#Especially given that one of the affected lights is the one that illuminates the electrical panel lmao

[theater-of-dimensions]

Came home today after a few days away to find flies have invaded my kitchen 😣

[infinitiresearch]

Automotive Halogen Headlights Market| Market Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Growth and Forecast, 2024 – 2028

Originally published on Technavio: Automotive Halogen Headlights Market Analysis APAC, Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa - US, China, Japan, India, Germany - Size and Forecast 2024-2028

The automotive halogen headlights market is a pivotal segment within the automotive lighting industry, providing illumination solutions for a wide range of vehicles. Halogen headlights have been a standard feature in automotive lighting systems for decades, offering a cost-effective and reliable option for vehicle manufacturers and consumers. This market is influenced by factors such as the global demand for automobiles, regulatory standards for vehicle lighting, and advancements in lighting technologies.

One of the key drivers of the automotive halogen headlights market is the ubiquity of halogen lighting systems in various vehicle segments. Known for their simplicity, durability, and cost-effectiveness, halogen headlights are widely adopted across different types of vehicles, including passenger cars, trucks, and motorcycles. The ease of integration into existing vehicle designs and manufacturing processes contributes to their continued prevalence in the automotive industry.

Regulatory standards and safety requirements play a significant role in shaping the automotive halogen headlights market. Governments and international organizations establish guidelines for vehicle lighting to ensure safety on roads. While newer lighting technologies, such as LED and HID (high-intensity discharge), have gained popularity, halogen headlights remain compliant with regulatory standards, making them a preferred choice for manufacturers seeking to meet safety requirements without substantial design modifications.

Advancements in lighting technologies, including LEDs and HIDs, have presented alternatives to traditional halogen headlights. These technologies offer benefits such as energy efficiency, longer lifespan, and a more focused and brighter illumination. However, the automotive halogen headlights market maintains its relevance, particularly in budget-friendly vehicle models and regions where cost considerations are crucial. The retrofitting of halogen bulbs with improved halogen formulations also contributes to enhancing the performance of halogen headlights.

The global shift towards electric and hybrid vehicles has impacted the automotive halogen headlights market. While electric vehicles often come equipped with LED lighting systems, halogen headlights may still be found in some models, especially in entry-level electric vehicles. The market is adapting to this shift by exploring innovative halogen formulations and designs that align with the evolving needs of the electric vehicle segment.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the automotive halogen headlights market has been intertwined with the overall automotive industry's challenges. Disruptions in supply chains, production halts, and shifts in consumer purchasing patterns have affected the demand for automotive components, including headlights. However, as the automotive sector rebounds, the halogen headlights market is expected to recover, given its established presence and cost advantages.

To Learn deeper into this report , View Sample PDF

Looking ahead, the automotive halogen headlights market is likely to continue coexisting with newer lighting technologies, driven by the diverse requirements of the global automotive landscape. While LED and HID technologies gain prominence in premium and high-end vehicle models, halogen headlights will remain a viable choice for manufacturers and consumers prioritizing affordability, reliability, and compliance with safety standards. Continuous innovations in halogen formulations and designs may further enhance their performance and efficiency, ensuring their sustained presence in the automotive lighting market.

For more information please contact.

[jagalleryuk]

How to Start Collecting Antiques Things

Collecting antiques for pleasure or for profit can be an actually satisfying hobbyhorse and pastime. It's possible to start your collection with just one piece and also choose to either continue expanding your pieces or buy commodity completely different. There are no real way to start collecting relics- piecemeal from buying, chancing or being given your veritably first piece, but if you're interested in taking it more seriously, then are a many tips.

Collecting anything is much easier if you actually like the pieces. The first tip is to find commodity that you really like and choose that as a starting point. It could be oils, cabinetwork or indeed bitsy thimbles. As long as it's commodity that you would want to be girdled by in times to come, also it's worth collecting. The brilliant part about collecting Antiques is that no two collections are the same. The types of particulars can be so different, you could nearly pick anything to collect. Some people collect certain types or brands of relics, whilst others might want tore-kindle their affections with pieces from their nonage. Take a look around your home. It could be that you have several particulars that could start you on the road to your first collection. You can take inspiration from your nearby antique stores such as antique stores Cotswolds etc.

Ceiling lights

Antique brass out-of-door lighting institutions can indeed add a touch of fineness and charm to any out-of-door space. The unique design and finish of antique brass produce a dateless look that can enhance the overall aesthetic of your out-of-door area.

Still, as you mentioned, it's important to consider the implicit impact on your power bill. Antique brass out-of-door lighting institutions generally use incandescent bulbs, which are known to be lower energy-effective compared to LED bulbs. Incandescent bulbs consume further energy and induce further heat, which can contribute to advanced electricity costs and environmental impact.

Wall lightings

These lights really put fineness and beauty to your home surface. Antique brass out-of-door lighting brings illumination while furnishing a certain position of security. It may serve the same as stir detector lights which turns on for every stir it has detected.

Landscape lightings

Antique brass out-of-door lighting is the stylish that you could add up to your surface if it's landscaped. Your entire out-of-door would look uniquely beautiful and seductive with the art of geography lighting. Your driveway could have a aggregate make over. Antique brass out-of-door lighting that you may use outside your home is so brilliant that it could affect everybody's moods. They're available in variety of shapes and styles.

Post lights

Another popular choice to lighten up your home is the use of post lights. These would be suitable for you especially if you're concern on your electricity. They've a little lighting cost.

Once you have decided what you're going to collect, get books, read information on the internet and get as important knowledge about the particulars as possible. One of the stylish tips is to speak to as numerous experts and suckers as possible. This is where the knowledge of your collection will come more informed and rounded. They can give you advice on what to look for, where to look and common risks that they've encountered. They will also be suitable to tell you about which particulars are the most rare or precious or if you have a good collection. However, they will also be suitable to tell you how to spot fakes and reproduction pieces, if you find someone who knows their stuff.

The coming tip will be fed by you speaking to people and also reading as important as you can about your chosen relics. You'll need to know how to identify, clarify and confirm the relics before you buy them. No matter what you choose to collect, you'll need to know the important emblems, autographs, tell- tale- signs and comps that tell you if a piece is genuine or not. You'll also need to know what makes certain pieces collectible compared to others. Try to get as important knowledge about identification as possible and it'll ameliorate your love of the relics you're collecting.

The final tip is another egregious one really. Make sure you spend your time in the places where these antique things are vended. Requests, alternate hand shops, deals and antique shops are just a many of the places you'll be suitable to find. You can do an internet search on antique store near me , to get more information and sources located nearby.  Try to be where the particulars are made. However, trip to the same area of the country or world where they were made- there will be more particulars nearer to the source, If possible. There are also plenitude of websites similar as eBay, where you can find a good deal too which might be the stylish place to start collecting relics, although make sure you buy from merchandisers that have formerly had a high number of deals and have a good character.

[yesthatssadirichardslove]

'Emily in Paris' season three – Netflix hit loses sight of the real city

LONDON

Everyone in Paris knows it: Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) is at the top of her game.

Since her arrival in the French capital in season one of this immediate Netflix hit, Emily has used her American influencer flair to successfully promote all manner of luxury products to the French market via her viral social media campaigns. And with all the usual drama along the way, she goes from strength to strength in season three.

The show’s love affair with big-name brands makes it a product placement dream. But it is, of course, the city of Paris that is its most successful product by far.

The show is not set in the real Paris, the French metropolis of more than 2 million inhabitants, but a parallel “Paris™” – a perfect version. This is Paris the brand, one that has been carefully curated by generations of writers, artists and filmmakers over hundreds of years.

Paris in the global imagination

Paris is everybody’s favorite fantasy city.

There’s Emma Bovary’s imaginary wanderings around the city in Gustave Flaubert’s 1857 masterpiece, and Amélie Poulain’s playful treasure hunt in the eponymous 2001 blockbuster. The Impressionists painted dreamy scenes of outdoor cafes and sunsets on the Seine. And who could forget Juliette Binoche’s firework-illuminated antics in Leos Carax’s 1991 classic "Les Amants du Pont-Neuf " (The Lovers on the Bridge)?

As well as the City of Light, Paris has always been a city of dreams, romance and beauty in the global imagination.

Like its on-screen predecessors, Emily’s Paris is instantly recognizable as “Paris™”. But it is simultaneously unrecognizable, bearing very little resemblance to the real Paris you encounter when you step off the Eurostar at the Gare du Nord. Indeed, even the fleeting representation of this train station in "Emily in Paris" is unrealistic.

When Emily goes to surprise her English love interest, Alfie, on his return from London in the middle of season three, she waits for him outside the station’s main entrance. But anyone who has arrived in Paris by Eurostar knows that travellers from London either vanish underground to the station’s many Métro lines, or turn right to head for the taxi rank at the side-exit. Either Alfie is walking or he is taking the bus – which, given these characters’ addiction to taxis, seems highly unlikely.

In fact, Paris has an efficient, affordable and comprehensive public transport system. The city is served by 14 metro lines, 58 bus routes and three trams. Most Parisians (65%) travel to work by public transport And the numbers who travel to work on foot like Emily and her boss Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) are much smaller (10%).

Despite the enduring cliche, only about 5% of Parisians cycle to work like Emily’s colleague Luc (Bruno Gouery). Yet except for a couple of fleeting shots of the picturesque above-ground sections of Métro lines 6 and 2, Emily’s Paris is devoid of public transport. It is equally empty of cars.

Despite recent improvements in pedestrian access, especially along the Seine, Paris is still absolutely full of traffic. Taxis, cars, bikes, mopeds, electric scooters, emergency vehicles, dustbin lorries and roller bladers all battle for space on its always congested roads. And yet Emily and her friends spend hours sitting in outdoor café terraces without ever being affected by noise or air pollution.

Where are all the Parisians?

Emily’s Paris is also eerily empty of people. And those who do walk its streets are almost all young and attractive. This gives us dangerously unrealistic expectations of the city. “Paris Syndrome”, the shock experienced by tourists when Paris does not live up to expectations, is responsible for around 50 episodes of serious mental illness per year.

Real Paris is a bustling metropolis whose pavements are always crowded with people of all ages, races and economic status. Like other European capitals, Paris has seen a huge increase in homelessness over the last several decades. Whole areas of the city near the ring road and under bridges have been transformed into makeshift refugee camps.

These harsh social and economic realities are airbrushed out of Emily’s Paris along with rubbish bins, police sirens and the building sites that always seem to proliferate in this city.

During filming for season three, the iconic Notre-Dame cathedral was shrouded in scaffolding following the devastating 2019 fire – yet the cathedral appears completely unscathed in several shots of the river.

Some comfort can be taken in the fact that the show’s characters are refreshingly aware they are living in a fictional Paris. They frequently acknowledge that life in Paris is a dream and compare their lives to a film with a Hollywood (rather than “French”) ending.

Season three even begins with a dream sequence which is repeated in real life later in the same episode. This blurring of dream and reality reminds us that Emily in Paris is a guilty pleasure, a marvel of escapism which is about as good at impersonating Paris as Emily is at speaking French.

[angstmongertina]

The Calm and the Storm

I was gonna put off posting this until I finished the middle part (aka the smut lol), but I have been absolutely possessed by Soft Feelings about Lucifer so I guess I gotta post now. Give me soft Lucifer or give me death.

Spoilers for stuff through chapter 30.

AO3 Link

The air was thick with tension as she followed Lucifer through the familiar halls towards his bedroom. That was not a wholly foreign experience, given the multiple times she had spent the night, but it was not the same feeling, lacked the heat that usually pooled low in her belly, the sparks that usually danced like lightning across her skin. Instead, apprehension weighed on her shoulders, dragging her spirit down with the strength of his foreboding.

The fact that his hand trembled, ever so slightly, in hers made it abundantly enough that she was not imagining things.

It was with this in mind that, upon entering, she tugged him not towards his bed but to the couch, sitting in one corner and pulling him down beside her. He followed willingly, obeying without protest as she drew his head down into her lap, and she pressed her lips together at yet another indication of his distress.

