him and he grins down at you as he leans over your body.

“In every way sweetheart.” he husks out which causes a wicked grin to spread across your face.

“Alright, I’ll let you wine and dine me.” you say pompously with a shrug of your shoulders before you hold your palm out waiting for him to give you the lighter. Seungmin smirks at you before slipping the lighter into your palm.

Grinning, you turn your back to him and quickly flick the lighter to life before tossing it onto the hood of the car which has the biggest puddle of gasoline. The puddle of gasoline immediately ignites and Seungmin grins as he hears your soft little squeal of delight before he wraps his arms around your waist and tugs you back against his chest, you’re still holding onto your bat but your free hand comes to lay against his own that are crossed over your stomach.

“Idiot deserves this for not only cheating on you but also because I should be the only one with this type of car.” he grumbles out and you laugh at his pouting tone before you turn in his arms to cup his cheek.

“Aww poor baby, needs to be exclusive for everything huh?” you tease him and he growls low in his throat while dragging flush against him. “Down boy, let’s go eat. I’m starving.” you tell him before tapping his cheek twice and pulling out of his arms to skip over to a waiting Nam who has the passenger door held open for you. Seungmin smirks as he follows you quickly into the backseat of his car. He was suddenly feeling much better about his day and how it was going to end.

SKZ Taglist: @intartaruginha, @kayleefriedchicken, @babigriin

[aonungyoufuck]

Runaway {Part 9}

Runaway Masterlist

DNI/BYF

Ao'nung x Fem sully reader.

Synopsis: its been a long time. Far to long but Ao'nung makes you diner. Still in the courting phaze. Honestly its just little bit of fluff.

Ao’nung felt it. The water wasn't exactly like home. It was almost a little suffocating. But he figured since you adapted to his home he could adapt to this one. 

He had been thankful that the first day here he had began marking it on his spear before translating it to a board. It had been exactly one year and six months. And he's done his best to keep track of dates. And if memory serves him right. It was almost his birthday too. 

He would say courting has gone well. 

Alongside all that he’s managed to adapt kind of well to the forest. Sure he sucks are climbing, he still can't hunt unless you help. And there are no Ikran here to tame. But hes made Progress with what you two had to work with. 

His skin feels dryer than normal and he’s spending more time in the water. Which helped in making tools and collecting more food that way. 

But you took notice of it too. Luckily for you on one day where he was deep into the lake. You manage to sneak into his hut. Finding the wood that he had been carving. And lucky for you. You also remembered what day his birthday fell on. 

“What are you doing in here?”

“Ao’nung! God i swear one day im going to drop dead from fright” You poke. 

The little pod was nothing like back home. And you could tell it could use some work. 

“Just came to see if i can help fix up your little area a little. All i have to worry bout is my hammock so i thought you may want me to fix it up a little?”

He rose a brow before sighing. “Sure. I mean i know this place is falling apart too” 

“Plus i have a slug coating that can help with the wood rot.” You commented back. 

He smiled. Extending his hand out. In it a small but shiny crystal. One that he had made sure to polish and refine to perfection. 

“For you” 

“Ao’nung..Where did you find this?” 

“There’s surprisingly a lot of stuff at the bottom of this lake”

Now When he had first began to court you He had no one to talk to. But he did remember Lo’ak asking him how to go about courting his sister. So he had a minor clue on your courting rituals not being the same. 

And he was a little bit reluctant to ask you. But you had told him however he wants to, You are more than willing to accept his courting rituals. 

You took notice of the hole that he most likely drilled into the stone. Smiling, taking the hand you wove it into your hair. 

“Ao’nung your hand..” 

Ao’nung quickly took his hand away from yours. “Its nothing” 

“Does it hurt?”  

His hands were dry and blistering. Slightly red at his knuckles and finger tips. “No. Kind of”

“You should have told me” 

“I didnt want you to worry any more than you have” 

“Ao’nung”

You grabbed his hand. Careful with the blisters as you gently peppered them with kisses. “Prepare me a fire, please?” 

“What for?”

“Well, i still have year of Tsahik training under my knowledge. Not to mention we are in the forest” 

Ao’nung rolled his eyes, smirking a little as he could only help but sigh. “Alright alright fine. Just be safe alright?”

“Dont worry love. Ill be back soon” You bid him a quick goodbye before heading off again. 

Ao’nung was glad you hadn’t looked more into the place. He had been working hard on making you the greatest meal he could make. Cooking or preparing food wasn’t his strong suit. But watching his mother and Tsireya for so many years he picked up a thing or two. 

He figured you were also tired of the Teylu and the fish he could gather. Lucky for him he had found fruits a while ago and had planted only two. It had borne good fruit and he was Glad. He wanted to try some more. 

He was glad too that Kiri had showed him your Omatikaya spiciest dish. 

You were taking your time. But he was glad too for the food was ready by the time he had finally seen you come by. 

“Ao’nung… Oh! What’s this all about?” 

“ I thought you may like if i prepared food for you this time” 

You smiled Sitting next to him as you looked at the fire and the food. “I love it thank you” 

Ao’nung handed you his hands. But not before giving you a new Clay Bowl. 

It had been like this since you two ran off. You would provide the highest amount of food, And he would provide the materials. Given that he had better access to it. But he wanted to bring up a point tonight. 

So while you began to mash the paste and wrap his hands he decided to speak. 

“Do you think. Maybe you could teach me to hunt some more?” 

