#I have no experience with insects so if any of you do please add on

[redslug]

Helping Neuroslug help me

Admittedly it took me an embarrassing amount of time to figure out and start using inpainting, but now that I've had a taste of it my head is spinning with possibilities. And so I'm making this post to show the process and maybe encourage more artists to try their hand at generating stuff. It really can can be an amazing teammate when you know how to apply it. For those who didn't see my first post on this, I've trained an AI on my artworks, because base Stable Diffusion doesn't understand what anthropomorphic insects are. That out of the way, here we go:

I noticed that a primarily character focused LoRA often botches backgrounds (probably because few images of the dataset have them) so I went with generating a background separately and roughly blocking out a character over it in Procreate. Since it was a first experiment I got really generous with proper shading and even textures. Unsurprisingly, SD did it's job quite well without much struggle.

Basically masked out separate parts such as fluff, skirt, watering can, etc. and changed the prompt to focus on that specific object to add detail. There were some bloopers too. She's projecting her inner spider.

Of course it ate the hands. Not inpainting those, it's the one thing I'll render correctly faster than the AI does. Some manual touchups to finish it off and voila:

The detail that would have taken me hours is done in 10-20 minutes of iterating through various generations. And nothing significant got lost in translation from the block out, much recommend. But that was easy mode, my rough sketch could be passed off as finished on one of my lazier days, not hard to complete something like that. Lets' try rough rough.

I got way fewer chuckles out of this than I expected, it took only 4-5 iterations for the bot to offer me something close to the sketch.

>:C It ate the belly. I demand the belly back. Scribble it in...

Much better. Can do that with any bit actually, very nice for iterating a character design.

Opal eyes maybe?

Lol

Okay, no, it's kind of unsettling. Back to red ones. Now, let's give her thigh highs because why not?

It should be fancier. Give me a lace trim.

Now we're talking. Since we've started playing dress-up anyway, why not try a dress too. Please don't render my scribble like a trash bag. I know you want to.

Phew

I crave more details.

Cute. Perhaps I'll clean it up later. ... .. . SHRIMP DRESS

[upgrade-your-enclosure]

Upgrading Lab-mouse cages

This topic goes close to me bc I work in a lab and have hours every day to think about what I can do for these tiny creatures

Lab mice are kept in these cages by standard:

The minimum legal enrichment (at least in germany) is a nest, something to climb, something to chew, and a way to socialize. This cage has a hut for a nest, the top bars for climbing and the hardened pellets for chewing

In my opinion that's both unfitting and not enough. There's some very simple changes and a lot of bigger/harder changes:

Simple changes:

Using wooden or paper huts. It's commonly believed that mice can't see red, but in reality they will always choose darker colours and more natural materials as hides

lowering the light in one part of the cage, eg simple cage sleeves, lowering the general room light, shading the rack

raising the temperature. Mouse are generally kept at 21 - 24°C, but really prefer 26 - 30°C

scanning the room for ultra sounds

scattering some grains for foraging (this is also perfect for training the mice to make health checks easier)

Other still very simple changes:

adding nesting materials. Mouse prefer paper scraps, paper towels, etc, but there's also cotton squares and wood wool commercially available

adding wood for chewing. Again there's many options ranging from wooden bricks over wooden huts to whole branches

adding a running plate or wheel (I know running plates are said to cause spinal deformity, but in my experience that is a very low chance as opposed to the negative effects no movement has)

adding more bedding so digging is easier

adding tubes, boxes, swings and climbing structures

Changes that get closer to pet keeping:

add diggable bedding for builing nests and tunnels

add more huts. More! Mooore! (seriously mouse love a cluttered space and feel most comfortable walking along walls)

add a second layer (most easy part is just wedging a wooden board in there) and raising the top bars (there's raised cage tops for more height)

adding a maze/labyrinth to allow the mice to compartimentalise their cage/hide from light, sounds, movement, etc

stopping to feed ad libitum. In comercial setting, this can be done with feeding machines, privately this can be done by feeding like any other pet (adding a bowl of fresh food twice a day and removing after an hour or two)

scatter feeding instead of having the food in a rack

adding a digging box

Changes for pet keeping:

Going at least one, better two sizes up with the cages

adding toys

adding more mice to the group (in research most mice are kept in groups of 2 to 5. Mice prefer bigger groups though (plus "two" is a pair, not a group))

adding a big, big layer of bedding (see previous category)

adding toys, including food toys, smell toys, etc

giving food treats like yogurt, comercial treats, varied food, dead or life insects (mice are good hunters!)

feeding grains and similar (if you're unsure about a balanced diet, feeding grains additionally to pellets is totally fine)

adding a bigger wheel or running plate (a wheel is better, if you can provide a good one with appropriate size)

offer a free run time. This could for example be in a bath tub. Lay it out with linen or carpets, fill the tub with toys, treats and cardboard boxes, and offer the mice to go there (eg by builing a stairwell, or by training them "taxi" with a travel box)

spend regular time with them to aclimate them to humans

Changes for a near perfect enclosure:

Upgrate to an aquarium with a grid top

add more climbing options. Like way more!

Put heavier huts on stilts

Add even more tunnels

provide fresh food

change up their enrichment (eg digging box, swimming pool, fresh plants, offer tea additionally to water)

All these images have good and bad items, and imo all enclosures can be adapted to the housed animals needs. I'll try to add credit, but please message me if you have questions about specific images

I was about to add sources but found some great in a single site: here

I also always recommend bin cages as they are cheap and very very customisable. The best example I found is this one

[tyjkkvape]

How To Build A Cigar Humidor

Like me, you know nothing better than lighting a quality hand-rolled stogie following a demanding day. Still fresh, though, keeping those babies Not quite simple if you lack appropriate storage. No bueno are dry cigars. This is when having a quality humidor becomes crucial; but, why spend a fortune on one when you can easily create your own fantastic humidor at home? I'll walk you through creating a homemade cigar humidor right here on this blog. It requires just some basic tools and a few easy steps. One could address this build even with a total cigar newb. Trust me; I made my first one with my dad back in the day and if I could, you could too.You can completely personalize your humidor to fit your style, needs, and of course, available cigar storage capacity throughout the making process. I like that adaptability. perhaps even do a monogram by hand if you're fancy. Thus, let's get going!

What are the benefits of having a cigar humidor?

Pay attention, fellow cigar enthusiasts! I'm here to persuade you that, for improving your stogie-smoking experience, making a quality cigar humidor is your best bet.Above all, a humidor is essential for keeping appropriate humidity levels of 65–70% and for giving cigars the ideal life circumstances. This guarantees that those hand-rolled beauties smoke oh-so-smoothly, without any unwelcome harshness or bitterness, and helps them not dry out. That controlled humidity results in a silky, velvety draw that allows all the complex flavors to shine through gorgeously on every satisfying puff.A humidor also allows for the long-term magic of letting high-quality cigars age and mature for months, if not years. The cigars, just like a good bottle of wine or whisky, can age in a controlled environment and gradually reveal a fuller, more nuanced flavor profile. the mellow cigar taste will definitely please you.Not least of all, maintaining the correct humidity level for the humidor shields cigars from mold, brittleness, and insects. This helps the cigars to keep their freshness and quality for an extended length of time.

How much does it cost to build a cigar humidor?

To be honest, building a humidor yourself is not costly. You just need some fundamental equipment and supplies for woodworking. About $200 to $300 will be plenty if you have some woodworking knowledge. Of course, the price could be more if you like some more sophisticated accessories such as LED lights, temperature and humidity control systems, etc. These opulent extras could add more than $500 or perhaps $1,000 to the price.

What tools will I need to build a cigar humidor?

Once we have our budget in mind, we can start buying tools.First and foremost, you'll need a standard array of carpentry tools - saws, drills, sandpaper, and the like - to cut, shape, and finish the wooden components.

What is the best wood for a cigar humidor?

I want to give my cigars a better storage environment during the manufacturing process, thus for the outside of the humidor I like to use American or Spanish cedar. Both brilliantly preserve that ideal temperature and humidity range that keeps cigars fresh. Spanish cedar is amazing; its magical resins actually help control moisture content. It also gives the cigar a wonderful aromatic quality that accentuates its taste.Now for lining the inside; you really should use Spanish cedar. It is the gold standard, as I am saying. Perfect storage for cigars depends on its moisture-absorbing superpowers.Furthermore, keep in mind that monitoring the temperature and humidity calls for a decent hygrometer. Maintaining an ideal humidity in a humidor depends critically on this! If you enjoy do-it-yourself projects, you might even try creating a basic arrangement using some water and a sponge.

What kind of humidification device works best for maintaining humidity in a humidor?

Usually seeking active, two-way humidification, I purchase Powered humidifiers with humidistats such as the Cigar Oasis Plus or Hydra SM. They not only humidify dry air but also, should levels go too high, dehumidify The humidistat lets the gadget automatically change to reach your desired RH percentage, therefore enabling self-regulation. Should my money prove insufficient, I will also take into account purchasing passive humidifiers such as sponges, gel jars, and humidification beads dependent on the humidity in the surrounding environment. Though they are low-cost, the climate will affect their humidification performance.Steps to make a cigar humidorhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uqXjwWNc44Once the tools are ready, let's start making the cigar humidor.You first have to get the wood ready; here I have selected the finest Spanish cedar to create the body of my humidor. Not only does this wood have natural moisture-resistant qualities that help control humidity, which is vital for appropriate cigar preservation, but its rich, classy beauty with warm reddish-brown hues also helps!Then start designing your ideal humidor size and form using that measuring tape. Give all those stogies you will be keeping plenty space. And pimp it with awesome features such LED mood lighting and auto humidity controls. (Here, I have my deluxe electric humidifier with a built-in hygrometer - it'll keep those cigars fresher than fresh!).

Having the design blueprint in hand, we can begin to create. First, using my righteous power saw, it's time to gently buzz the cedar wood into bodacious panels and fittings. When cutting, I have to be especially careful to maintain the pieces' perfect look free of dings or fractures.I drill pilot holes with a power drill for assembling this humidor once I have all the absolutely brilliant front, back, side, and shelf pieces sawed out.

Now for the exciting component, assembly! All the bits can be joined with wood glue. If you wish to be crafty, then get elegant with some screws or rivets. Test fit every piece to guarantee they line up exactly before glueing. The final appearance may suffer even from a small mismatch here.

It's important to seal that baby nice and tight once you have nailed together the solid cedar box and fit the Spanish cedar inlays. I always brush on a few coats of this crazy good waterproofing wax I discovered online; it locks in that ideal temperature and makes the wood totally impervious.

But hang on; are you done yet? Heck no! You have to get the inside ready to party before exploding in those cigars. Start by lightly rubbing down the cedar walls with some steel wool to help release that natural aromatic cedar scent to wonderfully mix with the tobacco. Then gently mist the inside with a clean cloth and distilled water. To get that primo 70% humidity and 70°F temp, let any extra moisture totally soak in or evaporate. Read the full article

[warrenwoodhouse]

List of Fun Activities to do with Two Year Olds that teach them Skills

Here’s a list that I’ve prepared for myself so that I can share activities with my two year old niece, Heidi. Teaching your little ones new skills is a fun, resourceful and rewarding experience not just for your little ones but also rewarding for yourself too. As someone who has ADHD, which is part of ASD Autistic Spectrum Disorder, these activities are also very useful for those who have ADHD and Autism as these are sensory activities as well.

