#bamboo dock

[bamboo-dock-and-minis]

What Is: Bamboo Dock

This post/info was originally written by Silvia. I have made updates where needed for new information or clarity.

Bamboo Dock is a useful little application which allows you to store shortcuts to applications and also helps you manage your Wacom Bamboo tablet.

Support for Bamboo Dock was discontinued in April 2016 and is no longer available for download on the Wacom website. The same applies to the so-called Minis - the custom applications that were available for download through the Dock. The software is still free, and using, sharing, or hosting the files is not illegal.

The purpose of this Tumblr is to host tutorials of how to install the Bamboo Dock and its Minis as well as to provide useful information on the software as far as my limited abilities and knowledge allow.

If you are using Bamboo Dock and have Minis installed that aren’t available in the linked download(s), I would be grateful if you let me know and possibly provide a copy of the Mini files so that it can be uploaded and made available for download freely.

Below is a list of all Minis available for download and their descriptions.

Default Minis- these come with Bamboo Dock and do not need to be added.

Landmarker: connects to a map server and allows you to draw on top of the map and save the image. (Currently Broken)

Mona Lisa: upload your image or take a photo, and then distort or draw on it. The deafult image to play with is the Mona Lisa.

Bamboo Paper: create digital notebooks with plain, graph, or lined paper. Allows for multiple notebooks to be created and saved.

Free the Bird: draw blocks to control the direction of a bounced ball to hit a birdcage and free the bird. 10 levels.

Input Panel: brings up a keyboard on-screen to type with your tablet.

Additional Minis- these Minis require following the tutorial to add them.

Doodler: For making random notes on your computer or small doodles. It has a variety of writing instruments, is very light and smooth and easy to use.

iNudge: allows you to create a loop of electronic music using a pattern board. It’s very relaxing and doesn’t require any musical knowledge.

DoodleBlast: an ink-type game in which you have to draw lines in order to ensure the rocks will fall into the jar.

MoodTuner: connects you to a random radio station when you choose a color to represent your mood. (Currently Broken)

Mah Jongg: classic mahjong game with 10 different levels to choose from and pleasant background music.

PaperCakes: a logic game where you manipulate a sheet of paper by folding or flipping it. Your goal is to help Doodle - a magical drawing who really wants some cake.

Livebrush: a simple yet functional vector-based drawing application that uses motion-based technology to create a very smooth drawing experience. Not formally a Mini, but included.

[handageddon]

Yeah amaranth is a staple grain so it's kind of like complaining that corn or wheat are herbicide resistant

I understand the point is to reduce the amount of competing plants to avoid failure to thrive, but at the same time, pesticide resistance is a core feature of a lot of plants, generally because people like to eat them or vice versa

Researching herbicide resistance in weeds.

A decade ago, everyone said rotating applications of different herbicides was key to stopping herbicide resistance.

Then, around 2015, evidence from a large study emerged saying that this actually causes weeds to be MORE resistant, so the best thing to do is to spray a combination of multiple herbicides mixed together at once.

Now that is being called into question too. Whoda thunk it...

Herbicide resistance among weeds is only getting stronger. Recently, scientists found an annual bluegrass (Poa annua) on a golf course that was resistant to seven herbicide modes of action at once. Seven. SEVEN. Amaranth plants been found with resistance to six herbicide modes of action at once. Twenty years ago, the narrative was that resistance to glyphosate (Roundup) was unlikely to become widespread; today it's the second-most common type of resistance.

What's more, plants are developing types of herbicide resistance that are effective against multiple herbicides at once and harder to detect. Instead of changing the chemical processes within them that are affected by the herbicides so the herbicides don't work as well, they're changing the way they absorb chemicals in the first place. Resistant plants are producing enzymes that detoxify the herbicides before they even enter the plants' cells.

It took Monsanto ten years to develop crop varieties resistant to Dicamba (after weeds made 'Roundup Ready' crops pointless). Palmer amaranth evolved Dicamba resistance in five years.

So I asked, "Why are all the proposed solutions dependent on using more herbicides, when we know damn well that this is going to do nothing but make the weeds evolve faster?"

The answer is that chemical companies have the world in a death grip. They can't make money off non-chemical solutions, so chemical solutions get all the funding, research, and outreach to farmers.

But why do chemical companies have so much power?

One of the biggest reasons is the U.S. military.

In the Vietnam war, all of Vietnam was sprayed with toxic herbicides like Agent Orange, which was incredibly toxic to humans and affected the Vietnamese population with horrible illnesses and birth defects. Monsanto, the company that made the herbicides, knew that it did this, but didn't tell anyone. The US government didn't admit that they'd poisoned humans on a mass scale until Vietnam veterans started dying and coming down with horrible illnesses, and even then, it took them 40 years. (My Papaw died at 60 because of that stuff.) And the soldiers weren't there for very long. As for the Vietnamese people, the soil and water where they live is contaminated.

Similarly, during the "war on drugs," the US military sprayed Roundup and other chemicals on fields to destroy coca plants and other plants used in the manufacturing of drugs. This killed a lot of crops that farmers needed to live, and caused major health problems in places such as Columbia. The US government said that people getting sick were lying and that Roundup was just as safe as table salt. (A statement that did not age well.)

So chemical companies make money off arming the USA military. The American lawn care industry, and the agricultural system, therefore originates in more than one way from the United States's war-mongering.

The other major way is described in this article (which I highly recommend), which describes how after WW2, chemical plants used for manufacturing explosives were changed into fertilizer producing plants, but chemical companies couldn't market all that fertilizer to farmers, so they invented the lawn care industry. No exaggeration, that's literally what happened.

