#ask a gemologist

[silverbirching]

*raises hand* re: tanzanite being heat-treated... what does that mean?

Also, I never thought about jewelry not retaining speculative value. I suppose the whole "diamonds are a girl's best friend" thing makes it seem like that jewelry/gems are an investment/safety net.

Good question!

Now, let me preface this by saying: 95% of all colored gemstones on the market have had some manner of artificial treatment to make them more appealing. Generally speaking, this is a known quantity, and not something you need to be alarmed about.

By far the most common treatment (and it's attested in the archeological record, btw, so humans have known about this for a long time) is heat treating. You heat a mineral to a certain temperature for a given amount of time and sometimes the clarity will be improved, or the color will change or intensify. Courtesy of r/gems, here's a great side-by-side comparison of what most tanzanite looks like, before and after heat treatment:

This isn't a scam and it isn't some big secret -- it's best to assume that any given colored stone has been heat treated unless you have an independent lab report from a reputable firm saying otherwise. No, a private appraisal isn't good enough. No, the jeweler's word isn't good enough either. Heat treatment is stable (i.e. permanent) and not discernible to the naked eye, so it's not something you as an average consumer needs to worry about. It's also not a value determinant in almost any stone. Nobody gives a crap if your amethyst is 'unheated'. Nobody cares. Don't get tricked into paying a premium for it.

The majority of tanzanite is reddish-brown when it comes out of the ground, and only after heating do its lovely blue-violet tones show.

For your second question, while diamonds do retain more of their value, speaking very generally, than almost any colored stone, the speculative value of gemstones bought at retail is, like most things, effectively nil. Buy things because you love them, not because you're hoping someone will pay you more for them later -- the late capitalist need to turn every blessed thing on the planet into a casino chip is what turns people into motherfucking Daleks.

[silverbirching]

It doesn't get any better when gemstones are your profession. Despite having a literal graduate degree in Pretty Rocks, from an accredited university no less, there's still people who ask me what stone best aligns their chakrahs when the fact is, all stones are equally good at doing that.

(though I will say thinking a rock does something spiritual/intangible is less irritating to me than the shit that gets dressed up in pseudoscience. I used to have a friend I called the Moon Baby who was ALWAYS showing me this shit. A tumbler with gemstones in it that "molecularly aligns" the water. No, it doesn't. A chunk of salt to shield you from ionizing radiation. Sodium does de-ionize things, yes, but only when it's molten, and I strongly advise against carrying flaming elemental sodium around your neck. Oxygenated water!!! so much better for you!!! The only way to hold more oxygen in water at room temperature is to mix it with H202, better known as hydrogen peroxide, which I strongly advise against drinking)

Basically, gemstones are magnificent. They are splendid. They are beautiful. They capture the colors of the world in an enduring form. In a gemstone you have the sky, the glow of lambent embers, the fresh bloom of a rose, your lover's eyes reflecting the sun and moon, the sea after a storm, in a form that has lasted millions of years and can last a million more. They are wonders of nature. That's magic enough without thinking that they're also going to improve your finances or ward off your bad vibes. Let rocks be rocks.

[simplifiedboris]

The older they are, the crazier they are!!!!!

//yes I finished Emerson lore and abilities I just have to finish his ref sheet urgrgrhhrhd…..

[ladyvertewithenvy]

A Vanity’s Goodnight

౨ৎ ˚｡⋆ ⋆.˚౨ৎ ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ જ⁀➴　 ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ ౨ৎ‧₊˚ ⋅ ⋆｡˚ ⋆ ౨ৎ

Category: Fluff, Comfort

Characters included: Vil Schoenheit, Prefect (Female)

Oneshot Prompt: After a very strenuous day of the Sing and Dance Competition, Yuu invites Vil to her room for a small chat- and hopefully a heart to heart.

౨ৎ ˚｡⋆ ⋆.˚౨ৎ ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ જ⁀➴　 ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ ౨ৎ‧₊˚ ⋅ ⋆｡˚ ⋆ ౨ৎ

The soft creak of the floorboards reverted with every step they made. It filled the awkward silence between them, or at least it tried. One could only hope that those loud creaks could mask this- this bespoke silence as a more comfortable one.

Obviously, it didn’t.

The silence was just too palpable. Palpable enough to be stricken by a magical pen.

The elephant in the room, or in this case in the hallway, was a bit too big. It made this scenario all the more disagreeable. Almost unsightly and never ending. Like each step added five more years. The walk to Yuu’s room felt like a punishment in itself.

But that wasn’t what was on Vil’s mind. He didn’t care about the walk. There were more irritating things.. Like the growing intensity between him and the Prefect for one- but it was only natural.

Yuu could have died today because of him. Many could have died today because of him.

Today was a disaster, and his overblot was the main course for that. And still, it wasn’t the main thing he was so stuck on in his head.

The other thing, or the main thing as is more appropriate to call it, was how the Prefect clearly knew more than she let on. And it was just a matter of time until they sat down and talked about a topic he definitely didn’t want out in the open. For better or for worse. Some things were just meant to rot in the deepest depths of his convoluted heart.