“I can. But are you sure? I mean you have been spending a lot more time in the water”

“I want to provide more for you. How will you accept me if i do not?”

“I have accepted you a long time ago dear Ao’nung” 

Ao’nung didn’t know if it was because of the lack of people. But you had been so bold. And it made him more reserved.  Shy which he never was. It made his heart beat for you more. 

“If you want to know, I can teach you. But Know that im okay with the system we have”

“I like to provide. But i will admit it was fun to cook” Ao’nung admitted. 

You smiled. Kissing his hands as you noticed that his skin on his legs was also cracking. 

He looked so dry compared to the amount of time he was spending in the water. It concerned you and you made yourself a mental note to make more paste just in case it ever bled. 

You also took this as a good way to make sure he was eating. Giving he looked a little more sunken in than usual

“Alright alright you big baby ill teach you”  You could only smile. 

Laying down next to each other wasn’t uncommon but it was often that you didn't do this. Staring out into the sky. It was nice to see it. To feel the wind pass you by. To let the wonders of pandora engulf you. 

“What is that?” Ao’nung commented, making you look at what had gingerly landed on his hand. 

“Atokirina” You let out a gasp as you took a look at the wood sprite that had landed on Ao’nung. 

Little by little and one by one they surrounded you two. Engulfing you in a light show you could only dream of. 

Feeling like the young adults you were two years ago when Ao’nung had told you those sweet nothings. 

“There must be a tree of souls nearby,” you commented. Laughing a little as you watched them leave. 

“We should go find it one day” Ao’nung suggested. 

“No. It is sacred to another clan. It would be rude if we did so” 

Ao’nung could only laugh at your words. 

—----------------------------------------------

“One year Tonowari” Ronal spoke through her tired voice. All this time she had wept for her son. She often stayed in her pod helping when needed and leaving when left alone. 

Her voice lost its fierce strength and now it was tired. Strained and harsh because she had grown so tired of it. Tired of wanting to understand why Ao’nung had left. 

But she knew. She knew too well and she oftentimes found herself upset for  not making an effort to understand her son’s devotion to you. 

“I know Ma Ronal” 

“What is this Tonowari” she spoke. She was so worried. And whilst she blamed you in the beginning. She was worried for you too. It was like having another Daughter. For Eywa’s sakes

She had accepted Lo’ak to Court Tsireya as to not lose her too. Oftentimes she found herself by the spirit tree. Wondering, asking for their safe return. Asking her that if you two return, she will happily take you two back. No matter the costs. 

Ateyo had grown so quickly and she was missing out on her oldest son. 

She would clean his spear, his nets and anything just so that if he were to come back. He would be coming back to what was normal. 

Oftentimes Tonowari found her. Reliving the memories of Ao’nung. Like a baby he was. Like the young boy he was. The Kid Ronal Adored so much now that he was gone. He too prayed to Eywa for your return soon. For it broke his heart to much to see her in such pain.

----------------------

Taglist: @simp-erformarvelwomen / @luvlykrispy / @yeosxxx / @fanboyluvr / @littlethingsinlife / @eirianna / @elegantkidfansoul / @tsukibaby1 / @adaiasafira / @1-800-not-simping / @reggiesslut / @cmfouatslota77 / @slutforsmut4ever / @zatarias-pandora / @valovesyou / @tachiara / @ghost-lantern / @victorianhorrors / @irlydontknoanymore / @hellok1ttycake / @sweetheartlizzie07 / @audigay

[objecthusbandry]

keeping objects as pets #3: candles!

hi there! in this series, i’ll be going over basic descriptions of commonly-kept object species (and some rare ones too!), facts about them, why you might want one as a pet, their basic needs and necessities provided you want to house one, and things you should NEVER do. for the third of this series, we're covering candles!

description

candles are a very diverse breed of object that come in a ton of unique shapes and sizes. some are short and stocky while others are very tall! they usually are less than a foot tall, but they can be taller, in rare instances. their legs are plantigrade, with three fingers per hand and three toes per foot. their claws are non-retractable. their limbs, while softer underneath, are covered in hard and inflexible flame-resistant scales, similar to that of a pangolin or armadillo. they are able to light spontaneously, but this takes more energy than they typically have and they often must find a way to produce their flames on their own. their wicks regrow over time if damaged and have no nerves. they produce wax through their whole life.

facts about candles

uniquely among objects, candles can sometimes produce a thin covering of a glasslike material to protect their wax bodies. object biologists aren't fully sure why this gene is inactive in some candles and active in others. their bodies, unlike real candlewax, are more soft and malleable and therefor more prone to damage, so it's agreed on that this "jar" formation is meant as a protective covering, though with it being so fragile, some specialists have suggested it to play a role in mate selection in the wild. their diet consists primarily of insects in the wild, but can be supplemented with crustaceans as well - they seem to have a taste for shellfish.

why as a pet?

candles aren't as skittish as lanterns, and can be quite bold at times. they aren't curious by nature like backpacks, though, preferring to stay in small groups in a remote location. this can make them ideal for people looking for an object that doesn't need company every single day, though this shouldn't be an excuse to neglect them! their melted wax can be collected and used as a regular candle as well, so for people who like to meditate, this can be a great way to save money, provided they can meet the needs of the creature. these animals are quiet and reserved, and very easily trained, which can make them ideal for people with children in their homes as well.