Origami - While it may appear challenging, origami is fairly easy to begin with. Teaches the Motor Skill and is a great activity for mindfulness as well

Reading a Book - Pick a book or let your little one pick a book, either by visiting your local library, bookshop or from your book cabinet, picking a book and reading it, either you read it aloud or let your little one read it to you, this is a fun activity for everyone. Teaches the Reading Skill and is a great activity for mindfulness as well

Painting, Colouring and making Art - This activity is best played when adults have placed down old bits of cardboard or protected an area in the house or office from damage. You can use old bathroom towels, newspapers and stuff like that as coverage against paints and such. Teaching little ones to paint, either with a paintbrush or by using their fingers, allows them to unleash their inner creativity. You can even use sticks, leaves, child-friendly PVA glue and coffee granules to make Jackson Pollack style drip paintings. Teaches the Motor Skill and is a great activity for mindfulness as well

Walking - Going for walks in a park or somewhere nearby that you like will encourage your little ones to enjoy the fresh air that nature offers. Show them birds, animals, insects, trees, landmarks and such will help them to understand the world around them and how it benefits them. Teaches the Motor Skill and is great for mindfulness as well

Counting Numbers - Counting up or down or from a specific number is very useful and teaches them basic mathematics. Teaches the Arithmetic Skill and Repetition Skill

Saying Words and Asking to Repeat Them Back - Something I do with my own nieces, Heidi at the moment is very good at saying words. She’s not very good at sentences yet. Teaching them words, either by saying them, showing them or using picture cards, teaching your little ones this useful skill will provide them with a vocabulary which they can add new words to as they grow up. No need for a dictionary if your child is able to spell it for you! Try simple words and associate them with every day things from books to food items, it’s a great way to remember things and useful too

Social Action - Try a simple social action that you use regularly, from a fist bump to a hug, the social action will set them on the right path to making friends. I taught Heidi the fist bump social action. I say “fist bump”, showed her how to do it using both of my hands and then asked her to do it too.

Sign Language - Little ones have minds like a sponge, so teach them an easy social skill like sign language. You can also teach them Makaton which is also a form of sign language which is widely used amongst the deaf and hard-of-hearing community

Watch a short Film or children’s animated show - Great examples include Finding Nemo, The Snail and the Whale, The Highway Rat, Superworm, Room on a Broom, Numberblocks, Teletubbies - short animated films, long animated films or tv series will provide a story to children, numberblocks being able to teach numbers. Useful and engaging

If you have any suggestions, please feel free to use my suggestions form by CLICKING HERE.

[vegi1]

Do vegans eat meat?

In many cultures, eating meat is so rooted in human life that we rarely think about why we should eat meat. Where and how is the meat prepared? We rarely try to see who is behind the scenes of the meat industry Most people consider themselves to be animal lovers, but eating animal meat is normal for them, and I still don’t know why you love an animal and hug it and cut another animal into pieces and eat it? It’s time to face the fact that man created the meat industry for his diversification and greed and tortures and kills many animals.

The answer to this question is relatively simple; however, come with me, and I’ll tell you every single aspect of this question.

I’m Sara and I’ve been vegan for 7 years with my family of 5. As my family and I thrive on this lifestyle, I wanted to share with you all my experiences in this particular area.

So let’s get started.

This article will be dedicated to why vegans might or might not consume meat.

In some of our previous articles, we mentioned that vegans do not consume meat, no matter the source. This means that vegans do not consume land animal meat or seafood.

There are many reasons why we have chosen a vegan lifestyle. But let me tell you a few things Some vegetarians choose a vegetarian diet just for the sake of their health, because they have come to the conclusion that meat and chicken are not useful for human health and cause a lot of harm to the body, and they refuse to eat animal meat like us. But vegans have more reasons for not eating meat besides health.

Before getting to why Vegans do not consume meat, we have to tell you that while vegans refuse to eat any flesh, they can get all of the nutrition, minerals, and supplements that meat has from plant-based food.

This proves that vegans do not have to eat meat to gain its vitamins, minerals, and nutrition.

· The first reason that comes up when we ask why vegans don’t eat meat is related to moral beliefs. In other words, vegans are against the meat industry and industries that use animal abuse or cruelty to produce their products (be it clothing or consumer cosmetics).

We can never accept someone as ours or even our lives without full consent, so why should we do the same to defenseless animals? I must mention that some of these animals and even insects are vital for the health of the planet We know what happens behind the scenes of slaughterhouses and farms. We know how animals are imprisoned, tortured and killed in order to put them in beautiful packages in the human food basket. Research has proven that the anatomy of the human body has been vegetarian since the beginning of creation, and later we became carnivores with the change in human taste and advertising. Please watch this video : 15 reasons that prove that human herbivor

· The following reason vegans avoid meat is the physical consequences that meat offers over time. When you consume meat, you are consuming a product that is not 100% hygienic. I might add that the fat included inside the core is saturated fat or the harmful fat that can cause heart diseases and failure over time if consumed more than limited.

These two reasons are the main issues of consuming meat, so vegans choose to avoid meat to fulfill these reasons.

You might wonder, if vegans do not consume meat, what do they eat to obtain the nutrition embedded inside the animal meat?

When talking about meat and the need to consume it, individuals assume that the protein and the galleries that come from meat can not be obtained from plant-based food.

While this fact seems true but it is not correct.

Because after the considerations and research I did several years ago on this matter, I have concluded that some other plant-based consumables like beans and soy contain the same kind of protein that exists inside red or animal meat.

And by consuming plant-based protein, you can get the same energy from the protein inside the animal meat.

However, on some special occasions, vegans must use supplements to gain the complete nutrition they need throughout the day to function correctly.

The reason why some vegetarians need supplements is that the diet and body needs of each person and their metabolism are different from other people. Sometimes some vegetarians need supplements to complete the minerals or nutrients their body needs, even It is possible that many meat-eating people also suffer from B12 or iron deficiency. This has nothing to do with vegetarianism.

But the important thing is that if you start a plant-based diet with planning, you will need less supplements because the nutrients of plants are more and healthier than animals. I have done an article on vegetarians and the need to take supplements that you can read .

Now that you know whether vegans eat meat or not and the reason for this action, let’s get to the end of the article and sum up all of the information we have gathered for you.

We all have seen some special diets from all around the world and different individuals; however, there is a debate on whether vegans can eat meat or not, meaning can they include meat in their diet or can’t?

In this article, I talked about how vegetarians do not consume animal meat or other animal products. However, it’s best to remember that as a human being who has been a vegetarian since birth, there are plenty of plant-based alternatives that you can supplement your meals with and that you can live without animal carcasses.

Then I explain some of the reasons vegans have for not eating animal meat, and I think if you read through these reasons yourself, you can better understand this diet and lifestyle.

I advise you to read through some related articles to this matter to understand why vegans do not consume meat.

In the end, I am very much glad and delighted that you decided to accompany me throughout the “Do vegans eat meat?” article.

If you have any additional inquiries or opinions that you want to share with me, you only have to use the comment section below this article or contact page 4 on the contact page of this website.

[unetherian]

Very good explanation, emovulture!

I will explain in my own way to provide some information :3

A therian unvolontarely identifies as an animal psychologically, spiritually, or physically. It's an identity based on animal experiences.

The experience that all therians have is not identifying as fully (or at all) human. But some may have instincts, drives, needs, personality traits, etc. Some may shift (voluntarily or involuntarily) into their theriotype. (A shift=a variation in animality).

A therian can identify as any animal that exists or has existed on Earth! There are jellyfish therians, sea slug therian, insects therians, capibaras therians , worm therians, ect. They're just a little harder to find.

Some explain their theriantropy by a psychological cause (trauma, neurodivergence, etc.) some by a spiritual cause (past life, overlapping universes, etc.), and some by a physical cause (physical therians are physically animals).

And some people don't have an explanation and just think they were born that way.

There are many types of shifts, I experiment with them often, so I will tell some of my experiences :3

The shift that I experience the most is the phantom shift, which means that I feel the members of my theriotype even though they are not physically there. I almost constantly feel a phantom tail, but sometimes I feel fangs, fur, vibrissae, a snout, etc. I also experience mental shifts, which means that my mentality becomes more animal. I also have cameo shifts, meaning I shift into an animal/creature that is not my theriotype. For example For example, I'm certainly not a wolf, but sometimes I want to howl like a wolf (or another canine) obviously I don't do it in public even if the urge is compelling -_-

I'm also experiencing other shifts but I'm not going to detail them all, there are quite a few ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

There you go, I hope this answered your questions! And it's a very good idea to ask questions directly to us, many don't dare (I don't bite though) have a good day/night !

(If anyone also wants to add a few things, please do so)

Hi, pet!!! 💕

I'm kinda new to this Therian and Canine stuff. Could you explain it to me pls? I'd love to know more about it. I'd love to learn more about YOU!!!

Also, do animals like sheep or bunnies come into this category?

Hiii friend!! :3

Well, thank you for asking!! If you'd like to know the definition of what a Therian is, do note that Therianthropy is different for each of us creatures! And it's a complicated thing. But a Therian is generally described as an individual whose born that way, and has had strong animalistic experiences and urges throughout their whole life. (although there's also Therians who've become who they are via their mental health I think..? I'm not very educated in that, so it's best to do your own looking if you wanna know more about them! My apologies D:)

There's spiritual, mental/phycological, and physical Therians! Some of us go through things called shifts, and they can also either be mental, dream, or phantom shifts. It's also commonly said that Therian have past lives, but that doesn't apply to all of us. I'm not amazing at describing all of those things, so again it's probably best to take a look at some more Therian blogs! :D

Personally, I am a Polytherian and a questioning Cladotherian. Polytherian, meaning that I have multiple theriotypes, or animals I identify as/with. And a Cladotherian is a Therian that doesn't identify as a distinct species, and instead feels a broader identity with an entire family such as canine, feline, etc.

Sheep and bunnies can definitely fall into Therianthropy if that's the question!! I know that this is tossed around a lot, but seriously, it's great to ask a bunch of people and do your own research ❤️

Also if anyone would like to add onto this via the comments, or reblogs, please go right ahead! I'd like to educate this lovely person to the best of my abilities , but I know there's a bunch of info missing from this :3

[obligatorycoffee]

Safe meat for carnivorous kin/theriotypes

@necrophagist (sorry for the @! I can un-@ you if you want 😎) posted recently about more authentic ways to satisfy 'kin cravings, particularly meat-related ones. Considering my kintype is an obligate carnivore, I think a lot about meat. Specifically rare muscle meat and organ meat. I’ve never really shared what I look for in a safe meat to satisfy my cravings, so I figured it was time to share the food I consider when I’m feeling shifty.

I’ve worked as a chef or some variety of food service worker for a good seven years of my life (although that doesn’t make me an expert), and this is what I generally regard as safe if cooked properly (note some of these cooking temps are lower than what the USDA recommends). I’ve included a note on each one as to whether it needs to be cooked prior to consumption. Remember, the less cooked an animal product is, the more likely you are to contract food poisoning. Usually a quick Google will give you a safe recipe for any of these foods. If you want tips on how to cook something safely, please send me an ask!

The following list contains meat and animal products that are often easily accessible (i.e. I've found most of these at my local Walmart) in the United States, plus some less common ones. Please add on if you have any easily accessible meats in other countries that I haven’t covered.

Red meat

Beef liver - Cook

If you eat this regularly, watch your vitamin A intake. Liver is extremely high in vitamin A, which accumulates in your body, unlike water soluble vitamins like vitamin C

Beef tongue - Cook

Oxtail - Cook

Bone-in steak - Cook

Ribs (beef or pork) - Cook

Lamb shanks - Cook

Beef soup bones - Cook

Occasionally contain marrow...and often extremely cheap!

Great for making bone broth

Cured sausage - No cook

Salami, pepperoni, summer sausage etc.

Poultry

Chicken liver - Cook

Like beef liver, watch your vitamin A intake if you eat this regularly

Chicken gizzards - Cook

Whole chicken - Cook

Sometimes contains giblets like liver, heart, gizzards, and neck...check the packaging and it should tell you

Skin-on chicken parts - Cook

Peel the skin off, salt it, and fry it like bacon!