Something was not right. And whatever it was that Diavolo and Solomon were pursuing, secretive though it no doubt was, if the possibilities were enough to make Lucifer, the one in the devildom who understood and trusted the demon prince the most, question his loyalties, then she herself no doubt had reason aplenty to be worried.

In fact, everything about her return to the devildom seemed just a little too… convenient, starting from Solomon’s appearance to invite her back and Diavolo’s cheerful acceptance of the situation. Not to mention…

A sigh, heavy with untold burdens, cut through her thoughts and she blinked, letting her gaze focus back on the demon in her lap. This close, she could see lines of strain on his face, faint dark circles under his eyes, indications that, as always, he had been overworking himself in his determination to support Diavolo in everything. One that, if the past few days were any indication, the prince perhaps did not appreciate nearly as much as he really should.

Drawing a steadying breath, she shook herself, sharp and abrupt. There was no point in lingering on those thoughts, in giving weight to her paranoia, especially not in the moment. Between his own misgivings and his sense of hurt, as little as he might acknowledge the latter, with the prince’s reticence, Lucifer had more than enough on his mind as it was; her own concerns would only weigh on him further.

Instead, she offered him a smile, tempered with mild disapproval that managed to coax out a hint of a chuckle.

“When was the last time you got more than a few hours of sleep?”

Her voice was soft but still he frowned, vermillion eyes turning cautious, defensive. “Just a short while ago.”

She could feel an eyebrow rise of its own accord. “How short of a while? Is this by human standards?”

Familiar stubbornness flickered into his gaze and she moved on instinct, pressing a hand to his chest to hold him down, until he could only scowl, though without any true venom. “Demons don’t need as much sleep as humans.”

She rolled her eyes. “Perhaps for survival with minimal function, that may be true, but do you truly expect me to believe that when Asmo waxes poetic on the importance of beauty sleep at any provocation? Not to mention Belphie’s love affair with sleep.”

That earned her another chuckle, the deep sound vibrating against her skin. “You have spent too much time with them.”

“For being concerned about you? I think not.” She grinned down at him, though she kept her fingers light as she carded them through his hair in gentle motions, a gentle coax towards allowing himself to let down his guard, at least for a while. “Or are you perhaps jealous, my dear?”

He sighed again, this time with his body relaxing and eyes glinting with a small sparkle of amusement. “Right now? Not at all.”

“And over the past few days?”

It was a lighthearted question and in any other moment, she was certain she would have laughed at his sudden silence, at the way he averted his gaze. As it was, however, the vulnerability that instead lingered on his face only made her heart clench in sympathy.

“You know, I’m not sure I would have passed without those tutoring sessions with Satan.”

“At least they were useful to someone.” His voice was light and she suspected that his chuckle would almost have passed as ordinary… except she knew him better than that.

“Perhaps so.” Absently, she traced her fingers over the planes of his face, smoothing the lines between his eyes and feeling him lean into each light touch. “Even so, I don’t think I saw you outside of meals since that first student council meeting. I missed this.” She leaned over, curving a hand on his cheek, and smiled as he cupped it to press a kiss into her palm. “Missed you.”

“Aimee…”

His voice was soft, almost hesitant, but the insistence as he pulled her down was anything but. She laughed quietly before it was cut off abruptly.

Lucifer was a creature of intensity, whether it be in his expectations towards his brothers or his loyalty to Diavolo. Or, as she discovered more recently, in his affections towards her. But even so, it had never been like this.

His mouth was hot, almost forceful against her, seeking her out with hunger, with passionate need. One hand tugged at the front of her shirt while the other threaded through her hair, clutching with ferocity. In each touch, each caress, she could taste his entreaty, could feel the desperation as he clung to her.

“Lucifer.” She pressed a hand onto the one fisted against her chest, weaving their fingers together as she stared down at him. “Are you sure?”

The hand in hers tightened, almost painfully so, and her heart melted at the plea, at the open vulnerability in his eyes. “Please.”

Despite the hush of his tone, the single word was desperate, ardent, at once a request and a prayer. She smiled and, reaching for the clasp of his coat, leaned in again.

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

Lightning rent the sky, shooting through the eternal night with a bright burst of electricity. In the safety of Lucifer’s bedroom, she could see it streak in the window, illuminating the rain lashing against the glass.

“What are you looking at?”

Smiling at the sleep roughened voice, she turned to curl against him. “Just at the weather.”

His lips curved into a frown, his earlier worry clearly finding new purchase in his expression, highlighted as another flash lit the sky. “Is it still storming?”

“I suppose so.” She leaned against his chest, pressing a quick kiss against the corner of his mouth. “I didn’t even notice earlier, to be perfectly honest. A bit too distracted, I would guess.”

To her satisfaction, the distress faded from his face, replaced by a soft contentment that warmed her heart. Still, his arm snaked around her waist, pulling her even closer, and she shifted with him, pressing a hand against his cheek. “What is it?”

Deep red eyes met hers, soft and unguarded. “You…” She held her breath as his fingers roamed over her face, tracing along her jaw before settling on her chin. “What are you doing to me?”

“Only good things, I hope.”

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest. “I am not certain everyone would call dependency on a human a good thing, but neither am I one to be commanded by the opinions of others. Which is to say, I’m glad you’re here.”

“I am too.” She hummed, stretching up to kiss him, slow and languid. His hand moved to tangle in her hair, weaving between his fingers, and she sighed as she felt his lips curl into a rare tender smile.

For a while, all she could hear was the quiet sounds of their breathing, and then she pulled back, meeting his gaze.

“I’d pick you.”

A confused frown furrowed his brow and she huffed a quiet laugh, though even she couldn’t be sure whether it was at his befuddlement or at her own abruptness. “If I were the prince, I mean. I can’t speak for you, but if I had to pick between my duty and you, I would pick you in a heartbeat.”

Deafening stillness greeted her explanation, his face frozen in a mix of shock and disbelief that was as heartrending as it was amusing. She shifted, a hint of self-consciousness beginning to creep up her spine at the prolonged silence.

“Lucifer?”

His name had barely escaped her lips before she found herself cut off with a quiet gasp. In a complete reversal from his previous insistence, his mouth was soft against hers, slow and so full of tenderness that she could feel her heart swelling.

She smiled as he pulled away, though his arm remained firmly around her waist, holding her to him tightly. “That was certainly an answer.”

His chuckle reverberated through his chest, though there was still a hint of hesitation, of vulnerability, in the crimson eyes that met hers. “Stay with me?”

“Of course.” She draped an arm over his chest, relaxing against him with a contented sigh. “I love you.”

Affection flooded her chest as he pressed a light kiss to the top of her head. “I love you too.”

She grinned, cuddling in closer as light continued to flash across the sky, as warm lethargy settled in her limbs, coaxed her mind to rest.

“Thank you,” she felt more than heard him murmur into her hair and smiled, letting herself slip into peaceful rest.

[yaorong]

How to choose the right LED plant light for seedling and plant growth

How to choose suitable LED plant lights for plants and seedlings? This is a problem that both junior growers and experienced growers must pay attention to. Appropriate LED plant lights can give seedlings and plants a better growth environment and supplement light. We can start from the following points.

1. Planting environment When choosing the supplementary light, you should choose the appropriate supplementary light according to the planting environment. If it is planted indoors, when choosing the 1000wled plant supplementary light, you must choose the full-spectrum LED plant supplementary light, red The blue light fill light is harmful to the human body and will make people dizzy and nauseous for a long time. Outdoor or in a greenhouse with high humidity, you should choose a waterproof LED plant supplement light lamp, which can extend the life of the LED plant supplement light lamp and ensure normal use.

2. Crop types Different crops do not require light. For wild vegetable crops, we can choose to use full-spectrum fill light, which is reasonably priced and sufficient to achieve the fill light effect. For fruits and crops and flowers, you can choose red and blue light supplement light, which has a good supplement light effect in promoting the growth of stems and leaves, flowering and fruit, preventing overgrowth and coloring.

3. Crop growth requirements When selecting the power of the supplement light, the supplement light of the appropriate power should be selected according to the requirements of the crop for the light intensity and light time. Crops with long light need long-term supplement light. Long-term use will shorten the service life of the supplement light. Therefore, when choosing, pay attention to the warranty period of the supplement light to ensure the service life.

4. Supplementary lights merchants When choosing supplementary lights, in addition to paying attention to their own needs for supplementary lights, they should also pay attention to the strength of the 1000wLED plant supplementary lights. Competent fill-light vendors have guarantees on the quality and price of fill-lights. For example, LED plant supplement light manufacturers will absolutely strictly control price and quality to ensure the effect of supplement light.

LED plant light red and blue lamp beads ratio layout

All the plans of LED plant lights must be customized around plants. What kind of shape the plants need to grow into is cultivated according to the needs of people. Therefore, when looking at the ratio of red and blue beads of LED plant lights, the plant must be considered first. Growth needs and human needs.

But from the perspective of light, whether it is the demand for plant growth or human demand for plants, the control methods include control of light quality, control of light intensity, and control of light time. Only in this way can the light intensity reach the point required by the plant, and the light time can reach a certain length of time, giving the plant a better growth state.

When LED plant lights are used to supplement light to plants, the source of most of the light for plant photosynthesis is LED plant lights. The different light qualities of LED plant lights have different physiological meanings to plants. LED plant lamp lamp beads chips are mainly red lamp beads, blue lamp beads, and full-spectrum lamp beads. The main function of red light on plants is to adjust the photoperiod of plants, and the main function of blue light is to affect the movement of leaves and plastids, to a certain extent Inhibit the flowering and fruiting of plants; the main band of full-spectrum lamp beads is also the red and blue spectrum.

Spectrum: When using LED plant growth lights to grow plants, red light and blue light are very important. It is necessary to look for blue in the range of 440-470nm, and red in the range of 610 to 720nm. These two stages of the spectrum affect the photosynthesis of plants The contribution is the greatest, and other lights also have a weak effect. A better choice is the full-spectrum LED plant light, which can meet the spectrum required by each stage of the plant and can also be adjusted, which can give plants better growth.

Output: This is one of the most important characteristics of LED plant growth lights, and it will affect plant yields. When reading the product description. Will introduce the power of the LED plant light, it can be 400W, 600W, 800W or even 1000W. Generally, it is not always possible to obtain 100% power, and usually the final wattage is low.

Lens: Good-quality LED plant growth lights have an optical lens that can magnify the light and provide about 25% of the nutrient penetration for plants. This makes LED grow lights more expensive, but they are definitely worth the money.

Heat dissipation: LED plant growth lights usually work around 15 hours a day, so you need to ensure that they dissipate heat well, and try to use integrated die-cast aluminum alloy instead of fans or other plastic materials.

Warranty: Look for LED plant growth lights with at least five years of warranty, because this is the guarantee given by powerful manufacturers. The ideal life of LED plant lights is 50,000 hours, which is about 10 years. However, considering various factors, the actual working life will be about 5 years, so a 5-year warranty is the best choice.

Pay attention to the misunderstanding:

(1) The life of LED plant lights is not equal to working time

The lifespan of LED plant lights from most manufacturers can reach more than 50,000 hours. This life is the theoretical life that the lamp can use. The factors of light decay and technology replacement are not explained.

The light decay of LED plant lights includes many aspects. On the one hand, it is the lamp chip itself, the brightness of any lighting lamp will decrease after a long time working. On the other hand, accessories, including wires, panels, lenses, covers, etc., will age after a long period of time. Even if a new LED chip is replaced, it is impossible to achieve the best plant lighting effect as before.

(2) The higher the power, the greater the brightness, the better the effect

Power refers to the power consumption of the LED plant light in a certain period of time, and has no direct relationship with the light supplement effect of the LED plant light. The key factors that we should pay attention to are workmanship, quality and effectiveness. Brightness is the definition of light perception by the human eye. The perception of light by plants is calculated based on the illuminance lux. It is not that the brighter the human eye feels, the better the effect of LED plant lights. We'd better choose different LED chip ratios according to different stages of plant growth to achieve the best growth of plants at different stages.