basic needs + do’s and dont’s

as previously stated, candles primarily consume insects. they favor grubs over adult insects, but their teeth are able to crack open the shells of most beetles, roaches etc. this can make them great for pest control in houses with lots of insects, but you should never rely on them for this! their primary need is that they absolutely MUST BE LIT now and then! candles produce wax through their whole lives and in the wild they will light themselves if possible (sometimes using tools to achieve this), but due to potential danger with fire indoors you absolutely HAVE to light them yourself to burn excess wax off. if the dripping wax is an issue, you can try waiting for it to harden again before scraping it off floors. alternatively you can try "dry-waxing", which is a relatively new practice for candle owners. this consists of using special waxing tools to remove built up wax from the object; care must be taken as removing too much can be extremely painful for the object and possibly even kill them. this is why i recommend taking your object to the vet to have them perform this instead to avoid harm to your pet. if your candle is hesitant to go in a carrier, you can try luring them with a raw shrimp, one of their favorite treats.

their primary sources of enrichment come from their environment, which is a great way to lead into:

housing

candles don't require a massive space, but these animals do require at least a medium size house to be fully comfortable. they like to have a visually stimulating space, with bright colors - if your home has more muted colors, i suggest setting up a "den" for your candle to keep them stimulated. as far as toys go, they actually aren't as overly playful as some species, but maybe have some cat toys such as feathers on poles for them or mice to throw around.

that’s all! hopefully this helps educate anyone who is considering this species!

[this-is-not-a-slow-burn]

well if this isn't some HDB from one of my fave bands

[image ID: screen shots of lyrics for the song read as follows

[Verse 1] Freudenfreude Joy on joy (joy on joy) Cheerleader Happy boy (happy boy) Strong like bull Vu-vu-vulnerable (vulnerable) Keep my people up That's my tool Freudenfreude Happy boy Top seeder Lucky koi Heat seeker of a missile smile Don't let pricks take your inch to a mile Freudenfreude Bada bing (bada bing) She's a freight train, man Watch her swing Holy water eyes Soft skin Bricks and mortar Horizon begins

[Chorus] Sunbeams Oh, sunbeams Like God from your face Sunbeams Oh, sunbeams Like God from your face

[Verse 2] Gold sugar Hues bright when the salt is purer Hold tight (hold tight) Hold me to the bunsen burner And let the waves Crash in

[Chorus] Sunbeams Oh, sunbeams Like God from your face Sunbeams Oh, sunbeams Like God from your face

[Verse 3] Freudenfreude Dopamine Dance with time, my boy I'm a fiend Watch the night swing by Hold the scene Hold a flame, my boy I'm a dream Freudenfreude Hot like fire Docile prophet Puts a tune to my smile Send it up Like smoke to the sky Drink my water 'til the river runs dry Freudenfreude Sister's love Hold the sword So I'm soft to the touch Hold the phone Hold the clutch Watch me fly Hold a mirror To my Mother's crying eyes

[Chorus] Sunbeams Oh, sunbeams Like God from your face Sunbeams Oh, sunbeams Like God from your face

[Outro] Cathedral of trees over dilated eyes A sea of screams under mackerel skies Imposter, imposter, living in my head Am I the spider in your bed? A dead canary and a thief for a king A cheerleader valiant But I will sing about love, love Love is the fing

END ID]

[greenyvertekins]

Presenting my first fanfic in 17 years. Just a fluffy little story about Sonic and Tails during the rainy season in the Mystic Ruins. This is the first part. I might continue it.

Please note that no part of this is intended to come-off as romantic in nature. SonTails really isn't my thing. I view them as brothers.

"Remind me to look up the weather forecast before we go shopping" If one stood by the Mystic Ruins train station during this one rainy day, they'd have seen a cerulean Hedgehog and a golden orange Fox with two tails running through the deluge carrying numerous shopping bags. The Hedgehog kept a decent lead but the Fox was not far behind, each of them kicking-up moisture from the drenched ground with every step. Barely a minute had passed when they reached the sole building apart from the station for miles around - A laboratory with two levels. Electricity-generating mechanisms swirled in a small brick pool, providing the only sound other than the pitter-patter of incessant rain. There was a dome covering one half of the building with a small circular platform atop it, an apparatus for holding a telescope being its only feature. The rest of the upper level was taken by a small house with a chimney and a single window. Sonic and Tails stepped through the lower door to the hangar, Sonic immediately dashing off to the bathroom to grab towels for him and his friend. Both were drenched head to foot. "Brrrrrr!" said Sonic as he took each of his quills in his hands and twisted them to wring-out the rainwater they had absorbed. He shook his entire body to rid himself of residual moisture. "That was sort of refreshing in a way" he added, dabbing his body with his towel. "I thought you didn't like water?" Tails asked curiously, mimicking Sonic in shaking himself off. His fur immediately became bushy, his twin tails looking no different to a pair of white-tipped orange feather dusters. Sonic tried not to laugh at the sight. "Rain is....tolerable I guess. But miss me with a lake or swimming pool. Totally not my thing" "Here" Tails said, holding his hand out for the towel, his own tucked under his other arm. "I'll dump these in the laundry basket. Can you go light the fire in the upstairs lounge Sonic?" "Sure thing!" ~ ~ ~

A single strike of the ferrous rod and a blaze of orange and red erupted within the fireplace. Feeling the warmth rush over him, Sonic outstretched his palms to dry his gloves and warm his soaked hands. The heat was soothing and most welcome after the deluge he had been subjected to outside.

