fixxingme

[101suouexpressions]

An in-depth of the Takiishi Chika tattoo

With chapter 152, we have a glimpse into the tattoo on Takiishi and Endo's shoulders.

Let's disect it!

Furanki

Breech-loading swivel gun – or Furanki (仏郎機砲, "Frankish gun") in Japanese (Turnbull, 2006) – was one of the first cannons used in Japan. Coming from the Portuguese, these early European models were either called ishibiya (石火矢) or furankihō (フランキ砲) (Gunsen History, 2019), the latter bears similarity with the gun's Chinese name "Folangji", which comes from the Turkish name "Prangi" or Turkic "Farangi" (Chase, 2003). This explains the "Frank" on the tattoo.

I was trying to see if the wheel in the tattoo has any other meanings, but as far as I know, it is simply the wheel of the cannon. The same structure can be observed from Nii Satoru's drawing of the cannon wheel with 4 main spokes and 4 additional, underlying spokes. (Most wheel symbols in Hinduism or Buddhism are eight-spoked wheels).

The right-most part of the tattoo appears to be the rings and the button at the base of the cannon. It is pretty similar to what we'd see with a top-down view of the plan below.

Note. From Oozutsu cannon Japan 16th century [image] by Unknown author. Wikimedia Commons, 2010. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oozutsu_cannon_Japan_16th_century.jpg 

The wolf

The illustration of the wolf was cleverly combined into the cannon. Its hind legs turned into the cannon base while its fur blended into the fire surrounding the cannon.

Wolves have many symbolic meanings, but here I believe Endo was trying to highlight Takiishi's fierceness. Takiishi is an untamed, lone wolf. He doesn't obey the rules; and Takiishi's world, as per Endo's explanation, has no one other than Takiishi (of course until Umemiya makes an entrance).

Name references between Takiishi Chika and Ishibiya

Japanese Ishibiya (石火矢) hand cannons are also early firearms in Japan and have made an appearance in the movie Princess Mononoke.

If you find Endo's explanation confusing, here's a more visualised version for it.

Takiishi Chika (焚石 矢)

焚 (taki): to burn, or anger. This character is made up of two 木 (trees) and one 火 (fire)

石 (ishi): stone, or rock

矢 (chika): arrow

Ishibiya (石火矢)

石 (ishi): stone, or rock

火 (bi): fire

矢 (ya): arrow, projectile

Kunikuzushi (国崩し)

Occasionally, Furanki guns were also called Kuni-kuzushi by the Ōtomo clan, which means country destroyer (Gunsen History, 2019).

Kunikuzushi (国崩し)

国 (kuni): country, or nation

崩 (kuzu) し(shi): breakdown

References

Chase, K. W. (2003). Firearms : a global history to 1700. Cambridge University Press.

Gunsen History (2019). Taihō (大砲): Japanese Cannons and Artillery. Gunbai: Ancient Japanese Warfare. https://gunbai-militaryhistory.blogspot.com/

Turnbull, S. R. (2006). Samurai : the world of the warrior. Osprey

Unknown Author. (2010). Oozutsu cannon Japan 16th century [image]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oozutsu_cannon_Japan_16th_century.jpg 

[mizutoyama]

Guess who

Considering I do not have any WIPs in the work, I was given permission by the great soup priestess of WBW to make it for either characters, pairings, or both!

Now, we all know I can go overboard with that type of thing (ex.: the moodboard challenge...), so I decided to "limit" myself to one character and one OTP.

First, Astraea Morgen:

Prologue (from "Beauty and the Beast") - Mathias Fritsche

Y Gwr A'l Farch/Pant Corlan Yr Wyn - Ar Log

Pépinot - Bruno Coulais

Go The Distance - Samantha Barks

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - Mystery Ver. - Masaru Yokoyama

Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Lorde

See What I've Become - London Music Works

Survivor - 2WEI & Edda Hayes

What Was I Made For? - Brooklyn Duo

Hikari - Sam Yung

Finally, the OTP, Astraea & Sebastian:

Something There (Beauty and the Beast) - Midnite String Quartet

And I Need You Most - Hey

Je l'aime à mourir - Francis Cabrel

Can't Help Falling In Love (DARK) - Tommee Profitt

MIROTIC - TVXQ

...Ready For It? - Taylor Swift

The Point of No Return - Michael Crawford & Sarah Brightman

Ensemble - Coeur de pirate

This Nearly Was Mine - Paulo Szot

Losing You - Randy Newman

[lixbf]

ahahah dont you just love it when a silly tiktok has you suddenly researching whether or not you have smth bc it was just a tiny bit too relatable?

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Roxette - The Look 1989

"The Look" is a song by pop duo Roxette; Sweden's second-best-selling music act after ABBA. It was released in early 1989 as the fourth single from their second studio album, Look Sharp! (1988). The album was an immediate commercial success in their home country, spending seven weeks at number one on the Swedish Albums Chart. "The Look" was written by Per Gessle as an exercise while learning how to operate the Ensoniq ESQ-1 synthesizer he had recently purchased, using a repeated A–G–D bass line as the song's core. The track's sixteenth-note rhythm was inspired by the work of ZZ Top. The original title was "He's Got the Look", with the lyrics using male pronouns. Gessle said this was done because he initially wanted Marie Fredriksson to sing the track. Both he and EMI Sweden had chosen to highlight Fredriksson as Roxette's lead vocalist. However, when recording the demo, Gessle realised the song "didn't fit her style that well, so I had a go and it sounded OK."

The singles from Look Sharp! at the time were only released in Sweden, Germany and France. However, an American exchange student from Minnesota named Dean Cushman returned from Sweden and gave his copy of the album to his local Top 40 radio station, KDWB-FM in Minneapolis. The station's program director Brian Phillips initially ignored Cushman's request to play a song from the album, leaving the CD unplayed in his office for several weeks. Phillips eventually listened to it after learning Cushman had come to the office requesting the return of his CD. Immediately impressed by the album's opening track, "The Look" was played by the station for the first time on US radio less than an hour later, and the response from listeners was overwhelmingly positive; the station immediately began receiving phone calls to replay the track.

KDWB began distributing the track to their sister radio operations, sending 500 copies to other stations throughout the United States. EMI America promptly signed the duo to a recording contract as a result of the airplay. The label had previously rejected Roxette as "unsuitable for the American market". The song had already entered the top fifty of the Billboard Hot 100 before official promotion began, peaking at number one on the chart eight weeks later. This made "The Look" the third number one single by a Swedish act on the Billboard Hot 100, following Blue Swede's "Hooked on a Feeling" (poll #152) in 1974 and ABBA's "Dancing Queen" in 1976.

The track went on to top the charts in 25 countries. It spent three weeks atop the New Zealand Singles Chart, and six weeks at number one in Australia, where it was certified platinum for sales in excess of 70,000 copies. It also topped the charts throughout Scandinavia. The song spent five weeks at number one in West Germany, and an additional five weeks at number two. It was a massive success in Spain and Switzerland, spending eight weeks at number one in both countries. It reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart.

"The Look" received a total of 80,5% yes votes!