And how did Vil know? Such a question was redundant. Vil can always tell with such things. He’s always had a knack for reading the behaviors of the people around him. ‘Tis but just one of many talents and pros from growing up in the acting world. The blonde beauty could deduce who is most likely to double cross him the moment they smile at him. Spotting betrayals is trivial for someone like Schoenheit.

At the same time, Vil was plenty capable of sorting out the genuine earnest types. That’s trivial for him too. Afterall, discerning that Silver was perfectly harmless during the Beanfest games was rudimentary. So, why?..

Why couldn’t he seem to figure her out at this moment? It positively peeved him. How much did Yuu know for her to personally ask him to talk things out alone like this?

Surely, she knew something. And knowing her, she’d tell him. That’s just how blunt the Prefect was. And it’s not like it took some sort of maverick genius or a savvy merchant to figure out that Vil was.. upset. Upset beyond words. Words he still hasn’t spilled out just yet. Not even to Rook. Yes, he who can notice things as little as a gram more of weight gain couldn’t even notice the agony that Vil had been living with for almost all of his life. Yes, the very hunter who studied him almost daily like some forbidden work of art figured it out when it was too late. And so did Yuu.. But when she looked at him as if there was more. Almost as if… well..

He just didn’t know. It was as if you read his mind and then some.

It was as if she were a gemologist. A very special kind. Studying his eyes after what happened shortly in the SDC. Vil recalled how she studied his gaze and was trying to peel him apart like he was under her microscope. Studying the glimmer in his rare hue. Studying the fractures too. That only grew more over time until it shattered under enough pressure. Like a punch to a glass pane, it felt like. And what leaked out was that putrid smell of blot, as well as an ugliness Vil never wanted anyone to see.

And even now, it barely stayed together. Every fracture was still on the floor in his eyes.

And with so much hurt that kept getting forced to reveal itself one after another, it was safe to say that it wouldn’t fade away with just a little pep talk.

And Yuu knew that. Recognized that upon a glance. That’s how it always was with every Overblot case she’s been stuck with. This was the part she hated the most. The helplessness. The realization that she couldn’t solve this with some motivating pep talk. She knew that it would so much more to heal Vil.

But at the very least, she could understand just one little thing about Vil. A feeling.

The feeling of simply not being enough.

Something that she needed to face many lone nights when slumbering in this magical world. So, who better to talk about this with Vil than the veteran Prefect? No matter how vexing that elephant was, it needed to be talked about.

But let’s start light for now.

“I think you did wonderfully.” Yuu starts. “The performance, I mean.” Her eyes looked back down to the creaky floorboards, just in case Grim left one of his empty tuna cans on the floor again. It’d be embarrassing to trip now in such a crucial moment of need. But then again, maybe Vil could benefit from a laugh here.

“Knowing that it was your all- it felt so special, you know?” She admits, hoping for success in breaking their silence to completion.

Her steps were slow to match with Vil’s pace. They suddenly halted. Changing direction.

The tips of her shoes now pointed at her door.

It wasn’t anything special. Simply painted in her favorite colors on the outlines to differentiate between the other identical doors. With how garbage the locks are, it’d be terrible if any visitor were to barge in and accidentally sneak a peek. A nightmare, actually.

“Maybe I should paint it some more” She blurts out, turning the knob and pushing the door forward.

“There was a trend back in my world where people painted their doors or bedroom walls out of pure boredom at the time.” She rambles, racking at her brain on how to move the conversation. Vil was just so silent, simply listening to the ramblings of the first year- He could tell that she was sweating bullets, but chose not to say anything. His intensity was more fervent, and that definitely wasn’t helping.

“Maybe I should test it out on the canvas I have in my room first. It’s been collecting dust for half the semester.” She stammered, motioning the Pomefiore Housewarden to sit on the green armchair.

Vil could only smile, and hope that was good enough to ease the many worries that struck the poor girl’s heart.

He couldn’t blame her- Anyone in her shoes would be worried sick about him after such a nasty overblot.

“I think that’s a sound enough idea, but do be mindful of the colors and the technique you end up using. What you decide to paint on your door should also compliment the structure- you wouldn’t want it to be an eyesore” He advises, sitting up straight once he feels his body properly press itself against those cushions. It was a cheap couch, and it did not befit nor him or the stammering little prefect in front of him. But that was a comment for another day: the importance of furniture replacement for aesthetic and convenient purposes, he’d note.

Still, Vil couldn’t ignore the purpose of this small talk anymore. She was just trying to lighten the mood. Guilt twisted his bleeding heart, for he knew that her nervous smile was all his fault. Those nervous gazes to any other angle of the room befalls on him. And he was at a loss on how to smoothen it. If only he weren’t so tired right now. He’d know what to do. He usually did.

Instead, he opted for following along her lead. Swallowing the growing lump in his throat again. Maybe not his quickest thought to cross his mind, because right as he tried to open his mouth, Yuu turned herself back around the door.

“Stay right there. I’ll be riiight back” was all she said before booking it to the door in quiet steps.