"Hey, come over here Tails! The fire feels great!" "Not right now" the Fox child replied from the lab, fishing around in his toolbox now having put away the shopping. "The Tornado seems to have a blocked fuel line" "You're gonna catch your death of cold if you don't dry-off fully 'lil bro!"

The young Fox just shrugged and continued looking in the toolbox. Sonic gave a sigh. "Very well. I'm gonna continue reading my current book. Already reached chapter 12 y'know"

Tails just gave a nod in response, evidently having found the tool he had been looking for.

He sat on the couch and reached for the book on the coffee table titled "RUN ON THE EARTH", turning to the page where a bookmark had been inserted. Reading during the rainy season was one of his favourite pasttimes and was generally preferable to running outside in the pouring rain. Having torrential rain pelt his eyes when moving at superspeed was not a pleasant experience.

Crossing one leg atop the other, he placed the book atop them and traced the text with a finger in order to find the place he had left off on.

~ ~ ~

About an hour and a half had passed. Tails was underneath the Tornado on his wheeled mechanic's creeper, tinkering away. Sonic was fully invested in a chapter about the water Kingdom of Soleanna and was fascinated by its article about the Festival of the Sun, a national ceremony. Though he hadn't visited this place before, viewing the photos of the canals, the castle town and the dancers beneath the fireworks felt oddly reminiscient. It was a bizarre feeling, one he couldn't quite put his finger on.

All of a sudden, Tails sneezed from under the biplane.

“Bless you” said Sonic without looking up from his book, largely consumed by this strange feeling of familiarity.

“Thanks Son…A-tishoo!”

The Hedgehog glanced up from the page he was reading with mild concern to see the young Fox had emerged from beneath the Tornado on his creeper and was sniffling and rubbing his nose with his fist, eyes scrunched tightly.

“You ok little bro?” Sonic enquired, one eye ridge raised. “I hope you're not coming down with a cold”

“Just a tickle” Tails replied, sniffling harshly. If Sonic didn’t know any better, he’d swear he could see the cub’s nose streaming slightly. He got up from the couch and approached him, looking a tad worried.

“Here. Use my handkerchief” he said kindly, putting the book down, getting up from the sofa and walking towards Tails whilst pulling the white fabric from the inside of his glove cuff. He always kept a clean one on him due to his hay fever and had many to spare after the events of a previous adventure. The azure Hedgehog gently wiped his little nose, pressing more tightly when his breath suddenly began to hitch.

“Heh…he…heshoo!”

Sonic grimaced slightly, quickly turning to a sympathetic smile as Tails sniffed, eyes teary. He sounded quite congested.

“I’be sorry Sodic *Sniffle* I don’t doe why I’be suddenly sdeezig like dis”

“No worries” he replied gently. “Just blow your nose. You really sound like you need to“

The little Fox obliged, producing a surprisingly loud honk as Sonic wiped his nose thoroughly.

“There you go” he said as he removed the handkerchief and tossed it onto the wet towels in the laundry basket. He removed one of his gloves and placed a bare palm on his forehead, brushing the trio of bangs to the side as Tails blinked confusedly. Though the surrounding fur was still damp, the Hedgehog could easily feel considerable heat emanating from his brow.

“Hmmm…. you feel a little too warm." Sonic mused, one brow furrowed. "Why, I do think you’re coming down with a cold Mr. Prower” he remarked in a lighthearted imitation of an upper class gentleman, putting his glove back on and guiding Tails to the sofa.

"You need to rest. Lie down here and I'll make some tea" The Hedgehog grabbed both of their empty mugs and took them to the kitchenette.

"I can't get sick right now! I have things that need working on!" Tails exclaimed, sniffling lightly.

"Bud. Your health is your priority. Not your inventions." the Hedgehog replied firmly though not unkindly as he walked from the kitchenette to the cupboard, kneeling and taking a small folded throw blanket from the bottom shelf and a box of tissues from atop the drawer. He wrapped the young Fox in it, leaving only his head out. He placed the tissues on the coffee table beside the globe.

"They'll still be there when you're better" The sick cub gave an annoyed growl under his breath as Sonic walked back to the kitchenette and filled the kettle with water. "I said you'd catch your death of cold if you didn't dry off completely" the Hedgehog muttered darkly as he placed the kettle on the lit stove, attention focused of fixing-up some hot drinks for him and his friend. He placed a tea bag in his own green mug and a thick slice of lemon, half a teaspoon of ground ginger and a tablespoon of honey in Tails' mug. The young Fox pouted, holding his throw blanket tighter to his body. Before he could do anything else, he felt the tickling sensation in his nose and sneezed again. "Gesundheit" remarked Sonic, glancing over to the sofa as Tails plucked a tissue from the box and wiped his nose with it. "*Sniff* Thanks"

Sonic placed the two mugs on the tray and carried it into the lounge. He placed it atop the coffee table and handed Tails his mug. "Here you go. It's lemon, honey and ginger. It'll help with that cold" The Fox took a sniff of the hot drink. Though his nose was very much stuffed-up and he couldn't really smell any of it. Taking a precautionary sip (Since Sonic was certainly not a wiz in the kitchen. As previous experiences had taught him), he could at least detect the spiciness of the ginger on his tongue. He took a gulp and was soothed by the sweet yet spicy hot liquid as it went down and warmed his chest. "Dis is really gudd" "I'm glad you like it" the blue Hedgehog replied with a smile as he took a sip of his own tea, Spagonia's finest blend with a bit of milk and two spoonfuls of sugar. Just the way he liked it.