[revasserium]

burn

umemiya hajime; 3,307 words; mostly fluff, tiny bit of angst, young/freshman!umemiya, pre-canon events, lapslock, no "y/n", librarian!reader, childhood friends to lovers, vague ref to ch. 152, ume is a dumbdumb

summary: "it's a pleasure to burn" - ray bradbury, fahrenheit 451

a/n: am i writing umemiya now? who knows. this takes place 2 years before wbk manga events (the first year ume&co are in boufuurin) so pls excuse the slightly ooc ume...

001. the art of war

the library is entirely your idea.

“mah… you’d have to be the one to keep track of all the books though,” umemiya says, grinning as he watches you stock the shelves, your hair twisted up into a messy bun, your arm straining to reach the top-most shelf with a bundle of paperbacks with fraying covers and broken-in spines.

“of course i would! it’s not like there’s anyone else here i’d trust with that.” you turn to fix him with a stare that is already too “librarian-like” and he laughs, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied sigh.

“okay then, consider me your first patron! gimme something to read,” umemiya says, smiling wide as you narrow your eyes. your lips twitch up at the ends — it’s a familiar movement, an unconscious gesture, but one that’s plagued his all sleepless nights and most of his endless days.

“well…” you say, drawing out the word as you slowly saunter towards him, propping your hands on your hips as you pull level with the table in front of him, “what do you want to read?”

“anything you’d wanna lend me,” he says easily.

“boo, that’s such a boring answer,” you shoot back, shifting to press your hip against the edge of the table, crossing your arms as you turn to look back at the half-erected shelves.

you don’t see the way umemiya’s eyes flicker down to the bend of your waist, or the way he licks his lips as he tracks the plush of your thigh as you move to hoist yourself onto the desk, balancing on the edge.

he swallows, clearing his throat, trying not to think about the strange, burgeoning signs of growing up pestering you both at this vital juncture (just last week, his voice had cracked so hard you’d laughed at him for a whole hour straight; and the week before that, he’d almost rammed into a telephone poll watching you jog down the flight of stairs that leads to your tiny apartment).

“then maybe reading a few books will make me not so boring, hm?”

you roll your eyes, hopping off the table to comb through the handful of books. umemiya lets out an internal sigh of relief, feeling the heat in his cheeks recede ever so slightly as you disappear behind one of the taller shelves.

“here. let’s start with this.”

you pop out from behind the shelf, lobbing a thin volume towards him; he catches it out of reflex and stares at the cover.

“the art of war…?”

you grin, all cheek and no shame, “yeah. i mean… fits, doesn’t it? aren’t you starting at boufuurin next week?” you blink before turning back to look around at the small, abandoned storage facility, tucked between a ramen shop and what used to be a dollar store. there’s half a dozen dusty shelves, a few cabinets along the walls, and even a small stepladder that touma had dug out of the back closet for you.

at fifteen, you’re probably the smartest person he knows (and the prettiest, but that’s neither here nor there); at fifteen, umemiya hajime is an iron-wrought confluence of teenage ambition with big ideas and even bigger dreams (who doesn’t have time for things like crushes or girls… really).

“yeah,” umemiya runs a finger along the cover of the little book and flips to a random page, his eyes catching on the line —

the greatest victory is that which requires no battle at all.

002. pedro reyes

three weeks later, he stumbles back with two black eyes and a matching pair of bleeding knuckles.

“that book you lent me?” he says, dropping into a chair with a groan, “kinda bullshit.”

you make a half-startled, half-annoyed noise as you hurry over, setting down an armful of magazines to lean over and look at his face.

“what the hell happened?”

umemiya winces as you reach out to wipe a trickle of blood from his cheek.

“couple of fights — tough ones, but… well, i’m still here, aren’t i?” he says, managing a lopsided grin even as you tut, hurrying away to grab a first aid kit, returning with a warm, wet cloth and a scowl on your face.

“i thought you had a plan,” you say, unable to keep the acid from your voice.

umemiya groans as you press the damp cloth to his bloodied fingers, watching as you wipe each one down, the shocking white of the towel slowly darkening until it’s stained and blotchy with red.

“yeah. i did — punch everyone out till i get to the top.”

you tsk, frown deepening even as he shifts forward to let you wipe at the wounds on his face.

“pretty sure that’s not what sun tzu suggests,” you say, dabbing some kind of cooling gel to a cut right below his eye.

“sun tzu’s never had to deal with the guys at boufuurin.”

you roll your eyes, sighing before pulling back, “there’s an article i read today —” you jerk your head back towards the stack of magazines, “about an artist in mexico.”

“yeah?”

umemiya closes his eyes and lets you do the slow, diligent work of bandaging up his knuckles, one by one.

“he took a bunch of illegal weapons the government had confiscated and melted them down — pistols, knives, shotguns — and made them into musical instruments instead.”

the quiet that follows is thick and steady as churned butter. you don’t look up, your eyes still trained on the careful task of bandaging umemiya’s fingers.

he shifts, pulling closer, his breath fanning out warm against your cheek.

“do you know how hot a fire has to be in order to melt metal?” you ask after another brief silence, finally lifting your eyes as you finish with his hands.

umemiya cocks an eyebrow, “how hot?”

“about 2,700 degrees, fahrenheit.”

umemiya whistles below his breath, “sounds hot.”

“it is. at that temperature, you can apparently force a weapon to forget that it’s a weapon, to remake it into something new — something that wasn’t made to take lives… but to give it instead.”

you wrap your fingers around his, your skin contrasted against the dark blossom of bruises.

umemiya feels his smile slash into something jagged, lopsided and sharp.

“then… i guess that’s how hot i’ll have to burn to turn this whole place around.”

003. grey’s anatomy

looking back, umemiya wonders if that’s the night he changed — the night that you’d held onto his hands as if they were something precious.

he looks up the melting point of metal and the story of the artist in mexico. he thinks about what it must feel like to turn a pistol into a flute, to be the one to teach it to hold a note instead of a bullet —

he stares down at his bandaged hands, feels the dull ache in his muscles and wonders.

once, he remembers when the pair of you were still kids, hollow and lonely and full of a childish rage at the indifferent world — how you’d laughed as he pushed you on a neighborhood swing, but cried when he knocked a guy’s front teeth our for asking where your parents were.

and a week later, he’d found you hidden under the jungle gym with a tomb of a book clutched in your hands. the air had been damp with thunder, the sky grey and electric.

you’d looked up at him with bright eyes, holding out a closed fist —

“ume! did you know that the human heart is the same size as a fist?”

he remembers crawling under the jungle gym to squeeze in beside you, elbow to elbow, hip to hip, peering at the opened book, at the page with a diagram of the human body an all it’s labeled parts.

“oh, cool.”

he’d held up his own fist then, and stared, feeling the beat of his heart reverberating through his chest. he wonders if you can hear it when you’re pressed this close; he wonders, if the sky weren’t breaking apart above you, if he’d be able to hear your heartbeats too.

“isn’t it strange?” you’d asked, leaning over to bump your fist against his.

“what’s strange?” he hadn’t pulled away; neither had you.

your hand relaxes then, fingers loosening till he can see the blood rush back into their tips, tinting them pink. you’d turned your hand and placed it over his still-closed one and squeezed.

