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hannahbarberra162 · 2 months ago

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Best in Show (OS Halloween Special ft. Heart Pirates)

on Ao3

GN!Reader x Law ft. your favorite shitheads. No smut, all fluff.

A Halloween silly. Suspend your disbelief. Extra sillies at the end.

WC: 5.8k

Warnings: none, all treats no tricks.

You've spent months preparing for the annual Pirate's Ball party on your island. Your costume is nearly perfect, you want to win first place. A few newfound friends help you along the way to victory.

You cursed as you entered the packed shop, trying to squeeze yourself between the many people all competing for last minute Halloween costumes. You were so annoyed at yourself for losing the final piece of your costume for tonight’s Halloween party. You’d completed your costume weeks ago and as you were doing the final try on, you realized you couldn’t find the hat you needed to complete your look. You spent hours scouring your apartment, but it was like the hat had gone to another dimension. Cursing, you decided to brave the costume shop on Halloween to try and find a replacement. It was a fool’s errand, but you really wanted to win best costume this year.

Your island was known for its annual Halloween parties that lasted through the whole month of October. During the other 11 months of the year, your island was boring, nothing of note ever happened. But during October, there were parties held every night, culminating in the raucous, rowdy, rambunctious costume party you’d be going to tonight. Tourists came from all over the Grand Line to enjoy the week leading up to the Pirate’s Ball. The annual theme of the Ball was Marines and Pirates, and you had to be dressed up to attend. It was the highlight of the year, and winning the costume contest was a huge mark of distinction. There were several categories, best individual costume, best couple, best group, and best crew. You’d spent months perfecting your costume, you put your best effort in to finally win best individual costume after years of trying.

Your friends would be going to the party too, but they weren’t as invested in winning as you were. They were going as some of the Strawhat Pirates, a popular choice for partygoers. At any given pirate themed party, there were sure to be a bunch of Nami and Robins, Boa Hancocks, Portgas D. Ace’s, Buggies, and even a bunch of Sanjis. Those costumes were easy to make at home - and they were also fairly sexy. You’d offered them to be members of the Heart Pirates with you, but they didn’t want to wear the iconic full body boiler suits.

Which is why you needed your Trafalgar Law costume to be absolutely perfect. Dressing up as Law was easy in principle, all you needed were jeans and a white tank top. He was a popular choice for a costume, but difficult to get right. But there were a lot of details in the costume that needed to be reproduced in order to be accurate. Law had a lot of tattoos, and not just the famous ones on his hands. He had Kikoku, his giant sword, and his feathery cowled jacket. Not to mention, his earrings, his hat, the markings on his pants…there was a lot you had to get right to have an exact Law costume. And you’d spent weeks upon weeks making sure you had everything exactly right, you were going to be the best Law at the party.

But now, all of that was for naught, because you’d lost your precious, fluffy, puffy, white Trafalgar Law hat. You’d spent so long on it too, looking through different versions of his wanted posters to make sure that your hat was realistic. It made you want to cry, thinking of all the hours spent hunched over the stupid hat, adding dot after dot. The shop sold new and used wares, maybe you’d be lucky like you were the time you found a Kikoku replica during the off season. You didn’t think your luck would get you that far but you were hopeful that there would be a white hat you could quickly paint on in the costume shop. Even then you weren’t sure that it would be dry in time for the party, causing you to groan in frustration once more.

Taking a deep breath, you pushed your way through the throngs of people towards the hat section. It was in the back of the store, near the try-on rooms, so you had to shove your way past other customers looking for last minute Admiral or pirate costumes. Finally making it to where you needed to go, you hurriedly looked through the hat trees, trying to find anything that would work. You saw some Chopper hats, some Sabo hats, a bunch of Portgas D. Ace hats, even a Mihawk hat, but nothing that would work for Trafalgar Law. You were close to tears, both of anger and sadness, when you saw It. It was puffy, white, with the leopard spots that were so hard to reproduce. It even was broken in the middle of the brim, like his was. It was a perfect Trafalgar Law hat.

It was sitting on top of a glass table by the try on stalls, along with other clothes that had been discarded by would-be buyers. You quickly snatched the hat, still warm from whoever had tried it on before, and stuffed it under your arm. You needed to buy it and get out of the store quickly, in case whoever set it down had any second thoughts. Pushing your way to the checkout counter you saw one of your friends, Tim, in retail hell working the register. Holding up the hat, you made eye contact with them and threw down your Berri by the register. All the hats were the same price, you’d bought many from the store before. Tim grunted, taking your money, as some lady argued about the price of the Koby costume she was buying for her son.

“Thanks, Tim. See you tonight!” you yelled over the din of customers scrambling for last minute costumes.

“Remember, pregame at Zoey’s!” he replied, ignoring the growing indignation of the customer in front of him. You didn’t envy his position, but as a nurse you’d already put in your hours with shitty people for the week. You had the day and tomorrow off, and you were going to enjoy it. Sure, you had to trade working New Years to get it off…for the next three years…but if you won the contest tonight, it would be worth it.

Clutching the hat to your chest, you pushed your way out of the store with your prize. You were elated, finally something had gone your way! The first half of the week had been a total shitshow, literally. As a nurse, you were familiar with the various fluids the human body had to offer, but that didn’t mean you wanted to see them all on your clothes. Or shoes. Or hair. It had been a rough few shifts, but the Pirate’s Ball was your guiding light. Walking briskly, you headed home to try on your completed costume and get ready for the night’s activities.

A few hours later, you were on your way to Zoey’s with Kikoku slung over your shoulders. You’d spent endless amounts of time in front of the mirror, painting Law’s signature tattoos over your skin. Your costume was exact, you’d practiced his mannerisms, you’d even brought a little LED light to put in your hand for his Devil Fruit power. Opening the door to Zoey’s apartment, you declared “SHAMBLES!” and stepped inside. Your friends, in various states of pregaming, applauded you. You’d had the same group of friends for a few years now, some from nursing school, some from university, some locals from town.

“Incredible! You look just like him!” Zoey said, holding your hand to spin you in a circle.

“Thank you Zoey-ya, I spent so long on this, but it’s gonna be worth it,” you said with determination, “I’m gonna win Best Pirate.” You made your declaration more official by unsheathing your metal Kikoku and drawing it like Law did. Of course, your Kikoku was dull and not functional, but it still looked cool. Laughing, Zoey handed you a drink, and the night began in earnest.

An hour later, you were tipsy and waiting in line with your friends to get into the Pirate’s Ball. You eyed the competition with a growing knot in your stomach. You hadn’t prepared for the competition to be this good. Showing your ticket to the bouncer, you and your friends were allowed into the party. You’d been to the venue many times before, not just during the Pirate’s Ball. The stage was at the back of the main floor, with stairs on either side going to the upper deck. Most of the place was open dance floor, with the bar situated by the main entrance. The venue had been decorated to look like the deck of the Oro Jackson, complete with sails hanging from the ceiling. The dim lights of the bar and the bumping music shrouded the attendees with a perfect amount of anonymity to give in to wild desires.

Most of the guests had come in conventional pirate costumes. You saw a ton of Portgas D. Aces, Boas, and Buggys. As expected, there were also a lot of Namis and Sanjis, Robins, Rogers, Marcos, and Zoros. There were other pirates represented too, like Hongo, Rayleigh, Cracker, Bartolomeo, and Thatch, but for the most part people dressed up as the regular fan favorites. You went up to the bar to get yourself another drink, in the hopes of finding some liquid courage.