"That drink always makes me feel better when I'm under the weather" Sonic added, taking another sip of his tea and savouring the flavor.

~ ~ ~ TBC.

[seriously-mike]

Who's surprised, because I am not?

When ChatGPT set the world on fire a year and a half ago, it sparked a feverish search for ways to catch people trying to pass off AI text as their own writing. A host of startups launched to fill the void through AI detection tools, with names including Copyleaks, GPTZero, Originality.AI, and Winston AI. It makes for a tidy business in a landscape full of AI boogeymen. These companies advertise peace of mind, a way to take back control through “proof” and “accountability.” Some advertise accuracy rates as high as 99.98%. But a growing body of experts, studies, and industry insiders argue these tools are far less reliable than their makers promise. There’s no question that AI detectors make frequent mistakes, and innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire. Countless students have been accused of AI plagiarism, but a quieter epidemic is happening in the professional world. Some writing gigs are drying up thanks to chatbots. As people fight over the dwindling field of work, writers are losing jobs over false accusations from AI detectors.

Of course. Just like I showed you a few weeks ago, an AI-generated image that is even marketed as such by the seller, was claimed to be "99.9% accurately" not AI-generated. A photo of the Mona Lisa uploaded to Wikipedia Commons thirteen years ago was claimed to be "99.9% accurately" AI-generated. We're having snake oil salesmen preying on moronic Butlerian Jihadi types with claims like this, with innocent people losing their jobs and chances for education.

In general, AI detectors work by spotting the hallmarks of AI penmanship, such as perfect grammar and punctuation. In fact, one of the easiest ways to get your work flagged is to use Grammarly, a tool that checks for spelling and grammatical errors. It even suggests ways to rewrite sentences for clarity using, you guessed it, artificial intelligence. Adding insult to injury, Gizmodo spoke to writers who said they were fired by platforms that required them to use Grammarly.

What. The. FUCK. If anything, computers are fairly good at scanning things and comparing them with rigid references, like style books and grammar manuals, often against the human writer's wishes (for example because a certain unorthodox turn of phrase is intended to shock the reader, or there's a play on words that cannot be expressed differently), but "perfect grammar and punctuation" is certainly not what I would expect from AI algorithms - for example, in the first minute or two of the Robert Makłowicz Gravel Bullshit I could hear ChatGPT stumbling over genders and grammatical cases, much like I sometimes do myself, particularly when typing quickly or in a runaway sentence.

Detectors look for more telling factors as well, such as “burstiness.” Human writers are more likely to reuse certain words in clusters or bursts, while AI is more likely to distribute words evenly across a document. AI detectors can also assess “perplexity,” which essentially asks an AI to measure the likelihood that it would have produced a piece of text given the model’s training data.

"Burstiness"? "Perplexity"? What kind of Stephen Colbert horseshit is this? I mean, seriously, those words sound like someone made them up for The Stephen Colbert Show "The Wørd" segment, in a "fuck me if I know what my software is doing" way. Like, you put the text in, pull the lever, the machine spits out the verdict and you're supposed to kowtow to its Grand, All-Encompassing Wisdom now. How it does what it does? You're not supposed to know and I'm not explaining it to you either, mostly because I have no idea myself. Magic everywhere in this bitch, man.

AI detection companies “are in the business of selling snake oil,” said Debora Weber-Wulff, a professor at the University of Applied Sciences for Engineering and Economics in Berlin, who co-authored a recent paper about the effectiveness of AI detection. According to Weber-Wulff, research shows that AI detectors are inaccurate, unreliable, and easy to fool. “People want to believe that there can be some magic software that solves their problems,” she said. But “computer software cannot solve social problems. We have to find other solutions.”

Of fucking course, why am I not surprised. Generative AI is snake oil as it fails to replace actual artists to any considerable degree (unless we're talking generic editorial cartoons you could left-hand in 15 minutes - DALL-E will left-hand something more specific in 30 seconds, particularly for the purposes of a dodgy third-rate website), and detecting AI is just as shit, much like I pointed out before. It's laughable, actually: we have companies run submitted writing through dodgy detectors in order to weasel out of paying, when in other circumstances they'd promptly have ChatGPT on the job of writing insipid clickbait listicles in order to weasel out of paying. It's like "I can fuck you over anytime, but god forbid you try to fuck me over".

“We hear these stories more than we wish we did, and we understand the pain that false positives cause writers when the work they poured their heart and soul into gets falsely accused,” said Jonathan Gillham, CEO of Originality.AI. “We feel like we feel like we’re building a tool to help writers, but we know that at times it does have some consequences.”

No, buddy, fuck you. Fuck you a thousand times with a fucking cactus. You're selling snake oil, you know it's not working and here you are playing dumb that your software just works, and when it inevitably fails, again and again, you're pretending it's not your fault, you coprolithically retarded cunt.

But Originality and other AI detectors send mixed messages about how their tools should be used. For example, Gillham said “we advise against the tool being used within academia, and strongly recommend against being used for disciplinary action.” He explained the risk of false positives is too high for students, because they submit a small number of essays throughout a school year, but the volume of work produced by a professional writer means the algorithm has more chances to get it right. However, on one of the company’s blog posts, Originality says AI detection is “essential” in the classroom.

CUNT.

Then there’s the way the company describes its algorithm. According to Originality, the latest version of its tool has a 98.8% accuracy rate, but Originality also says its false positive rate is 2.8%. If you’ve got your calculator handy, you’ll notice that adds up to more than 100%. Gillham said that’s because these numbers come from two different tests.