“that… a heart and a fist are the same size but… they weren’t made to beat the same.”

004. romeo & juliet

“he loves you, y’know.”

you look up from the makeshift front desk.

tsubaki is sitting with their legs crossed on one of the tables, arms propped on either side of their hips.

“library’s not open for another few days,” you say by way of an answer.

“it’s nice,” tsubaki says, looking around, “you did a good job with it.”

“thanks.”

they hop off the table to peer down one of the aisles of books — all the shelves now labeled with your loopy handwriting, the books clustered by a loose combination of genre, authorship, and spine-coloration.

“it’ll be good for us,” tsubaki’s voice is slightly muted by the layers and layers of books, but the click of their heeled boots rings sharp against the smooth linoleum floors, “having a library — the pen being mightier than the sword, and all.”

they’re smiling when they finally come back around the last row, fingers linked behind their back.

“that’s the hope, anyway,” you say, lips pulling into a wane smile.

you glance up and your eyes catch on the bandage at the edge of tsubaki’s lips, the dark stain at the collar of their otherwise impeccable uniform.

sighing, you run a hand along a yet-unsorted stack of books, shaking your head.

“we’re too young to know anything about love,” you answer, finally.

tsubaki joins you, bending down to pick up the first book at the top of the pile, waving it in the air with a rueful grin.

“i think romeo & juliet would beg to differ.”

you bite your lips, “you know that’s a tragedy, right?”

tsubaki shrugs, “sure, but… wasn’t it beautiful while it lasted anyway?”

you don’t have an answer, and instead, tsubaki giggles, tapping the top of your head with the book.

“can i borrow this? i promise i’ll return it!”

you wave them away with a soft smile.

“that’s kind of how a library works.”

005. fight club

“how long have you been here?”

you jerk up, your entire body screaming with the movement after having been still for so long.

“ume —! you’re awake!” you nearly collapse by the hospital bedside, dropping your head into the pristine white sheets.

above you, umemiya makes a choked off sound somewhere between a cough and a laugh, his hand coming up to pat your head. you melt into the feel of him, the weight and warmth of his fingers as he treads them through your hair.

“where’s —”

“they left — all of them,” you say, lifting your head slowly, “takishii and endo and… all of them.”

umemiya frowns, his hand stilling for a second, “what do you mean?”

you shrug, pulling back till you’re curled up in the bedside seat once more, tugging your knees up into your chest.

“after the fight, they just… picked up and left.”

“so… i lost,” umemiya’s voice is soft.

you shake your head, “no.”

he frowns, “but that’s —”

“you knocked each other out at the same time — it was technically —” your voice snags in your throat as you remember the grizzly scene before you, the crimson sprays of blood, the dirt damp beneath them, their uniforms torn into dark ribbons, the rooftop howling with a savage, winter wind.

“a tie,” umemiya says in a flatlined voice, reaching up and covering his eyes with his arm.

“right.”

you clear your throat, reaching for the tall glass of water on the bedside table.

“here — drink,” you hold the water out to him. he takes it wordlessly and drains nearly the entire glass. you watch, silent, as a drop of liquid trails down his jaw and trickles into the bandages at this throat.

your eyes cut away as he grins, smacking his lips and setting the water glass down.

“ah — that feels much better!”

you’re quiet, sitting vulturine still, refusing to meet his gaze.

umemiya finally slumps back to stare at the ceiling.

“you’re mad at me.”

“i’m not.”

“we’e known each other our whole lives, i know when you’re mad —”

“i’m scared, okay?” there’s a thin, unsteady quiver to the tenor of your voice as your head snaps back up. it’s then that he notices your fingers curled into fists at your sides.

“s-scared? of what? takiishi and endo are gone — you said so your—”

“of you!”

umemiya blinks and feels the blood in his extremities going cold, and for a second, he’s not sure if he accidentally dislodged his iv drip.

the look on your face is inscrutable, anger and uncertainty, but most of all — fear. something about that look makes his stomach curdle inside him.

“i —” he tries to find something to say but nothing else comes out. there’s no excuse, no explanation. he searches you eyes for a tether, for a spark of that familiar warmth and finds none.

slowly, you soften back into the seat and turn to stare out the window.

“it’s not like i’ve never seen you fight… and i’ve never liked it but this…” you bite down on your bottom lip, “it was like… you turned into someone else. someone i didn’t recognize.”

“i’m… i’m sorry.”

you swallow, still not looking at him, your eyes flickering down to your own hands, now lying limply in your lap.

“and then i thought — what if i did this? i — i had to go and make that stupid metaphor about the metal and the melting and —”

at this, umemiya laughs, reaching out to tug you closer. the ease with which he does so startles a hiccup out of you.

“you don’t really think i went and fought like that because of an article about a dude in mexico, do you?”

you purse your lips, cheeks going blotchy with heat. umemiya reaches forward to squeeze your nose, making you jerk back.

“dummy,” he chides, grinning now from ear to ear, but his smile falters slightly as he takes your hands in his, “i’m sorry that i scared you. promise i won’t do it again.”

“hn.” you don’t make to pull away, and umemiya takes that as permission to tug you into his chest, wrapping both arms around you. he buries his face in your hair and breathes in, out, in —

“hm… you really think you have that much power over me?” umemiya asks, a wanton sort of amusement underlying his voice as he finally lets you go, if only to revel in the way your cheeks flood with color.

“shut up! i was — i was freaked out and you were unconscious and i —”

“cause you do.”

your words cut off as abruptly as a dropped call.

umemiya chuckles, scratching at the back of his head, ruffling up his already pillow-mussed hair.

“been meaning to tell you but… i figured you already knew — “ and for once, he sounds his age — young and halting and shy.

after a breath that feels like a century, you finally break into a helpless fit of laughter.

“i can’t believe it…” you say, burying your face in your hands.

“can’t… believe what?” umemiya blinks at you.

“that it took you nearly dying for you to admit that you liked me.”

“hey! in case you haven’t noticed, i’ve been kinda busy this year!”

you roll your eyes, “yeah, yeah — had to go save the world first. then you get to kiss the girl, right? end movie, roll credits.”

umemiya cocks his head, “well, i dunno about the world but definitely — wait, what did you say about kissing me?”

you crinkle your nose, “i didn’t.”

“yeah you did.”

“i did not — i was just making a general statement about cliches in superhero movies —”

“oh, so you think i’m a superhero?”

“ume! stop it — mph!”

later, umemiya would recall fondly to anyone who will listen that yeah, he does get to kiss the girl after all.

006. fahrenheit 451

“451,” you say, standing at the door of the newly minted makochi library.

it’s dark outside, and umemiya stands by your side, stretching his arms over his head with a wide yawn.

“huh?”

“451 degrees,” you say again, turning to press a small silver lighter into his hands. he stares owlishly at it before looking back at you, clearly at a loss.

“that’s how hot it has to be for paper to catch fire.”

umemiya stares.

“i was thinking,” you say, turning back to the dark, but pristine library.