You were confident that you looked good, but you weren’t all that comfortable being on stage. It was a requirement of the competition that all entrants present their costumes in front of the audience in addition to the judges. A lot of people had fun with it, acting like the pirates or Marines that they dressed up as. It added an element of showmanship to the event, people imitating the pirates who were so often in the news and changing the course of the world. It was important to do well on the presentation because a particularly strong performance could make up for any inconsistencies in costumes.

Walking up to the table with the sign up for the costume contest, you saw that the list of individual costumes was already in the teens. The list for couples was even longer, it was the most popular event of the night. However, the one for groups was the shortest, with only a few names listed. Contestants needed a minimum of three people to enter as a group but couldn’t be the entire crew. Wishing again that your friends had wanted to join you, you scanned the crowd and sipped your drink.

Sipping turned to gulping as you saw the competition at hand. There was an unbelievable Big Mom, an outstanding Mihawk, an excellent Crocodile, and even a really well executed Franky complete with robotic arms. Your likelihood of winning the individual competition was dwindling before your eyes. Now on your second drink at the bar, you wondered if you’d be able to find two other people willing to be in a group with you. You’d found a bunch of Luffys, but no one was dressed as Eustass Kid. There was a Bepo milling through the crowd, but you’d already talked to him. He was in a “First Mates” group with a Zoro and a Killer. Besides, his costume wasn’t even that good, you thought. The insignia on the boiler suit wasn’t correctly placed and the orange of his boiler suit wasn’t the right shade.

Swaying to the music, you were trying to enjoy your time and keep yourself from overthinking. Your new strategy was to drink until your worries went away, which was why you were already on your third cocktail. Whereas earlier on you had been leaning against the wall with your arms crossed, like Law probably would, but now you danced with your friends and chatted with other party goers. The real Law would probably have an aneurysm from so much socialization, but you’d lost the plot anyway. You’d deluded yourself into thinking you could win this year, but at least you could have fun at the party. You were finishing off your drink when you saw them from the bottom of your glass.

A Shachi and a Penguin, on the first floor by the stage. Their costumes were impeccable, exactly replicating the real pirates you’d read so much about. The Shachi had even put caps on his teeth to mirror the sharp bite of the pirate he was emulating. The Penguin’s hat was exactly right, and they even had the tattoos that the real pirates did, something most people missed in their costumes. Now on the other side of tipsy, you had the bravery to come up to your “brothers” from the North Blue. Stomping down the stairs, you approached the Shachi and Penguin like the Captain you were. You hoped they were maybe a duo, or going for best couple, and were available for a group costume.

“Shachi-ya, Penguin-ya,” you intoned in your best imitation of Law’s deep voice, “join me for the group contest.” The pair looked at one another, but it was difficult to decipher their reactions since the Shachi was wearing his iconic triangle sunglasses and the Penguin’s eyes were obscured by his hat, just like the real pirates. “I’m j-just kidding,” you said, breaking character. “I was hoping you guys would want to join me for the costume contest, maybe for a group entry? There would be three of us, and your costumes are immaculate,” you said, gesticulating a little too much. The Shachi grinned widely, showcasing his pointed teeth.

“Why, Captain, I wasn’t expecting to see you at the party,” he said, looking you over. “Peng, I think we have the time to help out our dear brother, right? And look, you even have our Captain’s hat,” he exclaimed, nudging the Penguin.

“Of course I do,” you scoffed, “I’m Trafalgar D. Water Law, Captain of the Heart Pirates. I always wear this h-hat. And this scowl.”

“We are at your beck and call, Captain,” the Penguin said, saluting you. “Tell us what to do and we’ll follow your orders, like always.”

You laughed and clapped your hands. This was great! You checked with Shachi to make sure they weren’t signed up for another bracket and once you confirmed, you ran to put your names on the registry. They hadn’t told you their real names, so you just put the names of the pirates along with your civilian name. With all the drinks flowing and people getting loose, the hosts would understand if a few names weren’t exactly right.

Hurrying back to your new crewmates, you found the Shachi and Penguin looking at the bar menu. Since they were now working for you (and you felt indebted to them for agreeing so easily to join in the contest) you decided to treat them. You’d worked a lot of overtime in the weeks leading up to the Ball and you had plenty of Berri to burn on drinks.

Clapping them on the shoulders, you had to yell in order to be heard over the noise of the bar. “Boys-ya! Order what you want! Drinks are on me tonight!” Grinning at one another, the men saluted you enthusiastically.

“Aye aye Captain!”

“Order me something too, whatever Law…I mean whatever you know I like,” you hollered to Penguin.

“Yes, Sir!” Penguin agreed, flashing you a dimpled smile. If you hadn’t known they were wearing costumes, you would have thought they were the real Heart pirates. You’d spend months looking for a wig the exact color of Shachi’s hair but never found one, unlike the Shachi in front of you. Talking with one another easily, the two men obviously were friends outside of the party and quickly brought you a drink. Your face soured as the heavy stout hit your taste buds.

“What’s wrong Captain? Not enjoying your favorite drink tonight?” Shachi asked, gently nudging your ribs with his elbow.

“Of course not, I, Trafalgar D. Water Law, love this terrible beer,” you declared solemnly, to the laughter of the men. With so much alcohol in your system already you could tolerate the dark stout. Besides, it would help for the contest that was about to start if it really was the Captain’s favorite drink.

“Hey, how do you know the Captain’s full name?” Penguin asked while sipping the appletini he ordered.

“Oh, um, I r-read all the articles he publishes,” you answered while swigging from your beer. “He publishes his full name on his sci-scientific papers.” You wanted to talk to the Shachi and Penguin more about what to do for the contest but the crowd had already quieted for the MCs to begin hosting the competition. The three of you huddled together near your larger group of friends and waited for your turn to be called up to the stage.

Watching the show made you glad you’d removed yourself from the solo competition. The individual bracket had a splendid turn out and you got to enjoy performances from many “pirates.” You thought the two standouts were the Big Mom who pretended to give birth to dolls, as well as an incredibly executed Perona who even brought a Kumae doll with her and had a "tantrum" on stage. Your stomach churned with the knowledge that you’d be the one on the stage soon which made your attention wander from the stage. Soon, the individual and couples segments had run their course and it was time for the group presentations.

You couldn’t stand still as you waited for your turn in the group, stagefright consuming your thoughts. Shachi and Penguin, both on their third drink, were lounging and chatting and unaffected by the coming spotlight.

“Hey, Cap, you alright there?” Shachi asked while swirling his Old Fashioned.

“Y-yeah, just…I don’t like being in the spotlight,” you replied while peeking to the stage, watching a goth family of Perona, Zoro, and Mihawk pretend to bicker.

“Neither does the real Law,” Penguin assured you while patting your back.

“Yeah, he only likes to show off in battle,” agreed Shachi, laying his arm across your shoulder. Your brow furrowed at the information.

“How do you know that? I’ve never heard anything like that and I think I’ve read everything about the man that’s been printed,” you asked.

“We..uh, watch every snailfilm we can find on him....we’re...um, superfans!” exclaimed Penguin.

“Yeah! And uh, doesn’t it seem like him too? He can be so humble, ” Shachi remarked with a serious nod.

“You’re right, it would be in character. What should we do when we’re on the stage? I’ll go first and then you guys can come -”

“We got this. We’ve uh…practiced before,” Penguin interrupted. You nodded while swallowing the lump in your throat. Your turn was next and you were filled with nervous energy you needed to quell.

“Switch drinks with me,” you demanded while holding out your half full glass of beer.