(3) LED plant light is a cold light source, it will not burn plants

LED plant lights are cold light sources, compared to other plant growth lights. All products related to electricity generate heat. At present, there is no photoelectric conversion source that can achieve 100% photoelectric conversion, and more or less of the electric energy will be converted into heat energy, and the same is true for LED plant lights.

Low-power LED plant growth lights can illuminate plants at a close distance, especially during the germination stage. However, if the 600wLED plant growth light is attached to the plant, the heat radiated to the plant for a long time will also burn the plant. When the power is high, you must use an air conditioner or fan to dissipate heat.

Hope this can help you choose a good LED plant growth lamp and give plants better light.

[fake-mountains]

Warm

This was a gift for a good friend, but I figured I’d share it here as well~ 

Pairing: John Wick/Reader Rating: Explicit (18+) Warning(s): Just super fluffy smut idk what to say. also this is written in third person  Word Count: 1109

Lazy Sundays were so very rarely lazy with John. He almost always seemed busy, especially during the nighttime, often times staggering in, bloodied and bruised in the early morning hours.

This Sunday was different, though. No active hits out, at least none that he’d want to pursue, or so he claimed. These past few weeks had been abnormally busy for him, so maybe he lied and simply told her there was nothing for him to do.

Regardless, she relished in the way the early morning sun-warm, yellow-illuminated his sleeping figure in an almost ethereal way. Just the edges, while the rest of him seemed cast in darkness, the light that slipped past his face almost blinding. The cuts on his face from the past weeks of chaos were still slowly healing, a butterfly bandage on his cheekbone, an L shaped cut on his forehead. As much as it would pain her to wake him, missing him killed her even more.

John awoke to the soft graze of her lips over his, a gentle smile as he reached up to cup her cheek, soft and warm, such a stark contrast to his own that had been caked in dry blood, itchy and brittle just a few days prior. The curtains softened the light that hit her face only slightly, allowing her lashes to cast a soft shadow over her face as she grinned down at him.

Oh, he loved her. He didn’t deserve love, to be loved, but he got it anyway, and he truly was the luckiest man in the world.

“Good morning,” his voice is gruff with sleep, and she can’t help but lean down to kiss him again. And again, gentle over bruises but insistent over whatever remained untouched.

Her ‘good morning’ came in a murmur against his bearded jaw, in the way he just now noticed she was straddling him, in nothing but his shirt-one of the few that wasn’t soaked in blood, riddled with bullet holes.

They’d both thought of easy mornings like this, wished, prayed for them. They both thought they’d never get them, a cliche they weren’t allowed to partake in for various reasons-insecurities, past actions. So they reveled in the warm glow of each other, of sunlit skin and thighs against one another’s.

Vulnerability and words of affection weren’t easy to them, but today they seemed to slip past their lips like it was nothing. Between kisses, soft breathless ‘I love you’s, ‘I missed you’s. Calloused hands with busted knuckles slipped beneath her shirt, (his shirt,)  much softer smaller hands slid into his hair, messy though he seemed to barely move in his sleep. John seemed to take his time, like this was the first time he felt her skin beneath his fingers, felt her breasts rest in his palms. He sat up, moved to kiss down her sternum, still tortuously slow, and she squirmed in his lap. He grins at the movement, hands moving to her hips as if to stop her, but really he just wants to bring her somehow closer, like the way they were already flush with one another wasn’t quite enough for him.

Slow and gentle she rocks her hips against his, whimpering as he nips at the skin between her breasts, though it was more a slow collection of skin between teeth then it was a harsh, fast movement. She grips at his upper arms as his hands move to slip between her shoulder blades, an attempt to move her even closer, to feel her heart thud beneath his lips where they rest on her chest. An inordinate amount of time has passed, and she grows impatient now, whimpering out ‘John, please,’ as if it pains her to do so. The feeling of his lips and hands all over her is divine, but she needs more, and the way he looks up at her says he’ll gladly give it to her.

They know they have all the time in the world, to get undressed and press skin to skin, but suddenly they feel the need to rush, moving what little clothes are in the way out of it so he can sink into her. She gasps, he hisses through his teeth, like this is the first time they’d felt each other like this. Her arms wrap around his neck, and that impatience of earlier seems to ease a bit, like all they really needed was this. Her lips are back on his, swollen and sensitive from having bitten at them earlier, like she had needed to quiet herself when his fingers had found themselves grazing lightly, teasing over her through thin cotton.

Their hips rock together slowly. He finds some leverage with his hand against the mattress to angle his hips just so, the other still holding her flush against him, the heat of her through their clothes adding its own feeling of intimacy. Their lips part as she moans, winds her fingers into his hair with a gentle tug, and he’s spurred on to move just a bit faster. John wants to savor this, but he also wants to feel her shudder around him, wants to feel her cry out.

The room is filled with the noise of heavy, occasionally choked on breaths, the sound of fabric shifting as they work. They cling and kiss at each other almost desperately, whisper each other’s names the same. He knows she’s close in all the subtle ways, her fingers grasping unto his shirt tighter, the way her eyebrows scrunch together, her jaw tightens and her pitch changes.

He almost begs her to cum for him, that early morning roughness still in his voice as he lets it slip out against her neck, now damp with sweat. The calloused pad of his finger runs circles over her as her hips stutter, his hips bucking up into hers to compensate. Her end comes in waves, slow like their morning, so unlike all the violent ones he’d given her before. As she comes down she grins, smothers him in kisses and despite the sensitivity, insists on riding him til he finishes.

With the way she looked, pink cheeks and half lidded eyes, the way her legs barely held her up, it didn’t take him long before that same electricity arched along his bones, had him groaning between them as their foreheads tipped together.

The sun was a little higher. Birds sang outside as they lay beside each other, breathless and blissful, grins as bright as that same early morning light that had woken her up not long ago. He looks to her with that same soft smile.

“I love you.”

[five-rivers]

Artifact/Nursery Rhyme

Who doesn’t post things in a timely manner?  Oh, that’s me.  This is a continuation from Cauldron/Electricity.  

.

Artifact/Nursery Rhyme

.

Danny scanned the ground to either side, looking for caves. It was probably bad to have preconceptions on a search like this, but he couldn't get the picture of the witch, Vivian, hiding out and plotting in a cave out of his head. He was looking for houses, or other structures, as well, but not as hard.

He glanced at Sam. She'd been weirdly quiet this whole time. He hoped she wasn't too upset. He had tried, really tried, to get Vivian out of her, but it hadn't been enough. Sam had been overshadowed for days. That was more than enough to make anyone angry.

But when Sam was mad, she usually didn't get quiet. She was loud, and vocal, and told you exactly what she was angry about. Unless she was angry that you didn't ask her to go to the with you, because she'd called the dance stupid half a dozen times, and then, well...

Quiet Sam was a lot scarier than loud Sam.

At first, it had looked like she was blaming herself for what had happened, and Danny had, using techniques that usually worked on him, tried to maneuver her away from that idea. But what if she hadn't been blaming herself, and now she was angry with Danny for assuming she was? What if he had screwed up, and now she was blaming herself because he'd put the idea into her head?

He was a terrible friend. Why couldn't he have been competent for once, and gotten the ghost out of her?

Well, one way or another, he was going to get them out of this. Even if he did wind up having to do that familiar contract thing. Between Dungeons and Dragons in middle school, and a whole heck of a lot of research into the occult when becoming a ghost, he knew that 'familiar' meant 'servant,' so he doubted it would be a fun thing. But if it was Sam, it wouldn't be too bad.

Probably.

She didn't try to get Danny to use his powers to break animals out of the zoo, or to vandalize car dealerships anymore, anyway. She wouldn't force him to do anything he didn't want to. Convince him? Yes. But not force him.

He exhaled, realizing he had been staring at Sam, and not looking for wherever the witch ghost had hidden her stuff, for the past several minutes.

He looked back up the slope just in time to catch sight of an opening about a quarter of the way up.

"Sam," he said, touching her elbow, and pointing. "Check it out."

She followed his gaze. "Shouldn't be too hard of a climb."

Danny nodded. "I think we might be able to just walk up if we go around a bit?" He made a zigzag motion with his hands.

"Yeah, let's try that."

It didn't take them very long to get up to the cave. Their previous experience climbing down had given them insight into how the ground here behaved. Once there, however, they spent several long moments staring into it, unwilling to go into the dark.

"It's a good thing you still glow," said Sam. "You did test out all your other powers, right?"

"Except for the Wail, yeah," said Danny, running through them mentally once again. "Ice seems to be working a little, and I can still transform," which she had seen, "but that's it."

"Ice?"

Danny pulled off his right glove (his right, never his left) and held out his hand. Frost momentarily blanched the tan surface of his skin before subsiding. "That's all that's happening, though."

"Might be useful," said Sam.

"Maybe. Okay, I'm going in."

His glow illuminated the cave softly, coolly, like moonlight. At first it only played over bare stone, and Danny groaned internally, thinking that the cave might be empty, but he kept going, periodically glancing over his shoulder to see Sam following behind him.

But, at last, when he was about to turn around, the edge of a table and the outline of books came into view. He hurried forward, and entered an area that looked a lot like a study. If a study had been built inside a cave. He picked up one of the books, and frowned at it.

Multilingual he might be, courtesy of ghost nonsense, but interpreting 'creative' spelling was not his forte, especially when it was on top of cramped, curly handwriting.

"Mind helping me find something to light these candles with?" asked Sam.

"Oops!" said Danny. "Sorry." He had forgotten how much better he could see in the dark than normal people. After a minute of searching, he found a pack of long matches in a drawer. He lit one, and started lighting candles.

"Thanks," said Sam, picking up a candle and using it to light others. "That's much better."

Candles lit, they sat down to flip through the books, stopping at any mention of familiar spirits and contracts.

Danny sighed as he got to the end of another one without any luck, and went back to the shelf. He supposed he didn't have to put the books back on, but his book-loving sister had ingrained in him that not doing so was rude.

Then again, kidnapping was also rude.

"I think I found something," said Sam.

Danny walked back and peered over her shoulder. "This is for ghosts that can't talk," he said, after a moment of inspection. "Let's see if there's a better one." Sam turned the pages. "Maybe- Oh, no, this is for natural spirits."

"And you aren't?"

"No, it's a term for ghosts that are born ghosts. Keep going, though, it looks like this is the right one."

Sam turned a few more pages. "Okay, I think this one looks right."

Danny leaned in, scanning it. His shoulder brushed against Sam's, and she jumped. "Sorry! This one looks about right, though. And it doesn't look too bad?"

"Doesn't look too bad! Danny, are you seeing this?" she jabbed the offending page with her finger.

"Oh. Huh. Yeah, I guess it is kind of gross, but that's okay. It's not like it'd be the first time."

"It's talking about putting a needle in your eye."

"Yeah, but I've hurt my eyes before. They heal."

"What if it doesn't heal this time?"

"Then I'll have to get an eye-patch."

Sam lowered her eyebrows. "Don't you think we should try other ways of getting out of this, first? Maybe we can wait out whatever she did to you."

Danny tilted his head, and thought about it. "Are you thirsty?" he asked.

"Well, yeah, but it's not like we have any water, do we? Why are you asking?"

"Because humans can only last three days without water. If Vivian got you a drink before bed, and there's no guarantee she did, you've gone most of a day without drinking. Even if it doesn't go that far, you can wind up with kidney stones from getting dehydrated. That's what Mom says, anyway."

"I think you keeping your eyes is worth me having kidney stones."

"I don't. I especially don't think it's worth you dying." Danny felt himself droop. "It isn't just the water, anyway. I can't protect you like this. Who knows what Vivian will do if she thinks we're not making an effort."

"I hate giving in to people like her."

"It's tactical," said Danny. "Like with Vlad. We let her think she's won, then counterattack when she doesn't expect it."

"Well, when you say it that way, it isn't so bad, I guess." She sucked in her lower lip. "I don't want you to have to do this."

"I don't want you to have to do that, either," said Danny, pointing at a lower line. "But let's read it, and make sure we understand it completely before we start. Side effects, and stuff. And see if there's a way to undo it."

"And if there's another one, with less stabbing."

"That too."

.

