#GI base plates

[ratan0706]

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[berriblossom]

Jing Yuan x Fem!Reader |Suggestive stuff, sex but not very descriptive, fluff, lazy evenings with the General. mentions of marriage, and cooking lessons.

✄---------------------------------

Jing Yuan was a well-received man among the Xianzhou Luofu, not only as the general within the seat of Divine Foresight but also as the general of the Cloud Knights, and a beloved one at that. But even with the dozing general's behavior within the past few weeks despite his occasional need to rest his eyes, some of his dear soldiers found him a bit off.

The general seems out of it, even more than usual. His eyes would drift off, his voice would sound as if he was hardly present, and his sleeping habits? Usually, it was a few naps here and there, but the Divine Commissioner Fu Xuan pondered if the general was going senile. He would completely knock out on his desk, barely speak, and only mumble about needing to head to the market about something.

Was he trying to prepare a feast? When Fu Xuan asked Yanqing the general's junior, "What in the world is going on with the general? He is needed immediately for some reports and a few details about the Xianzhou!" The sage mirrored Yanqings already confused face. "I don't know where he is.." Yanqing offered with a shrug. The poor boy didn't know either. Where was Ying Juan?

....

"Now add more water. Not that much!" You semi-shouted. Jing Yuan faulted his movements and stopped adding the water from the pitcher. You checked the large pan to see if the mixture was too diluted or not enough. Taking the wooden spoon you tasted it a little more. "Add some more chilies and some more salt." The general listened to your command accordingly and added a few more grounded chilies and a pinch of salt. You sprinkled some sugar into the tomato-based mixture. Giving it a taste some more, you handed the spoon off to Jing Yuan.

With a satisfied grin and lick of his lips a signature grin formed on the lips of Jing Yuan. "Is this is? Do we add the eggs now?" The excitement bounced off him and made you smile back too. Shakshuka isn't a fairly hard recipe, but it's somewhat new to the people of Xianzhou. You handed him three large eggs and let him crack them into the pan. Letting the egg whites warm and finally cook to a good temperature you quickly set the table and prepare some plates and other sides made earlier.

Jing Yuan smirked as your eyes lit up as you congratulated him on successfully creating another dish. It wasn't that he couldn't cook, he was partially and ok-cook. However, your family has owned a restaurant within the ship and it was becoming popular due to the somewhat foreign dishes presented to it. So much as so, the General of the Cloud Knights asked you to personally cook for him more often. Was this his way to get an excuse to see you more often rather than the beautiful women behind the counter of one of his favorite new places to eat? Yes. Yes, it was. Was he ashamed? Nope.

However, when you instead asked if you could teach him to cook some of the dishes since he was so adamant about eating your food. So badly you felt like he needed to learn how to cook. Hence how the deal was formed. Jing Yuan would spend a pretty penny on getting some ingredients that he had to hunt for on the Luofou, including certain spices, herbs, and even certain types of milk. Every night he would welcome you into his home and fill his kitchen with all the ingredients on the list you would send him. In return, you'd teach him and even let him have some recipe cards or coupons for your family's restaurant. Plus he got to spend more time with you. But night after night and lesson after lesson, Jing Yuan didn't want to let you go.

Each time you'd hold him tight and compliment him on his growing skills or your star-like eyes when you'd taste his newly refined dishes was enough to make the general feel a lovesick grin on his lips. The nights he wanted to ask you to stay a little longer, to taste more of the food he wanted to give you. He wanted you to hold him close again, smile at him with those lips he wanted to taste the food off from. To taste you fully was a wish he buried within his chest and mind every night when you two would bid farewell until the next evening. For nights he would lay awake and wish you were next to him. His heart couldn't;t take it every time you'd smile, or how when you want to know something is too hot, you'll stick your tongue out like a cute puppy.

Speaking of animals, Mimi loved you! You'd spend a good thirty minutes just relaxing and cuddling Mimi, Jing Yuan from his kitchen would peak out and check on the two of you. At first, you feared the lion but the moment you realized she was similar to her owner in a more special way. It was keen that the two of you would be close. Which was a win in Jing Yuan's book. The times you'd gather at the table with him, handing her some food specially made for her (cat food but make it for lions oml), Jing Yuan didn't think of a more perfect situation with the two of you.

This night after the shakshuka was finished, Jing Yuan helped you make the table and set the table again, but this time he felt it would be the last time. The tone of the evening wasn't as light or as airy as before. This time he could sense a bit of sadness behind your smiles, a bit of anxiety behind your voice. Tonight it would be the two of you again, Mimi was off in her own world with her bowl of food, but even when you greeted her it was different. You sat down beside the general and begin eating the portions he served you, his eyes watched you analytically. He was trying to figure out what was on your mind.

Why not ask, then?

"Something wrong with the food dear?" The nickname came out of habit, more so than Jing Yuan would want to say. You shook your head quickly, and you snapped out of your somewhat of a daze. "No, not at all, I just..ah.." You looked around trying to avoid his golden gaze. A large warm hand held yours gently.

"Hey, [Name]..darling look at me. What's wrong?" He leaned forward a little and tried to use his other hand to direct your chin to face him. Your eyes met, Jing Yuan's eyes were full of life but seemed drained. Making you feel a bit more guilty. While the general was beyond enthralled with your eyes. The color was something he could see a thousand times but yet on you, as your eyes...it was the most beautiful color. To him, it was a work of art, an artist full of life perfectly and personally colored them, full of shape and raw natural beauty. Your lips pulled into a frown as you answered him finally.

"I just feel guilty, you seem a little more distracted lately because of the little lessons and such...plus your sleep is being thrown off because of how late I come by and I don't want you sacrificing sleep or your position.." You were silenced when Jing Yuan's chuckle sounded through the space. (Mimi's small snores also combated that, but let's not ruin the moment)

Jing Yuan took in a breath. Both his hands were now holding your face in place, and his soft smile bloomed against the light of the dining area lamp. The warm colors of his eyes were like little stars waiting for you to make a wish on them.

"You are in no way a bother to me, my job, or my sleep. Matter you make them seem better. I was the one who asked you to cook for me personally. You had more reason to teach me to cook those dishes. Your laughter, voice, and smile make me want to spend all the hours of the night with you. Every night, as of fact."

Jing Yuan, for that time, didn't care really about anything other than your smile. He wanted to know what you wanted of him so he could give it to you. "Please let me indulge a little for tonight...my dear?"

The warm, strong hands held you close as he felt your body press with his. The shakshuka? Forgotten on the table. The stove was off, and the food could get cold, but right now, he wanted to taste, feel, and bring life in your warmth. Your lips connected first as a small peck, a little easy test for what was to come. Then the kisses became more hungry, groans, moans, and the daring touches of his hands moving any which way you wanted them to.

Jing Yuan kissed along your face, down your jaw and neck. His hands slipped underneath your shirt and held the skin of your abdomen and stomach against his sturdy frame. His eyes focused on you, and you only.

When you whispered his name as a pleas for him to continue he corrected you once.

"For tonight and hopefully for every night beyond this, call me Jing Yuan, not general. This time I'm not here for the lesson but for you. My dear, let me get a single taste of you and your love along with mine."

Guiding you beyond the table and into a different room, Jing Yuan layed you down along the bed, his sheets were soft and warm, his hands were a contrast due to the rough nature they were accustomed to. But his touch on you was gentle.

Throughout the night, your moans, his words of love, and admiration gave a bloom of love. Within Xianzhou, the people live beyond what would be considered normal, so marriages were scarce, but at this moment he wanted, no needed you to be his. Every morning to have you by him, with your presence, and every night, he would hold you tenderly while he slept at peace.

"Please, my dear [name]! please stay a little longer with me. Just a bit..."

He would groan into your ears, his voice velvety and his words sweet as honey. Food aside, he wanted to have this course again and again until the time finally came for it to end. But for tonight, and so forth until that day comes, you are his, he will forever be yours.

AN: Sorry, this was a long one oof.

[phoenixeclipse-lmkau]

Ok ok, here I am to share my first crumb, and I really hope it has a good flavor reheh~

When I thought of it, I had to keep it in my memory so I wouldn’t forget: What if, during the journey or even afterward, a random character showed up to Reader?

For this idea, I wanted to use my OC, Gi Bao, because I think it would be fun and would fit well to create an awkward moment for Sun Wukong and Macaque, and maybe she could even act as a kind of "ally" for Reader, especially in dealing with her yanderes.

Gi Bao is more of a mystical being in monkey form rather than a yaoguai monkey (is that the right term?). She would stand at around 1.6 meters, with lightly bronzed skin in areas not covered by onyx-brown fur (like the middle of her neck, face, and chest). Her eyes are dark brown, and she has long, straight hair. She has sharp claws and fangs. Her body is small but muscular, with a mask-like mark of two connected stars around her eyes in a deep blue color.

Gi Bao was born from the earth, close to the earth’s core, where the ground mixes with underground scorching magma. In short, she has more physical attack abilities but a complex connection to the earth itself, along with a skill I created for her, tentatively called True Sight. It’s a variation of golden vision, but it works in a very different way—I like to call it ADHD reheh (these earth-related and eye-based abilities act as support for Bao in battle, as she’s focused on hand-to-hand combat rather than magic).