‘Like a little mouse’ he adds to no one in particular, smiling at how endearing it was to see her so flustered despite the circumstances. Usually, Yuu didn’t really insert themselves too much in situations, much less conversations. That was always the job of that vulgar little cat monster you call Grim. But, as if to prove that you are your own person, your personality is highlighted with how your comments go straight to the jugular with the truth.

A funny little maus, she was.

The actor would relax a bit. He took this moment to gaze around her room. The way you take care of your room reflects how you are as a person, this was something that the blonde believed in deeply. And it was definitely correct.

It was clean.

The bed was tucked and lacked any wrinkles. That empty canvas she mentioned earlier was right next to her bed. Tucked away in that corner with that purple drape that covered very little. His eyes naturally pandered to the windows next. They were shielded by those blue curtains that she most likely forgot to pull back.

The last time he was here was to remind her and Grim of their necessary alarm clocks for the whole month, by then the curtains were open as usual. He wouldn’t be surprised if she woke up in a horrid rush to avoid being late. Vil felt tempted to stand up and to look beyond the shielded glass panes, but instead found himself drawn by something else.

“What a beautiful handcrafted cuckoo clock… it suits the aesthetic of such an antique dorm, but it stands out alone as such a conversation starter.” He mutters to himself. Again. To no one in particular.

He stands up to properly inspect it. His gloves hands were gentle in brushing against the sides. It’s been properly dusted too.

“What a diligent little maus you are” He hums, chuckling at his little sentence before glancing over at her desk to inspect it on a surface level. And then he stops.

“..... Sevens, what am I doing?” Vil groans, his hand covering his eyes from the frustration.

A girl has invited him to her room after a very dangerous day to hopefully unwind, and here he was marveling at her- very basic- decor. His priorities right now were shot. Shot and muddled into a mess. He was a mess.

Removing his hand from his eyes, he glanced back at the clock, and then at the mirror.

As if on record time, he saw the door open.

Soft steps. Short steps. He noticed her focused stare at the objects in hand.

A soft clink on the table echoed this room. He looked down.

A bowl of sliced strawberries in one hand, two water bottles on the other. The Prefect smiled at him.

Soft eyes. Patient eyes stared back at him from the reflection. Soft lips. Slowly curving to a patient smile.

“Let’s just talk for a bit” She suggested.

And what was he to do? Decline? Please, not with that discernable soft spot he had for her.

“Alright” he replies, and already found himself sitting right back down where he belonged.

Just a simple conversation. More small talk than anything. He was surprised to hear that Yuu had researched some films that Vil was in. With how natural the conversation flowed every time, he almost forgot that you were from another world. Which meant that he wasn’t a face that you knew about prior to this school year.

It was a strange idea. Humbling even.

It turned out that the Prefect watched a movie that was set in the Sunset Savana. He recalled the production, and he recounted the story of how an elephant dumped some water on him. It made her laugh. Concluding with the same thought he had; that the elephant must have done that as a gift.

Such a pretty laugh, Vil thought. And it was, at least for him. It suited her features more than that straight lined expression she always had.

…

And then the conversation dialed back down again.

He closed his eyes- and immediately perked up to Yuu’s demand.

“Be honest? About what?” He asked, chugging the last drops of his beverage. He looked over at her whilst twisting the tap back on.

“About… y’know, this. All of that. The uh… the overblot. I’m sure you know what happens to me every time that happens by now.”

Vil blinked, keeping his inflated ego to himself. He knew he was right about something here.

“No, mein maus. I don’t. Care to fill me in?”

Yuu sighed, setting down her own bottle. “I see where it started… I see the source” She paused. “In your memories”

“...”

Vil felt at a loss of words, because he knew what that meant. Without him knowing, he opened this door of vulnerability for what was basically a stranger. And that made his blood run cold. “Ah.. so that’s the rumor.”

He had to ask. Now he just had to. “So, you’re aware of my… hatred for him?”

The Prefect would only nod. Honestly, Yuu was a bit shocked that his hatred even reached the point that even now he refused to say Neige’s name. “I… I didn’t know.” She awkwardly whispered.

“No one did. Something as… hideous as that, must be kept a secret.”

“Hideous? What, your feelings? That’s not hideous Vil.”

“It’s not beautiful either”

“It’s human, Vil. There’s nothing to be ashamed about either.”

“I wanted him dead, Yuu.” He fixed his posture, almost as if for a moment he forgot that he’s meant to be perfect. Because if he wasn’t perfect, if he wasn’t the fairest of them all- then what is he?

“What could you possibly know, Miss Prefect? How could you possibly hope to understand?”

His eyes. Bubbling up with a contempt Yuu didn’t know how empty out. And yet she didn’t have to. They faltered just as quickly as it erupted. He was too weak at the moment to continue with such a strong act. He knew that. Even now, Vil couldn’t last to the very end of such a scene.

Merciful Sevens, he didn’t even understand why he was being so uncharacteristically vulnerable in the first place. Was he truly that much of a mess? That weak that he’s falling apart to the first person that offers just a little bit of sympathy? How horrid. The last thing he’d ever want is to be pitied.

And yet he couldn’t find it himself to stop her.