"Ready?" asked Danny. It had taken a while to find everything the ritual- and it was a ritual- required, and once they did, they hadn't wanted to do it in the witch's cave.

Sam nodded, rubbing her palms on Danny's jeans. "As ready as I'm going to be."

Danny scooted across the rug they'd stolen from the cave, closer to Sam. He was careful not to disturb any of the chalky markings they'd drawn. Some of them felt... odd.

"It'll be fine," said Danny.

Sam looked down. "I know you think so, but what if it's a trap? What if it turns out like..." she lowered her voice, "the portal."

Both of those options had crossed Danny's mind. But Danny was pretty sure Vivian could have kept him in that bottle indefinitely. Whatever this was, it wasn't about him and his powers. Combined with her behavior back in Amity Park, Danny was pretty sure this was about Sam.

"Then we'll figure out where to go from there. But, right now, the important thing is to get you back to a place you can survive." This island most definitely did not meet that criterion, and Danny would prefer to find out if Vivian was lying sooner than later.

"Fine," said Sam, fingering the tip of the needle. "Let's get this over with."

"Your line is first."

They had actually already written the 'contract,' but actually putting it into effect 'magically' required ritual, rhyme, and a small amount of spilled blood and ectoplasm. The book had had several options to choose from, and they had picked the most appropriate and least dangerous-looking one. None of them were perfect of course, because none of them compensated for the 'spirit' side of things only being mostly dead.

Hopefully, that wouldn't affect things too much.

"Right," said Sam. She cleared her throat, and looked down at the book. "Tell me not a single lie." The words shivered, almost, but not quite, echoing. Sam turned the book so Danny could see it.

"Cross my heart, though I have died," he responded.

"With me for a moment bide," read Sam, her voice cracking on the last word, her hands trembling in anticipation.

Well, Danny wasn't exactly looking forward to this next part either. "Then stick a needle in my eye."

Sam picked up the needle, then froze. Danny nodded at her and the needle encouragingly. She raised the needle to eye level, and paused again.

'Do it,' mouthed Danny. She bit her lip, and stabbed the needle forward.

Ouch. Yep, that hurt. Sam pulled the needle out, and Danny closed his eye, pressing one hand down on his eyelid. Watery green ectoplasm leaked out, dripping down his cheek. Ow.

Shakily, Sam continued on to her next line. "Tell me the price I'll have to pay."

"That is the one and only way," said Danny, before she had even turned the book around. Odd, he had read the ritual through several times, but he hadn't thought he'd memorized it.

"For you to forever stay," continued Sam.

"You'll pay it 'til the end of days." That line was ominous, and the alien quality that had worked its way into Danny's voice made it more so.

Sam held up the piece of paper they'd written their contract on. "On this contract place your seal." All that was written on it was 'We agree to be friends with each other,' which was something they intended on doing anyway.

"Keep the spirit of our deal," intoned Danny. Yeah, the ritual was definitely doing something to him. His core felt way more active than it usually was, even in ghost form.

A dark spot bloomed on the bottom right corner of the page, and slowly resolved into a phantom 'D.'

Cool.

"Be my servant, be my slave." It was this line that had Sam arguing for a different ritual. She didn't want Danny to be her slave. However, the others either required a lot more stabbing, stuff they didn't have, or looked way more suspicious to Danny, from a ghostly perspective. One or two in that book didn't have anything obviously wrong with them, but repelled Danny for reasons he couldn't articulate.

"And aren't you so very brave?" The words tumbled out of Danny's mouth without any conscious thought or permission on his part.

"Be my wisdom, be my sword," said Sam, unaware of Danny's internal difficulties.

Maybe he should try- "Forever, if you keep your word." -Nope, looked like he couldn't stop, or even delay. He hoped Sam wasn't having the same problem, because that would suck.

Then he remembered what was going to happen next, and his core protested at the very thought. But he discovered he was completely immobile.

"I'll give you blood." Sam poised the needle (still covered in the gore from Danny's eye) over her hand, and drew it across her palm, leaving a shallow red line. "I'll give you gold." Sam put a few dollar bills and coins (taken from Danny's wallet), down in between them.

Danny's core suddenly swelled with power, but there was nowhere for it to go and it hurt. Ice, the only outlet, feathered across his skin. His awareness of everything outside himself, Sam, and the ritual dropped to zero.

"I am not so lightly sold." As if his friend's blood was a 'light' price! Stupid ritual. It was priceless!

"Anything for which you wish," said Sam.

"Give me your heart, give me a kiss."

Because of course the blood magic ritual had to be sealed with a- All other thoughts fled as Sam leaned in to kiss him.

Danny had the feeling of something settling on him. Something comforting, like a good, heavy blanket, strong, like ghost-forged chains, and permanent, like death. All the extra energy his core had built up during the ritual flowed into it, and then some, leaving his core weak and trembling.

The kiss lasted a lot longer than was really necessary.

Which was nice. Really nice. But as soon as Sam pulled away, he collapsed.

Sam managed to catch him. "Danny, are you okay? What's wrong?"

"No," said Danny, his head lolling against her shoulder, which surprised him, because he had meant to say, 'Yes, I'm fine.' "No energy."

He felt himself lose hold of his ghost form, which was really embarrassing in this position; he was only wearing his t-shirt and boxers. His eye slipped closed.

Darn.

.

The first indication Sam had that the ritual was working was when she kissed Danny. She immediately felt energized, refreshed, all the hunger and thirst she had built up since finding herself in front of that cauldron vanishing. She felt connected. Like she could feel Danny. And she liked it.

She liked it a lot.

She probably let the kiss last a lot longer than she had to. The spell didn't specify, after all.

Maybe this wasn't so bad, after all, if they could feel like this.

But then Danny collapsed. That was bad.

Then he passed out. That was worse.

A wisp of cold air slipped past Danny's lips, tickling the side of Sam's neck. She shivered and tensed, casting her eyes about for the ghost. "C'mon, Danny," she said, shaking him slightly. "Get up, I need you."

Surprisingly, this entreaty roused Danny, and his uninjured eye slowly eased open. "Hn?"

"Strictly speaking," said Vivian, sliding into visibility, "you didn't have to stab him with the needle. That's part of the binding, to keep the ghost from backing out, and he wasn't going to do that, were you, dear?"

She reached out to touch Danny, and he hissed weakly at her. She laughed, tilting back her head, but then leaned forward, pressing her thumb into Danny's forehead. He moaned, and turned his face into Sam's shoulder.

"There," said Vivian, shaking her hand. "He should have access to his powers again." She smiled, teeth sharp. "It will take some time for the two of you to adjust to your new circumstances, but I very much look forward to teaching you once you do, Sam." A larger smile. "Apprentice."

Sam glowered.

Vivian bent down to pick up the book. "I never used this particular ritual," she said. "It requires the spirit to already be invested in the witch, so to speak. Perfect for you. Not so much for me. My mentor was the one who passed it on to me." She snapped the book closed. "He has a good eye, though. One of the ones you were considering would have turned him into a cat."

Sam swallowed.

"Now, I'll leave the two of you to adjust. Don't worry about starving. His power will sustain you until he recovers enough to fly you back home." Vivian's smile grew lazy, indulgent. "Speaking of which, I had a lot of fun there, and I need some way to pass the time. Don't I?" She vanished, cackling.

Danny whimpered.

"Crap," said Sam. Then, more gently, "Hey, Danny, how do you feel?"

"Not great," he said. "Like I just had a marathon fight, and then got beaten with a stick."

"Oh," said Sam. Usually Danny wasn't this honest. Or quite this clingy. He was still wrapped around her. Which, she, surprisingly, didn't mind. "Anything else?"

"I think that maybe I can't lie to you, because I just tried to say 'I'm fine' twice, and couldn't."

"Oh," said Sam.

"It's okay. You're probably going to have side effects, too. Or maybe it's not a side effect?" He giggled. "It's not a bug, it's a feature? I think I just need to sleep."

"Okay, you do that then."

Danny promptly closed his eyes, and his grip relaxed. Sam stared. Okay, no, she wasn't even going to consider that until she had more evidence.

She sighed, and leaned back until they were both lying on the carpet. One thing at a time. They'd figure this out.

Together.

[werewolfdays]

drabble - Shackled

based off of a prompt from the @whumptober2019 prompt list, Jayde talks to Nadya about the most traumatic part of her past-

My hand automatically placed itself on Nadya’s thigh when I sat back down on the couch by the fireplace. I noticed Nadya’s gaze linger on the subtle scar wrapping around my wrist from the silver shackles that were placed on me when I was captured. She would do that sometimes. Take a special interest in one of the scars that she knew I gained from my years in captivity. But she never mentioned it. Even when I felt her curiosity towards it, she usually kept quiet. 

“You never ask.” 

She blinked up at me in confusion, “Ask what?”

“You know what I mean.” I said gently.

A moment of silence passed. Nadya stared down at my scar again, reaching out to brush her thumb over it. “I didn’t think it was something I should bring up.” 

“But you want to know.” I responded in understanding.

The warmth of her brown eyes settled back on me. “Not bad enough to put you through the pain of remembering.” 

I grabbed her hand to play with her fingers, “You can always ask me whatever you want, you know that.” A small crooked smile flashed across my face, “Plus, I heard somewhere that talking about things can sometimes maybe help.”

Nadya smiled briefly too, but then she went into quiet thought for a minute. I watched her contemplate exactly what question she wanted to ask with a mixture of dread and anticipation. I rarely talk about being held captive, figuring my scars were enough of an explanation. Nadya made me feel safe though. She is the only person that I haven’t given boundaries to on the subject. I didn’t feel the need to. Even with that amount of freedom I gave to her, she hasn’t abused it, which just made me love her more. 

“What…” Nadya hesitated like she didn’t believe me, “What was it like?”

My eyes wandered around the Den. What little guests there were didn’t seem to care about us or what we were talking about. Toby didn’t even glance in our direction from the bar. Not like I expected anyone to be listening anyway, but I suddenly felt exposed. I took a moment to focus on Nadya’s hand holding mine to ground me. Since I had just told her she could ask, I felt obligated to follow through, but it suddenly made me feel trapped. Then I realized Nadya would never force me to talk about this. If I said the word, she would drop it. No questions asked. No judgement. That reassurance gave me the final push I needed to speak. 

“Well, at first it wasn’t so bad if I’m being honest. I mean, I did watch my dad get murdered and I was beaten and taken away from my mom and my home.” Recalling the events was met with some resistance. As soon as my mom and I were taken, I was resigned to our fate. The only light of hope I had was the knowledge that Skye was safe. “But they waited until I was fully recovered. They politely asked questions about my experience as a werewolf and took basic tests. I guess I was a rare find, being a purebred adolescent werewolf. It almost felt like I was getting a physical at the doctor’s. But I was pissed. I didn’t give them shit if I could help it. All I wanted was to see my mom.”

“You were sixteen?” Nadya asked.

“Mhm,” I nodded, “One of them- maybe a scientist, I’m not sure- sat me down and tried to convince me that their work was good. That they were trying to advance medicine and improve the world. She spoke to me like I was a child, telling me that we could work together and that I could be a hero.” I scoffed, wishing that I had bashed that woman’s face in, “Obviously, I didn’t buy into her shit. I think that meeting was my last chance to cooperate, because things changed after that. They put me in a solitary confinement cell and took me out a few times a week to perform tests.” 

I heard Nadya’s heart rate begin to pick up, dreading the details as much as I did. 

“It started off pretty tame. They would take tons of samples, blood, saliva, that sort of thing. Then they wanted to watch me turn. I must’ve held back a shift for months just to spite them. Ironically, that’s where I learned a lot of my control. Each full moon was horrible. It felt like my blood was going to boil and my skull was going to burst, but I still held it back. So they tried to force a turn.” Nadya’s breath hitched at my emphasis of force, “They tried everything from electric shocks to adrenaline shots. Pretty sure that almost killed me a couple times... I’m not sure what did it though, I just knew that one day it became too much, so I let them have their win.” 

I started to worry that I was painting too horrific of a picture, but Nadya didn’t object. Maybe she felt like she needed to hear it. A voice in the back of my head told me to stop. She doesn’t need to know this. It’s hurting her as much as it did you. It told me. The look of pained determination on her face silently urged me to continue. She can handle it. I thought back. 