Whole turkey - Cook

Especially easy to find in the United States around Thanksgiving

These will take multiple hours to cook, fyi

Fish

Whole fish - Cook

Make sure these are gutted before cooking

Skin-on salmon or trout fillets - Cook

Because these species have small soft scales, you can eat the skin, and it’s delicious if you fry it and salt it!

Canned fish with bones and skin - No cook

Anchovies, sardines, salmon, etc.

Pickled herring - No cook

Smoked fish - No cook

Often salmon, trout, or whitefish

Dried baby anchovies - No cook

Usually sold at Asian food stores

Raw, de-boned fish sold at sushi counters - No cook

Fish sold at sushi counters is frozen at very low temperatures to kill parasites. Please let your grocery store/fishmonger do this step for you, as many home freezers cannot reach these low temps.

Other animal products not as easy to find

Blood sausage - Cook

Sometimes at delis or specialty stores

Fresh pig's blood - Cook

Often at your local butcher if you have one

Irradiated eggs - No cook

These eggs are irradiated (it's safe!) to kill any pathogens present in them

Whole rabbit - Cook

Often found at farmer's markets

Beef/pork/mutton organs - Cook

Kidneys, brain, heart, trotters, tripe, lungs, etc. (often at your local butcher)

Game meats - Cook

Venison, wild ducks/geese/pheasant, elk, bear, etc.

Sometimes sold in specialty shops, or buddy up to a hunter. Wild game isn't screened for parasites like commercial meat is, so take extra precautions if you're consuming wild meat.

Again, if you have any questions or want to know why I included/didn't include something on the list, let me know! Stay safe folks.

[tommyspeakycap]

again, your new john stones fic blew me away!!! Amazing. Please feel free to write about him all day every day!! <3

thank you again!! here’s another sweet one inspired by my own 1am experience tonight :) i wish I had a john stones

My hero

Your heart is quite literally thundering in your chest. There’s no feeling like it, this kind of fear that sticks you to the ground beneath your feet. You honestly feel like you can’t catch your breath, tears streaking down over your flushed cheeks as you hold your phone in your right hand with trembling fingers, one thumb finally letting go of the little microphone shaped drawing in your iMessages app. Even the whooshing sound of the message you knew was about to send to your best friend catches you off guard, making your shoulders clench and raise in fright.

“Are you seriously alright??”

She texts back, her confusion and teasing is something you know is laced into those letters across the screen creating a glow in the dim room. You roll your eyes at her, trying to keep your vision up while sending another voice note back; “No, seriously. Why does this only ever happen when I’m alone??”

“Probably because you live alone?” She replies back, and you curse yourself for a choice of friends who clearly have no empathy for what you consider to be a very serious situation. You know you won’t hear the end of this teasing once it’s all over. But the fear to you is all too real.

“(Y/n) I got your text! Came right here, are you alright?”

The sudden voice makes you literally clench your entire body, nearly shooting off the floor in fright and making one of those internalised fear noises that sounds like you just been attacked with a taser. You hear keys dropping down by the door and then a pause of his footsteps as you try to catch your breath. Your heart swells a little at the thought of him being here.

“John!” You yelp, your voice coming out something more like a strangled cry. The tall defender hears that sound and finds himself in panic, those long legs carrying him quickly and easily up the stairs of your small home until he spots you standing now in the doorway of your bedroom. He rushes towards you, seemingly checking you over for potential injuries the best he can in the darkness only broken by the lowest setting of flashlight on your phone. The first thing he notices when checking over your face with his hands is the wetness still making its way over your cheeks.

“Are you alright? what happened? Is there someone in there? Are you okay? Did someone hurt-“

You cut off his rambling with a finger over his lips, creating even more confusion for the fluffy haired brunette who had very clearly rolled himself out of bed to hurry over here. He was wearing shoes without socks, dirty shorts from training that he’d thrown off before going to bed only to pull back in to come to your, and an old sweater that usually sat somewhere downstairs in the closet closest to the door. It was obvious he had come in a wild rush the second he got your erratic message.

“It’s a wasp, John!” You whisper, as if the little creature that sitting on your lightbulb unwilling to move from the place you couldn’t reach and wouldn’t dare to even if you could, was able to hear you.

“A wasp?” John repeats incredulously. “Seriously?”

You nod vigorously, and and as much as the exhausted footballer wants to complain or even sigh at you, he doesn’t. Maybe he can’t. Because he’s got his arms around you and he definitely can feel you quivering against him. He had expected something more along the lines of a one night stand gone wrong or even someone breaking it, but as his consciousness began to catch back up with his previously very sleepy self, it made a lot more sense. In the event of a break in, you would probably have been bloody calmer than you are now to be honest. John had seen you after a pretty dangerous car crash completely still and relatively calm as you gave statements to police officers with blood still trickling down your face. But put an insect in your path and you scaled the closest thing to you for protection.

It just so happened that closest thing was often John Stones, and he was happy to be that person really.

It has become a norm between the two of you in the years you had been friends. Winter was the worst for spiders, but he generally didn’t mind the mildly irritating insects. He just got rid of them one way or another while you hid as far as you could get and then he’d come get you when the coast was clean. But you hated summer for this particular reason.

Wasps.

They fly in, fly into things and somehow never make it back on the window on their own despite it being the most easy thing one could ever imagine. Then, they try and sting you as if they aren’t in your house. They just creep you out, even the sight of them with their nasty little bodies. Bees aren’t a problem, they’re fuzzy looking and don’t intrude in your home nearly half as much. Also, they don’t try to sting you all the damn time.

“Where abouts?” He asks, his voice showing no hint of any destain or irritation he may harbour. “On the light,” you tell him shakily, following close to him back as you both enter the room. “Right up there- careful!”

John sniggers a little to himself, much to your dismay. He kicks off his shoes by your bedside table and climbs up onto the bed with ease on those ridiculously long legs. By luck, chance or both, he has some toilet paper in his hoodie pocket that he’d probably used to wipe his nose or something like that earlier, he can’t remember. He holds it out at arms length, only inches away form the unsuspecting black and yellow insect. “Where?” He asks again, “I can’t see anything.”

“There!” You insist, pointing up with a shaking finger. “I don’t see anything (y/n).” He repeats, making you whimper slightly, more tears suddenly appearing as you try to come to terms with the fact it might’ve moved while you were outside the room. The thought of having to sleep in your house while not knowing where it was would send you absolutely mental. “It was there I swear, look-“

“Ahhh, I got it. Stand back.”

He leans forward with relative ease, careful with the force he used so close to a live electric source and grips the buzzing creature in his tissue. “There we go,” he hums, stepping down from the bed. “All go-“

As if on cue, it flies out of the paper and you let loose a literal shriek as you dive backwards, crashing into the wall and then jumping forward in fright at that. “Woah!” John calls, “it’s alright, it’s right there. Calm, calm. Take a deep breath. Look,” he tries to calm you. That deep accent with his fatigue coating each word seeps into you, carefully calming your firing heart as he grabs it tighter from the floor, making sure he squashed it this time and immediately takes it to flush it down the toilet. John doesn’t know if you’re supposed to kill them or not, but at this moment in time he genuinely does not care. Was he fuck going to chase a wasp out of a window at half past one in the morning. Not a chance.

When he returns from the bathroom now empty handed, you still seem upset.

“That was scary.” You announce.

John smiles, pearly whites all on display. “I noticed.” He teases, making you scowl tiredly at him.

That scowl falters when his smile breaks into a light, soft laugh and he moves to stand in front of you. You absolutely don’t mind the fact that he’s babying you a little, using the sleeves of his sweater to wipe your cheeks before pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead and taking you into his strong arms. In fact, it’s very much welcomed. His arms are the safest place in the world to you and even the residual discomforted shivers from the concept of a wasp in your bedroom couldn’t get through that defender. He looks after a lot more than just the Manchester City goal line. No, he’s the sole defender of something much more precious that he doesn’t even realise.

Your heart.

“You okay now?” He asks softly, his tired voice rumbling through you. You nod against him, “Feeling a bit better. Thank you Stonesy.” You mumble, words muffled by the muscled chest that your face his resting against. “Anything for you, lovely.” He responds easily, pulling back from you in a way that aches his heart. The sudden lack of your warmth and presence against him is utterly brutal. He loves holding you, but hates it in the same breath. He would love to hold you if it was something he got to do freely instead of fleetingly.

His eyes are stuck watching you sit down on the edge of your bed to grab your phone and check the time with an element of shock rolling through your eyes when you realise it’s nearly two.

“You got training tomorrow?” You ask sweetly, a yawn following the tail end of your words adorable in a way that makes John’s heart flutter like a teenage boy. He nods, “Not till after dinner though, around 5.”

It’s your turn to nod, seeming to be chewing over something in thought as you lie down in the middle of your bed.

“Wanna stay then?”

John has to pretend to think about it at least a little bit so he doesn’t look like he’s jumping right up at the opportunity, which is exactly what he wants to do. “Why not,” he shrugs, chucking off his hoodie to the foot of your bed, “Scoot over.”

He clambers in, long limbs moving nowhere near as coordinated as they are on the pitch as he lays down by your right. It’s like a familiar dance, one you both know so well as you shuffle around so you can lay against his chest, one leg hooked over him as his arm wraps around you to pull you even closer. A silence falls between you as he feels your eyelashes fluttering shut, tickling his chest. He can’t find that same relaxation, can’t seem to shut his eyes for the thoughts flying through his mind all at once.

“I should teach you how to catch them.” John states, rumbling voice interrupting the peaceful quiet in which you had nearly found sleep. “You know, for the future.” He adds almost flippantly. Almost.

“Why?” You hum groggily, sleep croaking your voice ever so slightly. “I got you.”

John has to pretend your half asleep admission doesn’t send his heart flying into his throat. You do always have him, right there in the palm of your hand. Always.

“I don’t think other guys would appreciate me barging into their house in the middle of the night.” He suggests, making you quirk an eyebrow in question, but you still don’t look up at him and he isn’t even sure if you’ve got your eyes fully open. “No other guys here,” you state, “Single, living all alone.” You add lazily. The words almost make John wonder if he has fallen asleep, each one spoke playing straight into the dream he’s had for years for you to be his.

“Yeah, I know but…but there will be, at some point.” He suggests. You give no response for a moment and he briefly thinks you’ve fallen asleep at some point in this conversation.

“Bet those other guys wouldn’t come get rid of wasps for me in the middle of the night like you do.”

“Maybe,” John shrugs, “but I think there’s plenty of guys like that, especially for you.”

He feels you shake your head against him, your words decisive as you speak;

“There are no guys like you, John Stones.”

His words and his breath are caught on his throat, his heart erupting in his chest as he replays those words in his mind, trying to figure out if he had actually just heard them or if his tired mind was playing tricks on him because it was so late and he hadn’t had enough sleep.

But then you look up at him with tired eyes and a sweet smile. You know what you’ve just done, know the bomb you’ve just dropped and you’re hoping with everything crossed that he feels the same way.

“You’re my hero, Stonesy.” You say softly, your voice now a little sheepish and he can barely just make out the flush of your cheeks in the dim room lighting. “And I love you with everything I have.”

He doesn’t know what to say, his eyes wide as his heart beats as erratically as he had felt yours beating when he first arrived with fear coursing through his veins thinking you were in some kind of mortal peril.

“John?” You ask timidly, voice sheepish as you sit up in fear.

“Sorry,” he rumbles, pushing himself to a seated position, allowing him to lean forward and slide his hand around the back of your head to pull you into him, your lips crashing down onto his.

It’s just about everything he’s ever wanted.

“God I love you.” He says against your lips, a groan leaving his throat from pure satisfaction, pure relief of finally getting those words off of his chest. You giggle, resting back against his chest. “Can we sleep now, please?”

He nods, both of you shuffling so you can resume the position you had been in before a life changing confession that had spun you and the Barnsley brunette into the kiss that had been years in waiting. This was the happiest either of you had probably ever been.