His lips trembled, his own lipstick having faded. So deep in his mind, he’s even forgotten to reapply it. “I…. I’ve never felt uglier than I did today…”

He looked away from her yet again, as if the truth compelled him to look at anywhere but her. “And no beauty treatment washes this off. It never goes away. Why won’t it? Why should it?”

Yuu knew that it took a lot out of him. To admit something so foreign out loud.

In a sense, he was right. She has no idea how he feels, because they were his feelings. Not hers.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head down.

The young Prefect expected many things from this point onward, but she ruled it down quickly to two. One, he would leave without saying another word, forcing her to reflect in her presumptuous statements. Or two, he would keep scolding her for her assumptions and then he’d leave. Yuu was leaning towards the latter.

“I’m sorry”

It interrupted her thoughts. Stopped them completely.

This voice, it was so sweet. You’d almost think a melody would follow.

When she opened her eyes and lifted her head, she saw none other than Vil. He was bowing, trembling a little from the lack of strength. And to be honest, it almost scared Yuu.

It was all so raw. A complete far cry from his cold display before..

It was at this very moment that she understood something about Vil. Beneath all this beauty, all this shine and determination to reach towards a dream that most would deem impossible, there was him.

A Vil that fell in love with the cinema. A Vil that bowed on a little school theater stage and realized that this was the feeling that he wanted to feel for the rest of his life. A Vil that cries himself to sleep on harsh days and nights. A Vil that just wants to stay on the stage to the very end.

A Vil that’s fragile.

A Vil that is beautiful.

A Vil that is ugly.

A Vil that is so human.

Arms reached out and hugged him tight. Like a vice.

It was warm. And soft. As if the gentle wind, as playful as it was, forced a light pressure to his body

"I-... Why are you?..."

Her embrace felt suffocating. He was..

… at a loss for words.

He never realized just how small she was compared to him.

He never noticed how fluffy her hair was, and how it bounced so graciously with each step she took. It was well taken care of as well. Good. She was following his advice then. No. Not the time to think about her improved hair routine, no matter how proud he was of it.

When was the last time he’d been hugged like this? When it didn’t come from her father or for the purpose of a scene?

He didn’t know. And it made him melt even faster.

That scared him a little. He’s never fallen apart in front of someone so quickly. But Yuu seems to have that effect on so many others too. To experience it first hand was.. Well, it didn’t matter.

"I'm so sorry.. my dear" he whispered into her ear.

But for Yuu? She could have sworn that the room had gotten much warmer after that.

"It's okay.."

"No, I.."

"It's alright…" she persisted, slowly letting go as she felt him start to shift and move.

Vil said nothing, his gaze to the floor as he struggled a "Sweet dreams" and would start stepping away.

The Prefect would follow of course, but would stop him the moment he reached the door. With the sleeve of his uniform, she’d tug it and force him back a step, as well as to her height level. Vil obliged, expecting her to say something else, but-

"You've never looked more beautiful to me than now.” She smiled. “Even as you tremble, you shine… you're a gem I can't have, and I envy that about you.." Her voice was low. It was almost quiet. Like a forbidden whisper. As if she’s admitted a secret none were ever supposed to hear. But Vil couldn’t help but feel more glad that he heard it.

When opening the door for him, she showed him out, and said "Please go to bed now, you've done enough for today."

She would have stopped there, but..

She didn't know what it was. Maybe it was the light that perfectly casted onto Vil's skin. Maybe it was his soft breathing that she had the pleasure to hear at such a close distance. Or maybe it was his eyes that once again entranced her to think unthinkable things.

But whatever it was, it gave her feet the courage to step towards and push her perfectly shaped lips to collide with his cheek.

"...." He was… dizzy.

He felt dizzy.

He felt tense and unsure of where to go from here.

How did?..

Why did she?..

She pulled away, and whispered a comforting, "Goodnight" and walked back inside her door without looking back. The sound of the doorknob turning echoed for a moment. And once again, Vil was surrounded by silence. A warmer silence that covered him like a blanket.

"Ah.." There we go, that makes sense. He recognized this. A traditional greeting and goodbye from her homeland. That was all. Yes. That was all it was.

“I suppose I’ll chide her about this at another time.” He hummed, making a mental note about that. To confront the Ramshackle Prefect about the thin line between traditions and inappropriateness that she was playing jump rope with.

He tried to concoct a speech in his head. It was all for naught. Every sentence he tried to form in order to scold her, turned to mush.

That cheeky little goodbye kiss definitely took much longer than the regular goodbyes she’s done befo- Huh.

Wait a moment…

He stiffened a little, stopping suddenly in his walk back to his room.

He smiled again.

One last smile.

Such a devious little maus. Only further proving Rook’s title of a Trickster.

"..... Maybe not" He silently proclaimed to no one in particular, and left it at that.

Author's Note

౨ৎ ˚｡⋆ ⋆.˚౨ৎ ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ જ⁀➴　 ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ ౨ৎ‧₊˚ ⋅ ⋆｡˚ ⋆ ౨ৎ

I disappeared for a bit. I'm sorry :3

For more of my fanfics, go HERE to see my list of published fics (and other information)

Tee hee

Fun fact, this fic used to be for a friend at the time. That's why the story has a fem!Prefect instead of a gender neutral one. It was easier to take out details and stuff if I just kept the gender.