“They tested the limits of my durability, sometimes pushing me to the brink of death to monitor my healing. Also trying out silver, wolfsbane, and anything else that was mentioned in folklore to see how that affected me and my shifting or healing.” I only realized after I broke out that those were mostly weapons tests against my kind, but I didn’t mention that, “Sometimes they would drag me out of my cell and put me under and I would wake up back in my bed however long later with no idea of what they did to me. Just a new scar somewhere.” 

Broken memories came back to me. Somewhat detached. Like all of this happened to someone else. The rage and fear that had rooted itself so deep within me during those years wanted to manifest, but it was like I couldn’t muster it. I just felt cold. 

“After a while, all the days just… blended together. I couldn’t tell you if it was day or night, there was just these goddamn fluorescent lights on twenty-four seven. And that wasn’t even the most maddening part, because they only asked questions in the beginning. The rest of the time I was there, barely anyone spoke to me. No matter how much I cursed them out- how much I begged. Though, they were feeling nice one day and decided to let me know that my mom didn’t survive the experiments.” 

My jaw clenched bitterly, finally feeling the primal rage that I knew was inside me all the time. Sometimes lying dormant, patiently waiting for the right time to be unleashed. And just like that... it faded away to the cold again. 

“They all became blank faces with blank stares. That just made it seem even less real. Like I was screaming at faceless people in a nightmare. I didn’t even know how long I was in there until I got out.” 

Three years. I still remember how shocked I was when I picked up my first newspaper. Three years had somehow felt like a lifetime. Or more accurately, an endless black pit where time didn’t exist. 

“That place, it’s…” I stammered, unsure of how to go about describing it, “I wasn’t alive. And I wasn’t dead either. I was something in between, floating in someplace in between.” 

A stillness settled between us when I was finished. My heart was beating slowly, but each thump felt like a kick to the chest. I finally turned to see tears falling freely down Nadya’s cheeks. That in turn made me notice my own. My hand came up in time to catch a tear in its descent, and I pulled it back to stare at the moisture on the tip of my finger in bewilderment. I felt mostly nothing while recounting my horrors, yet my body still reacted. It knew what we should be feeling, but my subconscious was kind enough to spare me. Until now, that is. When I looked to Nadya again, she seemed to notice my internal struggle.

“Let’s get out of here.” She said, wiping her tears off on her sleeve and standing up. 

I got up to follow her, her hand fitting perfectly in mine as she pulled me along. Just focus on her. Nadya led me towards the fire pits outside. My breath immediately turned to mist in the freezing night air. The cold was actually a much needed slap to the face. I took a few deep breaths, letting go of Nadya’s hand to lean on the icy railing overlooking the lake that was illuminated by moonlight. She stood beside me and her hand came to rest on my back, moving in soothing circles to settle my mind. 

“You were looking a little pale.” Nadya said, keeping up the pace of her light massage, “Thought some fresh air might help.” 

An iron grip on the railing turned my knuckles white, but with each breath, my vice loosened. “Is, uh, is that what you were hoping to hear?” I chuckled in a poor attempt at humor.

I regretted it when Nadya’s hand stopped. Thankfully it only lasted a second because her arm went lower to wrap around my waist and lean into me. “Well, I was hoping that it wasn’t as bad as I imagined. Foolish, I know.” Her gaze fell, but only so she could run an index finger along my strained knuckles, “Especially since it ended up being worse.”

“It was years ago.” I said like it made it any better. Like time negated all of the trauma when it clearly didn’t. No matter how many times I tried to convince myself it did. 

“You’re right,” Nadya shifted to take my hand in both of hers, purposefully tracing the scar she was studying earlier, “But I still see it every day. All over you. And I heard it in your voice even before you told me. You know what else I see?” the way Nadya cradled my hand against her chest put me in some sort of trance as I hung onto every word she spoke. “I see just how strong you are. Jay, you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. I’ve always seen that.” 

“You think way too highly of me.” I told her with a bashful smile.

“It’s the truth.” She insisted. Her own playful smile lit up her beautiful face, “I want to be as strong as you when I grow up.” 

The laugh I released was such a welcome sensation, pulling me away from the lingering darkness, “You already are.” My arms wrapped around Nadya’s body and she nuzzled her head into my neck. The tip of her nose was already freezing and caused my body to flinch slightly at the shock of feeling it against my skin. “You’re so cold.”

“And you’re so warm.” Nadya remarked, slipping her hands under my shirt, which weren’t as cold as her nose, but still made me tense up until they warmed. 

“You guys like freezing your asses off?” I heard Toby say and turned to see him coming towards us with two steaming cups of what smelled like tea in his hands. 

“At least once a week so a new one can grow in.” Nadya joked, accepting the cup he handed to her. 

Toby shook his head at her in amusement and handed me the other one that was spiked with whiskey. I smelled it from ten feet away. He must’ve sensed that I needed it and I took it gratefully, saying my thanks with a purposeful nod. 

“Alright, well I don’t need to grow a new ass, so see you guys later.” Toby quipped and went to go back inside. He hesitated by the door and called, “Try not to stay out too long.”

“We’ll be inside in a few minutes.” I reassured him. He nodded in relief, seemingly satisfied that whatever I was going through wasn’t bad enough to freeze myself to death, and went back to the Den.  

I took a long sip of my tea, savoring all the flavors of the various herbs mixing with the alcohol. Letting the hot liquid fill my insides with a warm embrace to relax me. Nadya rested her head on my shoulder while she held her cup in her grasp like a hand warmer. I took in her scent for a few minutes too. It reminded me of the very tea she was drinking, mixed autumn spices that paired perfectly with the cold weather. The kind of scent that made you want to curl up by a fire in your favorite blanket. 

“You know, you’ll never have to go back to that place.” She said calmly, “I won’t let anyone take you back there. I promise.” 

My smile warmed me as much as she did. “I believe you.” 

[ajashy1]

High-mast lighting: 5 things you need to know

High-mast lighting is a growing trend in the United States, as well as other parts of the world. This type of lighting solution has many benefits, including increased safety and visibility for drivers, reduced light pollution, and better visibility for animals. In this article we'll discuss why lighting mast is so popular and what things you need to know before installing it at your facility.

1. High-mast lighting is a good solution for large and remote areas.

High-mast lighting is a good solution for large and remote areas.

High-mast lighting can be used to light large areas, including a sports field or stadium. For example, high-mast lighting can illuminate the field at night so that players and spectators can see clearly. It's also used in remote areas like airports and parking lots where there are no nearby street lights or other forms of artificial light.

2. High-mast lighting reduces light pollution.

High-mast lighting also reduces light pollution, a common byproduct of streetlights. Light pollution can have negative effects on both humans and animals. For example, excessive use of artificial lighting at night can cause sleep disorders and increase the risk of cancer in humans. It can also disrupt animals' activity cycles, as well as their mating patterns. In addition to protecting your health and environment from an overuse of lights, the lighting mast also protects drivers from glare caused by lower street lamps—which is especially important now that self-driving cars are becoming more common on roads everywhere!

3. High-mast lighting reduces glare, which protects animals and drivers.

Glare from high-mast lighting can be a safety hazard for drivers and animals on the road, but it also has negative implications for the environment. Glare is caused when light reflected off of surfaces like sand, water or snow is directed into your eyes. This can cause temporary blindness and accidents. Glare can also affect animals’ vision, causing them to become disoriented during migration seasons (e.g., from spring to summer).

4. High-mast lighting systems are highly customizable.

Lighting mast systems are highly customizable, but they're not one-size-fits-all. Before you buy a high-mast light system, make sure you know:

What type of luminaire you need—luminaires are the lamp itself (usually a metal or plastic housing that contains the bulb) and may contain special features to direct light in certain ways or to meet certain brightness requirements.

The size and type of luminaire you need for your application—higher wattage lamps mean brighter lights and therefore higher costs; larger diameter bulbs can produce more light; lower wattage units last longer because they use less energy per second.

How many luminaires will be necessary to fulfill your needs—the farther away from each other they are spaced, the more concentrated their brightness will appear to be at any given distance in between them.

Which type(s) of power supply should be used with these lights—depending on whether they're solar powered or wired into an electrical grid nearby (or both).

5. High-mast lighting can be cost effective, especially when you consider ongoing maintenance costs.

High-mast lighting can be cost effective, especially when you consider ongoing maintenance costs. It’s important to remember that the initial investment of high-mast lighting can be offset by the money saved by eliminating repairs and replacement as well as electricity costs. These savings add up over time and can result in significant savings for large, remote areas or facilities with high traffic volume where there are few power outlets available.

Conclusion

Lighting mast is an innovative technology that has many benefits. It can help keep our roads safe and reduce light pollution. It's also customizable, so you can find the perfect solution for your needs. And because there are fewer moving parts than traditional street lamps, high-masts also require less maintenance over time! If you're looking for a way to make your property safer or more attractive at night without breaking the bank, invest in high-mast lighting today!

[sserpente]

A/N: Request from @phyllisforever and @mom2reesie. Did anyone else miss Eric? I did! I really gotta re-watch Divergent over the holidays. Have fun reading! ♥

Words: 2193 Warnings: implied smut/mentions of smut

“What the fuck am I supposed to give him? He’s one of the leaders, compared to me he’s bloody rich and apart from that, I know nothing about him.” You complained, staring at your red Christmas cocktail with dismay. After lunch today, Max had decided that it would be “fun” to do Secret Santa this year, letting every single member of Dauntless draw a name.

“I won’t even be able to buy a tree this year. What’s Christmas without a Christmas tree?” You asked sadly. “Besides, Eric will kill me if I end up giving him nothing at all.”

You had been more than reluctant to join that stupid action. You could barely afford a Christmas gift for your family whom you actually cared about, let alone the tree. Technically, even if you could buy Christmas gifts, where would you put them under? Your coffee table? You scoffed.

“You tell me, silly, you’re the one who’s sleeping with him” Your best friend retorted mockingly, rolling her eyes as she did.

“Slept. Past tense. We slept with each other three times and there were no strings attached, how many times do I have to tell you that? It was a one night stand, nothing more and nothing less.”

Which was true. After partying in the pit around a week ago, things between the two of you had gotten a little heated and you had quickly noticed that the chemistry, tangible and buzzing like electric energy, was strong and numbing so you had decided to act on it. The sex was amazing, needless to say but that didn’t mean you were working on some kind of relationship.

Eric was a leader and you were… a former initiate who had pissed him off a few times too often. Sure, he was incredibly sexy, intelligent and had that typical alluring bad boy aura around him but was he actually boyfriend material? Yes, wait, no! No, of course not… right?

“Sure, can you count? You guys landed in bed three fucking times, that’s totally a sign you’re going to— oh. He’s staring at you.” Your best friend paused, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Who? Who is staring at me?”

“Eric, duh!” Frowning, you risked a quick glance. Your best friend was right. Eric was sitting in the corner, holding a glass of expensive whiskey. His strong and muscly arms were propped up on the table, his blue eyes fixed on you as if you were his prey.

Now that was just what you needed. If he had been eavesdropping your conversation, you might as well toss yourself down the chasm right away. On the other hand, the look he kept checking you out with reminded you of the one he’d had on before pouncing on you and fucking you senseless. God, so many orgasms…

“Great. That’s my cue.” You stated dryly, hoping to scare the naughty thought away. “I’ll see you tomorrow, hopefully with an idea as to what to gift Eric.”

Your best friend only smiled knowingly. “Alright, good night… sweet dreams!”

Scoffing, you got up and left the pit, heading straight to your apartment. There was no need to panic yet, after all, right? You still had ten more days to find him the perfect—and cheap—present.

Christmas Eve

There was need to panic. You cursed loudly when you attacked the battered punching bag in front of you, still pondering over what to get Eric. It was past ten already. Gosh, you had barely managed to buy your little cousin a present—that doll with the blue dress she had wanted so badly—and on top of that, nothing you came up with you thought Eric would like.