“uh-oh — oof — ow!” umemiya makes a show of clutching his side as you jerk your elbow back for another blow. he dodges out of your way with a dopey grin.

you sigh, turning back to the library, “but i was thinking that… there’s gotta be a better way — an easier way, right?”

this time, he stays quiet to let you speak.

“because yeah, it’d be nice to melt all the weapons in the world and turn them all into nicer things but… there’s a better way to do things.”

“yeah? and what’s that?” umemiya turns the lighter around and around in his palm.

you turn and head for the door, locking it behind you. the moonlight washes your skin in a ghostly silver as you turn to face him.

“we rewrite the story,” you say.

umemiya flicks on the lighter and lets the fire dance between them. his breath catches on the liquid gold in your eyes.

“is… that even possible?” he asks.

you reach out a steady hand, letting the tips of your fingers barely skim over the shifting flame.

“sure it is. all of human history is just a story written by the victors. and… 451 degrees isn’t nearly as hot as 2,700.”

umemiya smiles then, letting the lid of the lighter click shut. the fire snuffs out, leaving only a thin trail of spiraling smoke behind.

“sounds a lot more reasonable, too. much less scary,” he says.

you laugh, turning towards the main street. he watches you go for a second before pocketing the lighter and making to catch up. when he levels himself with you, he reaches out to take your hand.

“fires don’t have to be scary,” you say, giving his hand a quick squeeze, “for most of human history… it’s brought people together — over a hot meal or a good story. a lot of the time… it’s the only reason we get to survive.”

umemiya pulls you in to loop his arm around your shoulder.

“hm. i like the sound of that way, way better.”

bonus:

“so… just makin’ sure — you don’t want me to burn down the new library you spent all this time setting up, right?”

“no you dumbass! it was just a metaphor.”

“oh. right — yeah, a metaphor, duh.”

[allthegeopolitics]

A leftwing alliance was on track to become the biggest force in the French parliament on Sunday after tactical voting held back the far right, but the shape of the future government remained uncertain after no group won an absolute majority. The New Popular Front alliance of parties – which includes the former ruling Socialist party, the leftwing La France Insoumise, the Greens and Communists – was predicted to take 172–192 seats, according to projections by Ipsos pollsters for the French public broadcaster. Emmanuel Macron’s centrist grouping, Ensemble, was in second place, projected to take between 150–170 seats, a loss of up to 100 seats but a stronger showing than expected. Marine Le Pen’s far-right, anti-immigration National Rally (RN) was predicted to come third with 132–152 seats, along with its allies on the right.

Continue Reading.

[scotianostra]

October 5th 1849 saw the lighthouse at Ardnamurchan Point illuminated for the first time.

This is quite interesting, not in so much of the lighthouse being lit up for the first time, but that it dispels a myth about the most westerly point on the mainland of the British Isles, many people think it is Lizard Point in Cornwall and think, not only is it the most southerly, but most westerly. The most Westerly is actually a rocky outcrop called Corrachadh Mòr, less than a mile from Ardnamurchan Point.

Apart from that the Lighthouse here is one of the most remote points in Scotland, to reach it you have to drive along a single track road for about 30 miles.

Now onto the place itself, there have been many arguments about this name, two of the most likely are, Point of the sea-hounds or otters, (Airde meaning Point, Muirchu meaning sea-hound or otters) and the Point of the pirates or wreckers (where the “col” from Muirchol means wickedness).

The site for the lighthouse was chosen in 1845 and 20 acres of land was bought for the sum of £20.00. The land was owned by Mr Alexander Cameron who was also paid, rather grudgingly, £58.00 for any inconvenience during building operations. It was designed by Alan Stevenson, one of the Stevenson dynasty of lighthouse engineers who between them were responsible for building 97 lighthouses in Scotland.

Yes it’s remote, but back in the 19th century it would have seemed even more so, during the three years it took to build the Lighthouse Scurvy broke out among the workmen and a doctor had to be called in to treat them, we could have done with Dr James Lind, the subject of yesterdays post to help with that!

On completion two lighthouse keepers were appointed at a yearly allowance of £18.00. They kept at the station two cows and about a dozen sheep.

The lighthouse wasn’t without incident, during a storm in 1852 lightning struck the tower causing broken panes and plaster to come off the walls. Fifty feet of boundary wall was knocked down and 40 feet of road was washed away by the heavy seas. The keepers boat was broken up although they had secured it 15 feet above the last known high water mark.

1988 saw the lighthouse automated, my Uncle Eric was among the electricians tasked with doing this to over 200 structures around Scotland.

Ardnamurchan Lighthouse itself stands 36m high, and its top is 55m above sea level. Getting to the top requires climbing 152 steps, plus two ladders: the first to reach the room with the controls and access to the outside balcony, and the second to reach the light room itself. The views from the top are said to be “utterly magnificent”, on a clear day you can see the Isle of Barra, over 50 miles away.

[stabbyfoxandrew]

Can I have some vampdrew please?

WIP Wednesday (7/10) | Vampire Andrew AU (Part 152)

“I am okay. I am fine and fucking dandy. So keep your blood to yourself.” Andrew says, stabbing a finger into Kevin’s chest. The unexpected touch sends a bolt of lightning racing down Kevin’s spine but he does his best to ignore it. Apparently failing, from the look on Andrew’s face. 

“Until Saturday, you mean.” Kevin finally manages.

“Yes. Until Saturday you are off limits. That’s the deal.”

“We can change that, Andrew. We’re the ones who made—”

“No. Changing a deal is the same as breaking a deal. And I don't do that.” Andrew says with conviction. “So stop fussing over me. I’m a grown fucking man and I can handle myself.”

Andrew moves to stand up, but Kevin follows, catching his hand in an attempt to make him stay. Make him sit down and talk this whole thing out. But, Andrew’s eyes are lit up like honey in the sun when he turns. And that plan goes out the window. Kevin loses track of all the things he wanted to say in the face of Andrew’s full attention, but he’s overcome with the need to express his feelings somehow.

Before he can stop himself, Kevin brings Andrew’s hand up to his mouth to put a kiss on the back of it. A featherlight brush of his lips against Andrew’s knuckles, that’s all it is. But it heats Kevin’s face and renders Andrew frozen in place. The vampire must not have caught that impulse in his brain scanner. Because he looks utterly flabbergasted, glancing from Kevin’s mouth to his hand a couple times in disbelief. Finally he settles his gaze, meeting Kevin’s eyes.

[listeningtoabundleofpodcasts]

Not Episode Related - On MAG 152

ok so guys i listen to alot of podcasts. the problem is that im currently listening to five at the same time and i have so many thoughts about all of them. ive been mostly listening to TMA and WTNV because like: cecil palmer and jonathan sims my beloved all seeing eye coded characters <3. but getting back on track should i keep this blog a tma only blog or add other podcasts onto it and rename it?

[ask-rav3rz-kr3w]

How old is everyone?

"AM 152 EARTH YEARS!! AM OLDER THAN ANY OF U EVR WILL BE >:DDD"

"I Have Been Alive For A Century Now, Specifically 132 Years... Which Is Actually Pretty Young For A Vampire."

"i remember being in my mid-20s when i died.. i uh, have kind of lost track of that since then.."