Changing this fic from a story that specifically meant to cater one person into a general story for a wider audience was a bit difficult. And it took me a while.

Still, hope you liked it!

More is on the way, no matter how long it takes (⁠人⁠ ⁠•͈⁠ᴗ⁠•͈⁠)

Thank you! Buenas noches! 💜

[bunnithechubs]

Cypress spent this round building his ethical bee wax collection for his candle business. Despite gifting Azure a gift last round he has his heart set on the gemologist neighbor! They had a few dates before Cypress asked her to be his girlfriend!

[nova-chant]

How did you end up working for Cortex?

Well it's mostly as a favour to Engie.

According to him, Uka Uka was getting impatient with the gathering of the magic crystals and such, so Engie asked if I could come by and help them out. I'm a gemologist and I know magic so it only made sense I suppose. Plus he says he didnt want to risk Uka Uka destorying his lab in a fit of anger so I couldnt let that happen.

Also, it was agreed by Uka Uka that I stay here, so I don't really work for Cortex, just with him, since I report to Uka Uka himself.

[moonbiscuitsims]

Juana Iris: crystal crafter, spellcaster.

Traits (some custom): Moody, Spiritual, Cat lover, Night Owl, Stargazer

Made this witchy "gemologist" gurlie for later testing the crystal creations pack, maybe replay realm of magic, haven't played as a spellcaster for a while and crystal creations is basically ROM dlc lol. Also I haven't played my fantasy save or any occults for a while.

Not posting cc list but feel free to ask wcifs! 🌙🧙🏽‍♀️🦇⭐💜

[salixsociety]

Who goes there? 🕯

Moi! I'm Willow, any pronouns, I'm an Alaska-based folk magic practitioner, hailing originally from the Low Saxon part of the Netherlands. My magic consists of Low Saxon, Frisian, Dutch and broader Germanic folk practice/magic/medicine, and Germanic polytheism, which I loosely syncretize with Orthodox Christianity. I consider heathenry my true faith. My focuses in my daily practices are primarily on magical and medicinal herbalism, folk magic for wellbeing, worship et al, etc. Professionally I am a mineralogist/gemologist and I'm very passionate about my mineral collection! Despite how it may look at times I am in fact a radical leftist. I believe first and foremost in wellbeing and liberation for all and I am not interested in engaging in debates about this. If you are confused about my hostile attitude towards Western Esotericism, Wicca, and New Age/New Religious movements, please refer to this post, which will explain why I feel the way I do. This blog will be mostly about connecting to your local environment, living off the land, getting in touch with culture, gods and spirits, functional syncretism, magic everywhere, and general ramblings about related topics. See #apothecaric allerlei for all of my blog posts and informational posts. #willow reads will have all of my book reviews. #apothecaric art will have all of my art, and see #herbarium for all of my plant musings and info!

Resource masterlists will appear here: Germanic Paganism Resources

Where to contact me: - I have a carrd with more information about me. - I have a ko-fi where you can commission herbarium, lapidarium, grimoire pages and art, please consider checking it out. For more information about my comms and readings, please see my comms masterpost. - If you want to talk to me directly, find me on discord @salixsociety - Asks are always open! You are highly encouraged to use it for whatever.

I hope you appreciate what I put out there and find it useful to your practice. Hold 'oe kreggel! (Take care of yourself!)

profile picture | header image

[powderblueblood]

I’m a slut for a good heist, what’ve you got cooked up so far? 💜

cee my love let us walk and talk

so the conman!steve au has been once again on my mind like a hat for many a hundred of year mostly because i want him to have his danny ocean moment!!!! and danny ocean isn't full smooth either, he's got a little goofy energy like steve has

this really came to light after i got this whopper prompt request from my love cherry @stveharringtn

and with this i formulated the plan.

steve is fresh out of the joint, and you're a former mark of his. you met him while working at a country club in order to put yourself through college. during this whirlwind little affair, he (stupidly?) had you stash a number of stolen pieces of jewelry on his behalf. he eventually went to jail for this and the running theory is you're the one who ratted him out-- the main runner of this theory is robin buckley, president of the don't shit where you eat club, and steve can see where she's coming from. but still. love prevails and makes you do dumb shit.

you, on the other hand? well, since steve's arrest, you changed your career path-- studied to become a gemologist so the next time some bastard in a linen suit asks you to hold a couple of sparklers, you'll at least know what they're worth. you're currently working as a fence in new york's diamond district.

and steve harrington is back on the streets. and old habits die hard.

supporting cast of characters include but are not limited to--

the aforementioned robin buckley as steve's partner in crime (our resident rusty ryan), dustin henderson as the bright-eyed young pickpocket-turned-professional conman under steve and robin's detailed tutelage, eddie munson as our beloved munitions expert, lucas sinclair and mike wheeler as the resident getaway drivers and will byers as the surveillance expert.

and on your end? you've got jane hopper and max mayfield working as your very own diamond scouts-- two former teenage cat burglars who you weren't about to leave starving in hell's kitchen.

the student becomes the master.

but then the master approaches you with a plan to lift millions of precious jewels from a prestigious new york exhibit (one that nancy wheeler happens to be managing (robin? your wife is calling)). he also plans on lifting YOUR HEART!!!!!!!!! FUCK!!!!!!