You should have paid better attention back when you had been in his bedroom, checked for his hobbies and interests but then again… you’d been too busy getting your brains fucked out.

“You’re up late. Shouldn’t you be in bed waiting for Santa to crawl through your chimney or something?” You flinched when you heard his voice behind you, echoing through the training hall like a threatening thunder. He always managed to sound stern and intimidating, even if he tried holding a normal conversation. Well, it was a little hard to do so given you had seen each other naked.

He was referring to the story you had told your little cousin when shopping for her Christmas present two days ago, about Santa coming to town to put the presents under the tree. Eric had overheard your conversation and deliciously amused himself. You were amazed he hadn’t mocked you for it, almost as if, deep down, he appreciated the cute gesture. Who were you to understand him though? Him sticking his dick into your vagina three times didn’t make you know him, after all.

Shaking your head, you shrugged.

“I can’t sleep.” You lied, hoping he would not notice your discomfort.

It wasn’t fear of him that crept up your body when you thought of tomorrow morning where everyone in the pit would exchange presents and receive a little gift in return and Eric… Eric would get nothing, that you had figured out last night. It was fear of disappointing him.

Perhaps your best friend was right and you did like him a lot more than you wanted to admit.

“I figured that. You always beat that punching bag senseless when you can’t.” He had noticed that? Had he been watching you for a longer period of time already? You had only seen him mustering you once, back when you had talked to your best friend about that stupid Secret Santa mission initiated by Max.

“Let’s go have a drink. I think you’ve had enough training for today.” He suggested.

Pausing, you thought about it for a second.

“Alright. Will that drink include me ending up in your apartment, us ripping off each other’s clothes and then misinterpreting a one-night stand once more?”

The Dauntless leader chuckled darkly. His blue eyes seemed to look right through you and into your soul, boring into you like sharp needles. You were ready to give in and submit to him, even if that meant admitting that you were crushing on him. Maybe you could gift him yourself and pleasure him with your mouth for a while. It would at least be some kind of present… only how would you tell him that?

“I wouldn’t say no,” he finally replied, cocking his head over to the door before turning around to leave. He didn’t expect you to follow—he simply knew you would. Fuck, what if he knew you were into him already? Should you ask him? No, that would make you look like an idiot. You would wait until he was tipsy and then approach the sensitive topic. Perhaps then he wouldn’t kill you.

A few drinks and one hour in, you were still sitting at the bar, talking about all and sundry, exchanging absurd and funny stories about your experiences in the faction and, once the ice had been broken, relationships.

“Look,” he said, taking another sip of his third beer which he had almost emptied again. “I want a woman who can stand up for herself, a woman who is independent and strong but doesn’t argue if I want to take things in hand and take care of something for her. You have no idea how hard it is to find these, even in Dauntless. Most of them just duck away thinking I will push them down the chasm if they so much as bat their eyelashes at me.”

It was the beer talking, that you were sure of. Eric was never this open, not with anyone and especially not with you. You understood what he said about his type. You hated whiny women who hid behind her boyfriends, wanting to be carried around and spoiled like little princesses but if need be, a man should be there to support his woman at any cost—and she should be open-minded enough to let him.

“Can you blame them?” You responded, giggling. “You’re scary and intimidating as fuck. I don’t get how I ended up in your bed in the first place.”

Eric gave you an evil smirk.

“About that…” he started cheekily. “How about we celebrate Christmas our own way?”

It certainly was one way to ask to spend the night together. Fine, you didn’t mind. Fuck, you didn’t mind at all. If only this meant as much to him as it did to you. You wondered, quietly, if you could be his type. He hadn’t let you know about any physical traits, never mentioned with a word if the woman of his dreams should have big boobs, blonde hair or green eyes but only about what personality intrigued him.

Well, and if you were not, you could have one more night of fun with this handsome man. It was rare Eric actually treated someone nicely in the faction, if only to sleep with them. You enjoyed the affection as much as you enjoyed spending time with him and… shit, you really were crushing on him.

“I’d like that.” You managed to choke out, watching how he drank up his beer only to do the same to your cocktail. The alcohol hadn’t yet kicked in but the drowsiness you could already feel. Almost stumbling, you followed him outside into the compound and turned to where his apartment was.

“Let’s go to your place tonight.”

Oh? You were hoping to be able to fuck him under a Christmas tree but your bed would do too. To be honest, you didn’t really care.

“Alright then,”

Nodding, Eric let you take the lead. You both walked in silence and darkness, the dim light barely illuminating the grey ground to your feet. When you finally reached into your pockets to unlock the door and invite him in, however, you gasped, the keys falling from your grasp with a barely audible cling.

Right there, on the coffee table in the middle of your small studio apartment, proudly stood a tiny and neatly decorated Christmas tree. Colourful lights blinked happily in the dark room, a bright star ornament complementing the tip.

Your lips parted, surprise prominent on your face. Who had…?

“Merry Christmas, (Y/N).” Eric murmured, his hot breath brushing against your earlobe as his hands gently but possessively grabbed your waist. Hold on a second… Sucking in a deep breath, you spun around.

“Wait… you put the Christmas tree here? W-why?”

“I overheard you telling your best friend that you couldn’t afford a tree this year. Thought I would help you out. Besides, I drew your name from that stupid Secret Santa hat Max forced on me.”

Eric had been your Secret Santa? What on Earth were you gonna do now? He had gotten you an actual Christmas tree and you still had… nothing for him in return.

“That’s… that’s, I’m speechless. You have no idea how much that means to me, Eric. Thank you.”

Hesitatingly, you stood on your toes, wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him close. You hadn’t shared a lot of soft kisses yet, only passionate and heated make outs that had ended up in either him eating you out or you sucking him off. This kiss, however, was different. It was special, magical. Like fire, something indescribable seemed to enflame between you, locking your hearts together. Never before had you hoped more frantically that he felt the same for you and still, you pulled away again, biting your lower lip regretfully. He needed to know before this got out of hand.

“Eric, I need to tell you something.”

The Dauntless leader lifted his eyebrows, not bothering to hide his smug smirk.

“I was your Secret Santa but I, and I am so, so terribly sorry, I—”

“I know.” He interrupted, kneading your buttocks in the process, impatient.

“Y-you do? You eavesdropped, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“And you’re not… mad?” You asked suspiciously.

Eric only shook his head. “It’s alright. Now let’s get you out of these clothes so I can collect my Christmas present.”

“I’ll be your Christmas present?” You replied, giggling. Now there was the alcohol. Your original idea of gifting yourself to him didn’t seem too far-fetched now.

“If I get to keep you for all future Christmases, then yes…” Eric growled hungrily into your neck, licking over your sensitive flesh and leaving hickeys in between gently biting you. It was hard to focus on any rational thought as long as he kept doing that. Every single one of his touches was clouding your mind like tons of snow burying you beneath them. Was this… his way of asking you to be his girlfriend?

Grinning triumphantly, a warm feeling spreading in both your lower regions and your heart, you kissed him once more.

“Well then I guess you should finally unwrap me.”

You let out a playful scream when he lifted you up and heaved you over his shoulder to carry you over to your bed, eagerly meeting your offer. Oh and you were sure, this would be your best Christmas yet.

[westlandplantlighting]

HPS&LED Hybrid System

What is a hybrid system?

Choosing between the traditional lighting system of high-pressure sodium lamps​​ (HPS) and the newer light-emitting diode (LED) technology is a complex decision. Because growers need to consider factors such as energy use, return on investment, maintenance costs, and how they affect plant growth. Many growers are beginning to switch to LED lighting technology for reasons such as energy saving or fine-tuning of the spectral formula. However, given the young state of the industry and the high initial costs, switching may be unbearable. Both LED and HPS technology have many advantages, and one of the best ways to use them is to implement a hybrid lighting system.

The hybrid lighting system is to install both LED and HPS in a planting space. In the case of LED/HPS hybrid applications, this combination can provide an ideal balance between diffuse light distribution and spectral efficiency. It also allows flexible use of the radiant heating of HPS lighting. It is also possible to extend the supplementary lighting time to spring by using LED lights only when the outdoor temperature and sunshine time increase. The hybrid system also reduces initial capital expenditures and enables growers to further manage costs by maintaining their existing infrastructure.

📷

Lighting overview

Since its introduction, high-pressure sodium (HPS) lighting has been the mainstay of commercial horticultural applications. This spectrum is rich in red wavelengths, which can provide day-length perception effects in plants and promote the growth and flowering of long-day plants such as cannabis. But this spectrum is relatively poor at the blue end of the spectrum, which inhibits the elongation of the stem. HPS lamps also generate a large amount of radiant heat in the illumination plane. This radiant heat transfers heat very effectively to crops such as tomatoes, peppers or hemp that require high temperatures to grow and develop. The heat from the lamp also helps offset the cost of natural gas or electric heating.

When comparing the spectral efficiency, HPS lamps emit a lot of light that plants can’t use. This makes the HPS spectral efficiency much lower than that of LED because the spectral output of LED can only target wavelengths that are useful to plants. Generally speaking, LED have higher energy efficiency, longer life expectancy and higher spectral efficiency.

Another advantage is that LED can help control the temperature of the growth environment because they do not emit energy in the form of radiant heat. This is because LED radiate heat from the lighting field in the form of convective heat, which is different from the HPS lamp radiating heat in the direction of illumination in the form of radiant heat. Since the heat is far away from the crop, the lamp can be placed very close to the crop canopy without burning. However, due to the lack of heat, this also means that in the colder months of the year, the heating cost of using LED will be higher, especially in the northern climate. Studies have shown that when the additional heat increases, the The overall energy cost remains the same.

📷

LED and HPS hybrid system

There are many advantages to having a hybrid HPS and LED lighting system, including cost savings, higher spectral efficiency, and light distribution. For decades, HPS lamps have been used as the growing spectrum of plants. However, there has been a lot of discussion about the light formulation of LED technology recently. But there is no conclusive evidence to support which wavelength combination is most suitable for crop production. Because this largely depends on the species of the plant. Studies have also shown that blue light can enhance the synthesis of terpenes, anthocyanins, and THC/CBD, but again, this depends largely on plant genes and needs to be tested at your end to determine whether you have obtained The result you want. Therefore, unless you only grow one crop in each planting area, it does not make sense to develop a specific lighting formula for your crop.

Plants need the right temperature to grow and develop normally. Many research experiments over the years have confirmed the relationship between temperature and plant growth. In HPS lighting applications, the radiant heat from the lamp heats the crop and accelerates its growth. As we mentioned earlier, LEDs do not emit heat that can be transferred to the temperature of the crop, so additional heating is required in colder months. The hybrid system will help balance the heat load in the planting facility-providing the plants with the temperature they need to grow, while also helping to offset the heating costs in the colder months. On the contrary, in spring and autumn, you need to increase the light level but you do not want to increase the indoor temperature, you can turn on the LED to increase the light cycle while keeping the low temperature.

📷

Another aspect to consider is how each light source distributes light. The LED emits light in a single direction, and the farther from below the light source, the light intensity will decrease. Since the light emitted by the LED is directionally distributed, if it is placed too close to the tree canopy, the shadow will increase. On the other hand, HID lighting provides a more diffuse lighting pattern because they use reflectors to guide the light. Because of the way light penetrates the tree canopy, plants can use diffuse light more effectively than directional light. Diffuse light also usually causes more growth than light coming directly from above. HPS lighting is installed in such a way that the light overlaps to reduce shadows, and the light penetrates in the horizontal direction. The mixed-use of HPS and LED lighting can provide ideal diffuse and directional light distribution.

Therefore, if you combine HPS with LED, plants will be able to obtain and use the wavelengths they need, while also providing radiant heat and diffuse light from HPS.

[latestinformation]

LASER EPILATION Treatment - How Does It Work?

LASER EPILATION TREATMENT is a medical procedure involving the use of a narrow band of light energy (excitation light) which is used to destroy the hair follicles, stopping their growth. This treatment is most effective on dark, course hair. Laser treatment is also sometimes called pigment removal or electrolysis. The pulsed light energy device sends pulses of laser energy which are absorbed by the melanin in the skin, destroying the follicle and stopping its growth.