Gi Bao’s strength might not be greater than Sun Wukong’s, but it would be comparable. She can, with raw force, pull and push tectonic plates to cause natural disasters, as well as stretch her arms (like elastic) enough to embrace a mountain range and compress it into a small mountain or hill. Due to these aspects, I believe that whether Macaque and Wukong are cursed or not, she could easily stand up to them (though not necessarily defeat them, as she doesn’t have any magic beyond what I mentioned, and her body isn’t as resistant as Wukong’s stone body, but rather one that reshapes and comes together like earth and magma).

Gi Bao would appear without any warning and, just out of whimsy and interest in Reader, she would approach her and start talking and complimenting her (Gi Bao has no filters, so if she finds something or someone beautiful, cool, or interesting, she’ll say it right to their face. She sees everyone simply as beings, indifferent to what or who they are, so she doesn’t see a difference between a monkey, a yaoguai, a spirit, or a celestial being). Gi Bao is naturally calm and friendly, only expressing her feelings through touch, whether with a punch, a nose boop, or simply being close (if the other person doesn’t want to be touched, she struggles to keep her hands to herself, always fidgeting with her fingers or feet).

I can imagine them talking, and mid-conversation, Bao starts flirting with Reader, mostly by using pet names, like "sweety," "flower," "beauty," "honey"... (Gi Bao just loves to tease and flirt with anyone, always keeping it on a more humorous than serious level, so if the other person feels uncomfortable, she simply stops and apologizes; that said, she loves to annoy others but always stops before it really bothers or discomforts someone).

Gi Bao would have been kind of brought into the Celestial Realm to occupy a position there, as a warrior among other things, so there could be some potential connection to the Celestial Realm (if you think it makes sense or would be fun). If you’re interested in this character, I can give more details; some things are still in development, but I do have a few things ready.

Sorry for going off on a monologue about my character, but I thought it would be good to give some information to explain why I think Gi Bao could be a nuisance for Macaque and Wukong, and an “ally” for Reader. Bao could pull Reader away from Wukong and Macaque at times, helping to keep Reader’s sanity or just when she feels overwhelmed by the two warlords. I’m working on a drawing specifically of this scene because I thought it would be interesting.

Well! I hope you enjoyed my first crumb... Now that I think about it, this would be more of a crossover, right? Well, what do you think? May you be taking care of yourself and have an amazing day!

All right! I love your character! Now while I won’t be adding her into the Cursed Warlords canon, I can still write a small introduction for her. Where she meets the crew during JTTW. Or at least how what they would think of her at least. I’m not writing a scene because I don’t want to get her character wrong.

Sun Wukong – He likes monkeys weather regular, demon or mythical he doesn’t care. He will like her… until she tries to separate him from his darling Reader. She is HIS, Gi Bao can’t have her! Weather she wants to ‘have’ her or not doesn’t matter. He doesn’t like anyone who tries to separate him from either of his mates (Even when he is currently PISSED off at one of them)

Macaque – He doesn’t care what some one is, they can be a monkey he truly does NOT care. He won’t like the person who is trying to get between him and his mate. So he may or may not make her fall down a shadow portal to somewhere, anywhere away from his darling.

Reader – Oh she likes this new friend. She’s so nice and helpful too. She does however get worried when she tries to ‘help’ Reader. She knows how her husbands are, they are VERY protective and possessive. She likes hanging out though and hopes that Wukong and Macaque will back off.

Reader would be pretty nervous if she saw Gi Bao fighting as she gets nervous and scared when here is a big fight around her. But regardless she would like to see someone other than the group around.

Spirit – Jealous, she isn’t a Yandere but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t get jealous. She is your sworn sister not this other monkey demoness. She thinks her jealousy is stupid but even so she kinda wants Gi Bao to leave you alone. While she won’t act on this jealousy it will cause her to be a bit snappy with the monkey demoness.

Tripitaka – ANOTHER MONKEY!? Wait. She’s kind of nice, it’s good to see a monkey demon who isn’t trying to kidnap you.

Pigsy – This is a pretty female! Too bad she’s a monkey demoness, he doesn’t like monkeys at the point of interaction so he limits his contact.

Sandy – A nice woman, he has no problems with her and likes to interact with her.

Ao Lie – he likes that his new sister is getting along with someone. Though Reader gets along with most people when they are nice, it’s still nice to see you interact with someone outside of the group.

I hope you like how I answered this! Love your character, she is very pretty too! Keep up the good work in your drawings! If anyone else would like to send oc’s my way I wouldn’t mind having my characters and my versions of the main cast give their opinions! I hope you enjoyed and I am SO sorry that this took so long!

[xmen-more-like-sexwithmen]

I've seen a few posts about the similarities between Frank and Jeff, and on the whole I think they are pretty similar, but one thing I haven't seen explored (probably because there's a total of three people in this fandom) is that Jeff is a young Frank.

I think obviously most actors have a certain vibe, or a certain character type they play often or particularly well, and Jeff and Frank are both the sarcastic straight man of their group, but there's also some traits that definitely read to me as "he still has issues but he's getting better."

(essay below the cut)

I think one of the first things people could notice is that Frank is a silly little guy! Jeff overall (light heartedly) makes fun of the rest of the study group's shenanigans, before sometimes eventually relenting (this happens often in the end credits with Troy and Abed, when he at first rolls his eyes at them before reluctantly joining in and actually having fun). on the other hand, despite Frank's gruff exterior at first, he doesn't hesitate to have fun with his coworkers, and is seen getting very enthusiastic about it- for example, the licence plate game or the animal metaphor game.

obviously both characters' sarcasm and tendencies to use it as a coping mechanism/way of pushing people away. with Jeff it's addressed at times how he's distant, afraid of commitment, afraid of having friends, and other things. however, probably because Animal Control is much shorter, or has a more light-hearted tone, but it's never really addressed seriously by the characters other than in jokes how he's cold or distant.

adding to that, one noticeable difference is how open Frank is about craving intimacy. in the episode with the cats, Victoria makes fun of him for being old and alone, and in the episode with the gardening girl, he mentions that all he wants is to skip to a relationship, and to have someone to sit at home and be domestic with (paraphrasing because I can't be arsed). while Jeff on the other hand is very closed off, putting up a facade of not caring, going on a lot of dates, and generally doing all the parts that Frank hates; casual sex, dating, and shying away the moment it becomes something more serious. to me, this definitely screams character development- Frank gets over his issues with intimacy, probably through therapy or experience or age, and is burnt out from a twenties and thirties full of casual dating, which at heart, was never what he really wanted. this allows him to become far more open about how he truly just wants his person.

another thing on the topic of healing relationships is Jeff and Frank's daddy issues. in Community, it's far more obvious, as there's several episodes centred around Jeff's father and his relationship with him, and it's mentioned enough that it's obvious he still struggles with his dad's leaving as a kid. as opposed to Frank, who never mentions it apart from when actually sees his dad. when Jeff visits his dad, it's an entire episode thing, but when Frank sees his dad, it's at most a five minutes at the end of an episode. this shows Frank's moving on, and managing to focus less of his life around a father that doesn't care.

throughout Community, Jeff struggles with alcohol issues, which are somewhat addressed in the GI Joe episode. he drinks a fair amount and is even referred to as an alcoholic by other characters. in Animal Control, this is again far less severe, and while he is shown drinking several times, and it is joked about by Victoria, it comes across as far more teasing and less concerned. this honestly seems to be a general theme (he says as if this is based off anything at all and not just a coincidence) and it shows with Frank's relationship with food as well. obviously Jeff has some pretty fucked up self hatred and most likely an eating disorder, whereas Frank is shown eating pretty much whatever he wants, to the point where things like him eating Amit's ice cream sandwich or talking about the panini maker become pretty regular.

but also the part in the episode with the gardening girl, when he says he wants to skip to the part where they are "binging shows and gaining weight together" (so real of him) I think summarises his entire arc pretty perfectly, as since Greendale he's not only healed his relationship with food and his body, but he's accepted that what he wants in a partner is pretty much the opposite of what he thought he did before- almost "overcorrecting" to the point where characters no longer make fun of him for his commitment issues and casual dating, but now tease him for his domesticity and pathetic lonely yearning for someone to be his.

so yeah, this was a lot of rambling and projecting and making completely baseless assumptions but it was fun to write :3 I should do more character essays, especially about Jeff because he's so me. hopefully I get my Frank healing arc before I'm in my fifties <3

[yuzuwakano]

Niko Ikkis room isn't very decorated. He's never been one to care about things like that, but the things he does have are unique and special to him. A twin sized bed sits in the middle of the room, adorned with not much more than a single pillow and light blue blanket. On the left of the bed closest to the door, is a small nightstand. In the bottom drawer is a number of gacha figures, keychains and small knick-knacks. In the top drawer is Nikos' collection of YU-GI-OH cards, along with everything he would need to play and trade them: photo sleeves, toploaders, cards and envelopes from Daiso. On top of the nightstand is a lamp that constantly stays on until Niko decides to sleep, from the base of which Niko has his phone charger plugged in. 