[witchofthesouls]

In Chainsaw Man, Power lets Denji fondle and squeeze her breasts for helping her. She lets him squeeze them three times for the three things he has done for her.

The Lost Light Liasion lets the bots of your choice fondle her breasts and lets them squeeze a certain number of for three amount of times they’ve saved her ass/helped her.

Who are the bots and how do they react?

(If this happened, Ultra Magnus would be so on top of this since there would be mechs that would purposely create trouble to "save" the resident human. He's gonna nip that in the bud since the Lost Light already has too much chaotic energy. So nudity scenarios with Giant!Liaison because I love that concept a lot.)

Whirl eyes your chest in a manner that wouldn't feel off on a gemologist appraising someone's antique jewelry, optic narrowed in serious consideration as he pokes your left boob.

"I don't see the appeal." Whirl taps a claw on his own impressive chest. "My bazongas are bigger."

"Yeah, but can yours bounce?"

"Touché, Fleshlight." Whirl hums, optic following your chest's jiggling motions as you cup and squeeze the soft flesh. "Touché."

_________

Ambulon brushes his servos over the uncovered skin. It's soft and warm and strangely like a really supple protoform. The specialized sensors in his digits and palms pick up your biochemistry, and it buzzes pleasantly to his neural-net.

He filters the temperature readings, hydration levels, and other basic information from the passive scans to just concentrate on the sensation of the innate elasticity, how his digits can press into your protoform, and how it contorts and flexes.

You can't manually shut off your nerves, nor can you inwardly self-manipulate how you perceive sensation. Apparently, in your species a dimmed or lacking pain response is attributed to a sensory-perception defect.

Ambulon is curious how you function on the paltry information from the medical books in your bookcase is very limiting. Theory doesn't always match to application. In general, organics are messy and squishy and so full of so many liquids, but he had traced over the skeleton and muscle tissue within the diagrams, and can't help the heretical thoughts of the familiarity of the structures.

You can't show him the innards of your frame under your guidance; self-surgery is a wonderment to humans but it's common amongst Cybertronian medics. At least well-trained ones or the very experienced ones that survived their ventures.

(Pharma was many, many things, but he had ensured that his staff was well-equipped and well-trained under his perfectionist ways. Even the ex-Decepticon.

Ambulon, to this day, can't tell what was real or falsified by the surgeon. How much was simmering beneath his old CMO...)

He chases away the thought by exploring other areas. Humans are just softer than Cybertronians by design. Some parts are more so than others as he traces your abdomen and your chest area, thumbing over a teat.

"Does your species have something like this?" You ask, voice hitches.

"Yes."

"Oh?"

"Under the old regime," his voice takes on a teaching cadence, "supplementary refineries were deemed obsolete and phased out. Very few frames, think of older schematics off Cybertron or cohorts too far away from public refineries and production, were... allowed to keep such things." Ambulon remembers one of his old gestaltmates, his refineries kept them alive in the combiner process. "It helps refine lower-grades of Energon, even near-usable ones, to something consumable."

Based on the emotion on your face, you're interested in the strange similarities as well.

_________

Swerve's vents sputter as he coughs out a weak cheer and is overwhelmed by Tailgate's complete enthusiasm. Getaway also claps, but Swerve could feel the heat from the mech's plating, despite how unruffled the escapologist appeared.

You twirl around as Swerve sends a quick prayer to the Guiding Hand at the expanse of your back and your bare legs as the fabric floats and takes its sweet time to settle back down.

Tailgate immediately makes a beeline to fuss over the dress and attaches the rest of the accessories.

"You're okay if I adjust the front?" Tailgate asks.

"Go for it, short stack." You admire the glinting gems and subtle, beautiful swirls in the mirror.

And without any sense of shame or embarrassment, Tailgate does it. The minibot pulls it and you up. Swerve takes a large gulp of the complementary cocktail when it turns skin-tight, pressing into your flesh.

"Short stack," you wheeze and your chest heaves. "You're squeezing me here."

Getaway crosses his arms, fingers digging into his plates. He isn't as nonchalant as he tries to be.

"Give me a moment." Tailgate clips on the thin, glossy strands of jewelry over all your body. "I have to get this on before I fix it completely."

When the mech finishes, you look far more stunning and Swerve's vocalizer simply clicks, so he makes it up by whistling and clapping. It isn't missed that Tailgate is used to casual touch as he gives an arm to help you down the podium. Plus, the mech has quite an eye for 'off-world' fashion.

One of the attendants admires Tailgate's handiwork, clicking at a rapid pace as feathers ruffle and soothe, and Swerve hopes that the rest of the team is almost done with whatever they're doing.