This really changes my perspective on all the writings about fixing the agricultural system. The resources are biased towards the use of chemicals in agriculture because the companies are so powerful as to make outreach and research for non-chemical methods of agriculture really hard to fund. All the funding is in finding new ways to spray chemicals or spraying slightly different chemicals, because that's what you can actually get ahold of money to look into. It is like the research has to negotiate a truce with the chemical companies, suggesting only solutions that won't cause lower profits.

Meanwhile my respect for Amaranth is skyrocketing.

Who would win: The USA military-industrial complex or one leafy boi

[whereispearlescentmoon]

Ranking current wild life bases on fire safety:

Bdubs, Tango, and Etho (Tuff Guys): That sure is a deepslate and copper fort and a dug out basement! And a moat! No wood here! 10/10

Cleo, Impulse, Pearl, and Scott (The Final Girls/GGGG):We have a cobblestone wall and a basement. The basement is partially wood so that’s gonna dock some points but overall 9/10

Mumbo, Grian, and Skizz(Subones): They live in a mountain side. There is no wood in the main part of the base so that’s good. However, their upper bridges are entirely wood and thus will be gone, as will the railing on the lower bridge. I can already see them getting stuck on a burning bridge. 6/10

Joel and Gem (The Family/Fast and Furious): Joel’s car is safe due to being almost entirely deepslate and diorite but he’s made the floor wood, and Gem’s barn will be absolutely ravaged by flames mark my words. Easy to escape but you made the bridge out of wood. 3/10

Ren and Martyn (Renchanting 2.0?): Oh that’s wood. That’s all wood. However, there’s water built it for an escape route! 4/10

Jimmy, Lizzie, and Scar (Bamboozlers): Cherry wood staircase, scaffolding deathcoaster, and two parrots are the structures currently, though one parrot is made of mostly concrete so it isn’t flammable except the feet. It seems like the whole murder park thing is gonna be pretty substantially made of bamboo and cherry wood. Yeah this isn’t gonna last is it. And your only escape is to scale down the mountain. 3/10

BigB: That’s entirely wood. And your face. It will be burnt sooner rather than later, I don’t even think people are gonna wait to go red before they light it on fire. 0/10

[hometoursandotherstuff]

I think that this 1965 houseboat in Sausalito, CA was built to look a little wonky. The 2bd, 2ba, 1,309 sq ft floating home was completely renovated and is listed for $895k. I'm very surprised that there's no HOA.

Usually, houseboats are kind of tight. This one is a little roomier.

It has an interesting ceiling. When you walk thru the door, the kitchen is immediately on your right and the living room is straight ahead.

The kitchen is a small counter setup with a loft overhead.

I would say that it's more of a kitchenette.

It's nice and bright in here, though.

It has some nice leaded glass windows and some of the smaller windows along the roof line are tinted blue.

There's a small room to the left of the kitchen.

It has a window seat, small bed, and a skylight. Cute.

This bath is nice. Has a little bamboo-ish flair.

The primary bedroom is larger and located up in the loft. It has room for a sitting area and a desk. There're lots of windows and skylights up here, too.

This is quite a large area for a houseboat.

Look at the skylight right over the bed.

This home has another floor, though. Downstairs, there's a whole other apt.

This space looks roomier than the main floor. Maybe b/c it's not as cluttered.

There's also a nice big bedroom down here.

So, each person gets their own living quarters.

The bath down here even looks bigger.

And, the laundry room is down here, too.

Neighbors are very close when you live in a houseboat.

The path to the homes.

Usually the homes are in the water, but these look like they're in a muddy area, don't they? They're supposed to be in Richardson Bay, but it looks dry.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/21-Yellow-Ferry-Dock-Sausalito-CA-94965/332864080_zpid/

[wanderingsimsfinds]

Agnes Concrete Walls - 4 Presets - §5 - Rock & Stone - Original

Designer Painted Brick Walls - 8 Presets - §5 - Masonry - Original

Bamboo Walls - 6 Presets - §5 - Misc. - Original

Bamboo Floors - 6 Presets - §5 - Wood - Original

Bamboo Deck Floors - 8 Presets - §5 - Wood - Original

Caroline Tile Walls - 12 Presets - §5 - Tile - Original

Loft Herringbone Brick Walls - 6 Presets - §5 - Masonry - Original

Loft Horizontal Brick Walls - 6 Presets - §5 - Masonry - Original

Margaux Tile Walls - 6 Presets - §5 - Tile - Original

Sauna Wood Dock Walls - 7 Presets - §5 - Misc. - Original

Sauna Wood Dock Floors - 7 Presets - §5 - Wood - Original

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

4t3 Syboulette Build Conversions Pt 1 - Originals by @syboubou

DOWNLOAD (SFS) (MediaFire)

[heavenlyraindrops]

Change With the Seasons| Stardew Valley| Sebastian x Reader

♡♡♡♡♡♡ Chapter One: Moving In

♡♡♡♡♡♡

A/N: This is just gonna be a cute romance between Seb and the Farmer, aka Reader. If It’s also available on AO3 and Quotev. I’d visit the masterlist if I were you, since it contains trigger warnings + the story blurb (summary/ synopsis)

♡♡♡♡♡♡

Chapter Summary: After moving in and getting accustomed to life at the farm, you happen to meet a certain someone on a rainy day by the docks.

♡♡♡♡♡♡

The wind whistled through the trees, snaking its way through your hair and causing the leaves to skitter. Immediately the breeze died down as soon as it picked up. 

You had just finished speaking to Major Lewis. Robin, the carpenter, however, had decided to stick around for some more conversation, an idea you weren’t completely against yet weren’t completely welcoming towards either. 

“You should definitely get to meeting all the townsfolk,” Robin said, eyes surveying the wooded, overgrown land. They flicked back to yours, and she smiled. “It’s not everyday we get a new person here in Pelican Town. So they’re all very eager to meet you.”