LASER EPILATION TREATMENT is a long-term procedure lasting about one month. Before this treatment, hair growth is limited to three to four centimeters in length. In case of men, laser epilation treatment stops the beard-growing cycle. For women, the treatment eliminates hair from the upper lip, eyebrows and chin.

Dark Patches

LASER EPILATION TREATMENT can be used to get rid of dark patches on the skin caused by sunburn or by acne; and to lighten up freckles, birthmarks, scars or tattoos. During the treatment, some reddening of the treated area may occur. Some patients with very sensitive skin have reported some amount of reddening, but it is normally mild and temporary.

After undergoing laser epilation treatment, the patient should apply sunscreen creams to prevent sunburn. A plastic bandage may be applied over the treated area to hold it in place. Shaving should also be avoided for several days afterward. In the early stages, patients experience mild to moderate burning sensation, which subsides after several hours.

Procedures Available

There are several procedures available for removing unwanted facial hair. The first one is the most popular one: the shaving procedure. The doctor will administer a shaving cream to the affected area. After using the electric shaver over the treatment area, the doctor may burn off the extra hair. Or, he may use plucking devices like tweezers to pull the hairs out.

The other method is called needle epilation treatment. In this procedure, a disposable plastic device containing miniature needles (that contain potassium hydroxide) is attached to the treatment area with a slight amount of pressure. Needle epilation utilizes fewer number of sessions than laser epilation sessions, thus it takes lesser time to get permanent results.

Waxing

Waxing is another common depilatory procedure often recommended by dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons. In this procedure, a piece of soft wax, approximately the size of a quarter, is pulled from the patient's body. A strip of the wax is then placed over the skin surface, followed by a fastened bandage. The process is similar to that of shaving, but more lasting results are seen when compared to the use of laser epilation treatment.

follicular unit extraction

Another type of epilation treatment is known as follicular unit extraction or laser resurfacing. This is a very effective method for removing unwanted hair, especially in the face. The technique involves the employment of infrared or pulsed light, which is effective for targeting the pigment that causes pigmentation on the skin. As a result, the follicles become damaged and eventually die. This leads to the skin becoming smoother and softer. Epilation with lasers is less painful than waxing or shaving, and also results in less scarring compared to the other two procedures.

A detail information about LASER EPILATION TREATMENT is that it can be performed on the upper arm, legs, chest, back, abdomen, and facial regions. Details about the LASER EPILATION procedure are given below. Please check out this article carefully.

Prior to the LASER EPILATION procedure

Prior to the LASER EPILATION procedure, a topical anesthetic cream is applied to the treatment area. This is to numb the skin so that you can be properly treated during the LASER EPILATION procedure. After this, the physician will use a special laser or pulsed light to illuminate your skin. The pulsed light emits laser energy that will target the pigment in your skin that causes pigmentation, or hair color, in the treatment area.

Once the laser beam strikes the pigment, the skin gets damaged instantly. However, there is no permanent damage caused by the LASER EPILATION treatment. Your skin is only temporarily damaged. In fact, the LASER EPILATION procedure is similar to the procedure of tattooing but with lasers. If you are going to get laser treatment for your hair loss problem, make sure that you have chosen a well-experienced and qualified doctor. Never try to perform this process on your own.

Conclusion

LASER EPILATION treatment does not take much time. The entire treatment duration is less than 1 minute. As a matter of fact, you will be able to get the desired results even quicker than this. For people who are concerned about their appearance and are tired of having unwanted hairs removed, this LASER EPILATION procedure is the right solution. Get rid of those unwanted hair with the help of a professional laser removal expert.

[thetakenpokemon]

Act 3 - Chimera

[PoV: Dr. Benj????]

...

...

...

A dreamless, deep sleep.

...

I feel nothing.

Yet at the same time, I feel everything.

...

Project Chimera.

One of the many experiments that the HWDP wished to conduct. Although numerous kinds of Pokemon hybrids were made, there is one hybrid that they desired even more to create.

A hybrid of that of a Pokemon and a Human.

Yet...how could it be done?

The only reason why hybrids of Pokemon who are not even in the same egg group are even possible to make is that all Pokemon have that origin, that one entity that they all came from.

This entity is Mew.

Although they can no longer breed with each other, their DNA still have that source. Because of this, it’s possible to create such unique hybrids as long as we carefully direct it. The use of Ditto genes also make this possible, by injecting it into a host to make their cells more compliant to mutation when we inject the DNA of other species.

Nevertheless, this is not the same for Humans. Mew did not create us for we evolved through our own path, so we don’t share this origin with that of Pokemon. So does this make it impossible for a hybrid of a Pokemon and Human to exist?

The answer...is no.

There is one Pokemon that exists, and that is Deoxys. Deoxys is the DNA Pokemon, the Virus Pokemon. Its cells are highly unstable, yet also far more cooperative with that of other tissue.

The main goal was to inject a combination of Ditto and Deoxys cells into a Human host and guide its transformation, to create the first Human/Pokemon hybrid.

Yet there were two issues. One of which is that we had no idea how the test would turn out due to the unpredictability of the Deoxys cells, the other problem is that we had no Human willing to be a test subject for this likely dangerous experiment.

So...they went with an unwilling, expendable human instead.

Me.

...

...

...

Even though I’m technically unconscious, at the same time I’m also aware enough to properly know what is happening to me.

I’m inside one of the numerous Development Tanks, a gigantic canister whose purpose is to develop hybrids. The canister is filled with Perfluorocarbon, an oxygen-rich liquid that can be breathed just like air. The reason for this liquid being chosen is because it’s also a means of providing nutrients to the subject, specifically as they breath in the Perfluorocarbon.

Lining the walls of these giant tanks are mechanical arms for operating on the subject. Most of them consist of the Injection Arms, long robotic limbs ending in large needles capable of penetrating even bone. Not only are the purpose of these needles being to inject DNA into all regions of the body, but they also possess blood-clotting agents in order to prevent the subject from bleeding.

The subject is also given a powerful sedative anesthetic before the procedure in order to prevent them from struggling and possibly damaging themselves or their environment during their development. The company who developed the sedative gave it the trade name of ‘Zenital’, and it’s considered an incredibly efficient sedative due to how powerful it is and how little danger it poses to the body. Usually the subjects are sedated through injection with that of a different sedative, once they’re secured within the Development Tank we then infuse the Perfluorocarbon with steady streams Zenital vapors in order to render the subject in a controlled unconsciousness as they develop.

...

...

I...don’t know how long I’ve been ‘asleep’.

Days? Weeks? Months?

...Years?

...

Even when unconscious, I could feel my body change.

The Deoxys cells latched to the cells of my body and immediately began to change me, for the Ditto cells sent them into a frenzy. They grabbed everything they could find and began converting it, changing it into Deoxys cells like them.

Essentially, the cells were assimilating me from the inside out...transforming me into a Deoxys.

...

It is terrifying, the fact that your body is being destroyed and replaced with something different...piece by piece. Yet I can’t do anything, instead rendered helpless as I feel my own flesh change with each passing second.

It...has been going on for a long time. The cells destroyed my organs, yet then developed the crystal core that Deoxys possess. The heart of the Deoxys’ life and power, the sole thing that allows them to survive. The cells destroyed everything inside me, then it replaced it with a new method of survival.

Yet it didn’t stop there, for it began changing other parts of my body. Changed the skin, removed all of my hair and nails, and much...much more.

...

...

Eventually...I wasn’t even Human anymore.

Even though at one point the cells eventually stopped converting me, I doubt that I'm even part human when it finished.

Yet even though my body is now mostly Deoxys, at the same time it also possesses underlying traits that isn’t like that of a Deoxys. These traits belong to a Human, yet...at the same time it doesn’t.

I’m both a hybrid and not, a combination of Human and Deoxys as well as possibly being my own entity.

I...didn’t know what to think of it.

And I don’t know what my captors think of me either, which makes me feel even more afraid. Is my transformation considered a failure? Will they dispose of me due to not resulting in what they wished?

...

My conscious...it stirs...

...

...

...

My eyes slowly open, the changed orbs peering at my surrounding for the first time.

Everything is dark, for there is no lights within the Development Tank. Yet the alien eyes of mine are capable of forming a faint picture of my environment, it’s not complete night-vision...but it’s good enough that it gives me an idea of what my surroundings are.

I’m suspended in the center of a metal tank, several closed pods are located on the walls that house the inactive robotic arms. Attached to my head is a small pair of mechanical limbs, their purpose being to lightly keep me in place so that my body doesn’t drift around the tank.

I reach over to the hands with my own limbs and pry them off with little effort, yet at the same time the action feels so alien due to how...different my body is.

It suddenly occurs to me, the fact that I’m not...breathing.

I place one of my strange hands on my face and to my shock I discover that I lack a nose and mouth. The place where a pair of lips should be is smooth skin, while my nose is only a faint bump that gives the impression of something that used to be there.

However despite me not breathing, I seem to be doing just...fine.

How...much have I truly changed?

The container suddenly vibrates for a brief moment as a muffled rumble is heard outside of the canister, although the walls keep me properly insulated...I still barely managed to hear and feel it.

...

Is something going on?

I turn my gaze to one of the numerous cameras inside the tank, their lenses focused on my body. I feel that I should be worried due to them observing me, for they could do anything to me while I’m inside.

Well...almost anything.

Another thought occurs to me.

How am I conscious? The Zenital should be keeping me unconscious, did they cease providing it into the Perfluorocarbon?

...

Oh...yeah, I’m not breathing. Because of this the sedative anesthesia has no way of affecting me, which is why I’ve awakened.

Another shake jostles the gigantic container I’m in, making me look at the walls again with growing confusion.

What’s going on out there?!

The size and weight of the Development Tanks are nothing to underestimate, especially when filled to the brim with Perfluorocarbon. So if something is making the thing jostle for an extremely tiny moment, then it must be very intense...

I’m floating in the center of the tank, my curiosity outgrowing my fear. Whatever is going on outside of this thing, it must be very...very big.

I...want to find out what’s going on.

No...I need to find out.

The purple crystal in my chest suddenly glows, illuminating my surroundings. This startles me, my head looking down at my chest with surprise.

I feel...power radiating from it, radiating from me.

My desire to get out of here and discover the unknown, it’s fueling it.

My will and thoughts are fueling my power.

I feel the energy of the crystal collecting to one of my arms, making said appendage glow with a purple sheen. This power seems to flow like an electric current, flowing to my arm and then back to the crystal.

This power, it’s inside me.

But now...I want it...

OUT.

The energy explodes out of my hand, striking the wall of the Development Tank in front of me. The heavy metal quickly caves in, for although it’s designed to withstand physical trauma...it wasn’t built for raw energy.

With a giant hole punched straight through the liquid immediately starts gushing out, alarms blare outside the machine to notify of the compromised subject.

As the liquid continues to flow out I feel my body tense, prepared to meet gunfire by the guards that should be stationed nearby. Yet...nothing comes from it, nothing at all.

Hesitantly I step out of my makeshift exit, my legs shaky after being used for the first time in who knows how long. Several times they nearly gave out from under me, but I managed to keep myself up as I fully step out.

Although most Development Tanks are located near each other in gigantic labs, this lab I’m in is more secluded due to it only having one tank. In it are several computers and machinery whose entire purpose is to monitor me, yet...not a single living soul is nearby.

The place is empty. Not a single scientist, guard, or even a simple employee is in sight.

But then I heard the sounds.

The sounds of chaos.

My gaze turns to the automated door of the room, I can hear shouts and even gunfire from the other side of it.

With my curiosity overpowering my common sense I approach the door, my body still partially soaked with Perfluorocarbon as it drips down my form and leaves footprints whenever I walk.

Eventually I reach said door, the sounds having grown even louder now. On the ground I notice an ID, something that one of the HWDP members probably dropped in some hurry.

Nevertheless, it’s mine now.

I pick up the card and swipe it on the scanner, it took only a brief moment for it to approve my access and open the automatic doors.

And beyond it...is absolute mayhem.

The place is under attack.