“Guess we have the wasps to thank for this eh?” John lulls just as sleep is about to encompass you. He feels you shiver against him, the hairs on your arms immediately raising to attention at the mention of that which you hate so much.

“Don’t say that! That’s basically an invitation for them to invade my house!” You hiss, giving his chest a gentle swat as he pulls you closer to his side.

“Let them come,” he says almost triumphantly, “You got me now, always.”

You cosy yourself against him, a soft sigh of complete content and comfort tickling his chest as it dances across him. He feels that gentle smile that settles onto your gestures as your heavy eyes allow sleep to truly begin to take you.

“Always,” you mumble, words diluted by sleep “My hero.”

[vegannerdgirl]

hi i've been starting into going vegan and i was wondering: what's some stuff that new vegans often don't think to check? like some stuff i would have thought was obviously vegan but then it turns it has some kind of chemical in it that i've never heard of that is derived from nonvegan. how can i know what to look out for?

Hello! That’s a great question.

For me, there are a few ingredients that will be red flags that you'll learn to recognize. The big ones I see are glycerin (animal fat), casein (from cow’s milk), carmine (red dye form crushed cochineal insects), and shellac (secretions from the Kerria lacca beetles, also known as Confectioner's Glaze).

As you can see, there’s a lot of weird animal parts in products you wouldn’t think about, such as candies and lactose-free cheeses that don’t specify if they’re vegan.

There are some examples, but with time and experience you’ll know how to spot nonvegan products on the fly. You’ll make plenty of mistakes along the way, and that’s okay too. It happens to the best of us.

Websites like How to Go Vegan are great resources for new vegans, and there are apps that can help you as well. I went vegan before apps were around, so I don’t have any personal recommendations, but if any wants to add on to this message, please do!

[korrasamibottles]

Here's how I made the pigment if anyone's curious!!

1. Collected about 3 cups of leaves from the Greater Celandine. There's tons and tons of it around where I live, but I'm not certain at this point if it's a food source for insects, so I just took a few leaves from each plant rather than picking the flowers or uprooting entire plants. It's recommended that you wear gloves when handling the plant because its sap can irritate the skin (I didn't and I ended up totally fine, but I cannot stress enough that I am not a good role model.)

2. Put the leaves in a pot with 3 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 3 teaspoons of distilled white vinegar. Since Greater Celandine is toxic if consumed, I used an old pot I've been hanging on to that was left behind by whoever lived here before. One person's trash is another person's poison pot I guess. The spoon I used to stir everything is now strictly an Ink Spoon as well. If you do this please please please be careful not to get any of the plant or pigment near your mouth PLEASE.

3. Simmered everything in the pot for about two hours, and tried to keep it just below boiling the entire time. I kept the pot partially covered with the lid, and every time I went to give everything a stir I drained the condensation rather than dumping it back into the pot.

4. Tested the depth of color with a paper strip and liked what I saw, so I strained everything into an old empty spice jar using a coffee filter.

5. Here's where I started deviating from the various sets of instructions I found online. Everyone was saying to add some Gum Arabic to the pigment as a thickener and a binder, but I didn't have any of that and didn't feel like spending money on my experiment, so I put 1/2 a teaspoon of cornstarch into the jar and stirred. Umm. All it did was eventually collect at the bottom of the jar and form a thin layer of sludge, so I ended up straining it out. No idea if the cornstarch did anything useful before sinking to the bottom or if it was just a waste of time (and cornstarch lol).

6. Another deviation. The recipes I found said to add one clove and a few drops of wintergreen oil as a preservative/antibacterial/antifungal agent, but I didn't have wintergreen oil (and again. didn't feel like buying any.) so I added THREE cloves and a few drops of tea tree oil (which also has antibacterial/antifungal properties.) We'll see how well that works. I'm keeping the jar refrigerated and so far there's no sign of anything growing in the pigment or on the paper where I painted the flower.

7. Painted!!! Used an old mug for water and an old brush that are now strictly Ink Materials because 1. I didn't want to potentially accidentally poison myself at some point in the future, and 2. if it turns out cloves and tea tree oil suck as preservatives at least I only lose that one brush. I mean I washed everything afterward but you know. I'm generally paranoid just like as a person. ANYWAY it acted a lot like regular degular watercolor paint, though it is a bit thinner and dries slower. I put down between 1 and 3 layers of the pigment depending on the spot, then used colored pencils for shading....hoping no mold grows on my pencils now......

Greater Celandine flower drawn with colored pencil and ink I made from the plant itself!!

[olivyh]

TWST FAMILY HCS PT 3) Scarabia and Pomefiore

Scarabia:

Jamil:

-Mama Viper: She’s on the quieter side, similar to Jamil. She’s a very hardworking woman and incredibly loyal to whoever she gets close to, which extends to Kalim as well. Seeing the two boys grow up together, and considering how I think Kalim didn’t get the most attention growing up (with thirty siblings and counting, plus having his father working all the time) she felt sorry for him and took him in as her own as well. She sometimes feels Jamil’s pain at being stuck in the life of servitude, but is incredibly proud of him for sticking up for himself and doing what she never got to do, even if she scolded him after word got to the household. She can’t put much focus on either of her children, which deeply saddens her, but she looks forward to watching them grow up to be strong, intelligent, and independent. I think she’s a little shorter than Jamil, with the same long black hair that she braids down her back. She has dark brown eyes that almost look black.

-Papa Viper: He’s on the more reserved side as well, but not by choice. He’s very talkative when talking about his experiences, often going into rants where he has to remind himself to not overstep his boundaries. I think Papa Viper and Papa Al-Asim have a similar relationship to Kalim and Jamil pre-overblot, where it’s very one sided and there’s a lot of bitterness. Despite this, Papa Viper remains loyal to the Al-Asim family. Deep down he wishes he could spend more tike with his children and deeply regrets telling them to lessen themselves to make the Al-Asims higher than them yet again. And, like Mama Viper, he is incredibly proud of his son for being so intelligent and independent, sticking up for himself and trying to break the chains that kept their family held down foe generations. I think he stands at the same height as Jamil, with shorter cropped hair with grey streaks going across the sides.

-Little sister Viper: A spitfire who’s not afraid to speak her mind, often getting scolded by other servants and the rest of her family. Very close with Kalim’s younger sister who she has to watch over- they have movie nights and makeover nights as often as possible. She often scolds her older brother, telling him little things he needs to change (“haven’t you been wearing your hair like that since forever?”), which often gets them in little passive-aggressive arguments. She and Kalim’s younger sister aspire to be as magicam-popular as the Vil Schoenheit- they even have their friend from the land of Pyroxene to help them boost their account and make their pictures look better (Yes, they call and chat with Cater’s second oldest sister all the time)! I think she has long hair tied in a way similar to their mother’s, with Jamil’s dark grey eyes. I think she stands shorter than the rest of the family, at around 5’2.

Kalim:

-Papa Al-Asim: A cheery, joyful man much like his oldest son! He’s a little dense sometimes, but is actually a very smart man (it’s not easy to own a company after all!). He tries his best to bond with all of his children and wives, but often struggles to juggle everything at once (which leads to him being very teary eyed at every little interaction with any one of his children). Will also spoil his children and wives as often as he can! He likes to see all their different interests, and is overjoyed when he can watch some of them perform during dinners or hang up their paintings or drawings or, if he’s lucky and has the time, he can attend one of their sport games! I think he’d be a little taller than Kalim, with white hair similar to his, with dark brown eyes.

-Mama Al-Asim: A princess at heart. A very quiet and patient woman, who adores her children with every ounce of her being. I think Papa Al-Asim might have four-five wives? Bc these poor woman cannot be having six plus children in the span of seventeen years. I think she gets along well with the others, but would rather it be her and her children getting closer. I think she’s enamored with everything each one of them does, whether it be something as small as a craft they made or a little magic trick they learned, and will keep pictures of every little thing they do. She tries to include every one of them when she does something, whether it be reading aloud to them and the other children, or teaching them how to knit and sew, or helping them learn new dances and wearing new things. She teaches them to be kind to others, often retelling the story about the Thief and the Princess to point out how kind each of the protagonists were. She teaches them as much as possible, from how to help their Papa to how to fix your mistakes and catch them before they happen. She will listen to whatever problems they have, and will offer her shoulder to cry on for each and every one of them. She is also very affectionate to them, still offering cuddles and forehead kisses whenever they look upset (no matter how old they may get). I think she’d have very long brown hair that she tries to add as many intricate little designs to as possible, with Kalim’s bright red eyes. I think she’d be around 5’1-5’2?

-I AM NOT DOING ALL THIRTY YOUNGER SIBLINGS SO HERES A FEW HONORABLE MENTIONS: Twins who get into as much trouble as they possibly can, driving the servants insane. One of them often sneaks out of the palace and comes back after everyone spent hours searching for them with souvenirs. Nobody knows where they went or how they got there, and they won’t tell anyone. His little sisters often dressing up as princesses and performing whole musical numbers during dinner, with the dances down and everything. Hide and seek. With all thirty plus of his little siblings. It’s insanity for anyone wandering the palace. Their drawings are all over the palace. Animals. So. Many. Animals. They have anything from birds, to reptiles, to insects, heck, one of Kalim’s little sisters even has a domesticated tiger! All of them plan as many movie nights and pillow fort building days as often as they can- seeing each other not only as siblings but as close friends! Of course, when their oldest brother comes home from school, they all sit around his room as he tells them stories about things he’d seen and learned, as animated as possible. Of course, he tells them classic fairytales as well, acting them out and jumping around his room, trying to get as many reactions to them as possible. Of course, many of the quieter ones prefer to stick away from the action and near Jamil, who will quietly talk with them in the corner of the room.

Pomefiore:

Vil:

-Papa Schoapjfaojfpak: As already stated, a popular actor and stage director. With this comes the same publicity that Vil has to deal with, making him look nearly flawless and act as such when out in public. He keeps his son’s attitude when it comes to fans, keeping most interactions short and simple, putting on a show offstage nearly as much as he does onstage. Behind closed doors, however, he’s a very kind yet strict father, making sure that Vil takes proper care of himself and is happy at the same time. He struggled with the aspect of having to leave Vil alone for much of the time when he was a child since he had to work often. When these times were especially bad, he’d often bring Vil into the sets to help him get ready for filming or to watch his Papa from a little seat next to the directors. He would always chuckle and pat Vil’s hair whenever he told him something he could’ve done better after the filming process, glad that his son has an eye for these sorts of things. He’d even let him experiment with the expensive costumes and makeup, helping him fix his own small mistakes. He tries to make it to every show and movie that Vil does, often going undercover to ensure that fans don’t take his attention off his son. He has a box full of their own home movies that the two of them made, including action, comedy, even a few thrillers thrown in (of course, Vil was the strong hero who defeated the bad guy)(The bad guy being his poor father with fake blood smeared on his face). He watches them sometimes when he misses his son (and he cries about how far he’s come, not that he’d ever tell Vil). I think he’d be the same height as Vil, and a little muscular due to having to keep up appearances. He has Vil’s hair and eye color.

Rook:

-Mama Hunt: Okay back to my headcannon page about species, I saw something that said that Rook was half beastman. So, I like to think that Rook’s mother is the beastwoman in the relationship. She’s a strong, loving caracal beastwoman. She’s kind and often spoils her son as much as possible, coddling him whenever he’s around, no matter the age. He get’s his poetic nature from her, an artist, poet, author, whatever she could get her hands on! Despite this, she’s still a woman from the Savanah, so she gets very protective over her husband and son, and is a lot stronger than she looks! She would be the kind of woman who’d tell you the most vague, unsettling threats with a smile on her face, and she’s had some pretty close scrapes with people who thought that they could try to hurt her son because he was half human (and also, due to Rook’s nature, likely trespassing on their property). She tries to show her son the beauty in the world, complimenting him on every little thing he did and poetically pointing out everything beautiful around her during their walks (even if it wasn’t)(Mrs.Hunt please don’t show your son that roadkill)(please don’t compliment the roadkill)(let it rest in peace im begging you). She and her husband are incredibly proud of everything Rook does. I think she has short blonde hair that goes black at the ends, yellow eyes, and is only an inch shorter than Rook.