[art-that-fucks-you-up-tournament]

SET ONE - ROUND ONE - MATCH FIVE

"Lovers Painting" (2016 - James Needham) / "Bath Curtain" (1992 - Hugh Steers)

LOVERS: [no additional commentary provided]

BATH CURTAIN: I don’t have any coherent way to describe Bath Curtain just that I want to swim in the colors and I can feel the. the It. I can’t put it into words but if I think about it too hard I’ll start crying. there’s poetry in the way they’re sitting. There’s poetry in the way it takes me ten minutes to track down every time because Google just shows me Amazon listings and mommy blogs. I can’t do this. (courfeyracs-swordcane)

(James Needham is an Australian artist with an art Instagram where he posted this piece. It's an oil on canvas painting roughly 60in x 40xin (152 cm x 102 cm).

"Bath Curtain" is an oil on gesso-ed paper painting done by Hugh Steers, a gay American painter, during the time of the AIDS crisis in the US. The piece, 162.56 x 182.24 cm (64 x 72 in), is currently owned by Yale University Art Gallery in Connecticut.)

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Grist:

One in 11 people worldwide went hungry last year, while one in three struggled to afford a healthy diet. These numbers underscore the fact that governments not only have little shot at achieving a goal, set in 2015, of eradicating hunger, but progress toward expanding food access is backsliding. 

The data, included in a United Nations report released Wednesday, also reveals something surprising: As global crises continue to deepen, issues like hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition no longer stand alone as isolated benchmarks of public health. In the eyes of the intergovernmental organizations and humanitarian institutions tracking these challenges, access to food is increasingly entangled with the impacts of a warming world. 

“The agrifood system is working under risk and uncertainties, and these risks and uncertainties are being accelerated because of climate [change] and the frequency of climate events,” Máximo Torero Cullen, chief economist of the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO, said in a briefing. It is a “problem that will continue to increase,” he said, adding that the mounting effects of warming on global food systems create a human rights issue. 

Torero calls the crisis “an unacceptable situation that we cannot afford, both in terms of our society, in terms of our moral beliefs, but also in terms of our economic returns.” 

Of the 733 million or so people who went hungry last year, there were roughly 152 million more facing chronic undernourishment than were recorded in 2019. (All told, around 2.8 billion people could not afford a healthy diet.) This is comparable to what was seen in 2008 and 2009, a period widely considered the last major global food crisis, and effectively sets the goal of equitable food access back 15 years. This insecurity remains most acute in low-income nations, where 71.5 percent of residents struggled to buy enough nutritious food — compared to just 6.3 percent in wealthy countries. 

Climate change is second only to conflict in having the greatest impact on global hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, according to the FAO. That’s because planetary warming does more than disrupt food production and supply chains through extreme weather events like droughts. It promotes the spread of diseases and pests, which affects livestock and crop yields. And it increasingly causes people to migrate as they flee areas ravaged by rising seas and devastating storms, which, in turn, can fuel conflict that then drives more migration in a vicious cycle. 

[ninchen1909]

A secret and its consequences I

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Words: ~3.600

Warnings: mention of rape, use of alcohol, angst

You feel his gaze on you before you even see him, his eyes boring into the bare skin on your back, which is exposed by your dress. And you can practically see the animalistic look in his eyes before you. It confuses you to why your body still reacts to him like that even after all these months. Why his gaze still gives you goosebumps and your body still craves his touch.

Your date's arm wraps even tighter around you as he leads you through the restaurant to your seat. Once there, he helps you take off your jacket and hangs it over the back of your chair before adjusting it for you.

When he finally sits across from you, you look into beautiful, bright green eyes that look at you kindly. However, they don't look at you as if you were the only woman in the world, full of love and desire, no, these green eyes don't look at you like the cobalt blue eyes that were shining at you just a few months ago. The thought of him makes your heart beat faster.

You have consciously chosen someone who looks nothing like the man you are desperately trying  to forget. You have treaded the usual darkbrown, short hair into blond, shoulder-length curls and the familiar Armani suits into dark jeans and a simple white shirt.  The mischievous, affectionate grin has been replaced with a polite and friendly smile. And you've traded in the deep, loving conversations about the future for superficial small talk and cheap pick-up lines.

It's the first date since your breakup 5 months ago, 152 days since you knew his secret. A secret that has ruined the most beautiful, exciting and loving relationship you've ever had. But would five months really be enough to forget the love of your life? Would any amount of time be enough for that?

All this time, he kept his distance, just like you wanted, and for a while, you really thought you were over him. All this time, you kept telling yourself that he must have another woman in his life. A man like him doesn't stay alone for long. You've done everything in the last five months to forget him. You avoided all the places where you were together, you always took a detour on your way to work so you wouldn't have to pass his office.

But of course he appears just when you are on the way to get your life back on track, or rather to convince yourself to do so. Old wounds tear open and you try with everything you have not to look in his direction, stubbornly keeping your gaze on your date. But your thoughts drift to him as so often. How you would like to look into his familiar eyes again, or feel his tattooed skin on yours, breathe in his pleasant scent, while soft lips lay on yours.

But that period of your life is in the past. So you try to pull yourself together, and pretend you'll be happy without him, and hey maybe your companion today is the key to that.

So you unobtrusively tighten your shoulders and give your date a bright and also somewhat seductive smile. Thomas, at least that was the name on his Tinder profile, winks at you and lets his eyes wander to your cleavage. Inwardly you roll your eyes, at his behavior but outwardly you don't let on.

"I'm really glad you took the time today. And I must say that you look really breathtaking" you really have to agree with him on this sentence, you look good, you would even go so far as to say that you look beautiful. Your favorite dress hugs your curves and pushes your breasts up, while your black high heels visually lengthen your legs. Your eyes are accentuated by a seductive makeup and your favorite lipstick gives you the confidence you need for this date. Well, your lipstick and maybe the two glasses of wine you treated yourself to before Thomas picked you up.

"thanks for the compliment, i must say you look really handsome yourself" and even if it's not enough for a relationship, you wouldn't say no to a night of hot casual sex either.

A sudden movement behind Thomas makes you turn your gaze from him to look toward the bar. This turns out to be a big mistake. Your eyes immediately lock with his. The bright blue eyes that haunt your dreams almost every night stare at you with an intensity you've never seen on him before. His face is frozen and he looks at you sternly.  His look unsettles you, you don't want to stare at him any further, but you can't bring yourself to turn away either.

Only when your date clears his throat noisily, you realize again and abruptly turn your gaze back to Thomas, who now casts a glance over his shoulders to see what you were staring at. He doesn't seem to recognize anything special, because after only a few seconds, he turns back to you and looks at you with a raised eyebrow, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah sure, I just thought I recognized someone, but I was wrong" you try to cover your uncertainty with a light laugh. And to your luck, just at that moment the waitress appears to take your drink order.After the waitress brings you your drinks, she takes your food order and you are alone again.

To your surprise, you soon fall into a pleasant conversation and you feel really comfortable with him. He is charming, intelligent, and in his own unique way, funny. But you also become painfully aware that he can't keep up. But will any other man ever be able to? Again and again you cast a quick glance at him, and each time he looks at you with a tense, petrified expression. You can see his anger and displeasure with Thomas clearly on his face. His forehead is wrinkled and his eyes are narrowed.