The intruders are Pokemon, garbed in dark blue garments. Their efforts are only partially coordinated, however they seem to be holding themselves very well against the extremely well-armed guards of the HWDP.

I don’t know who these Pokemon are...

...but I have the strong feeling that they’re here to liberate their brethren.

I watch the carnage unfold, both Humans and Pokemon dying.

...

I clench my fists, the crystal in my chest glowing as its power circulates inside my body.

I made a promise to that Gardevoir hybrid, a promise that turned my own people against me.

A promise that had them turn me into a hybrid against my own will, thus destroying my very identity.

A promised her that I would make things right.

Now...with my new body, I have the power to act on this promise.

[pandabearlikes]

My Husband, Kim JunMeow

Table of Contents 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Chapter o7. One and The Same

With crystal orbs narrowed into slits, the cat of the night perches outside the jewelry store.  As soon as the security guard heads out, he’d slip in, grab the biggest diamond ring, and swallow it before they caught him.  It is the plan he’d brainstormed for weeks after the bullying incident.  He even secretly researched and discovered that as long as he drank enough water, the ring should come out in perfect form the very next day.  And yet, his little front paws shift and he misses the golden opportunity again.  His face slams the glass door and the guard shoos him away.

He tries for five more days until his confidence in this method takes a dive.  A happy couple walking out of the building details about how each jewelry piece has its own plated barcode and tracker that needs to be removed during purchase, or else police could track and arrest the thief.  Junmyeon definitely didn’t want me to get in trouble and to be honest, stealing isn’t something he wanted to do.  So instead, for the next two weeks, he scans the neighborhood for any couples in bicker and at the brink of break up.  

“I hate you!  IT’S OVER!” a female shouts at her now, ex, angrily rips the engagement ring from her fingers, and throws it to the ground.  

Immediately, the hast kitty leaps out, snatches the discarded ring, and runs off.  Skies start to drizzle with rain.  Zip-lining into the alley, he uncovers a box he had hidden some clothing for emergencies like these.  He dresses himself up.  When he reappears, he is not JunMeow, the brave and cuddly cat, but my lover, Kim Junmyeon.  His thumb brushes the shiny ring within his hands.  It’s not bought by his riches, but he hopes his angel would still love it.  

Back home, I groan as I try to cram a quarter worth of textbook information into my brain for another exam.  In all honestly, I hadn’t slept nor eaten for over 48 hours.  I felt like a piece of crap; every second that passed, I felt my spirits leaving my body.  Not to mention, both my cat and my lover have been missing in action for the last couple of days.  Especially, that cat…yes, I said he could go meet his lover but did he really have to abandon me with a cold bed, every single night?  Sighing, I stroke one of his plush toys.

“Thank you for protecting me, Suho,” my own voice haunts me.

Thank God, JunMeow didn’t throw a tantrum for my misidentification.  Instead, he had tilted his head up with tears brimming in his eyes.  It felt like de ja vu.  The words were spoken in my voice, but my brain couldn’t comprehend them.  It was as though, in that moment, someone else had taken possession of my body.  

The door bell rings, waking me up from my deep thoughts.  Shaking myself awake, I drag myself out of my room.  My expressions instantly perk up at the sight of the handsome Kim Junmyeon.  Grinning, I widen the door opening and invite him in.

“How come whenever you show up, you’re either wet or naked?” I casually ponder.  

Shaking his wet hair, Junmyeon turns to me and asks, “Which one would you rather?”

I gulp.  

“Hm?” he teases.

Chewing my lower lip, I murmur, “I don’t have a preference.”  He looks hot either way…

With a soft chuckle, Junmyeon brushes my hair and takes my hand into his. He tugs me over to the sofa while nervously hiding something behind his back.

“Hm?  Do you want to take a shower and dry off?” I suggest but the antsy Junmyeon shakes his head.  “Hm?”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he musters up courage and reveals the hidden ring.  A gasp spills from my lips before my palm manages to cover my mouth.  Amethyst illuminates into my eyes; the gorgeous violet rays color Junmyeon’s palm.  Immediately, tears brim, an unexplainable bliss rushes into my blood.  

“Is…is that for me?” my voice shakes.

Taking my hand onto his lap, he slips the ring on.  

“I’m sorry I don’t have the money to let you choose from the ones at the jewe—“

I grab hold on his collar and yank him in, smashing my lips into his.  It didn’t make sense that he is apologizing for making today the best day of my life.  Tears rush down both Junmyeon’s cheeks as he drapes his arms around my body, his palm guides the nape of my neck, pressing me closer and closer with his passionate kiss.  All his withheld affections pour out.  This is nothing like the shy pecks and sweet kisses he’s given me before.  His touch is wet but blazing hot.  We pant for air, nose glides against nose.  He starts to slide my shirt off my shoulders.  I shudder against him as he lowers me onto the couch.  Droplets of rainwater stream down his body, dotting my partly worn blouse with Heaven’s gift.  With a soft smile, I lift my palm up and run my fingertips down Junmyeon’s jawline.  A gaze that reads fear and desire, anticipation but unconditional love, his brows sew together as he wordlessly ask for permission.  I nod.  His head lowers, his lips striking my neck and collarbone with much affection…and just as I thought, his tongue does wonders.  Automatically, my back arches and my arms caress his head to brings him closer to my chest.  

“Suho!” a little girl’s voice flashes in my brain.  It almost feels like a pulse flowing through my brain.  

Everything’s so heated and I don’t want to stop.  Our clothes are sloppily still half-clinging onto our bodies.  The rainwater and sweat glues fabric along our skin; each movement creates friction.  I throw my head back and the world starts to grow blurry.

“Meow~” a high pitched kitten purrs as his tiny paws pounce in the wet puddle.  Streaks of water colors the girl’s tea party dress as her giggles ring in my ears.

I heave for air as my lover cradles and brings me upright.  It feels as though an electric shock paralyzes my spine.  My head totters and I grab onto Junmyeon’s forearm for support.  Blinking, he lifts his head from my chest and scans my pale face.

“Wuh…what’s wrong?” he breathes.  Fear collects in his soul.  

“Don’t separate us!!”

I gasp for air as the distraught male hugs my head against his warm chest.  

“Don’t scare me…” he pleas, “Where does it hurt?”

An image of a small kitten hopping up and down in front up me flashes by.  The negatives of the lasting photograph fade away as iridescent light.  I could still smell the musky scent of the dumpster.  

“My Love…” Junmyeon’s body starts to tremble as he holds my feeble form, “Talk to me…”  He presses his lips on the side of my head.

Finally, my eyes reopen and I drift in and out of consciousness, unsure of what is reality and what is just a dream.  Perhaps, both were realities.  I peer up at my lover who’s also paled three shades due to worry.  

“Sorry…” I pull myself together and weakly say, “I’ve been studying too hard and haven’t slept or eaten…”

A heavy sigh of relief disperses from those lips, that are now a bit swollen from our makeup session.  I throw him a gentle smile.  “Sorry for ruining the moment…”

Shaking his head, Junmyeon holds me closer and hooks his chin on the top of my head.  He makes me feel like a little delicate baby and I feel so safe and loved.  Love is so strange sometimes.  You may have this ideal type or relationship goals but when it hits you, nothing matters.  Junmyeon may not be tall or dark or quite possibly live in a deserted forest because he burned all his money but his heart communicated with my heart, words that cannot be expressed out loud.  A tear rushes down the corners of my eye.

“I’ll cook something really quick for you to eat,” he whispers and kisses my earlobe.  I nod and let him go.  

With him gone, or at least a safe distance, I finally allow my fear to show.  The images from the past become clearer and clearer; they aren’t frightening but I’m shaking all over.  I grab hold of the arm of the sofa to try to calm the dizziness.  That’s the last time I put a stupid exam over my own health.  Bearing through the vertigo, I slowly lean my head against a sofa pillow.  In and out of consciousness…I see those familiar bluish gray eyes…my fingertips feel the softness of his fur.  Voices bombard me in a sensory overload.  My body flames with feverish temperature.

“I won’t marry Minseok Oppa anymore…”

“I’ll marry you…” my voice merges with the little girl’s voice as my eyes open wide.  

With the jingle of a bell still fresh in my mind, I rush over to the bedroom.  On my knees, I tear apart boxes and rummage through clutter like a mad woman.  Finally, I discover the black collar JunMeow wore around his neck on the day I took him home.  I had taken it off due to the small size.  My thumbs rub the dirt off the name tag as my eyes squint to read the engraved text.

“Kim…” I read out loud.

Using my nails, I scratch off the rust.  “S….u….”

My fingers grow numb.

“…h….o…..”

“Suho,” I read out loud as overfilled tears sabotage my vision.  Everything finally made sense.  Memories, stolen from my childhood, finally return.  My JunMeow is my precious Suho.  My fragile body convulses as I burst into tears.  “He’s nearing the end of his life...”  The world starts to spin around me.

Alerted by the noise, Junmyeon walks in just in the nick of time to rush over and catch me before I collapsed.  The collar drops from my hand and falls to the floor.  As I completely lose consciousness, Junmyeon’s call and Suho’s meow merges together in my mind.  

Shaking me, my husband calls out my name over and over again.  Blood drains from his face.  His warm palm presses against by forehead and immediately bounces back with inferiority.  A malicious fever boils my body.  Cradling my frame against him, Junmyeon tilts his head up to the sky as if to recite a familiar bargain.  I grab his hand in my sleep.

“Su…ho….” I weep, “I’ll…protect you…”

“My Love…” Junmyeon tearfully calls out.  He picks me up and lays me down on the bed.  A wet towel is placed on top of my forehead.  I flinch; the coldness awakens me for a brief moment.

“It smells so good…” I murmur and gift him a weak smile, hoping it’d be enough to ease his tensed expression.  

“That’s the last time I let you procrastinate and cram information for exams,” he sniffs back tears and scolds. His thumbs stroke the back of my hand and I respond with a coarse chuckle.  “I’ll bring you a bit to eat,” he volunteers.

The delicious tomato omelette causes me to salivate.  Gently, Junmyeon lifts me up and starts to feed my deflated stomach.  He may not be the most experienced chef, but in that moment, the omelette was the best meal I’ve ever eaten.  

“Junmyeon-ah…” I call as he blows on the last bite so that I wouldn’t scald my tongue.  

“Hm?”

“Is JunMeow home?” I softly ask.

The spoon is slowly placed back on the plate and he hesitates his response.  

“Is he with his lover again?” I conclude.

“Yes,” Junmyeon looks me in the eyes and responds with seriousness in his tone.  

“Ah, I see…” I sadly respond.  “Wake me up when he comes home…” I request.  Tears start to brim again and the tip of my nose tinges in pink.  Junmyeon drapes his arms around me and nods.  I flow in and out of consciousness again; a part of me foolishly doesn’t want to fall asleep because I want to be there to welcome my JunMeow - my Suho home as soon as he returned.  

Slowly, my lover starts to sway me back and forth.  “You used to rock me to sleep like this each night…” Junmyeon chokes.

“Do you think he’s mad at me for abandoning him?” I semi-consciously question.  “He must be…I promised we’d protect each other…”  It didn’t occur to me how strange my murmurs would sound to my uninformed husband.

“No…” Junmyeon tears up and squeezes me.  Lips quiver.  “Of course not…How could he?  He loves you so much more than you’ll ever know…”

My tired eyes reopen to admire the ocean-filled ones of Kim Junmyeon.  

“…That’s why he came back to find you even after all these years.  He wants to stay by your side and protect you for the remainder of his life,” Junmyeon confesses the deepest feelings he suppressed within his heart - those he never thought he’d be able to say out loud.  Salted liquid spills from his orbs to my oscillating ones.  

“I’ll make him the happiest in the world…” I tearfully promise.

“He already is…” Junmyeon replies as he seals me with a kiss.  The familiar plitter platter of my window flows into my ears as a soft lullaby.  As I finally surrender to my dreams, I see a blurry image of my lover’s silhouette shrinking into an outline of a fluffy white feline.  

A/N: (-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩___-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩) Let it rain under my eyes…

On side note, did ya’ll skip chapter 5 or something?  

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[ottergirl-fitness-blog]

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