-Papa Hunt: Where do you think Rook got his hunting instinct from? Not from his beastwoman mother, surprisingly. The infamous Mr.Hunt was but a hunter who had wandered too far away from where his friends had decided to go camping in the Savana. He, like his son, was enamored with any non-human species, his curiosity leading him to a beastwoman quietly painting not too far from her home. With her enhanced hearing, she quickly whipped around and glared at him, shocking the man to the point of falling down. And from that point forward, he was in love. He’s incredibly supportive of his wife’s artistry, complimenting her at every moment about how perfect she did and how amazing she is as what she does. He’s a romantic, like his son, so you can expect many, many mushy moments between the two of them (que baby Rook making a face at the display). He wanted to teach his son as much as possible about the world, to make him as curious as possible. Of course, he wanted to bond with his son for as long as possible. How would they do that? Father-son camping trips, in which Papa Hunt would teach the boy how to shoot a bow (it took him a minute to realize that his son’s laser-point accuracy could be because his beastman instincts tell him how to get the kill as fast as possible, and he was the proudest Papa in the Savana when he went to tell his wife). He also often took him to larger towns, letting his boy get acquainted with his beastman culture so he didn’t feel too left out around others. He is the same height as Rook, but with shoulder-length black hair and bright green eyes.

Epel:

-Great-Meemaw Felmier: A very old and wise woman, shockingly stubborn and independent for her old age. She adores her great grandson and was the one who taught him how to carve apples in the first places. She’d tell him stories about when her father first bought the farm they lived on, and what things were like then, how they changed. Of course, she gets tired very quickly so these stories are often left with open endings, much to Epel’s dismay. She always knows what advice to give for any situation, and won’t be afraid to tell you the truth. She’s likely around her late nineties, and often carries around a walker that she smacks people’s ankles with. I think she’d have very, very long hair (“To preserve my youth”, she says) that she lets hang as much as possible.

-Meemaw & Peepaw Felmier: Two very sweet people. Both hailing from families of farmers who had lived in and around the village of harvest their whole lives, they grew up around each other and are practically inseparable. They care very much for their children and grandchildren, and often act as their grandchildren’s partners in crime whenever they get into trouble, patching them up when they get hurt and helping to clean the mess they might have made in the kitchen. would have shoulder-length light purple hair (almost white) that she ties back. They look like Mr. and Mrs. Claus that you see on those old Christmas animations that you can never remember the name of but see every year.

-Uncle & Aunt Felmier: A stern, but kind couple. Uncle Felmier is a gruff man, often being too blunt and too focused on work to take a break every now and again, and Aunt Felmier is strict with her child’s rules and schedule. Luckily, they have Epel’s parents to balance them out when they get too far. Uncle Felmier enjoys working out in the farm with his younger brother, and Aunt Felmier is Mrs.Felmier’s best friend, which made both the men very happy when Papa Felmier was getting ready to marry Mama Felmier. Whether it be cooking, baking, attending festivals in town, or even sitting near the fire and drinking tea/coffee, the four of them greatly enjoys each other’s company. Uncle Felmier is a taller man with light purple hair, with grey streaks going up the front, he’s more built due to working on the farm. Auntie Felmier is a stout woman, with light brown hair that’s often tied up in a low ponytail.

-Papa Felmier: A very kind and hardworking man, who lives for his family. He gets up at the earliest hours in the morning and goes to bed at the latest at night to keep the farm going and to help out their elderly neighbors. He’s a little strict with Epel, but that changed as Epel grew up and became less rowdy (not by a lot). He tries his best to understand his son and let him grow as his own person, hearing him out when he gets upset about others calling him feminine. He even tries to put a stop to his brother making comments about the boy, at least around him. He is a little scrawnier than his brother, but still fairly muscular due to constantly lifting things and operating machinery to keep things running. He has Epel’s purple hair and light green eyes.

-Mama Felmier: Another one where, if you hadn’t known she was a farmer, you’d think she was a lost princess. She’s a kind, generous, quiet woman who does her best to keep her chaotic household from falling apart. Similar to the Tweel’s father, she tries to protect Epel as much as possible, and him going so far away for school made her panic internally, as proud as she was of him. She does her best to calm her son down when he gets rowdy or frustrated at something, and often approaches him with hot cocoa or an apple tart to make him feel a little better. She solves everything with food, which mostly incorporates apples, and believes that by baking for him and by extension, his friends at school, she makes their days a little better, no matter how horrible they may be. She is welcoming to any of the boys from school who may have a hard time at home or who need a place to stay, and was happy to the point of tears when he told her that he made friends at school. Is another one who will proudly display pictures of their child, often having long conversations with their neighbors about how he is, what he’s doing in school, etc etc. She is incredibly beautiful (where else would he get that face?) and has long ginger hair with Epel’s blue eyes.

-Little cousin Felmier: Epel’s baby cousin is only around six or seven, and follows his older cousin as much as he can. He defends Epel as much as possible whenever people call him delicate and girly, and will go on long rants about all the cool things he’d seen him do over the years (“He jumped out o’ th’ tree! Without thinkin’!” “We were sleepin’ outside n’ he heard an animal outside o’ our tent n’ he scared it off!”). Is quick to help around the house, despite being stubborn and upset about not being strong enough to help his father and uncle work outside yet. He’s always quick to ask Epel about school, and has begged him on multiple occasions to let him go with him (“We already sleep in the same room! What’s the difference if it’s here or at your dorm?”). I think he’d have Epel’s hair color but with light green eyes.

Im just imagining Epel’s giant family living in the same farmhouse and it being this small, warm, friendly place out in the country with plaid red curtains and little apple accessories everywhere and quilts and a big fireplace they all talk by 🥺🥺

[thekitteninlove]

I admit that i kinda ship Dalim with Amon too, so i made a naughty fic about those two too. Since i prefer writing one shots these fanfics don't have anything to do with each other (unless i say that they're broken into several parts)

Warning: smut, oral sex, spanking (sorry, Dalim 😖)

Dalim was in Amon’s room, trying once again to convince him to stop doing illegal experiments on humans. Just insisting that he cease what he’s doing wouldn’t get him anywhere, so in order to persuade him he needed to emphasize the benefits that he’d get by doing legal experiments instead.

“But, My Lord, you have nothing to lose if you do that. On the contrary, we won’t have to go through the trouble of silencing the ones who find about that and we won’t have to hide those from the authorities either. Please think about it. I believe-“ Dalim’s words were suddenly interrupted by his lord’s harsh voice. “Silence. I didn’t ask you anything.” Amon didn’t understand why he was so insistent. Did he care about those people? But why would he care about some strangers? He turned his gaze towards his underling to see if his expression gave him any clues as to why he was telling him such things, but he couldn’t read his expression. If it was someone else he would make them leave right away, without listening to a word they said, but with Dalim… it was different. He listened to him. Well, until his patience ran out, which didn’t last long since he had a short temper. Still, there were many instances where Dalim managed to persuade him to do things he wasn’t eager to do at the beginning. He wondered why he was listening to him and why he was still alive with no limbs missing after all the blunders he’s made. He let Alice escape so many times. If it was someone else, Amon would’ve cut their head off a long time ago. But he forgave Dalim and kept giving him another chance. Maybe for the first time in his life he felt something for someone other than hatred.

Dalim looked at his lord, hoping that he’ll change his mind or at least appear like he’s taking what he said into consideration. But all he could see on his face was annoyance. His obstinacy frustrated him, but he was careful enough not to show it on his face. His lord was easy to anger and dangerous so he needed to be extra cautious. ”Could I ask why you rejected my proposal?” Dalim asked in a calm voice.

“Dalim, do you really think that people would volunteer to take part in such experiments?” Amon sounded amused, as if his underling just asked him a stupid question to which the answer was obvious. Dalim has been nagging him about this for a while and he still couldn’t understand why he was so bent on stopping those experiments. Was he afraid that they’ll get discovered?

“If we make those experiments safer then I’m sure there will be people who will volunteer and if we offer a compensation for them then even more people would come” Dalim said, hoping that this will get him to reconsider his methods.

Amon was so exasperated that if it was someone other than Dalim he’d behead him. But there weren’t many people as knowledgeable about magic as Dalim and he was hard to replace, so he left him be. Besides which, they’ve known each other for years, so he learned how to serve him well. He wasn’t called his right hand man for nothing. Their relationship was quite beneficial for him, so he didn’t want to let go of him. Amon gave Dalim a wry grin and said “I might just take your proposal into consideration if you add more benefits to it”

Although he was hoping to get his lord to agree to this, Dalim was still surprised to hear him say this. He almost couldn’t believe his ears. Was he serious or was he lying? Either way, he couldn’t let this chance slip by. “Do you have something specific in mind, My Lord?”

“Entertain me. I’m in a foul mood. If you manage to get me in a better mood then I might agree to your suggestion”

Dalim was in a bind, the only thing he knew would uplift his lord’s mood was torture, but he didn’t want to be tortured. So then what should he do? He looked at his delicate and beautiful features which reminded him of a pretty young woman and which made him feel some urges that were difficult to control. An idea crossed his mind, but he hesitated before acting on it. He was afraid that his lord might not like it and that he’d end up getting punished, so he tried to be really careful. He approached him slowly and put his hand on his cheek, which made Amon’s brows furrow in confusion. Then he closed the distance between them even more and pressed his lips against his, drawing out a gasp of surprise from him.

Amon didn’t know how to react at first. He was shocked by how brazen his underling got and he’d have made him regret he ever did such a thing to him if the one kissing him wasn’t his favorite disciple and if it didn’t feel so… good. He wasn’t kissed before and this was a new experience for him, so he let him do what he wanted. For now.

Amon’s reaction to his kiss startled Dalim. He didn’t expect him to react so favorably to it, so this encouraged him to do more. He put his hand in his long silky hair and drew him even closer, deepening the kiss, while his other hand was roaming over his supple body. His lord was as dangerous as a praying mantis during the mating season, so he needed to be careful. Those insects chop off the head of their male partner after mating if they don’t run as fast as their legs can carry them. If he shows any signs that he dislikes this form of entertainment the he’d have to run as fast as he can. The possible danger he put himself into added a lot of excitement to this meeting. This made his heart beat faster in his chest as he tried to make the most of this rare chance he got to do naughty things to this dangerous beauty.

So far, Amon was quite enjoying the kiss, which was getting hotter by the moment. However, he was also feeling a growing desire to make things more interesting, so after a while he decided that it was time to take the lead. He pushed Dalim away and said in a authoritative voice “Kneel before me”. Dalim was startled by this sudden turn of events, but did as he said. Although he couldn’t call himself a loyal man, his lord was the only person he was loyal to. Even though Amon possessed so much knowledge about magic he used it for such terrible things. He wished he could make him change his ways and make him use that acute intelligence of his for good things, which was why he was obeying his every command. The sensation of leather around his neck snapped him back to reality and realized that his lord just put a collar on him, to which was attached a chain leash. His lord then came up behind him and put his hands in handcuffs. He looked up to find his lord smirking at him and holding the other end of the leash in one hand, while in the other he was holding a paddle that looked like it was made from hard leather. “If you’re a bad boy, I’ll have to spank you” he seemed like he was having fun, so that was good. “Now you’re my dog and you should answer my every command with ‘woof’”

That was the strangest command he’s ever been given, but he obeyed him nonetheless and said woof. If that was what it took to get him in a better mood and hopefully agree to his suggestion then he’d do it.

Amon had been planning to make him do this for a while now and he finally found the chance to do this. What he liked most about his right hand man was his wild, untamable nature. It was so much more challenging and fun to tame a rebellious man than an obedient one. The sense of achievement he got from succeeding at that was far stronger and he really liked that feeling.