“Yes, Captain!” Penguin said, switching the dark brew for a Cosmo. Being the Captain had its perks, it seemed. Maybe you’d reconsider becoming a pirate if it meant handsome men at your beck and call.

“And how did you know this is his favorite drink?” you asked suspiciously.

“Everyone knows he’s from the North Blue,” Penguin explained. “That’s the most popular beverage in that area. It was just a guess,” he finished with a shrug. Your names were called and you had no more time for talking. You chugged the rest of the martini and ambled on stage, pulling out all the Law-like mannerisms you’d practiced in the mirror.

Walking up to the microphone center of the stage slowly, you boomed “ROOM” to the crowd and turned on the LED light in your palm. The crowd applauded and cheered, giving you the chance to give a Law-like smirk.

“And now, my crew mates Shachi and Penguin!” you growled, motioning to the pair still behind the stage. They leapt into action, joining behind you with their limbs in a fighting pose.

“It’s nice to make your acquaintance party people!” they said in unison. They hadn’t lied, they really had practiced this together. The three of you walked the stage as was required, showing off the costumes you’d all poured your time and energy into.

“And who’s that?” yelled Shachi, grabbing the microphone from the stand. “Why, it’s our first mate, Bepo! Come up to the stage Bepo, join us!” The crowd parted to reveal someone in a perfect replica Bepo costume.

“Come on, cheer for Bepo everyone!” Shachi continued, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. The cacophony that erupted overpowered even the MCs on the microphones.

“Bepo! Bepo! Bepo!” Penguin chanted and the audience joined in. With a yell, the Bepo launched himself to the stage, joining the other Heart Pirates. Bepo showed off his claws, moving and holding a karate style pose along with Penguin and Shachi. You folded your arms in front of your chest and the flash of a snail told you a picture had been taken. The crowd roared with their approval of the costumes and you blushed furiously. The last second addition of Bepo took the judges by storm, they all gave your group 10s.

Rushing off the stage, you squeezed Shachi and Penguin into a tight hug. “That was amazing! Thank you guys so much!” The person in the mink costume was already trying to drag the pair away even as he apologized under his breath. “And thank you, Bepo! We’ve won for sure, I can’t imagine another group can get a perfect score!” You kissed the snout of the mink costume, leaving behind some of your face makeup on its white fur. “Sorry about that,” you apologized while rubbing the makeup off with your arm. The costume was so realistic you couldn’t believe how soft the fur was. If you were able to remember you wanted to ask the person how they made it look so life-like. One more drink and you’d ask to sleep on top of it.

“Let’s go, Captain is annoyed!” Bepo exclaimed, pulling a reluctant Shachi and Penguin down the wings backstage.

“Aw, come on Bep. It’s Halloween, give us a few more minutes” Shachi grumbled.

“Yeah, Bepo. We have to stay until they declare the winners at least... and who knows? You might get a trophy,” Penguin said while waggling his eyebrows. In the dim light it almost looked like the mink’s eyes grew wider.

“Besides, I’m the Captain,” you joined in. You didn’t want the night to end, the Penguin and Shachi were fun to be around. “I say we keep drinking!” you added with a fist raised in the air. Shachi and Penguin whooped and picked you up onto their shoulders, passing through the packed floor of the venue with ease. Bepo followed behind slowly while trying to avoid stepping on other patrons. Depositing you on your feet in front of the bar, you fished more Berri out of your pocket and handed it off to Shachi. Perching on a bar stool facing the bar, you watched your hard earned money being turned into Lemon Drops for the four of you. Worth every penny.

“And who might you be?” a deep voice asked from behind.

Channeling your inner Law, you turned around as you sneered while looking the speaker up and down, “I am Dr. Traflagar D. Water Law, Captain of the Heart Pirates, former Warlord of the Sea, part of the worst generation, surgeon extraordinaire, supreme user of the Ope Ope no Mi and the future Pirate King. Who might you be?” You tried to maintain your stony face but couldn't after you saw the other person was also a Law cosplayer. “Oh, sorry, you knew all that already. I’m - we’re Trafalgar Law!” You broke into a smile, unable to maintain Law’s stoic recalcitrance.

Looking over the other Law, your mouth dropped open. “Wow! Your costume is insane! It’s so detailed, you’ve got every little thing down. Did you pierce your ears for this too?” you asked and reached out to touch the small golden earrings dangling from his ears. The Law jerked back, giving you a frown.

“Here you go Captain,” Shachi said while wrapping an arm around you to pass you your drink.

“Thank you Shachi-ya,” you replied before taking a gulp.

“I didn’t order anything,” the other Law intoned.

“ You didn’t, Law did,” Penguin said, lifting his own glass to you. You giggled at the gesture and returned the drinking salute.

“That’s r-right, this is my crew! Penguin-ya, Shachi-ya, and Bepo-ya!” you slurred. Perhaps continuing to drink wasn’t the best idea but you’d find out for sure tomorrow.

“I don’t call him Penguin-ya, just Penguin,” Other Law scoffed.

“W-well la dee dah . P-peng! Let’s get more, yeah?” You’d already finished your fourth? Fifth? Drink of the night and you were feeling great.

“Negative, Cap. Let’s wait a few. Maybe get some fresh air,” Penguin suggested. You huffed but they led you out to the patio. Penguin and Shachi went to secure one of the tables, Bepo had left to use the restroom which left you and Law talking together under the fairy lights. A few of your friends were there smoking which made you want a cigarette of your own. Maybe you’d bum one off them....you thought while longingly watching the plumes of smoke.

“Don’t even think about it,” Other Law told you. “Nicotine is a dangerous, addicting substance and smoking alone increases your mortality rate by -”

“Blah blah I know, I know. I’m a n-nurse. I know the stats,” you groaned while still eyeing the temptation.

“A nurse? Is that why you dressed as Trafalgar Law?” his long lithe body leaning against the exterior brick wall. For a Law impersonator, he really hit all the checkboxes. He was so similar looking to the real Law, it made you feel some kind of way. This Other Law was incredibly good looking and had the deep gravelly voice you’d always imagined Law would. He was tan and well muscled, and even had the dark eye bags you found strangely attractive. It would be weird to ask for but maybe he’d make out with you while he was still in costume after a few more drinks.

“Pfff. N-not just dressed like him. He’s the reason I became a nurse at a-all. I wasn’t smart enough for me-medical school but I wanted to be like him a l-little.” Normally you didn’t talk to strangers, much less bare your soul to them, but you were a touch wasted.

“Hmm. Nurses are just as important as doctors,” Other Law said sagely, the two of you nodding at one another.

“I know, b-but it’s not just that! He’s so smart and handsome and hot and amazing and I want him to be the Pirate King even though it’s probably gonna be St-Strawhat and his articles are so interesting and he’s so sophisticated and his brothers are so lovely and I just love him s -so hic much!” Your Law rant was interrupted by the overhead speaker announcing the winners of the costume contest. Everyone went silent as they listened in. “Gah, I’m so nervous, can I hold your hand?” you asked the Other Law. You didn’t wait for an answer instead reaching and gripping the man’s tan hand. It had the same “tattoos” yours did which made for a funny look as you squeezed tightly.

The first, second, and third place prizes for Best Individual and Couple were announced and with every announcement you gripped Other Law’s hand tighter and tighter. Finally, it was time for the announcement you’d been waiting for. Shachi, Bepo, and Penguin had come to stand by you and Law, everyone listening in for the announcement.