And suddenly you are overcome with anger, you don't know what it is, maybe it's the alcohol, maybe it's the fact that he is here today, or maybe it's the way he looks at your date. But you don't care, you quickly pour the rest of your drink down your throat before you decide to give him a little show. If he can't leave your thoughts, you want to give him a reason to think about you at least for tonight.

So you confidently reach across the table, and put your hand tenderly on Thomas', to your amazement, he immediately intertwines his fingers with yours. You unconsciously bite your lips lightly, and your gaze swings back to your ex. You notice how he grips his glass tighter, while his other hand is clenched into a fist. Inwardly, you smile. Apparently you still have some effect on him, too. As Thomas brushes a strand behind your ear, you turn all your attention back to him.

"You know (y/n) I'm really glad you had time today, you really are the prettiest I've found on a dating site so far" his words trigger a certain uneasiness and also a certain degree of rejection in you, however you don't let on. Possibly you are just stretching your luck, however you want to see what reactions you can still get out of your ex. That's why you just start giggling softly, and look Thomas in the eye "Thanks, I have to say, I think it's nice that it worked out today too." grinning, he winks at you, which you return with a charming smirk.

Your togetherness is disturbed by the waitress, who brings you your food. Even during the meal you continue to talk, and another drink finds its way into your stomach. Slowly but surely, you notice the alcohol clearly, the heat rises in your face, and you become more open. Thomas seems to enjoy this very much, because at the very next opportunity, he orders you another drink.

Shortly after the main course, Thomas excuses himself to go to the bathroom, but before he breathes a fleeting kiss on the back of your hand. As you watch him, go around the corner,  you take a hearty sip from your glass before it is torn from your hand and noisily placed on the table. Surprised, you look up, and see sky-blue eyes looking at you angrily. Your mouth opens slightly and you carefully touch his face to make sure that he is really standing in front of you.

Slowly he crouches down in front of you, and clasps your hands. Your eyes, clouded by alcohol, stare into his, as you can see the sadness in them.

"Princess, what are you doing?" he gently brushes your hair out of your forehead "You don't have to care what I do James. We're not together anymore, and you no longer have any influence in my life, so you can't judge me for who I date either." Defiantly you pull your hands away from him, crossing them in front of your chest. Bucky now lets his rest on his knees with a soft sigh.

"I'm not judging you for this princess, I know this won't last. I'm talking about you getting drunk on a first date with a strange man. You don't know his intentions, you don't know if he  wants to take advantage of your condition."

"Now you listen to me James, first of all, you don't know if this isn't going to get serious with Thomas, and second of all, I can do whatever I want and if I want to drink, I'll drink" to back up your words, you grab your glass and take a sip. Bucky rolls his eyes in response, and takes the glass from you again. Your words become more slurred with each sip.

"You know as well as I do that I never dictated anything to you, you want to get drunk, no problem, come with me and you can drink as much as you want to. But not here with him, you don't see the looks this guy is giving you, he's not as nice and innocent as you might think. He will take advantage of your condition. Believe me, I just don't want anything to happen to you." His gaze is pleading, your subconscious is telling you to listen to James, however, your wounded ego is telling you to do the exact opposite of what he is telling you.

"Then it's a good thing you can't care what I do. So it doesn't matter what you want either. And now please go. I'm sure Thomas will be back in a minute, and I certainly don't want him to see you here."

His look becomes more serious "(y/n)..." hearing your name come out of his mouth again after all this time sends a shiver down your spine "..as long as I live, I will never not care what you do. I love you far too much for that. I don't want to tell you what to do either. I'm just asking you to take care of yourself. It wouldn't be good for the whole town if something happened to you."

Confused by his last statement, you furrow your brow, but before you can ask what he means by that, he's already gone. And only a few seconds later, Thomas returns. Bucky's words echo through your head and Thomas' gestures, which you didn't really notice before, you can't ignore anymore. You notice how often his gaze wanders to your cleavage, or how often he unobtrusively touches your thigh under the table. All the time he wants to offer you another drink, which you gratefully decline and stick to water.

The strangest thing for you, however, is that Bucky is nowhere to be found since your conversation. There is no sign of him anywhere in the restaurant. The rest of the date passes without any major events, and before you know it, you and Thomas leave the reastaurant together. You walk a few steps until you are standing in front of his car,

As you now stand in front of him like this, you start rocking back and forth on your heels "Thanks for everything Thomas, it was a really nice evening" you give him a friendly smile. "Yes I agree (y/n)" he starts walking slowly towards you, his sudden closeness makes you uncomfortable, nevertheless you decide not to show your discomfort and stop "but the evening doesn't have to end yet" slowly his hands go down your arms. Now you have reached the point where it is too much for you, so you push him slightly away from you and take two steps back yourself "But for me the evening is over, I just want to go home now. But don't bother, I'll just order an Uber. You don't have to give me an  ride home."

After your words his eyes darken, and he grabs your hand again "Oh come on sugar, don't be like that" you snatch your hand from him again "No, I don't want to. And now leave me alone" you start to walk away from him before you are suddenly pressed against the driver's side of his car, his hands immediately find your hip and pull it towards him. Abruptly you brace yourself with your hands against his chest and try to push him away from you with all your strength, but it doesn't work.

His hands come away from your hips and for a short moment you are relieved, thinking he finally stops, but a little later his hands wrap around your wrists and press your hands against the cool metal of the car.

"For fuck's sake, don't act like that now. We had a good date, I paid the bill, and now I want my reward." His knee finds its way between your legs and pushes them apart. Ashamed, you turn your head to the side to avoid looking at him any longer. Hot tears run down your cheek, and pure fear rises up inside you. How far would Thomas go? His right hand detaches itself from your wrist and disappears under your dress, his fingers roam over your center. A loud sob escapes your throat, immediately he presses his other hand on your mouth "Be quiet bitch, if you had allowed yourself the last drink, you would be more relaxed now. Now shut the fuck up and let me do it, we'll be done soon" you squeeze your eyes tightly shut. His hand brushes the inside of your thighs and you feel his fingers start to push your panties to the side. In great fear and disgust, you wait for his fingers to enter you as hot tears continue to run down your cheeks. You hold your breath.

Seconds feel like an eternity, but to your surprise, nothing happens. A soft clicking sound makes you open your eyes, slowly you turn your head to see where the sound is coming from. And what you see there brings new tears to your eyes. Because the reason Thomas didn't move on is behind him. And it is in the form of your ex-boyfriend, who is holding a loaded gun to the back of his head.

An animalistic growl escapes James: "Take your filthy hands off her!" His voice sounds calm, but his gaze is ice-cold; you can't even imagine how much self-control he has to muster in order not to shoot Thomas right here.

A liberating feeling spreads through you as you notice your attacker's fingers leaving your body. Immediately, you pull back your dress, and wrap your arms around your body.