His lord looked so alluring, yet he was so dangerous, he was like a femme fatale and Dalim couldn’t take his eyes off him. Amon decided to seek another kind of entertainments from what he usually seeks, so he took off his robe before sitting on his bed. He then unzipped his trousers and pulled Dalim closer by the leash. He was completely under his control right now, which is exactly how he wanted him to be all the time. “You should do as I say now, Dalim. Entertain me down there too” Amon said in a commanding tone. Dalim obeyed him as he usually did and used his skillful tongue to pleasure his lord, who was still holding him tightly by the leash.

Dalim’s mouth made Amon feel a delightful sensation spread through his body and envelop him, making him want more. He pulled Dalim even closer, telling him to take it in his mouth. This made the pleasure coursing through his body intensify, which drew out some moans from him. Meanwhile, Dalim was feeling the growing need to satisfy his sexual desires, but with his hands tied up behind his back he couldn’t do anything but move restlessly. This grabbed Amon’s attention, who got a kick out of watching Dalim squirm helplessly in front of him. This was the reason he used those handcuffs on him. “What’s wrong, Dalim? Need some help down there?” he sounded as if he was mocking him, but at the same time the burning desire within him made his voice sound huskier than normal. Dalim wondered how he was supposed to answer that when he had him in his mouth and couldn’t pull away because his lord was keeping him close with the leash. This situation was quite frustrating for him and he wished he’d come soon. To his surprise he felt something between his legs and he realized his lord put his foot there and began to move it, eliciting some moans from him and making some delightful sensation flow through his body. Feeling Dalim moan against him was making Amon shiver with pleasure, so he continued to move his foot to make him moan more. Dalim continued to use his mouth and tongue to pleasure his lord, while Amon was giving him a really nice massage between his legs with his foot. This continued until he felt Amon’s grip tighten on the leash as he came in his mouth, filling it with a salty and nutty taste. Then his grip finally loosened and Dalim was able to pull away. As he did that he looked up and saw him breathing hard on the edge of the bed. Dalim wanted to do more dirty things to him, but he knew that if he did that he’d get in real trouble and probably lose a limb or two, so he stayed put. Dalim took this opportunity to gaze at his lord, who was wearing an expression he’s never seen before and which was making him more aroused. Amon noticed how Dalim was looking at him and decided to torment him some more.

“You look like you want something. I might just give you what you want depending on how good you’re at begging” Amon sounded and looked as confident as a lord can be despite his… disheveled appearance.

“Please keep moving your foot between my legs” Dalim would’ve asked for more, but he was afraid of how he might react to a naughtier request. However, as he soon was about to find out, Amon had other plans for him. His request wasn’t entertaining enough for his lord, so Amon did something else. He got up from his bed and went behind Dalim to take off his handcuffs

“Take off your robe, Dalim”

His lord’s sudden order baffled him, but did as he said. However, the next instant he felt himself being pushed on the bed from behind and as he tried to get up Amon grabbed his hands and cuffed him to his bed. Dalim felt the bed shift as his lord climbed onto the bed behind him before he heard his imperious voice again “Lift your hips”. Dalim could only guess what he was up to now, but the scenarios he thought might unfold from this turned him on even more. Amon took off Dalim’s pants and underwear, then he began to move in and out of him, holding his hips tightly. This drew out some moans from both of them and made Dalim grip the sheets beneath him due to the intense pleasure he was feeling. “Oh~, My Lord~”. Suddenly, Dalim felt a sting on his bottom as Amon spanked him using the paddle.

“I told you to say woof, didn’t i?” his lord said in his usual imperious voice

Daim almost forgot about that, but immediately said woof to appease his lord and avoid his wrath. Even so, he didn’t stop as he found another excuse to spank him. Not that he minded though, since he wasn’t hitting hard. Actually, his lord was so passionate Dalim was getting hotter and sweatier as the pleasant sensations within him were steadily intensifying. He clutched the sheets more tightly as he felt himself getting closer to the height of sexual excitement. Since Dalim began to moan louder, Amon bent forward and put his hand over his mouth, muffling the lewd sounds he was making.

“I didn’t know you were so noisy in bed, Dalim” Amon sounded amused while he spanked him once more with his paddle.

As Amon continued to move in a sexually stimulating way, Dalim was overcome by an intense and pleasant feeling that spread through his body and released all the tension from within him.

Meanwhile, Amon has been relishing in the wonderful sensations given by his own motions and in seeing this untamable man submit to him. He loved being in total control of… everything. That way he could do whatever he wanted and no one would order him around like a servant. His movements became erratic as he approached his climax and he bit Dalim’s neck to leave a hickey that showed he belonged to him. The same intense feelings as Dalim had a moment ago came over Amon too as he set aside his paddle and gripped the covers instead.

After a few more thrusts Amon pulled away and removed Dalim’s handcuffs. Upon turning around towards Amon, Dalim was mesmerized by how charming his lord looked right then. He noticed that Amon was still panting heavily and trying to regain his composure. His red cheeks were making him look more appealing than ever and Dalim had to restrain himself from going over to him and kissing his now red lips. Who knows what he’d do to him if he did something of his own accord. If his lord truly were a female praying mantis then he’d be in danger because he was so enchanted by his beauty he couldn’t move. Finally, his lord broke the silence when he said “Alright. I’ll take your suggestion into consideration”. His declaration startled Dalim as he didn’t expect him to agree to it; he only hoped he would. Before he could say anything, Amon added “But first you need to promise me you’ll never betray me”

Dalim sighed. His lord had some serious trust issues, which made him wonder what made him like this. Nevertheless, he promised he’d stay by his side for as long as he wanted him to. However, he didn’t mention that he was willing to betray him if he proceeded with his plan to destroy the country. The reason he stayed with him was to persuade him to work for the sake of the country, but if he didn’t succeed at that then there was no point in him staying at the tower. He just hoped that he’ll eventually listen to reason and change his ways. It would be such a waste to put a genius like him behind the bars.

After that they both went back to work and acted as if nothing happened, but deep down inside they were still thinking about what transpired between them. Dalim couldn’t get the image of his dangerous, but beautiful lord blushing and breathing hard in a disheveled state on his bed, while Amon decided that he found a new way to entertain himself.

[tyjkkvape]

How To Build A Cigar Humidor

Like me, you know nothing better than lighting a quality hand-rolled stogie following a demanding day. Still fresh, though, keeping those babies Not quite simple if you lack appropriate storage. No bueno are dry cigars. This is when having a quality humidor becomes crucial; but, why spend a fortune on one when you can easily create your own fantastic humidor at home? I'll walk you through creating a homemade cigar humidor right here on this blog. It requires just some basic tools and a few easy steps. One could address this build even with a total cigar newb. Trust me; I made my first one with my dad back in the day and if I could, you could too.You can completely personalize your humidor to fit your style, needs, and of course, available cigar storage capacity throughout the making process. I like that adaptability. perhaps even do a monogram by hand if you're fancy. Thus, let's get going!

What are the benefits of having a cigar humidor?

Pay attention, fellow cigar enthusiasts! I'm here to persuade you that, for improving your stogie-smoking experience, making a quality cigar humidor is your best bet.Above all, a humidor is essential for keeping appropriate humidity levels of 65–70% and for giving cigars the ideal life circumstances. This guarantees that those hand-rolled beauties smoke oh-so-smoothly, without any unwelcome harshness or bitterness, and helps them not dry out. That controlled humidity results in a silky, velvety draw that allows all the complex flavors to shine through gorgeously on every satisfying puff.A humidor also allows for the long-term magic of letting high-quality cigars age and mature for months, if not years. The cigars, just like a good bottle of wine or whisky, can age in a controlled environment and gradually reveal a fuller, more nuanced flavor profile. the mellow cigar taste will definitely please you.Not least of all, maintaining the correct humidity level for the humidor shields cigars from mold, brittleness, and insects. This helps the cigars to keep their freshness and quality for an extended length of time.

How much does it cost to build a cigar humidor?

To be honest, building a humidor yourself is not costly. You just need some fundamental equipment and supplies for woodworking. About $200 to $300 will be plenty if you have some woodworking knowledge. Of course, the price could be more if you like some more sophisticated accessories such as LED lights, temperature and humidity control systems, etc. These opulent extras could add more than $500 or perhaps $1,000 to the price.

What tools will I need to build a cigar humidor?

Once we have our budget in mind, we can start buying tools.First and foremost, you'll need a standard array of carpentry tools - saws, drills, sandpaper, and the like - to cut, shape, and finish the wooden components.

What is the best wood for a cigar humidor?

I want to give my cigars a better storage environment during the manufacturing process, thus for the outside of the humidor I like to use American or Spanish cedar. Both brilliantly preserve that ideal temperature and humidity range that keeps cigars fresh. Spanish cedar is amazing; its magical resins actually help control moisture content. It also gives the cigar a wonderful aromatic quality that accentuates its taste.Now for lining the inside; you really should use Spanish cedar. It is the gold standard, as I am saying. Perfect storage for cigars depends on its moisture-absorbing superpowers.Furthermore, keep in mind that monitoring the temperature and humidity calls for a decent hygrometer. Maintaining an ideal humidity in a humidor depends critically on this! If you enjoy do-it-yourself projects, you might even try creating a basic arrangement using some water and a sponge.

What kind of humidification device works best for maintaining humidity in a humidor?

Usually seeking active, two-way humidification, I purchase Powered humidifiers with humidistats such as the Cigar Oasis Plus or Hydra SM. They not only humidify dry air but also, should levels go too high, dehumidify The humidistat lets the gadget automatically change to reach your desired RH percentage, therefore enabling self-regulation. Should my money prove insufficient, I will also take into account purchasing passive humidifiers such as sponges, gel jars, and humidification beads dependent on the humidity in the surrounding environment. Though they are low-cost, the climate will affect their humidification performance.Steps to make a cigar humidorhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uqXjwWNc44Once the tools are ready, let's start making the cigar humidor.You first have to get the wood ready; here I have selected the finest Spanish cedar to create the body of my humidor. Not only does this wood have natural moisture-resistant qualities that help control humidity, which is vital for appropriate cigar preservation, but its rich, classy beauty with warm reddish-brown hues also helps!Then start designing your ideal humidor size and form using that measuring tape. Give all those stogies you will be keeping plenty space. And pimp it with awesome features such LED mood lighting and auto humidity controls. (Here, I have my deluxe electric humidifier with a built-in hygrometer - it'll keep those cigars fresher than fresh!).

Having the design blueprint in hand, we can begin to create. First, using my righteous power saw, it's time to gently buzz the cedar wood into bodacious panels and fittings. When cutting, I have to be especially careful to maintain the pieces' perfect look free of dings or fractures.I drill pilot holes with a power drill for assembling this humidor once I have all the absolutely brilliant front, back, side, and shelf pieces sawed out.

Now for the exciting component, assembly! All the bits can be joined with wood glue. If you wish to be crafty, then get elegant with some screws or rivets. Test fit every piece to guarantee they line up exactly before glueing. The final appearance may suffer even from a small mismatch here.

It's important to seal that baby nice and tight once you have nailed together the solid cedar box and fit the Spanish cedar inlays. I always brush on a few coats of this crazy good waterproofing wax I discovered online; it locks in that ideal temperature and makes the wood totally impervious.

But hang on; are you done yet? Heck no! You have to get the inside ready to party before exploding in those cigars. Start by lightly rubbing down the cedar walls with some steel wool to help release that natural aromatic cedar scent to wonderfully mix with the tobacco. Then gently mist the inside with a clean cloth and distilled water. To get that primo 70% humidity and 70°F temp, let any extra moisture totally soak in or evaporate. Read the full article

[tornrose24]

My Lordsona’s letters, diary entries, and journal entry in Mother Miranda’s Lab.