AND THE FIRST PLACE WINNER OF BEST GROUP GOES TO…….THE HEART PIRATES!

You screamed as loud as you could in delight while Penguin picked you up into the air and spun you in a circle. Bepo rubbed his head on Shachi’s hat in happiness while the assembled crowd cheered for you.

“Penguin! Shachi! Bepo! We won!! We won! Oh my god I finally won!” Penguin was still spinning you and the world turned on its axis. “Whoa, uh…I think you should stop that,” you groaned while holding your head. You might have gone a little past your limit. A lot past.

“We can go now, right Captain?” Bepo asked, his hands worrying together. You could imagine why a full bear mink costume would be uncomfortable but that was no reason to end the night early.

“N-no!” you yelled.

“Sure, Bepo. Let's head back.” Other Law answered simultaneously. Penguin put you down and leaned on Shachi’s shoulder with his forearm. Penguin looked between you and Other Law several times.

“I dunno, Shach,” Penguin said while rubbing his chin in thought, “it’s hard to tell which one is actually our Captain. Who should we listen to? This Law wants to go home but this Law wants to stay and keep having fun…” Penguin gestured between the two of you.

Shachi’s sharp grin split his face in half with delight. “You’re right, Peng. Which one is the real Law? Hmmmm…” Shachi’s rapid double takes between the two of you caused you to giggle. Holding Kikoku in your crossed arms, you did your best Law impression opposite Other Law. Other Law was decidedly not amused by the antics of his friends, making you break character to laugh at his snarl.

“Well, this one has Captain’s hat, they must be the right one!” Shachi declared, putting his hand on your shoulder. Penguin hummed in agreement, nodding along with his friend. The two of them stood flanking you with their arms crossed like they were your actual crew.

“You boys are my best friends, you know me so well. I l-love you guys,” you asserted while furrowing your brow. You threw your arms over their shoulders and brought the two of them into a quick group hug. You thought you saw Other Law’s eye twitching.

“Awww, Captain, we love you tooooooo,” Penguin said while placing a sloppy kiss on your cheek, making you laugh. This time Other Law’s eye did twitch.

“Room. Shambles,” Other Law said. The deck went quiet as the hat that had been on your head was now firmly on Law’s. The real Law. Trafalgar D. Water Law. Your hero, your inspiration, the reason you changes majors in college. Your eyes opened wide as your mind went blank. Should you apologize? Did you need to plead for your life? Was he mad at you? Did he like your costume? Was he glad you’d won? Would he let you trace his tattoos with your tongue? Did he want your heart in a cube? Did he have to look so hot?

“I’ve been looking for my hat all day. Lost it in that damn costume shop while Bepo was looking for an Uta costume,” Law scowled. Bepo bowed his head apologetically.

“Sorry Captain,” was his pathetic response. Law gave the mink a small smile as you imagined rubbing your face on his plush fur.

“It’s alright Bepo, I’m just sorry the costume didn’t fit,” the Captain said quietly to his first mate. You had a million questions for the mink but your muddled mind wouldn’t bring any to the forefront.

“Um, Cap- er, um, Dr. Trafalgar, I’m sorry for what I said earlier, and, um…for d-dressing up like you.” You couldn’t look Law in the eye, you were tapping your replica Law shoes against the wood deck of the patio. You really did respect him professionally and hoped you hadn’t embarrassed yourself too much.

To your relief the corners of the Captain’s mouth quirked up into an almost smile. “It’s a good imitation, you won first place. All you need is my hat and we’re practically twins,” he said, touching the hat now on his own head.

“Uh, sorry for that too. I didn’t know it was the - your h-hat,” you stuttered. It did look like it belonged to him - it looked so natural perched on his beautiful head. Your good sense must have been shambled to another dimension because you asked the first thing that came to mind.

“And I thought sh-shambles replaces things. What do I get if you have my h-hat?”

“This,” Law said, kissing you chastely on your cheek. It was innocent and sweet, but he might as well have stuck his tongue down your throat with how red your face suddenly blazed.