You smiled and nodded, as she continued:

“And you should meet my kids too. They live with me in the Mountains, oh, the mountains…”

As Robin went off on a long rant on how wonderful and fresh the crisp air of the mountains were, you looked out at the farm stretched before you. It was covered in rocks, wood, overgrown grass and trees. You winced at the thought of having to clean it all up. 

“Anyways, I won’t keep you any further!” Robin smiled, and left. 

You proceeded to dump your luggage on the bed, which creaked under the weight, and rolled your sleeves up. The first thing on your list today, you decided, was to go into town and see how it was. You had, after all, dropped your safe, stable life in Zuzu for this. 

The walk to the village wasn’t too long. You picked up a daffodil along the way, with no other reason than finding it pretty. Immediately you arrived at what seemed to be a clinic. You peered in, but it was closed. The building next to it had a large sign. Pierre’s General Store. A calendar nailed to the wall caught your attention- it was listing all the events and birthdays in town. A specific day seemed to jump out at you: Flower Dance. 

You’d have to ask Mayor Lewis about that. 

You put your hand on the door handle to Pierre’s store and pushed, but the doors refused to budge. It must have been locked, too. You checked your watch. It was only seven. That explained it. 

You wandered down a little, taking in the buildings and houses. You squinted at a small figure in the distance, loitering near a couple of flowers. Seemingly very interesting in them. 

As you moved closer, you realized that it was a little old woman, tending to the flowers. She smiled at you, and you smiled back. “You must be the new farmer. Welcome to the community, dear. I’m Evelyn. You can call me ‘Granny’ if you like.”

You flushed at her kindness. “Alright, Granny.”

She smiled and nodded, before heading inside a small blue house, claiming to go bake some cookies. 

You exhaled slowly, staring at the flowers. The spring sun seemed to glow off of everything, yet the breeze was cool. You felt a faint smile growing on your face. You’d like it here, in Pelican Town. You knew it. 

-

A week had passed. So had your doubts. 

Everyone in the town had been kind to you so far- so far, being the keyword as you hadn’t met many people yet. You’d woken up that morning with rain lashing down, pattering on the roof, echoing through the small cottage. With watering your rather small number of crops being taken care of, you’d decided to devote the day to fishing at the docks, ever grateful for the rather flimsy bamboo rod Willy had gifted you. 

The rain was pouring down harder than when you had left as you arrived at the docks. Your hair stuck to your forehead, slick with water, droplets of it rolling down your cheeks. You carefully picked your way across the docks, which had grown slippery. The sea was choppy, and occasionally hit against the supports of the docks but they were fortunately high enough from the water level. Yet still a few salty drops sprayed onto your face now and then. 

Being as drenched as you were all ready, you just decided to sit down on the edge of the dock, before casting out your rod. You didn’t even notice the man already sitting next to you amidst the whirling wind and drops of rain and seawater. You shivered, cold, before glancing to the side and-

“Oh!” You jumped in surprised, almost toppling off the dock and into the angry sea. “H-hello.”

The man stared at you in silence, the black strands of hair obscuring his face, making it unable to be seen properly, before turning back to the sea. “Hey.”

You’d never felt awkward with the people in Pelican Town until now. You forced a nervous smile, tilting your head. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there. You don’t mind if I sit here, right?”

He dug his hands into the pockets of his black sweatshirt, the moody look on his face deepening. “Whatever,” he muttered, then said under his breath, “The ocean’s better enjoyed alone, though.”

Your own frown hardened into a scowl. “What’s that supposed to mean?” It hadn’t even been ten seconds since you’d met this guy and you were already starting to feel a growing dislike for him.

“Nothing,” he said. You noticed the eyeliner around his eyes getting slightly messed up from the rain, and stared hard back out at sea. So much for everyone in the twon being nice. You must have jinxed it, or something. 

“What’s your name, anyways?” You asked, taking another stab at being friendly. 

“Sebastian,” came the blunt reply.

You stared at him again, for a moment. He caught you staring, and raised an eyebrow, an action which for some reason made your heart pound. “What?”

“Nothing.” You turned your attention back to the fishing rod. The weather was becoming harsher now, your clothes completely drenched through with droplets rolling down your face and arms. Thunder rolled and lightning flashed, making you jump and let out a small noise. Sebastian smirked and you glared at him. “What?”

“Nothing,” he said, clearly mocking you in such a subtle way you wouldn’t expect. You scowled, feeling something tug at the rod. It was a soggy newspaper. Feeling your face burn with embarrassment, you picked it up and scrunched it up in your hand before getting up and stomping down the dock, back towards your farm. 

“Nothing,” You muttered, mockingly. That day, you decided. 

You do not like Sebastian. 

[zhongrin]

𒆙 zhongli

part 7/8 of ⎡∞ / 𝟔 𝟎 𝟎 𝟎 ⁺⎦, a zhongli 2023 birthday event

© zhongrin | 2023  ✼  no repost・translations・plagiarism of any kind・ai data mining. rebloggers get a free cup of tea ♡

𖧷 tags ┈ fem!reader (you get called nǎinai), afab!reader (implied past pregnancy), you’re both grandparents with grandchildren, super domestic, teeth-rotting fluff, ocs: liwen & liwei

𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒻𝓊𝓁𝓁 𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓊 ❬ masterlist ❭ 𐫱 𝓂𝑒𝓂𝒷𝑒𝓇𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓅 ❬ taglist ❭

𝒾t would not be an over-exaggeration to say that there was no greater happiness at this moment than the way the innocent bright smiles of your grandchildren filled you up with warmth, even more so given the harbor’s chilly cold breezes of the night.