I remembered that in each of the lords’ areas, there tends to be letters/journal entries/notes that are either about them or that they wrote themselves in addition to what Mother Miranda wrote about each one in her lab. I thought it would be fun to make some for my lordsona as a way to add additional information (including what could have lead to getting a cadou in the first place, because I don’t think those are given out so freely).

There is mentions of  @artistcaptainbendy‘s lordsona Bendypants and their OC Benjamin.

TW: Mentions of gore

(All journal entries located in personal studio in the gallery. Some would hold clues to solving certain puzzles.)

Journal 1

May 3rd, 1968

(page 1)

I would rather swim in Moreau’s lake and be subjected to whatever goes on in Donna’s estate than give another art lesson to Alcina’s girls. She hoped I could cultivate some talent in the three of them, and there was some promise in both Cassandra and Daniela. Bela seemed disinterested and wanted to go to the piano instead. There was some frustration over the past few weeks and it made me thankful I’m their ‘aunt’ or else it wouldn’t have ended well for me.

Weeks later, they presented me with some abominable displays. That one ‘statue’ looked like one of the maids... or what was left of the poor woman. And I doubt that was red paint used on that canvas.

I don’t mind speaking with Alcina herself once in awhile when I want a bit of class and elegance. There’s certainly no denying her sense of taste in decor and her collection of artwork is incredible. But her daughters are too much for me and I don’t agree on her views of all men. She certainly never met my father or my...

(page 2)

Father....

Sorry, I got lost in my memories there for a bit. Tomorrow I am meeting with some of the village children and will give them an art lesson. They are more of a delight compared to those poor excuses for children in that castle.

They admire the other lords, but its possibly for the best that they aren’t allowed to get too close to them.

Reminder to self: Check to see if the Duke has any works of art to add to the gallery when he comes back.

Journal 2

September 2nd 1975

(Page 1)

It appears I finally have a new security guard. The bastard and a friend of his thought he could sneak into MY gallery and steal a painting that I said would cost a fortune. They fell victim to the Escher trap (clearly they didn’t pay attention to his surroundings) and the painting was destroyed.

All that trouble for a Van Gough replica that’d be worth not even a fraction of the true painting.

But then again, what should I have expected from the son of the drunkard who nearly paralyzed me for life with a bullet to the spine and sent me into Mother Miranda?

The man was completely brain dead. The friend was a bloodied mess, but I stitched his arms to the thief, added some details of my own, did a bit of fixing up, and used a Cadou. He’s dull as a rock and doesn’t recall his past life, but he’ll be good at protecting my gallery from other idiots. 

I call him David after the famous statue.

September 5th, 1975

(Page 2)

Unsurprisingly, Heisenberg thought my creation was, and I quote ‘a hunk of shit and dumbassery mixed together’ and said he could have done so much better. Unlike him, MY creations ARE true works of art. Of course I’m not interested in getting into an argument with him as he enjoys doing so with Alcina.

I brought David to someone else who’d be fascinated with him. Bendypants seemed intrigued and wondered if I could lend David to them to help build a set.

I’m deeply disturbed that I’ve sunk as low as the others. I didn’t think I’d actually use a cadou but I try to tell myself that what I’ve done was a fitting punishment. Besides, it keeps Mother Miranda off my back for a bit.

Note to self: Need to do something about the additional arms on David. They don’t look like they are as secure as I would like them to be.

October 10th, 1975

(Page 3)

It turns out David developed a soft spot for Benjamin. As in Bendypants’ favorite lycan. He’s been looking at him like a girl harboring a secret crush.

That was.... rather unexpected. I guess David isn’t as dull as I thought. I need to keep an eye on him in case he remembers anything about his former life.

Journal 3

January 20th, 2004

(Page 1)

Karl is crude and a bit much at times. But there’s no denying that he’s rather handsome and I finally was able to convince him to pose for some sketches for a painting after all these years. It took the finest bottle of whiskey the Duke had on hand to convince him.

Bendypants will be so envious of me. They too have a certain soft spot for our fellow lord. Perhaps I can gift them with a replica painting as a present in the future.

I admire that Heisenberg doesn’t bother putting on airs like Alcina and his.... extraverted nature is a breath of fresh air. However the whiskey caused him to spill something rather concerning. He seemed unusually interested in my family’s plot of land in the graveyard.

I’m very concerned about what his intentions are.

(Page 2)

I just paid the gravekeeper to unearth the remains of my family so I can burn them and bury them under the oak tree.

I am NOT letting any of the lords use my family’s remains for whatever they are planning.

March 15th, 2010

(Page 3)

Bendypants invited me to one of their plays. It was ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream.’ It was a delight and helped me take my mind off things. The idea of making some of the characters not quite fit into certain norms that are expected in the village would have made Mother Miranda squirm.

I showed them that painting of Ophelia drowning when we discussed Shakespeare the next day. Sometimes I wonder why the cadou didn’t make me lose my mind like Ophelia–would I have been happier without my sanity in the village, amongst the others? At least I wouldn’t have been aware of what sins I would be committing across the years.

I have deeply cherished my friendship with them. They were there at the funerals for each family member of mine who died. Their condolences were honest compared to the other lords and those who were trying to kiss up to me. Like me, they too have somehow defied time’s cruelty to the body, and have known the loss of a loved one. 

(Page 4)

The children are the only others in the village that I am fond of and would protect. Such innocence to the violence hidden in the corners. Sometimes I wish to give into the desire of motherhood, but that would have been the greatest pain I could experience....

(letter hidden in Lord Bendypants’ theater) 

Dearest B,

Regardless of what Miranda tells us lords, you are the only true family I have left in this forsaken village. I would have never imagined that wild, mud covered child of the woods would be the one person I could trust.

That woman never was and will NEVER be my mother. Regardless of what she gave to me, I had to watch my family succumb to old age and sickness while I still remain as I am–a Venus forever frozen in youth and beauty. I hope she burns in hell for her sins and for what she has turned me into across the years.

I suspect that whatever she wants with the infant she kept mentioning is not going to end well for us or the village. She is charismatic, but her lack of true warmth makes me uneasy. I get the feeling that death is certain, but as to who for is not clear yet. I have two requests for you if my suspicions are correct.

First, I am going to see if I can hide any children I can find. They were one of the few things that made me happy here and do not deserve whatever Miranda has planned, so I shall sneak them in a room within my gallery. Please do not let any of your lycans harm the children or attack me tomorrow night. Should things go according to plan, they will be able to have the true freedom that was denied to all of us.

Secondly, should I perish from whatever Miranda has in store, retrieve my body, burn it, and bury it under THAT oak tree where I placed the ashes of my family. I think I finally know for sure who was getting into the graves lately, but I will be damned if I let that asshole take my body too.

I will never forget our times together, or the visits to your wonderful theater. Thank you for being there when I needed it the most.

Your friend,

-R

(Journal in Miranda’s lab)

Subject Name: _______ Rose

Cadou Affinity: Somewhat Favorable

Brain Function: Normal

Subject’s spinal chord was damaged by a gunshot wound three days before procedure. Subject has regained full mobility after cadou implantation. Six horn like protrusions have grown out of subject’s skull, yet subject hasn’t suffered any damage to the brain.

Subject’s arms mutate into an armor and bone fragments extend out of limbs like thorns that are strong enough to tear through flesh when provoked. These abilities are somewhat similar to Alcina’s but pales in comparison to what she is capable of.

Insect-like wings extend right out of subject’s backside when the subject wills them to, yet immense pain makes this a rarity. The placement of the wings is exactly where a small piece of cadou was implanted to repair the damaged spine. Additional procedures were required to ensure that the subject could not be able to fly beyond the village borders.

Further mutation turns the subject into something resembling a fae, yet behaves and moves like an insect. However it takes the subject four hours to change back. Subject also becomes predatory in this state.

An unfit vessel for Eva.

[apollos-son]

✎ . . . ❝Sail Away,❞

Rating ; 15+

Pairing ; eventual poly ot8 ateez

Genre ; adventure, fluff, heavy angst, fantasy

Tags ; ateez pirate au, violence, blood, magic, mythical creatures, au of the past

A/N ; some events in this series will be based loosely on events that have occurred in ateez mvs that go along with ateez's story. I say loosely because I'm not reciting what happened in the mvs, I'm taking some of the events and twisting them in an interesting (I hope) way. There are tags that will be added later on, and in specific chapters there will also definitely be trigger warnings, however if there does happen to be anything triggering in chapters that I have mistakenly not labelled with a trigger warning - please let me know so I can add a warning.

Summary ; Kim Hongjoong is a hero reborn, brought back from a war he inevitably died in to defeat the darkness that once left his home, his family and the rest of the world in ruin. It's up to him and his companions to prevail over the most challenging of evils. Will they be able to do it? Or will everything crumble to pieces?

I know this is unlikely but I do ask that you do not copy my work under any circumstances. Do not repost, translate or use my work without permission. Thanks :)

-> The origin chapters

<- previous chapter • next chapter ->

Chapter 1 ⇢ ❝The World Left In Ruin.❞

It was a disaster. Everything that could've gone wrong.. it went wrong. They thought that this would be an easy battle. They thought they would emerge victorious. The preparations, the plans. It all meant nothing now.

There were too many dead bodies to count. Some were scattered individually, showing a soldier who danced alone, on their own paths. Others were in groups, clusters, showing soldiers who were afraid of this beast. Deeply afraid. Rightly so, she thought as she gazed over them. A battle had been lost. Not just a battle, the war had been lost.

。

She wiped the dirt off of her face as she collapsed to her knees. This was the temple, the place where she watched over the humans. Those old walls that had cracks etched in from years gone by, the overgrown plants that were evergreen. Beautiful. Sitting here now, with these eight bodies, the bodies of the heroes, she finally realised something. Destiny realised that it wasn't over yet. This world and that which remains within it was not yet doomed. Her fingers clenched around the cloth cloak that draped over her small body. Yes, she was weak and yes, using the last of her power would prevent her returning to Earth but it was the only way. Her eyes met the cold, dead ones of Kim Hongjoong and she heaved a long, defeated sigh.

Her only hope. Their only hope.

。

[three years later]

Soft brown eyes slowly flutter open, a sense of dreariness and haziness flooding over his body. Everything ached. It felt like hell. His limbs hurt, his head hurt. It took him a while to really see over his surroundings. Where... Where was he? The place was huge, ancient and yet it had a sense of charm that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He wipes his eyes with the palms of his little hands and he tries to stand up. He couldn't remember a thing. Why he was here, what happened before this point, he couldn't even remember his name.

Clumsily, he made his way over to a little pool of water that sat in one of the four corners of the room. He gazed down into the liquid and saw a faded reflection of a pretty boy staring back at him. Blue, fluffy hair, clear skin and beautiful brown eyes. His hands made contact with the cold stone that sealed the water off from the rest of the temple. A voice called something from the distance. Calling out the name of someone.. "Hongjoong"

Reluctantly, he followed that voice, down one of the corridors that the temple had. He observed the walls, every little crack and every little dent. That voice grew louder "Hongjoong, Kim Hongjoong," it sang, as though the name were a sweet melody. "who is that?" he thought "who is this person? Who is Kim Hongjoong?"

The corridor came to an end abruptly. His eyes widened at the sight before him. There were pillars towering over him and gaps between each of them. The fresh smell of air and salt wafted through as he finally got a look at the outside. It was beautiful, but.... it was also nothing but water. Water that stretched as far as the eye could see. No matter which way he looked at the openings,, no land was in sight.

Then, a piercing light came from the centre of the room, causing the boy to shield his eyes away hastily. A mosaic that was stretched across the floor in the centre also lit up. "Kim Hongjoong," the same voice chimed. "Kim Hongjoong, you must hear my call," it repeated.