“The Tang is on the far side of the port if you want to come by tomorrow to chat after you’re sober. Good night, Law-ya.”

~~~

Bonus sillies

Law: Take off those medals, they’re not part of the uniform

Shachi: *wearing his 1st place medal over his suit* you’re just jealous

Penguin: yeah, it’s obvious our costumes were the best

Law: they weren’t costumes! You cheated!

Shachi: *whispers* I wish Other Law was here, they would let us wear our medals

Penguin: And they bought us drinks, shoulda chosen them instead

Law shambles them into the sea

Marco: Ace, put down my extra shirt. You’re not dressing up as me for that Pirate Ball yoi.

Ace: But I need a costume with a shirt to cover my tattoo! No one on the crew wears a shirt except for Izou and he said I can’t even look at his wardrobe.

Marco: That’s not my problem yoi.

Ace: That’s yoi not yoi my yoi problem yoi

Marco: I don’t sound like that

Ace: * now wearing Marco’s shirt, twirling in a circle* Look at meeeee, I’m Maaaarco. You can’t tell if my eyes are open or closed cuz I’m a biiiiiiiiird

Marco tosses Ace overboard, Ace doesn’t get to the party

Shanks: Sooooooooooo, how many Shanks were there :) :) :)

Hongo: Just one

Shanks: :(

Hongo: But you won best couple

Shanks: :) :) with who?

Hongo: It was a Shuggy couple

Shanks:*groans* Every year!

Buggy: what now, Redhair?

Shanks: nothing honey * kisses his hand *

Buggy: * yanking hand away * How many Buggys were there?

Hongo: 17

Buggy: heh * flips Shanks off with the hand wearing his wedding ring *

Shanks: Why don’t more people dress up as me? It’s such a sexy and easy costume! Open shirt, red wig, cool pants, sandals….

Beckman: I keep telling you, ladies don’t like dressing up as middle aged men. If you want more cosplayers, we gotta get women on the crew.

Shanks: Maybe if I wear fewer clothes…

Beckman: NO!

Shanks: …..wait, I’m not middle aged.

Hongo: tell that to your receding hairline.

Blackbeard: So, how many Blackbeards were there?

Von Augur: I wasn’t allowed in :(

Knockoff Spirit Halloween Marine Costumes

Vice Admiral Open Handed Slap

Captain Honesty (comes with wrong color wig)

Admiral Angry Lava

Vice Admiral Vapor

Happy Halloween!

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theeternalwombtarot · 6 days ago

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Black women, I have reason to believe that our practice with leaving our hair in protective styles for long periods of time in between washes or even partial washes is a neglectful practice that we shouldn’t continue. On top of that I believe that oils and greases work and there’s a reason why we’ve carried them with us through generations but it’s how you use them that matters. I make a hair oil of my own with various different herbs and carrier oils and I only oil my hair in the form of a hot oil treatment by way of something like a double boiler method, I’ll set the glass bottle of oil into a heat safe container of hot water, heated by a kettle. Before I oil my scalp I moisturize with shea butter melted down (please be careful it can get hot wait until you can put your hand comfortably in it without burning your hand) and after i oil I grease my scalp generously and wrap my hair up. If you’re worried about your natural hair oils and about drying your hair out and breakage due to washing, invest in moisturizing shampoos and conditioners that don’t strip the hair and scalp, the use of clarifying shampoos are necessary in cases where we don’t feel our hair and scalp are clean after long periods spent without shampooing or due to the use of heavy products like butters and oils but if you wash more frequently it’s less likely to become built up and hard to remove. I’ve had bald spots on the side of my head and in the back of my head in my “kitchen” area practically all my life and could not get my hair to grow back no matter what I did, I believe that it was a mixture of eczema that affected my scalp and traction alopecia from my hair being pulled out when I was very young. I’ve gotten these spots on my head to grow up generously, especially the back where a few of my cornrows did not go down to the nape of my neck but they do now as there wasn’t really hair there before.

I would advise you to look up what the recommended hair washing frequency is for your hair type and pay attention to the way your scalp feels and at which point your scalp starts feeling itchy or starts bothering you. I do understand that to some extent hair care for black women is kind of time consuming and you have to accurately plan wash days and hair care accurately as well as wear your hair in ways that fit your lifestyle so by all means do what’s right for you. I’ve also noticed that the practice of protective styles for longer than necessary may aid in the hair being brittle or splitting at a higher rate for some reason. I feel that I experienced more breakage when I kept my hair in protective styles for several weeks or longer.

#black women #black femininity #black girl hair #hair care

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yrthr · 2 years ago

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☾ COLD SHOULDERS ; PARK GUNWOOK

gunwook masterlist / zb1 masterlist ; wc 0.975k

➛ genre ; angst - fluff ➛ warning ; cursing , mentions of food

🎧— sorry this took so long anddd i think i also got carried away with this one..

the tension in the living room was intolerable. the rectangle room which was once considered a safe haven turned into some kind of war-zone.

snarky remarks with raised voices and the added passive aggressiveness bounced off the four brick walls and into the emotions of the couple sitting on the couch.

“ it’s not my fault you were scolded today. “

“ and ? how does that play into this right now , you clearly knew i was in a bad mood and you still couldn’t let me cool off. “

“ i just asked you to eat the dinner i prepared. i literally spoke three words. “

gunwook let out an annoyed ‘ tsk ‘ , rolling his eyes and he stared holes into the electronic device he was suddenly so interested in.

“ no one asked you to prepare it , god you’re so naggy. “

as if his actions weren’t enough to full the bubbling anger in you , the absolute ungratefulness was the breaking point.

“ …fuck you. “

leaving the couch in a huff you grabbed the necessities for the night and threw them in the guest room , slamming the door shut.

the next day rolled around after a rather unsettling sleep. out of habit you reached out your hand to the other side of the bed before realising the person that usually greets you every morning was no where in sight.

you sighed out of frustration and a slight hint of embarrassment as well.

ding !

the rectangular device vibrated on the white sink , which almost caused it to fall off the curved edge. somehow the spidy sense in you managed to catch it in time , a sigh of relief escaping your lips.

with a toothbrush half sticking out of you mouth and toothpaste smothered around your lips you smiled at the silly conversation with your friend.

‘ y/n bbg wna watch the little mermaid today ? my treat. ‘

‘ now ? ‘

‘ starts in 3 hours , meet me for lunch at coex. ‘

‘ ight thanks sugar mommy. ‘

after putting on a comfortable outfit for the day and one last quick comb of your hair you begrudgingly opened the door dreading the thought of seeing the culprit of all your anger from the previous night.

‘ out the door at last , ‘ you thought , ‘ never have i ever been this happy to get out of the house. ‘

the day out definitely cheered boosted the once sour mood and took your mind off the problem. movie , arcade games and even a spontaneous aquarium trip also ripped that bank account. [ me fr ]

“ are you sure you don’t want me to drop you off at your apartment lobby ? “

“ nah i wanna hit the convenience store anyways , see you at school. “

“ see you , and do your homework. “

“ bye mother. “

you watched as the silver car drove off leaving you walking towards the said convenience store.

picking up the ramen package and a drink you considered getting a snack for gunwook as well.

‘ he can get his own shit. ‘ the little devil sitting on your shoulder whispered into your ear.

click click click !

ah… home sweet home.

the empty bundled up plastic bag served as a coaster for the cold drink , the seasoning scattered across the counter and the open packet of noodles , together with its consumer , waited rather impatiently for the water to boil.

“ where did you go ? “

a voice came from the hallway which its owner came crawling out of the darkness right after.

he walked into the light of the kitchen with disheveled hair and hands behind his back staring at the floor.

a spark of annoyance rushed through your veins as you fought an internal battle to not roll your eyes at the sheer sound of his voice.

ding !

saved.

saved by the water boiler of all things.

you turned your back to him suddenly being extremely invested into the process of preparing ramen.

a few shuffles were heard behind you and a small ‘ sorry ‘ before the soft sound of the door closing caused a surge of relief.

you did feel bad for ignoring him but the small grudge you held against him plus the added pettiness constantly persuaded you that ignorance was the best solution.

the next few days played out about the same way.

to you it was an internal conflict of whether to forgive him now or carry on with this silence.

but to gunwook this was his version of hell.

arguments rarely happen.

small ones , sure but they were solved in about five minutes he couldn’t bare to see you upset over his actions. [ even if it wasn’t his fault ]

he’s tried almost everything he could think of , trying to strike up conversations with dumb questions , leaving food on the table for you after a long day of school which he’d hide in the hallway and take a quick glance or two to see if you’d eat it.

bringing you water while you’re locked up in your room even organising the mess on your desk hoping you’d notice and say something.