ABSOLUTE MOTHERFUCKING LYING CUNT.

Now don't be surprised that they're going to lie in multiple ways and make shit up only to make a buck on selling the tech to the gullible and, more importantly, the maliciously prejudiced. In the end, the whole thing is about money, and money curiously causes people to stop thinking about everything else.

[mrdeath]

about hunk

HUNK of Resident Ev*il

LEGAL NAME(S): Luke Ferreday NICKNAME(S): HUNK, Mr. Death, The Grim Reaper/Reaper BIRTH DATE: 1960 AGE: 64 GENDER/PRONOUNS: He/Him, Cis Male ORIENTATION: demi spectrum CURRENT RESIDENCE: the Guild Lodge, location classified. EDUCATION: Luke Ferreday: West Point Academy; Graduated with honors with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, minors in Aeronautical Engineering and Nuclear Science; was recruited early from a JROTC program and earned several scholarships from his performance in mathematical standardized testing, and later marathon running. OCCUPATION: Gun for hire (specifically to work with BOWs and dangerous pathogens); C.Q.B.Z (Close Quarters Quarantined Battle Zone) advisor and specialist ; outsourced to various paramilitary/military organizations as well as: Blue Umbrella; Umbrella Co; where he takes the position of a private engineer working on weapons. Guildmaster of "The Guild" a group of Biohazard contractible mercs. 

EYE COLOR: dark brown HAIR COLOR: completely ash grey, short and cropped, thinning and receding HEIGHT: 6’1’’; 6’3’’ in his boots BUILD: heavy bodied functional muscle, broad shouldered but also aging with a slight slouch and dry skin. Looks like the kind of bastard who should be toting a cigarette in the notch cut at the corner of his mouth SCAR MARKS: burns from a fire on his left hand, bleach burns on his forearms, mortar burns on knees, crack in his head from Birkin, gash up his back from a building collapse in Chile, scar in his throat from a licker in Brazil, gashes on his upper right thigh from a near fatal gunning, gash in his bicep from some shrapnel, various scars on his forearms from close quarters weapons and gashes from BOWs, molten burns from an industrial furnace on his feet, small  y-shaped scar from a fall and gash on his cheek, scar at the corner of his mouth from getting glass stuck in his face, chunk of nasty busted up flesh in his shoulder from heavy combat shotgun buckshot PERSONALITY: seemingly cheerless disposition and stern way of speaking.

SUMMARY: 

A relic of the Umbrella Corporation, Hunk is an old hand in the business of money and monsters. He goes by his codename, Hunk, a name that was assigned to him during his virtually unknown time in the military. He’s a combat and battlefield specialist, his style of operation being to end a fight quickly and with precision. Hunk is personally responsible for the training of some of the most deadly people that worked under Umbrella, and for inventing technology that Umbrella regularly used to control their bio-organic weapons. Hunk was directly involved in the Raccoon City Incident, his team’s involvement leading to the infection of the city.

After the fall of Umbrella, Hunk and Alpha team’s pilot, Nighthawk, left corporatized paramilitary to engage in privatized business. They deal with the fallout of incredibly deadly pathogens making their way into the public, providing tools that Hunk continues to design to military suppliers. Hunk himself often goes into the field to provide ground support to whoever is paying for his services.

His reputation in the circles of people who deal with deadly pathogens and bio organic weapons precedes him. He is the carrier of the title “Grim Reaper”, or “Mr. Death”. Any variant of this title has earned him business unlike any other. As Mr. Death, he is a legendary contract killer, and sole survivor of impossible experiences.

[whythewords]

I think you better wise up, boy

And just as quickly as it began, another dating adventure comes to a close.

As things around me started to get dodgier and more upsetting, I took a little solace in the fact that the one thing that never works for me was working. Three dates we went on, a fucking record for me since the divorce. Also the first woman I've kissed since splitting up with my wife. All seemed well...until it wasn't. I got a text citing the usual story of the last few dating experiences, she felt like the compatibility wasn't there. And just like that, the proverbial saddle that I put myself back in is now being packed up and put away for the umpteenth time.

I should not be relying on these things for my happiness, but fuck does it ever hurt more when everything else is also coming apart at the seams.

We exchanged the texts yesterday to end things off. Then I fell into a funk. Today, my only work-from-home day of the week, was full of inane requests and painful training sessions, each time through I remember how very specific this stuff is meaning it is absolutely useless to me in the rest of my career. The pangs of working for a marketing company, knowing full well that I have never meshed well with sales and marketing and advertising and the people in those worlds. Again, it's been only a year and it's my first job in IT so I can't be too upset...but I think I'm warranted to point out how fucked up it is that what was sold to me an IT job is about 30% actual IT and technology and 70% busywork that they could train any ol' John Doe to do.

There was work being done on the apartment so drills and power tools rang in my head all day causing it to ache. My throat was sore and dry after another useless 2 hours of droning training sessions about an application I will never use again in my entire fucking life after this job. Then I made dinner for my folks. Then those contractors tripped the fire alarm in the building. There's that headache again! Did I mention our washer blew up and we've been doing laundry at the coin laundromat, which I also have to do tonight rather than a much needed workout?

With everything going on: my disenfranchisement with the job, another dating thing crashing and burning, the constant reminder that I am still stuck here in this apartment with my folks, I feel so defeated.