On the other side of the bed is a tall shelf set, in its shelves are Nikos collection of manga and anime CD sets for his more favored series and a few school journals, with the exception of the center shelf holding an expensive Madoka Magica figure. Akemi Homura is hovering above the base plate in a sitting position with her legs crossed over each other as if she was in a chair. She's wearing a black dress, shorter in the front and spanning out in fabric and feathers in the back. Behind her are large black and gray wings whose feathers blend with that of her dress, spinning around in a tornado of shadow until it meets the base plate underneath her. 

Across the room is a dark brown drawer with a small TV on top. On the left is a small figure, it's wonky, and half of the time Niko can hardly name the character from an anime he hadn't watched since he was 12 but his mother had got it for him on his birthday, so displayed it was. On the right is a small stack of manga pushed up against the wall, a laptop charger wrapped around itself, and a poetry journal that's gone untouched since he started playing soccer.

Pushed against the farthest wall, underneath a large window, is Nikos desk. A dark brown, matching the drawer set. On the left is a white pencil holder, filled with pencils and pens he's collected over the years, a light blue mousepad and white mouse. On the right is Nikos laptop, propped up on a stand, and another lamp, which was also constantly on. In the center is a small stack of school work, books, journals and homework with a stray pencil sitting on top. The desk chair, a dark blue fabric and wheeled, was a constant representation if Niko was home, wearing his school blazer when he was and bare when he wasn't. 

The walls were basically white, with the smallest tinge of blue that made Niko wonder if his parents had meant to get pure white and didn't notice the true hue. There was a Death Note calendar above his desk next to the window, constantly opened to June 2019, displaying an image from the opening sequence of Light and L on top of two buildings, staring each other down.

Above his bed was a framed picture of him and his parents after he won his first large YU-GI-OH championship at the age of 9. He's holding a trophy plate in one hand and a large bouquet of flowers in the other and his hair is awkwardly pushed out of his eyes via his mother who insisted that ‘just for the pictures’ their matching eyes would be on display. His parents are behind him smiling excitedly and leaning down to match his height. Behind him are 2nd and 3rd place, a mildly annoyed acne riddled teenager and a royally pissed off middle aged, balding, fat man who ended up cussing the child out in the parking lot. Nikos thought about a million comebacks for that guy since, but that day he only hid behind his father who told the man to get a life. 

Standing in his doorway, Niko drops his bag, after so long in Blue Lock Niko realized his bedroom wasn't too different to the prison-like dorms of the facility, and he lets out a “I need a poster,” under his breath. He couldn't help to imagine what the other Blue Lockers rooms looked like, were they as underwhelmed as he was? Or were their rooms covered wall to wall with posters, pictures and decoration. He tried to imagine what they would have, what did they like other than soccer? Did Kurona have shark posters? Would Reo have expensive paintings? Niko imagined Otoya’s wall covered in photos of him with all of his alleged girlfriends and let out a huff of a laugh.  

Collapsing on his bed, Niko pulled out his phone, excited to catch up on what he had missed while in the facility and trying not to be sour about his lack of notifications. Nikos' phone answered his silent wish for him buzzing with a new notification. Maybe: Isagi xxx-xxx-xxxx 

Maybe:Isagi: hey niko! it's Isagi! 

Isagi: me and a couple of other blue lockers are gonna go out tomorrow! we're meeting at a cafe in shibuya and probably going to an arcade and maybe karaoke after, wanna go? 

Niko: No, not really.

Isagi: oh okay !! no worries !! enjoy your break !! 

Niko: You too. 

That was a no brainer. Niko would rather be doing anything else than walking around a crowded city and being forced into doing karaoke by people he would hardly call friends. Isagi Yoichi means well, but he can mean well with his actual friends. Maybe this is why Niko didn't have any…

thanks for reading! i know its a bunch of nothing but i couldn't not post for nikos birthday :3

[dei-lab-assistant]

Tonkatsu Dinner with Joey Wheeler

Summary: You and Joey Wheeler eat dinner together in Shinjuku ward. Set post DSOD. Fun fact: I always write my Reader character based off of myself or someone I know. This means she may not be as generic as is customary for this type of story. Each reader also has a specific place in the Yu-Gi-Oh world, and is basically an OC with set connections and feelings about the various canon characters and other reader characters. This is reader V, who is dating Joey Wheeler and acting as his manager. She is a bit anxious. Word count: 1879 “How about dis place?” asked Joey, looking at the detailed plastic food in the picture window of a restaurant. You were looking at the signage with your smartphone, trying to translate. “Okay, so these are tonkatsu, and these are curry, and they also serve something called ‘shabu shabu?’” “I thought your phone was gonna translate for ya?” Joey still used a flip phone, so he liked to find instances when your smartphone failed to do what you wanted it to.

“It did for the other foods,” You stepped closer to your boyfriend, brushing up against him. Behind you, people continued to walk past on the sidewalk. Despite being after nine at night, the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo still bustled with people. “I know what curry is, da other two...” “Tonkatsu is the breaded pork with cabbage,” you pointed at the plates, “but I don’t know what shabu shabu is. This sign talks about it, but there’s not a display version.” Shoving your phone in your pocket, you joined Joey in studying the fake food. “I know my mom recommended we try tonkatsu.”

“Your mom’s a great cook, so if she says it’ll be good, den we gotta try it.” Joey reached for the door, “Ya down?” “Sure!” You figured there wasn’t much chance of disliking breaded pork. Inside, abundant wooden paneling gave the place an old-fashioned Japanese feel. Each of the tables had a dark glass cooktop built into the center. Seeing your arrival, the man behind the register said something in Japanese. Joey held up two fingers, and the man nodded, stepping away from the counter to point the two of you to a table tucked in a corner. You sat in the chair, and Joey slid onto the bench across from you, grabbing the tablet from its holder at the end of the table. “Dis should make things easier.” Slightly jealous Joey had beaten you to the electric menu and ordering device, you pulled out your phone again and grabbed the Japanese menu. Why was the restaurant so cold? Glancing up, you saw you were directly underneath an air conditioning vent. “Could we switch places?” You gestured at the vent.

Joey grinned. “Leave it ta me ta date da coldest girl in Domino.” He was already sliding off the padded bench as he finished. After switching places, you both fell silent, each studying the menu. Choosing a meal set with tonkatsu, cabbage, rice and miso soup, you waited for Joey to make up his mind about what he wanted. Beside the docking station for the tablet was a brown, ceramic kettle-ish container with a Japanese label taped onto the lid. Translating it, you discovered it held tonkatsu sauce—information you passed on to Joey but had no intention of using yourself, you never put sauce on your food. The man who greeted you at the door returned to the table bearing two glasses of water, small white towels, and chopsticks for each of you. “I guess dese are da napkins?” Asked Joey after the man left. You shrugged, “I guess. Now focus on what you want to order.” “It all looks so good, y/n.” After Joey finally decided to get a combination curry and tonkatsu meal, he input your order into the tablet. A group of five or six people who looked to be about your age entered the restaurant, happily chatting among themselves as they were seated at the larger table beside yours. It soon became apparent they had ordered the mysterious shabu shabu, which turned out to be some sort of meat and vegetable hot pot dish which was cooked right at the table. It looked fun. Although the meat and broth smelled delicious, you felt little interest in eating that many vegetables, and the extremely long, skinny, mushrooms were right out. Joey couldn’t take his eyes off the food at the next table, which made sense since neither of you had eaten since the morning.

You reached out and placed your hand over his, trying to enjoy the moment instead of focusing on the fact your food hadn’t arrived yet. It kinda worked.

Ripping his gaze back to his date, Joey smiled at you sheepishly. “If some of those K-Pop shops are still open when we’re finished here, ya wanna check one out?”

You felt torn, while you were here in the Korean section of Tokyo, you did want to pick up a few pictures of your favorite idol, but doing it with your boyfriend felt like a weird idea. Still… Joey was the one who brought it up, so maybe it would be okay? Seeing your hesitation, Joey tilted his head, “Ya still like Stray Kids, don’tcha?”

Time to play it off like you were confident, “Oh yeah. If Chan were to ask me out, I think I would have to break up with you.” You were joking, obviously.

“He’s the hot Australian?” Joey asked.

“Yeah.” You couldn’t hide your surprise. “I can’t believe you remember that.”

“After all da time you’ve spent listening ta me talk about Duel Monsters, rememberin’ a few facts about your favorite boy band ain’t askin’ too much of me.”

Before you could respond, the employee who had greeted you when you entered approached with your food. For a moment, neither of you thought about anything other than eating. Tantalizing scents rose in the air—the savory smell of curry, a mouthwatering whiff of pork, and a subtle undertone of oil. Your mouth watered.

Nervously, you picked up your chopsticks, afraid you would mess up and embarrass yourself in front of Joey. Despite your practice, you still weren't as confident as you wanted to be; it didn’t help that you were left handed, which always meant fewer online tutorials to watch, and your older sister who taught you was right handed. Gripped with determination, you glanced at Joey, who was far too busy eating to pay attention to you. If you weren't careful, your anxiety would get out of control and steal your appetite; Joey was on the short list of people you felt so comfortable with you could eat around him, and you would hate to lose that.