but you were still ignoring him.

gunwook was at his breaking point.

and so once again today you came back home from a tiring day of school ready to retreat into the guest room for some much needed youtube when you were suddenly engulfed into a warm embrace.

one at you shared with a certain someone.

“ im sorry.. please stop ignoring me. “

he muttered and muzzled himself into your collarbone while practically squeezing you against himself.

“ sorry too i should’ve just let you cooled off before saying anything. “

he shook his head and you felt tears trickle down.

“ its my fault… im sorryy “

you felt his grip tighten which made you instinctively chuckle and ruffle his hair.

“ don’t cry you big baby. “

“ im not ! “

he whined but made no effort to stop or wipe his tears away.

“ yeah yeah sure you aren’t babe. “

divider by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

©️ yrthr 2023

#zb1 x reader #zb1 #zb1 drabbles #zb1 imagines #zb1 scenarios #zb1 fics #zb1 fluff #zb1 reactions #zb1work #boys planet imagines #boys planet scenarios #zerobaseone #zerobaseone x reader #zerobaseone scenarios #zerobaseone imagines #park gunwook

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covid-safer-hotties · 2 months ago

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Also preserved in our archive

By Sara Ehrhardt

I’m coughing, looking at my plans for the day, cancelling each one.

As an elected official, this is not a good look. We wish to be out and about with people. We certainly don’t want to be coughing all over our constituents in this time of COVID. But elected officials get sick too.

Like most parents in the community I represent, when I start to feel sick I think back to all the places my family and I have been, and also what plans we have coming up.

I wonder what the expiration date is on those COVID tests I grabbed who-knows-when. I also wonder how other orders of government, particularly our provincial government in Ontario, can continue to seemingly ignore the lived experience of so many right now as they walk back systemic efforts to understand and grapple with this virus.

Who knows where to find tests? Who knows what is going around? Who knows what vaccines will be coming, and when?

In September, the Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada released a report titled “Dealing with the Fallout: Post-COVID Condition and its continued impact on individuals and society.” As a person lying sick in bed, this report really hits home. Even if the symptoms seem familiar, getting COVID is really not the same as getting the flu.

There are risks to getting COVID multiple times, and it is important to continue to take action to prevent COVID and other respiratory illnesses from spreading.

This report also hits home as an elected public school board trustee. The report has noted that “adequate ventilation and air filtration is often a key gap in buildings where people gather, including schools” and recommends incentivizing investments in improving indoor air quality in buildings.

Despite the advocacy of countless school boards, elected public school trustees and parents across this country — including me — there is currently no funding pathway for schools to make the needed improvements that the Office of the Chief Science Advisor is recommending.

In Ontario, federal-provincial funding that allowed for clean air improvements ended in December 2023. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) received roughly $80 million in funding, some of which supported some very important ventilation improvements at area schools.

But it is nowhere near enough.

Let’s say it could cost $1 billion to really improve indoor air quality across the almost 600 schools and 238,000 students of the TDSB alone. This sounds like an enormous number, but in the world of public infrastructure, where things are funded across multiple orders of government over multiple years, this could be very achievable if new funding pathways were created and sustained — a 10 year public infrastructure modernization fund say. This could include other very needed updates to the buildings that school children are in for so many hours of their young lives.

“You can’t have a healthy economy without healthy people,” said Ontario’s Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy in 2021. This surely must also include healthy children learning in healthy buildings. We all know children are carrying more than just backpacks between school and home each day.

As provincial and federal governments start thinking about their next year budgets, or perhaps their upcoming election promises, I hope they remember their own words and think seriously about investing in modernizing school buildings to meet the needs of the 21st century, including sustained, targeted funding for new and improved heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems with air cleaning.

School boiler rooms don’t come across as a prime location for ribbon cuttings. But modernizing HVAC in schools is a sensible and very justifiable public investment that I believe every elected official – especially finance ministers - should get behind. The many coughing parents across this province right now will thank us.

#mask up #covid #pandemic #public health #wear a mask #covid 19 #wear a respirator #still coviding #coronavirus #sars cov 2

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thermodyneengineeringsystems · 1 year ago

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Industrial Electric Boiler Cost Factors with Thermodyne

Thermodyne stands as an expert guide, unraveling the intricacies of industrial electric boiler costs. Analyzing from initial investment to long-term operational expenses, each element is scrutinized for a nuanced understanding of overall expenditure. Explore the pivotal factors influencing costs and gain insights into optimizing efficiency without compromising quality. Thermodyne's commitment to transparency equips industries with essential information for prudent financial planning. This guide serves as a valuable resource for decision-makers, engineers, and industry professionals navigating the complex terrain of electric boiler economics. For more information contact us at https://www.thermodyneboilers.com/electra-electrode-type-boilers/

#Industrial electric boilers #Electric boiler costs #Boiler investments #Efficiency optimization #Long-term cost analysis

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sparkarrestor · 9 months ago

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Bulleid's Proposed Locomotives

So it turns out Bulleid had so many of his designs dropped for one reason or another, and since I can't stick with a single project for more than a few seconds, I wrote up histories for all of them!

Enjoy the ramblings of a madman who spent a good long while finding free number slots for them.

Southern Railway Warship Class

The Southern Railway was the most financially successful of the "Big Four", but this was largely based on investment in suburban and main line electrification. After the successful introduction of the SR Schools class in 1930, the railway had lagged behind the others in terms of modernizing its aging fleet of steam locomotives, as they were more focused on Electrification. Following the retirement of the general manager of the Southern Railway Sir Herbert Walker and Richard Maunsell the Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) in 1937, their successors considered that the time had come to change this situation. In March 1938 the new general manager Gilbert Szlumper authorized Oliver Bulleid, Maunsell's replacement, to prepare designs for twenty express passenger locomotives. The deteriorating international situation prior to the Second World War was an additional factor in this decision.

Originally, Bulleid had wanted a 4-8-2 Mountain Type, but the Civil Engineering department had resisted this based on size and weight, so a 2-8-2 was chosen instead. Bulleid had worked with Gresley on his P2 2-8-2 express engines, so he already had some background knowledge, especially with the P2’s problems and ideas on how to solve them. Of course, due to the war, they were classified as heavy mixed-traffic engines to get around wartime regulations.

They were built with high-pressure 280 PSI boilers and three 18inx26in cylinders, as well as being the first engines to use Bulleid’s chain-driven valve gear, though the middle cylinder had to be inclined steeply to clear the first driven axle. The boiler was partly welded to save on cost, and the inner firebox was made of steel. The Southern had no facilities to build these boilers, so it was subcontracted to the North British Locomotive Co., as well as Beyer Peacock. They were also fitted with Bulleid’s Air-Smooth Casing. Unlike later designs that utilized this, the casing on the Warships both served their function purpose as labor saving as well as being able to be passed off as some sort of streamlining. How Bulleid got that one through during the war is a mystery! The Warship’s were also the first to use Bulleid’s Firth-Brown Wheels.

10 of these engines were constructed in 1940. More were set to be produced, but once again, the Civil Engineering Department expressed their discomfort at such a large engine running at high speeds with only a single pony-truck in front, despite other engines of a similar design getting on fine elsewhere. This would lead Bulleid to designing and building 30 of his well-known Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2s.