"What do you guys think?" You ask, calm with even talons near your face, painting your lips and applying geometric patterns down your cheeks and neck. Whatever the attendant had done to your eyes had made them larger, brighter.

You look something out of old folktales from the outer rings of city-states as the metal strands clink pleasantly as you move, the fabric languidly shifts in a strange, fluid way, defying gravity, rippling across your bare skin like a living covering.

"You look good, Y/N," Getaway says, quite casually. "But I think that set there would look even better."

The burnt gold body jewelry in the case behind you is a dead ringer for Getaway's faceplate. The escapologist gives no other reaction to the flat fields and stares from Swerve and Tailgate, just a happy curve of brightened optics.

[idv-ask-the-horatiusfamily]

[The time click. The bell ring. The crystal chime and the bone rattling.]

THE HORATIUS SIBLINGS BLOG IS BACK ON WITH UPCOMING NEW CHARACTER, ELENA! For now, it will be Logan and Timey. Older sister, Matilda Horatius and then the oldest brother, Emerson Horatius with his beloved wife Elena Surova will arrive soon enough. Please greet our dear timetraveler while he waits for his family arrival.

Forgive them for their long absence... The family things and responsibilities, they can never catch a break from this bloodline, despite how much they try to run away from it.

*Horatius family background.

Characters:

'Timetraveler' Logan Horatius, survivor/identity switch.

"Timetravel Freak" Logan, Hunter/ identity switch.

'Timey' Mateo Horatius

'Bellringer' Matilda Horatius, survivor (SOON!)

'Gemologist' Emerson Horatius, survivor (SOON!)

'Archeologist' Elena Surova, survivor/identity switch (SOON!)

"Shattered gem." Elena, hunter/identity switch (SOON!)

RULES:

- No heavy NSFW stuff in asks or rp, I'm not comfortable with strangers or barely known people having this with me. Close ones are only allowed to share such stuff in DMS and either way

- Basic DNI. Racism, Homophobia, etc. You'll be blocked immediately

-Don't bring up any drama around here

-The blog contains things like: Self harm, Abuse, public humiliation, Gore, Body horror and etc. You were WARNED!!

- Please read the character's story if you want to start a serious rp. If you have questions about the character, I'd recommend reading their story before doing so.

-This blog is under development, please be patient with other characters soon joining.

-If you want to ask about my art or other stuff about ME and not my IDV ocs, I have art blog ( @simplifiedboris ) and personal one ( @boris-surov ) :)

[silverbirching]

Is there a gem that is particularly overrated, in your opinion?

Oh boy, yes indeed. Lemme tell you a little story about Tanzanite.

Tanzanite is a blue-violet variety of the mineral zoisite. It's gorgeous, not gonna lie:

HOWEVER, because it only comes from a small mining area in Tanzania, it's been oversold for decades as an 'investment' stone, when the fact is, there's tons of the stuff, and the overwhelming majority of it is heat-treated. It has no investor value whatsoever. Also it's soft and brittle, so it's not great for rings. You see a lot of watery, lavender-colored tanzanite being sold on cruise ships and it's inevitably sold as "it will be really valuable someday."

Folks, my literal job is to assess items for sale on the secondary market, and let me tell you: jewelry is an investment in your presentation. An investment in your wardrobe. Maybe an investment in your relationship. But it does not, and almost never will, have a speculative value. If anyone is trying to sell you jewelry on the basis of it retaining or even gaining value, run.

Also stop buying tanzanite rings. You're just asking for heartache.

[mxniomei]

manhwa/manta comics recommendations go 🎤

FUCK YEA 5 PARAGRAPH RANT BELOW

Manta specific:

Under the Oak Tree is surprisingly good. I say that bc I honestly thought I was gonna hate Maxi bc I can't stand bumbling naïve protagonists, but she redeems herself really quickly. She's not naïve, she's traumatized, and has a lot of understandable triggers. Riftan is likable in the funniest way possible imo bc he's so Stupid like he's so scared Maxi is gonna leave he just looks goofy trying to get her to stay which I approve.

I've Become a True Villainess is a transmigration/Isekai who's protagonist, Seria Sterne, is trying to reform her image and it is so incredibly likable! Seria is refreshingly normal personality wise; she's not dumb not naïve , understands when to give up the ghost, and is just incredibly likable all around. Her relationship with Rouche is fascinating; I have a creeping suspicion that Rouche might be more of a romantic than he lets on, and it just makes their relationship kinda hilarious. Lina is a fascinating character as well, who might know more than we give her credit for. . .

Duchess Crow is my current favorite! Melisa, a 32 year old gemologist, is approached by Louis/Lewis, a 25 year old noble who asks for a contract marriage with her. Melisa is smart as a whip and has a no nonsense personality that speaks to me. She's not just the kingdoms brightest gemologist, but she's also just really good at analyzing a situation and figuring it out. Louis is severely charming to the point of pissing me off, but he's also smart and likable. However, i think Louis's most likable trait is how much he really respects Melisa. He gives her a lot of deference, clearly cares about her opinion, doesn't try to convince her he knows better-- he's genuinely collaborative with her, and knows that her intellect is greater than his in some situations, so he wants to lend her his power to be able to make her goals attainable. He also (so far!) has not pulled any asshole moves male leads are prone to in manhwa. He only ever dangles his status over her in a playful manner, and doesn't actually believe he's better or can dominate her in any way. And their story is pretty high stakes, working against a villain that's easy to love and hate.