"Kim... Hongjoong?" The boy replied croakily "I don't know anybody by that name," he said. The voice paused "who are you?" it asked. The boy's brows furrowed and he spoke unsurely "I have no clue,, I just woke up here, I don't remember anything,"

That was the big question, who was he? The light in the room seemed to only glow brighter at his response. "fallen hero,,," it insisted "you are our only hope... the fate of the world rests in your hands,"

Stubbornly, the boy shook his head "m-me? A fallen hero?? But I have no recollection of my past, how can that be?" he asked In desperation. His white button down flowed in the slow breeze and his tongue ran smoothly across his cold lips. The aching that overcame his body had subsided, but only by a short amount.

His eyes drooped closed, his head hurting still yet the pain blossoming through it seemed to slowly but surely fade with every inhale and exhale. His arms extended from each side outwards, taking in the wind and the sun from the outside. Embracing it. Nothing hurt anymore. He was truly alive. It was a feeling like no other. To feel every part of his body again. To feel like himself again. But, who was he? The person standing here, inhaling the vast ocean's salty scent was not the hero the voice called out for. So why did he follow? Questions without answers. Questions that needed answers.

He felt his eyes flicker open again, and the light was gone. Like it was never there. In its place, however, fluttered a golden butterfly. A small creature that held innocence and beauty within its being. The little butterfly perched upon the boy's finger when he reached out to touch it. Its perfect glistening glow was captivating. Warm brown eyes inspect the little insect carefully as it's pretty wings twitched. "what's a small thing like you doing in a place like this?" The boy asked in a soft tone, obviously not expecting an answer.

Wait.. Was it just him or was the butterfly twinkling more than a butterfly should..? Then, before his very eyes, the butterfly seemed to fade away; almost as if it was melting. Now nothing but sparkling dust remained on his fingers. As he rose his hand up to inspect the glittering powder, his hand was set ablaze. With a small gasp, he shook his hand vigorously but the flames merely danced around his fingertips, burning with passion.

。

This new power that surged through his body, he couldn't quite understand what it was. He had spent a while experimenting with it, creating flames, creating plant life, creating light and, perhaps less excitingly and more concerningly, destroying certain things that he touched. It seemed that he had the power of creation and destruction at his fingertips, yet he couldn't quite use it at his will. That was evident by the amount of flowers blooming around him and the amount of plants hugging at his feet. How curious.

The sun's bright light soon fell as the boy experimented continuously with this strange oddity now available to him. It was entertaining, sure, but he felt lonely. The moon's silver luminescence shined down on him as he sat between one of the gaps of the sturdy pillars in the room that was open to the ocean. It was too dark to see a thing elsewhere so it left the small boy to gaze up at the stars.

He still had no idea who he was or how he got here. "Kim Hongjoong" was the only person he knew of but,, he wasn't certain if he was Kim Hongjoong for sure. For now then... Until he gets a solid answer, he'll call himself "Hong"

Hong kicked his legs out a little bit and shivered lightly. His thin clothes weren't really shielding him from the night's cool air. He glamced at his left hand and pressed his lips together, until a flame shortly blazed over his palm. The warmth of the flame soothed him, as his eyelids grew heavy, calling for him to enter a slumber.

Slowly, Hong lowered himself until he was flat on his back, his hands up in the air so he could watch the red and orange embers flare at his fingers. Something then came to mind, what was he to do in this place? Eventually, he'd starve to death, correct? So... He had to figure out how to escape, there must be land somewhere else. For that moment, though, he let himself fall into a slumber. He let those thoughts and those worries drift away for now.

。

Startled, Hong awoke with a start. Something had hit his face. And it was more prominent then a bug or a drop of rain. He sat up and stretched his arms out above him and looked around. To his left, a small scroll of paper sat. That must've been what hit him.

His small hands twitched as he reached for the crisp piece of paper. It was rolled up precisely and wrapped in a red ribbon. Maybe,, just maybe, this could explain to him what was going on. He hastily unravelled the paper and scanned it. His look of hope quickly faded into something that resembled confusion. Words were etched into the paper elegantly, though most of it appeared in a language Hong couldn't quite recognise. Only one part stood out to him. The name. "Park Seonghwa," he whispered. His index finger traced the name in the italic handwriting and sighed. Two names, without meaning.

He stared at the writing for a while, trying to decipher what it was saying. But he could never get past the first sentence, which was clearly written in Korean. "We were written in the stars, by Destiny herself,"

His mind seemed restless, but the sun had not even come up yet. He was using the small light source that the moon gave off. His eyes lifted to stare at the many stars. "written in the stars... what does that mean?" he asked himself solemnly. A small crackle of fire came to his attention and he looked down again only to realise that he was burning the aged paper. "No!-" he squeaked in desperation but before he could do anything, the paper had burnt to a crisp.

Not long after though a figure appeared beside him. A gasp left his lips in shock and he moved himself back, away from the figure that was laying unconscious on the floor. Did,, did he do that? Surely not, that couldn't be possible. He looked over the figure for a moment, his eyes twinkling with curiosity. "Park... Seonghwa?" he queried quietly.

When the figure's eyes opened abruptly to reveal a pretty blue, Hong gasped again. He had the urge to reach out and touch the person's face, but restrained himself from doing so. "who.. are you?" The figure, that upon closer inspection seemed to resemble a man also, asked with a sense of weariness in his voice.

"I.. don't really know,"

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

Lil taglist:

@atiny-piratequeen @ningnings-plushies @btsheadquarters7 @catboy-dia

[district2001]

First Official Meeting

Seventeen AU: 14th member

Jangmi x Seventeen 

Recap: Jangmi’s first time meeting Seventeen as a member 

Words: 1.3k

Requests are OPEN: Please please please send me what you want to see from Jangmi. I’m also open to feedback :)

To say Jangmi was terrified was a big understatement. Every second she was getting closer to walking into the dance studio to meet Seventeen. Sure she had met them before, but this would be different. She would be joining their group, AS THE ONLY GIRL.

Maybe Seungcheol could sense her nervousness, as he grabbed her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. As soon as she looked up towards him, he quickly let go, coughed, and awkwardly started walking ahead of her.

Jangmi chuckled. Clearly he was trying figure out the dynamic that they were going for. She’d give him time. This whole mess would take a while for them to get used to.

She’d also have to figure out her dynamic with he rest of them aswell. Surely she could act the same as she had all this time, probably talk to the other members more. She couldn’t just hang out with the younger ones, Josh and Jun. 

The younger members of Seventeen had all joined the same year she had, meaning that they got to experience their first Christmas showcase together, as well as get used to how everything run at Pledis. Even though she had joined the latest out of the 3, they had all become really good friends. 

Josh and Jun were her Korean class buddies, and they often spent heaps of time going over new, funky words together. Sometimes even figuring out ways to cheat in the test. Jangmi remembered back to their test on flowers and insects, which she had deemed as useless. Clearly not anymore.

There was also the new Chinese member, who she had met, during her visit last winter. Jun had told her about how he embarrassed himself infront of Minghao and spat all over the boys face. She had sat next to him a few times in lessons, but he seemed pretty shy and didn’t carry the conversation further. She’d have to try and make him talk to her , if they were going to be stuck together in a group.

Soon they were standing outside the dance studio, and before Jangmi processed what was happening, Seungcheol had already open the door and pushed her in. A true gentleman. If she had known him more, she would’ve called him an asshole, but unfortunately not today.

When she regained her balance, she was met with the stares of 12 slightly sweaty boys. Instinctively, she moved closer to Seungcheol, hiding behind him. She had no idea why, she was friends with him.

Seungcheol clapped his hands together, then pushed Jangmi out next to him. “You know how the CEO wanted us to add a female member. Well, this is Jangmi. Kind of pointless me introducing her, since all of you know her.”

“Anneyonghaseyo. I’m Jangmi.” She bowed, not wanting to seem rude, despite knowing all the boys. “I’m from Australia and I’m mainly a rapper, wait no… sorry I’m now a dancer.”

She awkwardly laughed, quickly glanced at all the members, looking for signs of annoyance in their eyes. Thankfully, there was none- only an eyeroll from Seungkwan.

“Wait, you’re not going as Jisoo or Rydel?” Chan asked, genuinely curious to why she had changed her name.

“No. Since it’s Shua’s Korean name it would be weird to call her that. The company thought of Jangmi.” Seungcheol jumped in, before she could answer.

“I liked Rydel though” Vernon chimed in. “It has like 80’ vibes.”

“Well, you’re the only one who can pronounce it properly” Mingyu added with a hint of sass.

She noticed The8 whispering to Jun. She hoped he wasn’t saying anything rude about her. Probably asking what the heck a girl was doing in their boygroup. Jun must have noticed she was looking their way. “He just asked me what Jangmi meant. Rose yea?”

Jangmi nodded. The chatter in the group had stopped, and she knew that she would start rambling soon if someone didn’t approach her or start talking

Luckily Seungkwan must have noticed that no one was going to initiate the conversation and pulled her closer to him. “See I told you that you would debut. I told you we’d make it together.”

‘You told me that thinking I’d go to another company after I didn’t make the lineup for the girlgroup. You told me I was JYP material.”

“Same thing”

Hansol jumped in, by ruffing her hair. “2012 trainees stick together.”

“I genuinely cannot believe I’m going to debut.” Jangmi quietly squealed. It was slowly hitting her that she would be achieving her dream. She had kept her composure in the meeting, but she could only hold it in for so long.

“Well believe it!” Mingyu yelled from near the speakers. She had even realised the group had slowly dissipated from their circle.

“I’ve been believing it for like 3 years, and it’s finally happening.” Seungcheol added. Jangmi hadn’t even realised but he had shifted from beside her to the other members in the middle of the room.

“Don’t jinx it. We might have to wait another year again.” Woozi sneered, causing Jun to start laughing.

It was company knowledge that Seventeen had been on the verge of debuting for years. They record a song, some shit happens, they loose a member. They prepare again, the universe fucks them over again, they loose a member. And the cycle continues. Coming back every Winter meant that Jangmi was always seeing new faces, as well as missing some old ones.

She cleared her throat. “Have you guys decided on your debut song? The CEO said it’s not going to be Shining Diamond?”

“Nah. Apparently it’s not good enough for us to debut with.” Woozi defeatedly replied. Jangmi realised at that moment, that it probably wasn’t a great idea bringing up their shortcomings.

“It’s ok though, since Woozi hyungs’ written an absolute banger.” Seungkwan cheered, trying to lift up the sudden somber mood.

“We need you to quickly record your lines, so then we can start working on the choreo.” Dino chimed, walking over to Wonwoo, who was very focused on picking his nails.

Jangmi made a mental note to avoid him for a bit, since he hadn’t really said anything about her joining the group.

“Ok! Will do. I’m sorry you guys can’t start the dance until I’m done with my parts.” She bowed again. She wanted to make a good impression, and get everyone to like her.

“Stop bowing” Hoshi yelled, walking towards her. “You’re under my wing now, and as your unit leader I’m going to make sure that our debut is going to be perfect.”

“We’re going to be massive.” Seungkwan yelled, causing Vernon to quiet him down.

It was too late, the damage had been done.

“We’re gonna get so many music show wins.” DK shouted, raising his fist.

“We’re going to be monster rookies” Jeonghan screamed.

“We will be Daesang Winners!” Hoshi roared.

“Look guys, shouldn’t we actually debut first before taking over the world. Just a suggestion.”

Seungcheols’ soft tone was quite a contrast from the excess noise of her teammates, causing Jangmi to snicker.

“Shouldn’t we show our new maknae one of our dances?” Dino asked, causing all the boys to walk into their formation.

“You’re going to fit in perfectly.” Joshua quickly came over and placed his sweaty arms over her shoulder. “Seriously, if you need any help, just let me know. Don’t be shy to ask.” He quietly whispered in English, before joining the rest of them

Jangmi nodded in confirmation, a warm sensation of happiness filling her chest. She had just been formally put into the group, but they were already looking out for her.

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