“yéye, nǎinai, bye bye!” the youthful cheers were just as energetic as ever despite the lateness of the night. the tiny mostly-humans waved at the both of you, some jumping and bouncing like overexcited hatchlings, others in a calmer manner reminiscent of your husband’s temperament.

“don’t run!” you reminded them as you waved back, a fond smile stretching your lips as you watched them walk further and further into the distance. the same expression made itself home on your beloved’s face, even as your not-so-small family turned around the corner, vanishing from view. a poignant silence blanketed the two of you, the solemn tune of tranquility momentarily accompanied by the squawks of the gulls passing overhead.

a gloved hand settled on the small of your back, and you inhaled deeply in pensiveness before following the guiding push. zhongli led you towards the calm docks, making sure to choose the flattest paths so your bad knees would have the least strain. as if that wasn’t considerate enough, you knew he was also attentively judging your condition from the way you gripped his arm to help you walk.

he was ever so silent and yet, you knew his head was full of many things. he seemed to be getting especially contemplative with each of the years that passed lately.

“….. liwen is turning out to be a wise mother,” he remarked after a few minutes of silence, “perhaps she had unconsciously learned the art of parenting from dealing with all of liwei’s sudden bursts of high energy ever since they were young, do you think?”

“perhaps… but i think she learned it from you,” you chuckled, “just like how she’d perfectly replicated your special slow-cooked bamboo shoots soup.”

“to be more specific, your slow-cooked bamboo shoots soup.”

“oh, i forgot about that,” you snickered, “’soup so good even rex lapis is hopelessly infatuated with it!’…. that past self of mine sure has great foresight, hm?”

“that you did, my dear,” zhongli chuckled, eyes twinkling just like that day, but this time with his convivial smile in full view. he had long since felt comfortable enough to bare himself in front of you, knowing that you would never turned up your nose against him across all of your lifetimes.

your conversation temporarily halted so you could focus on climbing up the small steps of stairs with zhongli’s help. a series of huffs and puffs later, you sighed deeply, one hand pressed onto your cheek as your husband paused in your walk just so you could take a little breather, “dear me…. i think for your next birthday i’ll have to spend it in a wheelchair.”

“then i shall be sure to speak to master zhang to get the commission started,” zhongli smiled, “may i propose a mechanism so it can only be pushed by someone who wields geo elemental energy?“

there he goes, flirting with you again.

“and whatever will i do when i need someone to help me push the wheelchair while you’re not around, hmm?“

“are you implying i will just abandon you at the side of the road? after all these years? you wound me, darling.”

“you’re so dramatic, i swear to rex lapis.”

eyes rolling, you shared a chuckle before continuing on your way back to your modest shared abode.

as you walked, golden shadows of the past clouded your eyes, the ghosts of the past playing moments remembered before the deserted streets, unconsciously creating an upward curl on the corners of your lips.

you saw the first time you walked back home, with the newborn twins tucked safely within yours and zhongli’s arms: with you panicking internally, because dear gods you were not ready for two babies, while zhongli merely gave you a comforting smile and tried to calm your nerves with his soothing reassurances. you saw the two of you chasing the two toddlers, nearly knocking over the pots of marigolds on your front porch: zhongli panicking because liwei’s shapeshifting had gone out of control and he was practically zooming about everywhere in his dragon form, while you couldn’t help but laugh at your husband’s attempts to lead him back home without attracting too many eyes. you saw the two of you seeing off the twins, the first day they insisted on going to school by themselves, because ‘all the big kids do it and we’re big kids!’: the both of you the most anxious you had ever been in your lives, despite knowing big brother xiao would be faithfully watching the little ones and would never allow any harm to befall them.

so many memories, so many years, so many birthdays... passed in the blink of an eye.

“hey, li…,“ you hummed and squeezed his arm with your wrinkled fingers, “…….. happy birthday. even if i won’t be here to say it next year, make sure to spend it with our family, okay?”

“yes, darling.”

“don’t get too lonely, okay? i’ll be back in your arms again before you know it.”

“…. i know, my dear.”

in actuality, he would gladly spend hundreds of birthdays without you, just to spend one birthday with you. but had he told you this, he had a feeling it would add a sad frown onto your lovely face, so he refrained. so instead, he planted a kiss onto your forehead, lined and creased with age and wisdom, with a fond whisper that carried the weight of his devotion.

“i know you always will.”

𖧷 𝓂𝑒𝓂𝒷𝑒𝓇𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓅 ❬ taglist ❭ ┈ @abyssmal-skies | @hamdehlesmis | @depressivecomforts | @sunnshineflxwer | @yuutasbabe | @queen-belial | @stygianoir | @silentmoths | @niktwazny303 | @dustofthedailylife | @marina-and-the-memes | @mixed-kester | @lordbugs | @anonymousficreader | @shizunxie | @ansy-tea | @irethepotato | @sassy-cat-in-town | @syrenkitsune | @smokipoki | @cakeboxie | @crystalflygeo | @ciexuvia | @illaasya | @celestewritestoomuch | @pams-comfortzone | @spidermanluvr444 | @ourstrawberryclouds | @ryuryuryuyurboat

[refigiowen]

Process Of Odyssey (subject to change)

Overview:

After a great calamity most of the world was swallowed by the oceans and only a few larger landmasses remain. One of these landmasses is New Ijssel, a powerful nation ruled over by an organization known as "The Guild". The Guild was responsible for developing all the technology used in New Ijssel, for example the machines that keep the waters from swallowing the country whole - The Steambreathers.

Not far from new Ijssel is the island of Gehenna, a paradise of resources and minerals. For a long time this island was one of the most important pieces of land for The Guild, until one day any and all communication with New Ijssel was cut off - to this day no one knows why. And it stayed this way for many years, until relations to the other nations began to become more strained and the idea of a war was on the horizon. And so The Guild brought together a party of prisoners to investigate the island and restore communication with the island. Should these prisoners be able to restore communication with and essentially reclaim Gehenna, their death sentence would get voided and the Guild would grant them any one thing of their desire.