"You just made the biggest mistake of your life. I mean taking my girl out on a date is one thing. And even though it killed me inside, it was okay because she wanted it. But touching her against her will..." a cold laugh escapes Bucky "..that my friend was practically signing your death warrant." James lunges with his gun and hits Thomas over the head, he immediately collapses on the sidewalk, and a large gaping wound opens up on his temple. But James doesn't give him a second glance, immediately he steps over the unconscious body in front of him, checking your body with his eyes for obvious injuries. "Princess, are you alright, did he hurt you?" the concern for you is written all over his face, you realize that he is afraid to touch you, afraid of causing you even more fear. However, you immediately take away this scare, because without him being able to react to it, you fall into his arms and bury your head against his chest. Your tears immediately soak his shirt. He wraps his arms around your trembling body, slowly rocking you back and forth, "It's going to be okay princess, I'm here. This guy will never come near you again, I'll make sure of that." ." he breathes a kiss on the top of your head.

You lift your head from his chest and look at him, the sight of your runny mascara making the anger rise up in him again. How could someone hurt such an innocent being as you?

"Can I stay with you today? I don't want to be alone" your voice trembles as you ask him this question. "Of course princess." he places a kiss on the tip of your nose.

"Steve? Sam?" James calls out the two names into the darkness, and from out of the shadows, two men dressed in dark appear. Why haven't you noticed them before?

"Take care of him. Get him to one of the warehouses and keep him there. But no one will hurt him. This honor is destined for me. Understood?" the two men nod in unison before picking Thomas's body off the sidewalk, and disappearing with him into the darkness.

James then turns his full attention back to you "And you're sure fine princess?, we can go to the hospital too, and get you checked out." You shake your head, however.

"No everything is fine. Nothing really bad has happened, thank God. I just don't want to be alone." Carefully, James puts an arm around your back, and leads you to his car. He helps you get in, he waits until you've fastened your seatbelt before carefully closing the door and walking to the other side of the car to get in himself.

The whole ride, Bucky's hand is on your knee, stroking it reassuringly. Every now and then, he slides his gaze to you to reassure himself that you're really okay, and that you really are back next to him in the passenger seat now. Where you sat so naturally five months ago. But that was before you found out his secret and left him. At the thought of that evening, his grip on the steering wheel tightens so that his knuckles stand out white. If he had been honest with you from the beginning, you never would have gone on that date, and consequently, you wouldn't have almost been raped.

"it's not your fault, you know that don't you?" caught he looks at you, you just know him way too well.

"If I had been honest from the beginning, none of this would have happened. If I had, we'd be sitting on the couch together at my house right now, watching that weird favorite show of yours." His choice of words elicits a small giggle from you before, he never liked the shows you're watching, but he watched them with you anyways. You turn your head to the window, watching the lights flash past you.

"No one could have known something like this would happen. So please don't blame yourself for it."

"Do you think we can talk again? About the whole thing, then?" you notice the uncertainty in his voice, but also a surge of hope. Tonight has made you realize again what you've known all five months. You don't want to live without James. Yes, he hid something important from you, but he learned from it. At least you hope so. He is your anchor in this totally twisted and brutal world.

"Yes we can, but please tomorrow. Today I just want to sleep."

"Of course. Anything you want." he throws you a joyful smile before quickly returning his gaze to the road. A comfortable silence settles over you before something occurs to you.

"James?"

"Yes princess?"

"you said in the restaurant that it wouldn't be good for the whole town if something happened to me. What did you mean by that?" you notice him turn into the driveway in front of his house and turn off the engine. He turns his upper body toward you as he places his right arm over the steering wheel.  lovingly he brushes a strand of hair behind your ear.

"By that I meant that I would eliminate anyone who wanted to hurt you. I'd set the whole town on fire just to make you feel good."

[ateez-himari]

MAMA AWARDS: ATEEZ MAKNAE NOMINATIONS

Himari secures her very first solo nominations.

November 11, 2023 (5:51PM)

The awaited MAMA awards ceremony had opened pre-votes on October 19th and many voiced their surprise after finding that ATEEZ's lead vocalist held three nominations in her name. The title track 'Snooze' of the single 'Pray' created in collaboration with rapper Agust D secured its place in the Best Collaboration category whilst 'Blue' from 'The Killing Vote' and 'Rewrite Me' from 'Where We Fall' earned nominations for Best OST.

News of the young artist's achievements were quickly spread on social media by her members who made sure to let fans know about the hard work behind these songs. The recent release of KOMCA rankings revealed further accomplishments as the idol's current possession of 152 credits places her in a tie for 10th place with Stray Kids' Changbin. In light of her heavy involvement in producing ATEEZ's tracks alongside bandmates Hongjoong and Mingi, it is possible for her to rise further up into the rankings once their new album 'THE WORLD EP.FIN : WILL' is released on December 1st.

As of now it is unknown where the nominations currently stand in the rankings but we hope that Himari will go home with her very first solo award. Results to be revealed November 28-29, 2023.

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[secretkittywolf]

147 days I saved up for Kinich & Ei and I kept a list too from Day 35 because I didn't start keeping track until then.

Day 35: 56 wishes can be made (9032 primogems) + 3 wishes saved = 59 wishes 14 pity + 59 wishes = 73 pity (roughly I should get a 5 star if I'm lucky)

Day 36: 57 wishes can be made (9146 primogems) + 3 wishes saved = 60 wishes 14 pity + 60 wishes = 74 pity (roughly I should get a 5 star if I'm lucky)

Day 37: 59 wishes can be made (9506 primogems) + 3 wishes saved = 62 wishes 14 + 62 wishes = 76 pity (roughly I should get a 5 star if I'm lucky)

Day 39: 60 wishes can be made (9759 primogems) + 3 wishes saved = 63 wishes 14 + 63 wishes = 77 pity (roughly I should get a 5 star if I'm lucky)

Day 41: 66 wishes can be made (10585 primogems) + 3 wishes saved = 69 wishes 14 + 69 wishes = 83 pity (I should get a 5 star)

Day 43: 70 wishes can be made (11255 primogems) + 4 wishes saved = 74 wishes 14 + 74 wishes = 88 pity (I should get a 5 star)

Day 44: 70 wishes can be made (11375 primogems) + 4 wishes saved = 74 wishes 14 + 74 wishes = 88 pity (I should get a 5 star)

Day 45: 73 wishes can be made (11776 primogems) + 4 wishes saved = 77 wishes

Day 46: 74 wishes (11843 primogems) + 4 wishes saved = 78 wishes

Day 47: 75 wishes can be made (12103 primogems) + 4 wishes saved = 79 wishes

Day 49: 76 wishes can be made (12231 primogems) + 4 wishes saved = 81 wishes

Day 52: 79 wishes can be made (12767 primogems) + 4 wishes saved = 83 wishes

Day 53: 80 wishes can be made (12838 primogems) + 4 wishes saved = 84 wishes

Day 54: 81 wishes can be made (13060 primogems) + 4 wishes saved = 85 wishes

Day 55: 82 wishes can be made (13260 primogems) + 4 wishes saved = 86 wishes

Day 56: 84 wishes can be made (13518 primogems) + 4 wishes saved = 88 wishes

Day 57: 85 wishes can be made (13606 primogems) + 4 wishes saved = 89 wishes

Day 58: 85 wishes can be made (13666 primogems) + 4 wishes saved = 89 wishes

Day 59: 87 wishes can be made (13921 primogems) + 4 wishes saved = 91 wishes

Day 60 : 88 wishes can be made (14111 primogems) + 3 wishes saved = 91 wishes

Day 61: 89 wishes can be made (14315 primogems)