Non Manta:

Marry My Husband is a time travel piece about a woman who's gonna get mad revenge against her boyfriend and best friend. The male lead is so pathetic meow meow and I'm obsessed with how he's obsessed with her. It's a good dramatic romp!

Beware of the Villainess is another transmigration/isekai except instead of just redeeming herself, Melissa fuckin DOMINATES the plot. She learns sword play, beats the shit out of a bunch of cunty dudes, and is my wife ! There's a wet blorbo blue haired boy, which is my favorite genre of boy, and a lot of bi vibes through out.

[simplifiedboris]

If anyone wondered how Emerson looked, here’s a quick I sketch did of him. His clothes might change but I’ll do more research on more variant option…

[autistic-pebbles-au]

[ INTRODUCTION POST ]

Hi! I'm Perq!

Full nickname "Pan Perkozeq"

TUMBLR ASKS: OPEN

Autistic Pebbles AU

[Lore]

Superstructure Engineers: Audio log 2147

Superstructure Engineers: In Short

Why's Pebbles a gemologist?

Pebbles Collection

SRS: The sufficient result

Pebbles opinion about Great Problem + Iterators age

How smart are they?

A bit about LTTM

[Reference sheets]

Iterators (FP, SRS, LTTM, NSH, SOS)

Artificer

Rivulet

ABOUT ME:

I like sci-fi content, fantasy and anything containing plot.

Currently being a fan of:

- Rain World

- Basically robots and military stuff

- Hollow Knight

I enjoy interacting with people, yet I'm not the talkative one XP

...but I like to look around and see how other fandoms are doing. I enjoy experimenting with new ways of art (painting, paper, 3D etc.) yet I'm used to paper and digital.

I'd like to say "cześć" to everyone who speaks Polish!

OTHER SOCIALS:

- INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT

[thatscurios]

here's some of my not-so popular Norton Campbell (Prospector) headcanons

If you have any requests for me to write about an IDV character, feel free to send it to my ask box!

638 words 3,470 characters

"Hard labor breeds hard workers. Time of need raises desperation."

indigenous Mexican! Spanish is his first language

5'3ft, 160lbs

missing an eye from the mining incident, also has asthma & black lung from the incident. gets phantom pains a lot

he won't ever cut his hair or shave his facial hair again due to how long it took him to grow it back from the incident

has night terrors, auditory & visual hallucinations due to really bad PTSD

low empathy/sympathy, never had time to process his emotions well, having ASPD and autism

also due to never being able to have time to express himself freely, if he is overwhelmed with an emotion of joy he tends to tremble or tear up, and because of this often goes on a "walk" to avoid social interaction while he composes himself

social chameleon -- knows that he has to be socially caught-up and "likeable" to help his odds in survivability, he comes off as very null at first as he gauges a social group before quickly becoming a people pleaser in his own way whilst setting strict boundaries to not mess with him

in fact, most of the things he does is for survivability though often times unnoticed. he will actively overanalyze things and keep his true thoughts to himself buried deep in his chest out of fear of being ostracized which could lead to less of a chance of surviving in his mind

he isn't very expressive, a monotone gravely voice that has been rasped by years of working in the mines and a stone cold "dead face" that stares at you. even if he's incredibly comfortable with you, this is something he is working on due to his own personal workings

his name isn't actually Norton Campbell, it's a name he picked up to get easier work outside of Mexico & because I enjoy playing with the idea that he faked his own death to try to escape that life of poverty

he enters fight or flight very quickly if push comes to shove

he has intense pyrophobia & struggles with claustrophobia now due to the mining incident. he is also scared of the dark, but he will never confess to that

being a bit superstitious, Norton actively avoids graveyards if possible & is terrified of crows, but again, he may never confess to that.

Norton genuinely believes that opening up will give people leverage over him or knowledge to be weaponized against him, so if he ever opens up to someone it means he genuinely does trust them wholeheartedly. alongside this, he would never confess to his pains, physical or mental disabilities out of fear of people using this as a way to step over him to get what they want

he was pulled out of school to work in the mine, but on his little free time would vigorously study with hopes to become some sort of chemist, geologist or gemologist, having a distinct passion for these fields. during the time in the manor would probably sneak off in the night to the library to study whatever he can get his hands on, but he would rather drop dead than confess that if you ever catch him studying

he also really loved birds growing up, a special interest of his. when he was younger he released a cage of canaries to the mining crew's dismay and earned the nickname "Canario" (Canary) to mock or belittle his "heroic act", because in his mind if he couldn't be free of working in the mines, the beautiful songbirds should instead of being condemned to the mines until they die like him, surely. he actually took that name with stride as he grew up, even keeping the "C" from that name to pick out his new surname when he left his old town behind as he picked out the name "Campbell"