After barely surviving their journey to Gehenna, the party was met with ruins and traces of a once prosperous civilization. But before they could notify the Guild about anything, the Guild cuts off any communication with the group until they find the cause - leaving them stranded. And so the prisoners wander across this barren and empty island, trying to understand what went down here and how the Guild was involved in all of this.

The group of prisoners consists of 4 members, they are as follows:

Illinca (protagonist)

A satyr woman who was thrown into jail and sentenced to death after committing a great crime. The Guild classified the details as top secret.

Illinca is described as a kind woman of few words. Despite not talking a lot to those around her, she values conversations and smalltalk. She also indulges in a drink or two from time to time. She claims to know Michikatsu, another member, well but tends to avoid him due to unknown circumstances.

Michikatsu (deuteragonist)

A middle aged man of unknown origin. He was sentenced to death after causing the death of several Guild troops by only moving his hand. He wears a black business suit and has short, messy black hair. His skin is rather pale for unknown reasons. The Guild has no idea who he is, despite wearing a suit no records of him ever working for a company exist.

Personality wise he seems to be rather sarcastic, almost like he doesn't take others that serious. Despite that, he is often made fun of by the others.

He utilizes a power known as the "Twilight". What it is exactly is unknown.

Him and Illinca share a history together and at first seem to dislike the other, but over the course of their journey their relationship quickly changes.

(Inspiration for Michikatsu, basically what he looks like lol)

Sancho (still W.I.P)

A loud, talkative young woman who was sentenced to death after massacring an entire squad of Guild troops and many civilians.

She claims to wish to return to her homeland, wherever that may be. This prisoner cannot operate without tasting blood every few hours.

Kim (still W.I.P)

Inspired by Bamboo Hatted Kim from Library Of Ruina and Limbus Company

Locations in Gehenna:

Morrowfield (Main City)

Morrowfield Plains (surrounding area)

Summer's Docks

W.I.P

Note:

I want to implement more abilities for characters, something similar to magic but a lot simplier.

This is only gonna be a Oneshot (a demo of sorts) for now until i feel like Process Of Ruin is at a point where i can put it on hold.

Also, i need to come up with a better name ASAP.

[blueiscoool]

2,200-Year-Old Bronze Artifacts Uearthed in China

While exploring an ancient site in China, a team of archaeologists recently stumbled upon an abundant trove of ancient bronze objects dating back at least 2,200 years. Among their finds were plates, tripods, decorative ornaments — and a collection of swords.

Experts were exploring one of three sprawling sites in Shaoxing, officials from the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology said, according to a Feb. 7 post from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The three sites are known as Tingshan, Nanshantou and Nanshan.

The sites — and the ruins and artifacts found during excavations — date to China’s Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States era, which lasted from 770 B.C. until about 221 B.C.

Archaeologists also found the ruins of a large building and other ancient remains while exploring the three sites. Here’s what they discovered.

SWORDS AND OTHER BRONZE ARTIFACTS

The seven swords and bronze artifacts were unearthed at the Nanshan site, officials said.

Of the seven swords, only three were completely preserved. Two fragments from the weapons had characters engraved on them, according to archaeologists.

Experts also found pottery, porcelain, metalware, bamboo, wood artifacts, and plant and animal remains.

Among the animal remains, they found evidence of cattle, pigs, deer, fish and rare horses. There were also leftover grains and the remains of vegetables and fruits.

A LARGE CEREMONIAL BUILDING

At the Tingshan site, archaeologists found the ruins of what they believe was once a large ceremonial public building.

Experts unearthed part of the building’s foundation: an east-west wall spanning about 180 feet long and a north-south wall spanning about 30 feet wide.

Whoever built the ancient structure likely dug the foundation’s trench and then placed a ground beam with attached columns into the trench, according to officials.

Archaeologists unearthed the building’s intricate column network, including exquisitely decorated and painted pillars.

AN ANCIENT WHARF AND SACRIFICIAL PIT

In another area of the Tingshan site, experts identified the ruins of an ancient wharf, known as the Linshui Wharf.

Archaeologists discovered three organized rows of wooden stakes left from the ancient dock-like structure.

They also found the remains of a sacrificial pit — still filled with offerings.

The pit held artifacts, including charcoal and food, according to officials.

Shaoxing is in the Zhejiang province in eastern China.

By MOIRA RITTER.

[discos-abandoned-blog]

-> A fairly small woman was simply looking around, her head and face shadowed by her massive hat and shimmery veil. Her braids seemed to twitch as if they were alive.... - @windswept-ocs [BAMBOO FLUTE]

A man sat on the dock. His long and fluffy dog-like tail laid flat against the wood. He was dressed like someone from Thieves Den. His back faced the woman as he was tracing shapes in the water. His tail twitched when he heard her boots clink against the dock.

“May we help you?”

[xaz-fr]

A Leap In Magic 5/5

Christ I meant to have this finished like 4 months ago. Anyway. This is the end and I'm giving away two of the babies specifically to LORE CLANS who want some inter-clan interaction. I'm specifically giving away the Jaguar (girl) and the Python (boy). If you're interested please hit up my messages or you can PM me on FR (xaz). These are Leap Year dragons (so they are adults) and their parents will never breed again. So they're quite special. This is not first come first serve and I'm not above just keeping all three.

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There weren’t many maren left who called the lagoon around the Windsinger’s Tale home. Only those most loyal to the clan or their dragon friends stayed. They’d kept the bottom of the ship in fairly good repair still. But today was not an inspection.