Day 62: 91 wishes can be made (14585 primogems)

Day 63: 92 wishes can be made (14720 primogems)

Day 64: 93 wishes can be made (14999 primogems)

Day 65: 94 wishes can be made (15091 primogems)

Day 66: 94 wishes can be made (15167 primogems)

Day 67: 101 wishes can be made (16101 primogems)

Day 68: 104 wishes can be made (16687 primogems)

Day 69: 105 wishes can be made (16847 primogems)

Day 71: 109 wishes can be made (17467 primogems)

Day 72: 110 wishes can be made (17659 primogems) + 2 wishes saved = 112 wishes

Day 74: 111 wishes can be made (17821 primogems) + 2 wishes = 113 wishes

Day 75: 111 wishes can be made (17881 primogems) + 2 wishes = 113 wishes

Day 76: 112 wishes can be made (17986 primogems) + 2 wishes = 114 wishes

Day 77: 112 wishes can be made (18073 primogems) + 2 wishes = 114 wishes

Day 78: 113 wishes can be made (18167 primogems) + 2 wishes = 115 wishes

Day 79: 117 wishes can be made (18737 primogems) + 2 wishes = 119 wishes

Day 80: 117 wishes can be made (18767 primogems) + 2 wishes = 119 wishes

Day 81: 117 wishes can be made (18844 primogems) + 2 wishes = 119 wishes

Day 82: 121 wishes can be made (19364 primogems) + 2 wishes = 123 wishes

Day 83: 127 wishes can be made (20440 primogems) + 2 wishes = 129 wishes

Day 84: 138 wishes can be made (22232 primogems) + 2 wishes = 140 wishes

Day 85: 143 wishes can be made (22944 primogems) + 2 wishes = 145 wishes

Day 86: 144 wishes can be made (23156 primogems) + 2 wishes = 146 wishes

Day 87: 148 wishes can be made (23716 primogems) + 2 wishes = 150 wishes

Day 88: 148 wishes can be made (23821 primogems) + 2 wishes = 150 wishes

Day 89: 150 wishes can be made (24077 primogems)

Day 90: 151 wishes can be made (24175 primogems)

Day 91: 151 wishes can be made (24256 primogems)

Day 92: 152 wishes can be made (24445 primogems)

Day 93: 153 wishes can be made (24545 primogems)

Day 96: 154 wishes can be made (24727 primogems)

Day 97: 155 wishes can be made (24847 primogems)

Day 98: 156 wishes can be made (24967 primogems)

Day 99: 159 wishes can be made (25527 primogems)

Day 100: 160 wishes can be made (25652 primogems)

Day 101: 162 wishes can be made (25939 primogems)

Day 102: 162 wishes can be made (26059 primogems)

Day 103: 163 wishes can be made (26123 primogems)

Day 104: 164 wishes can be made (26373 primogems)

Day 105: 166 wishes can be made (26694 primogems)

Day 106: 167 wishes can be made (26849 primogems)

Day 107: 168 wishes can be made (26941 primogems)

Day 108: 169 wishes can be made (27083 primogems)

Day 109: 169 wishes can be made (27187 primogems)

Day 110: 171 wishes can be made (27377 primogems)

Day 111: 171 wishes can be made (27477 primogems)

Day 112: 172 wishes can be made (27633 primogems)

Day 113: 173 wishes can be made (27793 primogems)

Day 114: 180 wishes can be made (28823 primogems)

Day 115: 180 wishes can be made (28948 primogems)

Day 116: 181 wishes can be made (29008 primogems)

Day 117: 181 wishes can be made (29068 primogems)

Day 118: 182 wishes can be made (29128 primogems)

Day 119: 182 wishes can be made (29188 primogems)

Day 120: 182 wishes can be made (29248 primogems)

Day 121: 183 wishes can be made (29349 primogems)

Day 122: 184 wishes can be made (29485 primogems)

Day 123: 185 wishes can be made (29607 primogems)

Day 125: 187 wishes can be made (30067 primogems)

Day 126: 198 wishes can be made (31713 primogems)

Day 127: 200 wishes can be made (32135 primogems)

Day 128: 205 wishes can be made (32806 primogems) + 2 wishes = 207 wishes

Day 129: 205 wishes can be made (32922 primogems) + 2 wishes = 207 wishes

Day 130: 210 wishes can be made (33758 primogems) + 4 wishes = 214 wishes

Day 131: 215 wishes can be made (34467 primogems) + 5 wishes = 220 wishes

Day 132: 217 wishes can be made (34745 primogems) + 7 wishes = 224 wishes

Day 133: 218 wishes can be made (34989 primogems) + 7 wishes = 225 wishes

Day 134: 219 wishes can be made (35049 primogems) + 12 wishes = 231 wishes

Day 135: 221 wishes can be made (35464 primogems) + 12 wishes = 233 wishes

Day 136: 222 wishes can be made (35524 primogems) + 12 wishes = 234 wishes

Day 137: 222 wishes can be made (35584 primogems) + 12 wishes = 234 wishes

Day 138: 223 wishes can be made (35794 primogems) + 12 wishes = 235 wishes

Day 139: 223 wishes can be made (35794 primogems) + 12 wishes = 235 wishes

Day 140: 225 wishes can be made (36001 primogems) + 12 wishes = 237 wishes

Day 141: 225 wishes can be made (36086 primogems) + 12 wishes = 237 wishes

Day 142: 226 wishes can be made (36251 primogems) + 12 wishes = 238 wishes

Day 143: 228 wishes can be made (362483 primogems) + 12 wishes = 240 wishes

Day 144: 228 wishes can be made (36629 primogems) + 12 wishes = 240 wishes

Day 145: 229 wishes can be made (36729 primogems) + 12 wishes = 241 wishes

Day 146: 233 wishes can be made (37435 primogems) + 12 wishes = 245 wishes

Day 147: 234 wishes can be made (37535 primogems) + 12 wishes = 246 wishes

246 - 60 (left over) = 186 wishes.

[collapsedsquid]

Western officials also believe Russia is on track to manufacture two million artillery shells a year — double the amount Western intelligence services had initially estimated Russia could manufacture before the war. As a result of the push, Russia is now producing more ammunition than the United States and Europe. Overall, Kusti Salm, a senior Estonian defense ministry official, estimated that Russia’s current ammunition production is seven times greater than that of the West. Russia’s production costs are also far lower than the West’s, in part because Moscow is sacrificing safety and quality in its effort to build weapons more cheaply, Mr. Salm said. For instance, it costs a Western country $5,000 to $6,000 to make a 155-millimeter artillery round, whereas it costs Russia about $600 to produce a comparable 152-millimeter artillery shell, he said.

One of the things I saw recent quips on is how Europe's shell production is below ww1 levels