Focusing on your tonkatsu, you noticed the breading was different from what you expected. Instead of breadcrumbs, these were more like bread-shards—long and thin, which gave the surface a rough, almost spiked, texture. Raising one of the tonkatsu strips with your chopsticks, you took a bite. The breading was crispy. The pork was tender. Delicious.

For the moment, your nerves settled, and you settled into your meal. After a few moments of silent focus on food, you began to get curious about Joey’s dinner. “Could I try a bite of your curry?”

Joey looked up with puppy dog eyes, “You’d ask for part of a man’s dinner?”

“Only if I want to try it.” you gazed back with your own innocent, wide-eyed stare.

Joey’s face broke into a grin, “Yeah, dat checks out.” He licked his metal spoon clean, wiped it with a napkin, refilled it with curry and rice, and extended the handle to you.

“Thanks,” you grinned and took the spoon. Popping the curry into your mouth, you immediately regretted it. It looked like a kind of beef stew, so why was it spicy?? You almost spit it out, but that seemed gross to do in front of your boyfriend, so you gulped it down instead. “You know I don’t like spicy food, Joey!” You grabbed your small glass of water.

Joey was still grinning at you, “You were da one who asked for it. Who am I ta fight paying da girlfriend tax?”

“Okay, okay, maybe I’m slightly at fault here. But my pain and suffering is mostly your fault.” You grinned back, taking another gulp. “Can you order more water?”

Joey fussed with the tablet for a minute, “Ehh, not with dis thing.”

“That’s okay, I’ll just drink yours.”

“Dat’s fair.” Joey slid his glass towards you. “But ya shoulda known dat curry is spicy.”

“I knew some curry is spicy, and I thought you’d tell me if yours was too much for me.” You fake huffed at him.

“Sorry.” Joey was eyeing your side dishes of rice and miso soup hungrily. “How ‘bout ya let me make it up to ya?”

“By eating my food?”

“What? Oh.” He looked you in the eyes, “I got ya a little gift.”

Your eyes crinkled into a surprised smile, “You got me a present?”

“It’s not much, and I’m not sure you’re gonna like it,” he pulled his hands into his lap, “and I was gonna give it to ya tomorrow before my TV interview, but den I thought I could give it to ya now instead…”

You leaned in, “Sure! Let me see it.” You knew he had bought a couple things at one of the stores the two of you went into earlier, but never imagined he had bought anything for you.

Pulling his hands out from underneath the table, he handed you a beautifully wrapped gift box. It was light and rectangular. “The lady at da store did a great job makin’ it look pretty when I told her it was a present.”

Overwhelmed with curiosity, you tore off the paper, revealing a clear plastic box with a large white bow inside it. It was similar to your favorite hair bow, except this one had a blue, horned sheep in the center of the bow. “Aw, it’s one of the Scapegoats.” Scapegoat was one of Joey’s rarest cards, and your favorite part of his deck.

“I know ya don’t like Duel Monsters all dat much, so if ya don’t like it, I understand. But since you’re my manager, I thought it would be cute if ya had somethin’ with one of my cards on it.”

Joey was irresistibly endearing when he got flustered like this. You reached out and took his hands. “There are a lot of monsters from the game I would never wear, but this little guy is adorable. And you’re right, as your manager I should wear something related to your deck; it’s good for branding.”

“Ya don’t have ta like it, y/n. If ya don’t want ta wear it den—”

“Sorry, Joey, I was messing with you.” You squeezed his hands, “I don’t just like it because it’s good for your brand. I think it’s cute, and it reminds me of you, and it even shows you remembered what I like. Thank you.”

“Are ya sure?”

“Yep. I’ll wear it tomorrow.” You nodded at him in approval before pulling your hands away and resuming eating.

When you both finished, Joey took the receipt left with the food to the register, where he paid in cash, pocketing the handful of coins he received in return. As the two of you stepped out into the warm summer night, you slipped your hand into his. Tonight would be fun, with K-pop shopping and trying out a capsule hotel. It was easy to set aside your worries when you were with Joey. Tomorrow you would both have work to do, but for now, all you wanted was to spend time with the man who made you feel special and safe. “You’re the best, Joey.” If you google the following, you should be able to see the Google listing for the restaurant this story was set in. "とんかつしゃぶしゃぶにいむら 大久保店"

[merryfortune]

Kickstart My Turn

August 11th: Soulmates | Tag Duel | Secret Relationship

Title: Kickstart My Turn

Ship: Magnetshipping | Yusaku/Yuya

Series: Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V & VRAINS

Rating: T

Word Count: 2,392

Tags: Meet Cute, Implied/Referenced Ai/Yusaku, Past/Referenced Child Abuse, Mild Angst, Humour, Crushes, Flirting, Not Canon Compliant

   Playmaker grit his teeth and tried to temper his breathing.

  He had been in worse spots than this. Way worse. Sure, he had his back to the wall - literally - and a thousand points of life left but hey, his board hadn’t been completely broken and he still had his next draw. It was a shame that his Skill, Cyber Access, didn’t quite work like it should here but he could still invoke it if he had to. And he might.

   Though two versus one wasn’t exactly fair.

   But life wasn’t always fair, Playmaker knew well. Though what he didn’t know quite so well was that life wasn’t always predictable, either. Sometimes, it could be full of surprises.

   His brow furrowed as he reassessed his situation and the Duel itself.

   Playmaker replayed the events of the past turns in his head. Every twist and turn, he saw it in his mind’s eye. He visualised all the resources he had at his disposal. His hand, his Graveyard, his Extra Deck. His key to victory was somewhere.

   He just didn’t know where yet.

   “Oi, oi, hurry up, don’t leave us waiting. We don’t have all day.”

   “Cease.” Playmaker snarled. “I’m thinking.”

   The only thing left that he hadn’t studied to the most minute detail were these two buffoons across from him. They had teamwork on their side, they clearly knew each other - and this world - much better than Playmaker. Duel Links… It really was a mystery to Playmaker, one he was unravelling in the hopes of finding clues to what he was after, the bits and pieces of his partner whom he was sorely missing right about now.

   Though Playmaker wasn’t exactly certain what service Ai could provide for him right about now. Moral support? Sound strategizing and advice? Honestly, what Playmaker needed right now was… a miracle.

   The surroundings of Duel Links glimmered and glowed, even giving puffs of confetti and coloured smoke. It gave the impression of being a string of locations within the same city, all spinning on a plate, one after the other and sometimes, a leap could be made. From one era to another, different people inhabited each platform within the string of locations. Playmaker had hopped, skipped, and surfed through about five previous to where he was now and this place didn’t seem to have bad intentions.

   For the most part, anyway. The wide open skies overhead, the bright yellow bricking of the cityscape, the fountain which performed playfully on the hour every hour. It seemed alien to him but it was almost as if the city itself that he found himself in, as fake and digital as it was, embodied the concept of fun.

   Or at least should have.

   Playmaker just seemed to have taken a wrong turn somewhere and encountered rabble rousers who couldn’t take no for an answer. He wished he could have as well but when push came to shove, he had a habit of not going down until he had at least swung back - and won. A bad habit he couldn’t kick since duelling was so life and death for him.

   It was a shame these clowns - or punks as they probably intended to portray themselves based on their edgy and garish makeup - couldn't leave well enough alone, either.

   Playmaker steeled himself and he was finally ready. He had ruminated to long. It was clearly do or die if he wanted to move on and explore more of this place in peace and privacy.

    “Alright, I dr-”

   “Intrusion Penalty!”

   “Aargh!”

   Playmaker’s declaration was interrupted and he turned his head, instinctively, to where the noise was coming.

   The “intrusion penalty” thing was an electronic voice emitted from all Duel Discs - even his - but the reason for it, Playmaker saw the movement in the corner of his eye. Up on the awning on the side of one of the buildings that this duel was being contained within, he saw a sprightly figure silhouetted against the sun and his stomach dropped.

   Playmaker immediately regretted looking.

   The figure, the person, made a pained expression as electricity visibly shocked him. His posture changed, his chin lifted, his arms were pinned to his side as he endured it and then it was over - and he was unfettered by it.

   He darted down, artfully like an expert in parkour, and joined the duel, Duel Disc brandished and at the ready. His face was confident but marred by the damage he took. Playmaker stole panicked glance after panicked glance.

   What the actual fuck?

   He had tinkered inside and out with his Duel Disc and had never found any function barely resembling a shock collar. He, of all people, would think to check and now, suddenly, it was capable of such barbarism? His whole body churned with anxiety and yet here this guy was, shrugging it off. Mostly. And with a smirk.

   “Still haven’t heard of picking on people your own size, Ishijima?” the Youth taunted one of the opponents.

    Ishijima - the one with the more atrocious eye makeup and a purplish mullet - muttered something under his breath. He seemed almost embarrassed by the appearance of this fourth duellist into the fore.

   “But hey,” he said, “at least you have a friend now. Hi Strong Ishijima’s friend, it’s good to make your acquaintance.”

   At such a taunt, the new Duelist took a sweeping bow. The second opponent clicked his tongue.

   The new Duelist reared back up and glanced cheekily at Playmaker. For the first time, their eyes connected and such a spark, Playmaker was winked at - and could finally get a better look at the jester who was upstaging these clowns he was wrangling. He had glossy red and green hair, like a tomato, olive skin, bright red eyes and age wise… He seemed young for his age but older than Playmaker. Probably. It was hard to gauge in this digital world.