Nadalin sat on the edge of the dock, her hatchlings under her wing. They were sleeping in the shadow of her protective wing. Ars was talking to the elder of the small group of maren. It was a heavy day today. These hatchlings couldn’t stay here. They’d grow Silenced too and Ars knew nothing would break Nadalin’s heart like watching her children go Silent. She didn’t love sending her children away but it was one heartbreak over another. Ars was confirming with the elder about the plan.

A skiff was brought forward made of native Labyrinth hardwood and bamboo that grew along the banks of the lagoon. Three large thresher tailed maren pulled it and brought it up to the dock. The skiff was lined with some pillows and blankets, baskets of food, for the journey away from the lagoon and out into the Gladeveins and beyond.

Swallowing Ars turned to his sister. “Nadalin,” he said. “It’s time.”

She looked over at him, her wind-full eyes sad. “Already?” she asked.

“Yes. I’m sorry,” he couldn’t help but say even though they’d both agreed. It had even been Nadalin’s idea to call upon their maren friends.

“Alright,” she said softly and got to her feet. She picked up one of the hatchlings and brought them to the skiff. Ars took the second and third as Nadalin bundled them in a blanket and pillow. She stepped out of the skiff looked at them and then left, walking away quickly, back through the docks into the ship.

“Is she alright?” the elder asked.

“She knows what she’s doing is right but it pains her,” Ars said.

“Ah. We know that feeling well. We will look out for these children and find them new homes,” he promised.

“I know,” Ars said looking at his nieces and nephews. They wouldn’t wake for some time. He knew that. He knew because he’d put a sleep spell on them. It wouldn’t be until they were out of range of the Windsinger’s Tale that they’d start to wake. Hopefully the maren would find homes for them quickly and this Silenced clan would just be a bad dream from a time when they were small. He sniffed. “Please, go now,” he said, voice thick.

“We will return home once our task is complete,” the elder said. Ars nodded solemnly. The elder sank beneath the water, mustered the three thresher tailed maren, and with great speed pulled the skiff towards the edge of the lagoon. Ars waited until the skiff was swallowed up by the Gladevein’s growth before following after his sister and heading back into the ship.

It was better this way.

It was better this way.

[bamboo-dock-and-minis]

Installing Bamboo Dock

Download Bamboo Dock from one of these three resources: -The Neocities Site that corresponds with this blog: https://bamboo-dock-and-minis.neocities.org/

-Software Informer (Dock and Default Minis Only): https://bamboo-dock.software.informer.com/

-Silvia's Google Drive Backup: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BxunVPG7fvwUdlFHZ2tVdDF3OXM?resourcekey=0-_P7k1dZJbX9XHMxVNFEVfw&usp=drive_link

If you are using Windows 10 or later, you need manually set your computer's date to 2015 or earlier to install.

To do this, go to: Settings ---> Time and Language Turn off the option to "Set time automatically" Click the [Change] button under "Set the time and date manually" Adjust the year and click [change] to save. When you are done installing the dock, you may turn back on the option for "Set time automatically" without losing access to using the Dock.

Step 1: Open and run the dock_setup application.

Follow the install wizard. This will add the base Bamboo Dock application to your computer, along with the default minis. The default minis are: Input Panel, Landmarker, Mona Lisa, Bamboo Paper, Free The Bird, and Mood Tuner. Mood Tuner may not work without installing it again in step 2.

Step 2: To add additional minis, proceed to

How to Install Minis to Bamboo Dock: https://www.tumblr.com/bamboo-dock-and-minis/738633489320230912/how-to-install-minis-to-bamboo-dock

Moving installation from one computer to another

Download Bamboo Dock from one of the three resources above for the install file for Dock and install the dock on your new computer.

On your old computer, go the the Wacom folder in the same way as Step 6 for installing Minis. Copy the "widgets" folder and the "icons" folder onto something like a USB drive to move them to your new computer.

On your new computer, move the "widgets" and "icons" folders to the Wacom folder (step 6 for installing Minis), replacing the "widgets" and "icons" folders that are there from installing the Dock. Make sure the Dock is completely closed when doing this.

Troubleshooting: If you see this even after setting your computer's date to 2015:

Close the installer. You will need to adjust the date to 2010 instead, and then you may launch the installer again.

Refuses to install:

If the Dock refuses to install, close the installer and please check that you do not have it already listed under your programs. If you do, uninstall that listing first before running the installer again. The installer will not work if there is a copy of the Dock installed to your computer already.

Please also check to make sure that the copy you already have is not one that contains non-default Minis not available on this site by looking at the files and running it. If it does, you should not uninstall it, but should proceed to step 2 instead. If you are able, please email me those missing Minis at magsciar@gmail.com.

[wistrea]

" hey , " he starts , kinda quiet , a little awkward as he shifts his weight and can't bring himself to meet her eyes , " don't know if you celebrate , but . . . " he's pausing to give himself the courage to continue . can't let his efforts go to waste , after all . gotta let her know he cares , even if he's kind of bad at it . " i got ya something . "

and , he begins to shuffle around his bag , cursing himself silently for not just using the armiger for this . so much for thinking the sentiment would matter when he can't even bring out the stuff to give her . damn box stuck in a bag . he sighs , but it blends with a sort of self - deprecating laugh , and finally he pulls out two cans of ebony and a tackle box . fishing rods specifically get a place in the armiger , and he was thinking he'd give her one of his best : the tranquility rod , crafted from bamboo and infused with magic .