They were named after Warships as a way to increase morale, with 11D1 being officially named “Dreadnought” in April 1940. They performed well in service, hauling heavy passenger and express goods, though the Chain-Driven valve gear was sensitive and required high maintenance, as well as the oil-bath having leaking problems, contributing to wheel-slips(Though the extra wheel helped negate this as well). The casing, while it did save on labor during cleaning, and the more streamlined appearance helped with publicity, it made maintenance hard to carry out. Surprisingly, thanks to their different front ends, they never really experienced drifting smoke like Bulleid’s Pacifics.

All 10 of the engines would be passed into British Railways, numbered 37001-37010, where their duties mostly stayed the same. 11D8 “Black Charles'' took part in the 1948 locomotive exchange trials, where it was compared to LMS Duchess pacifics and LNER A4’s and A2/2s, where it performed favorably, though the chain driven valve gear and its oil bath still caused headaches. After the Crewkerne incident, BR chose a rebuilding program of any engines that still used Bulleid’s Chain Driven motion, however, as the Warships had required far less modifications that the Pacifics, they were on the bottom of the list in the rebuilding program. In the end, only 37003 “Triumph”, 37009 “Warspite”, and 37010 “Exeter” were rebuilt in 1956, 1957, and 1959.

Despite their status as a class with very few engines, all ten would survive until the end of southern steam, going between 1965-1966.

Two are preserved, both being rescued from Barry Scrapyard in Wales. These examples are Class Pioneer 11D1 “Dreadnought”, as well as 11D3 “Triumph”.

Stats

Power Classification - 8MT

Built - 1940 to 1941

Boiler Pressure - 280 PSI

Cylinders (3) - 18in x 26in

Wheels (Driven) - 6ft 2in

Wheels (Leading) - 3ft 1in

Wheels (Trailing) - 3ft 7in

Wheels (Tender) 3ft 7in

Tractive Effort - 40,640 lbf

Total Length - 74ft 8in

Fleet

11D1 (37001) - Dreadnought

11D2 (37002) - Anson

11D3 (37003) - Triumph

11D4 (37004) - Vanguard

11D5 (37005) - Ark Royal

11D6 (37006) - Audacity

11D7 (37007) - Valiant

11D8 (37008) - Black Charles

11D9 (37009) - Warspite

11D10 (37010) - Exeter

Southern Railway Prototype Light Pacific

(Pic by Sttophat on twitter)

In 1941, Bulleid had introduced his Warship Mikado's and Merchant Navy Pacific's to become the main motive power for the Southern Railway’s Express passenger trains, though while they performed well, they were restricted by their weight, especially since the condition of the rails were hampered by the Second World War. Initially, trains on the lighter sections were handled by the Q1 0-6-0 freight engines and other, older engines, but they couldn’t handle the faster trains that were anticipated after the war. There was also the planned electrification of certain areas after the war, so the new design also needed to handle freight traffic as well, fast enough to not impede electric services.

What was decided on in the end was a downsized version of the Merchant Navy’s, fitted with the same design theory of the Q1’s to create a “Light Pacific”. The Locomotive was completed in 1942 alongside the Q1’s, and was trialed for a short time before entering service. It was deemed a success, and numbered 21C201. It was powerful enough to handle fast, heavy trains, as well as having an extremely light axle loading for a pacific at 16.5 Tons, enabling it to be used on almost every part of the UK Network as a whole. However, Bulleid decided to go with a different approach, creating simply a downsized Merchant Navy with no Q1 elements. This would increase the axle load, though this wasn’t much of an issue, as the Battle of Britain and West Country Class Light Pacifics still had a high enough route availability for the work they were assigned. Thus, the “Q1 Light Pacific'' would remain a one-off.

During the war, No.21C201 would actually travel a fair amount, and would regularly venture out of Southern territory, its light axle-load coming in handy. After the war however, it would mostly stay in the South. Performance-wise, it seemed to inherit all of the good qualities from the Q1’s and the pacific’s. The light-weight was already a plus, coupled with a great, free-steaming boiler and additions that made the driver and fireman’s life easier. However, it also inherited the bad aspects as well. The chain-driven valve gear was a well-known headache on bulleid locomotives, but there was also the issue that its light-weight caused. The regular Light Pacifics had trouble starting heavy trains thanks to their weight, but No.21C201 had it worse, especially with the well-known issues with the oil bath the valve gear was situated in. The light weight would also affect braking power as well, making unfitted trains harder to stop, a trait inherited from the Q1’s.

No.21C201 (Now Renumbered 34000) was not considered for rebuilding like the other Bulleid Pacifics due to its one-off status. It would be given a general repair in 1960 before spending the rest of its life at Nine-Elms, mainly working express and semi-fast goods trains and the occasional passenger turn during peak period and summer excursions. It was withdrawn from service in 1966 and broken up at Eastleigh.

Stats

Power Classification - 6MT

Built - 1942

Wheels (Driven) - 6ft 2in

Wheels (Leading) 3ft 1in

Wheels (Trailing) - 3ft 7in

Wheels (Tender) - 3ft 7in

Boiler Pressure - 250 psi

Cylinders (3) - 16.5in x 24in

Tractive Effort - 28,145lbf

Total Built - 1

Southern Railway L1 Class

Bulleid designed these locomotives during the Second World War, but construction didn’t begin until 1946. They shared many components with Bulleid’s Q1 0-6-0 goods engines, and were essentially the Q1’s with an Air-Smoothed Casing and a bigger boiler (though the firebox was identical with that of a Q1’s).

Twelve of these engines would be constructed between 1946 and 1948, with the final 3 being built by British Railways. They were originally numbered 22C1 to 22C12, though they were renumbered in 1949 to 36101 to 36112. They were originally meant for short distance goods and passenger services, though they never really found their footing in this role. The passenger trains that usually necessitated big tank engines were already being handled by electric engines, and everything else usually required smaller and lighter engines, which meant that, despite inheriting the power and efficiency of the Q1, the added weight and size meant that they were barred from where they could be most effective. The goods work they were meant for were also in the care of both Q1’s and Maunsell’s Q Class, as well as the many N class moguls already in service. In the end they spent their time hopping from shed-to-shed before settling on ex-LSWR territory, and even venturing into Western Region territory.

They were withdrawn between 1962-1964. Only one survives, 22C9 (36109) on the Bluebell Railway.

Stats

Power Classification - 5F 4P

Built - 1946 to 1948

Boiler Pressure - 230 PSI

Cylinders (2) - 19in x 26in

Wheels (Driven) - 5ft 1in

Wheels (Bogies) - 3ft 1in

Tractive Effort - 30,080 lbf

Southern Railway Dock Class

After the Second World War, many of the Southern Railway’s shunters (mainly those at Southampton) inherited from pre-grouping companies were worn out and needed overhauling. As such, Bulleid opted to replace them outright with his own design of 0-6-0T, with a short wheelbase of 10 feet to enable it to negotiate the tight curves. Like many of Bulleid’s designs, he equipped it with a relatively high boiler pressure.

Six would enter service in 1946, and while a total of 18 were planned, this would never come to be, as Eastleigh works was not in a position to build new locomotives with the backlog from the war. In the end, the southern found it cheaper to purchase ex-USATC S100 dock shunters, as they fulfilled most of the requirements needed.

They were numbered C201 to C206, and were renumbered to 30071 to 30076 in British Railways days. The first, 30071, was built with the Idaglass boiler lagging and casing as used in the Q1 class, while the other 5 were built with conventional boiler lagging and tanks. 30071 would be rebuilt like the others in 1953.

The class would lead uninteresting lives as dock shunters in Southampton and Dover until their withdrawal between 1961-1962. One was initially purchased for preservation but the deal fell through. None are preserved.

Stats

Power Classification - 3F

Built - 1946

Boiler Pressure - 220 PSI

Cylinders (2) - 16in x 24in

Wheels (Driven) - 4ft 6in

Tractive Effort - 21,276 lbf

#oliver bulleid #what-if engines #train #I have way more of these if you guys want to see them #or maybe I'll just do it anyways lol

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rjzimmerman · 6 months ago

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Excerpt from this story from Canary Media:

Buildings everywhere need to get off fossil fuels in order to help the world avoid climate catastrophe. Yet owners of large commercial buildings in New York City are especially feeling the pressure: The groundbreaking Local Law 97 takes effect this year, requiring buildings of more than 25,000 square feet to meet specific emissions limits, which become more stringent in 2030, or face hefty fines.

One cutting-edge retrofit project is underway at the corner of Hudson and Charlton streets in lower Manhattan. The 17-story Art Deco office building, built in 1931, is ditching its fossil-gas boiler for uber-efficient electric heat pumps that are both heaters and air conditioners. They’re key components of a system that aims to heat and cool the building more efficiently by capturing thermal energy that would otherwise be wasted.

The state is backing the demonstration project, which could serve as a model to decarbonize the more than 6,000 high-rises that punctuate New York City’s skyline. As part of the Empire Building Challenge, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) awarded $5 million to the 345 Hudson project in 2022, which also has more than $30 million in private funding.