   “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, too.” he said. “I’m Yuya.”

   Playmaker suppressed a strangled noise. His ears had to be deceiving him. His body was firing on all the wrong cylinders now after being triggered by the electrical disturbance of the Intrusion Penalty.

   But he still managed to mumble his name in reply to Yuya so graciously giving him that.

   “What an unusual name,” Yuya commented and gave Playmaker the once over with his eyes, “you definitely aren’t from around here but I can’t think of where else you’d be from.”

   Playmaker was quiet. He could make neither heads nor tails of such a comment. He felt like he was missing information for that to make sense - or maybe a sense of humour if it was meant to be a joke rather than something foreboding like Playmaker was assuming.

   “Hurry up, Sakaki, it's your turn.” Ishijima growled.

   “No, it's mine?” Playmaker disagreed.

   “Never Royale’d, huh, Playmaker?” Yuya said, overly friendly. “It’s okay, it’s my turn and then it’ll be yours again. It's us versus them now.”

   “Okay, whatever you say.” Playmaker chewed warily on his reply.

   Yuya, however, had no hard feelings as he flung his arms open wide. “My turn!” he announced - and immediately took more damage. He yelled, pained but not so pained he sounded seriously hurt, loud enough to alarm Playmaker but only Playmaker, and then straightened out. “As it is my first turn, I forfeit my draw and lose half of my Life Points per the Intrusion Penalty,” he explained, “but no matter, I have everything I need in my hand to help Playmaker win.”

   What happened next… Playmaker was in disbelief. He had none of his usual words for it but there was no other way to describe it. It was beautiful. Yuya’s duelling was beautiful but also vibrant and vivacious, it was… fun. 

   At the beginning of Yuya’s turning, Playmaker’s hands were trembling. His heart had been racing. He could feel the echo of all the bad things that had ever happened to him during a duel throb within him and yet, despite all that, he was drawn more and more into Yuya’s atmosphere as though enchanted by him. 

   The Pendulum summon…. Playmaker had never seen anything more beautiful, more mesmerising. From the left to the right, the arc flew over his heads and the celestial tunnels opened, allowing to call forth a rainbow battalion of monsters, an eclectic mix of magicians and circus animals.

   Playmaker had never seen such a summon before and likewise, Yuya had never seen Link Monsters before. It was a push and pull more akin to magnets than a tug-of-war, a curiosity which compelled them rather than repelled them.

   “I leave everything in your capable hands, Playmaker.” Yuya said and there it was. That wink again. It was playful and accompanied by a flash of a smile.

   Playmaker’s heart thudded.

   His anxieties had quelled. His once trembling hands had stilled but there was no explanation for his rushing heart, even if its racing didn’t feel bad, instead only peculiar. He had gone from famine to feast, he had all his own resources and then Yuya’s as well entrusted to him. How free. 

   “Thank you.” Playmaker said and he took full advantage of the tee that Yuya had so kindly set up for him.

   Ishijima and his crony were cooked. Playmaker ended them both swiftly and mercilessly. Whether or not it was deserved remained to be seen but the end goal was achieved: both scattered at the finish since it was now more than apparent that the weirdo in the catsuit wasn’t to be messed with.

   Though Yuya didn’t get the cue to leave either.

   He stayed put, shifting his weight to and fro so he could bounce on his heel. He smiled innocently with his hands behind his back.

   “Sooo….” he said. “Are we friends now or what?”

   Playmaker stared him down. He had half a mind to bust out his D-Board and leave but he didn’t. He supposed he owed some sort of appreciation to Yuya or else this scenario may have gone very differently. Even so, he wasn’t the friendly sort. Just blunt.

   “Pardon?”

   “Ouch. Colder reception than I expected.” Yuya feigned being offended, he put his hand behind his head, running his fingers through his hair.

   Playmaker watched him carefully. It didn’t seem like his friendliness was a ruse but who knows. He was also a Duellist of exceptional calibre, too, the sort who didn’t come around often and whose skills had definitely been honed in adversity. Still, Playmaker wasn’t good at handling this kind of extraverted personality.

   Not to mention… He handled the Intrusion Penalty extraordinarily well. Perhaps Playmaker was overestimating the voltage but he could respect, and maybe even envy, just how well Yuya coped with it. Based on that, Playmaker decided that he would regard Yuya as a possible ally over anything else.

   “Sorry. I mean. I’m busy. I didn’t mean to impose on you but I appreciate that you inserted yourself into that scuffle.” Playmaker said.

   “Ooh, you're the awkward type, my bad but you're welcome. It wasn’t a problem at all, I’m always down for putting bullies like Ishijima in their place and I get the feeling… You're not from around here.” Yuya said.

   “Correct. I’m not.” Playmaker said and he bit his lip in thought but quickly decided, he would be daring. “I’m from a place called Den City and I’m not quite sure where I am. Can you help me?”

   “Wow, I’ve never heard of Den City, where’s that?” Yuya asked. “This is Maiami city. Kind of. It's a digital recreation of Maiami City inside a game called Duel Links. It’s pretty fun here, we get to duel to our heart’s content but, uh, weird stuff’s happening lately. Know anything about it?”

   “I’m not sure I can help. I have my own goals, I’m looking for someone.” Playmaker said. 

   “No way, me too.” Yuya said.

   “I imagine we are talking about different… people, however.” Playmaker said.

   “Yeah, obvs.” Yuya said. 

   “I’m looking for my partner, he’s a very dear friend to me.” Playmaker cautiously revealed.

   “I hope you find him.” Yuya said. “Meanwhile, I’m looking for a guy who uses monsters I’ve never heard of, has red hair, and wears latex all over. Reckon you’ve seen him?”

   There it was.

   The third wink.

   Playmaker prided himself on his pattern recognition and the ability to put two and two together. He was many things, including dense, but not so dense that he couldn’t detect when he was being flirted with. Moreover, his own budding sense of admiration for the duellist in front of him was also becoming worrisome.

   Suddenly, Yuya’s intrusion upon the duel seemed a whole lot less like serendipity.

   “A pal of mine in high places said that there’s some kind of anomaly in the Duel Links and you kinda fit the part.” Yuya shrugged but then offered his hand. “If you need a partner in the meantime, I’m available.”

   Nervousness surged through Playmaker as he hesitated ever so briefly. He worried that he was getting his wires crossed, he didn’t mean a partner like that but maybe he did. He also figured he was going to need all the help he could in this strange new world - and one he was making stranger if his presence was causing waves amongst its native denizens, so he accepted.

   Playmaker returned Yuya’s handshake. His hand was soft but calloused. That pleasantly surprised Playmaker as he shook it, making yet more assumptions about Yuya. About how he kept himself well taken care of despite the athletic hardship he must put himself through for the sake of his duelling. Presumably, Yuya was doing the same thing back to him.

   Yuya looked up at him and flashed him another pearly white smile, “I look forward to duelling with you some more then, Playmaker.”

   “Yeah, me too,” Playmaker murmured and he found himself saying something he never thought he would ever say in his life, “I… I had fun. Even though I wasn’t expecting to.”

   “Glad to hear it.” Yuya chirped.

   Yuya was entirely oblivious to how much gravity such a statement had coming from Playmaker but Playmaker didn’t mind. He couldn’t show all his hand to his partner too soon so shortly after meeting him but if the momentum kept up as they unravel the mysteries which brought them together…. Then who knows?

[steelindustryman]

Discover the Strength and Versatility of GI Flange

Q1: What are the key processes involved in the manufacture of GI flanges?

A: The key processes in the manufacture of GI flanges include:

Material Preparation: Raw materials like steel plates or sheets are cut to size.

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Welding: If needed, flanges may be welded to create specific designs.

Galvanization: The flanges are coated with zinc through hot-dip galvanization or electro-galvanization to enhance corrosion resistance.

Finishing: Final finishing processes include cleaning, inspection, and surface treatment to ensure quality.

Q2: Which materials are typically used in the production of GI flanges?

A: The primary material used in the production of GI flanges is carbon steel, which is coated with zinc to provide corrosion resistance. Depending on specific requirements, other materials such as stainless steel may also be used.

Q3: How do manufacturing standards affect the quality of GI flanges?

A: Manufacturing standards, such as ASTM, ANSI, and ISO, provide guidelines for the design, material specifications, and testing of GI flanges. Adhering to these standards ensures consistency, reliability, and safety in the final product, significantly affecting its overall quality.

Q4: What industries commonly utilize GI flanges?

A: GI flanges are commonly used in various industries, including:

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Shipbuilding

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A: Yes, GI flanges can be customized based on specific project requirements, including size, thickness, pressure rating, and design specifications, to meet the needs of different applications.

Q6: What certifications should a manufacturer of GI flanges have?

A: A manufacturer of GI flanges should ideally have certifications such as:

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A: Corrosion resistance is ensured through the galvanization process, where flanges are coated with zinc, which serves as a sacrificial anode. This protects the underlying steel from rust and corrosion when exposed to moisture and other corrosive elements.

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Q10: What quality control measures are in place during the manufacture of GI flanges?