" here . " he passes her the premium canned black coffee and gestures for her to follow him , " the rest'll come by the dock . "

a smirk adorns his features , but he's turned completely opposite of her now . " oh yeah , and happy birthday . " he says , as if he just remembered .

if she had never sought out the answer, kira wasn't sure she would ever know when her supposed birthday was. it was not as though she was born to a mother, met only with the cold embrace of steel that had once stood as a testament to niflheim's ingenuity that went hand-in-hand with it's madness. the day she came to life was more akin to a manufacturing date more than anyone, hence her lack of celebration. she had mentioned the date once, in passing. that kind of information was something she considered inconsequential to anything, not something she'd bother with, and yet for some odd reason, noctis had remembered it. not only that, but cared enough to actually get her something for that day that should have passed as any other, just as it did the years prior.

curiosity remained behind her furrowed brow as she pushed herself up from where she had been sitting to walk over to the king of lucis; she would have found the sight of him fumbling amusing if not for her confusion overshadowing it. ❛    oh.    ❜  she couldn't hide how surprised she sounded when he suddenly passed the cans of ebony to her, and her finesse seems to have faltered for a moment when she almost clumsily took it into her hands.

her first thought is that he needed someone to help carry this, and that she could do. [ ... ] but then, the realization that this was a gift to her settles in, and suddenly she does not know what to do. that's right, today was her birthday. the day that simply passes her by without a second thought. and these were gifts to her. ❛    there's more?    ❜ she sounded bewildered. what she had in her hands was already more than enough to her. him remembering was more than she thought to ask for.

for a moment, all kira can do is stand there and stare at the can in her hand, before a small smile lifted her lips. it only takes a few steps for her to catch up with him, walking side by side. she leaned over and lightly bumped his arm with her own. ❛    i think this is the first time this day's actually felt like my birthday. thank you, noctis.    ❜

@royalarms kira birthday 2024!

[no-truth-left]

1.006 - Examine the purse's contents

Her hands clutch at the strap of her purse as her eyes dart to the water. The ripples remain, but they come no further. Perhaps… Perhaps they are water bound? Perhaps they can't come out? Is she safe on land?

That wordless emotion scrapes at her like thorns. Run. Run. Run run run runrunrunrunrun.

Biting her lip, she shoves the feeling down. It doesn't even feel like her, so it's an easy task.

She moves to the edge of the lot and sits on a broken piece of concrete. She holds the purse in her lap and a playful calico kitty face smiles up at her, mischief clear in its expression. She smiles back at it fondly.

She remembers buying this half-price after the new year celebrations. It had been tucked in ripped wrapping, squashed between two wilted potted bamboo plants. She had also purchased the plants, the sad, dejected things. She couldn't help it. Now they thrive in her apartment.

A sigh escapes her as she unzips the purse. Did amnesia always work like this? She couldn't remember her name, but could remember buying her purse and parts of her apartment.

The purse holds a myriad of treasures; her wallet, a set of keys, a cell phone (no power and no charger), a pill bottle, a lighter, and a pocket knife.

She picks up the pill bottle first. Estradiol, it says. Ah. That's right. She glances at her socks, blue, pink, and white striped. She's trans.

Has she taken her hormones recently? That question gets no answer. Tomorrow morning, then. First thing.

She pulls out the wallet, its handmade stitches and playful kitty fabric making her smile. She is unbuttoning it when she sees movement out of the corner of her eye. One of the dock workers is approaching her. They're still far away, but based on the trajectory, it's definitely her they're walking toward.

She glances towards the rippling water. Her grip on the wallet tightens.

[myfanfic-urfantrash]

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

(...but I am very very lost.) - [7]

Kazuha and GN!Reader

CW: Injury mention, medical treatment, and physical therapy.

A/N: Honestly got inspired from my own physical therapy I did months ago. Would have written this sooner but you know life be like that and I'm currently obsessed with other things :3c

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Physical therapy with Kazuha sounds like a dream.

Well a dream where you're injured and in pain and it's all not actually very dream like know that you think about it. But it sounds like a dream anyway.

Everyday for about an hour or so you would have physical therapy.

You'd think it was just your arms that needed the therapy but resting for so long with minimal movement(alongside your rather sedentary lifestyle-) caused your muscles and the like to atrophy so here you are in pain but you're a trooper, Kazuha's gentle praise definitely helps keep self doubt at bay.

You wish you could record it, you know it'd do numbers. Just imagine..."Kazuha Praise Asmr"…you begin to feel a bit guilty over what you may or may not have listened to before you crash landed here. Yeah. Just a little.

Now that you think about it you wish you deleted your search history...let's not think about it and focus therapy with Kazuha!

...That would also do numbers on U-Tube...anyways!

Kazuha's patient, not like he isn't always, and guides your limbs through the motions while adding minor resistance so you regain some strength in your body. You never realized how bad it was to stay sat inside all day not moving until now.

But did it have to hurt so much? Yes, yes it did.

It's not so much pain as it is underused muscles being pushed to their frankly tiny limits. But you pressed on, the softened clay you pinch with your fingers helping you build strength in your hands. As you struggled with the clay a knock was heard. Kazuha leaves your side to answer as you focus.

One...two...threeeee...!

Next finger one...two...threeee!

You sigh finally finished with your therapy for the day and flop onto your back on your bed.

"You've done well for today, I'm sure you won't have trouble holding your tea with one hand soon enough." You grimace remembering how you're so weak you can't hold much of anything without both hands, even then it's a struggle. Kazuha hums plopping himself beside you.

"I just got word that Beidou will be docking this afternoon,-" You sit up with frightening speed nearly startling Kazuha if he weren't already used to your antics. "-if you're feeling up to it we can head to the harbor-" You nod rapidly nearly giving yourself a dizzy spell if Kazuha didn't place a hand on top of your head.

He smiles clearly amused. "Alright we'll go," He stands up helping you stand alongside him. "-it'll be much farther out than what you're used to but it should be a good exercise for you."