Wanna know the fucked up thing? I almost didn't disable/delete the dating apps after all that. Part of me was willing to think things through: "now wait a minute here...perhaps I am ready to get hurt again!" I don't know what that is. At this point I think it falls somewhere between desperation and psychopathy.

Maybe it's time I go back to therapy.

Then again, therapy's expensive...and I desperately need to find a new place to live....

[graunblida]

john wick prompts    //   accepting @knifc​ / @arzodae sent: treat all your ladies like this? (from kenna)

           A puff of dry air was exhaled in response. Leksa could appreciate the quip, after all, she’d make one of her own if the roles were reversed ( her humor had become more prevalent and darker over the years ) . “ Just the ones who catch my attention. ” The words themselves were playful, but her tone remained as serious as the expression on her face. Her arm did not so much as waver as she kept the gun trained on the woman. Even after all these months it still felt wrong holding the firearm. For generations the earthborn expunged such weapons from their daily lives, fearing they would bring about their RUIN. That might still be the case, but Leksa knew they needed to use every tool in their arsenal to survive. She had no plans to fire, not unless her opponent gave her no choice. “ Here’s how this works: you’re going to tell me where Diyoza is and we’ll go from there. ”

[justices-blade]

bound by blood, purpose fed // epilogue

Midnight blossoms bloom across pale winter blue, all at once, stars turning to meteor showers, fire raining upon them — Even closed and healed wounds sting, and Edward roars with all his being against the dreams attempts to keep him there, rises to the challenge, rises beyond —

And in response, the sky bends down and swallows all of them whole.

He wakes with a horrific coughing fit, throat dry, rolling over with a wince, dried blood on his shirt where Micaiah had run him through, a numbness in his left hand where the chalkos set itself ablaze against his skin. There are no covers for him to untangle himself from, no bed to roll off of with a thud, no strength to pick up his sword to train, nothing to chase the phantoms of blood and fire and guilt from his mind. He thought he'd rise beyond, when he woke up.

When was the last time Edward remembered his nightmares? So vividly, too. His entire body hurts, his throat is dry, limbs weak. Still, he sits up, wheezes again, notes the ruins (a cold bolt of dread affixes him, briefly, but this has to make sense somehow), and shakiy rises to his feet, right hand moving to support himself against the wall. Behind him, a woman weeps over Marth, others among the waking ones seek out their friends and family. He slips out, stumbling.

Still the light flashes behind drooping eyelids, his throat clammy and dry. This time not a weapon, but still a tool, still on the wrong side, blood on his hands either way. Destruction. Confusion. Misery. There was hope, too, but it's buried under all else. He doesn't want to remember this. Anything, anything to forget.

The night air smells of summer. He watches blankly as people begin to file out of the run-down houses, as familiar faces begin to register even to unfocused eyes. It is summer, and yet cold bites at his ears, nips at his exposed elbows, like blizzard, like lance of light.

Student. Boy. Child. Student. The word the Soldier had repeated like a prayer, a mantra, remains a sharp, violent thorn in his heart, and Edward, for just a moment, slumps against the outside of the building he'd awoken in, curls up like childhood lost, and silently begs the Goddesses for reprieve.

Anything to forget.

sparagmos, sparagmos, dye it in red —

Anything, to forget.

Please,

bear it, it's yours,

— anything.

[ttriggermag]

TTRIGGER

TTRIGGER is a Dry Fire Magazine and a unique solution for firearms enthusiasts and professionals looking to improve their shooting skills. This innovative product provides a safe and effective way to simulate real-life firing scenarios without live ammunition. TTRIGGER is designed with cutting-edge technology to mimic the feel, weight, and trigger pull of a live weapon, allowing users to practice their shooting technique and accuracy. Whether you're a seasoned marksman or a beginner, TTRIGGER Dry Fire Magazine will help you achieve your shooting goals and give you the confidence you need to perform at your best in any situation.  

What is Dry Fire Magazine? 

A dry fire magazine is a training tool that simulates the firing of a firearm without the use of live ammunition. It is designed to be used in place of a live magazine during dry fire training exercises, which are practice sessions where the shooter fires their weapon without live rounds. The dry fire magazine provides a safe and effective way for shooters to train and improve their accuracy, trigger control, and overall shooting technique. It typically features a weighted design and trigger mechanism that replicates the feel of a live weapon, allowing users to get the most out of their training sessions. 

How does Dry fire mag work?  

A dry fire magazine works by replicating the feel and weight of a live magazine in a firearm, allowing the shooter to practice their technique and accuracy without live rounds. When the shooter pulls the trigger, the dry fire magazine's mechanism simulates the firing of a round and provides feedback to the shooter, such as a simulated recoil and trigger reset. This allows the shooter to practice their trigger control, sight alignment, and other aspects of their shooting technique in a safe and controlled environment. By training with a dry fire magazine, shooters can improve their skills and performance without the risk of live rounds, making it a valuable tool for both recreational and professional shooters.  

Is dry firing harmful? 

Dry firing, which is the act of pulling the trigger of a firearm without having a cartridge in the chamber, can be harmful to some firearms, particularly older and more sensitive firearms. In modern firearms, dry firing is typically safe as long as the gun is designed for it and no part of the firearm is damaged or worn out. However, it is still advisable to check the manufacturer's instructions or consult a firearms expert to determine whether a specific firearm can be safely dry fired. 

What is the difference between trigger and dry fire mag? 