A: Quality control measures during the manufacture of GI flanges may include:

Regular inspections and testing of raw materials.

In-process inspections to ensure dimensional accuracy and adherence to specifications.

Testing for corrosion resistance, mechanical strength, and other relevant properties.

Final product inspections before shipment to ensure compliance with standards and customer specifications.

[foxolotlfreak]

home away from home

chapter two

colorful city

I blink the nightmares out of my head as i hit the ground on the other side of the rift

“Oh first master” is all i catch before being face to face with a young man around my age, his orange outfit matches the old photos of ninja gi’s in our history textbooks, with plate armor on his shoulder and head more similar to a kingambit’s.

“You ok? That looked like a hard fall '' I nod as I pick myself up from the ground with one hand and pull out the high range walkie talkie from my bag.

“Celeste to home base. I've made it over and” i look out to the sea of buildings not unlike levincia back home

“It looks like a mildly advanced city. Over "I spin to see the rift, its closing. Someone is shooting at it with a bright green beam.  I look to the source of said beam and see a young man in a green gi, his hood down to reveal blonde hair in a short ponytail. 

Colors pour out from my steps as I run over to him, that's my way home, and given the context I'm sure he’s why it was unstable. “Stop. please, that's my way home "I barrel into his side and the green stops pouring from his hands while we fall onto the ground.

To late

It closed 

I'm stuck

“Kid, what are you” it was then i noticed my bright trail from here to where my bag lay open on the ground. Oh gods, even my clothes looked splotched. I look down at the man as color seeps into his gi. That's odd the colors seemed purposeful, blacks golds and purples danced in the cloth.

“It's not supposed to do that” I sputtered as I climbed off the blonde. A gold shimmering symbol appeared on his right shoulder pad. I start to apologize and tell him I can fix it but he just gets up without a word.

“Are you an elemental master?” a what. Guess my face gave away that i'm not from here, if everything else didn't.  I mumble about being a demigod and blah blah small talk while I grab my bag.

“So you're a demigod of, what colors?” I nod as I pull out the delicately carved pokeball I put Miri in for the transport. I let zer out getting me some strange and amazed looks from who i now know as lloyd the skinny blonde in green, and arin the only slightly shorter black haired teen in orange.

“Miri travel mode please, im starting to think we’re gonna be here a while” the bright leds in zer neck, legs, and tail dim and fade to conserve energy. 

“So, I'm guessing you're going to need a place to stay- uhm, what's your name? '' Arin removed his horned hood to fully reveal his short black afro whilst talking to me.

“Celeste. My name is Celeste, and yes I would love to stay with you all. Especially given I'm gonna need to fix your sensei’s gi at some point” a word waterfall spilled out faster than i had hoped as i rambled about how my powers aren't normally that intricate, answering a few questions about my life and home.

“Sensei is a demigod too you know” earned poor Arin a god damn it look from said sensei, but he just kept talking and talking about lloyds family history. He ended up talking about something called an oni “a creature of destruction and darkness” he called them.

“Oni sound similar to my worlds ‘abyssal’, the soul stripped husks of an ancient race of people who worshiped the night” the look on lloyds face showed that he had thoughts he wasn't ready to say, while Arin got comfortable on the mat i had set out for us all to sit on. I ramble on about my world for a while as Arin listens intently. Asking questions every few sentences.

I get to talking about my family and bring up star. my shapeshifting older sister. And Lloyd seems more interested now, I'm starting to think he doesn't know much about his heritage. 

Arin says that he heard shapeshifting was like having a bunch of forms that are all just you in different bodies, which i explained was wrong

“Each form can have a mind of its own, but they tend to work together for the better of their main form. If you neglect one of those minds or arceus forbid try to cage it, it will start to work against you to gain control.” Arin seemed fascinated and looked like he could listen forever. But lloyd looked like he had an epiphany and an anxiety attack at the same time, he gestured for us to pack up and follow him

I gather the blanket up and stuff it back in my pack and explain it would be faster if we went on Miri while Lloyd gave directions. I received a head nod and off we went, i asked lloyd a few questions about power and if we could fashion a charge adapter so Miri could charge. He confirmed there was a good chance we could get something set up when we got to their home.

Their city was beautiful even from the outskirts we traveled on. It was bright and colorful like the flames of a flareon at the color festival, and the night sky was a dance of auroras that remind me of the night I made my first journey to town to see the stellaris lights last year. A sign of perfect harvest to them, but a sign our mother was thinking of us to me and vincent.

“Do you mind if I go to sleep?” I get some odd looks but Lloyd and Arin seem to trust Miri to listen. I shut my eyes and lay back on the seat. 

I think this is going to be a nice adventure mom.

I reach my hand up to my necklace and feel all the carvings.

 I'll tell you all about it soon mama, when you come home i'll tell you everything ive seen.

…

Goodnight

[enquiringangel]

Ooh, could I get a DVD commentary on Sacrilege?

You most certainly can!

From this meme here. The fic in question is here.

Sacrilege

The idea for this one was born from the single image of David and Michael doing the nasty in a church. This in turn was, at least subliminally, inspired by a scene in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime where Ryou Bakura is trying to escape from the evil spirit that frequently possesses him by running into a church. In that scene the church utterly fails to offer him protection just as it does here.

The last time Michael had set foot in a church was for his grandmother’s funeral years before. He’d been eleven. 

This is based on a throwaway line by Lucy where she says her mom died eight years ago. As Michael is meant to be going into his senior year after the events of the summer, he's eighteen. Also from dialogue in deleted scenes trips to visit Santa Carla may have happened while he was a kid, but the Emerson kids and Grandpa are very much strangers to one another.

Michael is by his own admission not even a religious person and neither am I, though faith as a topic fascinates me. There are a few pieces of imagery I put in like Michael turning away from the cross and the 'sad-faced saint' that are meant to reflect this and the futility of the whole endeavour.

David's shadow covering up the altar was maybe a little heavy-handed of me, but the devil in folklore (who is not quite the same figure as Satan) is usually depicted as the Man in Black. In Robert Eggers' movie The Witch, he also appears wearing spurs, so the detail of David's spurs jangling was one I had to include.

His mouth was curled in a faint smirk—Caught you, again those lips seemed to say—but the look in his eyes was one of bitter disappointment.  

David wants Michael, but it's not enough to have him. He wants Michael to want to be there, of his own volition (because the devil doesn't just take souls, you have to surrender them to him) which in this AU where I imply the vampires won and killed his family, is not something that is likely to happen. They are, as my tags warn, in a deeply dysfunctional relationship.

“You know,” David began conversationally as he plucked a cigarette from behind his ear and lit it. “My folks were Catholic. Went to mass every Sunday, confessed away their many sins. Never did either of them a blind bit of good. Or me.[...]"

This is venturing into entirely made-up headcanon backstory stuff. I pictured that David's grandparents were Irish immigrants fleeing the Potato Famine by coming to America. You will note that while he says his parents were Catholic, he doesn't consider himself to have been so. This is also for backstory reasons that David was largely on his own from a young age and was too focused on surviving to bother about going to church. (Unless it was to steal money from the collection plate.)

The discussion about the church's ineffectiveness at keeping vampires out is a bit of worldbuilding based on a few things. My assumption is that it is the power of faith that gives holy items their sting, rather than Christianity having some special claim to vanquishing evil. But also on a vaguely remembered piece of apocrypha to the effect of 'no building of wood or stone' being necessary to house god because god is everywhere (I cannot for the life of me remember where this comes from and google is failing me). But it's also inspired by the demon BlueFangs in Netflix's Castlevania adaptation, who taunts the corrupt bishop by saying: "God is not here. This is an empty box." (cw: gore)

My cw against misrepresentation of religion is for the discussion of Wicca, where David and Michael assume all Wiccans are women and that they always practice their religion naked. Neither is true, but they are (mentally at least) teenage boys content to indulge in the fiction of conventionally attractive white ladies dancing around ritual bonfires in the nude. Plus it's the 80s and Wicca is an 'alternative religion' and not something most people are likely to be well-informed about unless they have either researched it or dabbled.

The lead up to their coupling is violent with Michael actually maiming David by tearing a lump out of his throat, because I feel like this is how vampires roll, especially if they can heal very quickly. I don't subscribe to the trope that vampire bites feel pleasant per se, at least not to humans. It's more a case of "Hmm, how kinky are you".

Which in Michael's case here, is very.

And of course the closing image is David mocking the very idea of a god who could keep him from Michael.

[earthingmanufacturer]

Chemical Earthing Manufacturer in Noida: Ensuring Electrical Safety

Are you concerned about the safety of your electrical installations and appliances? Do you want to protect them from lightning and electrical faults? If so, then you need to consider installing a chemical earthing system. And if you are based in Noida, Delhi, Gurgaon, and Faridabad then you are in luck because in this area we can provide you with high-quality chemical earthing and reliable products.

In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about chemical earthing including their products, services, benefits, and more. So, let's get started!

1. Introduction to Chemical Earthing

Chemical earthing is a process of installing a low-resistance electrode in the soil to dissipate the fault current to the ground. This electrode is made of a mixture of conductive compounds, such as bentonite, salt, and charcoal, which are buried in the earth to form a conductive path. When an electrical fault occurs, the current flows through the earthing electrode and dissipates into the thereby protecting the electrical installation and appliances.