He grabs a small satchel and fills it with your medication and another bamboo water bottle you still forget the name of. "We can see Doctor Baizhu while we're there as well." You nod again, giddy to finally get out of the hotel (read: house) for once.

You follow him outside the hotel waving at the owner and employees as you pass them by. You still forget their names but you consider them like family at this point with how often you see them. You're legs are still a little sore from physical therapy but you're excited to finally make it to the harbor itself.

You're slow but you manage to catch a golden leaf yourself this time as you walk past the easy to miss sign of the hotel. Kazuha smiles helping you climb the stone steps and you're stunned by how beautiful everything is from here.

Ships of varying sizes come to and from the harbor, from a distance the hustle and bustle of the people look like hard working ants as they make sure everything runs smoothly. You think you spot a head of blue and almost lose it at the idea of meeting Xingqiu and his friends but shake your head, one thing at a time. Kazuha holds your hand down the steep steps towards the main gate, making sure you don't fall while you try not to squeal at his hand in yours, you're chill you swear.

The guards greet you curiously but let you pass with no trouble. By the time you finish passing over the bridge your legs feel like jelly so you take a break on near by bench for a bit and take some of your medicine with a quick snack Kazuha bought you.

You pick at the bandages around your fingers. Normally you'd be put off by all the loudness and the size of the crowd around you but you've never been happier to be out than now. Now that you know that this isn't a dream you find yourself not minding it too much even if you miss some things of your own world like any friends and family you might've had.

Might've being the key word here you don't quite remember if you did have friends or if you even had a great relationship with your family. This should concern you but you truly find yourself not really caring...too much. Kazuha takes your hand in his own breaking your near spiral. He pats your bandaged hand gently with his own before standing up.

"Are you ready to continue? I can carry you if you still need rest." You shake your head before standing up, you'll let him carry you again later, perhaps on the way back but for now you'll stand on your own feet.

You sorta regret thinking that after walking up to Bubu Pharmacy.

WHY DID IT HAVE SO MANY STAIRS?! THIS IS NOT ADA COMPLIANT- wait what's an ADA?

You don't have time to think about that too deeply before Kazuha is kneeling to let you climb on to his back. Yay! Piggyback ride :D

You have no idea how you thought in emoji-what's an emoji- before you're at the top of the steps and inside Baizhu's shop the smell of herbs filling your nose.

Wow Doctor Baizhu is so pretty- Oh he's smiling!

You feel Kazuha's laughter through his back. Dang it, you must have spoken out loud again.

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[ 1 ]  /  [ 2 ]  /  [ 3 ]  /  [ 4 ]  /  [ 5 ]  /  [ 6 ] / [ 7 ] / [ 8 ] / [To be continued...]

[talesfromthegameff14]

Prompt #3: Tempest

“Papa!”, Terbish hollered before skidding to a halt in front of Aya to give him a hug.  It was ritual now when he went to the school in Doma to bring her home after her classes were done for the day.  The holler made sure he knew she was there and the hug was important, Papo had said so!  Aya smiled, squatting down to return the hug then ruffle Terbish’s hair.  She sputtered as usual, reaching up to smack at his hands to get him to stop. “Papaaa, stop.”  Straightening up, Aya chuckled and did stop as asked, letting his daughter fix up her hair as they walked. They wouldn’t walk the whole way home, it was impractical.  But a walk down to the river was habit from before his sight was diminished, stubbornness has kept the habit going and now they both enjoyed the time together before heading home. 

Silence settled over the pair, a quiet walk not unusual at all.  It let Aya listen, paying attention to the different sounds he heard to identify them, another habit he’s picked up.  He could tell that Terbish was almost fidgety next to to him.  She rarely ran off anymore, having mostly outgrown the ants in her pants stage of childhood.  So either she was thinking something over or her pack was heavy but she was being stubborn about asking for help.  Either was possible, so Aya simply waited to see which it would be or if she’d say anything at all. Neither spoke until Terbish broke the silence shortly after the rushing of the nearby river drowned out the rustle of wind through the bamboo reeds. “Papa, what does tempest in a teapot mean?”  “Tempest in a teapot? I’m not sure.  That sounds like something an Eorzean would say, where did you hear it?”  “From the visiting teacher at school, she’s got the funniest stories!  But she called me that today and I didn’t get a chance to ask her what it meant.” “You could ask her tomorrow.” “I don’t know if she’ll be there! And I want to know now!”  It was hard not to laugh, Terbish was learning patience but she wasn’t quite there yet.  For somethings it had to be now or she’d end up thinking herself into a tizzy.  Though, perhaps that was it?  “Think it through.  A tempest is something strong.”  And destructive, but he’s not going to mention that right now.  “A teapot is something small.  I think she was complimenting you on your strength.”  He could hear the aggravation in her voice, “Papa! I’m not small.”  To tease or not to tease?  No, not tonight.  He wanted a peaceful evening at home.  “But you are strong.”  “Am I?” That almost broke his heart, but he nodded solemnly instead. Aya wanted her to have the confidence to do whatever she chose, to be able to grab life by both hands.  This was suddenly far more important than he initially thought.  “You are, you always have been.  Look at how far you’ve come!  Even in the caves you wanted to be free, to see the sun, to feel it on your face and dance with the light from it.  You wanted that while others hid, afraid of their own shadows.”  Silence then, the not so young anymore girl thinking it through carefully.  Abruptly she let out a whoop of joy.  “She was right then, I am a Tempest!  I am strong!” Terbish gave Aya an impulsive hug.  “Race you to the docks! I’m going to beat you this time!”  And there she goes, feet pounding across the ground.  For a moment Aya was stunned, they hadn’t raced since.. Well too long.  Then he laughs and chases after her, “Maybe you will this time.  Maybe you will.”