A trigger is a mechanism in a firearm that is responsible for releasing the hammer or striker to fire the gun when the shooter pulls it. Dry fire mag, on the other hand, is not a commonly used term. It may refer to a magazine (a device that stores and feeds cartridges into a firearm) that is used specifically for dry firing practice, meaning it is empty and does not contain any live ammunition. Such magazines are sometimes used in training or target practice to simulate the feel of firing a gun without the risk of live rounds. In summary, the trigger is a component in the firearm that initiates the firing process, while dry fire mag is a magazine specifically designed for dry firing practice. 

[misericorsalvator]

A pair of packages is delivered to Henry’s address - or at least, whatever address it is he had previously provided for correspondence with Antonia. One is large, and somewhat bulky, and it is clear that the contents shift, despite secure packaging. It is addressed to Mr Morgan. Upon opening, there is a complete set of professional grade glass maker’s tools, and a note.

I assume your job provides you with the tools needed for your glassworks, but I thought perhaps a personal set would be nice - both that you can become accustomed to them and not need to share them with any coworkers, and that you may keep your own and so the hobby can remain even if you are not inclined to work in the future. Merry Christmas, Mr Morgan. -Antonia Vicario

[As with every package, be it expected or unexpected, this too undergoes extreme scrutiny. First things first, upon picking it up, Henry presses his ear against it. He listens intently, carefully, trained ears picking up the slightest sound...But nothing seems off. And the package seems dry, nothing leaking from it, so whatever it is it's likely not a dismembered torso. He then moves the package around, shakes it a bit, cautiously, feels the contents inside shift. He stops soon enough, not wanting to break anything fragile in there. No explosions thus far. No fire, no magic, no surprise fleshcrafted abomination mauling his face off...

With all that out of the way, he finally takes the package inside, sets it on the kitchen table -from under which he grabs a concealed knife- and cuts through the packaging tape, opens up the box... And the sight of the gifts give him pause. "Fucken hell, these're expensive...", he mutters. 'Fucken hell, these're beautiful...', he thinks.

He inspects the tools one by one, marveling at the masterful craftsmanship, mind already brimming with ideas and thoughts for projects and how much easier and more polished they'd be with these tools... Then, he notices the note, and for the second time that night, it gives him pause. He reads it over once, twice, making sure he's read it proper and there isn't some code between the lines, some concealed message subtly requesting his assistance, no warnings hidden in cryptography. There's nothing there. So he folds the note, puts it in his pocket -he'll burn it later, safer for both him and Vicario if no one learnt they've been in touch- and carefully places the tools back in their box exactly as they were to carry them to his little workbench. And if he's smiling a bit, shakes his head in amused disbelief, well...there's no one there to see it.]

[service-restoration]

Service Restoration

Fire & Water Damage Cleanup in Rochester Minnesota

Service Restoration in Rochester is a local organization that serves the Minneapolis area. We specialize in water damage services for commercial and residential properties. If you want a comprehensive, affordable, and quick service completion, look no further than Service Restoration. We have a reputation for excellent customer service with excellent results. Pick up the phone 24-7 for any fire, water, or storm emergency you have!

Service Restoration in Rochester is the state’s #1 Choice for Restoration Services and Cleanup Operations

If your home is damaged by water, you can be devastated. That's the reason you will need to work with us to assist you manage any emergency. We are professionals, and we use the right equipment required to restore water damages and sanitize your home to remove any odors and germs.

Our staff undergoes the necessary training to equip them with the skills required to handle water damage restoration. They are keen on keeping up to date progress in restoration technology to ensure our clients' quality services. We use quality equipment to revive any emergency damages to your building faster, preventing the probability of secondary damages.

Service Restoration has specialists who are skilled and experienced in carpet and furniture drying and sanitization. They are also highly experienced in tackling fires and storm damage restoration.

Service Restoration

Service Restoration is proud to be a member in good standing with the National Restoration Services Professionals, covering all States during times of disaster. For small or large scale disasters. During times of national crisis (hurricanes and tropical storms) our team will travel out of State to help property owners.

Our excellent services are thanks to the professional staff, top-quality materials, and innovative equipment we have. For this reason, we stand out among other water damage restoration companies in Minnesota.

Water Damage Mitigation

Water damage could break the heart of many homeowners, as a result of the inconveniences it brings aboard. Most of the time, water damage issues have their origin from burst pipes, overflowing sinks or tubs, and malfunctioning appliances. With our unique methods, we help mitigate any additional losses. We often embrace the following:

Eliminate aby damaged items, including furniture

Clean, disinfect, and sanitize salvageable items

Guarantee the structural integrity of your property

Use commercial-grade machines to extract water and dry the property

Board up openings and apply roof tarps

Take every other essential precaution to maintain the structural integrity of the Home

Fire, Water & Flood Damage Restoration in Rochester, Minnesota

Choosing the right restoration company can help save you time and money. Our primary focus is to ensure that every job we undertake is performed to the highest standards, ensuring your complete satisfaction. We pride ourselves on minimizing the downtime you are away from your home or business during the repair and restoration process. Our company has invested millions of dollars in equipment and training to ensure we respond with exact knowledge and right tools to get the job done.

Call Us Today For Emergency Help We are accessible 24 hours every day. In case you are faced with an emergency water damage issue, just contact us and we will be glad to sort you out. We will ensure that you are comfortable by the end of our visit to your home.

Contact us: Service Restoration Rochester MN, 55901 612-230-8043