Project leader Benjamin Rodney estimates that once the project is complete in 2030, the building will use 25 percent less energy than a conventional design and reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 70 percent relative to 2019 levels. As the grid cleans up, he expects the figure to climb to 90 percent by 2035. The deep emissions cuts will allow the building owner, Hudson Square Properties — a joint venture of Hines, Trinity Church Wall Street, and Norges Bank Investment Management — to avoid more than $200,000 in fines annually starting in 2030.

But more importantly, it could help other building owners determine how best to eliminate emissions — a crucial task given that nearly 70 percent of the city’s carbon pollution stems from the fossil fuels used to heat and power its buildings.

#heat pumps #NYC

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bisexual-horror-fan · 2 years ago

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*Kicks your door down*

BEXIBUS

May I have a fic w Freddy and the Reader on /his/ birthday and he's not expecting them to do anything for him but they surprise him? And uh maybe they put a lil icing on their titties for him to lick off?

And could I maybe??? Get a tiny bit of fluff w Reader booping icing on his nose and letting him know they'll never forget his birthday and they love him sksjfjs

Thank u v much for the chance 🥺

-Vic/TML

PS. May you dream of Freddy tonight and put ur cake in his face if yk what I mean.

Oh Vic baby, I know it has been a minute since you sent this in but it IS Robert Englund’s birthday today so I thought it was finally time to do this! Been a bit since the last Freddy moment, so I hope you enjoy it along with everyone else! Let’s go!

—

Rating. NSFW. Length. 1.4K. Freddy Krueger X GN! Reader. No Pronouns Specified. Warnings: Pet Names. Lucid Dreaming. Sweetness. Surprising Freddy. Nipple Play. Food Play. Implied Oral Sex. Banter. Teasing. Freddy Being Freddy. Mild Knife Play. Domestic Fantasy. Lingerie. Dress Up.

—

“Birthday Surprise.”

—

It wasn’t easy to find out what day it was, it took some serious research and effort on your part but damn it, he was worth it. He had never brought up the day and you were positive there was a reason for that but it didn’t deter you, the risk felt worth the potential reward. He was surprisingly very giving to you in many respects, seemed that good moods were striking him more often than not and he was very willing to treat you, any sort of desire you had, sexual or otherwise he was willing to meet, seemingly loving and feeding off the positive energy it drew from you. So naturally you wanted to return those efforts back to him, put a smile on his face, show him that you were just as invested as he was.

The first way you wanted to do this was by celebrating his birthday, you had a feeling no one ever put forth much care into giving a fuck about him in any serious regard and certainly not about that, or if they had, he hadn’t even alluded to it, but you could fix that. You could make him feel special, make him feel like how he made you feel, make him feel important.

You know this was a complex thing, hell emotions seemed to be a touchy subject on the best of days but you had a good feeling about this. You worked on lucid dreaming, on getting your skills up so far to be able to accomplish what you had in mind, and thankfully, hard work was paying off.

He was always aware of when you fell asleep. He would feel it, be able to reach out and pull you to him. He also had a habit of liking to watch, he’d find you dreaming about whatever mundane bullshit and indulge in watching you for a minute or two before dragging you into a nightmare of his making or the boiler room, whatever setting he wished so when he reached out and found you tonight, he was surprised.

There you were, in a much different setting then he usually found you. A brightly lit, vintage looking kitchen, you in an apron and seemingly not much else, and consumed in your current task. A quick look around showed you were deep into decorating a freshly baked and thoroughly cooled cake. God, you looked good enough to eat, better than the cake by far. He was looking you over, the thin and sheer material hugging over your ass and hips, the lace top stockings you wore, the heels, the sweet ruffled edged apron, it was doing everything possible to appeal to him.

You were humming some tune he couldn’t place, the cake was on one of those stands that could spin, making it easier for you to ice it, turning it with one hand slowly while the other held the rubber spatula, spreading the light, airy and butter cream on the sides of the cake. He made himself known then.

He slipped into the reality of our dream, right behind you, his hands placed on your waist, bare scarred skin on one side and leather and steel on the other. You didn’t jump, not even flinched, as if you were aware of his presence before he made it known, expecting, anticipating him.

“Well aren’t you just the cutest little house spouse.” He purred into your ear and you grinned, “Heya Freddy.”

“Hiya sweetheart.” You feel his lips brush the shell of your ear and you lean closer back into him, “How you doing tonight?”

“How do you think I’m doing after coming into this?” His question was just what you were expecting, you finished doing the basic ice and had picked up the piping bag to do some serious detailing, “Oh doing pretty damn good I imagine.”

“You know me too well.” He said easily, watching as you artfully swooped the icing on the sides, “So what’s with playing Susie homemaker? You got a kink you never shared with the class or somethin’?”

You laugh, a shake of your head as you work on quickly finishing up the lettering up top now that the edges were piped, “No, no, nothing like that. Just heard what day it was and thought it would be nice to spoil you.”

“Oh? And what day is it?” He asked and you finished up, piping bag set down, you picked up the cake and turned in his grip, holding out the two layered confection you’d spent so much time on, “A day to celebrate you.”

His hands still sitting on your hips he read the pretty dark pink icing scrawled on top spelling out, “Happy Birthday Freddy.”

“You remembered?” He asked and your finger swiped over the edge of the cake, catching some icing you reached up and booped him on the nose before telling him, “Freddy, I’ll never forget your birthday. I love you.”

He seemed to try to not be affected by your sweet words. Nor by when you leaned up and licked the small spot of sugary goodness from where you’d placed it. He tried to do what he always did, cover up serious emotion with jokes.

“You know it is a little fucking weird to celebrate a dead man's birthday, right?” He deadpanned, a raise of the skin where his eyebrows should be, had they not been scorched off forever ago. You smiled, a shrug as you said, “Yeah I know but…I dunno, it might be stupid but I care about you a lot Freddy, wanted to do something nice for you, show you how much I care.”

“You? Care about me?” He asked incredulously and you nodded, eyes downcast to the cake still in your hands.

You uttered, "You know I do, Freddy." He laughed, long and hard before exhaling in a fond one of voice, “Fuck, you are so stupid.”

He sighed and leaned in, a kiss to your forehead and you said, “Yeah, I really am.”

“Cutest, sweetest idiot I’ve ever tormented at least.” He pulled back, hands balled into fists and resting on his hips he asked, “So what kinda cake is it?”

You let the compliment he gave roll over you, the warmth sinking into you before the reply spills out, “Lemon sponge with a jam filling and a whipped raspberry buttercream.”

“Look at you! So fancy. You tryna impress me with your pretentious ass dessert?” He asks with that smug grin and you pose your own question. “Is it working?”

“Maybe. I’m not convinced though.” He teases and you turn at the waist, you set the cake back down on the counter and then you reach up behind your neck, you pinch one of the ends of the bow behind your spine, you tug and let it untie, allowing the top part of your apron to fall and expose your chest.

He is looking with great interest but not saying anything else, yet. You reach over and pick up the piping bag from before, you carefully squeeze some of the sweet and sticky substance onto your chest before turning your gaze up to his, looking up at him you ask, “Are you more willing to taste it when it’s served up like this?”

“You really are spoiling me, hmm?” He didn’t waste time, hands are on your chest cupping ample flesh as he leans down, now at eye level, looking at the delicate swirls of pink, admiring how they stand out against your skin for a moment before that inhumanly long tongue comes out to play. He takes his time, he starts inward, curling around a hardening nipple before working his way out, cleaning up the mess you left along the way. He lets out a satisfied hum as he does, eventually his mouth closes on a hard peak and he sucks deeply, tongue swirls, teeth graze, blood meets sugar and your head swims. His mouth is like heaven and hell mixed and you are thoroughly and irrevocably addicted. Your hand is on the back of his neck as his mouth works from one side to the next, by the time he is done you are left breathless, feeling his hard shaft grinding on your thigh, you ask, “You wanna try the real deal yet?”

He is dropping to his knees, hands pushing up the bottom of your apron, his tone is gruff, he nips at your inner thigh as he tells you, “Later.”

You start to whine in protest but his gloved hand is on your ass, blades biting into ample flesh and he grits out, “It’s my birthday remember?”

As he mouths over your underwear you lean against the counter, head tipping back and any and all complaints and arguments you had promptly fly out of your head, content to let him do whatever the fuck he wanted to. It was HIS day after all. It’s the least you could do. Cake could wait.

#Slasher x reader #Freddy Krueger x reader #BHF writing #BHF asks #ENJOYYYY

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