2. Why Do You Need Chemical Earthing?

Electrical faults and lightning strikes can cause significant damage to electrical installations and appliances, as well as pose a risk of electrocution and fire hazards. Chemical earthing provides a safe and reliable method of protecting electrical systems and equipment by providing a low-resistance path for the fault current to flow to the ground. This helps to prevent electrical shock, equipment damage, and fire accidents.

4. Advantages of Chemical Earthing

Some of the advantages of chemical earthing include:

Provides a low-resistance path for the fault current to flow to the ground, thereby protecting electrical installations and appliances.

2. Reduces the risk of electrocution, fire hazards, and equipment damage.

3. Ensures reliable and continuous earthing performance in all weather conditions.

4. Requires minimal maintenance and has a long service life.

5. Is cost-effective and easy to install.

In conclusion, chemical earthing is an essential safety measure for any electrical installation or appliance. It provides a reliable and low-resistance path for the fault current to flow to the ground, thereby protecting against electrocution, equipment damage, and fire hazards.

We are one of the leading chemical earthing manufacturers in Noida, with years of experience and a reputation for excellence. We offer a wide range of chemical earthing solutions, including plate earthing, pipe earthing, Copper Bonded Rods, Copper Bonded Electrode, GI Earthing Electrodes, Lightning Arrester, and Advanced Earthing Compound, to meet the diverse needs of our customers. Our products are made of high-quality materials and undergo rigorous testing to ensure reliability and safety.

So, if you are looking for a trusted and reliable chemical earthing system in Noida, look no further than us. Contact us today to learn more about our products and services and how we can help you protect your electrical installations and appliances.

[cleverthylacine]

I feel like all of the following ideas can co-exist:

1) There are very few cultures that don’t have a staple carbohydrate food as an important source of energy, and those that do are peoples who live in areas where edible plants basically just don’t grow.

2) People grow up eating grain-based comfort foods and they should never feel bad about enjoying them through out their life.  Bread and rice and potatoes are generally part of a feast or a good family dinner and can make you feel good just by being on your plate unless you are someone who really can’t handle them.

3) We don’t do as much hard physical labour as intensive agricultural societies without a lot of technology do and some people just cannot eat the amount of carbohydrate people living in that society can eat.

4) Certain carbs are really horrible for many people.  I have celiac disease. Many grains are essentially poison for me.  Please eat them all so that I don’t have to, but if I am eating with you, I need you to be mindful of cross-contamination.

5) Generally when I say that gluten is evil it’s because someone just made me sick, or nearly made me sick, or because I’m starving and there’s food around and I can’t eat any of it or get away to go and eat some that won’t hurt me.  It does not mean that you should not eat gluten although if you are having a lot of unexplained GI systems I might ask if you’ve ever stopped it for a couple of weeks to see if that helps.

‘bread is bad for you’ ‘rice is bad for you’ sorry im not subscribing to the idea that staple grains that have been integral to cultures for centuries are evil. i love you carbs

[plant-shift]

Giving myself a break

As much as I am trying to stick to my high-plant diet, it is hard to do. So, I'm giving myself a break.

I'm still working on eating healthy. I've been having salmon for lunch lately, accompanied by blueberries, and I feel so much better. I don't know what it is about that combination, but I love it. And, honestly, it's got a low GI and GL. (The lowdown on glycemic index and glycemic load - Harvard Health)

I'm worried about my blood sugar and my cholesterol. I know that eating plant-based would reduce both, but there's that important part: "based." I'm not trying to go vegan, not that there's anything wrong with that. But right now I have so much going on that trying to prep lunches that are completely plant-based and low GI and GL is just one too many things for my plate.

Which is why today I bought some dark chocolate covered dried cherries and unsweetened coconut chips to mix with glazed roasted pecans as a snack to have on hand. Yes, there is sugar in there. But there is also a lot of fiber to bring the GL down. It also gets me nuts, dark chocolate, and fruit. All good things to eat in moderation. Something that I have to engage in while snacking on this because it can get to be too much easily.

I'm going to try to use my days off, when I have time to cook a lunch, to work on more plant-based stuff. If nothing else, it'll go well with my salmon.

[modularcleanroompanelsluckydeep]

Understanding Fire-Rated Clean Room Doors and Their Benefits

Clean room doors play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and functionality of controlled environments. Among the various types available, fire-rated clean room doors offer enhanced safety and durability, making them indispensable for industries like pharmaceuticals, electronics, and healthcare. Companies such as Lucky Deep Clean Room Doors have set benchmarks in manufacturing high-quality clean room doors tailored to meet the stringent demands of modern industries.

What Are Fire-Rated Clean Room Doors?

Fire-rated clean room doors are designed to resist fire and prevent its spread for a specified period, ensuring the safety of personnel and equipment. Constructed with materials that offer excellent insulation and structural integrity, these doors are an essential feature in clean rooms where safety and hygiene are paramount.

Key Features of Fire-Rated Clean Room Doors

1. Double-Skin Door ConstructionFire-rated clean room doors typically feature a double-skin design, with or without view panels. These doors are constructed using modular panel techniques for a seamless and sturdy finish.

2. High-Quality MaterialsThe material of construction includes Galvanized Plain Steel (GPSP) sheets, which are known for their strength and corrosion resistance. The thickness varies based on the application:

GPSP GI Sheet: 0.8 mm for standard doors.

GPSP GI Sheet: 1.2 mm for fire-rated doors.

Frame thickness: 1.6 mm for fire-rated applications.

3. Enhanced Shutter DurabilityThe shutters are available in thicknesses of 42 mm, 44 mm, or 46 mm, ensuring robust performance and thermal insulation.

4. Durable Coating and FinishesTo ensure longevity and aesthetics, fire-rated clean room doors are finished with either powder coating or stainless steel. The powder coating, with a thickness of 60-80 microns, provides excellent resistance to corrosion and wear.

Customizable Sizes

Fire-rated clean room doors are available in various sizes to suit specific clean room requirements:

Thickness Options: 50 mm, 80 mm, 100 mm, and 150 mm.

Width Options: 750 mm, 900 mm, 1000 mm, 1200 mm, 1500 mm, 1800 mm, 2000 mm, and 2200 mm.

This flexibility ensures that these doors can seamlessly integrate into diverse setups.

Advanced Accessories

Fire-rated clean room doors come equipped with high-quality accessories to enhance functionality and safety, including:

Hinges: Stainless steel, 3-4 per door for durability.

Handles: Stainless steel ‘D’ type handles, 20 mm diameter, 300 mm long.

Push Plates: Stainless steel push plates measuring 125 x 300 mm.

Door Closures: Dorma make door closures (TS-68 standard arm).

View Panels: Safety glass panels, 6 mm thick, for visibility without compromising cleanliness.

Panic Bars: For emergency exit doors.

Automatic Door Bottom Seals: Ensure airtight sealing at the bottom.

Interlocking Provisions: Enhance security and reduce contamination risks.

Kick Plates: Stainless steel kick plates, 300 mm in height, for added protection.

Insulation and Filler Materials

The interior of fire-rated clean room doors is filled with high-performance materials to enhance insulation and safety. Common fillers include:

PUF (Polyurethane Foam): Density of 40±2 kg/m³ for thermal insulation.

PIR (Polyisocyanurate Foam): Density of 48±2 kg/m³, offering fire resistance and structural stability.

ROCKWOOL (Mineral Wool): Density of 96±2 kg/m³, known for its excellent fire-resistant properties.

Benefits of Fire-Rated Clean Room Doors

Enhanced Safety: Fire-rated doors contain and slow the spread of fire, providing valuable time for evacuation and minimizing damage.

Durability: High-quality materials and finishes ensure long-lasting performance, even in demanding environments.

Compliance: Meet strict safety and hygiene standards required in industries like pharmaceuticals and healthcare.

Customizability: A wide range of sizes and accessories makes these doors adaptable to specific operational needs.

Energy Efficiency: Insulation materials like PUF and ROCKWOOL improve thermal performance, reducing energy consumption.

Conclusion

Fire-rated clean room doors, like those offered by Lucky Deep Clean Room Doors, combine safety, functionality, and durability. Their advanced construction, customizable options, and high-quality accessories make them a reliable choice for industries where safety and cleanliness are non-negotiable. Investing in these doors ensures a safer, more efficient working environment while maintaining compliance with industry standards.

[sanctuaryoftheodd]

Chapter 6: Bon Bon Strikes Back

Oh, you have returned! I was wondering where you ran off to.

Why have you come now? I got this huge achievement in a game earlier, couldn't you have been here for that? Instead, you show up to watch me read manga for a while. Your loss. It's not like I want you to be around or anything, I'm just hoping for some narrative consistency here! In fact, why aren't you watching me all the time if me reading manga is so interesting to you? I mean, of course please cut away if I'm in the bathroom or sleeping. At that point it's just creepy.

Suddenly, my manga reading was interrupted by the door flying open. It was the elderly accountant from earlier.

"Milady, I'm sorry to interrupt your downtime-"

"You should be sorry. Also, what is it?"

"It was very difficult, but we managed to buy Mutter."  He pulled out a contract and placed it in front of me. "We had to agree to some strange clauses in order to make it happen but-"

I didn't care what they had to do, it's their job to worry about that. I stamped the contract immediately and the ink started to radiate a multicolored light, indicating the contract has been sealed.

"Excellent!" A grin spread across my face. "Now access Mutter's data banks to find out where the Anomaly is!"

"What?"

"I'm sorry, was I not loud enough for you?" I couldn't believe this guy. "Do I need to get the megaphone?"

"You wanted to find someone? That's why you bought Mutter?"

"Yes!"

"I mean I'll do it, just not sure why you didn't just use the spy networks."

"The what?"

Lexine, who was sitting in the corner writing my memoirs finally spoke up. "Oh, you were looking for Anomaly? She's in a Langweilig prison."

"Wha- you knew this whole time, Lexine? Why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't ask."

"But you can hear my narration- WHATEVER!"

I stormed out of my recreation room. I walked dramatically towards my war room. I stand dramatically in a packed elevator going down. I pushed dramatically, until I noticed the door needed to be pulled. I enter my war room dramatically.

"Contact Kingdom Intelligence!" I ordered. "The Anomaly is in Langweilig, and we are going to kill her!"

I expected some push back from the Kingdom, but they were okay with this direction. The Anomaly is practically immortal, so they devised a strategy for me that will get rid of her once and for all.

There's some difficulties. The town of Langweilig exists in the eye of a giant storm, and for whatever reason, spaceships can't fly in there from space without getting torn up. Probably something about air pressure. Not to mention it's shielded by three big mountains that surround it, and it's already pretty high up on its own. To be honest, she couldn't have found a better place to hide. I thought we were going to make the people of Langweilig transport her down where our ships can blast her, but Intelligence thinks otherwise. They argue that she'll just escape as soon as she realizes our plan.

Based on their recommendations, I brought together a party of 3.

First up is the top mage under my personal command, Guldar. She was 139-years-old but used magic to keep her looking about 18. Because of that, she was a little on the short side. She wore a traditional conical hat and robe as expected of a wizard.

Second is our top martial artist, specifically an energy wielder. He was Master Jerek. He spent his life trying to recreate the Minutian arts. He's 48 and was a short balding man in a traditional gi and black belt.

And lastly was a demolitions expert, Grand Knight Gunner. He was a big HUNK of a man that was almost twice my height and was JACKED. He was covered from head-to-toe in power armor fashioned to resemble full plate. I couldn't see it from here, but he was loaded with weapons and ammunition stowed away in his inventory space. The only weapons he had out currently was his handgun and his trusty shottie.

The three were leisurely waiting at first, but immediately got into attention as they noticed me. I thrust my chest out in the most dignified body language I can muster and informed them of the plan.

"Okay, first off, I will be ordering the village of Langweilig to evacuate in the middle of the night. They will be abandoning the town permanently so don't worry about damage to the buildings. In fact, I have a few I'd prefer you'd hit, but I'm getting ahead of myself."

"Why are they abandoning the town?" Asked the mage, sheepishly.

"Intelligence says the town served its purpose, whatever that is. Anyways, there's a few things to note."

I sidle up to a cork board wall in the back, though really it was actually a screen fashioned to look like a cork board. I tap the screen to pin up a picture of the Anomaly.

"As you know, this is your main target. Now, Guldar and Jerek, I believe you've been briefed on how to deal with the Anomaly, so I don't need to say it out loud again."

I prefer to not say it considering I do have an audience with me. Let's be honest, I don't know any of you reading right now. You could be working for the Anomaly or something, so discretion is important.

"You two should be able to handle the Anomaly on your own, but Sir Gunner, I want you to stick with them early on and back them up if things go south. When it looks like the Anomaly is taken care of, I want Sir Gunner to go do some clean up for the Kingdom. Please, go to these locations and destroy them. It's critical for the safety of Berry Blitzkrieg."

I handed him a list of addresses. He reads the list out loud. "Warehouse 4, Warehouse 21, the hospital, and the lord's mansion. I can handle that." He nods.

"Now then, there are some contingencies that I must inform you of."

I pin up the mug shot of a minutian. Jerek's eyebrow cocks at the sight of it. "This is Panchi. As you can see, she's a minution. We currently don't know her skill level, but we do know that she abandoned her clan to lead a life of a vagabond. Based on her personality profile, she's a bit of a lone wolf with little care for others and she only seems to be in the prison on a whim. A far cry from the protectors her species tended to be. The likelihood of her getting involved is very low."

I pin up the mug shot of a dark skinned human with fuzzy hair. "This is Raina, she's a 20-year-old human. She was found to have a wand on her when she was incarcerated. We got her on video boasting that she was a spellwriter. She's from the Monster Kingdom, and because of this, she seems to show empathy to the Anomaly. The chances of her intervening is very high."

"I doubt she's anything to worry about," joined Guldar, "typically skilled spellwriter mages are well known. The fact I haven't heard of her and the fact she's only 20 indicates to me that she's a novice. If she intervenes, I'll easily take care of her."

"Excellent. We will be departing at dawn. Be ready by then. You have your orders. DISMISSED!"

The three march out and part their separate ways. After watching them leave, I slump down into a nearby throne. "Being serious is draining. I need to bury myself in a video game..."

[naturestrunk01]

Top 10 Health Benefits of Millets: Why incorporate them in your Diet?

“Do you know one addition to your diet can change your health?”

As people become more health-conscious, everyone needs something like the ideal food for their diet. There are the millets - ancient grains that have been used for centuries in India and are witnessing a resurgent return into Indian cuisine for obvious reasons. They are nutritious, suitable for any meal, and have numerous health benefits. They're a powerhouse addition to any diet. And now let's talk about why these humble grains deserve a spot on your plate!

1. High Content of Dietary Fibers: Helps Digestion and Keeps Full for Longer Period

Millets are abounding in high natural dietary fiber, making it a boon for digestion. Dietary fiber is renowned for keeping the gut healthy; they regulate bowel movements besides preventing blooding. You stay full for a longer time and this is good for weight control.

2. Low Glycemic Index(GI): Suitable for Blood Sugar Control

Unlike other polished grains, millets have a low glycemic index since they do not raise blood sugar all of a sudden. Thus, for diabetics, millets have proven a good option when looking for natural management of blood sugar levels. Millets provide steady, slow energy release, and sustain you around the clock.

3. Contains Antioxidants: Increase Immunity and Hydration for Glowing Skin

Millets are loaded with antioxidants (cancer prevention agents), like phenolic-acids and flavonoids, which can protect your body from oxidative stress. Antioxidants enhance your immunity strength, even reduce the risks of chronic diseases and improve your skin condition. Incorporate millets into your diet to give your body natural strength and resilience.

4. Gluten-Free: A perfect appropriate Choice for Gluten Sensitivity

Millets are an excellent substitute for Rice, Wheat and all those other gluten-containing grains for those with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. So, they are like other grains in benefits but lack gluten, which means the possibility of healthy food without gassiness.

5. Contains Essential Nutrients: Supports Overall Health

These tiny super-grains are also packed with minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and zinc which help from heart health and nerve action to bone strength and healthy metabolism. A bowl of millets every day can simply be your way of meeting your daily nutritional requirements.

6. Good Source of Plant Based Protein: To repair Muscles and Tissues

Millets are a great source of plant-based proteins; therefore these tiny grains are great for vegetarians and vegans and support the strengthening of muscles as well as the repair of tissues. So a diet rich in Super grains can meet your protein requirement organically.

7. Naturally Alkaline - Helps Detoxify the Body

Millets are alkaline, and this helps to neutralize the pH factor in the human body and detoxify the system naturally. An alkaline diet is sure to reduce inflammation, thereby seeing good health in all aspects, right from the well-being of the kidneys to reducing acid reflux symptoms.

8. Heart Health Support- Cholesterol Reduction

Millets (Siridhanyalu) contain phyto-chemicals that slow down the increase of bad cholesterol in the blood. These Super-grains also contains good fats that help decrease bad cholesterol-LDL and increase good cholesterol-HDL. This heart-friendly cereal may add up to prevent cardiovascular diseases if included as part of a balanced diet.

9. Good for Weight Management - Low in Calorie and Filling

Unpolished Raw Millets are low in calories and rich in complex carbohydrates, therefore an ideal food for the weight watchers. As they keep you satisfied for a longer time, millets can avoid overeating thus helping you in calorie intake without jeopardizing nutrition.

10. Energy Boosters - Perfect for Athletic Lifestyle

Millets are a good source of iron, magnesium, and B vitamins, so you'll get all-natural energy throughout the day. Millets are apt for athletes and children and for others who are actively involved in life. It will enhance endurance and prevent drops in energy levels, mainly if work or study sessions last long.

Conclusion: Take the First Step with Millets!

Ready to introduce millets into your diet? Millets can be added to everything from breakfast porridges to snacks and main meals like Pulao and Khichdi. Start small, with a step as simple as changing the rice used in your next Pulao to foxtail millet or trying the Ragi Dosa for your breakfast. This is a tiny step toward a healthier life and better living.

Bring millets back to your table today! Make the smart choice.